Chapter Fourteen

The time had finally come.

And I was not ready.

Despite the final decision, despite the sureness that it had to be done, that all had been prepared, including Geara, I stood there on the battlefield, staring out at the warriors that lashed at one another, feeling completely unprepared mentally for the strain that the spell would put on me.

Wind swirled and danced through the air, bringing with it the stench of blood and death, sweat and fear and rage. It was a tornado of scents spiraling around me, tossing my hair across my face, tickling my skin. My hands twitched toward my swords, but I dared not touch them. It was not the time to battle, but the time to lure Xiphrus out from the fray.

And it was hard not to miss him; a massive beast in the collection on the field, plowing through any and all who stood in his path, even his own soldiers. He was no longer Xiphrus, but the beast that dwelled within him. Red eyes glowed in the dark caused by the heavy black clouds overhead, claws swinging and slashing open armor and flesh alike, turning them to ribbons. He threw his head back and roared, an animal sound that echoed across the meadow.

Overhead, the sky boomed with thunder that rocked the ground beneath us, the rain wailing as it raced to the ground, soaking it and causing blood to run freely through the grass, turning dirt to mud. Lightning lit the sky up, a chilling sight of white light streaking between the clouds, launching itself at the battle below, sending several creatures flying back, only to get up and return for more.

There was a finality to this battle.

This was the last one.

For now, I reminded myself. Once we destroy Atlan's major playing piece, he will have no choice, but to retreat and go underground, until the time came to revive this war. Until the time came to see who would truly win. The Source, or its rogue creation.

Yet, there was still an immense ache in my chest, a twisting knot in my gut, one that caused my hands to tremble and my breath to quicken as I stared out over the battlefield. Once more a gust of wind swept up from behind me, causing my whole body to stiffen, my eyes to rise to the sky. Betwixt the black clouds lay a crack that reveal the cosmos beyond, a cosmos that lived and breathed as we did, that pulsed with a raw power. The colorful blinking stars like tears trailing down the dark cheek of space.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath of the bitter cold air, letting it fill my lungs until they burned.

"I am here." I turned my head to see Geara stepping up beside me, dressed in her battle uniform and her expression grim, her eyes cold and unfeeling. It was as if a completely different person was at my side now. Gone with her pain and her agony, at least upon her visage, for now she wore the guise of a warrior, prepared to do anything to protect for the greater good, casting aside our own emotions for a sacrifice that would destroy both of our souls.

Our eyes met for only a brief moment, yet I saw no sign of pain or fear. Only cold hard resolution.

Then we turned our sights to our target, who hefted a soldier into the air and threw him across the field for him to land upon another, causing both to go down upon a spear. The beast of Destruction howled, baring his fangs in a disgusting smile of satisfaction, as if nothing gave him greater pleasure than to do away with life.

I looked to Geara, her eyes meeting mine. For a split second, I saw the pain, hidden beneath that cold hardness, but she blinked it away and vanished on the spot, giving me my cue to begin the spell.

I took another deep breath, listened to the sound of the battle blend together in a buzzing sound of swords slashing, battle cries echoing, grunts and groans of agony, lightning spearing the sky with a screeching crackle, thunder exploding into the cosmos. Another deep breath, and all sounds became a buzzing roar in my ears. The sound of my heart pounding viciously against my breastbone, my blood rushing through my veins, joined the hum. Until it was a powerful vibration in my very soul.

And I opened my eyes, locking my sights upon the beast as he attacked yet another soldier, this time one of his own.

I vanished from my place upon the hill, reappearing just a ways from Xiphrus, and sending out a sonic blast of power. The warriors all around us fanned out, backing away with their arms protecting their faces from the power. Several fell and scrambled to safety as a massive circle of empty space surrounded Xiphrus and I, and I watched as Geara appeared just across the space from me, on the other side of Xiphrus.

Xiphrus bared his fangs at me, growled like the animal he'd become, and slashed out with his claws, but I spoke calmly now. The words slid from my tongue smoothly, rolling across to the tip, pouring out into the air and joining the Source's great hum. As I spoke, I walked forward, briefly aware of Geara mimicking my movements as we approached Xiphrus, who eyed us in confusion. His beast refused to understand our words, but that was for the best, else he'd do his best to cease our words.

And within moments, Geara and I were on either side of Xiphrus, who swung around in a circle to look at us, breathing raggedly with rage. He snarled and snapped his teeth in Geara's face, but her words did not waver, and in fact grew louder and more urgent, and I joined her tempo.

