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All eyes were off Dusk and his companions the moment the fire rained down, giving them a chance to take the first shots at those closest to them. A dozen soldiers were dispatched in mere seconds as arrows flew through the air and blades flashed. Even more were cut down as the guild descended further into the chaos in front of them.
“It’s about time you got here,” Dusk called out mentally to Lyra, pulling at their connection while nocking another arrow.
“Seems I’ve arrived just in time,” she replied, another roar piercing the air above them. “These fools are poorly prepared for a dragon.”
Before she could speak another word, Dusk saw one of the army tents pulled down, revealing three ballista mounted to the ground already loaded and manned. It looked like they were more prepared than Lyra thought as they swung the machines upward, taking aim at the dragon in the night sky.
“Lyra!” Dusk cried out, raising his bow to shoot down one of the operators. “Look out!”
She barely had time to look as the three massive bolts fired into the air, one of the archers dropping from Dusk’s arrow too late. Lyra tried to roll out of the way as one flew by harmlessly, but another managed to pierce her wing while the remaining one sunk into her backside, burying itself deep in her leg. She cried out in pain, her flight path altering dangerously from the sudden impact. Before she could right herself she came sailing downward, tucking her wings in at the last moment to avoid breaking them. The massive dragon collided with the remains of a stone building, throwing bricks and rocks in all directions. She hit the ground and slid into another structure, a large plume of dust rising up in the firelight.
Soldiers rushed toward her and Dusk saw the ballista being loaded again, ready to fire on her from almost point blank range. He felt a surge of anger well up in his chest as the crystal below his armor came to life. Reaching into the deep well of magic he pulled runes for control and manipulation to his mind. Rolling his fingers through the air he grasped at the flames that Lyra had created, almost feeling them in his hands although they were several yards away. Like running his fingers through a moving river, Dusk willed the flames to leap up and consume the ballista and their archers. The wood caught easily, but he wasn’t done yet. Another swift movement of his arms tore the flames up from the ground and rushed them through the soldiers like a massive serpent snapping up men as it cut through. The flaming snake wound its way around Lyra and ignited, creating a towering inferno to guard her from the onslaught.
Then, just as soon as they’d protected her, they were snuffed out. Dusk felt the magic not fade away, but sever forcefully as if by a sword. He looked up at Nedarya, her hand raised, the snap of her fingers barely audible above the din. Somehow she’d canceled his magic. He didn’t know that was possible. She waggled her finger back and forth at him with a smile.
“I’ll be fine, just go,” Lyra called out to him, pushing herself to her feet. She reached back with her teeth and yanked the bolt out of her leg, roaring in pain.
“We can’t leave you here!” Dusk responded, pulling up another arrow.
All around him the guild members were fighting, locked in heated battle. Those Circle members and soldiers who were armed dipped into their dust pouches, casting small bits of destruction towards Dusk’s group. He loosed an arrow at one just behind Lex who was drawing a purple rune in the air. Not far off, another had begun to cast something else Dusk had never seen. He saw a broken barrel spilling wine a few feet away and reached out to the magic once again. Just like the flames he manipulated the wine up into the air, creating a sphere of it just behind the man casting his spell. With a flick of his wrist he brought it forward, enveloping the man’s head in the alcohol and forcing it down his throat. It was only a matter of seconds before Dusk felt the man’s lungs fill. The magic he’d been creating faded away as he tried to cough it up, but it was in vain. All he could do was drown.
A massive line of flame caught Dusk’s attention again and he watched as Lyra sprayed white-hot fire towards Nedarya and her soldiers. The soldiers screamed and burst into flame, their flesh melting off their bones in an instant, but Nedarya didn’t move. She merely waved her hand in front of her face and a shimmering shield surrounded her, protecting her from incineration.
As Lyra pulled her head back she cried out again, “Get to the heart!”
Nedarya’s arms flew wide, extinguishing the conflagration around her as she kept her eyes focused on Lyra.
“GO!”
