Blaise, Imas, Artok, and Havir approach Laputa, Sollath's fort in the sky. There are no creatures around.... no woodland creatures, no orcs, nothing at all. It is stone quiet and at night, but not a full moon. Blaise switches to Phoenix form and flies up to the island. "Time to end this charade, old man." Blaise darts forward but is stopped by a magic barrier which becomes alive with runes, but only for a moment. Blaise grapples with the field, but to no avail. Artok floats up and touches the field with his staff. After reading the runes for a minute, he declares, "This is a very powerful barrier... nothing can get through." "Can you bring it down?" "Yes... but we need the service of 7 of the elden races." "Well.. we have you, me, Imas, Havir... hmm.. Virgo, Sonya.. that's only six." "Blaise, should we try to get that armored guy to help us?", Havir shouts from the ground. "NO! He has enough things on his mind... our taking so long in that alley probably delayed him innumerably." "Well... Selina can't help... we can't sucker Fenrir into it... Atlantis is too afraid to send any more help.. we were their best... Their defenses are weak at best. If Sollath attacks, it could be the end." "Blaise, isn't there anybody else?", Imas yells. "No.. not that I can think of.." "Anybody of olden times! The times of myths, of legends! Anybody who helped in the Ecktros War?!" Blaise glares down at Imas. Imas shouts back, "Look, I don't care if it pains you, but Sollath is about to get an invulnerable ally and THEN some." "Leave the Ecktros War out of this." "You coward! The way you're acting now is not that of a warrior! It's of a lovesick puppy! Maybe I should just let the enemy kill you now and be done with it! I thought you were the good guy but I don't think so anymore! The only things that survived that war were probably the bad guys!" Blaise rages and turns on fire, and then suddenly calms and says, "Yes... the enemies.. that's IT!" With that, Blaise flies off, leaving Havir, Imas, and Artok sitting there, wondering as to what he really is..
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The scene changes to a very dark chambre. A door opens and opens in some light, and Blaise stands in the doorway in silhouette. Blaise walks forward, and the focus shifts on a badly lighted character... cloaked, hunched over and sitting down, this person looks like a monk. Blaise walks over to the figure and starts to speak to it. "You know what's going on. Help us, please..." "NO." You know it all, you are more powerful than all of us... please, for the times you have helped in the past..." "NO." "You are the one legends are based off of... please... this threat is more serious than you know.." "NO IT IS NOT. I KNOW ALL." "If Sollath gets immortality and has the indestructible Fenrir, he will take untold lives before someone stops him.." "NO." "Why the hell not?!" "KNOW MY DESTINY AND THIS IS NOT PART OF IT." "Why can't you change your destiny?!" "IF I EXPENDED ENERGY IT MIGHT BE THE DECIDING FACTOR IN THE BATTLE TO COME. I AM SEEKING TO CHANGE MY DESTINY. IT DOES NOT CHANGE EASILY. I REQUIRE POWER THAT I WILL NOT EXPEND ON YOU." "We aren't asking you to expend energy! We need you for a few seconds just to be there so we can bring down Sollath's shield!" "NO. THAT WOULD STOP MY ENERGY COLLECTION FOR A TIME AND THAT IS NOT ALLOWABLE." "You aren't collecting any energy here! You're just sitting here!" "THE SOULS OF THE DEAD PASS BY HERE. I ABSORB THEIR LIFEFORCE. I SAY THEE NAY, PHOENIX. NOW GO." "Dammit, you've helped us before, why won't you help us now?! You used to be a good guy!" "I WAS NEVER ON THE SIDE OF LIGHT." "You were and you know it!" "......" "Answer me dammit!" Silence. Blaise runs over to the figure and lifts it up, getting it into the light. You can see who it is just as he says the name - "Dammit, you have to help us, Kangrado!"
