“He comes,” Vienne answered, and said no more. She stood atop the ocean gazing sadly upward, her attention though obviously already far beyond those in her memory that battled around her and died in droves. They followed her gaze upward as a great dark hand reached through. He was larger than Vienne by several times, perhaps six times her size or more. The size of a small building. His shape coalesced around him and made him look like a dark knight of old. He did not wield any weapon but instead threw down 4 stone orbs. He stood casually and waited, and soon the orbs slowly filled from bottom to top with different colors.
While at first nothing happened and he was largely ignored, the defenders and those driven before him all began dying suddenly and inexplicably. There didn’t seem to be any pattern or reason. They simply died and, after a wave of Viennes hand, everyone was able to see why. Tendrilous links of waving magic were slowly filling the orbs. The orbs reached out when someone died and latched onto someone new.
Realizing the danger, some of the aquatic defenders began launching all-out attacks. Great dark lightning filled the sky and they were largely struck down around Void. Those who were not and tried to land a blow were swatted aside with practiced hand and then struck down with other dark spells. Many of them looked recognizable.
Firestrikes made of black flame. Lightning with a black hue. Arcane spells with no light to mark where they were travelling. When no one was left to stand against him he simply stood in that one spot and from every direction life flowed toward the orbs.
Vienne waved her hand again and the sun moved extremely fast against the sky, gone in seconds. It rose once more and began it’s incredible rise through the sky when she waved her hand again. Time ceased it’s insane cycle as she canceled her memory version of fast-forwarding. Soon the battle was simply over. No one had appeared to challenge him for a day now and the tendrils searched far out past the horizon until they obviously found something to latch onto. When at last no more magic flowed toward them he retrieved the orbs one by one and held them. They drained in his hand until they were once again empty, and he simply opened another Vortex and left.
-------------------------
The scene slowly faded until they were once again in the Half grand hall. The members of Shadow Fall were talking animatedly about what they had seen. They were already talking about the orbs and what it meant.
“He didn’t battle directly.” Tempest pointed out. “It was those orbs.”
“Some sort of mass field that encompassed the entire territory. Life drain?” Elisha asked.
“What would happen if we stole them?” Forsythe wanted to know.
“No, he can battle directly he just didn’t have to do it.” Rat interrupted Forsythe to argue with Tempest. “He used all sorts of spells and he wasn’t using a weapon. He probably has one.”
“I’ll steal them.” Forsythe insisted, not deterred by being interrupted. “We can just pick them up and leave, that is the dumbest boss I have ever seen.”
“I don’t think he’d let you steal them,” Aidan said wryly. “Anyway, what’s this sudden obsession with stealing them? You’re way too excited.”
“They have LIFE FORCE or something in them, Aidan. I bet I can use them to cook with. Heat them up and use them as cooking stones.” Forsythe looked almost frantically excited, and everyone else looked alarmed. No one had apparently ever seen hysterical Forsythe. The prospect of a new mystery seasoning must have shocked him.
Different conversations continued on for several minutes, all the while Vienne watched with shock and awe. “Do you not fear?”
Everyone paused, returning their attention to the god in the room. It was, Amelia decided, kind of amazing that the scene had been so exciting everyone had forgotten that she was in the room. She didn’t look ferocious or unstoppable anymore. Vienne looked cowed and broken and hardly a danger to anything.
“Vienne!” Aidan suddenly called, causing all the eyes in the room to drift toward him. Wary silence fell and Amelia knew everyone was thinking what she was thinking, that Aidan was about to get them all in trouble. “You have made a mistake.”
“I know you.” She said suspiciously, her eyes falling on him. Strings of red started to form and move toward her from him as she examined him. “You are not of this world. You do not fear me. What are you? Merciful gods, you are-.”
“You’ll ask me again in the future so let’s skip that. Do you know what mistake you made?” Aidan laughed, and it was the awful laughter he had every time he had thought of something. He was once again the kid that poked things with a stick.
“Go on then, I don’t fear your words.” Vienne allowed. Although she had been interrupted saying whatever it was she had gleaned from looking at him, her voice sounded proud.
“We are here!” Aidan cried he spread his arms to encompass the Transients present. His smirk was filled with terrible derision as if he couldn’t believe how stupid she was. He crossed his hands in front of him and waited expectantly.
