End of Days: XXXVIII

At War With Our Allies

Paladin Mullenkedhiem glowered with glowing orange eyes. “You are a heretic, posing as a Saint to win me over. There is no way that you have been alive since the passing of The King and the fall of Celeste. You are barely a man, you would be older than me. Your deceit is over! You meet your end here child.” Mullenkedhiem vowed.

“Mullenkedhiem, please don’t let him use you like this. Fight his control!” I pleaded.

“It is no use boy, he is mine now and nothing can break my control.” War chortled.

The three of us stood in the cavern. The crackling of the magical fire that engulfed Krinix and our heavy breaths were the only sound. The Mullenkedhiem lunged with his blade and it slid through the gap in my armor that War created just moments ago. The pain caused my grip to waver and Krinix to fall from my hands. I responded by beginning to channel the divine I had to break this spell. I focused the magic in my mind and thought back to the vision I had in the Paladin’s sanctum. I would break the bond that held Mullenkedheim.

The divine light surged in my hands as I leapt at the other Paladin, forcing my palms over his eyes. The golden light mixed with the corrupted orange glow as Mullenkedhiem belted out in agony. I felt the light of Uther burning into his mind. I felt the darkness of Negan gripping his darkest fears and insecurities. Then the Paladin went limp as I landed atop his chest. The cleansing was complete.

“You can’t beat me War,” I said with heavy breath. “but I can and will beat you”. The Crow cawed as it lunged and missed with his sword. I retaliated with a heavy exhale of fire and light. I felt the power of Uther course through me as I burned him away with Draconic power. His cloak turned to green and black embers as it fell away. Exposing a mass of bones floating through dark energy aether, a faint purple glow surrounding skeletal remains that gave this fell beast its form.

Its shapeless body levitated the black blade and swung it at me, the pommel turning into a long staff. A large gash slashed through the breastplate of my armor. The strike and shock of the weapon changing left me open and as the second blow completed an x in the center of my armor. I managed to block the third strike with my hand catching the blade between the bones of my left hand.

“I will pull your heart from your chest and devour it still beating boy.” He cursed as he pulled the blade of the glave through my hand exiting between the ring and middle finger. It was becoming evident that War was too much for me to handle alone.

“Cinredi” a voice spoke inside my being “The path forward does not have to be violent to succeed. There is more than one way to remove this threat.” I knew the voice but it was distorted, twisted by doubt. If I did not fight, War was going to kill me. There was no telling what he would do to Mullenkedhiem with me out of the way. If I ran he would chase me. “You must cast him out.” The voice said.

I reached out with my wounded hand and flicked my blood into the cloud of dark and veil energy. I opened my mind to the divine and let the light of Uther pour out of me. Every cut and every scrape on my flesh began to glow with the golden light of the radiant divine energy. Every drop of my blood was illuminated by sacred focus. Lines of light lashed out from the split in my palm from wrist through my fingers. Binding the Crow to the ground.

“What is this magic” panicked War “No, this power can not exist!”

“I exorcise you, every impure spirit, every Demonic power, every incursion of the infernal adversary, every legion, every congregation, and diabolical sect. Therefore, diabolical legions, I adjure you. Cease to deceive human creatures, and to give to them the poison of eternal damnation. Be gone, Negan, inventor, and master of all deceit, enemy of man’s salvation. Be humble under the mighty Claw of Uther, tremble and flee when I invoke the Holy and Terrible Name at which those down below tremble from the snares of Negan, deliver us, O being of pure light. That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty to serve, I ask Thee, hear me. Take this foul creature back from this world.” The words of the incantation cascaded from my lips. As if spoken from a hidden knowledge. A sigil of pure light formed around War. The binds of light pulled tight.

“The High Devonist.” War spoke calmly in a harshed tone. His voice worn down from screaming as he resisted. “She warned us of the Light of Uther. She warned us as I slit her throat.” He had given into his fate. Laying strapped to the divine magic that was pulling him through the boundaries of the material plane. As he phased through the ground he began to cackle. “But you can not win if I take you down with me!” He screamed in an echoing caw. A black band of energy wrapped around my neck. Then I fell and emerged into the plane of negative energy.

Alone and drifting through the black void. I was in Negan’s domain.