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"NEVER TOUCH ME, PHOENIX." Blaise flies off Kangrado and onto the wall above the doorway, staying in the air against the wall... it looks as if Kangrado is holding him by his neck up there. "IF THE SIDE OF LIGHT IS TO BE DESTROYED, IT IS OF NO MATTER. I WILL FIGHT MY OWN BATTLE IN MY OWN TIME. THIS INTERFERENCE WILL COST ME PRECIOUS ENERGY." Blaise chokes out, "But... hack.. what.... is your battle..." "NONE OF YOUR CONCERN. I HAVE BUT 3 YEARS TO PREPARE SO LEAVE ME BE." "the year 2000... it's that damned gate again isn't it? You're not going to fight all of them alone are you?" "WE WILL SEE." "Dammit... hack... if you.... wheeze.... help us, we'll..... help you...." Kangrado pauses. "YOUR POWER IS INSIGNIFICANT. IT SHALL NOT HELP." "But I have allies! The Drow heroes! Sonya! Virgo! Atlantis!" "ATLANTIS IS DEAD. SOLLATH DESTROYED IT AN HOUR AGO. THEIR SOULS GAVE ME MUCH POWER." "No..." "HAVE YOU ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY?" "I'll become more powerful... I'll lend my power to you after this is over, I promise..." Kangrado pauses. "THE ETERNAL LIFE OF A PHOENIX COULD BE USEFUL IN MY HANDS, IF NOT YOURS. I AGREE." Kangrado drops Blaise. "LET US BE OFF." Kangrado and Blaise disappear instantly.
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Imas, Havir, and Artok are sitting in a circle. In teleports Blaise and Kangrado. Another portal opens up and out drops Virgo and Sonya. Blaise does a hurried explanation to them and Artok begins to set up the magic circle. Kangrado snaps and there is a huge magic circle beneath all of them, with 7 points. Havir gasps. "It's... the circle of the ancients... the legendary Kir-thuk.... the god-circle.." "RECITE THE SPELL, MAGE." "Yu-yes..." Havir recites the spell and the barrier comes down. Blaise flies up and quickly moves out of the way of a dropping Fenrir. Fenrir hits ground and instantly Virgo and Sonya move away, and Imas, Artok, and Havir take up fighting positions around the human. Blaise flies up and hears Sollath's laughter. "Hahahaha!! You are too late, Phoenix! Now watch as you shall never again see the light of day!" Sollath waves his hands and it turns to night. Fenrir becomes wolf. The elves start to fight him and he shrugs off all their attacks. Sollath laughs and Blaise charges at him, only to bounce off another shield set up of the same spell. Sollath laughs maniacally and Fenrir jumps up at Blaise and knocks him out of the sky. Midgard comes up and attacks Blaise, which Blaise nearly dodges. Blaise yells to Kangrado for help, to which she responds, "NO." "I don't have time to argue! Help us now!" "NO. THE ONLY ANSWER FOR YOU LIES IN THE PAST.", Kangrado says as she fades out of existence. Blaise dodges a couple more blows then floats out of range and says to Fenrir, "I am retreating to save lives, not out of cowardice. I am unable to defeat you as I stand now. I shall return within a day, as befits the warrior's code." "Very well then Phoenix. I shall honor the warrior's code, even if you do not. One day. And then.. I find you." "Goodbye, old friend.." "Goodbye, ancient enemy."
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Virgo and Sonya go back to Easter Island without a word. The Elves and Blaise convene in the countryside. "Blaise, I'm sorry." "For what, Imas?" "For being such a jerk. I shouldn't have yelled at you. After that battle, I can appreciate the value of a strategic retreat." "It's okay Imas.. I understand." "Agh, my arm hurts." "You took a nasty blow from Fenrir there." "Yeah.. I'll be okay." "Uhm.. gentlemen?" "Yes, Artok?" "I didn't want to tell anyone this, but whiel Blaise was away... I tried to open up a line of communication with Atlantis while away in the woods." "And?" "There was nothing there. Atlantis is destroyed." "So Kangrado was right..." "You mean you KNEW about this Blaise?" "Not before it happened.. your yelling about bad guys prompted me to go after Kangrado to help.. she was the other person in the circle." "Oh. How come we've never heard of Kangrado? She seems plenty powerful enough... weren't there any legends about her?" "Try this - Lich. Dark Terror. Living Nightmare." "You mean all of those were-" "Kangrado, yes." "Those myths were things you told to inspire fear in people! So horrifying people told them to children as boogeymen stories! SHE'S the one behind all those stories?!" "Yes." "Good lord, Blaise, how'd you escape alive?" "We made a bargain." "You made a pact with the demon." "She isn't the demon, Havir.." "She might as well be." "Look, she's helped before, althobeit in an unorthodox way.." "I'll say! the legends say she flays skin and devours souls! That she destroys towns and laughs for fun! That she invades dreams and kills your hopes!" "The legends exaggerate." "So she didn't do all that?" "Did I say that?"
