In this last single moment of rebellion, Balor was ready to slice his blade across the boy's throat. But then, he heard a voice -- a voice that called out to him. "Balor, stop!" that melodic but pain-filled voice shouted. This sent Balor to become frozen, his widened eyes then turned to the source of that sound. His heart then skipped a beat, his sapphire blue eyes gazing into the lively face of a person he'd thought he'd never see once again.
She stood from the ground, her knees in the pool of her own blood. Her pale-skinned hand clenched tightly into a debilitating injury, one that should leave someone breathless. She then slowly rose to her feet, it was a intense struggle to even do that. Balor and Uriel sincerely couldn't believe what it was that they were looking at. "Sister..." Balor muttered, his glowing eyes then gazed into hers -- those eyes that never lit up before. But now, they shined like a dimly lit beacon cutting through the shadow of the night.
His mind flailed around with question, is he just imagining what he was seeing? It was like an endless game of soccer, his thoughts kicked around a ball that defined their own version of the truth. But none were able to kick in for the goal. Soter then turned his body, he seemed to be looking back at her.
He saw the gruesome injury she sustained, the blood that stained her clothing. She slowly pushed her foot in front of her, taking a single step in complete pain. It was hard to even move let alone live with a wound that should kill her. "Another immortal," Soter confirmed to himself.
"Lucia," the king mumbled quietly. "I thought I lost you... I thought I..."
"It's all right, brother..." she responded, attempting to talk him down. "Just leave Uriel out of this... please."
"Don't worry about me," also spoke a painful voice, Uriel turned to Elena. Just as the situation turned into a tight squeeze, the throne room would be flooded by a tsunami of steel. Guards of all kinds came swiftly into the room, blades drawn. They surrounded the two, drawing up a rather thick circle of gray.
Elena and Soter stood side-by-side, though the young archer was a bit out of her comfort zone. She had been stripped of her sword, so it seemed like she was about to fist fighting with one arm. Though thanks to her Solasúian power, it would be a little bit easier. With all her might, she then pulled apart her arms and fanned them out to her side. The chains that bounded her wrists broke just as easily, they were meant for humans only after all.
Elena then turned to Soter, or at least what appeared to be Soter. "Soter the Savior, right?" she asked. "You look... different."
"To you as well, young queen," agreed the titan, relating in a sense.
"Soter," she once again named, her voice very earnest. "please do whatever you can to save Uriel."
Soter then turned to Elena, he was able to see the utter tension on her face. Through the agony that brought her to suffer, that small kindness and care that fluttered like a speck of dust appeared acutely. He muttered a sound, agreeing to the terms of the request brought to him. Balor's sapphire blue irises glared at the backs of his knights. "Kill him!" shouted the demanding tongue of a king. "But do not DARE harm Lucia!"
The knights were reasonable fazed by the man with no head, but they weren't going to let that intimidate them. After all, fleeing or misbehaving now would only bring a certain death upon their families. But some of those knights didn't care much, being almost entirely without families. The knights stepped forward towards the two, armed and ready. One knight charged towards Elena, swinging his blade from the right to the left.
She grabbed the handle of the incoming blade, then stepped to her right. Pulling the blade underneath her right arm, she tossed the knight onto the ground. She had stripped the knight's sword from his hand as she threw him down. The landing was hard upon the man of steel, his armour chinked as he fell. Balor portrayed his frustration with his human knights going against his will, but he knew his sister could handle herself.
She then turned to her right, in the background she saw Soter cutting through any man standing before him. He traded blows with a knight, blocking an attack from above. He then kicked the knight's stomach, and the titan's blade would follow just behind. Soter's blade fell down upon the knight's left side, right next to his neck.
With the chaos that's only bound to get worse happening within the walls of the castle, the knights guarding the gates dared not to leave their posts. It wasn't very hard, they believed. If Balor were somehow killed then that's all good for them. In secrecy, a pair of godly eyes scanned over the two guards in hopes that perhaps something would give him word to bring back to his king.
As the god of the Loyal Watch did his job, his lucky break might actually come. A dark figure crept from the shadows upon this frigid night, his attire made him almost look like a black silhouette himself. He blended so well in the darkness, but anyone could make out those eyes of his... even though they had next to nothing in brightness.
With the moonlight beating at his back, the young man turned to the guards at the gates. His face revealed to them, they never knew it but he was here before. Daevarro, the young man who had just joined up with the Governanti Resistance, stood there in front of them. They seemed curious, giving the dark robed young man an eyebrow. "Have you any business here, sir?" kindly asked the knight to the left.
"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to come back tomorrow." the knight to the left then responded. "As you can see, it's the middle of the night. Most of the big shots are prob'ly sleepin' in their king-sized beds right 'bout now."
The young man then threw one foot in front of him, drawing closer to the gate he so desired to pass. "Step out of my way," demanded Daevarro, seeming somewhat irritated and impatient.
"Heh?" spoke the knight. "H-hey, kid... C'mon, it's almost at the end of my shift!"
