27 Sometimes, History Should Stay Dead

"No, I can't die here, there something that I still need to take care of" he responds to the threats as he tries to match his words with a nervous smile, while Alistark made his move...

Running towards him and leaving a vibrant streak of electric blue light following in his wake, with Shynerai stepping once more into his vivid shimmer.

The two contrasting figures met head-on, with the sensation of the ensuing battle garnering the attention of those above. Meira was still trying to figure out Erai's instructions as she helped the next group of prisoners out of the Chapel. While she approached the GAV with the Notebook in hand, a faint but noticeable glow from what looked like inked-stained pages within called to her attention, inviting her to discover their contents.

By the time she close enough the vehicle for the glowing light to shine brilliantly before quickly fading out, the contents of the mirage writings laid bare:

"Meira you okay…what was that light?"

'An—activation seal...no it's not just that—' her understanding of the figures and elements that constructed the complex diagram in front of her were not beyond her grasp, but the reason certainly was...that is until she remembered their conversation or rather their plan:

"If we manage to get the hostages to safety, contact the school for help and get away as fast as you can" his insistence on their safety and on notifying the school. The darkened skies above gave rise to the feeling that things weren't going to be an easy fight...with the occasional rumblings that erupted from out of the crater in the Chapel were enough to push her forward with her mission at hand.

Telling Konnor to take over the recovery of the rest of the prisoners while she took care of her task.

Konnor acknowledged his new responsibility as he wishes her good with an unexpected jab, asking that she doesn't accidentally blow up the GAV as he ran back into the rocking building. Continuing her task, she poured her magic into the diagram before the power jumps from the Notebook towards the inside of the GAV, engulfed in the same glow.

Almost giving her heart attack at the idea of doing the exact thing she was warned not to but what caught her attention more was what the activation seal actually did.

"Well, now is time for the next step, really hope Aurelia is there to pick up the phone..."

Leaving the glowing GAV to contact the Questing Committee.

...Several moments pass before the signal manages to get through...

"Aurelia? Are you there—Ki—?"

"Meira...I'm here, what's going on, why are you using Mr Astrapordt's Notebook?"

"I'll explain everything later, for now, we need your help, are there any Student Generals on standby?"

"...." inaudible murmurs could be heard through the transmission.

"Kiara, you there?"

"It's late, almost everyone is gone. And I don't think Tanus is going to help with the Questing Committee's problem, I'll send Lotarim through..."

"Ahhh…we really need help, I wish I could explain but if you can send anyone, they need to get here as soon as possible..."

"How about I take a swing at things" a familiar voice interrupted the exchange.

"Kiara, who is that?"

"It's...Jaret—It's ME. Where are you kid?"

"You....huh, wait for Ryder???"

"Jaret. How long would it take for you to get to Whitewater?"

"The port? Hmmm, a few minutes at most...though I'd have to break into the Teleportation stations this late....ah, give me ten...but I don't know long it would take to cross the Nycerii territory"

"Ma'am, we might be able to make it. I'm not sure how but there seems to be spatial distortion pretty close to the port"

Meira was surprised by Lotarim's words, turning from side to side in search of the anomaly, with nothing coming into view…that is until the sight of the glowing seal in the GAV finally clicked. With the realization rushing to fill her mind, the conversation occurring over the transmission gave way to her furious paging until she found what she was looking for, observing a similar glowing seal in one of the Notebook's pages, she finally understood.

"Kiara, how close would you have to get to lock onto the anomaly?"

"Lock onto it? Well, what do you think?"

"If I tried to jump from the school, I'd be out of magic by the time I got here...but maybe I can get closer...just hold on" the conversation was cut by the abrupt sound of footsteps in the distance.

"Wait…just...ugh. Lotarim gets a hold of the Student Generals, call in the emergency. Meira, you'll have to hold out for a bit we'll come soon. Now can you tell me what happened, where is Astrapordt?"

"Oh—Thank you, who knows how bad things are going to get...So I'll try to keep things short..."

With the sudden glow of the Teleportation Seal illuminating the school grounds working to signal Jaret's race to Whitewater, Meira did her best to relay the events they were facing to Aurelia. Entrusting the rest of the rescue to Konnor, who had begun to show signs of fatigue as he brought another group of prisoners to the safety of the GAV, drenched in dirt from the sweat and rubble from the Chapel, but not taking a moment to rest on his fatigue.

