Chapter XXVII
Prophecy
The journey across the Grey Wasteland had an effect on them all. They found little to talk about during the long trek across the colourless empty land. Even Brand was not his usual self, though he still made the occasional attempt to lighten the mood. Wiosna was the worst of them, though. She would follow several lengths behind them, saying nothing unless they spoke directly to her. Her mood would noticeably worsen whenever Luca spoke of Emila, which bothered him. He knew what it was that hurt her, but he could not stop himself from bringing up Emila. They needed to move quickly to Acarienthia, and Emila was a constant worry in Luca's mind, each moment he thought of her urging him on.
What bothered them the most was not the emptiness of Acaria, but the knowledge of what they were headed towards. Zinoro was in Acaria, and they knew that they had little chance of defeating him. They were likely marching to their deaths, and Luca wished so much that he could send Brand and Wiosna away. But they were determined, and refused each time he even came close to suggesting it.
Gordon, their steadfast guide, showed them the way through the rough hills and where to find shelter at night when the monsters emerged. As they grew closer to Acaria, Gordon seemed to accept that it was the end, at least for him. He would likely have to expose his treachery to Zinoro's very face, and he would also likely be killed for it. At nights, he sat by himself, and he stared contemplatively into their campfire or the stars.
One day, as they travelled through some hill, they came across a cavern with large carts set by the entrance, filled with rocks.
"A mine," Wiosna said.
"Indeed," Gordon replied. "Zinoro has a few of these set up. He may be able to create his soldiers from thin air, but he still needs the steel to arm them. From the looks of it, it appears to be abandoned."
"Why?" Brand asked.
"Because he no longer needs it. He has all the weapons and armour he needs. His army is ready."
With that, they moved on. The days seemed to blur together, but it seemed to Luca that it took them a week to reach Acarienthia. They got their first sight of the Acarian capital after climbing a plateau and seeing it over the edge of the cliff.
Gordon's jaw fell when he saw the city, and he ran past them to the very edge of the cliff to get a better look.
The city was large and impressive, consisting of many buildings surrounded by a large wall, like most great Bacorian cities. The palace stood on a hill in the centre of city. Its emptiness, however, could be seen even from the great distance away that Luca was. The thousands who had once lived in the city were gone, having died out two decades ago in the plague that drove Manorith to invade Sono.
But the most noteworthy thing was the massive army - comprised of what must have been tens of thousands of soldiers - standing in perfect formation in the fields outside the city walls. On the ground at which they stood was a massive ornate circle stretching out for what must have been a kilometre; it was similar to, but different, from the one they had seen in the dried up lake.
"By the Old Ones..." Gordon muttered. "There are so many..."
"You told me yourself how he created that army," Luca said, staring at the legion before them in disdain. "He kills innocent people, and brings them back as revenants. And even the revenants that fall can be brought back. His army grows with each battle, and he never loses a single man."
"Even so, he shouldn't have this many." Gordon turned away from it. "He couldn't have this many..."
Indeed, the size of Zinoro's army dwarfed that of the forces of Sono and Saeticia combined. The number he had sent to fight them in that valley hadn't been near that number. Had he sent the full number out that day...
"How can we get inside?" Brand asked. "The army blocks the front gate."
Gordon looked back at the city, considering. After glancing at Luca, he said, "I have a idea. Let's go."
Gordon then led them down through a narrow trail, and after some time they made their way down into the level plains. They were far enough away from the army that there was no chance of them being seen, and Luca doubted if the revenants would even take notice of them either way, but they still stayed under cover whenever possible. They made their way towards the city walls, far from the gate.
Gordon turned to them when they reached the wall. "Luca, can you see the top of the wall?"
He looked up. "I can."
Gordon then reached within his bags and produced a coiled rope, which he handed to Luca. "I think you know what to do."
Taking the rope from Gordon, Luca focused his attention on the top of the wall. He warped, and reappeared right where he anticipated. His feet found themselves standing on the narrow walkway at the top of the fifty or so metre wall. Immediately, he crouched down, and looked around to see if anyone had noticed his appearance.
It would seem that there were no guards manning the wall. Satisfied that he was unseen, Luca uncoiled the rope and tossed it down through a gap in the battlements. He held the rope tight, and used his feet to push against the stone wall, as the weight of three people threatened to pull him over the edge.
Finally, Wiosna reached the top, and he helped pull her up. She gave him an uncomfortable look as he did so, and quickly stepped away from him once she was up on the wall. Brand followed a minute or so later, and then Gordon. After that, Luca pulled the rope back up and rolled it back up.
"There's a stairway over here, I believe," Gordon said, starting off. "It will take us down into the city. From there, we can get to the palace."
"Do you know a secret way into the palace?" Brand asked.
"We won't need one. We can get in with the same trick."
They emerged to the streets, which were as grey and empty as the previous city.
"Does nobody live here at all?" Luca asked Gordon.
"A few," Gordon said. "Most stay in the palace, however. I would say there's fewer than a hundred actual living people in the city. It's mostly just those soulless things. Which is a damn shame. When I was a little boy, this city was incredible. It was alive and beautiful and filled with good people. And look at it now."
Gordon's eyes were filled with sorrow, as he thought of better days. But he sighed, and set aside those thoughts for the moment. "Follow me."
