The Chaos Blade

"Come on sweetheart, I thought we had something?" Bill grunted, struggling against the ethereal bonds. Alesha showed no sign of recognition at his words. Instead she stepped closer and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Bill held his axe in his hands, knowing it would do him no good and preparing for the worst. Inside he felt torn. He had admitted it to himself if no one else, he loved this woman. She was dangerous and unpredictable, but that only made it more exciting. That she loved someone else instead of him did not matter. Or at least, it did not dull his own desire for her. Bill cursed and looked down at the fey bands of smoke surrounding him. He suspected he knew then how Eric had felt at the end. He was going to die but he was going to do it on his terms.

Alesha raised an arm slowly towards Bill. Bill looked her in the eyes, hoping at the last minute she might come free of her possession. He saw nothing. A tentacle of black non-light came out of each finger, spearing into Bill's chest. He gasped felt a numbing coldness spreading through him, starting at his heart. He struggled against his bonds again, but they would not release. His strength faded quickly, leaving him to topple to the sand.

Bill lay on the sand, his breath coming in shallow gasps and his body to weak to obey him. Alesha made a gesture with both arms outstretched and the ring of fire leapt from the ground into the sky. It arced several feet above them and joined together into a great pillar of fire. The column of flame struck downwards, driving into Bill mercilessly.. She turned and walked away, Bill no longer a concern to her. Bill groaned at the inferno that burned with the unholy ferocity of Hell unleashed. Then he was gone, his consciousness and his life swept away on the winds that rose above the flames.

Yamara stopped, seeing the column of flames disappearing, leaving behind only a black spot on the beech. Yamara ground her teeth and frowned. It appeared that Bill had failed. Now it was her turn.

"Help me, Brina," Yamara whispered, reaching out with her mind to light the spark within the amulet against her chest. It flared brightly beneath her shirt, warming her with it's presence. Yamara walked forward boldly, unafraid of what lay before her.

*****

"Keep him busy!" Kelnozz ordered, taking a last wing with Llarothimaril before he darted away from Ancaruin.

The undead dragon started after him before a small cloud generated above him and unleashed a deluge of hailstone onto and into him. The dragon roared and turned on Elvanshalee, who had incanted the magical hail. Then Darakor was there hacking into him and distracting him further. The bee stings of their assaults were not overly harmful, but they were irritating.

Kelnozz ran towards where Yamara faced Alesha, hoping he would make it in time. He did not know much of anything about Yamara but suspected very strongly that the woman stood no chance against her adversary.

*****

Alesha reached out with her hand towards Yamara, a lance of flame erupting from her palm to strike out at the woman. Yamara held her short sword and dagger up in front of her, bracing herself with the muscles in her back and erected a shield with her mind. The fiery bolt crashed into her crossed weapons and dissipated harmlessly after the initial force of the impact. Yamara grunted and stepped forward, returning her weapons to an attack stance.

Alesha, showing no emotion whatsoever, twisted her arm around and made her hand into a clawing motion as it came up. The ground under Yamara burst upwards, showering her with sand hot from the days sun and sending her flying up into the air. Yamara twisted around with the agility of a cat, softening her landing both by flexing her knees and by lightening her weight with her powers. The ruby amulet began to glow so brightly and so warmly that it began to burn away the leather of her shirt, yet it did no harm to her skin.

Yamara rolled to the side to dodge another bolt of fire. It hit the ground behind her and exploded violently, melting the sand into a crater of glass. She sprang to her feet and rushed forward, strikinging out at Alesha now that she had finally closed to melee range.

Alesha's short sword sent Yamara's strike wide, easily parrying her blow. Yamara plunged in with her dagger, knowing that any lapse in her attack would bring more magic against her. Alesha caught the dagger on her bracer and blocked it high and away from her. Yamara grunted at the woman's strength. She scrambled to recover and launch another attack but before she could Alesha had kicked her foot almost straight up between them, connecting with her chin and lifting her off the ground from the force of the magically enhance blow.

