Chapter 55

Free from Tabitha’s influence, and her connection to the outsider, the ocean of black tar calmed once more, its surface turning mirrorlike. Silence, oppressive and heavy, hung in the white void. In the stifling atmosphere, Wil looked at the writhing figure beneath his feet.

He could sense the hatred and rage within it, its frustration that it had been stymied and thwarted. The rift was still in place, a gap in the barrier that only his White Moon’s light prevented it from entering. With a weary sigh, Wil lifted the Gluttonous Blade vertically by the hilt, the sharp point directed downwards.

He let it drop, the sword easily piercing the ocean’s surface. It plunged through the black tar, blending with its surroundings. Only the crimson and gold, faint hints that sparkled in the darkness, revealed its presence.

Ignoring the floating blade, buried in the black, he focused on the Outsider, the wriggling mass of tentacles, staring into that single, white eye. Reaching out with his senses, Wil felt the beginnings of a link form between them.

“You’ve failed. The last trace of your defilement will perish here.” Wil whispered. He knew the creature could hear him, that it had an understanding of what he was saying. Rather than words, images and emotions were funnelled through the link.

Wil’s vision turned red, the anger coming through the connection was tremendous, a tidal wave of emotion. With the emotions, came a vision. The world below on fire, the cities of humanity in ruins. Infected rampaged through the streets, killing and devouring all life, until they were the only lifeform left.

Once the destruction was complete, the infected turned on each other, conglomerating into a mass of bubbling flesh, to be absorbed by the Outsider.

Wil shook off the image, resisting the anger until he was once more in control of himself.

“That isn’t going to happen, not while I’m guarding the barrier. This rift is about to close, but first…You have something that belongs to our world.” Wil said.

He punctuated his words with an image of his own, the sacrificed bodies of the Cult’s victims. Their souls, sent to feed the Outsider, were now forever beyond the cycle of reincarnation, separated by the barrier of the Aether.

“I want them back.” Wil stated, his voice hard, his expression cold. His determination bled through the connection. The Outsider was confused, whether by his determination to return the souls of the dead, or by the foreign concept of ‘caring’ for something other than its own self-interests, Wil didn’t know.

One thing was certain, the Outsider was unwilling to give up the proffered souls. It sent images of the sacrificed humans, nestled in blackness, merging together to increase its own strength. Underlying the unwillingness was another feeling, one that Wil was intimately familiar with. It hungered for more.

“I will make myself clear to you, Outsider. I want those souls returned to the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation, even if I must leave the barrier to do so.” Wil threatened. He sent an image to the creature, of him destroying the rift, sealing the barrier once more. Only this time, he would be on the outside.

Wil knew how powerful it was, and that he would be unlikely to survive such as encounter, but he also knew that their battle would weaken it enough that it would either perish as well or be too weak to threaten their realm again.

A confusing mixture of images and emotions returned to him, of countless other creatures, floating in the void between realms, waiting to pounce on worlds, but also each other. If it was weakened, it would be fed on by its peers.

The Outsider was attempting to convey that the souls would be lost, consumed along with it, if their conflict drew the attention of its peers. This time, Wil expressed his own emotion to the creature, his steadfast willingness to die in order to liberate those taken.

It was a foreign feeling to the Outsider, the concept of death and life were only vague concepts. To willingly cease to exist, it shuddered at the thought.

Wil dove beneath the black Tar, his body easily resisting the fluid. He sank quickly, reaching his sword. His hand hovered above the handle, preparing to seize the blade and breach the barrier.

“Choose.” Wil said, the link with the creature a thunderous cacophony of images, emotions, and thoughts, before they stilled. From the breach, sparks of light entered the rift, specks of white that hovered in the darkness. Wil cupped his hands around the souls, shielding them.

Clutching them in one hand, held tightly against his chest, he reached out and seized the Gluttonous Blade. To close the rift, he merely had to remove the block the Outsider had placed, akin to a foot blocking a doorway, preventing it from closing.

