Zwei the Emperor
Emperor of Darkness Dethroned
It has been five years since Arcanus' rise to power. His legions of hell have ravaged half of the continent, leaving only a few places untouched. One of these was Demacus, the town in which Cedric was living. It seemed that Arcanus would once again seize global dominion. His armies were near limitless, as well as immortal, and most of the world had no chance of defending itself. His armies covered the southern half of the continent in the fires of war. Demacus, although it was in the middle of Arcanus' territory, was left unharmed.
Within Demacus, Cedric lived with Zeal and May. For the past five years Cedric and Zeal had been making money off of bounties and honing their combat skills. May was quite different though. Instead of training in the arts of physical combat, she had mastered a far more powerful skill.
Cedric walked through the door to his house, tired from a long day of work. May was cooking dinner and Zeal was asleep in one of the wooden chairs. As he walked into the kitchen to greet May, he noticed the stove was empty, yet the fire still raged within.
"How is that fire still going...." Cedric said.
"I was wondering when you were going to notice. She's been cooking like that for three days now." Zeal said sleepily as she got up from the chair.
"I might as well tell you where most of that money has been going. I've been training in the arts of magic. My father had been paying my enrollment fees until his death, and then I soon ran out of money. I think I've gotten really good at it though. Take a look." May said.
She pointed at the flame in the stove. Cedric watched in awe as the flame was suddenly extinguished. May set the table and picked up the pot of soup she had been cooking on the stove.
"It should be done now. I hope you're hungry." May said.
The three of them sat down to eat, while May explained her training in magic to Cedric. He watched intently as she lit the candles with her magic.
"I've mostly learned fire magic so far, I tend to excel in it a lot more than the other types. I do know a few ice and lightning spells though." May said.
There was suddenly a loud knock at the door. Cedric rose from his seat and answered it. Standing before him was a tall lanky man. He had dark brown hair, bangs brushed to the side covering his left eye. He wore a navy blue suit with a crimson shirt underneath.
"Baron Fleurmont wishes to meet with you. Are you willing to accompany me to his mansion? He won't take no for an answer...." the man said.
"I'm sorry, but I'm in the middle of dinner, could you maybe come back later?" Cedric replied.
With that, the man gave Cedric a grin, revealing a large fang.
"As I said before, my master will not take no for an answer." the man said.
"Fine, I guess I have no choice then. If I kill you, the truce will be broken." Cedric replied.
Cedric apprised Zeal and May of the situation, and the three of them stepped into the carriage waiting outside the house. The carriage bolted out of the town as the horses ran full speed. The skies began to darken as they approached the mansion. The carriage came to a halt at the gates and the group was ushered towards the door. The man led them through the halls until they reached Fleurmont's office.
Fleurmont was a large man, bald with a white goatee. He wore a fancy blue suit as well.
"Greetings, I am Baron Fleurmont. How are you all?" he asked.
"Cut to the point, why the hell are we here." Cedric said.
"It's quite simple really. I know you three have the power to take down Arcanus, and so I thought I'd do him a favor and eliminate you." he replied.
"Then why go through all the formalities and bring me into the heart of your lair? If we can kill Arcanus, what makes you think you can kill us?" Cedric asked.
"Numbers, sheer numbers." Fleurmont replied.
The door swung open behind them revealing what looked like hundreds of vampires, driven mad with a thirst for blood.
"Kill them." Fleurmont ordered. May created a massive wall of fire in front of the door, blocking off the vampires. They backed off and retreated. Cedric turned his attention to Fleurmont.
"Some army. They ran away from a little fire. Pathetic." Cedric said.
Cedric rushed Fleurmont and swung. Fleurmont burst into shadow and reappeared behind Cedric. Zeal swung at him with her whip while May began blasting away with fire spells. Fleurmont dodged nimbly in shadow form.
"Perfect timing...." Fleurmont said.
His army of vampires burst through the window behind him. May quickly surrounded Fleurmont in a ring of fire. Cedric rushed in. "Nowhere to run this time." he said as he quickly sliced off Fleurmont's head. The rest of the vampires began shrieking in pain as they melted away, leaving only scorched skeletons behind.
Arcanus stared into the cloudy skies from atop the Citadel, having seen the entire spectacle through the legendary Lense of Eyes, a lense that could be used to see anywhere in the world. He stared out onto the vast horizon.
"Fleurmont, what a fool. He took matters into his own hands and got himself killed. At least I can see how much Cedric has advanced in skill. And that girl, her use of magic could pose to be a bit.....problematic." Arcanus thought to himself.
