A Thousand Years in the Making

If this be the end of me, may you carry my heart wherever you go.

* * * * * * * * *

I huddled in the corner of my bleak quarters. My body ached for warmth. Any warmth, so long as it saved me from this numbing cold. I could barely feel my fingers anymore. No one had visited in a long while. Unknown to me, the night was already giving way to daytime, as I sat shivering in the dark.

"~So it's you.~" I jumped, surprised that someone had approached undetected. It caught me even more off guard when I saw that the figure, which stood in front of my cell, belonged to none other than Mr. Fatty himself. He reached his stubbly arm up to the lock on the bars, a set of keys jingling.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"~Master wishes for your presence.~" I heard a soft click as he turned the key.

"Well, you can tell him that is the last thing I will be doing!" I stood shakily.

~"What master wants, master gets,~" chimed Mr. Fatty. "~As for them...~"

"Them?" He didn't answer, but instead slid over and placed a thick leather bracelet around my arm. I jerked back away from him. Now was my chance.

I charged for the open door, but cried out as my arm decided it didn't want to go with me. I looked back to see a rope tied to the bracelet. The other end was in the hands of Mr. Fatty. He was stronger than he looked.

"~What master wants, master gets,~" he said again, as he led me under the dark arch and into an even darker hall. I had to blindly follow wherever my arm was tugged. I couldn't see a thing.

Eventually, we came to a set of winding stone stairs. I knew this, because I kept tripping up them. By the time we made it to the top, I was breathing rather heavily. It had been a while since I had used my legs. Not to mention, I still felt a little bit woozy.

"There is fine." I could see a sliver of light at my feet, which I assumed, was shining from underneath a door. I listened intently as we drew closer. I could hear Melanthios. "I haven't thanked you yet for disposing of her for me. The woman truly was annoying beyond all sense of the word."

'Olivia?' I thought. 'Olivia was dead?' It wasn't that I truly mourned for her, but the news didn't exactly excite me. I was sick of all this.

The shadow reached for the door and swung it outward. Now I could see why it was so dark. The stone that made up this place was completely black in color. We entered a wide room. At one end stood an elevated throne. Pillars lined the walls and between these were, surprisingly enough, open windows that let in the first rays of dawn. A red carpet stretched the length of the room and stopped at a tall door at the other end. I let out a cry as I saw who was kneeling before the throne.

"Arisa!" Genji twisted his head back. All four of them, Seth, Genji, Yoru, and Eric, had been bound, their hands tied behind their backs. Shackles around their ankles restrained any further movement. I could see that they had been badly beaten.

"There's our princess," said Melanthios. He stepped down from his throne and took hold of the rope. I took the chance and be-lined for the elves. I hoped I had caught him off guard, but it was in vain. My arm was jerked back violently and I lost my balance. I fell hard to the cold floor. Not waiting for me to stand, he drug my by the arm up the small stairs that led to his chair. I could just imagine the bruises I would have now. "Kearn!"

I watched from my position on the floor as Kearn took the rope. He stood at the right of the throne. I struggled to stand. I stepped as far back as was physically possible.

"Let her go!" came Genji's voice. "You have what you wanted. They're gone! Every last one of them! You've won, so please-"

Melanthios burst into laughter. "You think that's what I wanted?" he asked through a wicked smile. "I suppose you are right. Death to the oppressors. Revenge, if you must. Annihilation of the humans. I suppose wiping out the elves would have been a bonus, but-."

"As if," said Seth. There was a sickening crack as Melanthios' foot came in contact with Seth's jaw. I gasped and almost fell backward.

"Like I was saying," he continued. "Some of you have slipped through my fingers, but not for long." He straightened up and walked back to his throne. He reached down to the side and brought up a large sword. The same sword I had seen him use in the Abyss. "How long do you think you can hide like rats. The world is dieing, pretty soon the only things that will be able to survive are us."

"We won't allow it," Genji said. He sounded so confident considering the situation.

"Stubborn," said Melanthios. He unsheathed his blade and let the sun reflect off its edge. "There aren't enough of you left to do much damage to me. But before that..." He turned to me and walked up the short stairs. "It couldn't be considered a victory until they are all dead, now could it?"

"Arisa!" I could hear Genji cry out my name, but all I could focus on was the massive shadow that approached me.

"Wait a minute!" I could feel the end of my rope jerk. "You promised!" Kearn didn't even bother to talk in that other language.

"Stand back!" he ordered Kearn.

I saw the blade lunge forward. I was going to die, just like he had shown to me when I had first arrived. I cried in pain and sprawled back onto the floor. I clutched at my side where the blade had sliced through my skin. That was odd. I was sure he was going for the kill.

"As long as I live," said Kearn softly. He clutched at the blade that had pierced through his body. Melanthios tried to withdraw his sword, but Kearn held fast. "Hurry," he said.

Without even thinking, I grabbed the sword from Kearn's belt and aimed it straight at the larger man's heart. I could smell the blood that was dripping from both blades. He stumbled backward and lost his grip on the sword. He grabbed onto the weapon which had pierced him and yanked it free of my grasp, pulling it from his body.

"You think that will kill me?" He was clearly staggering forward, trying to gain his balance. He couldn't and he sunk to his knees.

My eyes quickly shifted to the body lying on the ground. I approached Kearn slowly. I stopped when I saw his hand twitch. He brought it up and grasped the end of the sword. I grimaced as he pulled it from his own body. I was aware of my sobs as the tears began to run. The sword fell with a clatter, still in his hand. He was smiling.

"Crying for the enemy," he said slowly. "Stupid girl." He let out a sharp breath and lay still. I hadn't realized I'd fallen to the floor until I heard Genji call my name.

"Arisa," he said soothingly. He glanced over at Melanthios who was clutching at his heart. Despite everything, he had almost made it back to his feet. He reached for the blade on the ground. "The sword Arisa!" he said with more force.

I grabbed the sword from Kearn's lifeless fingers. In a daze, I made my way to them. It didn't take them long to free themselves. I sunk into the strong arms that now embraced me.

"This...isn't over," gurgled Melanthios. Blood escaped from his mouth as he talked.

"I think it is," said Genji. He walked up to his hunched over body and picked up the sword. I had unconsciously walked with him. He pointed the tip at his chest. "One more time," he whispered down to me.

I grabbed the hilt so tight my knuckles went white. Genji held tight to me as we surged forward, driving the blade through his body. I could feel it welling up inside before it ever came out. White burst from the sword. The light engulfed me. It was over.