They rushed in just as the last energy sink went down. The group was beat up and not likely ready to fight the Thriking. He was going to win, after all this time. David, Ixen, and Arnia had to use the bulk of their power to get through the dragons in the first three fights. Oni and Mar’iya had reserved some power for this fight, but they were not going to bring enough power to win. Oni worried that maybe he and Mar’iya could escape one last time to try again, but could feel the commitment to complete the task today.
Oni moved fast but went around to a small structure to spread out a little. His first view of the Thriking shocked him. He could see thousands of years on the pale but virulent body of his foe. Next to him was a bald tattooed Mar’iya. He was staring into a portal. Looking through the portal Oni could see the sand beyond. Somehow, he knew this was the past, and that desert beyond was the sand where they found “The Stranger” oh so long ago.
The room having two Mar’iyas, one our current one and one the past Vashir, filled Oni’s mind with chaos. The vampire like Thriking turned to look at the current Mar’iya, “If you are loyal to me, cut your finger off.” The group was still in the tomb of Mother Dusk. This was yet another test. They had to make the history true to pass this test. Lyra cried out to save her love. Oni prepared to use a spell to push the old Vashir through the portal. Mar’iya stepped up to cut his own finger off.
The next seconds moved fast. Our Mar’iya cut the finger off. All of the Tattoos moved from the old Vashir and attached to David. The Thriking seemed confused as they moved. Lyra moved up and took the finger from his hand, just as Oni’s spell went off. She took the bast of the spell and was launched out into in the portal. Her legs hit the bottom edge making her fall uncontrolled through it. She could be seen hitting the ground in a mangle. What little memory of the old Vashir had left, he leaped after his love. He landed in the sand a mere 200 feet from her. His memory loss was now complete and he never saw her.
Oni’s eyes became large and wet. If he could have, he would have jumped into the portal. It started to close. The last thing he saw was himself finding Mar’iya, and the body of Lyra taking her last breaths. She was dead and he was the one who killed her. He again knew he was death. He looked at Mar’iya longing to apology for this transgression. As he was about to try, the whole place converted back to the temple and the model back in the Tomb.
“You are the first to survive the tests. You might be the ones,” came from Mother Dusk now standing in front of them. Arnia started to talk to her. Oni was only interested in his friend Mar’iya. All he heard was the blah blah blah of the conversation. He knew it was something to do with the Gem. He tapped his temple again to talk to his friend privately. He was not distracted but Mar’iya was as he used his massive intellect to do both conversations.
Oni: “I am so sorry my friend. I cannot make up for this misstep. I will always be sad in your presence.”
Mar’iya: “It was not you – it was him. And her “, with his eyes filling with venom for Mother Dusk.
Oni: “I am no longer sure this journey has been worth it. Death and destruction came to me at every corner. … I am death”
Mar’iya: “We must know death to deliver it. There is more killing to do before we can rest.”
Oni: “I killed our tribe. I killed Raam, and now I killed your love. I only have one more person to kill. My soul is already dead.”
Mar’iya: “Mine as well. Now there is no fear of death for what awaits us.”
Oni: “Maybe through death, we can kill one last god.”
A new portal opened. Oni’s path was clear, and he stepped through to bring more death. He felt a power flow through him on a level like never before. He stepped out on a green hilltop surrounded by water. Without much thought he reached to the dawnfather for a bless, “If you care, now is the time, bless us in this fight.” He saw a god’s blessing wash over himself, David and Arnia. He let his god choose as he walked out in front to confront the Thriking.
Oni marched across a bridge. He was making sure all his senses were tuned. He looked up the hill and three sets of steps. The Thriking was there with a four people around him. Oni knew that he would not be this alone. This battlefield of the kings choosing would have more unseen combatants. Some of the unseen combatants started to expose themselves mixed within the group. One made the mistake of moving into Davids blades killing itself. Oni was setting to charge to place himself in harm’s way, when a flock of flying horses dropped friends. Oni knew most of them as Wink, Niki, Pakku, Richeut and one other young human dropped to the ground. Oni worried about them. When he met them earlier, and he did not think they were ready for this battle. They were going to die in Oni’s own sphere of death that surrounded him. The water formed up next to him as he could see the water itself shape into Rain. Oni silently cursed the gods.
He prepared to charge into battle.