Yamara had barely managed to protect herself in time, softening the force of the strike by changing her momentum and toughening her chin and throat. In spite of that it still hurt like the blazes and she wondered whether she would keep her teeth. She rolled away from Alesha and came back to her feet, crouched low and panting like a wounded animal. Unnoticed by her, Yamara's leather shirt had burned away to reveal her ruby hanging on its chain around her neck, nestled into the beginning of the valley of her breasts. It now glowed so brightly that it could barely be looked at directly.

"You're going to pay for that one," Yamara spat out, testing her teeth with her tongue. She started to spring forward when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me handle this," Kelnozz said to her, walking forward before she had a chance to respond. Yamara clenched her hands and spat out some blood from where she had bitten her lip.

Kelnozz walked forward, his swords in their sheaths and his hands open in front of her. "Alesha," he said calmly. "I'm not going to fight you anymore. If you are lost to us, to me, then you win. You and Bavorish can have the world, for it is not worth it to me to lose you again, I would rather be stricken down myself."

Kelnozz crossed his arms and laid his palms upon his chest with his elbows at his side. It was a gesture of peace. He dropped to his knees then and looked at her, his gaze never leaving hers, though her eyes still were rolled back in her head.

Alesha reached forward slowly with her hand, pointing towards Kelnozz with pent up energy. Then she hesitated. Something within Alesha remembered. Deep inside the tiny part of her that had not been twisted, corrupted, and coerced by her dark pact rebelled. She rose up out of her core, fighting the entire way against the dark queen she had become. She took control of herself just long enough to investigate the possibility of what had happened. The powerful empress that she represented was confused by Kelnozz's actions. They were unfathomable to her. Yet the human woman buried deep within knew a possibility existed.

Mystical bonds of energy wove themselves into a net and settled around Kelnozz, immobilizing him completely. He remained kneeling, staring up at her with a pained look on his face. Alesha approached him, reaching out when she stood next to him and placing her palm on his forehead.

What she saw shocked her so thoroughly that the Dark Queen was left reeling. The girl who had dreamed of finding a knight in shining armor deep inside Alesha remembered her dreams. She rejoiced at the confirmation of her deepest childhood fantasies. The girl had been a woman for the better part of a century now, yet only now did she realize it. And on top of that, she was a woman who was simultaneously very happy and very angry. She rose up within herself and vented her fury on the corruption that had poisoned her mind. She lashed out at it from within, burning at it and purging herself from it. She destroyed it all except for that tiny bit that kept her link with Bavorish. To destroy that would inform him of what had occurred.

Alesha glanced up at Yamara, who had moved to stand behind Kelnozz with her blades in her hands and a look of extreme irritation on her face. Her ruby pendant still cast a blood red light from it. The whites of Alesha's eyes were no longer showing. She smiled at her. Yamara stood uncertain, confused at the sudden events. She started forward then stopped when she saw Alesha kneel down beside Kelnozz.

Alesha knelt down beside the dark elf on the ground, her eyes filled with moisture. "Thank you," she whispered to him, meeting his surprised but happy gaze. Her arms went around him and she kissed him tenderly. She rose back to her feet and smiled again at him both fondly and thankfully.

"I have to go and finish something now."

Kelnozz nodded, though he was not quite sure what she was going to do. He turned to Yamara.

"I could have handled her," Yamara said, talking to herself as much as him.

Kelnozz chuckled. Yamara had done remarkably well against Alesha, but he knew that in a prolonged combat she would stand no chance against the raven haired beauty. "Perhaps, but the fight would have been long and I prefer her alive."

*****

Alesha walked up beside Bavorish, sword in her hand. He looked at her and smiled darkly. Her eyes were rolled back in her head once again making him none the wiser or her regaining control of herself. The evil God turned back to face Garrick then.

Garrick, for his part, had regained his feet and was slowly walking toward them. He summoned his hammer back to his hand and swung it experimentally. His side was mostly healed, but he looked haggard. He glared at Alesha with murderous intent.

Alesha came to stand beside Bavorish and cast her eyes down penitently. He chuckled. "You see this, fool? My champion has returned! She will know power unlike any mortal will ever have wielded as a reward for bringing me you to slay. Ancaruin will ascend and our alliance shall once again leave us the supreme beings upon this world!"

"If you are so anxious to kill me, then come and try it!" Garrick spat out, his rage overriding his growing fatigue.

Bavorish nodded, "Very well. Watch what happens when a God dies, Dark Queen."