"Just what the hell is that creature?" Shynerai darted towards Alistark hoping to throw him off, with him closing the distance before he could respond.

"Hmmph..." the impatient figure steps out of Shynerai's path landing behind him with only the sight of his fluttering robes managing to catch his eyes, though the cloaked and shadowy aura enveloping him made quick work of his advantage, as he sent Shynerai flying into the pile of rubble:

"You interrupt my work, steal my subjects, incapacitate my servants and you expect me to believe that it is all on a whim...Don't toy with me! I know a Guardia when I see one, not that anyone of you can stop me once I'm finished"

"Nnn...ugh, with...the Northern Calamity? Never heard of it" Shynerai exclaimed all the while coughing up something that made him more than a little concerned...but after wiping his mouth, he pulled himself up against the fallen stone before coming to a stance with a heavy breath as he starred him down...

"Oh, curious. I'm quite certain that was meant to erode your spine" leaving Alistark to inspect the blue cloak before seemingly have it surge in strength with the last blue vestiges turning pitch.

"Aevum et Mori: It's a decaying spell..."

"A scholar of magic are we little Astrapordt?"

"Yeah except it only works in contact with living tissue, and let's just say this coat isn't your 'uld' store pickup"

With that short respite filling his body, he descended the mound of rubble, moving closer to Alistark with the kick of the nearby soot, gripping the rocky floor of the basement before....stepping into his shimmer once more

"Your little disappearing trick won't—" but his words were cut short when Shynerai emerges landing a blow with enough force to send Alistark off his feet, hurtling towards the looming opening...

"Nnggh—" as he is thrown into the air, the magician gripped tightly against the wound dealt onto him before crashing into the pillar. But before Shynerai could take in the fact that he managed to harm his opponent, the sight above took his attention...

With the image of pillar coming into view, Shynerai witnessed the magician gripping the pillar with an onyx-cloaked arm before launching himself at him...crashing atop him with a strike reminiscent of his own earlier attempt.

Well aware of the dangers of his opponent's magic, Shynerai grit his teeth in frustration as he forced himself to act quickly...

With the force of the clash, sending dust into torrential column entrapped with black winds rising to the top of the opening, those nearest the Seal were thrown to the ground in their haste to escape. With the most conscious having cleared out, the weariest laid bound in chains that tethered them to the crumbling Cathedral.

"It's going to be alright, I did promise your friends I would return" Meira had taken over with the rescue, helping the gaunt and frightened prisoners as she loosened the flailing bonds that that chained them to the walls that were quickly giving way to the thundering crash from below.

"Konnor, we have to help the rest of them, there's only a few left"

"I checked with some of the prisoners and you're gonna wanna hear this"

"No time! This place is going to come down and most of them are still too weak to stand"

Konnor felt that Meira needed to hear him out but the falling debris and crumbling floor slowly giving way made her point clear. Pushing himself to stifle his thoughts and fatigue as he started helping them one by one to their feet before and walking them out of the Chapel…a blaring and rising column of dark violent wind from out the hole pushed them to move faster.

At the centre of the maelstrom, Alistark blow struggled against the familiar sound of shearing pieces of steel and of clashing metal. The pitch-dark cloak enveloped the sight in front of him, but with the sight of his opponent coming into view with the jet-black trails wrapping around them slowly giving way with each passing moment.

Eventually, the sound of grinding metal pieces died down but that only left the sensation against his fist resisted by the touch of something cold.

Unsure of what he just, he moved back stepping away as the last of the violent winds blew past, leaving dust and debris raining down around them, the idea of what he clashed with turned his expression raw with a look of seething rage.

Distorted sounds of heavy breathing muffled their way out of his crude helmet:

"You…aren't getting past me…not like this" The clicking joints and rattling metal plates scrapped past each other as he took root into his stance, motioned the magician to bring his next attack, an invitation that Alistark gladly and readily accepted…blowing past the surroundings with the reappearing cloak now taking on a fearsome and untamed form as it engulfed and wrapped itself around him with each steps him took towards Shynerai.

Rushing past the rubble-riddle floor and crumbling pillars before striking with another attack—but again, once the jet-black trails faded, Shynerai stood standing, with only the sound of a persistent loss of breath being the only indication of the metallic statue harbouring life.

