Difference between revisions of "The Legend of Samuel Mason Pt. V - The Cleansing"

Revision as of 18:23, 23 June 2020

Chapter 28

We were too late.

We emerged from the portal created by Celestia, to be greeted with a completely destroyed Inquisition Fortress. Bodies strewn everywhere. Some were... so graphic, I can't describe it.

Despite the chaos, the bloodshed, the bodies, the Inquisition continued fighting. I watched as Aaron roared, charging one Aspect head on. The Aspect was at least 14 feet tall, his hair wreathed with snakes, and his body was arced with turquoise lines.

Aaron and the Aspect clashed, Rigor rumbling from the impact. Aaron was missing an arm, as he was giving it his all.

From above, I saw Calliope and Mavus fighting an Aspect in the skies, the Aspect had four wings, and had a halo over her head, which was similar to Calliope. Calliope activated Seraphim, manifesting his armour, clashing with the Aspect, wing against wing, but the Aspect was stronger, and I watched as the shockwave knocked Calliope unconscious. Ariandal fell to the side of the castle.

Lazarus and Hark were trying to form a portal to evacuate the families and the people to another dimension, but some Decenites appeared, and grabbed Paladin Hark, biting into his body and absorbing him as Hark screamed in pain.

"We have to do something!" I told Tob and Janna. Tob was well ahead of me, transforming into his wolf form and helping Aaron. Janna watched the army, in sympathy.

"They have no chance at surviving. You know this, Champion."

"Then let's try to get as many people to safety as we can. Can you use your Aspect of War magic or something to evacuate them?"

Janna nodded. "I will try. I'll defend as many survivors as I can."

I looked at my hand, summoning the Unity, and shrouding my body in pure white flame. We needed to get the Aspects out of here. I put on Wheeler's Goggles, and shot forward with the Motion Force, slamming into each Aspect I saw. None of them could react as I zipped across the battlefield, relocating them to the other side of the country.

"Young Master, relocating them will have no effect if they are this powerful."

"We just need to move the fight. Distract them so the others can evacuate."

I approached the last Aspect, summoning the Power Force as I let loose an open handed strike, creating a huge shockwave and smacking the Aspect to the other side of the country and creating a massive valley.

"They're not going to stay for long, Cap. What are you gonna do?" Celestia fluttered next to me.

"Boost my next move."

"Got it."

I clasped my hands together, imagining my body being distributed over a large section of land, and opened my eyes as a million copies of me manifested. All powered by the Achilles Force. My spectres shouted, and shot forward with the Motion Force. They probably weren't able to use Darkfire, but it should be fine.

I flew to the air, and wound back my hand, transforming it into a giant glowing white blade. I slashed, mixing the Achilles Force with the Power Force, delivering a massive blast of Unity energy as the projectile wiped out an entire legion of Decenites. I didn't want to kill them, but they weren't giving me much of a choice.

I landed in front of Mavus. "Mavus, what's going on?" I asked.

Mavus wheezed, removing his helmet, his face was bloody. "The Aspects, invaded. They... came, but only at limited power. They had an army of their own... they were like you..."

Mavus's knees buckled as I caught him. "Mavus? You good?"

Mavus managed a weak laugh. "I'm always good, man. I'm... the best-" Mavus coughed, and vomited blood, which splashed on the ground.

I steadied him. "Hey, stay with me man. Let me heal you." I held out my hand, attempting to use the Restoration Force.

I watched as Janna commanded the others to evacuate to the portal, her voice boosting the speed of all the foot soldiers as everybody evacuated. A Decenite leapt at her, but Janna swatted her hand, creating a massive gust of wind and sending the kid back.

The Restoration Force wasn't working. Why wasn't it working?!

Mavus' eyes were becoming more and more empty. Suddenly, someone zoomed in front of me. Adam was in full battle gear, just like his mom. He ran to Mavus' side, tears streaming down his face. Mavus regarded him, sadly.

"Hey, kiddo. Is Mom okay?"

Adam sobbed. "Yeah. She's through the portal."

"Good." Mavus coughed. I clenched my fist. WORK. Why wasn't the Restoration Force healing him?!