He walked forward confidently, not paying as much attention to Garrick as he might have had Alesha not been at his back. Garrick saw the distraction and hurled his hammer with all his might, following closely behind it by running. He let out a inhuman roar of rage as he leapt through the air, claiming height and distance impossible for a mere human to attain.

Garrick's hammer slammed into Bavorish's chest, driving the God of Death back several steps and indenting his armor deeply. Bavorish was stunned by the force of the blow. He looked up from his chest and took in a deep breath after a few seconds to replace the air driven out of his lungs forcefully. He looked up just in time to see Garrick landing on top of him, knocking both of them to the ground in an epic wrestling match.

Such was their strength and power that neither was able to hold the other for more then a few seconds. They scrambled for position, fists, elbows, and any other imaginable body part that could be used as a weapon striking out at every opportunity. Alesha watched impassively from the side the entire time as they rolled about on the sand.

The fight seemed ended when Garrick drove his fist into Bavorish's back with such strength that Alesha could hear and nearly feel the snapping noise Bavorish's backbone made. Bavorish's legs flailed about and he gasped in pain at the injury. Garrick stood up and grabbed Bavorish by the ankles, picking him up and preparing to fling him into the same wall he had slammed into earlier.

The fight was not out of Bavorish yet, however. Already his back had healed, though he feigned injury. He doubled over at the waist, raising himself up and slamming his open palms into Garrick's ears, bursting the man's ear drums and sending him stumbling back. Bavorish crashed heavily to the ground. He was on his feet in an instant, walking after where Garrick stumbled backwards away from him, both his hands cradling his bleeding ears.

"Come Alesha, and witness this historic moment firsthand," Bavorish bade her. His hand pointed towards where his bastard sword lay half buried in the sand and it flew to him. He turned back and sliced across Garrick's thighs, cutting through the muscles on them and dropping him to his knees. Garrick spat out an oath and tried to regain his feet, his slowly healing ears forgotten as he faced extinction. His legs would not obey him until they were healed, however.

Alesha stood behind Bavorish and saw her moment to strike was then. Unseen, she pulled back her sword drove it up and into his back with every bit of strength her body and her magic could muster. The magical nature of her blade was such that it cut easily through even the God's armor, flesh, and bone, not stopping until it found it's target, his black heart.

Bavorish gasped at the sudden intrusion of icy pain. He tried to turn around but Alesha held fast, refusing to let him move and refusing to unsheathe her sword. Her eyes glowed with infernal power as she worked the magic that Bavorish had given her. He struggled against her but with every passing moment his strength was siphoned away.

Garrick at last was able to regain his feet. He glared at Bavorish, staring into the God's eyes. Bavorish did not return the stare, instead his eyes were focused on something far more distant then any of them could see. His mouth worked as he tried to fashion words, yet none came out. Another timeless moment passed for them, alone on the beach in spite of the thunderous battle happening nearby. Then Bavorish's eyes rolled into his head much like Alesha's had done earlier. He looked suddenly wan and emaciated, then he was gone. In the blink of an eye he had disappeared.

Alesha gasped and stumbled back, barely maintaining her balance. She looked at her sword and felt the heat and power radiating from it. She gasped and let it fall to the ground, instantly glad to be rid of it. She felt, for the first time in her life that she could remember, clean. Wholesome and untainted, she was free of Bavorish's curse at last.

Kelnozz and Yamara came running over to them, anxious to learn of the fate of Bavorish.

"Where is he?" Yamara asked, looking about anxiously.

Garrick was covered in blood, as well as a weary look upon his face and in his posture. Yet for all of that he seemed whole and well. "In there," Garrick said, pointing at Alesha's sword on the ground. "He has been defeated, his position is open. A God has fallen this day."

"Alesha, brace yourself and hold that sword firmly in hand," Garrick commanded her. Alesha knelt down nervously and picked up the sword again. The hilt was warm and she could feel the power trapped within it writhing and seeking release. It was evil through and through, the power trapped within.

