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Wyatt Graves
A shadow practically whizzes past me as Jarvis Harvey saunters after Tomas. A blue-tinged aura surrounds the man, and I strike out at him with the scythe blade from my prosthetic. The edge, however, slides right off the aura with the sound of clanging against steel. The bluish color wobbles slightly, yet before I can slash at him again, the man is already past me. And I have no time to worry about him as the world turns white. Dozens of high-pitched, screeching noises ring out into the cavern, bouncing off the marble and reentering my skull.
Alongside the cacophony of hell are sudden flashing lights more radiant than even Vernon's brightest light when he was alive. I stagger backward, the pain lashing through my eyes as I seek out a way to peer through the ocean of white.
The blood streaming through my body accelerates once more as Blodwyn reactivates his Dzil, and in return, our hearing amplifies. Through it, I can see once more.
Though, the sight isn't all that good. Tomas is already out of the room; a suspicious Rougarou-sized hole in the back wall is shown to me through the echoing blasts of noise. The sheer level of noise makes it difficult to view everything as I hold my head, the pain only continuing to rise.
Nonetheless, only two beings in the room are unaffected.
Eli Weiss, of course, seeing as he is the one causing the awful clangor.
And Kwakiteh. No... she is affected. But that woman has never needed her eyes. She has a single one that is far, far better. Mie is a guide more accurate than any instrument or sense.
The two, in one body just as Blodwyn and me, cut at Eli Weiss with what appears to be reckless abandon, the precision hidden underneath. Kate's body heaves with effort of every motion, and she moves with such alacrity that I can't help but be surprised. Mie's might is shown again and again as she holds off Eli's Coiled Steam, the wires unable to stab the woman. Instead, they are thrown off course or directly held still as Kwakiteh cuts the wire with the blood-hungry Demonsbane, and Mie uses her Power to leverage psychic force.
Nevertheless, amidst the chaos of continuous flashes and concussive screeches that tear through my senses, I stumble through the disorienting battlefield toward Kate and Eli. Rapturous helps a little bit, but there isn't much actually in my body to remove, most of the effects are continuous. Even as they break through another wall, with the former throwing the latter through the wall with raw mental force. The world around me is a maelstrom of dissonance, my sight and hearing bombarded by relentless shocks. Yet, I manage to navigate through the cacophony, relying on Blodywn's aid to find my bearings.
Gradually recovering from the initial shock, I sprint toward the fray, entering the tumultuous skirmish between the old man and the swordswoman. Yet, as I do so, I have to be supremely careful. The aftermath of Weiss' continuous light is evident in the fallen figures around me, some writhing in pain, others crawling forward in a vehement struggle against the noise and light that follow him into the other room.
Kate, undeterred by the sensory assault, persists in her relentless assault. I catch up to them, observing for a moment as I build my Ether. The strain upon my mind is not light, and I'll have to use Burdenless soon. Despite that, I hold on for a better time as I admire Kwakiteh's growth since I last saw her. The swordswoman's attacks are a flurry of motion, slashing, stabbing, and utilizing 'her' mind to throw bricks or slow the old man. She is the only one here, including Eli Weiss, who is utterly unaffected by the noise, as even the old man has a pair of goggles on with cushions upon his eyes.
The battle unfolds with rapid intensity as the woman maintains a relentless offensive, her rage, hate, and desire for vengeance unmatched. Some of her energized screams even tear through the disorder. The old man, slippery and resourceful, counters with an array of tricks every time they clash.
Eli twists his hand just as I get close, vanishing from view as a simple brick takes his place. I search around, already knowing he can teleport, only to find the man right behind me. I contort my whole body in rapid alarm as his cane points toward my head.
Before he can pull the trigger, though, a marble brick slams against the side of his head, thrown with telekinetic muscle by Mie. Weiss takes the hit directly, stumbling backward as I leap at him. Kwakiteh is already on her way, too, but Eli is just too agile and unpredictable. Again, he teleports away, but this time, he swaps places with Kwakiteh, leaving my charge falteringly halted.
I practically trip over my own feet as I search for the man, now where Kate used to be. I grit my teeth as Mie speaks into my mind, warning me and giving me advice.
