Mage War

Chapter Forty-Seven: Facing The Demons

I can’t shake the thought from my head. Was that really Xander? Whoever it was was moving quickly, but I know I recognized him. What was he doing here?

Sia stares at me quizzically. “Are you okay, Zade? It looks like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No, he’s still alive,” I whisper, mouth dry. “I think I need to follow him.”

“Who? What are you talking about?”

“Xander,” I tell her. “He ran by.”

“Are you sure?” She asks me.

“No,” I admit. “But I’m relatively confident it was him.”

“Then maybe we should go,” She says. “You think we can catch up with him?”

“I don’t think so,” I reply. “But we can try. He went down this alleyway.” I sprint forwards, Sia paces behind. I hope my friends don’t notice I’m gone.

I’ll be right back, I think.

— — —

The Vanguard was preparing itself to motivate Magefell, help it, protect it. The Wolf still seemed pissed and nervous about what she’d said, and Yue narrowed her eyes at him. She understood that as Captain, the political implications of any decision were important, but he shouldn’t be this jittery.

“Captain,” She saluted him.

“The Sterkona,” He smiled. “You want something?”

“I was just wondering,” She asked him. “Why are you so scared? The Cult is bad, but the Vanguard needed to know why they were fighting.”

“A valid point, but I don’t know if you understand,” He said. “The Cult has more power than you think. They have members in the parliament, some are High Mages. They know how to ascend and make others descend. If they want, they can disband the Vanguard. You are underestimating them. The Vanguard itself is in danger because of what you’ve done. Our people may be strong, but the organization itself is weak, in the hands and whim of other powers.”

“I…I didn’t know that,” Yue told him.

“That is why I am Captain,” The Wolf smiled. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep my children together. Don’t worry.” He leaned his forehead on hers.

“Thank you,” She said. “And sorry.”

“All is forgiven,” Captain Wolf replied.

“You, you coming?” Alyx asked. Yue looked behind her, and saw the Vanguard Warriors all heading outside, ready to march where they were needed. Moving to the front of the army, the Captain spoke to them.

“We will be separated today,” The Captain told them. “Just like in the battle, we will need to split up to take care of more ground. As the Vanguard, I understand you can communicate well. We will head to the market, and from there, I shall let you each do your thing. At midnight, I expect to see you all in the green back at the grounds. Am I being clear?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Then let’s go.”

The Vanguard marched—or formally walked, they were a little tired to march well—to the market. The civilians who watched them gawked as they saw the hope of the Vanguard. Yue smiled and waved at them, and belted into song. Soon, all of the vanguard was joining in.

And the lowliest will rejoice,

Let everyone hear the sound,

Truth shall reign.

Let the free have their choice,

Let all peace abound,

Truth shall reign.

The night has no power,

When the light truly fights,

Truth shall reign.

So shall come the hour,

And so prevails the light,

Truth shall reign.

The doctors and merchants, the homemakers and teachers, the scientists and monks, all stood by and joined in as the Vanguard sang the Song of Hope. Yue saw some faces brighten considerably when they heard the song and joined in. Soon, it felt like Magefell was already healing.

The dead are dead no more,

For in our memories they lie,

Truth shall reign

Let joy fill your core,

And tears be wiped from the eye,

Truth shall reign.

It was a powerful song, one that gave not only hope, but confidence as well. The song did not sing of a perfect world, it spoke of a triumphant one.

Because they had won the battle. As hard as it had been, they had survived. And that was the most important part.

They shall not be forgotten,

Those who gave themselves for us,

Truth shall reign.

As the song reached its final verse—the twenty-fourth—The citizens of Magefell—civilian and warriors alike—sang as loud as they could to the air.

The darkness shall never prevail,

As long as we keep integrity alive,

TRUTH SHALL REIGN!

Tears were in the eyes of many who sang, Yue included. It was amazing to see the effect one woman’s hope could cause in another.

The civilians applauded, cheered, and whistled. Many thanked the Vanguard Warriors for their serve and hope. Yue spoke back.

“You give us hope,” She told them. “You’re the reason we fight.”

The Wolf nodded approvingly as the crowd cheered harder. Yue wasn’t sure if the WOlf was only looking at the political implications of what she’d said, but she believed it.

