The Lionheart Saga: The Final Chapters

[David_MacCallister]

Author's Note: These stories are the final chapters of my last book, and lead to what will eventually become a new series of RP sessions, if I can ever get them going. These last chapters were lengthy at best and may take some time to read, but they should be well worth it.

Before going further, I should explain who some of the characters are in the story. Otherwise you may become lost.

Raven Lionheart: The hero of the story who has fallen deeply in love with Malia Dualas. He is a young knight and will do whatever it takes to protect Malia, even if it means sacrificing his life.

Adrian Lionheart: Raven's father and a fellow knight of the Lionheart Kingdom. He has raised and trained Raven to be the knight that he is today and has been dispatched to destroy General Rosaline Alejandra.

Faith Lionheart: The Eternal Holy Knight. He has lived for generations as an immortal, passing on the teachings of the holy knights and serving as the guardian to the Sword of Zerathustra, the ultimate holy weapon. His ultimate quest is to destroy the dark lord Deimos Alejandra.

Cloud Striker: A holy knight trained by Faith Lionheart. He is Raven's brother-in-arms and a master of the double-bladed staff. While he is brash with his actions, this young man would sacrifice himself for the good of the Lionheart Kingdom.

Sremmos Van Deras: The mighty overlord of the Van Deran dragon realm. He is considered the most powerful holy knight, alongside of Faith Lionheart, and wields a mighty Greatsword. His power and knowledge of temporal physics are second only to Deimos Alejandra.

Vincent Alexander: A freedom fighter that eventually joined the ranks of the Holy Knights. He was one of Maylin Lionheart's guardians and is considered Adrian's brother.

Tina Dragonheart: A young and extremely enthusiastic holy knight gifted with the powers of elemental magic. Her proficiency with modern swords is lacking at best, but she makes up for it with her daggers. She is also a former freedom fighter.

Sho Joutenryu: The King of the Em'Zca Empire, under Tenkou Van Deras-Joutenryu's matriarch. He is a master swordsman and aids the holy knights on several occasions. It is said that while he appears human, he is actually a mighty dragon in disguise, but this has never been proven.

General Rosaline Alejandra: The ultimate knight of the Alejandra Empire. She is infused with the powers of the Nemesis sword, an evil blade that amplifies the strength and power of the user in exchange for their life force. She has repeatedly defeated the holy knights and eventually fell before Adrian Lionheart.

Malia Dualas: A dragon knight of a far-off land that found a home within the Lionheart Kingdom after her realm was destroyed by Deimos Alejandra. She and Raven have fallen in love and Deimos has used his magic to make her think that she is in mortal danger of death by an unknown type of magic. Her love for Raven is strong and she would do anything to ensure his safety.

Deimos Alejandra: The master and patriarch of the dark dragon clan known as the Alejandra Empire. His world lies underneath of the Lionheart Kingdom and he rules it with powerful sorcery and a skill with weapons that would make even the most proficient swordsman back away. His ultimate goal is to overthrow the Lionheart Kingdom and set it ablaze, but for him to do that, he will need a new ally...

"The Seed of Darkness": This is part of the evil magic performed by Deimos in the first book. It was planted within the Lionheart bloodline when the dark lord abducted Draco Lionheart's love and the queen of the Lionheart Kingdom, Valkyrie. Deimos and Valkyrie produced a son named Alexander, who would go on to carry this dormant seed through the bloodline of Adrian, his son, and finally Raven, his grandson. The Seed fully matured within Raven and allowed Deimos to control many of his actions.
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The Lionheart Saga: Chronicles of the Heroic Knights
Fall of Heroes


The war against Rosaline Alejandra had gone well for the Holy Knights of the Lionheart Kingdom. Through the guidance of Sremmos Van Deras, many of the battles were victorious, but a new enemy arose within the heart of the Lionheart Kingdom. The long forgotten Deimos Alejandra, thought to have been defeated decades before by Alexander Lionheart, was suspected to be alive and well and the Holy Knights, defenders of peace, believed he was embodied within Richard Lionheart.

When confronted by Richard regarding Malia's health, Raven discovered that the man thought to be his uncle was none other than the dark lord in control of the most powerful kingdom in the Dragon Realm. Raven was presented with the opportunity to strike down Deimos, but he faltered when Deimos offered to save Malia from death. His mind in turmoil, Raven sheathed his sword and sought out Sremmos Van Deras, master of the Holy Knights.