Adam watched as I struggled to use my powers. "It's not working... is it."

Mavus put his hand on my wrist, his eyes flickering with one final light. "Hey bud. It's okay. I've done my part." He smiled at Adam. "I'm sorry I never was the... father I was destined to be. I'm sorry for everything you been through, in the future, and now. But Dad's gotta head out."

Tears streamed down Adam's face. "Dad... it's okay. It's okay. Mom is gonna be alright. You're gonna be alright. Just hang in there... please..."

Mavus coughed. "I wish... I could just make a machine that'll make you all better." He put his hand on Adam's face. "Man, it's like... looking in a mirror. So handsome, just like your father."

Adam managed a laugh. "Come on, enough joking around Dad."

Mavus's breathing was getting weaker. "Yet... so beautiful... like your mother. All the good from me, and all the good from her. My greatest creation..."

Adam sobbed. "I am. I'm proud to be your son. I forgive you. I- I-"

Mavus was losing his pulse. "Say your name... one last time..."

Adam held his father as I stepped back. I never felt so useless in my life. "My name... is Adam. Adam Jonathan Shaw."

Mavus smiled for the last time. "That's... my boy..."

Chapter 29

"Take your father. I'll hold off the Aspects."

Adam took his father in his hands, still horribly shaken. "Sam... what happened to you? Your powers..."

I glared at the group of Aspects, who were fending off my spectres. "Run to the portal, Adam. I'm sorry the Cleansing took so many lives. But I'm here now. I have the power of the Unity. I will not let another person die today."

I leaned forward, and zoomed towards the Aspects, but before I could even close the distance, my spectres all disappeared.

I stopped running. "What the hell?" I muttered.

Celestia fluttered next to me. "That one." She pointed, her voice trembling. "He's different from the others."

I looked at where she was pointing. A man, with long, black hair that flowed to his shoulders, his eyes, pure gold. He looked, ancient. But refined. He eliminated all of my spectres from a single strike from his palm.

He was looking right at me.

"Celestia, get in my consciousness. It's not safe for you out here."

Celestia, for once, didn't complain. She instantly dissipated into a bolt of purple lightning.

"Young master, this man... his power is unlike the others."

I glared at the man. "Let's put it to the test."

I stomped my foot, and shot forward with maximum speed of the Motion Force, but as I approached the man, he moved his head to meet my gaze. My eyes widened as the man smiled, and raised his hand. I felt my chest being pummelled in a hundred places as I spewed blood, the Motion Force deactivated as I slammed into the side of a mountain.

"H-How." I croaked. My body felt like it was covered in needles. I tried to get up but realized I wasn't able to move. My body exploded with pain with every movement.

He broke every single one of my bones.

The Restoration Force began working on my body, mending my bones. Great timing.

"A Paladin, wielding the Unity? Interesting." The man spoke to me, as a smaller man approached him. A kid. I recognized him immediately.

"You're... you're Deimos, aren't you." I got to my feet.

Deimos smiled viciously. "Yes... Samuel Mason, formerly Decen of Acadia. You wield all of Queen Quinta's energies, but despite this, you're still.... so.... weak."

Deimos shot forward, but I caught his fist. But despite that, Deimos was still overpowering me, forcing me to sink deeper and deeper into the ground. "Make no mistake, Blackflame. I am not like Mogul. He had become Prime Aspect for centuries, but I have been Prime Aspect since CONCEPTION."

Deimos spread his hands, and his entire body glowed gold, blasting me with a painful incinerating light. I slammed into dozens of mountains.

"Cap!"
"Young Master!"
"Sam!!!"

My soul link's screamed at me as I felt like my body was being torn apart. The beam was gone, but my body was still burning. I tried to get to my feet but the fires continued to burn, scalding my skin as the Restoration Force struggled to keep up.

I concentrated, forcing my Restoration to push beyond its limits. I yelled as a white shockwave emitted from my body, extinguishing the fire and fully regenerating my body.

I was breathing hard as I stood face to face with the Prime Aspect. Deimos regarded me with bored eyes.

