Sword of the Stars Part 21
Serving a Purpose
"Oh, by the darkness!"
Talpa turned at Ling's sudden cry of panic. The Sorceress had a hand over her heart and was breathing heavily.
"Are you all right?"
Ling nodded and took a deep, steadying breath. "I believe so. The Dark Lord has summoned us."
"Already?" Talpa asked, frowning. "But you said he only took the host an hour or so ago. It takes much longer than that to regain his full strength."
Ling shook her head. "Triantia is under attack."
"What? By whom?"
Ling answered as she stood. "Every surviving soldier from every nation we've conquered, and all of the ones from Zendra."
Talpa shrugged. "It matters not. When the Dark Lord regains his powers, we will exterminate all of them."
"Talpa, listen to me." When he faced her, she went on. "The Warrior is on his way there, as well. The Dark Lord is not yet strong enough to battle the Warrior and win."
Talpa tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Ling, how soon can you have the two of us there?"
"In a matter of moments," the Sorceress replied. "But what about the soldiers? Don't you want to defend Triantia?"
Talpa barked a laugh. "I could care less about Grantis' Empire! They were merely a diversion. The only thing that matters to us, Ling, is helping the Dark Lord to gain control of all that is. Hurry, Ling, we will deal with the Warrior ourselves."
Ling nodded, and prepared one of her teleportation spells.
~*~
Even though the others couldn't see anything, Duo had a perfect view of what was going on below them. There were soldiers scattered and fighting as far as the eye could see. This time, though, the Triantian soldiers were at a disadvantage. They were outnumbered, and were easily falling to the other nations.
Only the Triantian Palace was undamaged. The immense structure's high, durable walls made it impossible to do damage to the interior with arrows or catapults, and the walls were too smooth to scale. The gates were made of thick steel and were impossible to budge.
Duo realized he was getting tired. He couldn't hold them up much longer. He studied the distance between them and the Palace and decided he could make it.
"We'll be down in a minute," he told the others.
"Where are you taking us?" he heard Quatre ask.
"Over the walls of the Triantian Palace. It's the only way to get inside. Hold on."
With all of his effort, he kept them aloft and directed the winds to take them over the Palace walls. No one noticed them. To everyone else's eyes, there was nothing but a breeze flowing through the air.
"There are soldiers down there," he said. "Be ready to fight."
"Right," Quatre said.
Gently releasing his concentration, Duo brought them down to the ground. When he sent the winds away, he opened his eyes and glanced around him. The soldiers standing around them jumped. Small wonder. To them, it seemed as if Duo and his friends had appeared out of thin air.
The soldiers called to their allies in panicked voices. Within seconds, there was a group of armed men racing toward them. Without thinking, Duo drew the Star Sword. It hissed as it left the scabbard. The soldier closest to him stopped short when he saw the mark on Duo's forehead. The unfortunate soul had a second to gasp before Duo cut him down. As the soldiers engaged into battle with them, countless sword techniques flooded into his mind at once. He knew when to strike, when to parry, when to feint, everything. The Star Sword felt like an extension of his arm. From the corner of his eye, he saw balls of fire explode against men's chests, and Quatre's staff was spinning wildly, striking any soldier who came near. Soon, all the men were dead or dying.
Duo sagged, putting his hands on his knees to keep himself up. Wufei grabbed his shoulders gently.
"Will you be all right?" He bent and peered at his face. "Duo, you're exhausted. You shouldn't be doing this now."
He shook out of the Healer's grip. The Star Sword was pulling at him, drawing him further into the Palace. He could sense the evil of the Dark Lord. "I have to. I have to end this before it gets worse." He started for the doors to the Palace. They were open, and servants were running in and out with supplies. He ignored the servants and walked into the Palace. He paused at the doorway, looking back at the others. Yohan was speaking to the horses and motioning for them to stay put. Then, he came to join Duo. Quatre and Wufei followed.
