Chapter CCXI: The Wrath of Eriuch ~Lich

Ark slammed his hand down on the desk of his makeshift laboratory before looking at the robotic miscreation before him. He growled, and with one sweep of his scarred arm, everything on it, including all his tools and drawings, went flying off the end of it. He clenched his fists before jerking his outstretched arms in the air, screaming, “Hegeratu it all!”

It was the fourth attempt today at making a robot that could write what he spoke into it, translating Pandoran to Yoshian and Yoshian to Pandoran. With the last of its energy, it scrawled “-X- -X- cheese” in Yoshian onto the paper roll, before the arm dropped off.

The Wanderers had got the message plainly that Ark wished to be left alone, and landing on Caelum, they did exactly that. C.R.’s broadcast through the P.A. system of their arrival on the Twilighter homeworld was unabated by the engineer. He shrugged and had continued working on what was now a pile of twisted metal and torn paper on the floor.

He got out of the desk chair swiftly, before giving it an almighty kick to one side. It tumbled over itself a few times before it came to a stop with its legs in the air, much like a dead beetle. Looking at it, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

“Why does it have to be so hard?!” he yelled to vacant space.

There was a mechanical whirr as the translator carried through with the orders he had given it. He spun sharply on one foot and marched towards it.

“Shut–“ he growled, as he took it in his hands; “UP!” he screamed as he threw it at the wall.

The machine was definitely no more as it the impact dented the connected pieces of metal, if it did not send them flying. A metal plate landed nearby: it was swiftly picked up.

“Why–" BANG! “–does–“ BANG! “–it–“ BANG! “–have–“ BANG! “–to–“ BANG! “–be–“ BANG! “–so–“ BANG! “–behegerato–” BANG! “–hard!”

The throbbing started in his forehead. He shook his head, and rested it on the metal plate as he held it on the wall.

“Why?” he whispered.

You know the answer, Ark, Eriuch cut into his brain.

“YOU SHUT UP!” he bellowed at the Spear lying across the other side of the hangar.

Fine. You think about what has happened over the last few days.

“Why?!”

The Zen Xi’Ara remained silent.

“Why should I?”

Still the Spear would not answer.

“Fine, fine, I see,” he sighed as he sat down and crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.

Lich saw off Ian and Havering and shuddered from the look he had been given.

“Right,” C.R. spoke. “Who’ll take on Necronimus?”

Lich turned and said, “Well, if I can’t do Nictem, I’ll do him.”

“Actually,” C.R. spoke after a moment’s thought, “I think it’d be better that you guard the fort.”

“But I’ve got light powers and ever–“

“Precisely. This is Caelum; Twilighter homeworld. There’s more than ten of them living here. Also, it might be wise to keep an eye on our little visitor.”

Lich sighed, “I see your logic. Alright. Good luck everyone.”

He walked back through the door of the train and went to his room, passing through the now battered lounge thanks to Grimace.

Ah, yes. Grimace. His motives on board were relatively unknown. Lich didn’t really understand what was going on and he certainly did not trust him because of it. He decided that he would watch from a distance – the best place for a Boomerang.

He took the Cyan Arc out of his belt as he sat on the bed, placed it in his lap and rested his hand on top of it. He was anxious that things would take a bad turn, and began to formulate plans based on hypotheticals. After running plans and contingency plans through his mind, he felt that he needed something to spend the built-up energy from, so he retrieved a small bottle and a cloth from his Storage, opened it, dabbed part of the cloth with it, and began to clean the Boomerang. It was something he always tended to do when he was seated and was waiting for something unexpected to happen.

Everything had been so fine and good until he had saw…well, it. He’d finished his final training in Mandala, and his family had come for the Ordination ceremony, including Lich. After that it just turned weird.

He was dragged onto a flying, dimension-crossing train, of all things, and shunted around from planet to planet until returning home to Fa’Diel, where the Mana Sword had been stolen. He paused. Stolen. The verb seemed so foreign placed in the same sentence as the Mana Sword. That called a general meeting of the Guardians, and then Lumina had warped them to Gold City. There, he’d had the nerve to ask Lich what he was hiding.