Sremmos detected confusion and emotional distress in Raven and ordered him to stay in the Holy Knight's council chamber until Deimos was arrested while he and Cloud Striker attempted to confront the dark master. Alone in the council chamber, Raven could feel his love Malia from several miles away staring at the council tower, towards him. But at the same time, he could also hear Deimos' voice echoing in his mind. The possibility that Deimos could save Malia was almost too much for him to bear.

Raven continued to stare through the window of the council chamber tower towards Malia's location back at Lionheart Castle, the battle within him becoming fierce. However his emotions eventually took over and Raven found himself turning away from the window with his hand steadying his sword sheath. The young knight felt a tearing pain against his heart, but he knew that he had to act and get answers before things got out of hand more than they already were.

Malia, who had been standing silently within her quarters at Lionheart Castle, immediately dropped to one knee and yelled out in pain, feeling Raven's anguish. She and Raven were linked together and this meant that Malia could feel everything within Raven's mind and heart. She knew that her life was about to change and that a major event was coming.

Not far from Malia's location also in Lionheart Castle was Richard Lionheart, who sat on the throne of Lionheart Castle. He held several documents in his hands, reading through them and studying the status reports of the battles raging on the other side of the Lionheart Kingdom. However, before he could finish reading the report in his hand, the throne room doors swung open and Sremmos and Cloud entered.

"I take it that Master Adrian has destroyed Rosaline? I must say that you're here sooner than expected." Richard spoke calmly as he lowered his documents and saw that both of the knights before him held a serious look. He felt no intent from the two knights, but the swords by their sides told a different story.

"Under the authority of the council of the Lionheart Holy Knights, you are under arrest." Sremmos replied as he and Cloud both unsheathed their swords, should Richard refuse to cooperate. Sremmos stared down the man once thought to be his fellow knight and friend and hoped that the rumor of Deimos embodying Richard was nothing more than that.

"Under what charge, master Holy Knight?" Richard's brow narrowed and his eyes turned into a glare. His right hand began to twitch slightly as he felt Sremmos' power growing from an impending confrontation.

"High treason against the Lionheart Kingdom. Come with us." Cloud stepped towards Richard and was surprised to see him apparently cooperating. Although he was young, Cloud sensed something disturbing, causing him to grip his sword tighter.

"Hmm... It's treason, then..." Richard took a full stance and extended his right hand away from his body. At once, a shimmer of electricity flowed over his body and a powerful double-edged sword appeared in his grip. The sword emanated a dark and deadly aura, one that Sremmos had witnessed first hand a century ago, when the Lionheart Kingdom's first savior came to light. It was none other than the evil twin sword, Nemesis, completed and morphed into one blade.

Before Cloud or Sremmos could react, the electrical discharge peaked and knocked the two warriors away, thus revealing the dark lord of the Alejandra clan standing before them. Deimos grinned and lifted his left hand towards the two fallen warriors, beckoning them to approach. His power had grown to a level that not even master Holy Knight Alexander Lionheart could defend against.

Not far away from the battle scene was Raven Lionheart, who was charging towards Lionheart Castle on horseback. The Emerald Forest was nothing more than a green blur and the thundering horizon where Lionheart Castle stood was his destination. Storm clouds brewed and monstrous bolts of lightning struck the ground with tremendous force, causing small earthquakes within the vicinity of Helios Mountain, where Lionheart Castle was situated.

A single tear was strewn across Raven's cheek as his bloodshot eyes focused on the castle and the thought of what he was going to have to do. He felt distress, moreover because he could feel Malia's pain, but he pushed it away with all of his might. He needed a focused mind for the coming confrontation. However as he crossed the threshold of Lionheart Castle's main gate, Raven's thoughts turned back to Malia. She was nearby.

The throne room of Lionheart Castle was in utter ruin as flames flowed to the ceiling and banners burned. Deimos Alejandra was definitely winning the battle against Cloud and Sremmos and the battle marks against their weapons was proof of that. Their encounter had eventually taken them out of the throne room and towards the balcony that loomed over Lionheart Castle's courtyard.

