The Guardians of London: Third Echelon CHAPTER THREE [6 Slots Open]

[Lord_Ascendant]

Lurker nodded. A final blow was struck by Kin, driving a blade into the suited creature's head. It spasmed once and then lay still...purple blood pooling. Bastian stood up, arms slick with monster guts and blood. The Dark Skull stood up in her corner, inching across the wall as the Guardians prepared themselves...slowly moving towards the balcony. As she did so, she spoke to the Guardians... addressing them all, "I never asked to become a Shadow Lord, you know. Never consulted or counseled, I was simply dragged under the tide with my fellow Augurs. All we sought was insight into the future and to peer into the past so we could better know who and what we were."
"All you found, Sulerain, was darkness and corruption. You fed greedily, as did your companions, from the dark power of the Destroyer." said Lurker, flaring his green flames.
"How could we know? How could we have ever known what the Destroyer was when we did not even know the Light? We heard the words of Archemorus when he walked among us...so young and brave to spread his knowledge. We were deaf to his words..."
"And now you are punished for all you have done. Every man slain that stood defending this world, every woman slain who dared to take up the Light's banner, every child strangled in its crib, everyone you have ever harmed cries out for vengeance. Can you hear them?" said Bastian, orange spools of energy unraveling from him and reaching out for the Dark Skull.
The Dark Skull swallowed hard and clutched her new child close, who began to whimper, while the Dark Skull's face became haunted and pale.
"It's all my fault..." whispered the Dark Skull, turning to face the sunrise.
~~~
From the dawn a bright light flared, brighter than the sun. It came from the east as the blood-red sun rose...and there was a man there, bathed in light who spoke and naught heard him as he arose...a thousand horsemen at his rear he said "The Guardians stand alone."
A horseman rode up to join him and said "Not alone..." The light, to the Guardian's eyes, began to approach. Soon it overwhelmed them and before them, in regalia holy and blessed by the Light itself was Silas. Clad in golden and white armor, eyes ablaze with golden light he spoke with power that reverberated through the whole tower.
"Sulerain, Dark Temptress!" Silas bellowed, winds buffeting them as he flapped great white feathered wings.
"Your crimes against the Great Balance have writ your judgement upon your soul. You have slain thousands in the name of your master and corrupted many more. What have you to say in your defense!"
"There is nothing I can say or do to sway you from your judgement, Archon. Just destroy me, tear me apart with agony like I know you will."
"You have no sympathy for those you have slain? No regrets for what you have done?"
"Go ahead, shame me for what I have done. I did not choose to become a scion of evil and pain! I did not choose this life! It chose me! I cannot express the pain I feel as I end each life, but I must because it is the path I walk. I could not cry for those things I have done, the sadness crushed me so that I have no more tears to spill. There is nothing now, a hollow shell of a woman driven mad by her choices and forced to suffer for her mistakes. Have no mercy, Archon, I did not assume any servant of the Light to have it. The Light is not perfect or pure, there is no mercy for one who repents even from the mouth of the abyss...only a painful death and a long eternity in oblivion."
Silas alighted on the balcony, resting his wings and letting the aura of light collapse to barely a whisper, his voice clean and without the godliness.
"I forgive you, Sulerain. Because I am not the Light, I am a man and a man forgives that which a god does not. I declare your sins absolved and your darkness lifted, the burdens you have carried so long are ended. Be at peace."

The Dark Skull bowed her head and turned to the Guardians. She laid the child in Bastian's arms, eyes wet with tears she said "Take care of him." and she kissed the babe on his pale blue forehead and said "Goodbye." and turned back to face Silas.
"May you find peace in death, Sulerain. You have earned a respite from the pain."
Silas looked over the Guardians and said to Rena "Young Avenger; this is your time." and from his belt took a shimmering blade of gold and handed it to Rena.
"Your birthright." said Silas before straightening.
"Make it quick." said the Dark Skull, her last words.
"Your judgement is passed, may Faerie be free."

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Rena's eyes widened when Silas made his appearance. He was so cool looking! Her eyes were practically sparkling as he easily scolded the darkest force in Faerie as if she were a wayward child about to feel a hand of justice. A hand she personally felt every so often. Shaking that thought out of her mind, she listened as Silas brought judgement onto the Dark Skull once and for all.

What had surprised her though, was when he turned to her and presented her the golden sword to slay the Dark Skull. It was funny that she was even more surprised when he referred to her as a 'young Avenger'. That made her heart feel nice and warm since it had always been a dream of hers to become an Avenger. Taking the sword in hand, it felt natural to her, and she smiled a little. Bowing her head, she said. "Thank you Mister Silas, I'll bring justice to her right now!" She held the sword straight up and let it shine in the light before saying. "For my family, the Avengers, and the thousands of Fae that you've killed. It's time for you to face the Light, Dark Skull. Take this!" She then swung the sword in a wide slash, the blade heading straight for the Dark Skull's neck. She intended on beheading the Dark Skull so that she may never again rise to cause chaos and darkness in the world.