How he regretted seeing the truth! There he was, of his flesh and blood, corrupted. Maybe the Protoss was right and he was just scared of what he saw. But it went deeper than that; far deeper. He was betrayed.

His own brother – his own brother! – had kept this from him for five years. If he had only said straight up at the beginning words to the effect of, “Ark, I’m not sure how you’ll react, but because I have to protect the Boomerang now, they had to give me cybernetic enhancements”, he would have been far more understanding. But to hide it for five years, see him off the premises of the Light Palace, be told harshly to go and train in Mandala; that hurt. He’d suffered with it for so long, and enough was enough.

For some strange reason, an idea kept surfacing itself in his head – kill him. Take him off guard with love, then ram the Ebony Lance into his spine and out his stomach. Where the idea kept coming from, he did not know.

He deserves it, Eriuch sneered. What are you waiting for? Kill him!

Ark hmmed, and looked at his weapon across the room.

Kill him!

“When I am ready!” Ark yelled back.

NOW!

“Lich!”

He jumped. The unexpected came in the form of Naaro standing at his door.

“Give me a heart at–“

“No time, Rynn’s hurt! I need you to cure her! Come on!”

Lich leapt to his feet and followed the swiftly moving Karmali to the room his family stayed in. After Naaro moved aside, he saw her to be bleeding from the back of her head. Without even pausing to say a word, he summoned the powers of Undine, made pitter-patter motions with his fingers, then pointed his hand at Rynn and clenched his fist. Drops of curing water formed in the air above her and fell like a light shower of rain, sinking into her blue and orange skin. The wound closed up, and the spell stopped.

She sat up and said, “Thanks, Lich.”

“Anytime,” he smiled.

Suddenly, Lich’s acute senses picked up a fluctuation that emanated from the direction of the hangar.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me…” he nodded, and slipped out of the room.

The Mana shifted again as he trotted down the hall. He stopped at the door and pressed his ear to it. It was an unnecessary action as Ark’s cry of pain slipped through the cracks between the door and the frame coupled with another fluctuation.

Lich grabbed the handle and slammed the door open with a heavy, resounding clang, and gasped.

“What – by – Drepatos?” he whispered.

Ark sailed across the room at head height, his body smashing into an opposing wall with a yelp, before he was thrown backwards. He landed heavily on the metal floor, bouncing a few times.

“No! I won’t! You obey me!” he yelled.

He screamed as he shot up to the high ceiling of the hangar.

“PUT ME DOWN!”

Ark, the acrophobe, fell. Lich ran towards the spot he would land at, but before he reached it, Ark had already landed there with a thud, lying sprawled and seemingly lifeless on the floor.

“Gulto…” Lich cursed as he knelt beside him.

“I am your master; I am your Guardian; you obey me,” he whispered.

Ark moaned and twitched. Suddenly, a voice that was definitely not his exited his mouth – two-toned and sly:

“Then we take this to the next level.”

As if all the beatings had never happened, Ark leapt to his feet and glared at Lich, his eyes a yellow, pupil-less glow.

“Hello, Dyluck, or is it Lich?” the voice greeted him with a smirk.

Lich leapt back and assumed a defensive stance, the Xol’Arago at the ready.

“Who are you and what are you doing to my brother?!” he called.

Ark laughed, and suddenly Lich was suspended mid-air, his arms locked behind his back.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eriuch, creator and soul of the Zen Xi’Ara; what you might know as the Ebony Lance.”

Lich looked at him in surprised disbelief. “Prove it.”

“With pleasure.”

Ark shot his right arm towards the Spear, his fingers ready to receive it as its length materialised in his hand. He jerked it back to his side, before firing a daser at Lich’s ankle.

“Arh-chhh!” Lich yelped, his leg jerking backwards.

Ark tilted his head and smirked. “I believe that is sufficient proof.”

