Ch 33: Xanth's Decision and Shadow's Hunger

Shadow is on his way to consume the captured members of the group, and bound by himself in a closed room, Alexander finds he is at Xanth's mercy.

            Having awakened in an unfamiliar room bound by chains and fitted with an absorbtion collar, as Alexander struggled to free himself, he thought, “I knew we were likely walking into a trap anyways, but I hadn’t planned on something like this…” Suddenly the door of the room opened, and Alexander looked up to see Xanth coming through the doorway, his trident in hand. With a sigh of defeat, Alexander said, “I knew it.” As Xanth walked silently over to him, Alexander said, “I’m not all too happy to be right either. Loki believed in you Xanth, he loved you as a brother and a mentor. Is your revenge really worth losing that?” Stopping before Alexander, Xanth said, “Even now I question this. Despite my hatred for humanity and half breeds, Loki has always been a proud and honorable lord, and I have nothing but respect for him. Yet you are the entire reason I have come to loathe your kind. After rallying my father and our people to your cause, you betrayed them and murdered my father. Regardless of whether you were fighting on the side of good or evil, you are the man who took him from me. For one thousand years, there has not been one day that I have not thought of what I might do should this day come…” Hanging his head with a sad smile, Alexander said, “I see. Go ahead then Xanth. Just know that you will have no one to blame but yourself when Loki is taken from you as well…” Raising his trident to strike, Xanth said, “If that’s the case, then this is how it must be…” Alexander closed his eyes, preparing himself for the end.

            With a swing of his trident, Xanth sliced through the chains binding Alexander. Opening his eyes in surprise, Alexander looked up at Xanth questioningly. Holding up the control for Alexander’s absorbtion collar, as Xanth deactivated the collar, he said, “I don’t know that the day will ever come that I can put my father’s death behind me. Yet I know I cannot go through with this. I cannot allow any harm to befall Loki, and if I am to ever take my revenge…” Turning his gaze away from him, Xanth continued, “It will be in a way that satisfies my honor and pride as a noble demonfolk.” Rising, Alexander quietly said, “I will always regret what happened to Theraph. I did what I had to. He was too far gone to save. The madness of Altera Veritas must end before more suffer the same way you have. For now, let us call a truce.” With a nod, Xanth said, “Let us go, we must free the others. My soldiers were all slain, which I might add was not supposed to be part of Alastor’s deal, but Loki and your friends still live.” 

Together they rushed out of the room and into the halls, and as he led the way to where the others were held, Xanth said, “We must make haste. He of the Infinite was taken to the top floor of the tower. Alastor might be battling with him as we speak. It’s likely the ancient one has been revived as well…” After taking a flight of stone stairs down to a hall of another floor, they arrived at a door and Xanth quickly unlocked it. Stepping into the room, sitting by the far wall bound in chains and absorption collars as well, as Richter and Loki saw them arrive, their faces showed relief. Grinning at Alexander, Richter said, “I must admit, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see you!” Walking over to him and starting to break him free, Alexander grinned as well as he replied, “I do hope that’s a compliment Richter…” As Xanth broke Loki free and deactivated the collars, he said, “It seems my selfishness has gotten us into another mess. Forgive me Loki…” Shaking his head, Loki said, “I knew that when it came down to it, you would do the right thing.” Suddenly Xanth’s eyes went wide and he turned to see Shadow rising from the floor in the middle of the room, hovering in the air just above the ground. In no time at all, Shadow formed his arm, armor and all, into a spike and raised it at Alexander, who was helping Richter up and had not noticed the menacing figure. Quickly Xanth rushed forth as he shouted, “Gabriel!”

            Xanth knocked Alexander aside as Shadow flew at him with lightning speed. Instead of striking Alexander, he stabbed his spiked arm through Xanth’s chest. His eye wide in horror, Loki shouted, “XANTH!” With a look of disbelief, Richter thought, “He pierced Xanth’s rock hard body like it was paper!” Grabbing Shadow’s arm, which was still lodged in his body, Xanth held him there despite the pain. Blood beginning to run from his mouth, he coughed once before he shouted, “Gabriel, take them and go!” Rushing to help him, Loki shouted, “I won’t abandon you!” Shadow raised it’s other arm at Loki, but Xanth grabbed hold of it, causing the long black spikes Shadow ejected from his arm as projectiles to miss their mark. Wincing in pain, Xanth looked back at Loki and said, “You must go! I am a soldier! I must protect my Lord! Go Loki… Go now!” With no intention of leaving him behind, Alexander formed his sword and said, “You are more than a soldier Xanth, you are a friend! Together we can defeat it! It’s not too late to heal your wounds!” 