"You don't have to come, you know," he told them.
"Yes, I do," Yohan said. "I am your guide. It is my duty to see you fulfill your destiny."
"We told you we would come with you," Quatre said, speaking for himself and Wufei. "It isn't over yet." Duo smiled. "Thanks." He turned and gestured to the mass of panicking servants and other people running around the Palace. "This place is rather large. Any idea where the Dark Lord is?"
"As far up as he can get," Yohan replied without hesitation. "His powers are not at their fullest, yet. He must remain hidden while he recharges."
"Then the highest turrets are the answer," Wufei said.
"But which one?" Quatre asked. "There are a lot of them. How do we know which one to check? We don't have any time to waste."
"Grantis will know," Duo said flatly. "He has to have some way of speaking to the Dark Lord. Grantis will know where he is. We're going to the throne room."
His friends nodded, and they started running.
~*~
Grantis slammed a hand hard on the armrest of his throne. "This cannot be happening!" he shrieked in anger.
"This is my Empire!" He pointed at Talpa and Ling. "You two are here; where is my army? Where is it when I need it the most?!"
Ling sighed softly. "Your army is where we left it: at the border of Shakra."
"What is it doing there?! We must defend my kingdom!"
"Grantis, you fool," Ling said coolly, "Your little Empire matters not. Do you not think we have something more valuable to defend?"
"Such as the Dark Lord?" Talpa added.
Grantis shrank back a little. She had to handle this carefully. The Dark Lord would be rid of Grantis when he chose, and until then, she had to keep the Emperor loyal to them. "Emperor, if the Dark Lord is defeated, you will never gain your reward for your services. We must focus all of our energies on stopping the Warrior. When the Dark Lord is at full power, he will take your Empire back for you and give you the rewards."
Grantis thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes Yes! That is perfect!"
"We must defend our Lord at all costs," Ling continued. "He must be given time to regain his powers."
"We will deal with the Warrior when he arrives," Talpa said. "The Dark Lord will not be harmed."
~*~
Duo pulled his Sword from a soldier's skull and watched the body tumble down the stairs. Ahead of him, Quatre hooked his staff under a soldier's leg and knocked him over the railing.
"How many is that now, Duo?" he called.
He shrugged in reply. He wasn't keeping a tally of how many men they killed today. He knew it was a lot. The had faced many guards and soldiers during their journey to the throne room, and not one of them had been left standing.
Quatre jabbed another guard in the windpipe with his staff and kicked him down the stairs. He looked ahead of him and, satisfied, motioned for them to come up. Yohan ran by him, but he grabbed Wufei's arm as he past him.
"Isn't this hard for you?" he asked him quietly. "To watch all these men die? You're a Healer."
"I am," he agreed. "It used to bother me, but not anymore. Ever since I met Quatre...my view of right and wrong has changed somewhat. Survival of the fittest. We're good, they're evil. If we don't kill them, they'll kill us."
Duo released his arm and they continued running. How many floors were there in this place? Certainly more than the Celestial Palace had. Up and up they went, dealing with any Triantian soldier they met quickly. Soon, they climbed another flight of stairs and reached a long hallway. Two large doors were at the end of it, with familiar faces standing in front of them.
Duo froze when he saw them. "Talpa and Ling," he said breathlessly.
Quatre tensed and tightened his grip on his staff. "We have to go through them, Duo."
He nodded. /Please give me strength,/ he pleaded to the Sword. He squeezed the hilt. The blade began to glow a bright golden color. Talpa and Ling waited patiently. Slowly, Duo began to walk toward them. He was aware of Quatre, Yohan, and Wufei following him.
"Welcome to the Triantian Palace," Ling said to them when they were five feet or so apart. "I thought my Shadows would have dealt with you, boy, but I see you are stronger than you look." She glanced at Yohan. "Ah, a Stardragon Mage. I have not faced one of you in many centuries. This should be interesting."
