Love & Sacrifice

The earth trembled as the orb's energy was pulled from it by Ithan's sword. It fluctuated, releasing thousands of bolts searing through out the room as it screamed with furry, almost as if it were alive, causing the windows to crack with its high pitched wail. It shrank in size slightly, then a static snap cracked through the air, and the orb began to pulse a deep red in its center.

Standing amongst the chaos Nakhti's eyes glinted and she grinned with sadistic glee, her talon tipped fingers dripping crimson as the last of the soft pale humans fell before her, slashing his throat, nearly severing his head. Magic would have been easier, but slaughtering them with her own hands... ripping away their life with her own raw power, now that was glorious. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room, the ballroom that had been full of merry dancers only minutes before was now littered with remains, the aroma of death and chaos filled the air. Dark thick blood pooled on the elaborate marble floor, dripping from the mangled bodies that hadn't been reduced to ash. Nakhti laughed, her voice echoing throughout the room being carried by the Dark Nova's energy.

Trying to drown out her laughter Dorian left the king's lifeless form, and ran to Arina, grabbing her by the shoulders. He knew what had to be done, but he could not die here knowing he hadn't at least tried to protect Calora... and the woman he loved. "This will not end well! I love you Arina, but I will not watch you die, perhaps I am selfish in this, but this is the way it has to be! Forgive me!" He embraced her, shaking from fear, anger and sorrow, and kissed her for what he knew was the last time. Pulling away he cast his spell before she could protest, and a crystalline bubble surrounded her. Moving his hands the bubble lifted off the ground, and flew towards the window, smashing through the glass and drifting out into the gardens, and hopefully over the castle walls... off to safety. He watched as her temporary crystal prison took her away, seeing her anguished cries as she pounded against the bubbles surface, and it took everything he had to stop from crying. "I love you..." Dorian said with a heavy heart as she vanished from sight.

"Love won't save you, Arch Mage."

Dorian whirled around to face Nakhti, knowing that he too would die, yet stood defiantly, his usual soft violet gaze now heated with hatred. "You have no idea what love can do, for a being like you could never understand it!" Dorian shouted over the roar of the Dark Nova. "Even if I die, there will be others who will carry on the ideals of Calora and all she stands for! Love lives in the hearts of the Calamian's, and it will be their greatest weapon against the creatures of darkness!" He held his staff high, pointing it at the demon woman's face, his voice cold and dark. "No matter what you do you, no matter what happens here today, in the end, you will lose!"

"Wretched mortal," Nakhti scoffed, "the people of Calora will destroy themselves when they learn their blessed King and Arch Mage are no more and their nobles have been wiped from the face of Calamia." She smiled wickedly, her arms swinging wide, displaying the destruction in the room. "This is only the beginning, for once the Dark Nova reaches its peak it will level your blessed castle, and most of the city. Calora will crumble into blessed chaos, as will the rest of the world. The demons are the superior race, destined to rule over this land. Love is for simple minded fools, and now fool it is time you learned the wrath of the demons!" She charged at him, and he cast his shield just as she brought her clawed fist down at him, sparks flying as it smashed into his spell. "Your magic is weak! It will not save you!"

"You haven't seen what I am capable of!" Dorian growled. He knew he didn't have a chance against the demoness, but he had to try. Holding tightly to his staff he cast. "Avelith mova evilni, Holy Ray!" A burst of white hot light burst from the top of his staff and smashed into Nakhti's stomach, sending her flying across the room, smashing into a pillar, and hitting the floor, the rubble landing on top of her. His spell was then pulled away into the Dark Nova, and it grew in size, its blood red center growing larger, roaring with energy. Dorian growled at himself, but he had to hit her somehow. Then it dawned on him... perhaps hitting her was not the answer at all. His eyes narrowed, and he knew what he had to do. He flinched slightly as she burst out from underneath the pillar's rubble, sending a cloud of dust and chunks of marble flying about. Not waiting he ran towards the Dark Nova.