The dark lord had completely regained his power and Nemesis was driving him. Every move made was amplified by the cursed weapon, causing shock waves to fly in the wake of the demonic blade. These wave of dark energy ripped mighty gashes into the floor of the balcony, threatening to send everyone to a tremendous drop to the courtyard below.

However Sremmos managed to see an opening and, with the help of Cloud, disarmed Deimos with a powerful swipe. The dragon lord would not be denied his victory, and unleashed powerful streams of lightning from his palms at Cloud and Sremmos. Try as they might, however, the duo used all of their power to reflect these bolts. They continued to approach Deimos, backing him towards the edge of the balcony. Deimos knew that they were closing in on him, but then again, someone else was also closing in.

Raven exploded through the remains of the balcony doors in time to see Deimos take a step onto the edge of the balcony. His eyes widened, but then focused on his two friends and fellow knights. Raven's thoughts were in turmoil. Here was Deimos Alejandra, the sworn enemy of the Lionheart Holy Knights and the Lionheart Kingdom and the man who claimed to have the key to Malia's life. On the other hand, there were also his life-long friends and brothers-in-arms, Cloud and Sremmos, threatening to end the life of the man who could save Malia. Malia...

"Raven! I have the power to save the one you love! Choose now!" Deimos barked loudly towards Raven and lowered his hands, allowing the barrage of energy to cease and leave him wide open to an attack. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The Seed of Darkness within Raven was now in control, twisting Raven's thoughts. This final moment would decide Raven's fate.

"Don't listen to him Raven. Stay back." Sremmos didn't even turn to face Raven as he raised his sword into a ready stance. The damaged weapon would not last much longer, but it had the edge required to take down at least one more dark lord. Cloud and Sremmos had their backs to Raven, and with good cause. They both trusted him.

"You don't understand. I need him, Sremmos!" Raven tightened the grip of his left hand on the sheath of his sword. His hands were so tight that the wooden scabbard began to distress and crack. The emotions within him were now so mixed up that several thoughts entered his mind, and one of those thoughts was soon to become a reality.

Sremmos snarled and glanced back towards Raven, his grip tightening on his sword. He knew that it was against the code of the Holy Knights to just kill someone, especially a criminal, and although Deimos was a powerful lord, there were laws that ensured him a fair trial. However the thought of just getting things over with was all the more tempting. Once Sremmos had decided on something, he would commit to it, and he had made his decision.

"No!" Raven yelled loudly and moved his right hand to the hilt of his sword. With a mighty pull, the scabbard exploded into shards of wood and the weapon was freed. With all of his might, Raven charged Sremmos as he began his downward swing and moved his weapon into the knight's path. The weapons collided and Cloud immediately lifted one of his two swords towards Raven's throat, keeping the other at Deimos' heart.

"Raven, what are you thinking?!" Cloud exclaimed loudly towards his best friend, astonished that Raven was taking Deimos' side. Before he could react further, however, Deimos moved away from the trio of warriors, cackling loudly. Cloud slowly turned his gaze towards Deimos, narrowing his eyes.

"Raven... Destroy them." Deimos grinned as he stared at Raven, waiting to see if he would react. The result was immediate, as Raven stepped away from Deimos with his sword still ready for battle. As the dark lord stood by, flames began to engulf the ground around Lionheart Castle, spreading wildly towards the outer regions.

"If you do this, Raven, you will become an enemy to the Lionheart Kingdom... And to me." Sremmos slowly raised his weapon and motioned Cloud to step away. Of the two, Sremmos was the most skilled warrior and could, at the very least, match Raven move for move.

"So be it, but know that I have no choice." Raven immediately charged towards Sremmos, throwing a series of sword strikes at the knight's body, but found his attempts perfectly deflected. He was acting on impulse and emotion and placed more ferocity behind his attacks, taking little regard for defense. Every offensive motion made by Sremmos was met with an offensive strike that threw both warriors back a few steps.

Sremmos could not believe that he was now facing his best pupil and fellow knight in mortal combat. He could feel Raven's intent. He knew that Raven wanted nothing more than to dominate whoever stood in his path to keeping Malia alive, friend or foe. As it stood, Sremmos had many opportunities to unleash a mortal blow on Raven, but hesitated and continued to bide his time to attempt to disarm him. He did not wish to kill Raven, even though he had basically turned his back on his beliefs.