Gritting his teeth as he struggled against the ancient demonfolk’s strength, Xanth said, “You have more important-” Shadow suddenly overpowered him and ripped his spiked arm free, and swiftly he kicked Xanth in the stomach, knocking him away with great force. Xanth sailed into the side of the wall and collapsed on the ground, and Shadow said, “A soul? You’re hiding a soul within this bag of flesh, aren’t you?” As Shadow’s eyes glowed with demonic magic, red beams of enhanced Corrupted EDE suddenly shot from them at Alexander. One of Richter’s crystal walls blocked the attack, and quickly Richter willed more crystal walls to surround Shadow and mold together into a layer around him. Having effectively trapped Shadow, Richter shouted, “I don’t think that will hold him for long! Let’s get out of here!”

            Richter and Alexander picked Xanth up off the ground, and with Loki in tow they carried him from the room. Richter channeled all the EDE he could into his crystal prison, barely keeping the barriers encasing Shadow from shattering against the ancient demonfolk’s strength. As they were rushing down the hall, Richter suddenly stopped and said, “That can’t be good…” Quickly glancing at him, Alexander said, “What?” Looking back briefly, Richter said, “He’s either stopped struggling or-” Richter stopped as Shadow rose from the floor before them. Slightly annoyed it wasn’t the first possibility, Richter finished, “Or he’s capable of passing through the floor…” Letting Richter hold onto Xanth, Alexander stepped forward and said, “We’re splitting up! Loki, help Richter with Xanth. Richter, get them out of here. I will deal with him!” Concerned about leaving him behind, Richter said “You are the one who can heal Xanth’s wounds, shouldn’t I-” As his eyes glowed, Shadow once again fired beams of Corrupted EDE at them. Quickly charging his sword with EDE, Alexander deflected them up to the ceiling where they exploded. As the damaged area of ceiling started to fall down, Alexander moved forward past the falling area. Just before it came crashing down, he glanced back with a smile and said, “See you back at Daemonholm everyone…” The others moved back as the ceiling collapsed and blocked off the side of the hall where Alexander and Shadow were about to face off.

            Rushing at Shadow, Alexander thrust his sword. To his disbelief, his sword’s point struck against his enemy’s body and stopped cold, doing seemingly no damage. Leaping back as Shadow formed his fist into a hammer and brought it down at him, Alexander watched the tiny cut his sword had made reseal itself, and thought, “That’s not your average ability. I broke the skin, but it’s like his insides were made of metal…” Raising his other arm as a normal hand, Shadow formed Corrupted EDE into a sphere and shot it at Alexander, who raised his sword and chanted, “Velo Eternus Nox!” A wall of black hexagons blocked the dark energy sphere, but the halls began to shake from the explosion. Thinking fast, Alexander chanted, “Ventus Ambulans!” A light green rune circle appeared beneath him and Alexander felt light as air. Breaking into a run, Alexander ran up the side of the wall and ran along it down the hallway as though it were the floor, going right past Shadow. Turning, Shadow fired beams from his eyes, but Alexander dodged and continued on his way. Hovering above the ground, Shadow floated after him with great speed, firing beams from his eyes. From all the explosions, the hall began to collapse behind them as Shadow chased after Alexander. Suddenly, Shadow dove into the floor, disappearing as though he had jumped into a pool of water. Then Alexander avoided as black spikes began bursting from the wall at him. He quickly descended the wall back to the floor and continued running, but the spikes began coming out of the floor. Running avoidance, Alexander ran back up the other wall and crossed the ceiling to the first wall again, the spikes continuing to burst out at him as he barely dodged. Seeing a way out of the hall just up ahead, Alexander thought, “Hopefully this leads to somewhere less confined…”

            Rushing into a dark room just as the hall caved in completely behind him, Alexander prepared himself for a fight, chanting, “Magistri Alica!” Running his hand across his sword, red and blue runes appeared on his hand. He paused for a moment to stare at the runes, thinking, “The Master’s Spell. It may seem a simple incantation, but it’s not. Not only does it grant me strength, but with it I can now access my special spells, powerful yet efficient incantations based in my long lost Frostfire affinity.” Looking around the room, illuminated by the faint light of flickering blue torches, Alexander could only assume he was in a large torture chamber. Skeletons hung chained to the wall, more sat against the bars of the cages in the far corner of the room, and terrible devices of all sorts were strewn across the room as well. Alexander snapped to attention as Shadow’s voice called out, “Such a wonderful room. Did you come here to play with our toys? We can play together if you want. We can’t remember the last time we heard the screaming…” Looking around cautiously, Alexander said, “You truly are a monster. Sorry to disappoint you, but I will not end up like your unfortunate subjects!” Shadow’s quiet laughter echoed through the room, and the ancient demonfolk replied, “Hope… bravery… defiance… the perfect spices for a soul! People don’t understand just how delicious souls are…” Alexander raised his sword as Shadow dropped from the ceiling above with his arms formed into spikes. As they clashed, Shadow shouted, “WE MUST CONSUME THEM ALL!” Blocking and parrying Shadow’s strikes, at last Alexander gathered all his might and swung his sword with strength even the Lord of Underworld could not match, and as Shadow was sent sailing across the room, he barely righted himself in the air before smashing into the wall. Channeling EDE into the runes in his hand, Alexander said, “I may not have all my power back, but I am still the Master of Rune Swordsmanship!”