"You'll pay for that one Arch Mage!" Nakhti bellowed. Launching herself in the air she flew across the room and landed hard in front of him, blocking his way, hitting his shield so hard it shattered, swiping at him with her arm. Dorian flew through the air, and hit the north wall, it cracking slightly from impact, then he fell to the ground. Pain screamed through his shoulder and the air seemed to have been ripped from his lungs from the force and he lie on the floor gasping. A heavy weight pressed against his chest, and he opened his eyes looking up at Nakhti. "I should squash you like the insect that you are!" Nakhti spat, looking at him through narrowed eyes. "I knew it was you searching for me, and I couldn't wait til the moment I could watch you slowly die!" The Dark Nova let off another blast of energy, this time the entire sphere radiated red, letting loose multiple archs of purple snapping tendrils, cracking the walls and blasting holes in the ceiling. "Mmmm... It is now time for my exit, and the end of your miserable castle. But let me give you a parting gift! It wouldn't be fitting to not join your guests and friends in hell." Grabbing Dorian by the throat she moved her foot off of him and lifted him from the floor.

He grabbed at her scaly hands, gargling his last words. "The... only one... going to hell... will be you!" Dorian then spat in her face.

Nakhti frowned deeply for the first time that evening, and wiped her face with her free hand. "You insolent wretch. I shall give you the most painful death imaginable!" Turning she reeled back and flung Dorian straight towards the Dark Nova. His body was absorbed into the core, and his screams of torment made her grin with pleasure. She then turned and launched herself into the air, bursting through the glass. Grabbing a few guards off the ground she flew up and dropped them, savoring the sound of their screams and the crack of their bodies as they hit the ground, then landed on the castle's walls, and knocked the guards off with her tail and sweeping wings.. A netting caught her attention and she saw the trapped form of a forsaken within it. "Interesting." She grinned. Not bothering to free the trapped demon she just picked up the sack with him inside and then used her gem, opening a gate into Ishtar. Looking back at her handy work she laughs then enters into the portal, it snapping shut behind her...

Agony... unhindered pure agony... couldn't even begin to describe how Dorian felt as he lie in the center of the Dark Nova. Energy lashed at him, thousands of purple electric bolts coruscating over him trying to tear him asunder. The only thing that kept him alive was the shield he cast as Nakhti threw him, and even then he knew it wouldn't last. Death was coming, he could feel the blackness that crept towards him within the fiery inferno, and wailed in pain and despair, but he knew this was the only way. He had to hold out long enough to absorb the energy, and he opened himself, pulling at the Dark Nova's core, draining its mana, filling himself with its raging power. It seeped into every fiber of his being, so hot he bellowed as it saturated into his flesh, but he kept pulling, knowing each searing drop he took was one less it could use to destroy everything he held dear. His blood felt like liquid fire in his veins, and his clothing burned away, turning to ash as he drank the Dark Nova's life away, the blackness drawing closer with each passing second. He thrashed and convulsed with pain, and his horrid tormented cries could be heard for miles, carried by the magics power. He drank till he could pull no more, and he let out his final breath in a strangled cry, his eyes glazed over and he fell limp within the Dark Nova, the darkness taking him away from the pain.

The Dark Nova began to shrink in size, and Dorian's form could be seen floating within its center. The energy that remained released and set out in a shock wave, blasting out all the windows in the ballroom, cracking the remaining pillars and walls, and tearing the roof to shreds, sending debris off in all directions. Cracks ran up the side of the castle and the blast ran out into the hallway, knocking the doors off their hinges and tearing anything that was attached to the walls off their hooks. The earth shook for what seemed like an eternity, then everything was still.

As the dust began to settle, the bodies had all been pushed away towards the walls, the only thing lying in the center of the room was Dorian's lifeless form. His body radiated heat, shimmering gold with an overlay like the bottom of a pool, as the mana he had took in crystalized his body...