"My brethren seek to destroy you. My followers seek to torture you. My own brother, Mogul, wanted to see you suffer. Know this, Samuel Mason. I want nothing but the best for the multiverse. But to see the Acadians throw away their loyalties, creating false gods. Idolizing themselves. Then seeing humanity do the same..."

Deimos' hand flashed and I hit the ground, groaning, clutching my midsection. He was so fast, I couldn't even react. At least with Mogul, I could see it coming to react with Doma Martial Arts.

Deimos continued. "It broke my heart. I thought humanity would recognize their true lords. But they didn't. They worshipped... themselves. Power. They loved it. They craved it. Do you know, how it feels?"

"You're... not a god." I muttered through the pain.

Deimos growled as he kicked me in the face, sending me through dozens more mountains. Deimos manifested in a shower of orange stars. "Ah... ever the heretic."

I regenerated, but I didn't know how long I could last. Deimos... he was impossibly strong.

"I am... so sad." Deimos began to fake cry, putting his foot on my head. "All I wanted was for the Acadians to see me as their god. THEIR. GOD. But no... but what was worse... so much worse..."

Deimos grabbed my by the head, lifting me from the ground with one hand. I was face to face with the Prime Aspect. I was barely able to stay conscious. The pain was excruciating, and blood was flowing from the top of my head, leaking across my face.

Deimos ripped Wheeler's Goggles from my face, smashing them on the ground. "Do you know what's worse than to see your followers betray you?"

I said nothing. I was in no position to do anything. If he wanted, he could kill me right here. I needed to play it smart.

"Quinta... that BITCH. She... she had to go, give up her power to these... mortals. To make them her Subjects. The same mortals who could not accept me as their lord. To... have a child, and create a familial line. One based on a curse. A horrible horrible curse."

Deimos screeched to the sky, the sound of his scream echoing. "It is written. The descendent of Quinta, to die from a curse. To find one who would unite the Subjects. One who would finally be powerful enough to defeat me. A HUMAN."

Deimos threw me onto the ground. Everything finally made sense. How Bridget was able to psychically link me. What she meant by the Unity.

Bridget was a descendent of an Aspect. She was the descendent of Quinta, who was destined to find me. And she didn't even know.

"Where is Quinta..." I muttered. Deimos raised an eyebrow. "She's dead. Mogul killed her. Slain. SLAIN I TELL YOU, ROTTING IN THE UNDERWORLD. HAHAHAHA!"

The Underworld.

"Young Master, Jason and Amana..."
"I know."

Jason and Amana, they were in the Underworld, still training. I needed to go down there to find Quinta. To reunite the Subjects. Together with their power, I could defeat Deimos. Maybe with Deimos defeated, I could force the Aspects into the unescapable realm Lazarus and Hark were working on.

"Thanks, man." I replied.

Deimos glared at me. "Excuse me?"

I opened my hand, white flame accumulating. "Time to go." I fired a huge blast of Unity Darkfire at Deimos. Obviously, I knew it wouldn't do shit, but it was a good distraction.

"Celestia, send me to Jason!"
"On it!"

Purple lightning blasted me from the sky, as I dissipated, Deimos attempting to grab me. I watched as Deimos glared at me, but regaining his composure.

"We shall meet again, Blackflame. Until death do you part."

Chapter 30

The Underworld was... nothing like I expected. I was expecting landscape of endless fires, bones, and rocks. Maybe I was just delusional. Maybe I had seen too much death and went crazy. But the moment Celestia blinked me to the Underworld, I was greeted with what looked like a city of black buildings, landscapes. Torches lit up the area with a dark blue light, similar to Darkfire.

Sentry manifested. "In here, I have power. I am no longer held back by the soul link."
"Uhhh, thanks?"

Celestia fluttered next to Sentry, perching on his shoulder. "I am sorry about, your friend."

I clenched my fist. Mavus. I couldn't save him, and he ended up dying in front of Adam's very eyes. I couldn't let his death go in vain.

"Sam?" I turned around to see a towering six foot musclebound guy approaching me. Jason ran up to me and crushed me in a hug.

"Oh god, you're okay. How's Tob? Darkstar?"