"Enough talk," Talpa growled. He faced Duo. "I remember you. You are the one I fought in Garrania. This time, I will win." He unsheathed his black blade.
"The Dark Lord will reign supreme!" Ling shouted. "You cannot--*will not*-- stop him! Die!"
The Sorceress raised her arms into the air. Instinctively, Duo raised the Sword high. The glow surrounding it expanded to form a dome of golden light around them. As soon as the shield was in place, black lightning crashed against it. The magic had no effect on them. The lightning vanished and Ling gasped.
"Impossible!"
As the Sorceress stood in shock, a ball of fire left Yohan's hand and flew toward her. She recovered in time to deflect it and send it back to him. Before it could harm him, Yohan was wrapped in a blue aura, and it dissolved the flame. Duo glanced at Wufei. He was holding his white crystal. He was also glowing blue, as was Quatre. He wondered why he wasn't protecting him, when he glanced at himself. He was wrapped in golden light from the Sword.
"Fight!" Wufei shouted, backing away. "I don't know how long I can keep this up!"
Yohan and Ling began sending a barrage of magical attacks at one another. Quatre ran to Talpa and began dueling with him.
"Go on, Duo!" he cried. "I'll handle him!"
This time, Duo didn't argue. "Be careful!" He ran toward the doors.
"No!" he heard Talpa shout. He heard Quatre cry out in pain. He turned in time to catch Talpa's blade with his own. The General advanced on him mercilessly, driving him to the doors. Soon, his back was pressed against them. Talpa pushed his sword against Duo's and brought his masked face closer.
"You will never defeat the Dark Lord, Duo," the General spat. "This ends now."
"It ends when I end it," Duo heard himself say. "I don't have time to deal with you." With strength he didn't know he possessed, Duo shoved Talpa off of him and sent the General staggering backwards. Without pausing, Duo turned and burst through the doors, aware of Quatre once again engaging Talpa into combat.
~*~
He shut the doors and bolted them before turning around. He was in the throne room. Something moving caught his eye. A man wearing a crown. Duo guessed at once who the man was.
"Emperor Grantis Irongrip."
Grantis jumped. "You--you're the Warrior?"
The magical shield surrounding him faded away. He hefted the Sword and nodded. "I am."
Grantis looked around nervously. "W-where are T-Talpa and Ling?"
Duo gestured behind him. "They're a little occupied at the moment." He took a step closer. "Grantis, I have a question for you. Where is the Dark Lord?"
Grantis gasped and backed away. "No! You must not kill the Dark Lord! You must not!"
Duo frowned. This nervous individual was the Emperor of the greatest nation in the world? "I'll give you one chance, Grantis. One chance. Where is the Dark Lord?"
Grantis swallowed and put a hand on the hilt of the sword he wore around his waist. As he clumsily unsheathed it, Duo could tell that it was merely there for show. The man had no idea how to wield one. With a wordless roar, Grantis ran toward him, swinging the sword like a madman.
Duo backed up and deflected the swipes Grantis made at him. Effortlessly, he knocked the sword out of the Emperor's hands and kicked him to the ground. The Emperor tried to crawl away, but Duo thrust his Sword through Grantis' shoulder, keeping him there. The Emperor shrieked in pain.
"Don't kill me!" he wailed. "Please, don't kill me!"
Duo was about to demand where the Dark Lord was again, when he heard someone burst through the doors. Duo turned, his Sword still in Grantis. The doors were ripped from the hinges, with Talpa standing atop them. The General ran toward him at incredible speed. Duo turned to pull his Sword from Grantis' shoulder, but he wasn't quick enough. Talpa ran into him, knocking him to the ground on his back. Before he recovered, the General was atop him, his large, gloved hands around his neck. He tried to Wufeig the Sword up, but Talpa's knee pressed down on his sword-arm. He used his free hand to pry at Talpa's, but it was no good. He stared into the eyes of the skull mask, gagging as he fought to free himself. Where was Quatre? What had Talpa done to her? What about Yohan and Wufei?