Deimos stood silent, grinning as he watched his plans come to fruition. Raven was turning. The most gifted Holy Knight was turning into a Dark Knight. Deimos could sense Raven's power growing and his skill increasing. The Seed of Darkness was a powerful lure and could grant mortal men incredible strength.

Swords clashed loudly and streaks of lightning filled the sky with each collision. Each strike took both warriors closer and closer to the edge of the balcony, but it was apparent that the battle was leaning towards Raven. Sremmos was old and tiring from the confrontation. Although he had fought larger battles than this, he could feel his life force draining with each strike. Such was the power of Nemesis being within proximity to him.

Raven finally saw his chance and ducked one of Sremmos' attacks, then swiftly launched a powerful counter-strike, impacting the knight's sword at the top of the hand guard. This immense strike launched Sremmos' weapon into the sky away from the balcony, leaving him wide open to attack.

The final blow came with a single strike. Raven stepped away and began swinging his sword in a uniform pattern. As he prepared to unleash the final attack, Sremmos stepped back and lowered his head, thinking that Raven was going to use a powerful decapitation strike, but he was wrong. Raven spun into a circle and raised his weapon, thrusting it under his left arm and into Sremmos' chest.

Pain and agony usually accompanied a deathblow, but Sremmos felt nothing but peace. His eyes narrowed and the view of everything around him faded to nothing more than the image of his daughter Tenkou Van Deras-Joutenryu and his fallen friends. He saw images of his life flowing before his eyes, but then the thought of death shook him back to his senses and Sremmos focused on Raven.

The turned knight dislodged his sword from Sremmos' chest and swiftly performed a side kick, striking Sremmos and sending him off of the balcony and towards the fiery inferno below. Sremmos did not yell, but remained silent as he fell. He could see Raven above him, staring down at him, but the look on his face was not that of evil. It was of agony. Sremmos, deep down, understood Raven, even at the cost of his own life.

Sremmos struck the ground of Lionheart Castle's courtyard and groaned loudly, staring up towards the evil sky above him. Then, a streak of light seemed to form, flickering high above him, closing in. Sremmos slowly raised his head, gazing at the spectacle before him, only to realize too late what it was. His back broken, Sremmos could not escape the oncoming sight before him.

The great knight's sword tumbled towards him and penetrated his heart with a sickening slice that threw blood into the air. Sremmos gasped loudly, unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to speak. Suddenly, everything faded unto nothingness and the master Holy Knight, lord of the Van Deran dragon realm and one of the most powerful Holy Knights ever, was dead. Sremmos' head finally fell back against the cobblestone ground as the inferno around him increased in fervor, swallowing his body.

Raven stood silent at the edge of the balcony, fighting back tears. Was this the true path that had to be chosen? Did things have to come to this? To Raven, nothing would stop him from saving Malia, but how far would he go? As it stood, he was now a traitor to the Lionheart Kingdom and would be condemned to death for killing a Holy Knight.

 

[David_MacCallister]

The Lionheart Saga​

Chronicles of the Heroic Knights​

Vanquished Knights​

Raven slowly turned away from the balcony to face Cloud, who was in utter disbelief over Raven's actions. His hands trembled as he held his weapons at the ready, completely ignoring Deimos, who had long since retreated from the balcony to handle other matters. Cloud's emotions were betrayed by his every action, as he would not even approach Raven.

"Cloud, if you intend to stand in my path to protect Malia, I shall have to kill you as well." Raven's words were laced with pain, but his tones were serious, and his intent was punctuated by the tip of his sword, which was now aimed at Cloud. Raven stared down the blood-soaked length of his weapon, right into Cloud's eyes.

"Raven, I don't want to kill you or harm Malia! I am on your side!" Cloud attempted to reach out to Raven with his words, but felt that they were falling on deaf ears. Left with little choice and the knowledge that he would probably fall against Raven, Cloud knew that he had to perform his duty, and slowly raised both of his swords.

"And what then, Cloud? I'm now a traitor to the Lionheart Kingdom. Or..." Raven lowered his head, thinking, attempting to conclude his thoughts. After many moments of silence, a flash of lightning in the sky brought him to what he had thought all along.