Millie walked into the room. She could tell Arcanus was troubled by something, she could tell by the look on his face.
"Lord Arcanus, is something wrong?" she asked.
"Please, ditch the formalities Millie. And no, nothing is wrong. Just thinking about how to deal with Cedric, that is all." he replied.
"Try to keep your mind off of it, he isn't that much of a threat. Just because he is the descendant of Artimus doesn't mean he has Artimus' strength." she said.
"You don't know how wrong you truly are..." Arcanus thought to himself as he turned back towards the window.
Cedric, Zeal and May made their way back to Demacus. "What is this feeling? It's almost like we're not alone...."Cedric thought. He looked around, but there were only a few scattered elk grazing along the vast plains.
By the time they had reached Demacus it was well into the nite. Cedric climbed the stairs into his room and fell right to sleep. He awoke in an eternal plane of darkness. He could barely see his own hands in front of him through the seemingly eternal void around him. He began to forge ahead, hoping to reach some source of light. It was then he heard a voice calling out to him. He followed it, knowing he had heard it somewhere before, long long ago. He began running toward the cries for help, and eventually came to a well lit area.
Cedric was shocked at what he saw. Celia was hanging in the air, chained to a massive stone slab floating above her. As he approached her, Celia's eyes rolled back and she began to speak to Cedric in a voice not of her own.
"Cedric, you have finally awakened to your true destiny. Although your skills are great, you are doomed to failure without knowledge. Seek he who came before your foe, then victory will surely be your's." she said.
"Who are you? Why are you tormenting me this way!?" Cedric shouted.
"It matters not. Now go. I have shown you the path, it is up to you to follow it. Do not fail her Cedric, even in death she believes in you." she replied.
Cedric awoke in a cold sweat. "A dream..." he thought. He climbed out of bed and walked downstairs. "Find he who came before...." Cedric thought to himself. Zeal was up and about, even though it was still late into the night.
"Having trouble sleeping?" he asked.
"Yea, had the strangest dream..." she replied.
"What? So did I...." Cedric said, a bit surprised.
"My brother came to me in my dream, chained to a stone slab, telling me to return home, and search for the good that gave rise to hatred. I don't understand it at all." Zeal said.
"I had the same dream, only it was Celia chained to the slab, and she said to seek out the one that came before our foe."
There was a scream from upstairs. Cedric and Zeal ran upstairs into May's room. She was sitting up in bed, covered in a cold sweat.
"You had the dream too?" Cedric asked.
"What? You had the dream as well? Just wondering, have you ever heard of a little thing called knocking?" May said.
"So, what was in your dream?" Cedric asked.
"We'll, my father was chained to a stone slab, and he began talking about a land to the north across the sea." May said.
"Zeal, where exactly is your homeland?" Cedric asked.
"Its to the north. Although I wasn't born there, but it was home for as long as i could remember. Things there were much different than they are here. It is a land filled with all sorts of creatures you won't find anywhere else, forced into seclusion by the oppressive forces around them. If this is truly Arcanus' origin, we could be in bigger trouble than I had originally thought." Zeal said.
"What do you mean?" Cedric asked.
"There are things where I come from that I don't think you could handle, even with me along. The only reason I survived there was because I was in hiding. My entire family was." She replied.
"We have no choice but to go there to find out about how to kill Arcanus. So, how do we get to your homeland?" Cedric asked.
"We are going to have to fly. We're heading to Vaj Riin. Even those who seem to be the most trustworthy there have dark intentions. It is an evil place." She said.
"The problem is, where are we going to get a way to fly?" Cedric asked.
"I can handle that one." May said.
"How? You have some way to magically float us there?" Cedric replied.
"Actually, yes. I have connections with the professors in the levitation and flight department of my school. I think they would be glad to help." May replied.
"Fine. Lets take a walk over there and see what they can do for us." Cedric said.
The group walked through town, May taking the lead. She walked into a dark alley. She put her hand on the wall at the end of the dead end. A magic seal lit up, and then the wall slid open revealing an elegant hallway. They walked down the carpeted hall and came to a some floating bridges. They walked across until they reached the office of the Dean of Flight.
"Professor Deidrich. I need your help." May said.
Professor Deidrich was an old man. He had long white hair and a beard falling below his waist. He wore long grey robes and seemed to be looking over some records.
"Ah, May. How are you? What do you need help with." he asked.
"I need to fly to Vaj Riin. I was hoping you could help us." she replied.