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"Anyways, gentlemen... Atlantis is destroyed, because of Sollath and Fenrir.", Artok says. "That little fleaball... he killed my people..." "No.. I don't think he did." "Blaise, this is no time for..." "No, I mean it. He is a warrior of the old code. Genocide isn't in his repertoire. I think Sollath did it himself behind Fenrir's back while Fenrir was recuperating." "Then can't we tell him that?" "No, he wouldn't listen to me or any of you.. Virgo and Sonya are practically traitors, and Kangrado wouldn't do it." "Well can't we make him listen?! Or make him figure it out by himself?!" "How would we do that?! The ruins, if there ARE any, are far beneath the sea.. doggies can't breathe, and I doubt he'd let us take him." "Well isn't there any magic that can be done?!", Havir yelps. "ANYTHING?!" "Absolutely nothing.", Artok replies, hanging his head low. "Well, what did Kangrado say before she left? Something about our only hope being in the past..", Imas says. "The only time travelling spells are lost to the ages.", Artok replies. "More like lost to Kangrado.", Havir says. "Wait.... there were many magics left, many items left with the Ecktros War." "That armored guy probably has em all!" "Blaise, who is he anyways?" "Nobody to be concerned with.. he is our liege, and he works in his own ways. You are right that he probably has all the artifacts, but we need to go anyways... maybe there is something left." "Where did the Ecktros War take place anyways?" "Stonehenge." "What?!" "Stonehenge was constructed to keep the spirits lost in the Ecktros War fighting. Nobody sees them because they do not want to be seen, but the spirits lost there still reside there. Come 1500 AD the gate opened again, and they fought again. Being immaterial, they were hard to destroy, and we won that war." "What is this gate?" "The 500 year gate.... that's complicated... here, we have to go to Stonehenge now... we can't waste any more time anyways.." "Alright... but after this is over, you must tell me about the gate." "Okay Havir, but only after I whup your butt in Quake Nukem!" "What? Boy, you couldn't whup me if I was a one legged men in a butt kicking contest!" They vanish into the sky bickering over it.
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They arrive in Stonehenge.. there is nobody there, it is night. The Drow look around with a sense of awe at being able to see the real Stonehenge. Blaise does a quick go-around, and finding nothing, becomes very frustrated. He sits down in front of one of the main pillars and starts to talk. "Scorch.. Khad... Krult... Shaco.. Flayr.. Grultuk.. Pendres... I'm so sorry, all of you... I did what I thought was right.. I helped a bit, didn't I? Please.. forgive me.. this is my darkest hour.. and I don't know whether I should fight at all.. I'm so sorry all of you... in death, won't you forgive me.. a little?" Slowly, white bobbing lights come into existence around all of Stonehenge. Lots and lots of little white lights. The Drow draw their weapons and convene around Blaise, covering all directions. "Will-o-the-wisps!", Havir whispers. The bobbing lights all stand still except one, who comes out in front of Blaise a bit and starts to glow a bit brighter than the rest. It says in a feminine voice, "Put down your weapons, proud Drow warriors. We mean you no harm." "How do we know that?" "Because if we meant yu harm we already would have attacked, now wouldn't we?" "Wise as ever, my queen.", Blaise says, bowing. "Blaise, you can get up. Havir blubbers, "You mean you're-" "One of the 5 Devas, yes. The Phoenix Deva, known as the queen of the fire.. Lady Scorch."
