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  Eric looked down at Lucia with a brave smile, even though she was struggling not to cry. They were facing each other and holding hands, with Elas next to them. Draco stood behind Eric, even the dragon boy was starting to break down. Behind Lucia was Lilly, who was already shedding tears as quietly as she could.

  "Let's begin," said Elas, her voice threatening to crack under the pressure. Eric and Lucia faced the Midrardian, so Elas begin, "We gather here today, dearly beloved, to celebrate the union of the two strongest fighters ever to grace the world. In this time of sacrifice, we must look for happiness anywhere it can be found. Would you two please take each other's hands and tell your truths."

  Lucia and Eric once again grasped each other's hands, looking deeply into each other's sadness as the tigress began.

"When I first saw you, I was terrified. You were three times my size and probably could have broken what little hope I had left. I had been beaten before, crushed until I could barely even glimpse the light, and made to do unspeakable acts against my own kind. I could only think of escaping, of punishment, about what kind of horrors you would put me through. Even when you showed me kindness, I could only think of your betrayel.

  "Then we went to a diner, and I needed to know why you chose me. It was strange to be treated with kindness, I wanted to know what to expect. Then you told me about your sister, and I felt that, in some way, you loved me. Then when you caught that chair, and a guy called us monsters, you did something I had never seen before.

  "You stood up for me, Eric. You were ready to fight a random stranger for someone as worthless as me!" Lucia was starting to break down, tears steadily streaming down her cheeks. "You made me feel like I meant something, as if I wasn't some trash to be used and thrown away. I was so happy, I couldn't help but see you differently.

  "Even back then, you stopped being the person who owned me. You became the person I followed of my own volition. Even when you released me in the dungeon, I tried to beg Tyler to speak with the king and have the charges disbanded. You got so angry with him, it made me even happier. I knew you cared about me, that I could always count on you to stay by my side."

  Everyone looked at Eric, who seemed as stoic as ever.

  "When I first saw you, I felt like I was in pain. It just hurt somehow to see you. I didn't understand it until later that you reminded me of my sister. Whenever you were afraid, of me or anything else, I wanted to protect you. When I thought about my sister, I realized that, if I wanted to really protect you, I'd teach you how to protect yourself.

  "Once you started to grow, I didn't see you as the little sister I'd lost, but the beautiful girl you had become. I felt so angry inside for thinking of my little sister as a woman, I couldn't properly come to terms with it. When I ran away, I just hadn't confronted those feelings and needed time to adjust. I didn't actually think that the princess thing would turn out to be all of this," Eric gestured around at the situation in which they found themselves.

  "When I was imprisoned, even though I could have escaped anytime, I waited to try and figure out my feelings. It was back then that I decided, if I ever got out, I would marry you. I planned out dates, things we could do, how I wanted to propose. You have no idea how far this is from what I was planning." Eric laughed nervously, looked at the ground as some tears started to well up within his eyes, then he met Lucia's gaze.

  "I love you, Lucia," Eric said with no shame, "and I always will. Every second I spend in this other world will be looking for a way out. If I ever manage to find you again, I will make it the greatest day of your life." Eric looked at Elas, giving her a short nod.

  "Then, we shall begin the ceremony," Elas announced to all four attending people. "Draco, will you please offer up the rings."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Draco stepped around Eric, then handed Lucia and Eric each a ring. The shaking and rumbling outside intensified, but Eric gave no indication of being troubled.

  "Eric, do you take Lucia, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

  "I do," Eric said, sliding a ring that was a little too big over Lucia's finger.

  "Lucia, do you take Eric, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

  "I do," Lucia said, trying to force a ring that was way too small onto Eric's finger.

  "I think our rings were switched," Eric guessed, chuckling a little as Lucia removed her ring. She slid it easily over Eric's finger, then he did the same.

  "With the power vested in me by the hero of the chains," Elas announced ceremoniously, "I now announce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

  Eric could have planted the heaviest, sloppiest kiss onto Lucia's face, but he took a different route. The huge man leaned down and planted a very light, very delicate kiss onto Lucia's lips, then let her take over. She got the message somehow, then grabbed Eric around his neck and pulled onto him. Lucia was practically climbing on top of Eric like a tree, smashing their lips together until Lucia initiated some tongue.

  What followed was five minutes of the wettest, soggiest, drooling, moist make-out session that any of them had ever seen. Lilly started to blush until her hairs were standing on end and her bunny ears were curled into corkscrews. Elas, the ice queen, was suddenly warmer than she had ever been. Draco was turned around, his hands in his pockets as he tried to cover up a growing issue.

  Lucia finally broke for air, leaving a winded Eric to inhale desperately though his mouth. They had to take a second to breathe before glancing around at the incredibly embarressed atmosphere.

  "Lucia," Eric breathed, "I swear if I ever get back, we're celebrating our honeymoon immdediately."

  "I'll be waiting," Lucia coughed as some phlem got stuck in her throat.

  Eric stepped outside dressed head to toe in Demonic Armor with a massive hammer in one hand and a long line of chains in the other. His clone was out waging war against an ever increasing mass of monsters. They stood on a pile of bodies that had already filled the courtyard so that the original ground couldn't be seen. Eric leaped into action, swinging his chains and destroying the most recent addition to the horde.

  The two Eric's leaped at each other, slamming hard into their shoulders. Like a closing mirror, the two combined until they were one and the same. Then, Eric began a crusade of slaughter that ended with him disappearing into the portal.

  From the vanguard of the castle, the four adventurers watched as the portal began to close slowly in three sections. Once it was closed, even the placad Elas broke down. Draco was the only one who remained on his feet, acknowledging the sacrifice Eric had made. Lilly and Lucia were hugging each other and crying desperately, needing a shoulder to cry on.

  On that day, Eric Bane made the ultimate sacrifice. Some people say that they would walk into hell for the people they love, but Eric Bane was the only man ever to put his money where his mouth is. He had lived through more pain and suffering than most people would encounter in three lifetimes, but he rose above all of it. His team solemnly returned to the mainland walking over a glacier of ice, and told the heroes of Eric's fate. At first, they didn't believe, but the Divine Clocks no longer counted to the demon's return. 

  In Celestial City, at the gates of the former Cathedral, stands a statue of Eri Bane. It depicts him rising from the ground, bearing chains wrapped around his body and the mark of the slave on his forehead. Around him is a tiger, a dragon, a rabbit, and a warrior. It's made of solid gold and was donated by the monarchy of Lorain to commemorate Lucia's installment as mayor. At the base of the statue there is an inscription that reads:

  "Here stands the eternal memory of Eric Bane, Hero of the Chains and savior of the world. On ?? day in the ?? month of the ??? year, he gave the ultimate sacrifice to close the very gates of hell and end a reign of terror that had plagued the world for generations. Because of his heroic sacrifice, the Waves have ended and the demon threat is no more.

  May you never be forgotten, and may your words live eternal."

  Underneath the inscription were four quotes:

  "You can hit me, you can spit on me, you can do whatever you want; but you will never call my friends monsters."

  "Nobody can tell you what you are. Hero... Monster... all that matters is what you decide."

  "I don't fight for myself, I fight for the people I care about."

  "I do." 

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