The knight to the right side took a stab at the dark robed young man. He saw something in the boy that he couldn't quite place, almost a sense of urgency maybe. Daevarro, he who lashed threats, seemed in a rush to be to where he needed to be. At least, that's what the knight suspected. He then twisted his body to the left, his right side now faced Daevarro.
The left-hand knight then spun his head over towards his comrade, a bit surprised by this movement. "Gavin?" named the puzzled knight.
"Let him through," Gavin, the polite knight of the right gate, suggested. "he's gotta get somewhere. Who are we to say no?"
The knight to the left shrugged, thinking that there couldn't be any harm in letting a seemingly harmless boy into the castle. Even with all the craziness going on. He then mimicked his comrade's action, turning to his side to allow Daevarro access into the castle. With their hands, they pushed open the jaws of the castle and revealed the way to the dark robed young man.
Without a word or a proper thank you, Daevarro made haste. He swooped into the castle grounds, walking as fast as he could. Another then appeared, she seemed almost rushed as well. Though she appeared far more exhausted than Daevarro, like she had ran an entire marathon twice. "Daevarro, wait!" the young lady shouted.
The knights then sighed, seeing the young lady who stood before them. "You a friend of his?" the knight to the left questioned.
"Well, don't just stand there like a lemon. Go on in there!" he told her, tilting his head to his right for a moment before returning it back to where it was.
She smiled, bowing her head with respect. "Thank you so much," she exclaimed, politely spoke. She then rushed after him, hoping to be able to get an answer for this sudden bolt. With the two now at the mercy of the gods, the human knights closed shut the gates into the castle. They continued the last bits of their shift as if nothing had happened.
But unbeknownst to the two soldiers, a pair of eyes had watched with great intrigue. The Watcher then fiendishly smiled, finally finding evidence to support the belief that these knights may very well be aiding the humans. He continued to hide under the cover of the nocturnal sky, pleased with the fruits that this tree had given him.
The battle between the human knights and the two immortals continued, the collision of blades and the screams of men echoed through the hollow halls all across the castle. Bodies laid all across the room, scattered or perhaps united. As the futile battle waged, those humans knew well what this train was bound for: death.
The steel-clad titan towered over any who stood in his way, mowing down those who fearfully paused before his blade. With each death, the remaining knights held their breath. Some had even begun to flee, choosing their lives to linger just a while longer than meeting their swift and painful end here.
The situation had mostly stagnated, save the Orderer, the king, and maybe a few more knights. Though Melanthus still looked like he'd rather be somewhere else right about now. There were lightly filled pockets of knights here and there, still ready to fight against those who resist Governanti.
One swung his mace towards Soter, aiming for his left shoulder. Soter quickly reached his hand upwards to meet the mace, grasping upon the wooden shaft. He then lunged his blade forward, impaling the soldier deeply. As Soter did this, a soldier came in from his left and slashed his sword across the arm that held onto the mace.
The knight's blade then sliced a long, deep fissure in Soter's arm, cutting it straight to the bone. The mace he grasped onto fell down upon his shoulder as his left arm fell down disable. Through the embers that bled from his newly found wound, the titan gazed onto the face of the knight. As still as a windless night, Soter then pulled his blade out from the knight he impaled.
The two warriors began trading blows, though the knight in steel was in a definite lead in making offensive attacks in this battle. But as Soter continued to stand toe-to-toe with this knight, Balor paused a thought for a moment. That power that Soter possessed, why would he not make more use of it? An possible answer then surfaced.
Balor quickly dropped the boy, readying his blade as he took aim at Soter. He then appeared just behind Soter, the tip of the Arbandor then rushed forward. With both of his hands taking hold of the blade, Balor lunged his blade forward with all of his might. The sword went clean through from the middle of Soter's back and out the other way.
Balor then pulled his blade quickly out, smiling as he did. "I know your weakness," he stated, the titan then dropped to one knee and clenched onto his fresh injury. As the magic poured out from his wound, Soter had actually begun to feel weaker.
Balor then pulled his blade back, preparing for another stab at the titan. "The Elder Gods are supposedly a source of infinite power," continued to explain the king. "It is why you've managed to survive all of your injuries, living even without a head. You draw power from them to sustain your life. But now I wonder, why is it that you're not using your full power?"
Soter then felt another force push its way into his body, spearing out from his lower abdomen. "I've heard the tales of the almighty messenger of the Elder Gods known as 'Soter the Savior'." said Balor, pulling out his blade once more. "Now, either those stories are quite exaggerated... or you're holding back. For what purpose, I wonder."
Soter had begun to feel weaker and weaker by the moment, his final stand was upon him. The king he had been sent here to do away with knew more than he should. Not just of a possible flaw but the fact that that boy with the arm cloak was far more important than he appeared. Balor gazed down at the steel titan's back once more, and perhaps for the final time.