“What are you do–“

“I was just getting to that, bearer of the Xol’Arago,” he said, raising a hand. “You see, long, long ago, on Xel-neh’mi, there was a war between the Xel’Naga and the Shadows. During this war, my elder brother Tarabach crafted the weapon you have at your side, and with it, he became nearly invincible on the field. I say nearly because…well, I killed him for it. I created the Zen Xi’Ara to counter its powers of light, and its darkness was effective, especially at his end. Unfortunately for me, he threw it into a rip just before I could get my hands on it as he died.

“The Shadows were outraged by the loss of the Xol’Arago. They had wanted me to destroy it or bring it into our possession. With it remaining out there somewhere, they obliterated my body as punishment, but my soul remained within the Zen Xi’Ara.”

“As I will punish you!” Lich yelled.

“I don’t think that will happen. You see, the Xol’Arago is dangerous to my kin, the Shadows, and to all those allied with the powers of darkness, including your brother. Kill me, you kill him too.”

Lich hung his head as he realised the trap.

“It’s a sorry state to be in, I know.”

“Why have you waited until now to make your presence felt?”

“Because the Shadow you fought awakened me.”

“Awakened?”

“The Xel’Naga knew that I lingered inside here, and that I was a threat to them. So, they put me to sleep, and I lay dormant for countless years, until now.”

“Then I will do the same!”

“Ah, but there’s the catch – only a Xel’Naga or Shadow pureblood can do that. I think you’re stuck fast.”

Lich sighed frustratedly.

“Now, please deactivate the self-defence mechanism of the Xol’Arago and hand it to Ark, so that I may finally rest in peace.”

“I don’t think so,” Lich sneered.

“I do. Or do you wish to see the full capabilities of the Zen Xi’Ara?”

Lich was dropped to the ground as Eriuch ended the telekinesis.

“I will ask you again. Hand the Xol’Arago to Ark,” he said in a singsong voice, “or I will have to kill you for it.”

A wicked grin spread across Ark’s features.

“I don’t know if you know this, Eriuch,” Lich started, clutching the Boomerang tightly, “but I am the Guardian of the Cyan Arc, and because of that, it is my sworn duty to protect it from people like you.”

“Then I kill you.”

“Bring it on, ghost.”

Ark twirled the Spear in his right hand at his side once, before a sudden forward thrust, sending him skidding along the ground towards Lich. Knowing this move, Lich cartwheeled to his right at the last moment, his feet knocking Ark’s jaw.

Once again a defensive battle with his brother, once again trying to save his own hide, once again about the Boomerang; time flows like a river and history repeats.

Ark’s head turned to his left from the impact as Lich lost his balance and fell onto his back. With the reflexes of a cat, Lich leapt to his feet as the Spear missed him by mere millimetres. Lich swept the Boomerang blindly behind him, and was pleased when he heard the satisfying crackle of the electrical defences activating.

Ark flew backwards, but as Lich turned around and saw him, he back-flipped mid-air and floated gently to the ground, landing without making a noise.

“I believe that I would be considered a traveller along the Left Path, yes?” Eriuch smirked.

Lich growled in reply, and taunted, “The weaker Path.”

“Ho, how very wrong you are.”

Ark held out an outstretched hand towards him. Lich flew backwards into a pile of crates, which tumbled onto him.

“Pathetic creature,” Eriuch spat.

He walked towards the crates, holding the Spear ready to strike. He kicked one away, and saw Lich’s exposed stomach. Grinning, he brought the Lance back, ready to give the coup de grâce.

Like Ark had tricked him earlier, Lich sprang forwards, both of his feet kicking Ark’s abdomen. He brought his feet down and stood up, Boomerang at the ready. Ark recovered from the recoil, and raised the Spear. The two of them began to encircle each other, staring each other down, waiting for the other to make their move first.

Lich broke the spell by spinning the Arc before him and making a shield. Without a show of emotion, Ark moonsaulted over him and swung the Spear at his exposed back, quicker than he could respond. Lich cried out and fell forward, electricity crackling over him. Luckily he had the right mind to roll over to one side as the Spear tried to stab him again.

“Hand it to me and I might let you live,” Eriuch sneered.

“Never!”