She was fighting for those who couldn’t, for those who got their hope for her. They were the ones she needed to fight and protect.

They were the ones she couldn’t let down.

Many in the crowd saluted them as they passed, screaming that truth shall reign. And hearing it, Yue believed it.

Truth would reign. She would uncover the truth of the murderer, not because she needed to, but because sins could never be kept in the dark.

Also, because she needed it, she admitted to herself.

A whooshing noise from behind her startled Yue. She moved and stopped when she saw a piece of paper in front of her. With a cautious mind, she reached for the letter and flipped it.

One short sentence that caused dread in her heart.

Meet me at the Arena in two hours.

As soon as she read it, the paper burst into flames, leaving nothing.

“What was that?” Alyx asked her.

“The endgame,” She replied. “I think we’ve reached the endgame.”

— — —

We’ve lost Xander. Technically, we didn’t know where he was to begin with, but now I’m sure we’re not going in the same direction as him.

We’re still in Magefell so I’m not lost, but still, I don’t think I’ll find Xander today.

“Should we go back?” Sia asks.

“I think so,” I reply. “Let’s go find our friends.”

“Why the hurry?” A familiar, dreadful voice says from the shadows. “Stay a while, won’t you.”

My breath hitches as I hear the voice. It’s too familiar, and I recognize it immediately. As the man steps out of the shadows, I narrow my eyes as tears well up.

Raakhshas.

“How are you alive?” I ask.

“Oh, I never died,” He shrugs, unsheathing a night black sword. His eyes are pools of darkness and he smiles at me, teeth sharp. His complexion is that of a demon. Something is clearly wrong with him.

“Two against one?” I ask. “You always preferred that the odds were in your favor.”

“Oh, it’s more equal than you think,” Another voice says, stepping out of the shadows, and this one causes me to cry immediately.

Astil.

“Hey, big brother,” Astil tells me. “How are you holding up?”

“No, no, it can’t be,” I whimper. “How?”

“Are you okay?” Sia asks me. “Who are these.”

“That one is Raakhshas, and the other is…Astil.”

“Oh. How are they alive?”

“I don’t know,” I snap, staring at Astil’s black eyes and his sharp teeth and pale complexion.

“I would advise you to stand down,” Raakhshas tells Sia. “This will get ugly.” He charges me and I unsheathe my sword just in time to block it.

“You want to die a second time?” I growl. “I can do that.” Astil stands off to the side as he watches us fight. Sia stands undecided, but eventually decides that she wants to help me as she rushes at Astil.

“Focus!” Raakhshas growls as he parries my careless thrust. He swings his word and I smoothly block it, returning his attack with one of my own, ferociously beating him. I’ve always been the better sword fighter, but he was always stronger than me. I don’t understand how, but he just doesn’t feel as powerful now.

I finally score a hit on his arm, but the sword just goes in and out with no damage, almost as if he’s invincible.

“What…” I begin and my rival laughs.

“Oh, this is funny,” He chuckles. “You should see your face.” With that, he kicks me into a wall. “I guess I’m getting the last laugh now.”

“Ha,” I say.

“What?” Raakhshas asks, narrowing his eyes and frowning.

“I just technically got the last laugh, you see,” I tell him. “You didn’t win.”

“Ha ha!”

“Tee hee.”

Raakhshas chortles.

I laugh.

Raakhshas snickers.

I chuckle.

“Enough!” Raakhshas roars. “As funny as you think you are, you are still as weak and defenseless as anyone else.” He thrusts at me.

Before he can do anything, I’ve already chopped at him, thrusting right where his heart should be. He begins to scream, but doesn’t bleed as my sword leaves his body.

“You always were gullible,” I tell him. “Next time don’t get baited.”

Raakhshas begins to evaporate, screaming and cursing at me.

Then he’s gone.

He wasn’t real;it had to be some sort of magic. I breathe a sigh of relief; this Astil isn’t real either.

My breath stops as I turn to Astil. He’s standing over Sia, and she’s standing limp on the ground, unmoving, her chest…looks still. Her clothes ripped, seemingly by a sword, and I can see several scratches on her body.

Why did I let her fight? She was unarmed!

“Get away from her!” I scream at the Not-Astil.He turns to me and smiles.

“Let’s see if you can kill your little brother.”