The expression on my face was enough to tell him they most definitely were not okay. Amana gasped as she joined us.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Tob is okay." I replied. Jason looked relieved, but suddenly tensed up again.
"How many are gone?"

I looked away. "Reya, Dennis, Paladin Hark, they were torn apart by the Decenites and consumed.

Sentry continued. "Aaron Sterling and Mavus Shaw didn't make it either. All the Street Angels were killed, 78% of the Inquisition was slaughtered, the remaining managed to evacuate to Lazarus' portal."

Amana began to tear up. "What about Junon?" She whispered.

Oh god. Junon. How was she going to take the news that her boyfriend was now gone? I should have been there, to tell her that I failed her, but instead I came here.

"She made it." I replied, but my voice was hoarse. Good news didn't feel too great when the losses were this great.

Jason put his hand on my shoulder. "What are we going to do now?"

I looked up at my remnant and teacher. "Prime Aspect Deimos told me that Queen Quinta is down here. I'm gonna find her and get her to summon her subjects from the realms. Unite them so we can take these Aspects together. I couldn't beat Deimos one on one even with the Unity and the four energy realms. We're going to need the Subjects."

Amana clenched her fist, clearly enraged. Red lines began to form on her arms, but Jason stepped forward and embraced her. "We fight to protect, not for revenge."

Amana calmed down. "We need to find Quinta, right? Then let's go."

"Wait."

Jason and Amana looked at me.

"I have the Unity now." I turned to Sentry.

Child of War's final stand. Sentry understood immediately, and nodded.

"It's time Sentry returned back to his original soul-link host."

Jason stared at me, confused. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm saying..." I held out my hand, and took Jason's, as Sentry began to dissolve, entering Jason's system.

"It's time you took back what was yours, Black Jason."

Jason yelled as he began to soul-link back with Sentry, his body flaming with dark energy, black electricity emanating from him as the soul-link completed, his silver eyes returning, and his katana shortening into a dagger.

Amana stared at me. "Why did you give up Sentry? You're-"

"You too." I replied, as I took Amana's hand, and passing Celestia down to her, Amana's body emanating purple electricity and her orange eyes turning silver.

The two looked even more confused than before. I needed to tell them. No more secrets.

"When I merged with Decen, I was given a prophecy, by Rolah the Paladin of Hope.

"It's written that one will unite the Subjects of Quinta, and eventually, the Aspects will be defeated."

Celestia fluttered next to Amana and sat on her shoulder as she looked at me with concern. "I'm guessing there is a catch, that's causing you to give up your soul-links."

"You're right." I replied.

Jason walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Tell us."

I took a deep breath. "In this war, we will win, but... I don't make it."

Amana and Jason began to tear up, as Jason slowly removed his hand, staring at me with his silver eyes, the same eyes that regarded me when I first met him, begging him to join on his quest to stop Ariandal. It seemed like ages ago.

"What... what do you mean?" Jason whispered.

I looked at the two of them. "The Aspects will fall. And I will die."

Chapter 31

We followed Jason, as he led us to Quinta with his Hunter's Eyes. Yes. Eyes. That was how you used them. My entire time fighting with Sentry as my soul-link companion, I never learned to use Hunter's Eyes to their max potential like Jason did.

In the dark environment, Jason's eyes lit up bright white, as he scanned the area with the two of us in tow. I looked in my reflection, my eyes, pure magenta again, staring right back at me. I was no longer Samuel Mason, but I didn't feel like Decen either. I felt like someone else. Someone who had seen it all, almost.

I slowed down until I was walking beside Amana. She took a deep breath. "So... I guess you found the other realms, huh?"

"The Motion Force and Restoration Force were innate to me. I consumed an Aspect to get the Achilles Force, and I used the psychic link with Janna to get the Power Force. As for the Unity..."

Bridget manifested next to me, holding my hand.

Amana gasped. "So that's what she looks like!" She put her hand on Bridget's hair, ruffling it.

No one ever saw Bridget in person, aside from Lazarus and a few others. But they knew she existed. I guess it was nice to see Amana interacting with Bridget, despite the circumstances.