“Then I shall contin-ooh!.”

Ark looked down at the sudden gash across his chest that followed the cyan flash, and then looked up at Lich. He held one hand against it and, much to Lich’s surprise, laughed.

“You idiotic reptile,” Eriuch sneered. “You can’t kill me. I’m the soul and essence of the Zen Xi’Ara, remember? I have no physical form! All you are doing is hurting your brother that you love oh so dearly…I can hear the screams of pain within his head. You see? Your fighting is futile. You’ll just kill Ark, but I’ll still remain within the Spear, and I will still hunt you down. What’s that, Ark? That hit is a sign of betrayal?”

Lich yelled furiously, leapt up and dived towards Ark, tackling him. He pinned him down and screamed, “GET OUT OF MY BROTHER!”

Lich was suddenly thrown upwards to the ceiling and had his back pressed against it, yelling, as Ark stood up and looked towards him, holding a hand above his head. An evil glint could be seen in his yellow eyes, before he lowered his hand.

The train’s generated gravity field did its work and Lich dropped to the floor, screaming a lewd Pandoran word. At the last moment, Eriuch’s powers arrested his fall, and flung him into one of the walls. He then fell forward onto his face, before groaning as he struggled to get up.

He was pushed back down as a shadowy flame sailed into him. He cried out, then was subjected to a series of them in quick succession for half a minute. Both of them lost count of how many were fired at him.

“Give up yet, Keeper of the Xol’Arago?” Eriuch asked when he stopped.

“Never,” Lich gasped.

“So be it.”

Lich looked up to see Ark flick the head of the Lance with his finger. A dark cloud seemed to pump its way out of the tip and surround the Spear, before giving it a corona of shadow.

“To speed up your death,” Eriuch explained.

Lich held the Boomerang at both ends and pointed its face at Ark. He whispered, “Pahagonoteri.”

Pinnacles of light began to creep towards the Ruby of Erisot. Eriuch began to randomly teleport Ark from one place to another in the hangar, until the Ruby had a white glow to it, Lich trying to keep aim. It fired a swirling, multicoloured cylindrical beam which Ark unfortunately teleported into.

It held him in place for about seven seconds as the beam drained energy out of him, before a ball of that same energy formed, launched itself, and hit the unsuspecting Ark with an explosion.

He flew backwards and landed heavily, before he performed a psychically-boosted flip onto his feet.

“Can’t you just die?!” Eriuch yelled.

Ark’s fingers tap-danced across the surface of the Spear below the head where his notches that enabled various techniques lay. He then rammed the butt of the Lance on the ground, and a purple spark shot itself along the ground towards him.

Lich tried to move but his self-repair systems had not done their work fully yet, so he could only watch as his own shadow rose up before him with a shadowy copy of the Boomerang. It raised it above its head, before it brought it down into his side like a blacksmith’s hammer on an anvil. However, the shadow Arc sunk into him and drew blood as it was pulled out, his shadow returning to normal as Lich yelled with agony.

“It’s not noble to kick someone when they’re down!” he complained as he summoned a bar of Pakkun Chocolate into his hand and began to unwrap it.

Ark melted away in front of him and re-appeared in a nearby shadow formed by some barrels. He stepped out and stood on Lich’s wrist, making him let go of the chocolate with an anguished cry.

“Not today, Keeper,” Eriuch said condescendingly, kicking the bar away with his other foot to a drum certainly out of range of Lich’s hands and tongue.

The Shadow stared into his eyes, and saw the fear within them.

“You’re right, that was definitely not noble of me. But I don’t care. Give me the Xol’Arago, and I’ll let you live.”

“No,” Lich hissed.

Ark teleported across the room again. “Show me what you’re made of, Keeper,” he taunted.

Lich raised the Boomerang and began to fire lasers at Ark, who teleported from place to place, avoiding all of them.

“Is that all you’ve got when the chips are down?” Eriuch laughed.