"Or perhaps you are the traitors... And traitors to the Lionheart Kingdom must die." Raven's newfound sense of justice was all inspired by his will to protect Malia and it was his profound belief that the Holy Knights wanted to kill Malia. How had his train of thought come to this conclusion? Only the man standing on top of Lionheart Castle had the answer. Deimos watched intently as his new student acted according to plan.

"I am not the traitor! Deimos Alejandra is! Snap to your senses, Raven!" Cloud pleaded with Raven and was surprised when his friend took a swing at him. Cloud raised both of his swords into a cross and locked blades with Raven, keeping him from acting further. Cloud stared at Raven in disbelief, feeling his weapons slowly slide inward towards him. Raven was shifting his balance and stance.

"Pathetic lies! Deimos is the one that tried to liberate the Lionheart Kingdom centuries before we were even born, and this is how you repay him? By taking up arms against him!?" Raven yelled loudly and pulled his sword back while stepping away, causing Cloud to lose his balance and fall to one knee. Raven swiftly capitalized on this and lowered the edge of his weapon to Cloud's neck.

Cloud and Raven remained motionless, as if waiting for the other to move. It may have looked like Raven had the upper hand, but Cloud's weapons were slightly shorter than Raven's sword, meaning that he could react quickly, and this was apparent as his right sword was in a stance that a sudden motion towards Raven would impale him through the stomach.

"I can't believe that I trusted someone like you, Cloud. You're a failure, just like Sremmos." Raven spoke, but before he could continue, Cloud yelled loudly and swung his sword, knocking Raven's away from his neck. Cloud hated to be called a failure and it infuriated him to the point that he began focusing his spiritual power into his weapon, a technique that he and Raven shared.

"No! You have failed the Lionheart Kingdom, your friends and now, you have failed me!" Cloud saw past his anger and finally achieved what Sremmos had taught him for so many years. He was in a state of selflessness, a period in which a warrior commits to his or her actions with no emotion. Raven, while now a lost friend, was also a new enemy.

Raven laughed once and stepped away from Cloud, raising his left hand to his forehead. A strong gust of wind flowed around his body and shearing blades of energy rose from the ground, encompassing him. The air in the vicinity began to smolder with intense heat and static electricity began to build rapidly. He was preparing a spell. At least, that's what it appeared to be.

Cloud swiftly stepped back as well and extended his left hand towards Raven, focusing his mind on a single point before him. White light began to flow from his palm, expanding outwards to form a sort of half dome in front of him. This magical shield was the same spell used by Alexander to protect him when a dragon attacked Princess Sora Lionheart. As the shield completely solidified, Cloud realized his mistake.

The shield was a magical shield, not a physical shield and it would only absorb or deflect magic. Raven saw Cloud's mortal error and immediately lowered his ruse, moving in towards his best friend now turned enemy. Raven's strike came with ferocity, lightning and fire flowing freely behind his weapon. Cloud managed to raise his swords, but they were dislodged from his hands and knocked to the ground.

Raven swiftly followed through and began unleashing several more pinpoint strikes, but Cloud skillfully dodged and ducked away from each one. Every step that Cloud took brought him closer and closer to the edge of the balcony and the thought of meeting the same fate as Sremmos wasn't very appealing.

"Give it up, Cloud. Turn your back on the Holy Knights and join me, old friend." Raven's offer was sincere and to show it, he slowly lowered his weapon. Eyes locked on Cloud, Raven waited for his brother's response, but deep down, he knew what it would be.

Raven's momentary lack of defense was all that Cloud needed. Cloud performed a powerful somersault kick, launching Raven's sword into the sky. This left Raven stunned for a moment and gave Cloud the time he needed to do his duty and end the threat against the Lionheart Kingdom. Cloud immediately sprung into action and leapt over Raven as he stumbled, grasping the weapon that took Sremmos' life.

Deimos continued to stare towards the battle below him, laughing loudly as Cloud managed to disarm Raven. He was surprised, however, to see something not witnessed since Kain Dualas eliminated Drago Alejandra, Deimos' son. Cloud's legs burned with an intense fire and he leapt with incredible force, a trait only known to exist within Dragon Warriors, as Kain once was.

