Red Twilight the Weaver chapter 13

Chapter 13:

The Weavers Resolve

As time passes the children grow ever more excepting of mystical old women called Jessica. Mint approaches the mystic as she is reading by herself in the early hours of the morning, all of the children have started studying under her so Jessica can only imagine that with the rapid approach of the girl she is looking for a lesson.

"Come, dear." Jessica waves her on "how may I serve you?"

"I want to go home and get Onion" Mint explains. "Come with me."

"I have to imagine my old mate will not be pleased by that." Jessica mummers

"you mean King Odidimus? I don't think he will even remember."

"It's King now? When I knew him, it was Judge Odidimus."

Mint covers her mouth giggling "That makes you Queen Jessica the Weaver."

"It would, wouldn't it" Jessica giggles with her "But why do you want to go to your brother?"

"it has been five days since Onion was sent with the medicine mouse, if the medicine mouse can help him by now he has, and he should be home, if he can't help him then he can't, and there is no reason for Onion to be with him."

"that is powerful logic. Let your siblings know that after class we are going to get Onion." Mint jumps up and down a bit then runs off. Jessica goes back to her scroll "the Gospel of Saint Jacob

** *

It seems as if the battle is won. Charlie Belmond and Lances Jacob have traversed a hundred world and gathered their allies on all of them for one last glorious struggle against the Nothingness, the multiverse itself had seemingly stood up and declared Independence from tyranny. All the warriors form all the free world's now stand at the gates of Cravixs last stronghold: Yggdrasil. And from the grate tree spills the endless hordes of monsters under the void mages command.

David Jazzmen, princes of the realm called Dis. walks forth and pulls his sword on the hordes at the gates demanding. "I am David Jazzmen. The man called Devil. is there one amongst you brave enough to do battle with me?!" he waits standing between Charlie, Jacob and the army "No?" he charges recklessly into the fray engaging the battle "Very well, then I will fight all of you!" Jazzmen's fences is inspiring, Belmond's allies from a hundred worlds fallow the demon-princes into battle. Jazzmen calls back as he slashes his way across the battlefield "find the worthless son of a snake and send him to meet my father in Oblivion."

Charlie call back in high spirit "it will be done!" in the mist of mayhem quickly Lances and Charlie can sneak to the front of the ranks, but their charge is not unhindered as a face they have come to know well steps into bar their path.

He is called Harm, son of Akash goddess of blood and pain (she called him Sindaquil, but no one seems to remember that name, it's all the same though the meaning remains.) the vampire with the blades growing from his crown holds his arms out in welcome of his longtime nemesis. With a smugly chuckle he greats them "Jacob, Charlie, Belmond's. Are you ready to join your parents in Styx?"

Charlie draws his mighty Souleater and Lances his Crossbow but before another word is mumbled a celestial howl shatters the air. A trail of flames chases the paws and tail of the great white wolf Hetatsubachi-una, the white hound thrust himself onto the vampire throwing him to the ground "Go mighty ones! Leave the flesh-eater to me!"

"But... I can help you." Charlie protest

"Nonsense, your battle lies ahead. It is you that must kill the demon sorcerer. His peons are mine. Now Fly!" Jacob takes his leather clayed friend by the arm and charges forth to the obelisk at the base of the mighty Tree if Eternity.

A wall of souls rises forth to protect the door. Lances Jacob reaches around his neck drawing forth the Jesuit Cross, and in a flash of divine light, the wall of lost souls are banished to another world by the cleric's grace. Charlie playfully slaps Lances. "Good show old man." As the exalted hero's from the world called Red Twilight begin there climb up the tower, the sky goes dark, and the mouth of the void opens, the voice of the avatar of Cravixs calls down from atop the tower "Fools!, all of you! You come here! To the holiest of holy places! With your blasphemies thoughts and dreams! You stand in the shadow of Your God! Behold my boundless power." With that, the moon burst into flames and falls from the sky. A wall of dust no less than four miles high flies across the sky blacking all sight as the earth shacks and cracks. Fire spills from the ground, the power of the demonic Adam Crow nearly kills the world itself in a fit of rage leaving only the onyx tower untouched and the endless garden beyond.

Charlie shakes his head in disbelief glancing back at the battlefield; there is no sign of life. "No…" he shakes again "How…? Why…? Lances, there is no one left."

"Find your courage. The final battle is at hand, we have chased the demon to his lair: my eyes see only valor, my ears hear only glory, my heart screams for victory. Do not allow their suffering to go unheeded, my boy trust in you, in me, in us, and Victory will strike again!" Lance places his fist on the wall pushing Charlie forth for several steps.

For a time the gallant pare are unhindered as they approach the summit of the monolith, but one final barrier drops between them. A wall of lightning thrust the two of them apart; Charlie lands against the door, Lances nearly is knocked down the steps. Lances finds his footing and charges forth only to be smitten by the crash of lighting again, the heckling of the void worshiping Necrophights can be heard coming up the steps Lances calls to his traveling partner "you must endure."

The faceless ghostly demons called Necrophights stock up the steps and encircle Jacob. Jacob stands ready, his eye stone and determined, the battle across worlds has filled Jacob with a vengeful holy light so great that the very touch of his flesh to monsters so corrupted as the void worshipers if fatal. Somehow unaware of their pray the nearest of the monsters dashes at the old priest. Jacob grips the beast by one arm, and the forehead and flames roll form every whole in its body howling as his grip slays it. Charlie cheers Lances on, Jacob offers one last nudge of encouragement, "onto Glory old Friend!"

The door at Belmond's back leads him to a great glass and opal cathedral he walks in boldly his Souleater in hand "Crow is here, I can feel it." He whispers to himself. But Charlie never sees the monster's face as he is struck from behind, the moon shaped blade of his sinister reaper emerges from his chest. It takes a few moments for Charlie to understand what has happened as he reaches one hand up to touch the blade and feel the blood hammering from his chest, the reality of what has just happened only genuinely dawning on him as he hears Crow whispering in his ear.

