SLAYING GODS (III)

Since the time immemorial, and even time before that, creatures and men alike all sought ways of infinity. How to struggle in the ways of life, to grasp the immortal reaches and live beyond the capacity of a mortal. To live forever was a dream; to be unbound by Laws which governed all else was a desire.

However, no matter who sought it – whether they were True Dragons or ordinary people – they all, in the end, found nothing. There is no Law that governs Eternity, for there is no Eternity. Nothing in this World, or any other before or those to come, is eternal. Even the Source – the Knowledge itself – will one day fade and be replaced.

Such is the fate of all things living, yet, knowing and accepting Death were two very different things. Lynne had both known and accepted the shackles of reality; he was aware that both those he loved and hated would one day die. It was inevitable side-effect of being born. However, it didn’t help his heart when he saw Fen’er’s body collapse in the sky.

To the onlookers, she may have appeared as a cold and indifferent girl. However, to him, she was a friend; a friend who helped him, and helped all those around him, in their time of need. She betrayed her own family and her own clan to help him, and had become someone Lynne could confide in. Seeing her collapse hurt; he felt the resonance, the bleeding of his heart, and the buried guilt that surfaced yet again.

He was careless; it summed up the falling corpse rather well. Despite all my threats, she still slithered around like a snake, Lynne thought as his eyes opened widely, his breathing turning ragged. I knew she was involved, yet I still let her do whatever she wanted, thinking she’s too weak to change the outcome. No… perhaps, somewhere in my heart, I may have even trusted her. I trusted that smile… I trusted it for the second time.

The first time Lynne had trusted Leana, his father had nearly been stripped away of everything and thrown in a dungeon. The seemingly innocent girl with a warm smile had suddenly gone to the Noble Court and accused his father of raping her. And it was all because Lynne simply refused to listen to her anymore.

This time, the truth of the matter was irrelevant; Fen’er has died, and no matter how steeled his heart became, guilt crept out yet again. Lynne ignored Fyre and everyone else, as his eyes focused on the falling body. He couldn’t see it very well; he couldn’t see the expression she made at the last moment of her life. He couldn’t fathom her last thought, her last breath. It was too late for regrets; all debts will be paid in full. I promise.

“Liz-boy,” Lynne suddenly muttered as the sounds returned back to the world. “Go and immediately cover for Fen’er.”

“Yes, Master!”

“You two,” he then immediately spoke to Thalia and Parsia. “Avoid Leana and her group. I’ll be coming back up in a second.”

“… come up now.” Thalia said, her voice sorrowful.

“What’s wrong?” Lynne asked immediately.

“Mutiny …”

Lynne’s muscles tensed as his eyes grew bloodshot. He had no doubts that there were spies within the forces, but enough to cause mutiny? How?!

“You really shouldn’t be ignoring me, little one.” Fyre’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

The latter suddenly felt a cold chill run down his spine; he felt fear akin to no other in his life. Even when he fought desolate beasts as a young man, he never felt this type of a fear – one that penetrates deep into one’s marrow and causes the very blood to freeze.

Lynne tilted his head and looked at him directly. Those eyes, Fyre realized, were not human’s – at least they aren’t supposed to be. They were dead. No color, no emotion, no distinction – they were eyes of the abyss. Cold. Fyre felt so cold he thought he’d die of frostbite. He could say nothing or do anything. Even though reason and logic told him otherwise, his instinct spoke only a single thing: if I move, I’ll die.

“You should leave,” Lynne said coldly, his voice akin to storm of death. “If you want to keep your life.”

Then, Lynne took to the skies as he spoke to monkey and the bird, telling them to catch Fen’er’s body and keep it safe until the end of the battle. Fyre merely stood atop the sand, unmoving. He heard shouts of his men, cries of his beasts, and he knew that his army was on the verge of victory. The mutiny was a success. So why did he feel so resigned? Why did he feel as if loss was inevitable? He was a God, terrified to even look at a Child.

Lynne had quickly reached the high skies and cast a glance at the encampment. It was a depiction of hell. Infighting made it so that the beasts found it easier to dive past the defenses, and motivated shouts were soon replaced by agonizing screams. It wasn’t his failure, but he could have prevented it were he thought about it just a bit more. Then, his eyes found Leana, who was smiling at him.