They encountered no one on their way through the streets. The only sound was that of the wind, which howled and whipped around them now and then. The once-paved streets were filled with cracks and potholes. Windows in buildings were smashed in, or boarded up. From time to time, they would pass houses with every window and door boarded up, and skulls painted over them.
"Scars from the plague," Gordon muttered, staring at one such house. "When Manorith took his army and marched to Sono, he left this behind. It has only gotten worse over the years. Zinoro has had his eye on Sono so long, he has failed to notice just what a dead waste his kingdom has become."
"I hate this place," Brand muttered. Luca gave a start at that. It was so rare to hear such words from Brand, who usually saw the positive side in everything.
The palace stood atop a hill in the centre of town, a fortress of steel that had turned brown with rust and green with ivy over the two decades of ruin. At the front of the palace, they saw two men in the black armour of Acaria, standing guard over the entrance, spears in hand. They ducked into an alley, and peered out from around the corner. The two guards had not seen them.
"They're not revenants," said Gordon. "They are of the small number of human followers Zinoro still has."
He was right, Luca noted. The two guards stood with a slouch, and would turn their heads and speak to one another, though Luca was much too far away to make out the words.
"Is the plan that I need to warp to them and catch them off guard?" Luca asked.
"There will be others just inside," Gordon said, shaking his head. "The noise would get their attention, and an alarm would be raised. We cannot lose the element of surprise. No, we'll circle around back and find a different ent
rance."
They proceeded to do just that, crossing through back alleys until the front of the palace and its two guards disappeared from view. Gordon took them to the back of the palace, where there had once been a large garden. All that remained was dirt and an empty fountain. They crossed through the dead garden until they reached the very edge of the palace's rear wall.
Gordon scanned the palace walls and pointed to a balcony three stories from the ground. "Luca, there's an open door there."
"I see it," Luca said. He gathered his mana and warped to the balcony. As Gordon had said, the door was open, which lead to a bedroom.
"Throw down the rope!" Gordon called to him from below.
Luca went to the edge of the balcony and peered down. Gordon, Wiosna, and Brand were waiting expectantly for him to toss them the rope. After a moment of consideration, he tossed it down.
The entire rope fell into a pile at Gordon's feet.
"Luca, what are you doing?!" he demanded.
"I'm sorry," Luca said. "I can't let you all follow me to your deaths."
"Don't do this!" Brand called out to him. "You can't face him alone!"
"Get out of here," he said. "Go while you still can." In a quieter voice, he added, "Blood will be spilt today. I won't have it be yours."
He turned, and crossed the balcony to the bedroom. As he walked, he heard Brand and Gordon calling after him. Just before he closed the door, he heard a cry from Wiosna. The balcony door was closed, and Luca's only companion was silence.
The bedroom was empty, though Luca still crossed it with careful steps. He stopped at the door, drew his sword, and very carefully opened it. As soon as the door was open a crack, he pushed it and stepped back, his blade at the ready. After a few moments, when no guards came charging in, he cautiously proceeded into the hallway.
He had no idea where Emila or Zinoro might be, so searching could be difficult. As Emila was Zinoro's prisoner, the first and most logical place to check would be the dungeons. There didn't seem to be many people in the palace, but he still proceeded with caution.
Luca wandered through the hallways. Many of the doors he passed were open and empty, but a few were locked. The first locked door he came across, he rammed with his shoulder until it swung open. It was a bedroom that had been lived in recently, and after checking a few letters within, it turned out it was Dreevius'.
He did the same thing with the next room, which turned out to belong to Serpos. This time he searched a bit more thoroughly, and discovered what he was searching for. A smoky orb, identical to the one Serpos had used to control the dragon in the battle before. Luca wrapped the orb in a cloth and stuffed it in his bag.
Leaving the bedrooms, Luca found himself on a long stairway. He followed this down, taking note of the similarity between this palace and the other two he had been in. If his reasoning was right, he felt like he knew right where the dungeons would be.
He passed through the many halls of the Acarian palace, seeing dust over the furniture and murals on the wall with cracking paint. It astounded him that Zinoro could live in such a dead, empty place. Throughout it, he encountered absolutely no opposition. With the exception of the two guards outside, and the army camped on the circle outside the city gates, Luca wondered if there was anyone in this city at all.
He found the stairway that he was sure would lead into the dungeons. He followed this down, and as he went, the damaged paintings and dust vanished, and were replaced by cold stone. He was on the right track, at least.
Luca felt a chill run down his spine as he walked down those stairs. The air was much cooler in the dungeon, and something told him it had little to do with the stone walls. He placed his hand on his recently sheathed sword, and was ready to draw it at any sign of danger,
The stairs ended, and Luca found himself in a long hallway, the end of which was invisible through the thick darkness. With no other choice, he used his magick to create an illuminating orb to follow behind him. He then made his way through the long, narrow hallway.
It seemed to stretch on for eternity, and the farther Luca went, the colder the air seemed to get. A feeling of claustrophobia began to grow on him. He was beginning to feel that this wasn't a dungeon at all, but something else. Something dark and terrible and forbidden.
And then, almost abruptly, it ended. He was faced with a large, stone door with a keyhole in its centre. As Luca approached this door, he could feel a dark, powerful mana resonating from it. It was no ordinary door; he doubted that ramming his shoulder against it would force this one open.
Something told him that Zinoro's darkest secrets were hidden on the other side of that door. He had a fair understanding of magickally enhanced objects, and he knew that trying to force it open could unleash nasty magick traps on him. Glancing at the keyhole in the centre, he knew that he would have to find the unique key that had been made in tandem with it. And he knew that Zinoro - if he was as paranoid as Luca suspected - likely kept it on his person.