"Shut up," Xiphrus roared suddenly, throwing his head back to release yet another inhuman scream, then his eyes locked on me and he drew close to my face, "Shut your mouth! Shut your whore mouth, Joxeia! You filthy...!" His words abruptly ceased as Geara came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. Xiphrus froze, and his eyes flashed, brightening like the lightning overhead. His expression twisted from rage to confusion, to terrified confusion. I stepped forward, lifting my arms to wrap around his shoulders. He tilted his head down to look at me, his breath coming out in rapid gasps.

"J-Joxeia, stop," he managed, then nervously looked toward Geara, who pressed her face against Xiphrus's back, her tears flowing now and streaking the blood caking Xiphrus's back, "Geara?" His eyes returned to me, just as a bright light flashed overhead, this light so bright that it lit the entire world up, blinding us all.

I forced my eyes to remain open, tears burning me as I watched the bright light swallowed Xiphrus, who gasped and threw his head back. His mouth fell open and his body convulsed several times as the light invaded him, piercing his eyes, his mouth, his chest. An eerie croak emitted from his throat, a low choking sound, as if he wished to scream, but couldn't find the strength to do so.

My eyes drifted to Geara behind Xiphrus as she sobbed against his back, our words now ceasing to allow the Source to do its work upon his vessel and soul.

"It's almost finished," I breathed, unsure if I was attempting to comfort her or myself. Geara simply wailed, sinking her nails into Xiphrus as if she couldn't release him. My eyes went beyond her, and through the blur of the bright light around us, I could vaguely make out the other creatures watching with faces mixed between horror and grim relief. I attempted to reach out, to see if Atlan was among those watching the spectacle, but the Source refused to allow that and I felt my powers sucked right back into position.

And a second later, the light shot straight back up into the black sky and vanished. Xiphrus was frozen, staring up at the sky for a moment before a strange peace came over him. His red eyes became their pale sky blue warmth, his claws retracted into delicate fingernails, and his expression melted into one of sleepy contentedness.

He looked down upon me, lifted a hand to rest against my cheek, and I stared at him, my breath caught in my chest. It hurt, it hurt to try and breath. And Xiphrus's hand touched my skin, a large warm paw so gentle and kind, as it had once been, and my breath hitched sharply, as if unsure whether to release or inhale.

Xiphrus tilted his head for a moment, then leaned in to kiss my forehead.

"I'm so sorry... Joxeia... my beloved brother... mine..." His words were so soft, nearly silent. A mere breath against my skin before his hand fell away, and a glow began to form around him, like a second skin. I quickly stepped back, taking Geara with me by her arm, and how difficult it was to pry her from Xiphrus, who smiled sleepily at her, then yawned.

"Xiphrus, I love you," Geara cried out in agony, her legs buckling beneath her so I was forced to catch her beneath the arms and haul her close, watching as she reached toward Xiphrus, who was slowly slipping into his slumber now, stretching before dropping back against some sort of invisible bed. The glow upon his skin began to spread, forming a sort of pod about him, and as it spread, it began to harden, smooth out, much like an egg, I would say.

"Xiphrus, we love you!" Geara's words were screams now. But it was too late. Xiphrus was gone. The pod had solidified. And there was a pulse that shot through the land, an unseen power that spread through the universe, and slowly I watched as all the other warriors appeared to become confused, looking around at one another, eyes drifting past Xiphrus who lay upon the field in slumber, safe inside the home the Source had molded for him.

No one saw him. No one remembered him.

He was, but an animal that had intervened and been put down.

A blast of wind spread up into my face, into Geara's, her tears slipping hot down her cheeks as she collapsed into the grass upon her knees, staring at our brother. Whose name escaped us. And a moment later, a bolt of lightning struck across the sky... and the pod was gone. Our brother was gone, taken to a place in which he would find safety and comfort for the rest of his eternal slumber.

The battle ceased.

A heavy fog of confusion and weariness spread through the universe. The creatures simply retreated unto their camps. There was no more violence, no more bloodshed, and no more Destruction. It was as if the entire universe suddenly sighed with exhaustion and wished, too, to sleep for a while.

"He's gone," Geara whispered, staring at the place where the pod had rested, the blood soaked grass still dented from the weight. I inclined my head, slowly lowering myself to my knees behind Geara. How desperately I wanted to gather her in my arms... and weep against her. Once again I craved desperately to feel her arms about me, our arms together, our bodies locked in embrace. Yet there was a wall forming now, a wall between Geara and I, one that no matter how much I wished to break to pieces, was simply too strong for me.