"Vaj Riin you say. I can give you the means to fly there, but I must warn you of its dangers. You will most likely need a guide to help you survive the treacherous fiends that await you there." he said.
"Don't worry, I am from the area. I will guide them through." Zeal said.
"Oh, good. Meet me by the docks. I will enchant a boat for you to use to fly there. Good luck to you." Deidrich said as he levitated out the window towards the docks.
The group walked off to the docks and met up with Deidrich. He had enchanted a large ship and it was floating in front of them. They boarded the ship and set sail to the north. Zeal began to set a course for Vaj Riin. Cedric was suddenly overtaken by a wave of motion sickness, and quickly ran to the side of the boat.
After a day of flying, the island came into view. It was surrounded by tall mountains, with dense forests in the middle. Zeal quickly found a place to land. It was a small patch of plain near the mountains in the east. They climbed out of the ship, Cedric looking quite happy that the trip was finally over.
"Where to now?" Cedric asked.
"We head south through the forest. Be careful everyone, especially you Cedric. Just try not to be tempted off the path." Zeal replied.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Cedric asked.
"I'm not sure where exactly we are, and evil will don the veils of light to make travelers stray from the path. Those who leave never return." She said.
The trio walked into the forest. Cedric began to see eyes staring at them as they passed. He noticed a group of girls looking at him lovingly from afar. He continued along the path, keeping in mind what Zeal had told him. Someone let out a scream somewhere ahead. Concerned that someone was in danger, Cedric rushed off the path toward the voice. Zeal and May followed after, urging him to stop. He ran off into the forest and out of view of the others.
He came across a young girl backing away from a large Man Eater. The demonic plant inched closer and closer to her. Cedric ran over and sliced the plant in half. The girl was relieved. She had brown hair, tied into pig-tails with vines found in the forest. She wore a short skirt and a light blue blouse. She stood up and motioned for Cedric to follow her. Although he knew not to, no matter how he tried to turn back, he couldn't resist following.
She led him to a large mansion filled with other young girls. She led him inside. Cedric thought back to what Zeal had said, but couldn't stop himself from following. The girls began crowding around him, staring at him with eyes filled with lust. Cedric began to relax, but still had a nagging feeling that something just wasn't right. The girls pinned Cedric down and the one that led him to the mansion began to whisper into his ear. "Do you know what we are? We aren't normal girls, we're nymphs. We've been so hungry lately, no one ever comes through this forest anymore. Won't you please feed us?" she said.
"With what, exactly?" Cedric said, already fearing the answer.
"Your flesh of course!" she said as she drew a dagger from beneath her skirt.
Cedric struggled, but it was no use. There were to many of them, he couldn't move. Their eyes of lust turned to those of starvation that would soon be satisfied.
"Wait, what if i could find you something better to eat, I mean, there has to be something else in this forest right?" he pleaded.
"No, not really. All that is really out there are plants and maybe a few boar or something like that. We prefer to feast upon idiots like yourself anyway..."
She moved in closer with dagger in hand.
"Hah, finally, someone agrees with me. You have to be an idiot to get yourself into this one Cedric, especially with all the warnings I gave you." Zeal yelled to him from the door.
The nymphs turned around to see Zeal and May standing in the doorway.
"You take the intruders, I'll finish off the prey!" one of them said.
The nymphs got off of Cedric and drew their weapons. Cedric quickly jumped to his feet as the nymph holding the dagger lunged at him. He drew his sword and prepared himself for battle. He traded blows with the nymph a few times, but she was too fast for him to keep up. She took Cedric to the ground. He managed to wrestle the dagger away from her.
Meanwhile, Zeal and May were fighting off dozens of nymphs. Zeal lashed out at them with her whip, while dodging arrows flawlessly, as usual. May fired away with her magic, incinerating incoming arrows and burning the nymphs to a crisp. One of the nymphs rushed at May. She couldn't dodge in time and the nymph lunged a short sword at her heart. The sword stopped just before it reached her. The tip of Cedric's sword was poking through the nymph's chest. May breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down. The nymphs were dead.
"Were you not listening to me when I said DO NOT LEAVE THE PATH!" Zeal began yelling in frustration.
"I couldn't just stand there with someone screaming for help." Cedric replied.
"And it almost cost you your life. Lets get moving. I know these forests like the back of my hand, we'll be back on the path in no time." Zeal said as they walked out of the mansion.