Dusk didn’t stand to watch as Nedarya continued to walk slowly towards Lyra. Instead he turned around and ran back towards the tower. He rushed up the stairs and slapped his hand against the door. It was locked or magicked shut, he didn’t know, but neither was going to stop him. He searched the weave of magic once more, looking for the easiest way in. A single word popped into his head: shatter. A bold, silvery rune exploded behind his eyes as the magic flowed through his arm and into the stone. For a moment he thought nothing had happened, but as he looked closer he saw the entire door had become covered in a large spider web of cracks instantaneously. He took a step back and thrust his leg forward. His boot connected with the stone and in a cascade of pea-sized pebbles, it fell away, crumbling and flowing down the stairs like water.
“To me!” he cried to his allies, gesturing towards the tower.
All of them cut down their targets and ran to the front door of the tower. The soldiers saw their hasty retreat and followed hot on their heels, surrounding the base of the stairs. Although Lyra had cut down many of the soldiers, there were still over thirty pressing in on them as they backed up against the entrance to the tower.
“Get to the top,” Diana said, turning back and brandishing her sword. “My men and I will handle this rabble.”
“We won’t let ‘em by,” Ciaran added, his twin scimitars coated in blood and a wicked grin painted across his face.
Dusk looked at them both, seeing the fire in their eyes. Fourteen against thirty wasn’t the best odds, but he knew both of them would cut down more than their fair share. He nodded, knowing that they were giving him the time he needed to reach the heart while Nedarya was distracted. Turning away, he scrambled over the loose gravel, Lex, Tara, and Cyrilo right behind him.
Inside the tower was a disaster. The stone had crumbled long ago, pieces of the ceiling raining down to shatter the once pristine mosaic of tiles on the floor. Pools of water and plant debris coated the floor, making it slippery in places. The main chamber was full of obstacles, but Dusk quickly spotted the stairs on the far side, leading up to the next floor. He hoped they were still intact as he sprinted across the room. Tucking his bow across his shoulders, he vaulted over piles of rubble, the others following close behind. They didn’t have the breath for words as they raced up the deteriorating stairs. Keeping close to the wall they continued to climb. More than once they had to leap across a gap where the stone had fallen away completely. Tara had the easiest time making it across, but had to catch Dusk at one point to stop him from going over the side to the stone floor now far below. She grabbed his armor and yanked him back, nearly slamming him against the wall
“Okay?” she asked, panting.
“Yeah,” Dusk nodded, as he pushed the breastplate back into place, the crystal underneath digging into his skin.
They turned back to the stairs and continued upwards. The further they went, the more the outer walls began to open up, pieces of them having eroded away long ago. Vines crossed over their path, heavy with foliage that obscured the rubble on the floor and made it hard to run. Outside they could hear the sounds of battle as people cried out in pain or anger over the clash of metal. Lyra’s roars echoed up to them along with the scent of smoke and burning flesh. As they rounded another corner, Dusk’s eyes flashed upward, noticing a bright glow up ahead.
They were almost to the heart.
Dusk put on a burst of speed, leaping over the last few stairs into the top of the tower. The final floor was completely free of vines and debris. The walls were little more than railing, having been sheared away at an extreme angle long ago in the fight with Nozzera. The ten foot tall heart sat in the center, hovering a few inches off the floor and slowly rotating in place. Each pentagon shaped side was now completed and free of cracks, a bright glow emanating from within the center of the stone. Above them the inky black sky stretched out over the world, coated in a thick blanket of stars. But one, bright red and much larger now, was floating directly above Alamond, long tendrils of flame reaching for the earth. Dusk felt his pulse quicken at the sight of the crystal moon. They were running out of time.
Without a second thought he ran to the heart, holding out his hand to touch it. But before he could, his palm struck an invisible barrier. A bolt of crackling energy shot out, wrapping around his body and filling every inch of him with pain. He was lifted off his feet and thrown backwards, striking the stone floor hard and sliding until he collided with a wall in a heap.
“Dusk!” Lex cried, running over to him and crouching down. “Are you okay?”