“Yes?” Vienne’s faces changed, showing with each one that she did not understand.
“Oh come on. We’ve met before. In the future of this world.” Aidan grinned. “You’re not a fool right?” Aidan put his hands on his hips and taunted the god.
“Yes?” Vienne asked again. She jerked upright and straight as if an epiphany had befallen her. It made Amelia feel bad for her because it was kind of an obvious idea yet Vienne looked like she had just been touched by inspiration. “Yes! You are here. You are outside the rules but you are still here.”
“What does that mean?” Victoria demanded, also not following.
“It means,” Vienne said slowly, “that somehow Void does not devour this world for a thousand years. It means he is vulnerable somehow and defeated.” She laughed then, staring across the room with sheer pleasure. Her clothes began to gleam with sudden luminosity, throwing strobes of rainbow light across the room. “Why I do believe I am delighted. Is this once again joy I feel?”
“Huh,” Gilduirn muttered.
“What?” Amelia asked. He had been strangely silent when the rest of them had been talking amongst themselves.
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“Oh. Uh.” Gilduirn laughed, looking embarrassed. “I had a thought, and I was thinking it’s really unlike me. Yet, like me.”
“Oh?” Amelia frowned. He was really throwing her for a loop. She had always kind of defended him, but he really had dropped the ball on that last battle against the Visage. His actions on this adventure were all over the place.
“Yeah. I was thinking that we’re probably not the only ones who can join this fight. I mean before I would have been happy it’s just us, but now I think we’re being narrow-minded. You know, as someone who got screwed by that before.” Gilduirn said with a grimace, a bit embarrassedly. Rat actually came up and smacked him.
“She asked what you were thinking, not why.” Rat scolded him.
“Well, this is a story event. You got us here by your job the Chronicler. It’s a job quest and you could bring 25 of us.” Gilduirn said slowly. “It’s probably stupid but, what if more Chroniclers learned the story of the Hero Queen and could bring back 25 people per person?”
“What?” Amelia shouted, drawing the attention of the room. “That’s… that’s… amazing!”
“Yeah. If it would work. I mean let’s say they don’t start back where we started because that would be stupid.” Gilduirn said, holding his hands out, trying to think it through. “So whenever they come over they’d come over where you guys are in the story.”
“Can we get the message out?” Amelia wondered. “Do you think Chronicler’s would level and then learn the story and try it?”
“Well. I guess.” Gilduirn said slowly. “Or you could kill me and I could go ask them.”
“I volunteer,” Aidan said before anyone could think of a response. Even for comedy, his response was almost a little too quick, making it not funny.
“Wow. You are still mad.” Gilduirn said slowly again. “That’s fine though. I mean we could test resurrect and if it didn’t work I’d get sent back. I could get the Chronicle people in my guild going. Do you have the prerequisites for your job?” He asked Amelia.
“Yeah but… what if it doesn’t work?” Amelia wanted to know. “You might die and not be able to come back with anyone.”
“Let me make it up to you,” Gilduirn said gently to Amelia.
"There is nothing to make up." Aidan finally interjected coldly. "The past is immutable, except in rare quest cases."
“No Aidan. I will kill Gilduirn.” Forsythe said suddenly.
“What?” Aidan asked, his face twisting into confusion.
“If he is going to do something so noble, I want to kill him.” Forsythe insisted. He seemed like he was still highly excitable. Two weird out of character outbursts in one day.
“We’ll draw straws,” Raven suggested as if she thought this was a great idea and definitely didn’t want to be left out. “If you two want to do it so bad I definitely want to do it.”
“Hell, I’ll get in on that action.” Hunter agreed suddenly. “How do you want it? Stabbed? Chopped? Shot? Torched?”
Amelia laughed, and everyone looked at her. “No,” she held up her hands, “I don’t want in on that, I just think it’s funny.”
Gilduirn was watching them argue with a mixture of horror and disbelief on his face. “You know it’s a weird feeling, watching people argue about who gets the right of taking your life. I’m strangely flattered and horrified at the same time.”
“Are you sure?” Rat muttered. “You’ll still lose like 13 levels and some skill..?”