She held it in both hands, calling upon her own restored magic that was more powerful then ever to brace her. Garrick raised his hammer above his head then, taking careful aim. Seeing what was about to happen, Yamara lent her own will to the task of supporting Alesha's hold on the blade. Garrick's hammer fell then, striking the blade just above the hilt and causing it to break. A soundless explosion of thunder swept over all them, stunning them briefly and causing them all to flinch from it.

Ancaruin let out a keening roar that left them all reeling again, save for Garrick. Even Kelnozz stumbled back and away from the dragon. Elvanshalee was driven to her knees by the shriek as the power of it overrode her already battered mind. She was defenseless on the sandy beach in front of the great beast, she knew it but there was nothing she could do to defend herself. Darakor lay on the ground where a final swipe from the dragon had driven him to it.

Instead of leaping upon her or striking after the off balance elf, Ancaruin leapt to the air, his ethereal wings beating out of psychological. His flight was short lived, more of a hop really. He landed in front of the mighty castle gates and roared again.

"Hold!" Garrick bellowed, turning to face Ancaruin. The dragon stopped and swung it's cloudy face towards him.

"She has slain a God!" Ancaruin spat out, hissing in fury. "She has no part of the Pantheon of this world!"

Garrick looked to Alesha. Alesha nodded slowly. She could feel it deep within her, a separation of more then just herself from Bavorish. A separation of more then just her and her powers. She was sundered forever from the theology of Viconia.

"Any here are eligible, save for her," Garrick stated, striding towards Ancaruin. "Open those gates ere the choice is made and I will destroy you forever, wyrm!"

Luingirth landed behind Ancaruin then, his mighty wings whipping up a short last sandstorm that made them all shield their faces. He kept his steely blue eyes on Ancaruin, his form poised to strike though Ancaruin was greater then he.

"Kelnozz, Lord of the Elves," Garrick said, his voice sounding uncharacteristically official. "I grant you the first choice. Will you ascend to fill the role of the God of Darkness?"

Kelnozz chuckled. "Nay, old friend, I think not. Besides, I have a marriage to get going," he said the last while looking directly at Alesha. Alesha returned his gaze and felt a sadness within her at remembering their talk the night before.

Garrick nodded. "Elvanshalee, would you rise up?"

The light elf's eyes widened as she realized what she was being offered. She had regained enough strength to walk over and join them, but she still felt a heavy burden on her soul from her contact with Ancaruin.

"I left the light elven way of life behind long ago," she said after a moment. "I will not return to any part of it's darkness and hatred."

Garrick nodded approvingly towards her, then turned to Yamara. "You stand next. You do not come from this world nor have you been here long, yet by your willingness to risk your very life, you too may make a choice," Garrick said, turning to Yamara. "After all," he added with a smirk, "I did not come from Viconia either!"

They could all see the thrill of excitement that coursed through Yamara. Here was her chance to gain more power then ever she could dream. She could rise so far above her station that even her greatest childhood dreams would pale in comparison.

The moment was a long and breathless one as everyone awaited Yamara's answer. The length it took her to decide whether she would stand for the position or not seemed answer enough. Then, at last, she looked up from the sand before her and stared at the adamantium gates. The light within the ruby faded away then, returning once more to the simple, though nearly priceless, bauble it resembled.

"It's funny," she said, looking at each of them, even Ancaruin and Luingirth, "all my life I have struggled to find some sort of skill or power or talent great enough to be certain no one could take what is important away from me. I began life a thief and rose to the position of murderer and thug. Now, the more I achieve the goals I dreamed of, the more I realize that at any time in my life I could have had what I wanted. It was within me all along."

She drew a deep breath and turned to face Garrick squarely. "I grew up working for evil men that worshipped an evil God. I will have nothing to do with their likes ever again!"

Garrick accepted her answer with a nod. He looked at Luingirth and opened his mouth to ask the question. Luingirth merely snorted derisively at him, which Garrick took for his answer.

"Does he yet live?" Garrick asked, pointing to where Darakor lay. Kelnozz jerked his head around with a curse. Somehow in the face of all that had happened he had forgotten about his wayward son.

In a matter of moments Kelnozz was at his side. Alesha joined him a few moments later. Garrick and Yamara walked more slowly. Kelnozz stared down at him and then knelt beside the light elf. His lesser sword lay several feet away, but Cirithallion remained in his hand. His face was pale and he seemed deathly still.