Turning around, Luca followed the dark hallway back the way he had come. If Zinoro understood anything about him, he would know that Luca would come to Acarienthia to save Emila. Imprisoning her on the other side of that door would be perfect for him; Emila would have no way to escape from it, and Luca would have to confront Zinoro himself if he wanted to get her out.
Luca released the floating orb and climbed the stairs back up to the palace halls. To find Emila, he would have to first find Zinoro. So he made his way in the direction of the place he most expected Zinoro to be.
Several minutes later, Luca pushed open the large double doors and stepped into the throne room. It was a large and open chamber, with pillars lining the sides of the frayed and bleached carpet. Large stain glass windows once stood high along the walls, though only a few were still intact. What little light that could penetrate the thick grey clouds flowed in through the broken windows. At the far end stood the throne itself, a large and impressive chair, covered in ash and dust.
Sitting on that throne was Emila, her eyes closed and her head tilted to the side.
"Emila!" he exclaimed without thinking. He ran towards her, dashing past the pillars and beams of light. He was nearly there, when a flash of movement caught his eye. At the last pillar before the throne, on the left-hand side, a figure emerged into view.
Luca's father's killer was not dressed the same was he had been on that fateful day. He was shirtless, and wore no shoes; only a pair of black slacks. His long hair was unbound, and his single eye glowed red. Arms crossed, he watched Luca with an unreadable expression as he stopped his dash to the throne.
"Hello, son of Lodin," Zinoro said. "I've been waiting for you to show up for a while now."
Luca looked over him, taking in his undressed form. His hands clenched in anger. "Have you - touched her?"
Zinoro cocked the eyebrow of his sole eye, then glanced at Emila. He chuckled, and said to Luca, "I'm not into that sort of thing."
He wasn't sure if he could believe him or not, but that wasn't important right now. Luca stood his ground, glaring at Zinoro. He noticed Zinoro was unarmed. Why would he not have his Rixeor Fragment with him?
"I knew you would come here sooner or later," Zinoro said to him. "I understand you well, boy. I know you would want to avenge your poor dead father. But really, it surprised me that you took so long to get here. You've been really busy in the past few months, haven't you? You were at Allma Temple during my attack, you were at Serenite when Trunda fled, and Serpos told me all about his fight with you in the Siren Valley. He said you had an interesting power; Teleportation. One of the ten Lost Spells. That explains how you escaped on the day we first met. One minute you were in front of me, then I turned my back and you were gone."
"Serpos said that, did he?" Luca said, with a smirk of his own. "I wonder what he would say about me now."
Zinoro frowned. "So you killed him, then?"
"I did. I killed Serpos, just like I killed your other acolytes. Just as I've co
me to kill you."
"You're confident, at least. I'll give you that if nothing else. I guess that Serpos failed to catch Verra, then."
Luca kept silent on that regard. Zinoro moved from the pillar, and began to pace back and forth across the hall. Luca watched him warily.
"You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you," Zinoro said. "In... some ways. I sense a much greater power in you now. And yet in others ways you're still the same person you were then."
"You killed so many people in that attack," Luca accused him. "Innocent people!"
"Is that right?" Zinoro said, a flash of anger in his expression. "Innocent, were they? I'll bet they were. The people of Acaria were innocent, as well. Innocent even as the plague filled their kingdom, killing their crops, drying their water, and poisoning their lungs. They reached out to the good kingdoms of the Alliance for aid, and were answered with silence. Well, I say that they were guilty. They were all guilty."
Zinoro cleared his throat, visibly calming himself. "You would come here and call me a monster for starting a war? For causing the deaths of innocent people? The Alliance invaded the kingdom of Freidu and wiped out every single person there; all because of the actions of the few who ruled it. You would demonise me for causing deaths while conveniently forgetting the horrors wrought by the men you work for?"
"They didn't murder people for the sake of bringing them back from the dead."
"Hmm, perhaps not," Zinoro muttered, continuing to pace across the hall. "I suppose nothing I can say will stop you from thinking I am the villain. I did kill your daddy, after all. I can understand why you would hate the man who did that."
"And you will pay for that."
"So you keep saying," he said. He stopped walking, and began to laugh. "I'm quite amused by you, son of Lodin. Emila knew you would come after her. She begged me to spare you, and to spare the people of Sono. But mostly you. And she was right - that you would come - but now that you're here you seem to care more about killing me than saving her. You haven't even asked if she's still alive!"
Luca glanced at Emila, confused. "She's alive. She hasn't disappeared."
"You think the laws of this world are so simple, don't you?" Zinoro asked. "Someone dies, they vanish. Nice and easy. You know nothing of this world, or the next. You may soon, however, if I send you to it."
Something was bothering Luca. "I don't understand why she even came here in the first place. If she knew I would follow her, and come here and face you... what made her think she could convince you?"
Zinoro turned to Luca, his eye wide in amusement. "So she hasn't told you, has she?"
"Told me what?"
"And I thought you two were so close," Zinoro muttered. He strode over to the throne, walking up the steps and standing beside Emila. Cupping her chin, he turned her head and looked at her face. "My eyes were not always red. Back in the days before I had my powers, when I was a young man like you, my eyes were green. The same shade of green that every member of my family has had... a common eye colour for Acarians, actually." Zinoro let go of Emila's chin, and turned back to Luca. "Tell me, if I still had my green eyes, would you be able to see the resemblance?"