Spoiler: OOC

She has every intention of killing the Dark Skull, I just left it at this so you can continue the story after the beheading. ^^

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

The Dark Skull's head rolled neatly off of her shoulders, crumbling to dust as the rest of her imploded into a pile of ash.
"It is done. Faerie is free." said Silas, locking eyes with Kin.
"You live again, friend. A tale worthy of my ears."
"I'll tell you the whole thing later, Silas." said Kin in return. Just then the tower began to rumble and split, the stone crumpling.
Bastian looked around and said "Everyone out!" and he went to run but Silas lifted them up on a disc of light and floated them away as the tower crumpled.
He held the child in his arms still; pale blue skin with little stubby horns...cute in its own way it was asleep in his arms.

When they arrived on the ridge where the swords lay, marking the divide where the Avengers had fallen pillars of light shone down and spirits stood there awaiting them, greeting Rena as a new Avenger and blessing her. Anastasia spoke to Silas, saying "Of the two sides I have finally decided on the Steward."
Silas nodded and the Illrian daemon stepped from her, a shadowy ghost which bowed as she lost the horns that she had worn proudly.
"I will join with the child, when he is old enough. I owe the Guardians that much, and this child will grow up apart from it's mother's evil"
Silas smiled and began to ascend higher and higher..."I take my leave, find me again in my sanctuary...where I shall remain. Blessings upon all of you, Faerie is free"

 

[Hussmann54]

With the mask covering his face, he only tilted his head a bit towards Silas. The familiar muffled voice;
"Nice suit"

"Custom tailored." Silas replied with a grin.

"So, now what? Business as usual?

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"We return to our world, with Faerie free there is no more need of us..." said Silas, vanishing in a beam of light. "Find me, old friend. We have much to discuss"

Bastian stood there, babe in his arms and surrounded by allies and friends. He smiled and looked down at the child, still getting a chill thinking about what had been done to him to produce this tiny helpless thing. The Guardians went back to Grand Moon in style, with fanfare and colored banners flying the flags of victory. There was a feast,then two feasts...then they were honored with awards. Of all of the honors received was little Rena's, she bowed before the old Avenger all dressed in white and was consecrated as an Avenger. The Guardians, now laden with medals and honorary titles, returned back through the portal into their world. The necromancers were waiting for them, mending the portal and keeping it stable for their return. They were guided to the outside world, where the Wind and Sail was waiting for their return.
Bastian looked back at the temple and sighed, so much had happened and so many stories needed to be told...when he approached the airship to climb up the ramp he saw Charlie waiting for him, a silly grin plastered to his face. They hugged for the first time in a long time and Bastian said "I missed you."

 

[Hussmann54]

Kin knocked on the door to Silas quarters.
"You in?"
"Im certainly not out."
He walked in, the new body standing fresh compared to the old soul inside it. It was weird, having to assume a new identity for himself. Surely though, it would be possible to slip away and create a new life soon. Plus, Anastasia had agreed to join him at least for a short time, having her own path to forge in life.

Kin sat down and adjusted himself.
"I gotta get out of this business' I say to myself. But you just keep managing to drag me back in, don't you?"

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"As I had said before, old friend, we are the only line of defense against the onslaught of darkness that is waiting for us in the Far Veil...without us...this world would falter and fail." said Silas, his voice still ringing with power.
He lifted a glass of wine and studied it "I wonder..." and he took a sip and frowned, "How unfortunate, alcohol has no effect on me..."
Silas stepped over to a statue in the rotunda of his quarters, where a large mirror was held in the arms of a blindfolded woman. Silas reached out and tapped the mirror and it shimmered, showing a roiling cloud of darkness and energy...massive red eyes showing through it.
"That, friend, is why we are here..." said Silas, scratching his neck and sending some gold dust falling to the ground.
Kin looked at the image as it roiled and hissed silently, things forming around it...hedrons of stone, metal and crystal as well as beasts of many sorts both bizarre and evil.

"It has been growing for a long time, now. The Shadow Lords have become desperate as we pick them off...and now they rush their plans and begin calling their dark master from the Primal Nether. Shadow itself, what once was the first world, is sending out its tendrils and tearing a path for the Destroyer. And that is not all..."