“Can’t you see? We’ll win Lynne,” she spoke softly. “So join us. Come to me, and we’ll become one… the way it was meant to be.” however, Lynne didn’t reply; he merely stared at her with indifferent expression. His eyes only saw ugliness; ugliness of human’s heart, soul and mind. He had never found another species so hellbent on betraying the hearts of others. This war, as all wars before it, and all wars to follow, were just truths about what humans were. Not animals, not beasts… just ugly sins.

Suddenly, space around Lynne tore apart and he disappeared, appearing right before Leana. She smiled even widely as his face approached her. His hair and robes fluttered in the gale, and all other sounds were silenced. In her own, wicked way, she truly loved him; she felt her heart bleed jealousy each time she’d see him with Thalia. She wanted him, wanted to own all and everything he was. And now, she felt, she would.

“Come,” she raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek. “We’ll finally be perfect together… the way it was meant to be.”

“I warned you,” Lynne’s voice suddenly echoed, stirring her heart; it was cold, far colder and distant than the North itself. It wasn’t the voice she knew or loved. “Many, many times.” she felt a tight grip on her neck. Just as his voice, the grip was cold and stern, and the hands holding weren’t the hands of the one she loved. “I should have killed you the day you showed your ugly smile to me,” Lynne? No, this isn’t Lynne. Lynne loves me! Lynne worships me!! Who is this?! Where is Lynne?! She couldn’t speak. Her throat ached, and faint cracking sounds echoed from it. “But, alas, all mistakes lead to the same road. Death would be merciful for you. So, enjoy my love for you.”

Lynne let go, and it was all quaint for a brief moment…

“AAAAAAGHHH!!!” Leana’s scream suddenly tore through the sky; her already pale skin lost whatever color it had and her eyes began bleeding. She held onto her throat, but the screams never stopped. Agony. Terror. Horror. Pain. Suffering. Torment.

Lynne had sent a flicker of Hellfire directly into her soul, and it burned. It burned slowly, grasp by grasp, but there was no stopping it. It burned away the very core that made her, and it hurt. It hurt more than the cold glare or the cold hand that held her throat. It hurt more than any and all wounds she bore since the day she was born. She wanted to beg to die, but couldn’t. As her Soul burned, all what made her – including flesh and bones – burned. And, deep down, she knew it would last. All she could do was scream in agony, as every fiber of her being burned…

“YOU!!! WHAT DID YOU DO--” Ryn screamed at Lynne as he bolted towards Leana, however, halfway there his voice ended as his head flew up from his body as the blood stirred outwards from his neck. The blade of the scythe flashed crimson as it returned to Lynne’s hand.

He couldn’t bring Fen’er back, and revenge didn’t matter much to the dead. Some people believed that there is life after, but Lynne didn’t. Death is the end. The last point, where all of living would one day converge. She didn’t live long, or too happily, and no doubt had many regrets in her dying moment. Perhaps, she regretted never telling him she loved him. Lynne knew, but remained silent about it; he knew since they talked after Lords of Zen fell, but he ignored it. Perhaps, it even went beyond that – she regretted she ever loved him.

Whatever regrets she had, Lynne knew, were now gone… just as she was. Some call Death the ugly reality, but Lynne firmly believed in it. Death is the ultimate resolution to the ugly hearts seeking the throne. To some, that throne is a land beyond the border… to others it is a veil of eternity, or Laws of Time or Creation. Whatever it was, he wasn’t beyond it. He had thrones of his own to conquer. Still, staring into the heart of that ugliness is never easy.

“Forgive me,” Lynne muttered lowly as his expression sank. “I was not a good friend.”

There would be time to weep for the dead, but now he had more pressing concerns. If things continued the way they are at the moment, there’s no doubt that he’d be on the losing side. It wasn’t the first time he was outnumbered and in a situation that seemed impossible to win, and he had no doubts that it won’t be the last.

“But this won’t be the final either…” he muttered as he finally raised his head and looked around him. Then, he stimulated his Mana as it poured directly into his heart. “Unseal.” he said.

“Oi, oi, don’t act rash kid! You still haven’t mastered it completely!” the Spirit spoke inwardly.

“I won’t die,” Lynne said, smiling lightly. “I’ll just show them my heart.” Lynne’s body suddenly shook and his usual, blue eyes turned golden. His body seemed to have sung a hymn as all eyes turned towards him; there was something within him that drew all those gazes, and all felt a sense of incompetence, desire to kneel down and adore whoever he was. And then, he muttered merely two words as the whole world grew silent. “Empyrean Absolution.”