"Did you think you had what it takes to fight me? I am the king of Tamriel, the Avatar of Cravixs, Fillios-mammon, and Your God."

"I don't understand…" Charlie mumbles

Crow pulls the blade hard to the side ripping the rids form Charlie's chest, with his death all the magic Belmond had absorbed in his journey burst from his body in a tremendous flash of glory blowing the top floor from the tower. Crow stands unharmed by the attack with an insurmountable power of his own "ow, such innocence, all the blood on your hands and still your heart burns of childish warmth 'Please, I don't understand, help me Crow, what does it all mean?' Let me help you sweet child of mine. All your work was for not, your powers meaningless, your valor unbecoming your end. Nothing has changed, my hunger goes unsettled. Your world will be my next morsel."

Crow turns to the exit to seek out Lances Jacob, the last of the warriors form Red Twilight. His search is short as Lances awaits Charlie's victorious return but instead sees the face that had been burned into his nightmares, the silver skin, the burning eyes, the oily black hair. Cravixs, the eater of dreams and of worlds stands before the cleric in all his regal splendor. Jacob howls in disbelief his hands mounted on his head, eyes wide in horror "NO!!!"

"Hello, again priest. The Rapture has come" Crow grips Jacob by the cheeks, and the old man turns to salt then crumbles out of existences. The mad beast holds his hands off to the side and dances around the crumbling remains of this world "I Live Again." He glances about "made a bit of a mess it would seem…"

Belmond, son of Belmond has fallen, now no one is left to stand against the endless Night, Cravixs has won, and all existences kneels before the King of Tamriel once more.

** *

Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Mint, Cream, and Butter gather their clothing and line up Behind Jessica for the long walk back to civilization. Butter explains "We have to go into the city. Onion is in the home for the sick."

Jessica looks disappointed "I remember a time when the ill were treated in the home." The walk is much less eventful this time around. There is hardly a bird in sight and they have nearly reached town before seeing their first sign of life, A koblolt riding dog-back wrapped in steel vestments. Jessica looks shocked at the sight, as does the rider of her as he runs away. "Graces', what was that thing."

Pepper looks to her with a joyful skip to his step "he is a Knight of the Order of the Long Patrol also known as OLPs" he picks up a stick playfully swinging it around "it's their job to protect us from Dragons and cats and…"

"How many dragons have you seen around here?"

Salt answers for him "none…"

Pepper comes back in "There are no dragons brave enough to go where OLPs walk."

Mint points "so why is he running away from six young kids and an old woman?"

** *

King Odidimus is roused from his chamber by the sounding of horns; he quickly straightens his tunic and mounts his spectacles on his trembling noise, with a paranoid shuffle he stumbles into his meeting room shouting "Preston!, Montgomery!, Penelope!, who is sounding the horns and why!" Once Odidimus was tall and brave, Once the king was young and loving, but now he is fat and sluggish all the time.

Preston is his top militiaman, well versed in all the local lore and looks just as Odidimus had twenty years ago "it was Grace the OLP." Preston leans into his beloved king "your wife has been seen in the southern woods."

The king mumbles "my wife?... is that need for alarm? I've not heard from her since before Jenna's death." He looks back and forth between his trusted inner-circle.

Montgomery, often called Monty, the court's sage whispers with Odidimus reminding him of the Weaver "your wife is an exile you're Holiness, she is a witch."

His eyes roll a bit looking into the back of his own head for recollection "Yes! That is right! I sent her to the forest to be alone for the rest of her life."

Monty nods "she is a violent recluse. She threatened you and your friends from Winterskiss, she hates the birds and wanted you to go to war against them."

"Yes! Yes! I remember that know. Penelope, go with Preston and bring Jessica to my court with all haste." Odidimus orders "Monty! Where is Ambroshuse!"

"you steed my lord?"

"of course, my steed."

"you retired her sir."

"Bring her back! if I can't rest no one can."

"Permanent retirement,"

"Permanent?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Do I have a replacement steed?"

"no sir"

"I need to get one."

Preston interrupts the discussion "we have been given on order by our lord and master, suit up." He waves on his number two.

"Yes, go my boy, and my Kari grant you far winds." Odidimus waves them off then falls into his chair. "Jessica, I miss her Monty."

The sage kneels next to his king taking him by the hand "you are not alone in that my king. But she has sinned, so her and hers needed to be punished."

Odidimus looks to the dining table in the room. "the table is set for ten." he starts counting the chairs. "I sit under the crest of the scroll and claw, Monty, you sit next to the cabinets, Preston sits nearest the door with Penelope, who else sits at my table with me?"

Monty starts to point form chair to chair "the last time all the chairs were filled it was: Princess Jenna the kind, Princes Timothy the fair, Princes Chase the bold, and Princess Mazia the strong."

Odidimus looks to his sage "my children?"

"Yes, my excellence."

"Why are they not there now?"

"They are with Kari in the place of enlightenment." The look on the king's face is one of shock and confusion; he is horrified by how much of his life he can no longer seem to remember, and by the reality that he is the last of his kin.

"But why?" the king asks

"You sent them there." The sage coldly explains as it is clearly something he has reminded the king of before "you are weary my gentle lord, let me fetch you a cup of tea while you rest here in this chair." He softly pushes the aged hero into his set.

"Yes, that would be good." The old mouse rests his head in his hands as he tries to remember that which he has lost if one cannot remember the fate of their love and their beloved what else must he have lost? "It is good to have so many trusted friends to help remember. But do they remember right?" how is one to know?

Monty slides out of the room to fetch the king his tea.