— — —

Yue spent the first fifteen minutes after she got to the market gathering her friends. Mostly, it was successful. Of course, Xander wasn’t there. But there were two other people who weren’t there either, and it slightly worried Yue.

Zade and Sia.

No one had seen them leave, so they could be anywhere. They could be…

No, they could handle themselves. They would probably be back soon. As they waited for Zade and Sia, she told her friends about the paper.

“But that could be anything. Someone who secretly loves you, Xander, the cult, a fan, someone who wants to help you with something. How can you be sure that it’ll be something important?” Xavier seems very skeptical.

“Well, the person clearly cared enough to use magic to send it. Either a mage sent it or someone used a mage. To me, that means it’s pretty important.”

Xavier conceded the point, but still contradicted a little. “Could just be a rich man who wanted to meet you.”

“I doubt it, but I guess it could be true,” Yue conceded. “We should still all go check it out, though.”

“Agreed.”

“Should one of us stay behind to watch Zade, or all of us?” Alyx asked.

“For now, I think we can wait. If he takes too long, then we can leave.”

Conversation turned light, at least, as light as conversation could be on a field of battle. And, even though sadness still pricked Yue's heart, especially over Poli, she felt happy and hopeful. The song had helped for sure, but just the presence of her friends pushing through it all was enough to help her. They were together, and although some were gone, they were still remembered.

Five minutes passed, then ten, then fifteen. They couldn’t wait much longer, not if they wanted to get to the field a little early.

“We need to go, Yue,” Aster told her.

“Just a little longer,” She pleaded. “They’ll come.”

Her friends nodded,

Please come soon, Zade. I can’t help but feel we’ll need you soon.

— — —

“If you hurt Sia,” I warn, leaving the threat unfinished. Not-Astil yawns, and on the ground I can see a strange black substance covering Sia.

“There’s only one way to save her, Zade,” Not-Astil grins. “Fight me.”

“Gladly.”

I jump at Not-Astil, swinging my sword. Not-Astil deflects it, sliding back a few feet. Astil was never a good swordsman but this is not Astil.

To prove my point, Not-Astil unsheathes another sword from his back, and wielding both blades, he attacks me. Both blades strike at me, and I’m forced on the defensive. All I can do is desperately defend the blades. I want to use my magic, but I’m too low on Mana. I can’t do it without Burning.

So, I turn to my skill. Not-Astil explodes in a pillar of fire, and I sigh in relief.

That was easier than I thought.

Then Not-Astil steps out of the flames, the fire dissipating around him. Shaking his head, Not-Astil tsks at me.

“So dumb, Zade. Did you really think that would work?”

He rushes at me, and I begin to dodge him again, my sword swinging back and with no time to pause. I’m having a hard time even defending, much less attacking.

Meanwhile, I can see Sia is almost completely covered in the black substance now. She still doesn’t seem to be breathing and it pains me to see. She can’t be dead. I won’t let that happen. I need to defeat Not-Astil, but he’s just too strong.

I last a minute under Not-Astil’s merciless assaults before I lose all hope of winning. He isn’t tiring out, and I am. Plus he’s on the offensive and I’m not. He’s stronger than me, faster than me. I began to wonder how I even defeated Not-Raakhshas in the first place.

Because of how exhausted I already am, this fight is taking a toll on me, so my mana isn’t getting any better. It’s still around the 35% mark, as far as I can tell. I need to do something, but it’s just completely impossible.

Death or Burning? Those seem to be the only choices I have. That is, if the magic even works. My skill didn’t, so maybe magic won’t either. Do I chance it?

With a grunt, Not-Astil throws me to the ground. He holds his two swords to the ground.

“Do you give up so easily, Zade?” He growls. “You always were weak. Face me like the man you wish you were.”

I hang my head. I lost and he was just toying with me. I can’t help but feel the embarrassment and guilt in my heart.

He’s right. I failed.

I’ve been going through a cycle lately, and I’ve only realized it now. I feel bad then someone helps me, but I don’t find a cure.

I killed my parents and Jade saved me from that. But I wasn’t cured.

I lost Astil and Angela—Eva, I guess—, Yue, and Xavier saved me. But I wasn’t cured.