Cloud soared through the air an entire 30 feet towards Deimos, the power of the Dragon Leap pushing him to the roof of the castle's keep. Cloud landed perfectly on one knee, glaring at Deimos, Raven's sword firmly in hand. Although Deimos was unarmed, Cloud would not hesitate and swiftly lifted the sword in his hand to strike down the dark master.

Raven gasped in surprise and reached for Cloud's fallen swords, rushing towards the castle's throne room so that he could reach Cloud before he could strike down Deimos. It was at that point when Raven felt a moment of clarity and the Seed of Darkness began to lose its grip on his mind. For a brief moment, Raven saw everything clearly and wished to join Cloud at his side to strike down Deimos. He rushed with all of his might up the stairs, hoping to make it to the roof in time.

Cloud struck an invisible wall with Raven's sword, stunned, glaring right into Deimos' eyes. Deimos knew that Cloud would attempt a swift strike and prepared a solidified wall of invisible energy to counter. This held Cloud in a deadlock with thin air, preventing him from moving further. The young knight's feet were at the edge of the castle keep's roof and one sudden jolt would send him flying off.

"It seems that your friend Raven has broken my spell, but that is only because my sword is not near him... Once he approaches me, his mind will be overtaken again, and I will not allow him the chance to offer you amnesty." Deimos chuckled and extended his right hand to the balcony 30 feet below, towards his discarded sword. An aura of green light encompassed his hand and the hilt of the weapon, with a surge of green lightning connecting the two points. Within a seconds time, the sword flew through the air and landed within Deimos' open palm.

Cloud grimaced at the fact that he would not be able to do much locked in place, and he would be an easy kill. With these thoughts swimming through his head, Cloud turned his eyes towards Deimos again, a smile starting to form on his lips. His grip on Raven's sword loosened and the shield before him began to lose power.

"You're nothing more than a powerless puppeteer. Regardless of who strikes me down, I know that it is not Raven who is in control. It's a man who can't do things himself." Cloud stared back at Deimos, feeling power within himself as he provoked the dark lord, who was slightly moved by the young knight's speech. To punctuate his sentence, Cloud released Raven's sword, allowing it to drop to the roof of the castle.

"I will show you power, boy... And then, you will die... You will die..." Deimos' face became sincere and his words were akin to that of an old and wise man. However the power within him was equal to that of a thousand suns. The elements within him were unleashed and Deimos extended his hand, a spell being cast.

The air around Lionheart Castle took on several different attributes. It was extremely hot, but everything you could touch was frigid. The clouds above were still, yet the wind threatened to topple one of the castle's towers. Static electricity filled the air, yet there was no sign of a storm. All of these elements immediately focused on Cloud and a merciless barrage of magic struck him. Bolts of searing lightning and spears of ice threw the holy knight into the air, burning and lacerating him. The wind was so powerful that Cloud's armor was being ripped from his body. Lastly, the air around him began to increase in temperature.

Deimos focused his energy upon Cloud, unloading with only a fraction of his elemental might. He watched as the young warrior writhed in pain from the repeated strikes, enjoying the distress in the man's eyes as the heat began to increase dramatically.

A sphere of energy roughly twenty feet in diameter encompassed Cloud and gravity seemed to fall away, leaving him suspended in mid air. The building heat immediately took form and jets of incredible flame struck Cloud from all angles within the sphere. If that weren't enough, the bolts of lightning increased in fervor and the spectacle above Lionheart Castle could even be seen from the ocean's horizon like a beacon. Deimos' power was better described as overkill, but it was a proper demonstration.

Cloud screamed in agony, feeling his flesh melt under the incredible heat. He tried several times to focus his energy through the pain within him to cast some sort of a healing spell, but could not concentrate. He was dying, slowly and painfully. The roar of the flames was so deafening that he did not even know what was about to happen to him.

Raven finally appeared on the roof of the castle's keep, Cloud's swords ready for battle. His moment of clarity was more powerful than the hold Nemesis and the Seed of Darkness carried. He was once again back to his former self and now witnessed Deimos as one of his most powerful spells was destroying Cloud.