Luca felt cold. "No... that can't be true."
"Emila thought she could stop the war all by herself, by appealing to the conscience of her dear older brother," Zinoro said. "But she was wrong. Nothing can stop it now. The only thing that has been delaying it has been your arrival."
"She can't have your blood... she would have told me..."
"Ah, but she didn't!" Zinoro exclaimed, stepping down from the throne and approaching Luca. "She was hiding from me, it would seem."
"You attacked her town, you killed her family!"
"Our family. The mother we shared."
Luca's fists were clenched so hard the knuckles were cracking. "You monster."
"Judge me all you want, if it makes you feel better. Your anger is understandable, as your closest companion has been lying to you since you've met her." Zinoro turned around and went back up to the throne. "Would it make you feel better to hear it from her?"
Zinoro gathered his mana and Emila gasped, opening her eyes immediately. She saw Luca and a look of shock and worry struck her. "Luca...?"
He stepped forth. "Emila, are you alright?"
Her lips trembled, but she nodded her head. "I'm fine. You... you shouldn't have come after me..."
"I couldn't just abandon you."
Zinoro smiled, "I told him the truth about you, but he doesn't seem to want to believe me. It would probably make him feel better if he heard it from you. Go ahead, Emila. Tell him. Be honest for once."
Emila looked like she was about to cry. Shamefully, she blinked back tears, and nodded.
"But why didn't you tell me?"
"I... I couldn't..." Emila sobbed. "I was so ashamed. The people who killed my family, who killed your family... I-I couldn't be... one of them..."
"Very sad," said Zinoro. "But I think you should go back beyond the wall of sleep now."
"Luca, get out of here! Run away from-!"
Zinoro snapped his fingers, and Emila's cry was cut short. Her eyes closed, and her head rolled forward.
"Emila!"
"Don't worry about her," Zinoro told Luca. "I won't harm her. Our mother made one final request of me before I killed her, and I intend to honour it. So no matter what, Emila will not die by my hand."
"You intend to honour it?" Luca scoffed. "You?"
"Despite what you believe, I am a very honourable man," Zinoro said. "Far more honourable than Zaow or your father, in any case. I keep every promise I make. On the day that Gordon told me my father's fate, I swore that I would kill the men responsible for it and return Acaria to its former glory. And I shall do that, by any means necessary."
"You're mad!" Luca shouted. "Can you think of nothing but your quest for revenge? Everything you say comes back to this petty, childish desire to get back at the people who wronged you!"
Zinoro stopped, looking surprised for the very first time. "Yes... perhaps that is true. Perhaps my desire for justice has become the only thing I have... But that is not going to stop me from pursuing it. I have dipped into a dark place to get the power I have, and I can tell, even as I am now, that it has changed me. I cannot turn back now, precisely because of how far I have come... because of the very lengths that I have gone to. I could not stop even if I wanted to."
Luca knew what it was he spoke of. "Ekkei?"
"The demon has given me powers not seen in many years. Three of the ten Lost Spells are mine, at least in some form. The revenants, the teleportation... but of course there was a terrible price that needed payed for these gifts. I tried to escape that price through a loophole, but I could not. Ekkei got what she wanted, as she always does."
She? No matter, Luca thought. There were more important things to focus on at the moment. "You can teleport, the same as I do?"
"Serpos said you can go anywhere you see before you," Zinoro said. "You've got the true version of the spell, it would seem. I can only warp through the use of circles, like the one outside the city. I'm sure you saw it on your way in."
"You used that circle to teleport your army to that valley where you ambushed the Saeticians," Luca said. "You did the same thing earlier to attack Allma Temple, didn't you?"
"And your little town in Arimos, before that," Zinoro said. "As well as in Sulin, where my mother and Emila were hiding before that. Yes, it's the first trick these dark powers gave me."
"But none of those places had circles of their own. How did you warp to those?"
Zinoro started to laugh. "I don't need a circle on each end, of course. I only need one to initiate the spell. I can send my army anywhere I can see in my mind's eye. If I wanted to, I could go outside and warp us all to the very streets of T'Saw right now."
"What...?" Luca gasped. "But-"
"Getting them back is the only concern," said Zinoro. "I cannot do that when I launch my attack against
T'Saw. So I must make sure I am truly ready before I do it. Tell me, did Gordon tell you about the prophecy?"
"Gordon?"
"Don't play dumb with me, I know he's the one who betrayed me. He hasn't been as careful as he thought he was being. Now answer me, did he tell you the prophecy?"
"He said that a seer told you I would kill you."
"I suppose that's close enough," Zinoro said. "But there's a bit more to it than that. We found that seer, and we tortured him for days to get an Absolute Truth from him. Uncertain Truths, he told us plenty, but those aren't what I wanted. Those are only the futures that could be. I wanted to know the future that was bound to happen. What I did get was an assurance... that in any potential future where I died, it would be you or a someone who shared my blood who ended me."
"But Emila shares your blood," Luca said. "Perhaps it is she who will kill you?"
Zinoro's face stretched out to a grin, and he laughed. "No, I think if that part of the prophecy were true, it would have happened already. In fact, I have my doubts as to whether there is any stock in that prophet's words at all. But I need to be certain, before I take my troops to T'Saw. I will fight you today, because if the Old Ones decree that you will end my life, I would rather it happen here, in my hall, than in the streets of T'Saw."