            From his rune covered hand, Alexander rained bolts of frostfire out at Shadow, who propelled himself across the ground at Alexander and began weaving though his attacks. Lashing out with a spiked arm, as Shadow struck out at him, Alexander parried the first and blocked the second. Small blades formed along Shadow’s spiked arm as he struggled against Alexander’s blade, and they began moving like the blades on a chainsaw. Sparks flying as the saw blades scraped against his sword, Alexander said, “Nice try!” Alexander raised his rune covered hand and a red and blue rune circle appeared beneath them as he chanted, “Magistri Zona!” Quickly sensing danger, Shadow floated back out of harms way as a storm of frostfire shot out and engulfed Alexander and the area around him. As the icy flames died down, Alexander stood unharmed. Raising his sword now, Alexander chanted, “Celeritate Ardentis!” 

Flames swirling around his feet, as he gained blazing speed, Alexander charged at Shadow and chanted, “Ego Voco Vos, Ignis Acies!” The momentum of his speed gave his swing incredible force, and combined with a blast of fire from Alexander’s burning blade it knocked Shadow sailing across the room. As Shadow was about to strike the wall, Alexander sped up behind him and struck again, knocking him into the air. Leaping after him, Alexander quickly chanted, “Ego Voco Vos, Terra Acies!” Dark green runes replacing the red ones lining his blade, Alexander swung and knocked Shadow into the ground, the force of the earth empowered blade doubling the force of his strike. The flames faded from Alexander’s feet as he landed, and he watched Shadow rise out of the crater he’d made in the ground to hover just above the floor once more, looking completely uninjured despite having been slashed by Alexander’s sword in not one but three powerful swings. Furrowing his brow as he puzzled over Shadow’s invulnerability, Alexander thought, “Enhancing their physical strength and durability to such incredible levels through training alone is something possible only with the demonfolk’s unique muscular structure, but this is far too absurd to be such a trait. Even Xanth would have been in quite a bit of trouble from those last three attacks…” Then his thoughts were cut short, Corrupted EDE gathering in Shadow’s eyes as the ancient demonfolk called out, “Such a strong soul. How fortunate for us…”

            The four eye beams that shot from Shadow’s eyes focused together into a massive beam of Corrupted EDE, but Alexander stood his ground, channeling EDE into his blade and raising it before him vertically. The beam struck and was cut in half, the halves streaming past Alexander on both sides and exploding behind him. Sidestepping as Shadow lunged at him, Alexander spun with a kick that caught Shadow in the back of the head. The ancient demonfolk tumbled through the air as he tried to right himself, and swiveling in the air Shadow formed spikes all along his arm and fired them at Alexander. Quickly Alexander raised his rune covered hand and chanted, “Magistri Obex!” In mere moments, a shield made of layers of red and blue rune circles formed in the path of the spikes. Stabbing into the barrier, the spikes passed through several layers before getting stuck, and Alexander marveled, “I thought for sure that level of density would be more than sufficient, but it was barely enough!” Once more Shadow came at him, his arms both now buzzing with chain saw blades, and sparks flew as Alexander blocked. Both incredibly strong, their strength seemed evenly matched as they locked blades, and Alexander thought, “What is the secret? What ability makes him so invulnerable?” 

As more energy gathered into Shadow’s eyes, Alexander quickly broke away, leaping back and deflecting Shadow’s eye beams as he chanted, “Ego Voco Vos, Ignis Gelu Acies!” Red and blue runes danced together upon Alexander’s blade as the power of fire and ice coursed through it, and as he just finished casting the enchantment, Shadow’s arm shot out like a tentacle. As Alexander stepped back, it stabbed itself into the ground where he’d stood, and Shadow launched himself at Alexander by retracting his arm. Pulling himself through the air to where his arm was stuck in the floor, Shadow lashed out with his other bladed arm, but Alexander sidestepped again. Then with one mighty swing of his frostfire blade, he himself was surprised as he somehow severed the buzzing blade arm. 