"WHY WON'T YOU FALL PROLE—" his tone having grown course as he unleashed a barrage of attacks, throwing punch after punch into the metallic frame, matching last the punch with enough force to push him back ever so much, with growing ferocity the force blasted the surroundings away, clearing the ground between them as it gave way…with the following strike knocking Shynerai's off his feet, launching him into the structure that stood supporting the skeletal frame of the draconic beast. The impact of his crash forcing a deep fissure to run up the support.

"You cannot stop what is being done here. Your kind should know that" he bellowed with the sound of renewed vigour.

"Ha…Ha…humph…cough…cough"

Despite the chasm they were in being filled by the sound of rustling dust and debris, Alistark was well aware of the Shynerai's chuckle.

Said taught did more than enough to infuriate him, though he did not need much motivation for what came next.

Outstretching his hand, with a raised palm, it took only a moment for the pitch-black cloak that fluttered about him to disappearing into smoky wisps before a deep blue flame began sputtering to life, burning intensely before it jumped from his hands and spread to consume the draconic remains along with Shynerai in a brilliant display of an all-consuming violet inferno…

'BOOM…BOOM…BOOM' above the blaring flames that were spreading towards the cratered support, the sound of bullets ricocheting off the ground around Alistark caught his attention and drawing his gaze to the source of the gunfire….when what he instead saw was something else.

Coming down the gaping hole above, and atop a stone-like ember golem, After managing to catch a glimpse of Shynerai buried in the stone support, Meira aimed her approach directly for the Alistark, giving the unsuspecting magician barely a moment to respond as he turned to direct his onslaught on violet flames upwards—

"NOT GONNA HAPPEN…" Konnor's voice called out accompanying the sound of gunfire running close enough to the interrupted Alistark to step back, barely coming unscathed with the bullets ripping through his muddled cloak before regaining his posture and turning his flames upwards…with enough time to graze the golem, sheering the incoming golem's descending fist with the rising flames blasting and consuming the entrance of the pit.

The landing ember construct landed in front of Alistark, sending a sudden shockwave, into him, though the monster's approach did very little to shake him, prompting him to raise a second hand, readying the flames before sending out a scorching torrent of flames raging towards the Meira, who leapt away from the golem, rushing to the crater as the golem stood in place, bearing the brunt of the incoming flame. The heat was so intense, that the lithic shell of the beast quickly began to glow as it tried to resist the attack.

Meira managed to get Shynerai from out the support but he could barely get to his feet, with trembling arms as he raised them to take the hand Meira offered him.

The sight of flames consuming her construct put great unease on as she turned her sights to the heaving Shynerai.

With a thought coming to mind, she resolved herself, taking on an expression of certainty before outstretching her hand and creating the same ember parakeet. Doing her best to lower him onto it and sending it off upwards to the entrance, hoping that it could reach Konnor if he had managed to avoid the violet flames.

As the charred bird tried to take flight the last of the golem's strength faded as the glowing rocks of its being began shedding at the intensity of the constant attack, blowing apart piece by piece till the construct in its entirely was blasted in a heaping pile of dust.

The sight of which caught Meira as she just sent off the pair. With the Alistark now in full view of the escapees, and preparing his final attack, Meira was reminded of her thought before ripping off her cloak and racing towards the magician, running past the boulders and stone mounds that littered her path and conjuring ash-coloured blades in either hand while she drew closer…

"You're in my WAY" the magician sighed dismissively as he unleashed a wave of violet flames rushing towards her before raising his hand to his desired target.

"That's the plan—" Meira sprouted from beyond the violet flames brandishing an ashen shield bound to her forearm, coming close enough to him to swing her blade at his hand—forcing Alistark to change his stance as he narrowly avoided her blade, but in the process losing sight of his target as Shynerai rose up and out of the opening above…

"Too bad…for now you have to deal with me and I told myself I wouldn't be doing much of anything on this quest. Hmmph" taunting the mage unnerved magician as she returned the form of her shield into a blade once more, preparing herself for what would come next…

Above the ensuing chaos below, Konnor had avoided the flames that suddenly reached out from the opening with the sight of something else following:

"What the hell…that almost looks like—whoa" Konnor had come out of cover but got thrown back after the ember parakeet flew past him before landing beside him and resting Shynerai with its fading wings that turned to ash the moment he got off.