Zinoro extended his arm, and at his open hand, there was a flash of black mana. A sword appeared from nowhere, and Luca recognised it as the very claymore Zinoro had used to slay Lodin.
"This is Blight, my sword. As I'm sure you know, it is a Rixeor Fragment," Luca felt Zinoro's mana swell, and the blade of his sword was enveloped by black flames. "When mana is channelled into it, the blade attains a magick sharpness. No object in the world can stop it." To demonstrate, Zinoro swung the sword across one of the pillars in the hall. The blade cut through it like a knife through butter, leaving a deep slash across.
Zinoro's mana faded, and the black flames flickered out. "For the sake of honour, I will not use this against you. It would not be a fair match if your sword shattered at the first parry."
"Why not use that power?" Luca asked. He reached and drew his own sword. "Why even take the risk? Why not just wipe me out with all your power and be done with it?"
"Because it must be possible that I can lose," Zinoro told him. "There must be a chance, however small it is, that you can stop me. Otherwise, my victory would be a hollow one." After a moment of though, Zinoro smiled. "I like you. You ask the right questions. It's a shame I had to kill your father."
Saying nothing in response to that, Luca stood in a combat position, ready for the fight to begin. This was it, he realised. The moment he had been waiting so long for. This was his chance to kill Zinoro.
He charged at Zinoro, and attacked.
The first swing of his sword was deflected by Zinoro, who took as step back as he did so, expertly wielding the long claymore with a single hand. Luca pressed forward, alternating between strokes, driving Zinoro back. His opponent made no move to turn the offencive; Zinoro was being careful for now, taking it slow, testing his opponent to see what he was capable of.
Very well, Luca thought. He would show him just what he could do.
Luca began to attack more aggressively, bringing his sword down in harder strokes against Zinoro. The Acarian dodged when he could, and blocked when he couldn't. But overall, he seemed unfazed by Luca's attacks.
"Why won't you fight back?" he demanded.
Zinoro chuckled. "Funny. I asked the same thing of your father before I killed him."
Luca continued to force Zinoro back, pushing him towards one of the walls. Glass from the broken windows crunched under his feet with each step.
"Your father did not fight back that day, and since then, I've wondered why," Zinoro said. He took another step back, and he bumped into the wall. He had nowhere to run. "I believe I have the answer."
Zinoro wore no armour, Luca reminded himself. He only needed to land a single blow, and victory would be his. He moved in for the kill, thrusting his sword towards the spot in Zinoro's bare chest where his heart was.
The Acarian jumped, several metres higher than he should have been able to from a standing position. He kicked off the wall, and soared over Luca's head, even doing several somersaults while in the air. Then he landed on the ground, a comfortable distance away from Luca.
"Your father knew he could not best me, so he saw no point in trying," Zinoro said.
Luca stared in awe. He had never seen another human being jump like that before. It was impossible...
"He was a coward," Zinoro said. "A weakling who accepted the inevitability of his fate without struggle. The Old Ones may have fates chosen for us, but the future is not set in stone. Those who lack the will to fight destiny do not deserve to live."
"My father was not a coward, or a weakling!"
"He was, but you at least have the will to fight," Zinoro continued. "So I will give you what your father refused to give to me... an honourable battle."
Zinoro then moved, closing the gap between them as a blur of speed. His claymore was swinging, and Luca brought up his sword just in time to block the attack. He staggered back under the force, and then it was Luca who found himself up against the wall. The attack was not meant to kill; just push him back. It would seem Zinoro was still testing him.
Luca warped away in time to avoid the next attack, and he found himself on the other side of the room, two pillars between himself and Zinoro. After a few seconds, Luca heard the sound of Zinoro's bare feet crunching against the broken glass. He was heading towards him; Zinoro knew exactly where he was.
"I have to fight carefully," Luca muttered quietly to himself. "I have to fight smart. Being dumb will just get me killed."
He focused his mana and built up a quick reservoir. He then created a few of his magick needles, which he held between his fingers. Zinoro was not wearing any armour. If the needles struck him, he would be hit with the full effect. Unlike Dreevius, who had managed to recover some amount of movement, Zinoro would drop like a sack of bricks.
Hearing Zinoro drawing near, Luca moved, jumping out from behind the portal. He threw the needles at Zinoro, who was approaching at a calm, slow gait. However, before they could hit him in his exposed chest, Zinoro dodged to the side with a burst of speed that no ordinary human could have accomplished.
"Damn!" Luca swore. He quickly conjured another handful of needles and threw them. The result was the same.
Zinoro then charged at him, swinging his sword at Luca's neck. Luca ducked, and the blade slashed the stone pillar in a shower of sparks. The sword did not have the magick-enhanced sharpness of earlier, but it was still indestructible.
Luca, who was now crouching in front of Zinoro, prepared to tackle him and try to push him down to the floor. However, before he could so much as blink, Zinoro struck him in the stomach with his bare foot, and then jumped back with the momentum. The force of it was enough to knock the breath right out of Luca, who found himself unable to stand up.
Zinoro, who landed a metre or so from Luca, waited patiently for him to rise. As Luca did so, it set in just how easy Zinoro was going on him. Even without the magick properties of his sword, Zinoro was having no difficulty in matching his attacks.
Alright, then; he would try something else.