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Grantis run toward a tapestry hanging on the far wall. He moved it and disappeared through a door. That was it! Duo realized. The Dark Lord was hiding up there. He clawed at the hands around his neck, but it did no good. Talpa had him firmly. His lungs cried for air, and black dots appeared in front of him.
"I told you it ends here," Talpa growled at him.
His eyes started to close. /Noit can't end like this... Someone help me.../ As he stared up at Talpa with half-closed eyes, something unexpected happened. Wufei leaped at Talpa from the side, taking the General completely by surprise. He toppled off of Duo.
Duo sat up, taking several deep breaths. He surveyed the scene. Yohan and Ling were still battling with their magic, and Quatre was crawling into the throne room, dragging a useless wounded leg behind him. He turned back to Talpa and Wufei. Talpa had thrown the Cleric into the wall and was looking for his sword. Duo jumped to his feet and swung the Star Sword with all his might. The flat of the blade crashed upon Talpa's head. The General fell limply to the ground.
Ignoring Talpa, Duo raced toward the tapestry and went through the door. He bounded up the steps until he reached another door. With a mighty kick, the door opened and he entered the turret.
With the exception of the small amount of light coming from the curtain-shielded windows, the turret was dark. Duo could see the dim shape of a throne ahead of him. Grantis was also there, a giant smirk on his face. As Duo tensed and gripped the Star Sword in both hands, the door swung shut behind him. He jumped at the sound, but didn't turn. He took a step forward, and his foot landed on what felt like a wrist. He pulled back and glanced at the ground. A woman was sprawled on the floor, her midnight hair spread over her. Duo gasped. This was the woman he had seen in the dream he'd had about the Star Sword.
"Who is she?" he demanded.
"She *was* the former host of the Dark Lord," Grantis said. "She has served her purpose, and has been put to rest." Duo diverted his eyes from her. Grantis grinned. "That is the way the Dark Lord works, you see. Once people serve their purpose, they are no longer needed."
INDEED THEY ARE NOT. RATHER LIKE YOU.
Duo gasped at the sound of the voice. It was kind of like an echo of two voices speaking as one. One was the deep voice of a man, and the other was the younger-sounding Heero's. He wanted to call Heero's name, but Grantis spoke first.
"W-what? My Lord, I don't understand. What do you--"
AS YOU SAID, GRANTIS. ONCE SOMEONE SERVES THEIR PURPOSE, THEY ARE NO LONGER NEEDED.
Grantis fell to his knees. "But, my Lord, you said I would be rewarded for my services! You promised me a world!"
The Dark Lord laughed. YOU ARE A FOOL, GRANTIS IRONGRIP. A FOOL. I MUST THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME CONQUER MOST OF THE WORLD ALREADY, AND FOR AIDING ME IN MY SEARCH FOR A HOST. BUT NOW I NO LONGER HAVE ANY USE FOR YOU.
"No, my Lord!" Grantis wailed. He began to sob, bowing into the floor. "Please, spare me! Please!"
OH, GRANTIS... AT THE VERY LEAST YOU COULD DIE WITH COURAGE.
The Emperor was hoisted into the air, sobbing like a child. He clutched his stomach in pain. Duo watched as the man began to grow larger, expanding. As he stared, wide-eyed, Grantis shrieked and his body blew apart. Duo cried out and turned away, covering his face, as blood and entrails splattered everywhere. Bones flew through the air, clattering to the ground. Blood sprayed onto the walls, and onto Duo. Grantis' insides fell to the ground around him.
Duo swallowed hard to keep his food down. He wanted to vomit. Pieces of Grantis were everywhere. He shook his head fiercely and steadied his voice. "Show yourself, Dark Lord."