The group got back on the path and continued through the dark winding forest trails. Cedric had a sudden feeling as though he was being watched. He noticed some of the plants swaying in the breeze. One of them wasn't moving. He kept moving, not wanting to have something else happen because he left the path.
May suddenly let out a scream as she ran off into the forest. Cedric and Zeal gave chase. They saw someone up ahead, but they could not tell who it was, or if it was even human. They finally caught up to May and realized why she had acted so rashly. Her father stood in front of them, his loving arms outstretched towards May. Zeal quickly pulled her back before she could get any closer.
"Oh, you're with them. I was hoping to get a good meal out of this one. I guess I'll just have to kill you as well!" May's father said.
His body faded out of existence, replaced with a tall lanky figure with pale grey skin and a pair of black cloudy eyes. He ran forward and transformed into a tiger. Zeal quickly dodged and countered with her whip. He turned around and transformed into a dragon. He charged forward at Zeal. She held her ground. She passed through him as he charged, and he let out a loud scream as his dragon form faded out of existence. The creature was dead, with a dagger through his heart.
"All of those forms were mere illusions, his body never truly changed. I have encountered his kind before. From here on out, NO ONE LEAVES THE PATH! GOT IT?" Zeal yelled, now furious.
Zeal took some rope out of her pack and tied it around Cedric and May's waists.
"What the hell is this about Zeal?" Cedric asked.
"Its a safety precaution, deal with it." she replied.
"I bet you're enjoying this..."Cedric said with resentment.
"Actually, I am." she replied.
The group finally made their way to a small cave. Zeal led them inside. She made her way through the cave, which seemed devoid of life. She reached a small chamber in the cave.
"It's alright. These are some friends of mine. We need your help." she said.
The rocks and stones melted away into puddles of what looked like water. The puddles rose to form humanoid shapes. Cedric and May watched in amazement.
"Ah, you have returned home. It has been so long daughter. What do you need help with?" one of them asked.
"I am hoping to find out more about Arcanus. He has returned, and has conquered most of the continent to the south. It is only a matter of time before he makes his way back home." Zeal said.
"I shall help you." one of them said.
Zeal's face went pale.
"I bet you didn't think I could talk. I haven't spoken for hundreds of years. My mind has been tormented by events of the past, I just didn't want to bring any of you into this mess, but I guess now I have no choice." he said.
"So, who are you exactly?" Zeal asked.
"I am Aldremeic, Arcanus' father."
Zeal noticed Cedric and May were completely lost and were still amazed at what these beings were.
"Cedric, May, let me fill you in on a few things. First off, these are polymorphs. they can transform into just about anything, and are immune to physical weaponry, although reforming after being decapitated or split does take quite a toll on their lifespan. They do have their weaknesses, magic being one of them. Some are more powerful than others though. most can only transform into small animals or plants, but others, like Aldremeic, can transform into humanoid shapes and pass for a human quite easily." Zeal said.
"Actually, that is how Arcanus came into existence in the first place. I had fallen in love with a girl from a human village which has long since been destroyed. She didn't find out what I really was until long after our affair, and the birth of our son. Like myself, he had exceptional abilities. He grew tired of living here and wanted to see the world, so he became a falcon and flew off to the south. The next we saw of him was years later, when he killed his own mother, along with everyone else in the village. If i had not been in hiding here at the time, I would surely have perished as well. How he is still alive is a mystery to me though. I had sent someone to check on my wife that day, and he saw the whole thing. He saw Arcanus being sliced apart numerous times, reforming his body each time. His lifespan should have dropped to about three years after all that. Please, stop him. I still can't forgive myself for bringing this evil upon the world. When life no longer flows through him, only then will I be at peace." Aldremeic said.
"Thank you for the help. We will destroy him and return peace to the southern continent. I will be sure to let you know when we succeed. I wouldn't want you to be in this state of torment any longer than you need to." Zeal said.
She put the ropes back around Cedric and May's waists.
"I think you're enjoying this a bit too much." Cedric said.
"It's for your own good. What is worse, this or being slaughtered by nymphs." Zeal replied.
"I'd rather take my chances with the nymphs." Cedric mumbled.
"I heard that!" Zeal said as the gave Cedric a slap to the head.
They continued back through the forest, Zeal keeping a close watch on Cedric and May. They finally reached the stretch of plain they had landed in. They walked towards the ship.
"Oh yea, we gotta fly again...this just keeps getting better and better." Cedric said, face already turning green.
"So, how do we kill Arcanus exactly? That information was helpful about learning about his origins, but we've got no leads on how to kill him." May said.