~~~

Elsewhere, back in London...it was a glorious return for the Guardians who had been gone a long time. With their return, Bastian set out to adopt the child he had brought with him out to another family...and check up on his brothers and sisters. Lurker returned to his place in the Guardians, his rage no longer risen. Anastasia went and joined the Stewards of the Rhyle. After a long deliberation the Conclave emerged with a new bill of rights for all things on Earth, including the magical and the monstrous or different. Things were finally looking up.

 

[Hussmann54]

"Well, regardless, I now have a fun new job."
"Oh?"
"Yup, I get the great displeasure of trying to convince the Archon council to not send assassins after this new infant child that is apparently a potential harbinger of immense power. Its not that I dont think the child has a choice in his own fate, but the council will not be easily swayed, especially by what they consider to be a freak accident."
Silas took a sip. "I assume you mean yourself?"
"Yup." Kins gaze seemed to pierce into the distance as he stared off. "I get to start all over again, or something like that. They just want me out of the way until they can actually figure out what to do with me. But I get to personally train Anastasia. Not really sure where to begin with her though, her powers seem.... all over the place...."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"Born a Rhyle, joined with an Illrian...I would assume one's magic would become quite strange. As for the child Bastian saved, there is no fear to be had there. It will be raised a Guardian, it will not be told what it is at first...but it will dsicover that in time. There will be some difficulty, but the child will understand their place and will take part in the final battle."
said Silas.

"How do you know so much?" asked Kin, sitting down and taking out his pipe.

"When your mind is so full of images...the past and the present and the future...I know the exact moment I am going to die, you know. It's what being me entails now...I'm a demigod now and that means my burdens are stranger than ever."

"Well in the coming years I hope to keep your feet on the ground. Any new projects in mind?"

"Yes, I would like to look into something which seems to occur with these strange crystals i've discovered...perhaps find a use for them. As fas as I can tell they make excellent traps for the energy of the soul...much more so than the lesser ether crystals I used in the Mara. Perhaps we could improve them?"

 

[Hussmann54]

"Soul trapping." Kin began to stuff a pinch of tobacco in the bowl. "Tricky business, not my specialty. But I know that its risky. Soul essence doesn't like being told what to do. Most of the time it turns maleficent, resentful. The stuff doesnt like being kept from the natural order. You kill a man, he dies, the soul departs, the stench remains."
He stopped for a second. "Okay im sorry, but I dont even know what school of magic Anastasia follows..... did I miss something?"

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"Something you may know by association, old friend." said Silas, snapping his fingers and producing a white flame and lighting the pipe for his friend. "Few these days are dragon-blooded but within her the bloodline is still strong. The Tsars had contracts with powerful White dragons brought here from Thassaria. She's a Red Mage, but her powers have yet to fully awaken. What she unleashes now is a taste of her true power, it only seems to be aeromancy for now."

 

[Hussmann54]

"Oh the Russians love me.... I've only killed.....about 30-odd officials of their government."
Kin huffed the pipe. "So I'm dealing with Russian royalty with the ability, at full power, to level small cities?"

"You are forgetting she wears a size 2" Silas said with a grin.

"You always give me the fun ones."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

Silas smiled and looked back at the image of the roiling wound in the Far Veil and nodded.
"Soon that kind of power will be needed when the Destroyer finally emerges into the Far Veil. When that happens...the end will truly have begun."

"How long will that take?" asked Kin.

"A slow emergence...perhaps thirty years? I cannot say for certain because I am going to stymie their advance as much as I can. I am moving the city to a location in order to hold them back as long as possible." said Silas, waving his hand and sending the image away.

"Will you train the girl here or back on earth?"

 

[Hussmann54]

"It will be back on earth. But that don't mean I won't be stopping in to say hello." kin replied.
Then a solemn tone took his voice.