"The noise and light are both Arcas. This transposition is an Arca as well. Or... I think. It could be one of those Ails. Blodwyn will learn how to recognize them soon. This one is Cryke's Pandemonium. It is as old as the Thunderbolt Titan. Do not use any projectile weapons. Only commit to an attack you can stop on a dime. Otherwise..."
I reply to the mental connection she's set up, understanding her lengthy words wholly. No Lily. Not that she's ready anyway. Regardless, I don't want to repeat Edmund's death. This means...
"He'll swap it and hurt one of us. Got it. Hands, swords, and knives only?"
With Blodwyn's sight of sound that can pierce through even the madness, I witness Kwakiteh nod. Mie also replies to me as we both go back to back, watching Eli Weiss step around us. The old man's cane smacks upon the rubble without any discernable sound due to the concussive noise from him.
Joined with Kate, our movements fall into a rhythm of shared purpose as Eli darts toward us, the old man's frame a false facade of his physical prowess. Our shared hatred of this man comes together as I let Lily slide into my left hand, her Ether preparing to strike on its own. The rounds aren't ready, but she can still do damage. At the same time, I pull back the blade in my arm.
I need to be careful with how I attack. I'm not as dextrous with the arm blade as I am with my hand. Still... how are we going to kill this bastard?
He has so many tricks up his sleeve.
The old man constantly shifts his position as he approaches us, like a flickering shadow. The teleportation affects my vision the worst as I can only hear him if he makes a sound, and the effect of the Arca somewhere on him produces no noise.
Nevertheless, I hold confidence that we can win. He can't keep that noise up forever, nor the light. All Arca bear a price, just as all Powers do. Eventually, the cost will overwhelm him. Whether it's blood loss, headaches, dizziness, or something more insidious like organ failure, it'll reach him.
Kate's Claymore trembles in the chaotic light when the man nears, and I dart toward him, expecting him to swap places. Yet, he doesn't. As I hold back my strike, Eli Weiss grins, sinking down as he unleashes a shot from his cane straight to my gut.
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I double over as Kwakiteh follows up, cutting vertically to bisect the old man. Despite her speed and the brutal frenzy coming from Demonsbane, Weiss flips his hand, and I swap with him.
Her blade stops a fraction of an inch from my neck, only to redirect itself toward the Underground Tree without a moment's notice. Coughing, I wipe my stomach as the bullet from the cane falls out, replaced by flesh and blood. Sending a silent thanks to Blodwyn, I rejoin Kwakiteh. Damn... if she wasn't so acrobatic, I'd have lost my head. Shaking the thing still there, I refocus.
Time passes as the old man eludes our grasp with every strike, swapping places with us as if the air itself were his canvas. The clash is practically a dynamic puzzle, constantly rearranging itself, and Eli Weiss is the puzzle master, able to put the pieces wherever he sees fit.
Wires materialize from nowhere as he vanishes from my sight, snaking through the air with malevolent intent. One moment, they are invisible threads, nonexistent, the next, they solidify into deadly strands as Coiled Steam reaches for my life.
Kate and I can't land a single hit, nor can we even commit to a full attack without the fear of hitting the other. Realizing the impediment of fighting together, I try to back away, but Eli Weiss won't let me leave. He assuredly recognizes the advantage he holds with multiple people to transposition with.
Nothing seems to work. A calculated stream of attacks meant for Weiss only strikes empty air, and suddenly, he emerges from an unexpected angle, thrusting his deadly cane. I don't manage to dodge this one, either, basically eating a bullet as it collides with Blodwyn's mask of bone.
I tumble head over heels backward as I feel the cacophony let up and the light die down. Once more, I can see properly. Still, the light has its aftereffects, forcing me to squint as Kate charges the man once more.
Turning left through the open hole in the wall, I find Clarence Love creeping into the room of fallen and struggling Angels. My heart skips a beat as Bonfire is the closest to the Silent Scorpion, but the man strides right past him, heading for Joseph. The implication of his arrival is not lost as a furious rage rises from the depths.
The Scalding Iron rubs his eyes and ears as he attempts to stand, only to feel a dagger slide within the crease of the back of his neck. I shout for them all as I watch the light leave his eyes.
"Watch out! Clarence is killing Joseph!"