"You completely missed it, didn't you. Arcanus is Aldremeic's son, so that means he is part polymorph. If this is true, he should have all the weaknesses polymorphs have." Zeal said.
"So how do you explain the near endless lifespan even after being cut to pieces?" May replied.
"I don't know. We'll find out eventually." Zeal replied.
"Hey Cedric, could you come over here for a minute?" May said as she looked toward Cedric, who was hanging over the side of the boat.
"On second thought, never mind, I'll fill you in later." May continued.
The ship touched down in Demacus. The group went back to their house, exhausted from the trip and passed out. Cedric felt as though he was not alone, he woke up and noticed someone watching him. He slowly sat up and the figure burst into shadows. It crept closer to him and reformed itself. It was Millie.
"What the hell are you doing here and what do you want?" Cedric whispered as not to alert the others.
"I'm not here to hurt you. I know you went to visit Aldremeic, and I have a feeling it just left you with more questions, so I thought I'd fill in some blanks for you." she said.
"Now why would you do that for me?" Cedric asked.
"It's a bit complicated. Arcanus has been troubled by the war and is starting to think it was a mistake to let you live. He has been obsessing over it to the point it is all he ever thinks about. It worries me. I though that the faster you come, the sooner he can finally get over this, even if it does cost him his life." she replied.
"You love him, don't you." Cedric said.
"What tipped you off?" she said sarcastically.
"You know he is part polymorph, but what you don't know is that polymorphs don't have blood streams like humans, and therefore can't be turned. Arcanus was an exception. Since he was also part human, he had the blood stream and natural outer appearance of a human, so when I bit him, I had no idea that he was more than the average feast. I had accidentally granted him immortality. Now with limitless life, he overthrew the previous leader of the Citadel and took over. He then began his first crusade for world conquest. Your ancestor Artimus sealed him away within the Zweihander, because he had no knowledge of how to kill him. What really scares me is that you might be able to pull it off." she continued
"But why are you telling me all this?" he replied.
"Because I still see you in Arcanus, and I hope that whatever part of you that was left in him from the Zweihander stays there. Thanks to you he can actually be quite caring at times, rather than just a leader hardened by war and corrupted by power. Now that side of him is just a front. Around me he acts completely different. I'm actually a bit surprised you haven't killed me by now, considering how vulnerable I am right now." Millie said.
"You have done nothing wrong. You have done nothing to deserve death." he replied.
"I must go, before Arcanus realizes I'm gone. It was nice talking to you again." Millie said as she faded back into shadows.
"That was odd...." Cedric thought to himself as he fell back to sleep.
Cedric and the others awoke early the next morning. May cooked breakfast as Cedric approached Zeal.
"Millie came to me last night. She filled in some of the holes in what we know about Arcanus. He is a vampire. That is how he is still alive. If this is true, which I highly believe it is, we are in for hell. We barely survived our encounter with Fleurmont, a normal vampire. How are we going to face off with this superpowered demon?" Cedric said.
"We'll think of something, I mean, we know he is still weak to magic, May's specialty." Zeal replied.
"I hope it's enough to take him out for good, because if it's not, it could mean trouble." Cedric said.
"Breakfast is ready." May said as she walked into the room with fresh eggs.
The trio sat down to eat. They were all dreading the fateful moment when they would finally confront Arcanus. Cedric remembered his first trip to the Citadel and how he really only survived because the vampires wanted him to. Now that Arcanus was no longer part of him, there would be no reason for the vampires to hold back. Cedric knew he would be rushing to his grave if he wasn't ready.
Arcanus stood by the window in the observatory tower. He had been watching Cedric, keeping track of his every move. "He is ready, I know it. He is just afraid to come out and get me. I'll have to lure him here somehow." Arcanus thought to himself. One of his minions walked in the room.
"Lord Arcanus, the preparations have been made." he said.
"Good. Go fetch me my sword. It is time to set the bait...." Arcanus said with a menacing laugh.
Cedric and the others heard a scream from outside. They rushed outside and were shocked at what they saw. Arcanus was standing in front of them, holding a young girl in front of him. He started to grin.
"I've grown tired of waiting for you Cedric. You have until midnight to get to the top of the Citadel. A second later and she dies. Make haste Cedric, the end is near!" Arcanus said.
He transformed into a massive falcon and carried her off towards the Citadel. Cedric and the others quickly rushed to the stables. They jumped on their mounts and headed off towards the Citadel. The town of Alevergon came into view on the horizon. The skies grew dark as rain clouds hovered overhead. They reached the town and dismounted their steeds.