He stopped teleporting, and raised his hand, a small psychic shield absorbing the laser’s blows. With his other hand, he keyed in a combination on the Spear, grabbed the butt end of it, and began to spin it around above his head. A column of darkness rose around him and began to expand, its energy spiralling upwards. Lich’s mouth fell opened and his eyes widened as it drew closer to him, picking up all crates and drums in his path, like a tornado.

It reached him and he was swept up. A crate smashed into him and exploded, its contents joining the storm’s debris, followed by a drum crashing into his legs. He began to grow incredibly dizzy as he focused on Ark, spinning around at the storm’s eye as he travelled through the whirlwind. The drums and crates smashed into Artanis’ Scout, giving it a few nasty dents and smashing its windows. Lich was thrown against it, cut glass embedding itself in his legs, before he was picked up again. It was then he felt the darkness of the whirlwind itself attack him, bringing him immense pain from all sides of his body; even within it.

Suddenly, the whirlwind stopped, the debris clattered to the ground, and Lich was flung into a corner of the hangar. He yelped weakly as he landed, his eyes shut. He then opened them to see Ark standing over him, the Zen Xi’Ara poised for the kill, ready to stab deep into him. He closed his eyes and raised a hand defensively, and waited for the final blow.

What seemed to be the longest five seconds in the whole of his life passed.

“No, Ark! Kill him!” Eriuch yelled.

Lich risked opening an eye and saw a troubled expression on Ark’s face, the yellow eyes pulsating their brightness wildly, as he stood completely still.

“Don’t do this to me, Ark! Not when I am so close to my goal!”

Ark remained motionless, save his heavy breathing.

“No! Kill him! Destroy him! He betrayed you!”

No response.

“No! He must die!”

Lich sunk back into the corner further.

“Kill hi-ARGH!”

Ark turned and threw the Spear at full force at a point in the wall, high up. The Ebony Lance dug into the metal and lodged itself there.

“I told you I wasn’t ready, Eriuch,” Ark muttered.

He turned back to Lich, his green eyes returning, to see his brother slump.

“No…no…” he shook his head.

He frantically searched Lich’s pockets for the Cup of Wishes, but failed to find it. He had forgotten to put it in.

“No…Dy…no, not now…”Ark drew a sharp intake of breath. “What do I do, what do I do…”

Ark placed his fingers on Lich’s throat, and felt for a pulse. It was there, though incredibly weak. He then lapsed into concentration, and mentally searched through his Mana Storage for any curatives, finding only a Round Drop. He cursed as he withdrew it, and pulled the wrapper open. He opened Lich’s mouth and let it sit on his tongue to dissolve. Uttering a prayer to the Elementals, he looked on as the candy closed the wound in Lich’s side, failing to heal anything else.

Ark shook his head and felt Lich’s pulse again. It was stronger, but there was no way he was going to wake up any time soon, without any assistance. He then scooped one arm under his brother’s knees and his other under his shoulders and tried to lift him. He failed, and ran to the other end of the hangar where a long rectangular flat-topped robot sat, untouched by the whirlwind, and turned it on.

“ABYvK Industries, model ThE-Mark 6,” it chimed in Pandoran, sounding like a robotic re-dub of Ark’s voice. “Please enter a command.”

Ark grabbed his input device and pressed a number of buttons.

“Following.”

Ark walked quickly over to Lich, the robot in tow on its caterpillar tracks. Upon reaching him, he pressed a button that got it to stop, and then inputted more commands.

“Hoisting operation in progress. Please wait.”

The top of the robot popped off and placed itself on the ground before it, revealing itself as a thin sheet, strengthened by its hoists extending from the robot’s body. As the robot moved forward, putting the sheet under Lich, he moved him up onto it. Ark pressed another button.

“Hoisting complete. Carrying operation in progress. Please wait.”

The hoists moved back into position, the metal top returning to its original position, Lich resting on top of the machine. Ark then got it to follow him to his room, and had the robot place him on the bed. The robot then scuttled back to its position in the hangar.

Ark then left the room and began to search for other people on board, trying to seek help. He wouldn’t get any sleep tonight, for certain: his worry over his brother, but moreover, his fear of his own weapon. The Guardian had become the one needing guarding.