“Fuck...” Dusk muttered, his body still twitching from the bolt of energy as smoke billowed up from under his armor.
Tara pulled her weapon and rushed forward, slamming it down towards the crystal with a cry of fury. Her blade connected with the same barrier and instantly shattered. Another bolt shot out and penetrated her body before she was thrown back a few feet, but somehow managed to stay standing.
“Alright,” Cyrilo said. “Let’s stop touching it before one of you is thrown off the tower completely.”
“What... what do we do?” Tara managed to gasp, still clutching the hilt of her broken sword and shivering.
“Maybe magic will work,” Cyrilo replied as he pulled out his chunk of crystal.
Closing his eyes he began to draw runes in the air, a trail of silvery-green light following his fingertips. With the final one drawn he pushed it forward. The magic swirled through the air, wrapping itself around the shield protecting the heart. More and more seemed to flow from the crystal in Cyrilo’s hands, eroding it away before their very eyes.
“I can’t stop it,” he cried.
Then, without warning, the shield suddenly exploded, millions of tiny shards like glass following a shockwave across the tower. The resounding boom forced Dusk to clap his hands over his ears and clench his eyes shut. When he opened them again he saw Cyrilo lying on the ground, the crystal in his hand completely vanished. Slowly he pushed himself up, blood running into his fur from a cut on his head. They all turned their attention back to the heart. The shield was gone.
“Well that was foolish,” a voice said from above them.
All heads turned in Nedarya’s direction as she hovered twenty feet above the top of the tower, her arms held out like some dark god descending from the heavens. Behind her the crystal moon created a halo of flame, giving her an even more sinister look. Slowly she floated down to them, her boots clicking on the stone as she landed. Dusk noticed all her crystalline armor was gone except for a small bangle and the world below them had gone silent. He reached out for Lyra with his thoughts, but there was no thread to pluck. The connection was gone.
“What did you do to Lyra?” Dusk shouted from his place on the ground.
“Oh, that beast won’t be bothering us any longer.”
Dusk pushed himself to his feet, drawing his bow at the same time. In a flash he whipped an arrow back and let it loose in her direction. Nedarya simply waved her hand, creating another shield with a smirk. He fired another again and again, watching her grow more arrogant with each blocked attempt. As he drew another arrow he called upon the crystal concealed under his armor. Greenish light flashed as the arrow raced forward. Fear rose up in Nedarya’s eyes and before she had a chance to react the arrow pierced the shield and her left shoulder. She screamed out in pain and rage, clutching at the wound that poured blood down her arm.
Dusk drew another arrow back. “I’m not fucking around,” he yelled at her. “Hand over the crowns or we’ll kill you where you stand!”
Lex came to stand by his side while Tara took the opposite. Cyrilo joined them, slipping the metal knuckles over his fingers. Their weapons were all aimed in Nedarya’s direction as she leaned over, grasping at her bleeding shoulder. A strange noise welled up from her throat, growing louder and louder as she turned to face them. A wide smile contorted her face as she laughed.
"You insignificant fools!" she cried. "Do you really think you stand even the slightest chance against me? Even if by some miracle you manage to kill me, the moon is coming either way." She eyed each of them in turn. "Nothing can stop it from crashing into the heart and both releasing all of their combined power at once! The blast will flatten the continent and hopefully take the rest of the world with it! Everyone will join me in death and finally this world will be free of suffering once and for all!"
"Nedarya," Tara said softly, taking a step toward her. "Please don't do this. I know things have been terrible for you, but don't you want a chance at life? A life with me?"
Nedarya spat in her direction. "With you? Don't make me laugh. You were nothing more than a faithful dog for my protection and you couldn't even do that properly."
"You... you can't mean that..."
"Don't I? You were better than that Malkekna slob, true enough, but at least I could have killed him and taken his place. I just needed you to get me back to the palace so I could finally kill my father. But Tiernan got to me first and then to my father. He killed one of the only people in the world I could exact my vengeance upon." Her smile widened. "But at least I got to kill Arius. That was a tender moment I'll never forget."