My howl of alarm gets some motion between Parker and Sylvia, but still, the two are hardly able to move. Yet, they don't have to as a flame engulfs the region for a moment, forcing Clarence back.
It singes Sylvia and Parker, but it's evidently more of a warning than anything as Bonfire gradually returns to his feet. The man doesn't even have his eyes open. Clarence retreating gives the two Angels just enough time to recover enough to gain their bearings.
Sylvia nods to me before rushing in my direction, hauling Parker with her as she gives the unmoving Joseph a firm nod. The Scalding Iron is dead, a fact confirmed as I witness his chains vanish. Dismay overwhelms me for a moment as yet another legend is dead. I don't feel sad, perse, but it certainly is a negative emotion despite him being an enemy. And before I can do anything to help, two figures crash through another wall.
Only one of whom I recognize is hiding behind a woman with blackened flesh. Billy Grimes and the Powered woman with him move to kill Clarence. Gunshots resound as Clarence strides forward, meeting a bullet with the stiletto dagger in his hand. I freeze as my hate only continues to rise, unsure if I should join the two in killing Clarence or focus on Eli. A shadowy foot kicking the side of Billy Grime's gun to divert it from Clarence answers my question.
He's still alive. Good. I was... I was worried.
Seeing that Virgil is fine, I run back toward Eli now that more are joining the fight. Bonfire is right behind me, his hands blazing with a potent silver flame, only the depths of the heat charcoal in color.
All the while, Kwakiteh has been facing Eli, only receiving Syliva and Parker's help in the past few moments. We all converge together on the old man, even as he continues to swap places.
However, the cooperation between all five of us against Weiss is far from seamless. I can't wholly trust Sylvia or Parker like I can Kwakiteh, while Bonfire is simply an awful person to have to cooperate with. He's strong, but none of his attacks are something that can be readily harnessed. All in all, while providing more threats to Weiss, we also offer the old man openings to escape and retaliate.
As the skirmish unfolds, tension simmers beneath the surface of our alliance, creating fractures in our attempts to corner the Underground Tree. Sylvia is pissed at Bonfire for almost burning her, while Parker glares at Kate for nearly cutting his head off. The old man exploits these divisions, slipping away just as we believe we have him cornered.
I don't let my eyes leave either of them, even while attempting to kill this man. Still, exhaustion slowly sets in, both for Blodwyn and me. Stepping back slightly for a reprieve, I hear a distant clamor through Blodwyn's enhanced hearing. Tilting my head, I feel a seismic rumble jolt the cavern, a mere prelude. The marble wall virtually bisects itself with a deafening roar, creating an opening in the cavern. A rush of air accompanies the event, stripping away the old man's left ear as he attempts to evade the impending catastrophe. Yet he cannot entirely dodge it all, as he cannot activate his Arca in time.
The whirl of air is simply that fast, faster than a thought.
Suddenly, a man without arms emerges from the newly created opening, sprinting into the fray with a bloodied figure. Furthermore, he is so bloodied that the missing leg is less of a concern. The cavern halts in silence for a moment as Lennon Hull comes forth. The implication of his arrival is transparent and without any room for potential fault due to his personality.
He has killed Maddox Adkins.
I don't know what to do for a second as Lennon pounces toward Eli. The old man is barely fast enough to swap positions with Sylvia, who can hardly defend herself from Lennon's careless slash. Seeing them attack, I get into motion.
"Watch where your fucking aiming!"
Lennon doesn't even give the Pillar the time of day, rushing right for Eli Weiss with a bloodied smile. Looking closely, I track the bastard's missing leg, but he walks all the same.
How?
Blodwyn answers.
"Soul. Dominion. It is altering itself to act as arm, leg, and blade."
I nod slowly, hardly understanding, as the battle only grows more heated. Sighing, I breathe in deeply, tugging on the muscle of Burdenless to emit the misty ice from my body. The saturation within my form vanishes in a moment, removing all hints of mental fatigue and the leftover Ether from overuse. At the same time, though, Blodwyn reaches deeply into my bones, taking heed of a skill I crafted specifically for him. Excavator has the Ether shoved into my marrow ripped out as yet another Burdenless comes to fruition; this time, though, the mist emerges from my heart. The mist is blood-red and fades into the air as Blodwyn releases a sigh of relief.