"ERAI…ERAI, dude can you hear me? Where's MEIRA?"

"K-KONNOR?"

"You're in pretty bad shape, you know that?" a smile of relief came to him after hearing his friend rouse to consciousness.

"Mei—ra, she's still in there…I have…I have to get her out"

Konnor had him rest against a rock nearby, despite how much he tried to get back up.

"Meira isn't a pushover…still, if you're this beat up, I don't know how long she'll be able to keep up. I doubt whoever your people sent is gonna make it here in time"

'The seal, they got it to work…I'm glad'

"I don't think I'm anything to write home about…I barely—"

"That's not true!" Konnor stopped him, as he stood up and move towards the opening with a growing look of concern and stumbling footsteps revealing the various scraps and cuts he received:

"I remember when you bailed me out, the locked me up sure, but I could still see what you did, to the camp, to those crazed Heretics…so tell me in your real opinion, can we beat this guy?"

Following his question, Shynerai's gaze turned away from him, staring at his palms that could hold a fist as they trembled…frustration was clear to see despite how much he tried stifling it:

"I fought someone not too long ago. In that fight, I was probably pushed further than I ever have before, and in the end, I still lost. From that battle, I not only saw how far above the bar was from me, but I got the added bonus of nasty scarring to my arms…Hmmph funny thing is if I listened to the doctor's advice and gotten some rest I might have had a better shot against that guy…but now…against Crownsfreed…it's taken most of what I have not to get killed…I don't think my body could go all out again…."

"Well…damn, that definitely sucks for the rest of us…"

"I-I'm sorry Konnor"

"You know—sometimes we want something but because we are too afraid of what we can't do, we end up making excuses for why we won't. I wasn't there when fought that battle, nor do I know why you did, but you're here now, fighting for something completely different, against an enemy you've never faced, to protect people with no real chance…looking down there, with Meira fighting as hard as she can, will you tell me to my face…this fight"

Konnor walked back to the seated young man before raising by his collar with the look of worrying have given way to a deep expression of sorrow as he asked him:

"Is this something you can't do, or something you won't?"

The sight of uncertainty and distress in his eyes brought to mind only a single thought, that of his statement when he met Creivolt in the Student Council office:

'That's kind of hard when...the 'established order' has done nothing for me—because when someone cries out for help, does the 'established order' protect them...do any of you?'

"That's right…as Heroes, as Guardia, it's not our job to always win…it's to keep getting back up" the words of which met Konnor following the look of intent gleaming from his emerald eyes, lighting with an unmistakable glow that Konnor had witnessed enough times since meeting him to recognize it…his will.

"Can you do me favour, could you check the pouch on my side, there should be a bottle of some kind"

Konnor settled him back down with a groan of agony coming from him as he did, before checking each of his pouches until coming across the vial filled with a strange green liquid. Bringing it to him all the same, taking his half-awake response that he found what he was looking for.

Shynerai asked him to help him with it and so though a little hesitant about the fluid, he nevertheless, opened and helped his companion down the solution until the little vial was emptied.

"Thank you… it usually takes about a second or two…"

"Sure, but what for?"

To answer his question, the young Daumier managed to raise a hand in response, surprising Konnor as he helped him to his feet. When he found that his grip had returned, he turned to him, thanking Konnor with a kind smile, an action that didn't do much to eliminate his confusion:

"Don't be so shocked, I doubt this is going last very long with what I'm planning" punctuating his statement with the shout of his Word of Power: Mark of a Beast. The command brought out a malicious aura that enveloped Erai before fading from sight, leaving what looked like an unseen flame burning at him.

"Konnor makes sure everyone gets as far as they can from here" he let out a final request before leaping down into the dark opening and landing between Alistark and Meira, who were about to clash blows.

Sending them back as they avoided the cratered earth, Shynerai turned to face Alistark while the dust cleared, while Meira moved towards, curious about the new ominous figure that suddenly appeared.

"Don't worry it's still me"

Now standing beside the figure she could clearly make out his snow-white haired rippling about:

"What are you doing down here, you should be waiting for help with Konnor"

"I know. I'm glad you understood the message…sorry I couldn't be more precise with the details"

"THIS IS CERTAINLY CURIOUS, I was almost certain you wouldn't be standing after what I did to you" Alistark rallied as his quarry had now returned to meet its slaughter.

