Difference between revisions of "Battle for Croft Part II"

Revision as of 00:53, 4 May 2020

With Blackflame dead, Darkstar suffers a huge blow. Jason has slipped into a depression as Junon works with the inquisition architects, engineers, and workers to expand The Fortress and accommodate the new refugees. Lazarus has an idea on how to recover Amana and Trill, but he doesn't like it. Everybody in Darkstar and the Inquisition continue to prepare for the war against Calliope's new army. Despite moving forward, Sam's death has shook everyone to the core.

Lazarus' Plan

Kyrael invites Darkstar to the planning table, where she introduces everyone to her team who serve as her advisors and comrades. Commander Conlan Randor, of the Inquisition Knights, Alex Swallowtail, a bureaucrat who handles the diplomatic things of the inquisition, and Yuko Shinigami, leader of the stealth corps. Conlan shakes Lazarus' hand and tells him that he is sorry for the loss of Samuel Mason, understanding full well what it is like to lose comrades.

The mood is somber, as the remaining members of Darkstar quietly watch Lazarus create green holograms with his ethereal magic. Lazarus tells Kyrael that during his time as a hero in Millennium City, he encountered a realm that was home to a powerful celestial being, known as The Pact, a seven headed cosmic entity. The Pact was known for being the very fabric of existence, and was capable of warping reality. The Pact ruled over his universe. When Lazarus arrived in his realm, The Pact trapped him in some kind of five dimensional space, asking him why he came to his realm. Lazarus explained that he needed to return to his realm and was sent to this realm by accident. The Pact and Lazarus struck a deal; where he would extinguish the seven deadly sins that were corrupting his realm. The Pact tells Wright that he had foreseen his arrival, and tasks him to serve as his messenger. Lazarus considered him why, but decided against it as he learned never to question a cosmic beings motives.

After he had completed the tasks, he expected The Pact to betray him, but surprisingly, The Pact let him go, telling him that cosmic entities like him are all bound to one precept. His precept was to always be bound by contracts. One day, Lazarus will return. Lazarus never understood why, but now he did.

Kyrael asks Lazarus what he is suggesting, and Lazarus tells Kyrael that The Pact is all powerful, and if that is so, he might be able to save Amana and Trill. Kyrael asks Lazarus if going to such an extent is necessary, and asks if there is any other mage capable of undoing it. Lazarus tells the elf that he's studied magic for years, and is able to tell if a certain condition is reversible or not. Magic tends to go with the flow, and right now, the flow for those two is to turn them into their infernal and avatar states permanently. No amount of magic to undo the tide, not even negation magic. The only way to reverse it is to break the rules. The only being he knows capable of doing that is The Pact. However, knowing The Pact, Lazarus will be asked to do something for him, as a deal. Kyrael tells Lazarus that this idea of his is extremely risky. Conlan shakes his head and tells Lazarus that is idea is insane, but admirable, worthy of a knight.

Kyrael turns to her advisors and asks for an update. Conlan reports that his soldiers have made it back safe and sound, no injuries or casualties. He has deployed several forces to guard the perimeter as the engineers and workers continue expanding The Fortress to house the refugees, and have commanded his mage department to reinforce the Fortress with stronger cloaking magic to avoid detection. Yuko tells Kyrael that his scouts report none of Calliope's forces. Alex reports that she has contracted more soldiers and outside help to assist in the war effort, however she is unable to get in contact with Merrow Rivenlight. Reya thanks Kyrael and her advisors for putting so much effort for their cause, and Kyrael tells her that it is the best she can do. Sam's loss shook her hard too, as Decen was a long time friend of hers, and to hear that a reincarnation of his was killed like that. He will be remembered. Darkstar stares at the ground. Kyrael adjourns the meeting.

Lazarus heads to the Inquisition infirmary and sits next to Jason, who is holding Amana's hand. Lazarus tells Jason that he's going to take Amana and Trill to see The Pact, and hopefully he will agree to save them. Jason snaps but suddenly stops himself. Lazarus asks Jason if he wants to stay, and Jason tells Lazarus that he wants to be alone. Lazarus shrouds Amana and Trill with green ethereal magic, and promises to bring them back awake. Jason nods, his eyes still puffy. Lazarus notices Tob, Dennis, and Reya next to Trill, and Ferris preparing a grave for Sam at the heart of The Fortress. Lazarus tells him that Sam's death did not go in vain. They will avenge Jason's protege and put an end to Calliope's tyranny.

Junon meets up with Lazarus and tells him she's going to come too. Lazarus looks at her and asks if she is sure. Junon walks up to Lazarus and tells him that it is the least she can do. Lazarus notices something in her pocket. A piece of black nano weave cloth. Sam's jacket. Lazarus tells her to be careful.

Lazarus opens a portal to the realm of The Pact. Giving Junon and the others a green protective shield, the group enter.

The Pact's Deal

Lazarus and the group appear in a five dimensional space, and a huge towering cosmic entity approaches them. Junon is shaking in fear, but Lazarus floats in front of her. The Pact regards the mage with his seven faces, and welcomes him back. Lazarus tells The Pact his request. Amana and Trill suddenly appear in front of the being. One of the faces regards them. The Pact tells Lazarus that he wants him to bend the rules and restore the two back to what they were before. Lazarus confirms. The Pact declines, to Lazarus' shock. Lazarus asks why.