"Cloud!" Raven yelled in anger and charged Deimos with the weapons of his fallen friend. The air seemed to rush by Raven as he closed in and time almost seemed to come to a stop. Each step closer to Deimos became nearly impossible to traverse. Even holding Cloud's swords became a chore enhanced many times over. The blades were becoming heavy, and Raven nearly dropped them. As the weapons were brought to bear over his head, Raven felt his body suddenly jolt and he was held in place.

Deimos turned his head slowly towards Raven, an evil glare on his brow. The ring on his right hand glowed ominously in sync with the soul devouring sword that merely waited for fresh blood. This ring belonged to Sremmos Van Deras and was meant to give a dragon lord the power to slow time, and it seemed Deimos knew of its power.

"Now, young knight, you have a choice to make." Deimos lowered his left hand and Cloud fell from the sky, landing on the surface of the castle keep. He was barely alive, but slowly dying. The young knight could not move, as every attempt to stand was thwarted by immense pain. Deimos turned his eyes towards Cloud, showing no pity. He knew that Cloud only had a mere few moments left to live.

Raven, meanwhile, was helpless to act. Time had frozen around him and all that he could do was listen. The thought that he was helpless made him all the more infuriated, but the fact that his limited knowledge of magic and the inability to cure his friend was even worse.

"Connect them... Kill him..." Cloud managed those words before his eyes closed, but he was not dead. His energy was gone and now he was completely at the mercy of Deimos' plot.

"Kill Cloud and end his misery, or I will ensure a painful death for Malia Dualas. Behold..." Deimos motioned his head towards a glimmer of light in the center of Nemesis' glowing gem. The light swiftly focused and an image appeared, depicting Malia within her quarters in the castle, and what appeared to be two shadowed figures hiding in her room with swords drawn.

"Hunter Knights... If anything should happen to me, they are ordered to kill her, destroy the remnants of the Holy Knights and destroy the Lionheart Kingdom. A difficult choice indeed, my boy." Deimos turned his back to Raven and gazed towards the sky. He slowly raised his right hand, Nemesis in grip, and sheathed the unholy weapon with no effort. He was defenseless, waiting for Raven to respond.

The field of time separation swiftly dropped around Raven, causing him to stumble for a second. Deimos was right before him, completely defenseless. Raven narrowed his eyes, clenching Cloud's weapons tightly in his hands. He could end it all right there, but the thought of losing Malia was more than he could bear. Was this choice so simple that it had to be difficult simultaneously?

"Remember, I hold Malia's life in my hands... Do it. I am unarmed." Deimos opened his arms to his side and merely waited. After a few moments, he heard a clattering at his side and glanced at the source. It was Cloud's swords. He then turned his eyes towards Raven, confused, yet he understood Raven's motions.

Raven slowly stepped towards Cloud, ignoring Deimos, his right hand raising. A surge of white light began to flow around Raven, and a tendril of energy flowed towards Cloud. It seemed to be a healing spell of some sort, as the charred body of Cloud seemed to be recovering. But it was no healing spell. The surge of white light was peaceful and had one property that a normal spell didn't have.

Cloud stared at Raven, feeling no animosity in his friend. It was at that point when he realized what was going on. The scenery before him began to fade and he felt a tingling sensation throughout his whole body. Raven was casting a spell of blindness and sleep, causing his senses to fade away.

The finishing blow was swift. Raven kicked his right foot towards his own discarded sword, causing it to flip into the air and into his waiting left palm. Raven twirled the sword and aimed the tip towards Cloud's spine, just below the neck. On impact, Raven's sword severed Cloud's head from his body, promising a painless death. Tears flowed from Raven's eyes as the anger within him began to take form.

"It's done, Deimos... Are you a man of your word?" Raven spoke harshly and felt every nerve in his body tremble. He was not afraid. He knew that the Holy Knights would soon return and that he would be considered a traitor. He would be condemned to death. And this would mean...

"I am a man of my word, Raven. Your love shall remain alive, so long as you complete only one more task for me. And then, I shall set you and Malia free and you will not see me ever again." Deimos spoke with conviction and stared towards the horizon. The flames of the Lionheart Kingdom were bright and lit the sky brightly, but the surviving people of the land were fighting the blaze.

"And that is?" Raven knew that Deimos more than likely had some insidious plot, but he could not figure out what it was. The death of two of his best friends, each at his own hands, felt like a punishment far worse than death. In fact, death was more of a welcome notion than living. What more could he do to prolong his suffering?