“Yeah but, what if we kill Void? I mean instead of shackling him or whatever what if we kill him?” Gilduirn asked, his eyes shining. “C’mon. Admit it. We’re strong. But we’re really strong when there’s a lot of us together, excited, unreasonable, independent.”
“I’m starting to see why your guild loves you. Finally.” Hunter admitted after everyone considered that bombshell. She clapped him on the back. “But don’t be so eager to get all the glory! Who else wants to die and then go back and recruit an army!”
As one, almost everyone from Shadow Fall volunteered. Amelia smirked and she shook her head. Vienne and Victoria just stared with great bafflement. Rat was the only one who didn’t volunteer besides Amelia and Aidan. She shook her head slowly. “No. It has to be Gilduirn.”
“Why’s that?” Hunter asked, looking confused.
“Because he thought of it and no one else really wants to get offed.” Rat explained, eyes darting around even as her lips started to curl upwards into a smile.
“Ho…” Idolia laughed. “That’s true. My bro is the only one who looks forward to getting spaced.” She laughed harder, and after a moment everyone else was snickering too. Amelia was just coming to terms with the information that Idolia and Gilduirn were actually related in real life.
“Don’t be too eager,” Aidan finally said. “I changed my mind.”
“What?” Gilduirn frowned. “How am I going to get out of here if the person who hates me the most won’t do it?”
“Geez. Go with some style. There’s a GOD standing right there?” Aidan finally gestured to Vienne.
“Oooh. Good idea. Gilduirn go smack her.” Raven suggested. “You can take her. Tell her she smells funny or something. Oh, or her mom wore combat boots. That’s a classic.”
“Is that alright?” Gilduirn frowned.
“C’mon! We’re all dying to see.” Rat giggled.
“Hey, Vienne.” Gilduirn began slowly. “Do you mind, I mean? Let’s fight.”
“What is this?” Vienne finally demanded, staring down at him.
“Well, we’re going to try something. If I die I go back to the present.” Gilduirn explained. “Or I show up nearby. Do you understand?”
“I understand you are not of this world. I do not believe you will reappear before me.” Vienne replied after a great lengthy silence.
“That’s fine then but I don’t want to just attack you,” Gilduirn replied. “So, instead, could I beg a favor? Will you fight me with your full power? I mean it’d mean a lot to me.”
“I refuse,” Vienne replied almost instantaneously.
“I see. What if I said that I could help you against Void?” Gilduirn said cautiously.
“How?” Vienne demanded suspiciously, and it was clear she hadn’t been able to follow the out of game talk they had been having about jobs and classes.
“Well, if I go back I can maybe bring more back to fight with us. Maybe not, I admit that’s a possibility. Amelia just gave me a list of requirements and… geez really?” He paused, looking consternated. Amelia shrugged. “Forget a week, 2 months might not be enough.” Gilduirn sighed. “But just the same. What if I could appear in the final battle with a thousand more?”
“You can do this?” Vienne seemed to be considering this, though her expressions, changing as they were, all spoke that she thought he was touched in the head and she didn’t want to be a part of the responsibility for ending his life.
“Yeah. Probably. I mean it’s technically within the rules I suppose. There is no such thing as a unique skill or magic.” Gilduirn scratched his head. “It would mean a lot to me, and then one of my friends wouldn’t have to kill me. I think that’d be best. Especially if it doesn’t work and I don’t show up.”
“Prepare yourself, child of Aspiria. When next we meet I will consider you one of mine.” Vienne finally made her decision. Her battle coat appeared on her and a grand glowing longsword apparated from thin air in her hand.
Gilduirn grinned and drew his sword and raised his shield. “Sounds good.” He gave a quick wink to Rat. “Thanks a lot.”
After a brief hesitation, he nodded to Aidan. He didn’t seem like he could think of anything to say so he stopped trying. Gilduirn’s expression resolved itself, and after a moment he leaped forward without hesitation under the eyes of Shadow Fall in the grand hall of the Half.
“[Sunder]!” He cried, leading with his shield and pulling his sword back for the next skill.
Amelia had to admire that. He was thinking he would live through the first blow and wanted to weaken Vienne’s defenses. However, it proved useless. For one amazing moment time seemed to slow and Vienne simply pushed his blade past her and to the left. She raised her own sword in that long moment where he seemed like he could do nothing but fly forward and brought it down and Gilduirn was gone.