I was tortured and my friends saved me. But I wasn’t cured

I finally accepted my parent’s death and let go of it. And I was cured.

But not completely.

I haven’t let go of Astil yet. He’s only been gone for about a week after all. Mourning takes longer, but my depression over it is unhealthy.

It’s a cycle. Only when I truly told my story was I able to let go of a part of it. But some of it still lingers.

A cycle of pain, of self-loathing, of guilt, of worthlessness. I need to let go of that.

Because I have pain. But that’s good, a reminder of the good times I had.

I have self-loathing, but that’s good. I can transform it into a change of character.

I have guilt, but that’s good. I need the guilt to learn from my mistakes.

I am worthless, but that’s good. My worth is not in who I am, or my worth.

It’s in what I do, and what I do to my friends.

Standing up, I face Not-Astil, and I know the truth.

This is therapy to me.

Screaming in rage, I run at Not-Astil and pound him mercilessly. And this time, I have the upperhand. Quickly, the Not-Astil realizes his mistake.

He shouldn’t have been toying with me, because he just gave me the means to destroy him.

I strike at his arms, his legs. Eac of my thrusts passes harmlessly through his body parts, but that’s okay, because eventually, I’ll get a good thrust on his heart; I know it.

Even with two swords, Not-Astil is the desperate one now, my skill unmatched by his. I’m better, and I’m showing it.

Not-Astil screams under my assault, but I pummel him, my mind filled with both rage and peace. This is who I’m meant to be. Saving my friends.

Saving Sia.

As Not-Astil’s left sword comes at me, I chop at it, sending it flying. Left with only one sword, Not-Astil grips with both hands and growls at me. Black blood begins to seep through his body falling to the ground. His face begins to turn jet black, and I stare at it as he takes a form only a demon would take.

“Look what you’ve done to all of us!” Not-Astil the Demon screams. “Look what you’ve done to ME! You killed me, Zade.”

“I will,” I agree. “Astil’s death isn’t my fault. You can’t goad me any more.” Not-Astil the Demon strikes at me, and I’m shocked now by the power behind the swing. Just before, he’d had the strength of a normal young man. Now he has the strength of a bodybuilder. I don’t have that strength.

Strength doesn’t equal victory. That’s what the Cult fights for, and I won’t let it happen.

Sia is completely covered in the oily black substance now, and she’s thrashing, which I think is a good sign, but I can’t be sure.

Not-Astil swings at me again, and I deflect and thrust. He parries, but before he can swing, I attack again. I feint left, turn right, and move my feet rapidly. Not-Astil the Demon keeps up with me most of the time, until I finally get an opening. But just when I swing, Not-Astil the Demon falls to a puddle in the ground. He appears behind me and pushes me.

“You can’t win this, Zade.”

“And you can?” I laugh. “You lost when you trapped Sia.”

Something is happening that I don’t understand. When I gave up my worries, I felt at peace. And when my peace came, my stress left. And with it, so did my exhaustion. Not all of it, but enough to fuel my mana. I still don’t have a lot, but I have enough to defeat this creature.

Lightning and fire begins to course through my veins.

“Go to hell,” I growl and unleash all my fury on him, fire and energy shooting my body and entering his. Not-Astil the Demon doesn’t have time to dissipate and the elements trap him. I hear him scream as my magic destroys him.

A few seconds later, the magic disappears and Not-Astil the Demon is gone.

“Witness my final form!” A face appears in front of me, then it’s gone.

Not-Astil the Demon is still ‘alive,’ but apparently now he’s invisible.

A punch sends me reeling back, my nose gushing with blood. Once again, Not-Astil the Invisible Demon appears in front of me.

“Well, look who has the upper hand now,” He smiles, and disappears again. Another fist smashes my face and my head snaps back. I grunt in pain.

“Why aren’t you killing me?” I ask, tasting iron.

“Oh, but where’s the fun in that?” Not-Astil the Invisible Demon asks. “It’s more fun to watch you squeal.”

Another punch knocks me to the ground, but despite that, I grin. The next time the demon appears in front of me, I shake my head knowingly at him.

“That was your third mistake.” I tell him. “First was not fighting me with Not-Raakshas.” Once again, I feel the magic coursing through my veins. “Your second mistake, oh pitiful excuse for my late friend, was toying with me and allowing me to heal. And your third excuse, well,” I laugh. “Was the same as your second one.”