Luca warped away, appearing on the other side of the room. Quickly creating a third set of needles, he hurled them at Zinoro. Predictably, the Acarian evaded them, dodging to the left. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Luca warped again, focusing on the spot just behind where Zinoro was jumping to.
His sword extended, he appeared right behind Zinoro, expecting the blade to appear inside Zinoro's chest, just as he had done to Serpos. However, he blinked, and realised that Zinoro was not in front of him.
He panicked. Had he warped somewhere else? No, he was sure he was standing right where Zinoro had jumped to. So where was...?
Above him.
Luca threw himself to the side,
not having enough time to find a spot to warp away to. Zinoro's sword was the first thing to fall, landing blade-first in the spot where Luca's head had been a second ago. Luca rolled and pulled himself up just in time to see Zinoro himself touch down, his bare feet landing on the hand-guards of his claymore, standing on it with perfect balance.
Luca threw another set of needles at Zinoro, knowing that he would have difficulty dodging them while standing on his sword. He did not, but the needles did not hit him. A black hole of energy appeared in the air before Zinoro, and the needles fizzled out into mana and were drawn into the vortex.
Zinoro remained atop his sword, arms crossed, completely unfazed by the foiled attack.
Luca swore silently. He backed away, and began to circle around Zinoro. The mana vortex remained in the air, pulsating. Luca knew that it functioned similarly to his illuminating orbs, and that it would remain there until Zinoro dispelled it, independent of his actions.
The thing that confused him was how quickly Zinoro had summoned it. It was almost as is he had predicted Luca would throw needles again. Perhaps he was being too predictable. He needed to try something different.
After a moment of thought, a plan formed in his head. He started towards Zinoro at a run. The Acarian jumped down from his sword and pulled it from the ground.
Luca held up his hand, and a bright flash of light burst from it. Zinoro quickly covered his eye, smart enough to know that it would blind him. Luca scowled, knowing that Zinoro had avoided the full blindness of the flash, but even so, he still wouldn't be able to see for a moment.
He then followed up on that by throwing his sword at Zinoro.
Though blinded for the moment, Zinoro dodged, which Luca expected. He warped, appearing at the spot where Zinoro had been a second ago. Luca reached out, caught his sword in mid-air, and swung it at Zinoro.
Logically, Zinoro should not have been able to avoid that. He couldn't possibly jump in two directions at once. But somehow, even though he hadn't even landed yet, Zinoro was already moving away from the spot where Luca's swing had passed through. It took Luca a second to see that he had somehow kicked the ground and changed his course in mid-air.
Zinoro landed, not where Luca had expected him to be, but closer. Suddenly the claymore was being swung at Luca in swings too fast and too heavy for someone wielding a sword that size with only one hand.
Luca blocked two swings, and knew that he couldn't keep up with Zinoro's swordplay. He quickly found a spot on the far side of the room and warped to it. He gasped, beginning to feel the effects of his mana draining. Too much warping, too many needles. And all for nothing. So far, he hadn't landed a single blow on his opponent.
The Rixeor Fragment Zinoro wielded, even without the magick flame that gave it so much of its power, was a difficult weapon to fight against. The sword was huge, and must have immense weight, yet Zinoro wielded it like it was a rapier. When Luca blocked those swings, he felt the full weight of that sword slamming into him. His arms were aching from the shocks of just those strikes alone, and yet Zinoro could twirl the thing around like a stick.
Luca turned around, seeing Zinoro watching him from across the hall. His enemy showed no signs of fatigue in spite of the many physics-defying jumps he'd made, and the impossible use of his sword. To him, these things were nothing. Through a combination of his magick sword, and the dark powers of Ekkei, Zinoro had a set of abilities that Luca just couldn't match.
Were he fighting at his full ability, the battle would have ended in two moves. The first swing of his sword would have cut through Luca's sword, and the second would have cut through Luca himself. He felt cold, thinking about that. Gordon's warnings had not been misplaced. One truly would need another Rixeor Fragment to even match blades with Zinoro, much less be skilled enough to best him in combat.
But the hardest thing about it all was just how fast Zinoro was. Everything Luca threw at him, he reacted to without even the slightest of missteps. Had he used some of these strategies against Trunda or Serpos, he might have beaten them easily. Against Zinoro they were as effective as thrown pebbles. It was almost like Zinoro could read his mind...
Seeing the unconscious form of Emila on the throne across the hall, Luca began to worry. Things were starting to look bleak. He was running out of mana, running out of strength, and running out of ideas. If he was to kill Zinoro, he would need some kind of brilliant plan; something even Zinoro couldn't react to.
The Acarian king waited patiently for his opponent to attack once more. Some distance away, the floating mana void he had conjured earlier pulsated silently.
Just then, an idea clicked in Luca's mind. He considered it, wondering if such a thing would work. He'd never used the spell in such a way, but it was possible. It would use up a lot of mana, however. If it failed...
Well, this would be his last chance, then.
Luca drew himself up to his full height, and sheathed his sword. He focused, gathering a considerable amount of mana in each of his hands. He started off, running down the hall towards the throne. Zinoro flourished his sword and assumed a battle stance in anticipation.
Warping, Luca closed the distance between them. Zinoro did not take the chance to strike, instead waiting cautiously to see how Luca would attack. There was a flash of light, and Zinoro turned away to avoid losing his vision.