Shadow sailed past Alexander, bouncing across the floor as he howled in pain. Quite dumbfounded, Alexander stared down at the severed arm and thought, “What just happened?” There was silver material in what he assumed were the veins of the arm, and he noticed the material seemed to be breaking apart. Touching his frostfire blade to the material, it began to break apart more. Continuing to stare at it in puzzlement, Alexander thought, “Is that his blood? It’s as though it’s made of some sort of metallic substance. It would seem that it becomes brittle when exposed to heat and cold at the same time. If it hardens immediately upon contact with air… that might explain his invulnerability!” Suddenly the arm began to evaporate into a dark mist, and it floated over to Shadow, who had gotten back up and was now once more levitating just above the floor. As the dark mist gathered around where his arm had been severed, it reformed into his arm as Shadow said, “You hurt our blood! So long since we felt such pain…” Grinning to himself, Alexander said, “You won’t get off so easy next time. Even the regenerative powers of the Nameless One have their limits, especially for a mere vessel. Now that I know your weakness, it’s time to end you!”

            Charging at Shadow, Alexander opened fire with frostfire bolts. Dodging as he floated back in retreat, Shadow fired back with more eye beams. Deflecting them, Alexander leaped at his opponent with a jumping slash, but as he brought his blade down, Shadow vanished. Alexander quickly leaped away, thinking, “He’s back in the damn floor!” As he’d predicted, spikes burst out of the ground where he had been moments before he’d jumped back, and as more spikes began bursting from the ground and started to quickly make their way towards him, Alexander turned and ran. The spikes were catching up, and glancing back at them in frustration, Alexander thought, “I can’t figure this one out either! Just how is he within the-” Suddenly Alexander saw the answer, spying a moving shadow on the ground that he had not seen before because of the lack of light. Now seeing it clearly in the light of his frostfire blade, he thought, “So that’s it! I was starting to wonder if he was like Reaper, but he’s only in the form of a shadow! Now that I can see where he is…” 

Reaching the wall, Alexander chanted, “Ventus Ambulans!” Running up the wall and onto the ceiling, as Shadow moved up the wall in hot pursuit, Alexander turned and with all his strength he hurled his sword into the wall where Shadow was as he chanted, “Magistri Ligas!” Striking the wall, the force alone blew a hole in the side of it, and then using the link his advanced spell created between himself and his sword, Alexander chanted, “Radiata!” The spell activated and the frostfire EDE within the blade radiated out from the sword into the wall itself. Dropping down, Alexander watched closely for Shadow, and with a piercing scream the ancient demonfolk burst from the cloud of dust at Alexander. Raising his hand like he held a sword, as Shadow struck with his chain saw bladed arms, sparks flew as Alexander’s sword reappeared in his hand, his frostfire enchantment used up by the spell he had used to flush Shadow out. It was the same skill Alastor had displayed in their battle outside the Gate, which was only one of the skills Alexander had trained to master in the timeless dimension. While using it excessively would still be dangerous, Eazel had revealed to him that with training he could use his vessel, the Greatsword of the Seal, to draw upon the Nameless One’s power without being exposed to the effects of Corrupted EDE. With a grin, Alexander thought to himself, “It seems my hard work has truly paid off!”

            Alexander once again chanted, “Ego Voco Vos, Ignis Gelu Acies!” Leaping away from Alexander as the frostfire enchantment danced across his blade again, Shadow reverted his right arm to a normal humanoid arm as he hovered in the air just above the ground. Then a hole opened in his palm, and a black sword with red lines running across it pushed its way out. Grasping hold of it, Shadow said, “A soul? We hunger for your soul…” Alexander fearlessly rushed at Shadow, shouting, “You’ve bitten off more than you can chew, Dagra!” As he swung, Shadow blocked with the strange sword, and Alexander tilted his head just as Shadow thrust his other arm straight at his face. Leaping away after this close call, Alexander stared at the sword and thought, “That must be his secret. But what exactly is it?” Suddenly the surface of Shadow’s entire body rippled as black spikes formed all over him, and knowing what was coming, Alexander quickly raised his runed hand and chanted, “Magistri Obex!” His layered rune barrier formed just in time. As the spikes across Shadow’s body were unleashed, they became an onslaught of projectiles that rained out upon everything before him. Yet no sooner had the wave of spikes been stopped by his barrier did shadow fire another, continuing to fire spikes relentlessly. Struggling to maintain his barrier’s integrity, Alexander found himself in a grim predicament as he thought, “As hard as it is to believe, he may have been toying with me up until now…”