Then, I sprint ahead just as a familiar figure struts into the room of chaos. I nearly fall over myself as I stare at him in awe, in awe of the feeling that surrounds him. Tall, short hair, with a rapier at his hip. A tiny scar below his right eye and the aura of a shadow. It's almost as if he's not here, yet he is. Squinting, I feel a familiar sensation that I just can't place.
Tyler Shaw stands amid a battleground where only Angels should tread. I stare at him as he watches the others attempt to kill Eli Weiss. His head twists slightly, pointing his nose directly toward me.
"We have met before, have we? Interesting. I sense that our time has crossed. Hmm... I never forget a face."
For a moment, I think I know what is happening, that this man is the vessel carrying my mother, but the truth immediately shifts as I see a familiar brook echo with a phantasmal image behind the man.
Eli Weiss even shouts at Tyler Shaw despite his struggle to survive.
"Shaw! Think carefully about what you are doing! Do not do it!"
I raise an eyebrow in total confoundness as Tyler Shaw smiles, displaying a fearless attitude. He strides right past me toward Eli, walking directly beyond Sylvia's shocked face. The 6th Sigiled continues even as Clarence's living but unmoving body ragdolls into the room. I spot Virgil Flicker behind me as Billy Grimes returns, threatening Tyler Shaw.
"Return to your home, Shaw. You are not meant to be here. Do not do it."
Tyler Shaw spins slightly, meeting the gaze of every single Angel while I'm still lost in the moment. What is happening?
The Shaw pauses the entire battle as even Lennon gives him hesitance.
“I am the last of House Shaw. The family you all treat like dirt has kept the shadows from the past from devouring us. You have hunted us down like dogs, yet you kept one alive in case the shadows returned—a mistake. Dying has never frightened me."
Tyler Shaw sidesteps Eli Weiss' Coiled Steam with an alacrity that belies his stature. The curious thing is, though, that the Slumbering don't stop him, nor do the Pillars. Only Weiss attempts, and he fails as the other Angels protect him. Nonetheless, the last of House Shaw doesn't cease his words, even as the Prime endeavors to kill him.
"I care only for the goal that has eluded my family for millennia. When you fall into the River Of Time, Weiss, Pillars, Slumberers, cast into the darkness of oblivion, realize that the sands you reside in are the very same that live within my veins. Not all Shaws are dead yet. A man is not measured by his life, nor is a lineage. They are measured by their start and their end.”
Tyler Shaw finishes his words as the man literally vanishes. And the instant he does, I remember the multiple times I thought I saw something in the mist. It was him. Tyler Shaw. But how?
I have little time to ponder as the phantasmal image of the River Of Time behind him grows more distinct, but it doesn't feel dangerous. Instead, the sands spread out from the image, wrapping around Lennon, Kwakiteh, Virgil, Bonfire, and I, those who are here specifically to kill Eli Weiss.
Confusion grips me as time literally slows, similar to how the hourglass worked. Only this time I can move. It's not quite as powerful, though, at most crippling the passage time to half pace. The man turned into time speaks to me through the sand and, most likely, the others who gained his boon.
"Kill them all. Give our race a reset. Do not end today with only the Tree's death. Let this be my family's final gift to humanity. Take lead, Graves. You are alike my family. We have been chained, beaten, and slashed in numbers due to fear. Take lead."
As I consider Tyler's words, the Shaw someone I hardly even know, a man immediately takes advantage of the Last Shaw's vengeance.
Lennon Hull swings for Eli Weiss with his intangible blade, and the old man is just a tad bit too slow this time. Half of Weiss' wires are cut, and a gash goes from the man's shoulder to his hip. Liquids seep out of him as he funnels more inside with his belt, but the rest of us pounce despite the surprise appearance of Tyler Shaw.
Even the Slumberers and Pillars help, but I keep my eye on Billy Grimes. To me, he's the most significant threat after we kill Weiss. I know little about the Shaw and less about his family, but he's right. Today cannot end simply with killing Weiss. So many lives depend on who wins this fight. For now, I toss away that thought, though, and rush Weiss, feeling everyone to be significantly slower than before.
No matter what happens after, we have to first kill the old man.