Cedric took point as they approached the bridge. The Citadel remained nearly unchanged since his last visit. The thousands of gargoyles still lined the walls, just waiting for an unsuspecting victim to approach.
"May, you said you knew lightning spells right?" Cedric asked.
"Yes, why?" May replied.
"Get ready to use some, we are going to need something that can take out an army."
"What do you mean, it looks like a clear path to me."
"Just trust me on this one, okay."
The group began walking across the bridge. Cedric noticed one of the gargoyles heads begin to turn towards the group. Suddenly, without warning, the gargoyles began to take flight. Cedric and the others began running for the door.
"May, now!" Cedric yelled to her as he ran.
May's eyes began to let out a yellow aura as lightning cracked through the skies. The blasts of energy took out the gargoyles in groups, but it wans't nearly enought to even slow them down. The gargoyles continued to dive towards them. Cedric beat them away with his sword, slicing through their stone bodies, while Zeal knocked them back with her whip. Eventually they reached the door and slammed it behind them.
Cedric immediately recognized the main hall of the Citadel as he saw the three ghost soldiers appear in front of them. They moved in on Cedric and the others.
"Physical strikes are no good. We might as well just run, we can't kill these things." Cedric said as he dodged one of their great swords.
"Oh yea? Watch this!" May said as she prepared one of her spells.
She formed a blue ball of energy in her hands and threw it full force at one of the soldiers. As it hit, the energy spread through his body, freezing him in ice. Cedric moved in and shattered him with his sword. May repeated the process for the other two and finished them off quickly.
As the group plowed through the door at the top of the stairs, they encountered a large pack of werewolves in the next room. The werewolves quickly surrounded Cedric and the others.
"This sure does bring back memories." Cedric said as he sliced through one of the attacking werewolves. There were still a good twenty or so werewolves left. May put her hands together and began meditating. Cedric and Zeal covered her, slicing through the attacking werewolves as she prepared her spell. As one of the werewolves leaped towards May, Cedric quickly dove in front of her, slicing the werewolf's jaw off. May opened her eyes and began releasing a massive red aura. She pointed her hand at one of the werewolves and a massive ball of flame began to materialize in front of her. Suddenly the ball shot forward at the werewolf, incinerating it. Cedric and Zeal continued hacking apart the werewolves while May blasted them with fire from afar. Cedric stabbed through the skull of the last werewolf.
The group continued on through the door ahead. The familiar stench of death filled the air as Cedric entered. Cedric heard the familiar roar of the zombie dragon he had faced off with on his previous visit. It slowly rose out of the hole in the ground. It opened its mouth and began letting loose with a flurry of massive balls of fire. Cedric dove out of the way as May began preparing her next spell. The dragon lunged at her with its massive claws. Zeal quickly deflected its strike. A blue aura began emanating from May's eyes as she formed an ice storm around the beast's left wing. Cedric dodged its strikes as he leaped up and shattered its wing with his sword. The beast clung to the edge of the pit, blasting away at the group with fireballs. May put her hands out in front of her. Cedric and Zeal distracted the dragon, slashing at its decaying hide. May fired a cloud of freezing cold air at the dragon. The cloud went right down its throat, freezing the beast from the inside. Cedric sashed at it, knocking it into the pit. They could hear its body shatter into pieces as it hit the ground below.
Cedric noticed a door behind the pit. The group opened it, revealing a massive spiral staircase leading to a hatch in the ceiling. They climbed the stairs, knowing that the final confrontation was near. Thoughts of failure filled Cedric's mind as he approached the hatch.
The group climbed up through the hatch to see that Arcanus had been waiting for them.
"I see you have finally made it. It's about time, I was beginning to think that you would get here too late." Arcanus said.
"Where is the girl." Cedric said in a rage.
"I got hungry. She was the only thing around so I decided to have a little feast while I waited. You don't expect me to fight on an empty stomach do you?" Arcanus replied.
"How dare you!" Cedric yelled as he charged forward.
Arcanus threw him aside with ease. He turned his attention to May, who was preparing a spell. He took out a small remote and pushed a button. small diamond shaped generators rose from the sides of the rooftop. They opened and began emitting a green wave of light, covering everything between them. The red aura around May suddenly disappeared.
"Why can't I cast my spells, what's going on?" May said in a panic.
"I knew your magic would pose a bit of a problem. That is why I set up this anti-magic field. You can't win. Give up now and I'll at least give you a quick and painless death!" Arcanus said.
