This Gothic World
Chapter 10

Ceres

Ko te wa tenei…

He didn’t know what to think anymore. He could do nothing but watch. The bloody remains of the castle staff…

It is time, my vessel…

Time for what? Ceres wondered but could not speak. He thought but could not control.

Te wa mo te mutunga o te ao…

Time for the end of the world…

End…of the…of the world? But, he didn’t want the world to end…

Kaore koe i whiriwhiri…

You have no choice…

Yes, he had no choice…

Ceres raised himself up from the dais and walked out towards the veranda overlooking Arcane City. His eyes scanned the horizon. There was a violet hue towards the Western side, just above the setting sun. It was time to face it.

Ka mate, ka mate ranei…

We do, or we die…

Time to face the One Destroyer and his messenger…

Ka koa ahau ki te mutu i nga mea katoa…

I will enjoy ending them all…

Laughter resounded everywhere. Thunder rolled over Ceres. His body floated along. It was time…for the end of the world…

Irene

“Are you insane?”

She heard the words like Alina was alive and standing in front of her. But it didn’t matter. No matter who showed up, Irene couldn’t turn back. She just…couldn’t.

“No.”

She said while the dark energy slowly slithered towards her. Her voice was like silence. It was known everywhere just the same. She needed to do nothing at all.

“Then why?”

Alina’s voice was the voice of doubt. Irene knew. But she had to listen to this in order to understand what to do in the first place. An epic battle was to happen. And in order for her to fight…Irene needed to know…

He aha koe i konei?

Why are you here?

Her body turned to face the last person she had thought to face. Ceres…

Ka mau ahau i tetahi karere…

I bear a message…

Her eyes took in Ceres’s dire state. His body seemed rotten to the core. The stench of blood and death could be scent miles away…it was awful…

He aha te mea?

What is it?

Irene blinked and again the grey film fell into its place. The darkness was evident.

Kua hara koe…

You have committed carnage…

A deep sigh escaped her chest while Ceres smiled in glee. No use.

Na?

So?

Irene’s heart clenched. This man…this man wasn’t like this before…

He has been corrupted by his anger and wish for revenge against you.

No. Not him too. Not him too…

You must obey.

Not him too…

You must…

Irene’s vision returned and she could restrain herself no longer.

“Majesty, please…this doesn’t have to be this way…”

Her eyes glistened. But Ceres stood there his teeth glimmering under the setting sun’s violet rays. His body was all but rotten to the core.

Tuhinga o mua…

Pathetic…

Ceres came towards her stealthily. The stench of foul magic wafted through the air leaving destruction at its wake. Irene pleaded. “Please, this doesn’t—

Ko te tangata e rapu ana koe ehara i konei…

The one you seek is not here…

His grin widened. Irene’s gut clenched in apprehension. It was evident. Ceres was gone. The last mortal King of Crane…Gone…

Na te aha?

What will it be then?

Irene blinked. No…

Me utu e koe te utu…

You must pay for it all then…

No…not the King…he was innocent…he…he…

He is gone. Accept it. Accept it before it’s—

The One Destroyer didn’t get to finish. Irene was punched in her chest and thrown away like a rag doll by a swish of Yuhnu’s magical tail. Before anything Yuhnu was onto her yet again flying next to her.

Kua kuhu koe, Kotahi Motuhake…Tsk tsk tsk…

You have become pathetic, Infinite One…

Another punch to her gut landed her on the peak of a dome and a loud crunch resounded throughout Irene’s body letting her know she had a cracked spine.

“See? This is impossible. Give up Irene.”

Alina…

Aue taku pai ... i mamae ai?

Did that hurt?

Yuhnu came near her with a menacing glare. Irene couldn’t feel her legs. His grin grew wider. With an unmatched speed he raised her body and with a slam broke her spinal column over his thigh. A crack worse than ice picks made Irene wince…

Mena he kino tena, ka tangi koe, he karere…

If that hurt then this should make you scream, Messenger…

Irene tried to keep her eyes open. Her mind was a whirlwind of messy thoughts and painful experiences…if this kept up…

“Give up. Flee. Do anything but this!”

No…

Kaore au i oti i a koe…

I’m not finished with you yet…

“Run! Run before you die!”

No…

Eyelids closing up Irene tried to desperately grasp on any piece of sanity she could. All of this was making her lose control…

Too much...pressure…

“Run!”

Ka hiahia ahau kia kore koe i whanau…

I am going to make you wish you were never born…

Alina’s voice urged on. The doubt played like a symphony of death over Irene’s mind. “Run! Run Away!”

But…Irene grasped for anything…any defense…

“Please…” Her voice pleaded with Alina. Her voice pleaded with Ceres. Her voice pleaded…but they didn’t know it was on deaf ears…

Ceres laughed like he was a madman. Irene’s eyes dimmed.

Ka pai au ki te pai i tenei…ka rite ki taku koa ki te patu i taua atu putea ki nga mata matomato…

I am so going to enjoy this...just like I enjoyed killing that other wench with the green eyes...

Green eyes…

Irene’s breathing stopped for but a moment. Her world fell on its head and did a 360 degrees turn. “Green eyes…”

Alina…

You must concentrate…

Yuhnu!

Irene didn’t resist. She let the flow of things close her eyes. She let it seep into her skin. She accepted…her fate…

Let your emotions loose…

A deep throat-crushing punch made Irene choke but she let it all go. Her emotions were her emotions. They needed to live.