Luca warped again, again appearing in front of Zinoro. Still, no attack came. Luca lingered for only the briefest of moments, before producing yet another flash of light and warping away once more.
This process repeated a third time, and when Luca appeared after that, this time Zinoro closed in to attack. Luca was ready. Before Zinoro could get close enough to reach him, a handful of magick needles were thrown and Zinoro dodged to the side, not losing a second of momentum.
Zinoro swung his sword, and Luca warped away again.
A bit of light caught Zinoro's attention. He turned, and saw a ball of light floating in the air near where Luca had been. An illuminating orb.
Whether or not Zinoro knew what was about to happen, Luca did not know. But even so, the Acarian king seemed to understand an attack was coming, so he jumped away from the orb. Before he could get very far away, the orb exploded, releasing a hundred magick needles flying in every direction.
Luca appeared, and threw more needles at Zinoro. He dodged, only to find Luca appeared a moment later, this time with his sword drawn. If Zinoro continued in the direction he was going, he would have no way to avoid being stabbed, so he kicked against the ground and forced himself away.
Only then did he see the second illuminating orb Luca had placed, and that he was headed right towards it.
Luca sent out the mana signal, and Zinoro landed on the floor, the orb right in his face. For the briefest of moments, he needed to stop completely before he could move again, and that gave Luca a very brief window of opportunity. Within the span of the brief second after Luca sent the mana signal, and the orb burst open, Zinoro jumped away.
It was enough.
Though Zinoro was fast enough to escape the explosion, he was not fast enough to escape the shrapnel. The needles scattered, and Zinoro flew through the air and landed some distance away. As he landed, Luca saw at least two or three needles stuck in his legs.
That was it. Within a few seconds, the magick would kick in and Zinoro would lose the use of his legs.
Luca warped to Zinoro's side, and swung his blade. Of course, Zinoro was fast enough to block the attack, and he took a step back as Luca pressed forward. Zinoro blocked the second stroke just as well, but as he tried to step back, his legs were stiff and unresponsive.
For the first time, Luca saw glimpse of frustration in Zinoro's face.
Zinoro then jumped away, putting distance between them both. Though his legs were growing numb, he was still capable of moving and standing, though his gait was shaky and sluggish.
Luca, however, wasn't done. Zinoro knew this, because he spotted a third orb hovering very close by
.
Luca started to run towards Zinoro, a set of needles in his hands, ready to throw. Zinoro jumped away as Luca swung his arm. However, it was a feign. Luca then warped once more, and the needles were still in his hands when he reappeared.
This time, he did throw them.
Zinoro landed and found his back was up against one of the pillars. With only a second to think before the flying needles hit him, he jumped. His numbing legs did not carry him as high as before, but it was enough for him to avoid the needles.
He did not even see the fourth orb, hovering just around the corner of the pillar, until he was right beside it.
There was a brilliant flash.
When Zinoro hit the ground, his entire right side was covered in magick needles. Luca, who stood in the centre of the hall some distance away, watched, as Zinoro began to shake.
"You thought that those flashes of light were me creating those traps?" Luca asked from across the hall. "Really, that's exactly what I wanted you to think."
"You figured out the loophole..."
"Loophole?"
"I couldn't foresee those orbs you made, because they were not direct attacks," Zinoro did not seem amused. He stared at the needles in his arms and legs, as his shakiness grew.
"You can see the future?"
"Not quite. Just things that may harm me, and only just before they happen..." he groaned, and his sword fell to the ground, his hand no longer able to continue holding it. A moment later, his legs gave out, and he fell onto his back. Zinoro did not move. His body was unresponsive. He was beaten.
"I did it," Luca muttered to himself. "I beat him..." He could hardly believe it. As he stood there, taking in his victory, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His mana was growing empty.
He stood up, his breaths heavy. He began to walk over to Zinoro's inert form. As he drew closer, he saw Zinoro's right eye watching him. His claymore rested on his numb right side, and though Luca knew Zinoro could still move his left arm, there was no way he could reach it.
"I've won," Luca said. He pointed his sword at Zinoro's throat. "This is for my father."
"You think you've beaten me?!" Zinoro demanded. His single eye stared deep into Luca's own.
Too late, he remembered, and he realised what was about to happen. Zinoro's mana swelled, and Luca felt the pain strike him, every nerve in his body on fire. He blacked out, lost to his senses. Whatever happened next, he didn't know. The few seconds that it lasted seemed to go on for eternity, and when it was finally cut off, by a single sharp pain in his gut, it was a relief beyond words.
His vision returned as he fell out of that world of pain. He saw Zinoro, still collapsed on the ground, staring at him with a strange expression.
Luca's chest hurt.
"This... this is not how I wanted this to happen."
Luca slowly looked down, seeing that Zinoro was holding a sword - Luca's sword - with his left hand. Luca must have dropped it while he was lost in that pain.
Next, he saw the colour red, flowing down the steel blade in beautiful lines. As the blood flowed down the sword, he followed it to its source with his eyes... the blood was flowing from Luca's own chest.
It took his mind a few moments to put together what had happened. But somehow, he knew, partly from judging by the disappointed look on Zinoro's face, and partly because he might have actually been aware of it in spite of mindless pain from before. He knew that Zinoro hadn't stabbed him. Luca had dropped the sword when the pain took him, Zinoro had picked it up, and then Luca had fallen onto it.
Zinoro let go of the blade like it was on fire, then he stood up slowly. He truly was strong, if Luca's paralysis magick had already worn off. Even still, he stood on shaky legs.