Zeal began talking to Cedric through telepathy. "Distract him while I take out those generators. May is our only chance of killing Arcanus. Her magic is the only thing that can hurt him."
Cedric rushed forward at Arcanus. Arcanus delivered a swift kick to the chest, knocking Cedric to the ground. Arcanus transformed his arms into massive blades. Cedric got to his feet. Arcanus began swinging away at Cedric. Cedric struggled to block and parry the strikes. Arcanus made a horizontal swing with his blades. Cedric quicly jumped back, and then immediately sprung forward lunging at Arcanus. Arcanus hopped to the side and gave Cedric a strong kick to the back. Cedric got to his feet and turned around just in time to block and overhead stike. Arcanus began pushing Cedric towards the edge of the tower with a relentless flurry of blows.
"Hurry it up Zeal. I don't think I can hold him for much longer!" Cedric thought.
Cedric couldn't keep up any longer. Arcanus was too fast. Just as Arcanus was about to cleave through Cedric, he screamed in pain. May had blasted a hole in his back with her magic.
"Looks like I'm going to need to get serious now. You might actually be able to kill me." Arcanus said as he grew a third arm out of his back and a fourth out of his chest.
Arcanus began fighting off Cedric and Zeal, while blocking May's blasts of fire with one of his swords. Even with all three of them attacking, Arcanus still had the upper hand. Cedric rushed in from the front letting loose with a frenzied assault of thrusts. At the same time, Zeal moved in, lashing out at Arcanus with her whip. May continued her assault on Arcanus with her fire magic. Arcanus parried Cedric's thrusts while knocking Zeal to the ground with his sword. He used his other free hand to deflect May's fire magic. He fended off all of the attacks flawlessly. May suddenly unleashed an ice storm on Arcanus. Once the ice cleared, Arcanus had blocked the entire storm.
"Might as well fight fire with fire." Arcanus said with a laugh.
His arms and head transformed into the heads of a mighty dragon. Is body grew to immense proportions and by the time the transformation was over, he towered over everyone. He had the body of a collossal black dragon, its back ablaze in flames of pure darkness. His five heads roared with fury.
"I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me no choice! You truly are a worthy opponent Cedric. Now, show me the true power of the blood which flows through your veins, the blood of the Moore ancestry!" Arcanus yelled.
Arcanus opened the the mouth of one of his heads and began spewing a massive stream of fire. Cedric quickly dove out of the way as it sweeped across the ground. May began casting ice spells and surrounded the head in a blizzard. One of his other heads turned towards May and fired a beam of ice. May quickly jumped back and out of the way. Zeal charged at Arcanus. His other three heads focused on her. One blasted at her with lightning. She jumped to the side and kept charging forward. The next fired a beam of acid. Zeal quickly rolled under it and continued forward. His center head fired a massive blaze of pure dark energy. Zeal couldn't dodge in time and took the full hit, sending her flying across the rooftop.
"I think I'm going to enjoy killing you!" Arcanus said as he focused all of his heads on Zeal, who was trapped under a pile of rubble.
Cedric rushed in front of the blast and tried to block it with his sword, praying that it would work. After a massive flash as the beams connected, Cedric saw that his sword had become the Zweihander. The others looked on in awe as Cedric stared at the sword.
A voice came into his head.
"I see you are quite surprised Cedric. All this time you thought I was a creation of Lord Kane, or at least a modification of the sword Artimus used to seal away Arcanus, am I correct?" the voice said.
"If Arcanus is no longer in you, how are you communicating with me...." Cedric said.
"Just because Arcanus was sealed within me does not mean I did not already have an entity of my own from the start. I am a legendary being, taking the form of a sword when the world is in danger, awaiting a hero to return the balance between good and evil. You have heard of Excalibur, the sword used by Arthur to reunite the kingdom in times past, have you not?" the voice said.
Cedric quickly jumped to the side to avoid a beam fired by Arcanus and began rushing forward at him.
"Yes. Your point?" Cedric replied.
"Excalibur and I are one in the same, but just given different names. I appeared to Artimus the first time Arcanus threatened the balance of existance. And now I once again appear to you. I have been guiding you this entire time." it said.
"What? How?" Cedric said.
"Remember that dream? Where do you think it came from, and why do you think you were so drawn to my presence even still after you put me in that cave?" the voice said.
"But why here, why now? Why did you choose now to reappear?" Cedric asked.
"Because you wished it to be. I am the answer to your prayer. Now, enough of this chatter. It is time to finally put Arcanus to rest." the voice said.