“SHUT UP!” Not-Astil the Invisible Demon disappears and pushes me to the ground and punches me repeatedly before backing away.

“Your third mistake was toying with me now,” I laugh louder, manically. I think I’m growing insane. “You decided to torture me instead of killing me. But you see,” Lightning crackles off my body and the flames begin to engulf me. “I’m done with torture. I’ve been tortured, and I’ve seen my friends get tortured. No, I won’t let it happen anymore. Good-bye, Not-Astil the Invisible Demon.” And with that, I explode. Or, a better description of that is that something explodes from my entire body and travels through the air like a force field.

As the explosion expands, it passes through Not-Astil the Invisible Demona and he appears, screaming, falling to the ground. The explosion also passes through where Sia is, but I’m hoping the black substance protects her.

The surrounding buildings catch on fire and the lightning travels upward, circling around me. The ground is broken and charred beneath me, and my eyes crackle.

I stare down at the personal physical representation of all my demons and faults. His face becomes Astil’s, the demon completely gone from it. He’s pleading with me

“Please, Zade, you know me. I’m your little brother, your best friend,” Tears run down his face in a cry for help. “Don’t kill me, Zade. PLEASE!” For a second, I look with pity and sadness at Not-Astil, then my face hardens.

“I know you not. Die, demon,” I say, and stab him—it—through the heart.

With one final agonized scream, Not-Astil the Invisible Demon dies, its body dissolving, separating and I breathe in the smoke.

I am cured.

Smiling, I turn to Sia. The black substance is gone from her, but she’s limp again. I run to her and hold her in my arms. Thankfully, she isn’t burned, which means the substance did protect her, whatever it was. I can’t feel her pulse, but she might still be alive.

“Sia! Wake up!” I beg her, my palm resting on her cheek. She stays still, eyes closed, mouth open slightly.

I’ve heard that kissing someone is good for giving the air back into their lungs. I’d use it as a last resort, but… it would be strange with Sia to say the least.

I keep it as a thought in my head, though, as I gently slap her face.

“Please, come one, you’re alive.” I remember something my dad taught me and I begin to compress her chest, trying to get her heart to beat better, to get her breathing right.

Sia begins to convulse. Her body shakes and foam begins to erupt from her mouth. After the foam comes the black substance. It releases itself from her mouth, eyes, ears, nose. The substance keeps coming, creating a massive puddle under me and her. I didn’t even know it was possible to have this much liquid in someone’s body.

Eventually, the substance is all gone, and one again Sia goes still.

“No,” I whisper. “Not you too. Please.”

Rejoice, Zade.

Sia sputters and coughs, opening her eyes wide in shock.

“What happened?” She asks.

“You survived,” I tell her. “We did it.”

“You did it,” She replies. “You saved me.”

“No,” I say. “We did it, Sia.”

Thank you, I think.

I did nothing, Eva responds to me. She is a resilient soul with a lot of potential. Protect her well, Zade, and one day, she will return the favor.

She already has.

Gently, I help Sia to her feet. She regains her fitting very quickly, and soon, we’re heading back to the market.

“So, what happened?”

I tell my friend everything, from the outside struggles even to my internal ones. It’s a step of trust I feel I need to take. When I talk of the different forms Not-Astil took, she gasps in shock. When I tell her how I beat it, she’s in amazement, on the edge of her metaphorical seat.

“That’s amazing,” She says. “It’s epic!”

“I know, right?” We laugh together. “Never thought I’d do anything like this.”

“Me neither. I guess we’re all uncovering newfound power.”

“It’s been a very eventful day.”

The market comes into view a few minutes later. There are still hundreds of men and women here but I can’t see my friends. It’s a big market, though, so it shouldn’t take long to find them.

“Spread out, and meet me back here in fifteen minutes.” I tell Sia. She nods and runs off to the southern side of the market.

I begin to search the rubble, the faces around me to find my friends. None of them look familiar, sadly. But I keep searching, faithfully, nervously. If they aren’t here, then where could they be?

After about ten minutes of searching, I give up. If they’re here, they’ll be on the south side. There’s no way I’ll find them any other way.