Shed the ego…

Irene’s jaw crunched but she dissociated herself from it all…

Focus on your center…

Another gut punch landed her a double over…

Find your core…

Life was waning away…

Now…Release!

The unsurmountable energy…the feeling of nonexistence…the truth of existence…

Irene’s eyes opened and with inhuman strength Irene picked herself up. Ceres was about to grab her but she was faster. Her fist landed on Ceres’s throat.

Tukua ia ... inaianei!

Release him…now!

Power exuded from her pores and this allowed her command to resonate. Yuhnu had no choice…

His powers were extracted like a snake slithering out of its skin…Irene felt nothing but when Yuhnu let Ceres go, she floated him safely onto the veranda of the Castle before returning her full concentration on the slimy beast.

Kaore e taea te mate…

Death is unavoidable…

Her anger was there. Her feelings were all present. But the One Destroyer had them all. It wasn’t Irene’s anymore. They were all loose to have their way.

Yuhnu choked. His bony scaled body would make anyone puke. Irene’s eyes glowed with darkness.

Ko te wa ka tutaki koe ki te Mate, Yuhnu…

It’s time you met Death, Yuhnu…

The serpent tried to slip but Irene’s iron grip would not be swayed. She held on with a bit of extra force than necessary lest he slip into the world and cause more chaos than normal.

If he dies…all mages…

They will all die…Irene knew it already. But if he lives…

Then destruction is inevitable…

And it wasn’t something Irene was feeling to take a chance on yet again. No more…

The One Destroyer smiled. Then you shall have your wish. But be aware. His remains will cause men to turn against each other. He is not any ordinary being. He is the Evil High King. His body will not rot. It must be destroyed one…by one…

Irene knew…and it was a chance she was willing to take…After all…life had to have a bit of hope…

Then allow me to not keep you…

Irene grinned. Her face looked evil under the midnight sky. Yuhnu struggled for his life while Irene took his form in. Her concentration accelerated thousand fold. Her power left violet rays of life in its wake.

Yuhnu, te faaite nei au ia oe ia haere ... ea muri noa’tu…

I hereby pronounce you to be gone…forever…

Violet rays illuminated everything in angry flames. Irene’s body flowed with powerful waves of light. The rays pierced Yuhnu’s skin and body dissecting it into twelve different parts…Parts which he shattered into by the pure force of will Irene possessed…

Kahore! E kore ahau e mate! Kaua rawa!

No! I will not die! Never!

Yuhnu’s cries were silenced forever…

Irene saw before her very eyes, the shattered pieces fly away in different corners of the Mortal realm…

It’s over…for now…

Yes. It was finally over…for a long…long time…

Ceres

Free! Finally!

But freedom…did it come with a price?

Ceres couldn’t think straight. After having been choked till his lungs broke he couldn’t remember much.

Kahore! E kore ahau e mate! Kaua rawa!

No! I will not die! Never!

Ceres’s head turned despite the horrid headache and buzzing in his eardrums to see a sight he had never thought he would witness. Was he dreaming? Surely, he must be dreaming!

A serious bang resounded throughout and Ceres’s eyes were blinded by violet light brighter than the sun. Bone breaking and crunching…violet rays intensifying…

“No!”

Despite the immense discomfort Ceres turned his head towards the voice. His eyes saw within the intensity…a familiar face…

Temperance Methuselah…

Ceres mindlessly reached for him. His body crawled slowly but surely towards the blue eyed man.

To Ceres, Temperance seemed tense. His face was expressing pure and utter…failure…a rare sight…or rather a once in a million sight…

Amazingly, Temperance found Ceres crawling and turned to face him full on with the expression of defeat…

Their eyes met. Unknown connection made Ceres feel empathy towards the man. This man…he was willing to sacrifice himself…even his family for a cause…

A mortal man reaching for greatness…but replaceing only defeat…

Ceres felt for the man. He felt for the first time, the humanity of one of his subjects which was a miracle in its own rights.

This man…who was now facing…utter and unquestionable defeat…

Just like Ceres had in possession of Irene…Just like he had felt the helplessness and fear and grief…of losing his own freedom…of admitting defeat to a mortal woman…

His magus heritage…his Kingly pride…was all shattered the moment Irene had forced him with her unusually powerful binding…

Then it hit him…

Ceres met Temperance’s gaze head on while managing to stand up due to the power of his own pride and anger swelling up with a desire for spilling blood.

“Temperance Methuselah.”

The blue eyed giant nodded in respect. “Highness.”

What happened after…was a total and utter shock…

Before Ceres could even react, Temperance plunged a royal sword deep into his beating heart. The crimson liquid painted flowering blooms across the highly lit balcony. Ceres couldn’t look away. His face remained trained on the scene before him.

Temperance crumpled on the floor like he was made of stone. A giant fell…and Ceres watched…unthinking…unblinking…

When his senses returned all he could think or feel was a sense of determination. Without a word he walked towards the fallen corpse of Irene’s Father.

Temperance’s eyes were looking straight up…

Wordlessly, Ceres removed the blade from the man’s heart…

“No one deserves this fate.”

The blade was slick and reflective…Ceres felt it was beautiful…magical…

“I promise you.” His voice was deep and cold. “I will not fail.”

He would not fail…

He would not rest…

He would succeed…

Ceres inspected the blade. The violet reflection was there with a much lower intensity than before. A grin spread across his face while he turned to face his adversary.

He would succeed…in killing Irene…