Now that the infection was removed from their realm, draining the ocean was a simple matter. Hefting the blade, he stabbed it forward, unleashing the insatiable void within. A vortex formed around it, drawing in the black tar. A massive whirlpool distorted the mirror like surface, the center of which was Wil.

He was surprised how quickly the process was, he had expected it to take an eternity to drain the ocean, but it was over in minutes. The blade in his hand howled with joy, devouring everything around it. Wil felt the excess energy flowing through his body, cycled from the blade, through his body, and to the White Moon.

In the Night sky, the Moon glowed a brilliant white, not merely reflecting the light of the stars and suns but emitting its own radiance. Everywhere the moonlight touched, mana surged. For humanity, breakthroughs to higher ranks became easier, while beasts and plants grew larger, healthier, and more powerful.

In the Azure Sea, the ocean sparkled in the moonlight, the life within multiplied, the mana of its creatures increasing. In Lund, the Wilds calmed, the mana growing more stable, but as intense as always. The Midnight Desert experienced a period of flowing mana that drew the attention of adventurers across the continent.

As the final drop of black tar disappeared, the endless white void covered everything, the barrier finally intact once more. Wil’s last image of the Outsider was of its presence, floating silently in the darkness, waiting patiently for its next opportunity. It could wait, for time had little meaning for their race.

Seeing that it was gone, the rift closed, Wil returned to the White moon. Standing on its surface, he felt reinvigorated, the throne of Erebus had truly become his own. He was all powerful while he stood here, the entire world spread out in front of him. Above, the stars shined invitingly.

To the East, he could see Secundus rising, her blue light bathing the world in its gentle sunlight. The world would heal from the damage Erebus and the Outsider had done, but Wil would quicken the process.

Holding the souls in his hand, he stabbed the Gluttonous Blade into the Moon, using the celestial object as a scabbard for his sword. Raising the sparkling souls, he stared silently at them, nourishing them in his divine light.

When they were ready, he hurled them into the air, a wave of his mana sweeping over them, propelling them to their homes on the world below. There, they would find their bodies, healed and repaired, ready to accept their souls once more.

In the center, he saw a particularly bright soul, forming the shape of a young woman. She turned towards him as she flew away, giving him a smile and a small wave.

“I’ll see you soon.” Wil whispered, watching as Mara and the others returned home.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Serena was standing outside, watching the sunrise, the blue light of Secundus had dyed the sky a dark blue, with streaks of purple and pink. But the young girl was focused on the brilliant white disk that hung overhead.

She had never seen the moon and the suns in the sky at the same time, it was something that had never happened before. But she knew that Wil was up there, possibly looking down on them right now, while he fought to keep them safe.

The earthquakes had stopped, the infection that had rampaged through the towns was gone, and the sun was finally rising. It seemed that things were finally going to be alright. She just hoped Wil would come home soon.

“There you are! I was worried when Quentin and Astrid said you were out here alone!” A voice called out. Before Serena could turn, someone was picking her up and spinning her. It was a young woman, wearing a simple robe, her curly brown hair shining in the moonlight.

“Mara! You’re finally back! Wil said you were helping him with something, did you finish?” She screamed, wrapping her arms around the woman who had become so close to her in their time together in Aachen.

“He did?” Mara asked, confused. Wil hadn’t told her what had happened? Well, she wouldn’t be the one to say it. She could spare Serena the details.

“Of course I helped him, he wouldn’t be able to do anything without me watching his back!” Mara said, grinning. “But look at you! You look just like Wil, only much cuter!” she asked, amazed at the changes in the former Tiefling.

“Wil came to see me, and said that we could be a real family! Do you like it?” Serena asked as her feet touched the ground once more. She still clung onto Mara’s hands, not wanting to let her go.

“I do!” Mara said, honestly.

“Is Wil back?”

“He’s delayed, but he should be here soon. Do you want to know a secret?” Mara whispered, kneeling and speaking into her ear.

“Wil’s on the moon!”