Standing before the King|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[aivea]

Mirza looks around with a delighted look when he sees how close to the center of the capital Latia had managed to teleport the trio.

"Yes, this is wonderful. Thank you, Latia. Go ahead and find somewhere to rest, you look tired," Mirza says to the Mind girl. To Damien he adds more seriously, "You and I are going to have to stay awake and pay a little visit to the palace, Damien. I don't think you'll find it very interesting though..."

[Northen Light36]

"I'll go get us rooms at the inn then," Latia annouces and hurries off, desperate for some sleep. Damien just glares at Mirza.

"At least I'll get to enjoy seeing Shadow toss you out on your arse," the captive Fire Leader growls.

[aivea]

"Come on, follow me," Mirza says simply. While walking toward the palace he adds, "I think this is the right direction. You sound awfully certain he'll throw me out or call me mad. Tell me why you think that? I doubt Shadow has ever even seen me before."

[Northen Light36]

"Because I know Shadow and you are insane," Damien replies simply. "And as soon Shadow hears your crazy tale, he's going to think you're as mad as I think you are."

[aivea]

Mirza turns toward Damien with a pout and says, "Not everyone you disagree with is insane."

Once they reach the gates, the man calls to the guards, "Would you mind letting us in? There is something important that I need to discuss with King Shadow concerning the future of Maelstrom."

[Northen Light36]

While the guards would normally turn Mirza away, King Shadow and Queen Lya only returned home last night after all, they reconise Damien and decide that it must be truly important if the Fire Leader is there. Opening the gates, they let the pair in.

Shadow is currently in his throne room, alone after having ordered Flash to go visit his family for awhile and having suggested Lya go get a breath of fresh air in the gardens. Hearing footsteps, the Storm King looks up and smiles when he sees Damien, who'd picked up his pace so as to be in front of Mirza. The smile fades slightly as Damien silently mouths six words, "I'm his slave. Don't trust him."

"Damien, how nice to see you again," Shadow saids, giving the other three sign a tiny, tiny nod. "And... Who is your companion?"

[aivea]

Mirza inclines his head slightly, though whether out of respect or merely as a greeting isn't clear.

"My name is Mirza and I would like to request your aid in carrying out the will of the Forces. Long have the Forces been weakened by the existence of those worthless single signs... However the time has come to aid the Forces in regaining their true strength by annihilating those fools. So... What to you say? Care to help carry out the desires of the Forces?" he says in a surprisingly pleasant and sincere tone with a broad smile on his face.

[Northen Light36]

Damien and Shadow both stare at Mirzu. "You are insane," they yelp in unison.

"Never!" snaps Shadow. "What you speak of is maddness and genocide! I will never aide in such a thing nor stand by and allow it to happen!"

[aivea]

Mirza turns toward Damien and says with a sigh, "Very well... In that case, Damien, you must destroy Shadow. Unless of course you'd rather I gave the order to have your dear Ann killed..."

He steps back slightly to give a little more room.

[Northen Light36]

Play Music

Damien bowed his head, a regretful tear appearing at the corner of his eye. What to do? Did he sacrifice his niece… or his friend? Either way would kill him, but when it came down to it he knew his choice was already made. “Shadow… I… I’m sorry…” Shadow sighed softly, standing from his throne and drawing his sword – his old one, Damien noted, not the one that had been gifted to him by Faren.

“As am I, my friend,” Shadow replied, his eyes as dark with regret as Damien’s were. “You know I can’t allow this to go any farther though.” Damien nodded, taking his spear off his back.

“I understand.” And with those simple words both the Lord of Storms and the Lord of Fire threw themselves into a battle that neither wanted to win, and one neither could afford to lose. Pain was shared equally between the two friends turned unwilling foes, each feeling every blow inflicted on the other as though it had been inflicted on their own bodies.

The air filled with pained gasps, whispered regrets and the clash of weapons while the floor turned red and slick with blood from both men. “This isn’t right,” Damien and Shadow thought at the same moment. “I don’t want to do this.” But wants and wishes didn’t matter now, with both men living out a personal hell and fighting each other with intent to kill among a bath of their own blood until Shadow stepped wrong and slipped on one of the many pools of sickening red, his sword flying from his hand and Damien’s spear at his throat in an instant. The battle was over, both men knew it. There was no way for Shadow to get off an elemental attack before Damien rammed his spear into the other man, but still Damien didn’t move. His hands shook as he stared at his friend, trying to will himself to find the coldness he needed to kill his best friend…

[aivea]

"Finish him!" shouts Mirza, his voice high with delight.

The man is grinning broadly and there is a highly disturbing gleam in his eyes. It almost seemed as if Mirza has never enjoyed anything as much as watching the fight he forced the Leaders to start.

[Kender Bard]

Lya stood, hidden in the shadow of the corridor, watching with horror. Her stomach churned as she watched the exchange. She dared not interfere; it'd be foolish, suicidal. But her heart wrenched, more for Shadow than Damien obviously, but still for both men. When she saw Shadow go down, an unexpected cry tore itself from her throat. "Shadow! No, Damien, don't do it!!" The woman darted forth in desperation. No good wife could stand by and watch her husband slain if she could help it.

[aivea]

Mirza turns toward Lya and says simply, "Damien can't stop now. Not if he doesn't want little Ann to die..."

[Kender Bard]

Lya brought her signs together hard, palm on hand and hands on chest, and the resulting manipulating caused a resounding CRACK! that echoed throughout the palace, so everyone would know something was wrong.

No words. Just fury.

In the blink of an eye, a force of wind that caused the panes to rattle and the frames that held them to groan, blew forth from all directions, sending anything small or light enough into the air in a whirlwind frenzy. "Get out!" she shrieked, and made a thrusting motion, sending the hurricane winds towards both Damien and Mirza.

[Northen Light36]

Damien makes no attempt to resist the winds, allowing himself to be blown hard into a wall and knocked out though to an unknowing eye, it could have been an accident. At the same time every guard in the palace is streaming into the room from behind Lya and through the two side doors. His face lined with pain, both physical and mental, Shadow climbs slowly to his feet.