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"My queen.. I'm so sorry... you know I meant well.. I meant to do right in Ecktros.." "I know, Blaise.. and in your intentions you did both a great service and a great evil." "I'm so sorry...." "It's all right, Blaise... as dead, we harbor no ill will torwards anybody. Now what have you come here for, my General?" "My Queen..." "Call me Lady Scorch, if you will." "Lady Scorch.. a dread situation has arisen... Sollath of the Drow has gained an inordinate amount of power and threatens to hurt many with it.. he has already destroyed Atlantis.. these 3 are the only Drow left." A masculine voice booms, "That FOOL!" Another light steps forward. "This is the Drow Deva Krult." Artok turns around with reverence. "Krult.. the.." "Yes, yes, the Scribe deva, the all-knower, the lord of magic, which one would you prefer?" "I'm sorry sir, it's just.." "No, that's okay. Now Blaise, what has Sollath done?" "He has made it eternally night, and has Fenrir and Midgard on his side." Two more lights step forward. One says in a masculine voice, "Fenrir would never ally with him." The other says in a feminine voice, "Neither would Midgard." "he holds Midgard's child and has convinced Fenrir that I killed you all!" The lights shimmer as if communicating. "He attacked with orcs and trolls until we wiped them all out!" The light concerning Fenrir says, "Grultuk?" Another light steps forward. "Yeah, well... my troops are kinda stupid, they'd attack just about anything." Havir asks, "Who are you all?" "We are the five devas.", says Scorch. "Lady Scorch of Phoenixes, Lord Krult of Drow, Khad Avery of the humans, Grultuk of the goblins and trolls, and Shaco of the leftovers." The light that talked about Midgard shone brightly and looked like whalloped Scorch. "Hey! I'm Shaco, I led all the other races." "ANYWAYS,", Scorch said, "tell us how we can help."
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"Well, that's the story... I have 3 hours left... I need something to help me defeat Fenrir." The lights shimmer together. Then Scorch comes forth and says, "My general.. we have convened.. we have decided to give you one item." "Thank you my Lady." Scorch giggles. "No prob. Now here it is." One of the pillars glows a bright red, becomes immaterial red matter, and a sword can be seen within it. Blaise walks over to it, sticks his hand in, takes the sword out, the pillar becomes stone again, and he looks at the sword. "Soul Harp? But my Lady..." "No ifs, ands, buts about it! I can't use the goldang thing anymore, and it won't profit anybody in that stone.." "But you can use it when the gate opens again in the year 2000. "Blaise.. it's not going to open here." "Then... I can have Soul Harp?" "Yes.. but it reflects what you are. It shall determine whether you become a god or devil in the end. You are at an impass, Blaise... you must choose... but not now." "Yes my lady." "Is there anything else?" "Yes... might I speak to Flayr? Alone?" "Certainly." The lights all flicker out immediately and the Drow are warped away. A ghostly figure steps forth through one of stonehenge's gates and embraces Blaise. "I missed you, my love.." "Flayr.. I haven't stopped loving you. You still mean as much to me as in the days when we were fighting together." "I feel a but coming on...." "...but you're dead. I've mourned you for almost a thousand years now.. and I've met somebody." "Oh really? Tell me all about her!" "She has your eyes.. and your figure.. she's human and a nun.." "Blaise.. celibacy vow.. hellooooo?" "I mean a priestess, I'm sorry.. there isn't much difference in my mind, but there is apparently a difference." "Okay. Go on." "She is wonderful... she has your spirit of humor.. your love of life... your view on everything.." "Only thing she don't have is you, right?" "Right.." "Look, Blaise... you meant more to me than anybody ever could... and all I want is for you to be happy, okay?" "You mean.." "I believe that somebody can love more than one person. I think whatever makes you happy in the final years of your life you deserve. We can all be together in the afterlife.. Maybe I'll meet her." "Thank you, my love..." "I give you my blessing.. and I forgive you for Ecktros..." "Thank you..." They kiss. Blaise turns to go, and Flayr asks him one thing before he leaves... "Please come here sometime, just the two of you... so I can see you two. Please." "Yes.. my love." With that, the flame disappears, and Blaise flies off into the night with the sword 'Soul Harp'.
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Blaise flies to the end battlefield under the Shadow of Laputa. Fenrir stands ready with a large glowing blue sword. Sollath stands in Laputa looking out at the sky, slowly cackling to himself. The drow are already there, as are Virgo and Sonya, who merely remark, "We wouldn't miss this for the world!".
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