He pulled his blade backwards, ready to pierce the messenger one final time. "Then I suppose this will be the end," Balor believed with earnest. "you can blame your Elder Gods for the misinformation. They sent you kill a man, but I am no longer a man. I am what those in fairytales were but I am true. I am not a Solasúian, this disgusted label that is bounded to me. No... I am a GOD!"
Balor's blade then began to thrust forward, readying to lunge into Soter's torso for one final time. But then, an unexpected force then came in from the king's left side. Elena, with all of her strength in her, bolted forward and then proceeded to tackle her brother. Her body dived forward, spearing Balor before the Arbandor could injury Soter any further.
The two flew for a couple of yards before they crashed onto the ground, sliding against the blood-stained carpet. This left an opportunity, a small chance opened to the steel titan. With all of his might, he pushed passed his weakness in order to get over to Uriel. Balor then gazed up at his sister, almost frustrated. "What are you doing!?" he shouted.
"Stopping you from killing Soter," she answered.
"Why!?"
"Do you want the full power of the Elder Gods falling down upon your head?!" the archer yelled back. "You kill Soter and then they would have nobody. That would mean that they would no choice, they would
have
to intervene." Angry, the king was. But he realized that all his sister told him was truth. Indeed, the Elder Gods' fury would be biblical in size.
Soter had reached over to the young boy, who met him with the ire in his turquoise eyes. Soter swiftly knelt down beside the boy, looking down at him. He placed his remaining hand down upon the boy's left shoulder. An orb of white and gold light then surrounded the two. They basked in this gentle light that then began to rip them away from this castle.
Almost like a mother protecting their newborn child in the safety of a lukewarm blanket, the light then fled away from the dangerous castle for the sake of those at threat. As they disappeared, Uriel looked towards his sister, Elena. She looked at him, her face was as bright as the light that the boy was engulfed in. She smiled, comforting him with the fact that all was all right.
The two then vanished, the orb of light shrunk to the size of a baseball before it darted skywards like an arrow shot up to the heavens. Once they had successful ran away, Elena stood up off of Balor. Balor then stood up onto his feet, the two then stood face-to-face closely. Though Balor's eyes couldn't help themselves, they kept staring down at the stab wound he inflicted upon the only person that had ever mattered to him.
She then placed her right hand over her injury, she shook her head. "It's all right," the archer assured calmly, her voice sweet and kind despite the straining pain placed upon her. Balor then sighed, letting out the feelings that welled up in his heart. His slightly glowing, blue eyes then settled down upon his sister's face.
The beautiful, luminous glow of her eyes that had now found their true calling drew in Balor. They shimmered so vividly, appearing like a prism of all different types of blue. Balor then lightly smiled. "I-I haven't seen you use your powers since... that day." he recollected. "You know, you should use them more often. Your eyes... are really beautiful when they shine."
"Well, this will be the last time you'll see them." she then replied.
"Why?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I don't want to use them," the archer answered.
"I see,"
"Brother, may I ask a question?"
"O-of course,"
Still the memories of the moment she walked beside her uncle remained as fresh as a recently picked apple.
"What I do know is that you both should not trust him."
Momus' warning bellowed all throughout her mind like a wild fire. Then the memory of seeing him teleporting Uriel to this very city came into fruition. "Who is Telvern Thaddeus?" Elena asked.
Balor was hesitant to actually give his sister the answer of which she desired. But he knew he couldn't lie to her, no... not after what he had done. The grief, the deep regret of what he did pushed him to tell her what she looked for. Though, giving this key piece of information may very well compromise his entire goal.
Balor then sighed, turning to the last of his men who were still present. "Leave us," he commanded. Acknowledging that all of the fighting had come and gone, the knights respectfully bow to their king. They then fled the throne room, returning to where they had originally come from. The knights poured out from the mouth of the room, each dispersing in their own direction.
As the two spoke, exchanging words like gifts filled with abstract meanings, something sneaky went on in the background. Melanthus, the so-called Orderer of the Loyal Knights of the Royal Family, turned to his left. He pushed open a tall wooden door that led to a long, narrow hallway. From windows, a cascade of the moon's light illuminated the long pathway.
The walls -- encased with Adamas -- glittered, the light twinkled as if the dots of shine were eyes constantly opening and closing. The floor was of dark red carpet, one that could easily disguise blood that would sully it. The man then saw something very strange at the end of the hallway. It seemed like a dark fogged figure, a phantom standing at five-feet-tall.
Melanthus would quickly grasp his hand around his weapon, preparing himself for whatever laid around the corner. As tension wrapped itself around the soldier, he felt an intense pressure on his torso. He knew his godly abilities were in fact active, telling him that something dangerous lurked about. The shadow then disappeared, turning down the corner and into the next section of the hallway.
He then was sent into alert, rushing as fast as he could to the other side of the hallway. "Stop!" he shouted. He bolted, breaking a sweat as his footsteps crashed down heavily. Anyone could hear this black-steel warrior coming through, his armour chinked and his footsteps loud and booming. He was about turn the corner, and as he did he was greeted by an unsuspecting but predicted fellow.