The Pact tells Lazarus that everything happens for a reason. Perhaps it is Destiny for the two to become their respective beings. To try to bend the path of Destiny would be as hopeless as trying to understand the motives of a cosmic with mere mortal logic. Lazarus asks The Pact what deal he wants to make. The Pact tells Lazarus that he will give his two comrades their consciousness again, but what happens to them, what changes they will experience, will remain. Lazarus agrees and asks The Pact what he wants.

The Pact looks at Lazarus, and tells him that he wants his soul. The Pact wants The Goatman. Junon's eyes go wide. Lazarus looks at Amana and Trill, then thinks back on how hard he at worked to master his powers, despite being hopelessly inept at the soul link. But the price, the price is to see his best friend smile again. Lazarus agrees. However, The Pact tells him he's not done. The Pact guides the group to a section of the 5D space, and shows a massive planetary mass. The planet, dwarfing the sun in size, drifts through space. Junon asks what's so special about the planet, but suddenly, the planet elongates. A huge hole opens up, and a tendril appears, absorbing the space mass and a nearby planet. The planet was eating another planet. Lazarus asks The Pact if he needs to destroy the monster. The Pact tells Lazarus that this creature, the World-Eater, has grown too powerful from absorbing things, and must be eliminated to restore the order. Lazarus asks The Pact how he can destroy the monster, and The Pact tells him that he won't destroy the monster. Amana and Trill will. He will allow them to transform, then he will change their power affinity to celestial, but give them their consciousness. Essentially, they will become celestials. In the presence of The Pact, they will be strong enough to destroy the creature. Lazarus will keep them alive to survive the vacuum of space. After the World-Eater is destroyed, he will terminate his soul-link with The Goatman, and return the team home. Lazarus closes his eyes, and agrees.

Junon has her hands over her mouth, and asks Lazarus if he's really ok with losing his powers. Lazarus jokes that maybe he can spend some time learning engineering with the best of the best. Junon tells Lazarus that she will teach him everything he knows.

The Pact summons Amana and Trill, and their bodies glow red and blue. Suddenly they begin screaming, their bodies changing. The screams die down. The two glow again, becoming too hard to see. The glow dies down, and Lazarus sees Amana and Trill, transformed.

Amana's outfit, completely changed. Her aviator jacket now into bronze armoured plating and white fur lined at the collar, a plated skirt, bronze boots. A series of elegant lines pattern her thighs, arms, and face, her hair, flowing upwards and her eyes, now fully glowing red. Trill's outfit similar, but the lines arcing like veins, silver plating, and a huge wing sprouting from his left shoulder. His bow now split into two weapons, a crossbow in one hand and a huge broadsword in the other. His eyes and veins glowing cyan.

The two open their eyes. Junon rushes forward and hugs Amana. Amana looks at Lazarus and Junon and asks what happened. Trill turns around and sees The Pact, and screams asking what the hell is going on. Trill suddenly sees his body and screams again. The Pact tells the two that Lazarus has struck a deal, their return to the battle against The Corruption, for the destruction of the World Eater and Lazarus' Powers. Amana stares at Lazarus and asks if he was okay with this. Lazarus tells her that Jason was worried sick, and had slipped into a depression. He fills her in on the Exodus. Trill asks if everybody made it back alive, and Lazarus and Junon's faces become grim. Amana gasps, hands on her mouth.

Junon tells Trill that Tob survived. Dennis survived. Then goes up to Amana. She pulls the piece of Sam's jacket that had ripped off out of her pocket and puts it in Amana's hands. Amana's eyes well up in tears. The jacket was a gift from Amana to Sam when they first met. Lazarus tells Amana that Sam and Tob tried to fend off Calliope, but were defeated. Tob managed to make it out alive, but Sam was killed right in front of their eyes. He did not make it to the portal. Amana puts the cloth in her pocket, and tells The Pact where the World Eater is.

The fight ends as soon as it started. Amana powers up, and manifests her tail which has also evolved. Amana manifests three other tails. She jabs the planet with four huge tails that shatter it through the other side. Junon stares at Amana's new power. For the first time, Amana did not come up with a plan. She rushed in, with pure rage. Trill flies in and powers up his broadsword giving it a huge cyan overmold. Trill fires his crossbow, that freezes the entire planet, and swipes downwards, shattering the planet into many pieces.

The Pact returns to the group, and tells them that half of the bargain has been sealed. Lazarus closes his eyes and The Goatman manifests. Lazarus waves the soul goodbye as it is absorbed into one of the faces of The Pact. The Pact tells Lazarus that his deal is complete. The being tells Amana and Trill that once they return to their realm, they will realize that their powers won't be as powerful as they were in the fight against the World Eater. The team is sent back to Corinth.

The Return

Lazarus and Junon emerges from the portal, alongside the newly restored Amana Cross and Trill Cohen. Jason looks back and sees Amana. Jason picks her up and hugs her, causing Amana to laugh. Tob and the others notice the two's new appearance and asks what happened. Lazarus explains that he has restored the two and made a deal with The Pact. Jason looks at Lazarus and realizes that his eyes are no longer silver, but have reverted to their natural green. Jason is shocked. Lazarus tells the team that the deal was to give up The Goatman and his powers. In a way, Darkstar has lost their healer. Despite this, he will continue to support the effort alongside Junon to retake Croft. Amana and Trill revert back to their original forms, alongside their original outfits. Amana notes that this "celestial form" will be useful in their fight to avenge Sam.

The following evening, Amana and Jason go to Sam's grave. Amana and Jason kneel down and put the piece of fabric on the tombstone. Amana turns around and sees Jason in tears, and rests his head on her shoulder as he cries. Amana also lets the tears loose.