Dusk glanced up at the crowns on her head. The emerald crown had belonged to the Ditantian royal family. He figured they must be dead for her to be in possession of it. The tip of his arrow was shaking as he held the bowstring at full draw, but he ignored the straining of his muscles. The flaming moon was growing brighter and time was running out.
"Enough of this," Dusk shouted. "Give up now or die. Make your choice."
She laughed in response. "You should know by now Dusk, I always choose death. And you’ll follow me there whether you like it or not."
There was a flash as a Nedarya’s hand slapped down on the surface of the heart followed by a deep reverberation in the air. The wound in her shoulder closed instantly and she raised her free hand towards them. Dusk let his arrow fly, filling it with magic once more. It struck Nedayra’s outstretched hand and stopped, frozen there as the magicks fought against another. With a slight tremor her body absorbed the arrow and it’s magic. Dusk felt a burning on his chest as the crystal beneath his armor heated up. He ripped the breastplate away, smoke rising from where the stone had burned him and his clothing. It clattered to the ground and before he could grab it, the sliver shot to Nedarya’s hand. She gripped it tightly, black smoke billowing around her hand as it burned her.
“You won’t be needing this anymore,” she hissed.
Slamming the crystal against her chest, it melted into her body, absorbed into her very being. As the smoke cleared there was nothing left but a burned hole in her now bloodstained white dress. The crystal was completely gone. Dusk stared at her, fury flowing through his veins. He pulled his last arrow and nocked it on the string, turning to each of his companions one at a time.
“Well,” he said through gritted teeth. “This is it. Thank you for being with me to the end.”
They each nodded in turn. Cyrilo and Tara had their fists held high and rushed toward Nedarya with raucous battle cries. Lex held his sword at the ready, giving Dusk one last quick glance.
“I love you,” he said before rushing off in her direction.
“I love you too,” Dusk replied, pulling the arrow back.
But before anyone could reach her, Nedarya suddenly began to tremble. Her body jerked and twisted, causing her to cry out in pain. She looked down as a green glow began to emanate from her chest where the crystal had been absorbed. A mossy pattern started to form over her skin, crawling towards her neck and arms.
“What is this?” she cried, clawing at herself.
Suddenly small plants and vines began to grow out of her chest, curling around the burned pieces of dress fabric. Dusk recognized them from the jungle near Haldura’s final resting place. He remembered the deep rumbles in his mind and her spoken words at the cave to keep Lyra safe. She was exacting her revenge for what Nedarya had done.
Nedarya ripped at the vines, crying out in pain as they came free only to be replaced by more. The others stopped their headlong rush and took a step backward, not understanding what was going on. Dusk watched her grow more and more frantic, but nothing seemed to work. She looked back to the heart that her hand still clutched with wild eyes. It pulsed with energy as she began to trace symbols in the air one after another, drawing on the power of the crystal to save her from Haldura’s wrath.
For a moment he thought to fire his last arrow, but as he watched, he let the tension out of the string. A strange flicker caught his attention as he watched Nedarya’s hand burst into crackling blue flames where it touched the crystal heart. Without her notice, they began to lick down her arm, leaving solid white crystal behind. It wasn’t until it reached her shoulder that she noticed. The flames crept over her skin as she tried to pull her arm away, but to no avail. Her casting grew more frantic as she tried to stop it and the moss, but the more magic she cast, the faster the flames spread. She began to scream as they spread down her body, turning it all to stone. At last they crept up her neck, freezing her face mid-cry, her eyes staring blankly up into the sky toward the moon.
As the last of her turned to crystal, the stone still ringing with the final echoes of her scream. There was a moment of silence as they stared at the perfectly shaped statue that had once been Nedarya, its glow slowly fading away. Dusk’s ears picked up the slightest crackling that grew louder and louder. Fissures quickly appeared in the crystalline form of Nedarya, green light spilling from between the cracks until it suddenly exploded, crystal shards and dust flying in all directions. Between Haldura’s wrath and Nedarya’s lust for power, she had destroyed herself entirely.