The magician's statement caught Meira's attention, drawing her eyes to his wounds and witnessing the seemingly charring flesh, with the mirage-ing air around his arms and legs she could tell that something was burning at him, but again there was no flame she could see:

"Shynerai…Erai, what happened to you?"

"Eh…mmm…we can't worry about me right now remember" he added, raising his arm, and revealing a piece of charred flesh breaking and falling as ash to the dusty floor below.

"I don't have much time but I've got a plan, and I'm going to need your help"

Turning her gaze to Alistark and readying another of ember blades:

"I'm growing weary of your plans, the more I keep hearing them….what do you have in mind?"

"This one's a little easier, if you can keep him still, I think I could end it"

"Could or can?"

"…"

"Sigh…it doesn't matter, it's not like he's going to give us much time to decide" she pointed at Alistark who had keeled over, did his best to gather his strength as he clenched his fist, which caused his violet flames to die down though not completely.

Taking the chance, Meira and Erai rushed the magician….while still occupied Alistark tried to rid himself of them with a blast of his flames, sadly they were far weaker, noted by how she slid beneath them clearing the attack before aiming to cleave him with both her blade.

Prompting him to pull back his flames, and shielding himself with a nearby blast sending himself reeling back but blasting Meira into the nearby column. Alistark continued clenching his fist while preparing for the next assailant, hoping to spot Shynerai's shimmer, and catching a glimpse of it with enough time to fire a volley of blue and violet projectile, much smaller but far faster than his initial attack. But to his shock, he had missed, or rather—

'Just a little longer' the idea of a timer counting down did nothing but fill what little space in his mind that wasn't already consumed by the thought of evasion. Stepping between each violet bolt, in a display that forced Alistark to send out more the closer he got…

"Almost…just 10 more seconds" he huffed under his breath as he drew close enough to see the faint green light emanating from the magician's clenched fist but he didn't have time to register any thought of hesitation, leaping forward, and sweeping Alistark off his feet but before he could fall, the figure landed in position winding up to fierce windmill that sent out an intense flare of brilliant flames, throwing Shynerai off balance and away from him…landing far enough to see Meira spring from the mound of rubble.

Casting aside the ember blades that quickly turned to ash and instead forging a vast length of ashen chain, growing with multiple ends that snaked around her before ending in cuffs.

While Alistark continued his flurry of flames that belched out, she braced those she couldn't avoid mid-air before seizing the chance and binding both of his legs and landed behind him, restricting his attack, though she managed to miss one of his arms, leaving the magician with no option but to free himself as the light from within his hand grew bright enough to illuminate his visage, so he turned his open hand to Meira, readying his flames:

"Erai, I got him…NOW'S YOUR CHANCE—" the sound of her words were cut short when the violet flames were let loose, quickly rushing towards her and engulfing her…

"Alright….WORD OF POWER….Huuuhh….BEOWULF"

By the time Alistark could hear those words over the sound of his blaring flames, Shynerai had already taken flight, being let loose, cleaving into the ground below and tearing a path directly towards him, the golden lightning bolt streaked violently through the underground basement…with no other option Alistark finally opened his fist….sending out the contained green light enveloping the entirety of the underground space and glowing upwards lighting up the night sky nearby through the gaping opening.

"NOT GONNA HAPPEN" the golden streak clad in white flames appeared in front of Alistark as the green glow encompassed them, with something surprising of his own.

Drawing closer to the bound and chained magician, Shynerai let loose a destructive blow into him.

The act alone had an incredible result, the attack made constant and drew all the light into it as if drowning the world in a pigment of absolute dark, all light was stripped from all around them as it was forcing dragged towards Shynerai—

Gripping all of it…before an explosion of white light burst forth, ripping the chains that were holding Alistark and extinguishing the violet flames with a blast that pushed outwards rocking the foundation of the Chapel as far as they would run, the force sending Meira along with everything nearby blown away before finally the opening above was illuminated by the white light, ripping the opening to pieces, sending what remained of the Coral Stone Chapel flying every which way, and carved open the hole while what remained on the surface was eclipsed by the blinding light.