"How exactly do you plan on me killing that monster!?" Cedric said.
"How else would you kill a vampire Cedric? Now send him back to Hell where he belongs!" the voice said as Cedric was thrown back into reality.
The Zweihander was glowing with power as Cedric came to the realization of his destiny. Arcanus began focusing his entire arsenal on Cedric. As the heads blasted away at Cedric, he deflected their beams with his sword and continued rushing in. Arcanus continued his endless assault on Cedric hoping to hit, blasting away from all angles. Cedric dodged and weaved through the beams as he finally was close enough to Arcanus. Cedric leaped into the air, the Zweihander allowing him to nearly fly right at Arcanus' chest. Cedric stabbed the Zweihander through Arcanus' chest, but it fell just short of his heart.
"Awwww, too bad Cedric. Now you die." Arcanus said as he reached for Cedric.
Arcanus grabbed Cedric and threw him to the ground. Cedric quickly rose to his feet and noticed the Zweihander still plunged deep into Arcanus' chest. Cedric rushed at Arcanus, jumping to the side as Arcanus fired a beam from all five heads at him. Arcanus began sweeping the ground with all five beams. Cedric quickly rolled under the fire beam, and continued his charge. Cedric leaped over the beam of ice . He grabbed the Zweihander which had fallen out of Arcanus' chest durring the commotion. May began blasting away at Arcanus' heads with fire magic in hopes of diverting his attention. It wasn't working. It was just between Arcanus and Cedric now, mortal enemies brought face to face to finally settle their differances. Cedric deflected the lighting blasts with his sword and quickly ran past the beam of acid. Cedric rushed at Arcanus head on, Arcanus prepared to blast him with a beam of pure evil. Cedric jumped up over the oncoming beam and landed on Arcanus' head. Cedric took the Zweihander and plunged it deep within Arcanus' skull.
The wound began to shine in a brilliant white light. Arcanus howled in pain as his body was consumed by the light. In a blinding flash, Arcanus was no more. All that remained was a black gem in the shape of a skull, which then slowly faded out of existence.
"Another like Arcanus will rise in the future, to sway the balance back towards evil and despair. It is the natural order. The Jewel of Veterious arises every so often to counterbalance the way of light, giving rise to an emperor of darkness, mind corrupted by the gem."
"But why does this all happen? What is so special about this gem?" Cedric asked.
"It is my opposite, my mortal enemy if you will. It holds the consciousness of the ultimate evil, Vorethul. Our relationship is similar to that of God and Satan, if this image made by your religion makes things any easier for you to understand. To put it simply, it is our constant struggle for power which keeps the world in order. We are both eternal beings, and therefore the struggle will never end, in our realm anyway. The world of mortals quite different. Evil could easily consume this world if it had the chance. The gem is in a sense, much like the Zweihander, a physical embodiment of pure evil and darkness in the case of the gem of Veterious, and pure goodness and light in the case of the Zweihander. As the balance shifts towards good or eivil, its opposite appears in this world in an attempt to reverse the flow and restore the balance.
Cedric, your role in the fate of this world has been fulfilled and I thank you. Unfortunately, your experiences have revealed too much about the unstable balance of the universe. You must forget everything you have been through in these past years, including your experience with Celia I'm afraid. All three of you will have no memory of the former Imperial Legion, the Citadel, Arcanus, none of it will remain in your memory. I will guide things into order with the vampires, and the empire will be dissolved under Millie's command. Thank you again Cedric, without you this world would have been thrown into irreversible chaos." the Zweihander said.
Cedric, Zeal, and May passed out as the Zweihander faded out of existence. The next day Cedric awoke and made his way downstairs. He saw May cooking breakfast and Zeal in the old wooden chair, reading a list of bounties. May called them in for breakfast. The three of them sat down and as they began to eat, Cedric noticed there was no wood fueling the stove.
"How is that fire still burning?" he asked.
"She has been cooking like that for the past three days and you just noticed it now?" Zeal replied.
"Is it just me, or did we already have this conversation. I feel like I'm forgetting something, something very important...." Cedric said.
"So do I...." Zeal said.
"It's probably just your imagination." May said as she scraped the freshly cooked eggs out of the skillet.
"You're probably right." Cedric said.
"But sometihng just doesn't feel right...." Cedric thought as he opened a locket around his neck, inside a portait of a beuatiful blonde haired girl with the most caring eyes he had ever seen, wishing he could remember who she was.