"Do you really think we have a chance? Do you think its actually possible to change fate? Or are we just appeasing our self-preservation instinct? "

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"To everything there is a balance." said Silas and here he tapped his foot and a small sphere emerged, something used a focus for illusory images. Silas conjured up a ghostly image around them...a being that seemed reflected at its waist, one half was pure white and the other half dark black. "The Light and the Dark are one. Creator and destroyer, each existing in a balance of harmony between them. What the Light creates, the Dark destroys. Life and death are a key to our existence. Though the Light and Dark may struggle they cannot destroy one another, merely weaker the other for a time."

Here Silas changed the image instead to show the Cycle, a five spoked wheel with a gap between the first and fifth spokes. "We understand time in the Cycle, an endlessly repeating cycle of battle between the Light and the Dark. The Dark seeks to usurp the Light for a time and bring destruction. The Light seeks to heal and to bring peace. If there were to be only the Light; life would have no meaning...no war or famine, no disease or pain...only an endless ennui of nothing. However if the Dark were to destroy the Light forever, there would be nothing but pain and death...and life would be short and unconcerned with the finer things of life, no knowledge but how to avoid death the longest. The Dark forever seeks to fight the Light for a time of dominance and whether it succeeds or fails rests on the shoulders of us mortals to fight him. If we have faith then we can defeat the Dark and secure more peace and ease from the Dark. However it is this time which makes these times of peace bearable...because soon the Dark rebuilds again and begins sending out its agents to wreak chaos again."
As Silas spoke the wheel turned and showed images of battle against the Destroyer, and of the aftermath. "You see, Kin, this great battle must occur and we must be prepared to face it because though there is a balance and the Dark will not rule forever...we must appeal to our nature to struggle and defeat the Dark and send it back from whence it came. In the following peace we will rebuild what was lost and prepare for the next time the Dark comes rising."

Silas then let the images fade as he leaned against the orb, hovering in midair. "To put it in layman's terms, I'd rather die fighting than live and let the earth go through a thousand years of torment at the hands of the Dark. I am sure you would not rather the earth come under the dominion of the Dark without a fight."

 

[Hussmann54]

Kin took a breath of the smoke, letting it drift back out from his lips.
"Well then, Silas..." The wisps dissipated."It appears we both have a great deal of work ahead of us, don't we."
He let the pipe burn out, then packed it away in his coat as he stood up and put it on.
"I'll see you around...." He nodded. "Good luck."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"May the path you walk be blessed." said Silas with a smile. As Kin departed he took a deep breath and turned to face an empty canvas on the wall. "I guess I have time..." Silas commented to himself, lifting the framed empty canvas from the wall and carrying it over into another room.

~~~

Bastian tried to convince Charlie to give up the child for adoption but after much bickering and harsh words were spoken Bastian backed down and kept the child, even though seeing it reminded him of what had been done to him to create it. They had a birth certificate forged rather well by Lurker, whose penmenship skills were excellent and his forgery passed perfectly thus cementing the existence of Marcus Graystone Wyre-Smith as a British citizen.

Sitting alone at the fountain one day he observed a curious sight; the two most bitter of rivals, Hadrian and Breaker, walking together and laughing. Seeing this Bastian smiled and waved at them before leaning up to look at the sky through the glass skylight and took a deep breath. Maybe things weren't as bad as they felt.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

[HEADING=1]Epilogue[/HEADING]

Sebastian Wyre settled into a life mostly peaceful, though the ever present memory of being violated by the shadow lord Sulerain left him scarred and he dealt with what was then being called "post-traumatic stress".
He completed his Master's trials and earned the rank of Master but refused to mentor his son, Marcus, because he was worried he would be too harsh on the boy.
Today he still serves as a Master of the Guardians, still living in London.

Silas Grey, Archon and Illrian Shadow still resides at his sanctum in the Far Veil...which has now moved to watch the slowly emerging Darkness. The dark other-half of the Light that threatens yet another incursion to wipe out all that the Light has created and leave chaos in its wake. Perfecting his living automatons, the Mara, he spends many hours conversing with his old friend Nicolaous Kin who... through repeat exposure to Silas and his aura of holy light...has refused to age much.

Spoiler: OOC Please Read

Time to wrap your characters up, folks. It's been good. Unfortunately, I have to take a break from the internet and go look at some trees.