"There is no honour in this. I knew this would end with your death, but this is not the way I would have had it happen."
Zinoro grew silent for a moment, perhaps considering something. Then, Luca heard him snap his fingers.
Silently, Luca pleaded with him. No, no, no. Please, she's been through enough already. Don't make her watch this.
"Luca?" came the sleepy voice of Emila. "Luc..." She then trailed off.
Zinoro stepped aside, as Luca heard the sound of Emila's footsteps running to his side. "No... No... Please, this can't be happening..."
Gently, she turned him over. Now Luca could see what was happening. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked him over. The sorrow in her expression turned to rage, and she turned away from him. Rising to her feet, she slapped Zinoro across the face.
"You bastard!"
Zinoro said nothing. He turned his gaze away, not looking her in the eyes.
Emila returned to his side, her mana already rising. Luca felt her hands find the wound (when had the sword been removed, he wondered), and the soft glow of healing magick emanated from her.
"Don't bother," Zinoro told her in a flat voice. "The wound is mortal. I didn't wake you up for-"
"Shut up!" Emila screamed at him. "Shut up! Don't you ever speak to me again, you inhuman monster!"
The glow of Emila's magick faded, and Luca heard her sobbing. "C'mon, please. Not now..." Her voice was quiet and choked, but it was the only sound in the hall. The glow came again, and after a few moments it faded with no change.
"I woke you so you could say your goodbyes," Zinoro told her. "If this is how he dies, then I can see the prophecy was wrong. He never had any chance to beat me, and I'm not going to waste another minute waiting for fate to change when it is not going to. I'm going to T'Saw. I am ending this entire game right now. I will come back for you when it is over."
He started to leave, but stopped after taking a few steps. He then added, "Emila. After he is gone... go on upstairs. That is all I ask of you."
Zinoro walked away, and after a long minute or two, Luca heard the sound of the throne room door opening and closing.
As soon as Zinoro was gone, Emila took Luca's head in her hands and looked right at him. "I won't let you die. I'll save you. I'll reconnect us through the tether, just like before. You'll be alright. I promise... just stay with me, okay?"
He was trying, but he could feel a deep weariness coming over him. Glancing down at the wound, he saw an amount of blood covering himself and the floor that he wouldn't have believed he could hold. Emila's white dress was ruined from it. And out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father's sword.
He had failed him... he had failed to avenge his father.
Emila was gathering her mana. Luca knew what she was about to do, and for some reason, the thought of it worried him. He wanted to tell her to stop, to just let him go, but he choked on the words.
"Just hang in there. Everything will be alright."
Luca felt Emila's mana filling him. The air began to glow, and a cold breeze ran through the room. Luca hardly noticed the drop in temperature; he was already so cold as it was...
After a minute or so, Luca felt the connection between the two of them, renewed again. It was comforting to feel, like a breath of fresh air after being submerged in water. He felt complete again, being reunited with his other half.
Emila gasped, and smiled. "See? The tether is back. You'll be fine, everything will be..."
She trailed off. Something was wrong. Emila's face was beginning to grow pale.
"No..." she said in a quiet voice. "That can't be... it's not possible."
A stain of red blood was growing from Emila's stomach.
With a shaking hand, she hesitantly touched the red pool. She gasped and winced as she did so. Her expression fell to complete despair.
"Luca, I... I'm so sorry... I messed it up."
She was growing paler by the second; far too pale from shock alone. Realisation dawned on Luca, and he felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Why did she need to do it? Why had she gone and thrown her own life away as well? Why couldn't she have just let him die...?
He understood why. She had wanted to save him. She had always wanted to sa
ve him. And if their positions had been reversed, he likely would have done the same.
But now, things were so much worse. The very thing that had saved him so many times over had betrayed him in the worst way. And now, not only was he going to die, but he would have to bear with dragging her down with him in his final moments...
But even now, he could not stand to see her cry. With what little strength he could muster, he reached his hand up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. With that little gesture, he saw the look in her eyes change. She understood that he didn't blame her. A smile appeared, in spite of all the sorrow.
Emila leaned in, and kissed him, long and full of meaning. A thousand unspoken things were said through that kiss. Apologies for mistakes, and regrets that this was the end. But also the fondness of the time they had shared.
When Emila broke the kiss, she no longer had the strength to rise. Her shallow breathing matched his, and her heartbeat was in time with his own. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but he felt a great sleep coming over him, and he didn't think he could hold out much longer. The only think keeping him going now was the knowledge that each moment he kept his head above the current was another he could share with her.
When he saw her, though, her eyes were closed, and her lips were curled in a small, content smile. She looked at peace, possibly more so than he'd ever seen her.
He thought he heard footsteps rushing towards him, but perhaps it was just his imagination. Or more likely, it was Brand and Wiosna and Gordon coming after them. What a thing to stumble across, he thought. The both of them, lying there in a pool of blood, too gone to be saved.
At least Emila was happy in her final moments. Perhaps it was the knowledge that even though he was dying, she would not have to go on without him.
Thinking about it all, he understood what it meant. The connection they had shared. She had once told him the magick would drive them together. Perhaps it had. But even without it, they would have still ended up in the same place. He just knew it. Luca closed his eyes as well, as content as the girl in his arms.
Luca let out a long breath, and did not draw in another. His heartbeat stopped, and he saw nothing more.