At his words, a torch on the wall came to life, lighting the turret. Duo gasped. Although he had known all along what he'd see, it still shocked him. Heero stared back at him, sitting comfortably on the black throne. His friend was wearing a pair of breeches and a long-sleeved shirt in black. The cuffs of the sleeves and the collar were lined with silver. A line of silver also ran down the middle of the front of his shirt.
HELLO, DUO.
Without thinking, Duo took a step forward. "Heero--" He was blown back and slammed hard into the door.
SO, THE WARRIOR HAS COME ONCE AGAIN TO FIGHT ME.
Duo shook his head, it was the only part of his that could move. "Heero, I don't want to fight you."
GOOD. THAT WILL MAKE IT EVEN EASIER FOR ME TO KILL YOU.
"No... Heero, you don't mean that."
DON'T I? Duo felt his insides contract. He cried out in pain. He tried to move, but couldn't. "Heero," he croaked, "stop!"
MY NAME ISN'T HEERO. I AM THE DARK LORD.
"No, you're not! Heero, you're my closest friend! Stop this!" He felt the Star Sword pulling at him. Fight, it was telling him. The Dark Lord wasn't at full power yet. Now was the time to strike. /But I can't! It's Heero!/
The pain was quickly becoming too much for him to bear. With great regret, he reached out to the power of the Sword.
The mark on his forehead began to glow, and the Sword began to shine white. He felt the force around him vanish, and he fell to the ground. Heero's eyes widened as Duo raised the Sword. /Forgive me, Heero./ Duo swung the Sword, sending three small white comets hurtling toward his friend.
Heero gasped and leapt off the throne as the comets hit it, destroying it on contact. Heero sent three black balls of fire toward Duo, which he deflected easily with the glowing Star Sword. Heero raised a hand as he hovered in the air, and his twin-blade appeared. The haft was black as night, and the blades were silver. Heero landed and raced toward Duo.
Duo deflected Heero's first assault easily, but as they dueled, his friend became more aggressive. They exchanged blows and parried, making their way around the turret, stepping on the dead woman and Grantis' remains. Duo's foot landed on one of Grantis' bloody organs and caused him to lose his balance. Heero's twin-blade went through his right shoulder.
Duo screamed and brought his Star Sword up, catching Heero across the ribs. His friend fell back, pulling the twin-blade out of Duo as he did so. Duo fought to remain standing, but Heero visibly sagged. The Sword had been right. The Dark Lord was nowhere near as strong as he usually was. As Duo advanced, the door banged open, admitting Yohan, Quatre, and Wufei. They gasped at the sight and stared wordlessly at Heero. Heero, on the other hand, raised himself into the air.
I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THIS... OUR BATTLE MUST WAIT, I AM AFRAID. BUT DON'T WORRY. I WILL DEAL WITH YOU SOON ENOUGH.
As Duo ran toward him, Heero vanished. "Heero, wait!" he cried. There was no answer. "Heero, come back!"
Quatre and Wufei seized his arms as his knees failed him. They held him up while Yohan gazed around the room.
"What happened here?" the mage demanded.
Duo hung his head helplessly. "The woman was the Dark Lord's former host. The rest...the rest was Grantis."
Wufei turned away from the sight with a moan. Yohan shook his head sadly. Quatre swallowed.
"Even Grantis didn't deserve this," Wufei said.
Duo shook his head. "What happened to Talpa and Ling?"
"They retreated," Yohan replied. "When Ling saw what had happened to Talpa, she teleported them both away. We paused long enough for Wufei to heal Quatre's leg before coming up."
"Duo, you don't look very well," Quatre said. He didn't feel well, either. Everything was catching up with him.
The battles, the running, the panic, it was all too much. And after all he'd been through, he'd failed. The Dark Lord was still alive.
He closed his eyes for a moment, but that was all it took. Exhaustion and pain washed over him. Quatre and Wufei caught him as he went limp.
TBC...
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