So we sat there in the grass, watching the sky overhead become lighter. Still it rained down upon us, but no longer like ice, rather a steady whisper of tears as the Source wept for us and for the destiny befallen to us. It was quiet now, eerily so.

I waited to weep, waited to scream, waited to curse and spit. I waited to feel injustice, waited to feel rebellion. Yet none of those things fell upon me. Simply a cold rationale reminding me that this was the only way, that this had to be done.

However, looking upon Geara, I did not see the same thing. I saw death in her eyes, saw her soul crumbling to pieces, dying in the way our brother had slipped into his slumber. Slowly, painfully, and her tears fell and fell. They blended with the rain overhead, the shadows in her golden gaze matching those of the storm clouds. Our brother's sealing killed her spirit, killed her joy, killed her hope.

And I realized as I sat there, staring at the space where my brother had once lain, that I had not only lost my brother in this worthless war, but I had also lost Geara. She was dying right before my very eyes and I could do nothing, but sit and wait until the last piece of her fell and she asked me for the only way out.

The one I knew she would ask me for.

And I waited, listening to the whisper of the rain, to the plunk plunk of it splashing into puddles, the soft pound of it against my armor, the hushed landing upon my chainmail. The thunder became naught but a moan in the distance now.

"Joxeia," Geara whispered. It was nightfall when she finally spoke. Overhead, the skies had cleared, revealing thousands upon thousands of twinkling, glittering stars. Wisps swirling and dancing through space, turning the cosmos into its own art project. I blinked slow and looked down upon Geara, watching her staring up at the sky through gold eyes that only glimmered because the stars overhead reflected themselves upon them.

"I know," I answered quietly. Geara blinked, and a final tear slid down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry." Her repetition of our brother's words made my chest ache. I felt a sharp pain in my throat, as if a pressure was climbing steadily, but I swallowed against it as I rose to my feet. I stooped over, taking Geara by her hands, pulling her up so she could support herself against me, her eyes staring at my chest blankly. I wrapped my arms around her, closing my eyes as the words began to free themselves across my tongue in smooth glides. Soon, Geara joined me, her words whispered and trembling.

I wondered briefly, if she would reconsider this, but she continued on and on, steadily becoming more and more confident in her decision. The choking pressure continued, rising in my throat. A familiar burn began to sear the backs of my eyes, a blurriness pooling at the base of my vision, and no amount of blinking cleared my eyes.

And this time, the bright light held no effect upon me. It lit the world around us up in like a beacon, and Geara's golden eyes began to fill with a familiar radiance that made my heart soar. Something hot and wet touched my cheeks, but I barely noticed as Geara rose on her toes, and with help of my arms about her waist and her arms around my neck, she kissed me firmly upon the lips.

"I believe in you, Joxeia. I always have. And I always will." Her words were whispered, so soft, so quiet, so... tired. And her eyes slid closed as I retreated several steps, watching the bright light flash into the sky... and Geara's warm dark skin began to glow. There was such beauty in the contrast of the pale blue-silver aura around her small form, spreading around her, becoming a cocoon of warmth and safety.

And no one would wake her. Not even I, for I would never put my sister through the horrors of living in this realm again. I refused to forget her name, for her name would bring me comfort in the nights, and her name would bring me strength during the day, and her name would give me hope when there was none left in this world.

No, Geara would live on forever.

And she would sleep as long as she wished. For only she could wake herself.

And a moment later, her pod was gone.

And I was standing alone upon that dark cold field, breath escaping my lips in soft clouds that sailed up toward a sky littered with twinkling tears of the cosmos. There was a hum in the air, a power that reached for me, and I stepped back, as if to put distance between something that was all around me anyway.

Yet, I could not move, so I stood there. I stood there until the dark sky began to glow with the peachy softness of daybreak, the sun climbing from its own slumber to once again give light to those of us worthy of its grace. The sounds of birds in the forests sang and crooned, a dove singing softly in depth.

The cold had seeped into my bones. My very insides were ice. Yet, there was a heat I was desperate to escape, and instead of logically returning to our camp, I found myself at the ruins of our former home. It was naught but a massive black form looming in the morning light. The front entrance was completely broken open, and the staircase destroyed. Yet, the main sitting room was still standing with merely a single seat waiting in the darkness.

And my feet carried me unto the lonely throne. I turned slow and lowered myself down into the black rubble, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath, then drew my knee up, wrapped my arms about it, and lowered my head.

And wept.