I go back to where I last was with Sia, and there I’m surprised to find High Mage Aegon waiting for me.

“Zade, your friends gave me a message to repeat to you.”

“What is it?” I ask. “Do you know where they are?”

“I do,” High Mage Aegon confirms. “The message is: Come to the Arena as quickly as possible. The end is here. Unfortunately, although I wish to go with you, there is too much to do here. You will have to go there alone.”

Sia chooses this moment to return from her search.

“He’s not alone,” She says. “What are we doing?”

“We’re ending this once and for all,” I reply. “Whatever that means.”

— — —

Yue hated that she’d left Zade and Sia alone. Well, she guessed they were already alone before, but it didn’t feel right to leave without them. At least they’d been able to get the message passed on. Hopefully, it would reach Zade and Sia. Maybe they would even catch up to her.

She couldn’t help but feel like she was this close to knowing who the murderers were. The pieces were there, she knew it, and now the facts were nagging at her. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but if she tried to say it, it was like the words didn’t exist.

The murderers were either: a) at Diamond and Yue’s fight and/or b)not seen after Diamond’s funeral. The murderers needed money to hire assassins and were cultists. There was also more than one, that was for sure. Oh, and they were Vanguard Warriors. These were the main facts she could remember and they narrowed the list of suspects so much, but somehow it wasn’t enough.

She replayed every day where the murderers had struck. She'd noticed nothing strange from anyone any of those days.

Her thoughts began to stress and irritate her, so she turned to Skai.

“So, you’ve known Xavier all along then?”

“Exactly,” She laughs. “He told me he was pulling a prank on you and that I should go along with it, but it was a little strange.”

“I’m still trying to decide if it was good or downright stupid,” Yue responded.

“Oh definitely great,” Xavier said cheerfully from behind them, but Yue could see hurt in his eyes. Clearly, he hadn’t taken seeing Poli’s death very well.

Poli’s death sombered her once again, as did looking at Artemis. He looked so…empty. He refused to talk. Even his walking wasn’t normal. It looked like he’d died and only a husk was left. Of course, if she asked him, he would say he did die with Poli.

And once again, thinking of Poli’s deaths made her think of all the people the Cult had killed, which made her think of the murderers. The irritation in her brain hampered her thinking a bit.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in. Now breathe out.

The irritation fled softly and her thoughts were opened.

She analyzed all the facts once again. There was one fact nagging at her. One that did not want to let her go. One that ate at her, even though she was sure it had to be true.

There was more than one murderer.

They had confirmed it, and had eliminated every suspect. They had tried everything, including interviewing others, but to no avail. There couldn’t have been only one person who did the murderers. It was a Cult thing, after all, so it only made sense that more than one person was involved.

But there was something about it that didn’t sit right with Yue.

There had to be something she was missing. Someone she wasn’t thinking about. Her friends? No, she’d gone through all of them, as wrong as that had felt. Could it be someone not from the Vanguard? A mage, who’d snuck in some way. It was possible, but very improbable. She doubted it.

She felt like screaming in rage. One thing. If she could just figure out that one thing she was missing, she would know who he/she/they were. It couldn’t be this hard. What the hell was she missing?

“Are you okay?” Alyx asked her, staring at her strangely.

“I’m fine.” She replied reassuringly. “Just have a lot on my mind, you know. Too much to think about.”

“Okay,” Alyx said skeptically. “You just looked crazy, like a wild animal or something. You were shaking your head back and forth and you were frowning.”

“I’m okay, I promise,” Yue responded.

I am okay. Just have to get better at controlling my emotions on the outside, I guess. I don’t want to end up looking like a—

Wait a second.

Suddenly, something clicked in Yue’s mind. The pieces began to fall into place slowly. Dread filled her heart as it sank into her stomach and she fought the tears.

Yue had figured it out. And now she wished she hadn’t.

She collapsed on the ground.

Her friends began to crowd around her, asking her if she was alright. Alyx looked disappointed in her for telling her she was fine.

Everything began to make sense. With one name, she knew everything. It was hard to believe, but now the timeline came together. It hurt, but it was true.

“What happened?” Alyx asked, shaking her. “Yue, don’t keep this to yourself.”

“It was the Wolf,” She said. “Captain Wolf killed Diamond, Jos, and Cali.”