It was time to let go. The Daemon held the Skull of Mondain firmly in his hand, the power from it causing what remained of the desiccated skin to sizzle. He had to hold on to it to channel the nearly incomprehensible power of the ancient relic. If he let go now, the power would be insufficient to open the gates for his Master's army. Baerron Jael held the skull firm in spite of his instincts telling him that it was time to let go. He needed more. He became keenly aware of the faces around him standing at the edge of the void surrounding the Shrine of Spirituality. Many of these faces were veterans of previous battles at the Shrines. It was fitting that they would be here tonight to witness the ascension of his Master. Something burned his eyes. Flames from five nearby torches made his face scrunch and black ichor ooze from the corners of his eyes. This was Jupiter of Paws' doing, he had no doubt. But some torches would not be enough to stop him. He clenched the shards of his teeth and held ever firmly onto the Skull of Mondain, the flesh peeling and falling from his bones. At last, the black gates opened and the forces of his Master could march free. The initial onslaught was too great for the Lightbringers to bear. They put forth a valiant effort at the Shrine but were forced to scatter into the Spiritwood. Bodies of man, horse, and undead littered the Shrine in sweet decay. The bones of the Daemon's hands began to char. It was time to let go. The voice came to him again. It must have been Richard; one last desperate act of defiance to stop the Master from ascending. No, it was not time to let go, Baerron Jael twisted his face against the notion. No, it was time to hold on tighter than ever. The power coursed through him. A lesser being would have disintegrated long ago, but months of preparations prevented this fate from befalling Baerron Jael. It was time to bring forth his Master. The great Slasher of the Veils appeared from the void and climbed atop the Shrine of Spirituality. Baerron Jael felt the raw energy emanating from the greatest of Daemons, the beast of ultimate Chaos. It was then that the five torches left by Jupiter of Paws sparked bright white in the presence of the great Slasher of the Veils. White moongates tore open around the Shrine. Baerron Jael had seen this before... the Battle of Honesty Shrine. These were gates into the Xoronite dimension; and indeed, wisps poured forth from the gates and immediately began engaging the throngs of undead creatures around the Shrine. It mattered little. They would be nothing to the Slasher of the Veils. The Slasher wordlessly leapt from the Shrine and stretched his great wings. No doubt, after so long trapped in the Codex Chamber deep within the Stygian Abyss, he was eager to wreak havoc upon the foolish humans who stood against him and worked to keep him prisoner for countless ages more. It was time to let go. The Skull of Mondain was burning away the bone of his hands. His left pinky, the cartilage and sinew that held the small bones in place torched away, fell to the floor of the Shrine. He can't let go. He needed to channel the energy to his Master to ensure the greatest victory. After being trapped for so long, the great Daemon's power was a fraction of what it could be. Baerron Jael fought the notion back. He could not let go. Not now. The great Slasher of the Veils howled and summoned forth one of his greatest lieutenants from the Abyss. A dark-hooded rider wielding a blood-red scimitar took to the Spiritwood and attacked her Master's enemies. The forces of the Lightbringers were pushed away from the Shrine of Spirituality, leaving Baerron Jael to focus the power of the Skull of Mondain. The Slasher's lieutenant forced them further, all the way to the main road. It was there that the Lightbringers managed to regroup and muster their forces in spite of the astronomical losses. After a long battle, the lieutenant fell. This bought a little time and allowed the Slasher of the Veils to recover some of his lost energy, channeled to him through the Skull of Mondain. Baerron Jael's fingers slowly disintegrated. It was time to let go. But he couldn't. Baerron Jael looked out across the Spiritwood. The Lightbringers suffered staggering casualties, yet more flocked to their banners and their numbers grew. Now was not the time to let go. Now was the time to give everything to his Master. The Slasher of the Veils pushed the Lightbringers back through the Spiritwood and past the main road. He cut them down left and right, yet more took their place and continued to slash and burn at the Master. Mosquitos. That is what they were, Baerron Jael thought. These humans were insignificant, but in a great swarm they could inflict thousands of small holes and cause great damage. Baerron Jael's left hand crumbled to dust, leaving the Skull of Mondain haphazardly balanced in what remained of his right hand bones. It was time to let go, but his Master needed the power. Bloody and weak, the Slasher of the Veils cut down more Lightbringers as he clawed his way back towards the void and towards the Skull of Mondain. The Lightbringers were relentless. The power from the Skull of Mondain was not enough - at least, Baerron Jael was not a strong enough conduit, his body failing. It was time to let go. Baerron Jael kept the Skull of Mondain firmly in his grasp, but something started forcing his fingers apart. Richard. No! The Daemon fought against Richard, clawing and biting, but from somewhere Richard seemed to have some renewed strength. Enough strength to open his right hand and let go of the Skull of Mondain. The sound of bone meeting marble rung with defeat. The Slasher of the Veils was pushed back into the void from which he clawed his way out of by the Lightbringers, no longer empowered by the ancient power of the Skull. The void then collapsed in on itself, sucking the Skull of Mondain in with it. He wasn't prepared for this. He had won! He had achieved everything he sought out to do! How could this have happened?! That bastard Richard! ARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!! Baerron Jael stumbled off the platform of the Shrine into the crowd of Lightbringers who wanted nothing but his head. It was over. It was really over. All the months of hard work, all the preparation, all the sacrifice... and it was over. But if he was going, so was Richard. They were joined. Baerron Jael would not be exorcised alone. And so it was. The mass of Lightbringers sunk their blades into Baerron Jael and Richard's body. No longer able to sustain the power required to keep such a devastated body alive, he collapsed. Black ooze streamed from the many wounds, and the Lightbringers delighted in sinking their blades time and time again into what remained of the husk. It was time to let go. The Daemon Baerron Jael was no more. ******************************************************************************* The world was grey. Richard pulled himself off the ground. Everything was hazy. This must be what freedom felt like. After unnumbered centuries of being ridden by the daemon, Richard forgot what it felt like to take a step on his own will. He forgot what it was like to think by himself. He felt utterly alone. He looked around in his grey haze. There were bodies all around, and a group of people celebrating atop a large tower nearby. Paws. This was Paws he knew. He had been suppressed by the daemon for so long, but he remembered glimpses and pieces of what the daemon did. The daemon came to Paws often, and thus Richard knew this place. He took a step. It was difficult, but the next step was easier. However, he felt weak, and he felt as though there was a rope tied to his back, pulling him the other way. Each step was something of a struggle. What was it? He was not supposed to be here? He looked towards the Shrine of Spirituality. He took a step in that direction and it came with ease. That is where he must go. But something caught the corner of his eye. Something grey - more grey than everything else around him. The wizard Jupiter of Paws made his way from the crowd of celebrators on the roof. Richard knew this man well, it seemed. The daemon spent a great deal of time pondering Jupiter and ways to thwart his efforts. Richard knew that it was those very efforts that ultimately freed him from the daemon. Richard, though each step labor intensive, made his way to the grey wizard. Jupiter did not seem to recognize Richard. It was not clear to Richard if the wizard knew who he was. Why would he know? All he knew was the daemon and he would have no love for him. But it mattered not to Richard. He summoned what was left of his strength and uttered a single sentence. And his strength was gone. He walked in the direction of the Shrine of Spirituality, each step coming with greater ease until he was in front of it. A calmness washed over him. It was time to let go.