"Destroy every last Holy Knight. Wipe them out with no remorse. Then, I shall see to it that you are forgiven." Deimos stepped away from Raven and the fallen body of Cloud Striker. He knew that Raven had no choice, if his love for Malia was so strong.

"I... I understand..." Raven lowered his head, then stared towards the horizon and then towards his pendant. Each holy knight had a crystal pendant that would react when in proximity to another holy knight. He would use it as a compass to hunt down his fellow warriors.

Raven sheathed his sword and headed for the stairs to the lower floors of the castle, his face hardening and his teeth gritting. He loved Malia so much that he would throw away everything for her. But the possibility of facing two of the most powerful knights in the Lionheart Kingdom became an unnerving thought. Faith and Adrian were still out there.

 

[David_MacCallister]

The Lionheart Saga​

Chronicles of the Heroic Knights​

Descent Into Darkness​

At the shores of the Lionheart Kingdom's coastal town, South Locke, the remaining holy knights stood with their weapons brandished, surrounded by beasts. These creatures were summoned by Deimos Alejandra during Raven's battle with Deimos, to keep them busy. Each knight was matched by their own shadow beast, which seemed to know everything they were going to do.

Vincent Alexander, Tina Dragonheart, Faith Lionheart, Sho Joutenryu of the Em'Zca Empire and Adrian Lionheart, who recently returned after destroying General Rosaline Alejandra, were assaulted by a never-ending barrage of creatures. However as a bright flash of light flowed from the pinnacle of Helios Mountain and the castle, the creatures seemed to vanish.

All was silent and the knights turned their eyes towards the spectacle high above the continent. In the blinding corona of the ball of light, one could almost make out the form of a human, writing in pain, even from so far away.

"We need to get to Lionheart Castle." Faith was out of breath, but he spoke calmly while sheathing his sword. He was the highest ranked and most powerful holy knight of the group, so he had command of the warriors. Sho, on the other hand, was another matter, as he only arrived to assist the holy knights on behalf of Tenkou Van Deras-Joutenryu.

"I should head back to Em'Zca, in case the same thing has happened there." Sho spoke and wiped the blood of the fallen beasts from his brow. He received no argument from his comrades, and nodded while stepping towards the docks where his ship was waiting.

"Safe journey, old friend. Give my regards to Tenkou." Adrian nodded to Sho and gave him a slight bow, out of respect. As Sho departed, the remaining knights regrouped, their gaze partially upon the castle in the distance.

"We've got to help these people as well. The flames are increasing." Tina sheathed her daggers and stepped away from the group, clutching her pendant. She was a moderate level magic user and could cast enough of a spell to suppress some of the fire, but not all of it. She would need help.

"Faith, Adrian, I suggest that you head to the castle. We can handle this." Vincent spoke, something that he did not do often, and when he did speak, his words were laced with wisdom. He was a moderate level magic user as well and specialized in healing magic, as well as some low powered elemental magic.

"Alright. Good luck you two. We will join you as soon as we can." Faith spoke and motioned Adrian towards the castle, but he was already walking towards it. Faith then charged alongside of Adrian and the two started on their quest to the horizon on foot.

Meanwhile, not far from South Locke, Raven was exiting the Emerald Grove, which was nearly destroyed by the growing flames. He could see South Locke clearly in the distance and noticed that he was not all that far from the adjacent docks. In fact, he could see the shadowed figure of a dragon lord walking along the deck of a mighty ship, belonging to the Em'Zca Empire.

"Destroy the holy knights..." Raven spoke in a monotone voice and extended his left hand. A red gem on his gauntlet ignited with a crimson glow and a sphere of energy formed in his hand. Upon closing his hand around the orb, a surge from the orb created an object that had a curve on the upper and lower section, with a handle in the middle. A thin, tight cord connected the two ends of the device, completing it.

It was a magical bow, granted to him several years ago by a mysterious sorceress claiming to be related to him. Raven held the bow firmly in hand and reached for the string with his right hand. As his fingers touched the cord, a shimmer of red light formed and an arrow appeared, glimmering with intense force. This magical projectile was not affected by gravity, and if you intended to strike someone, all you had to do was aim, no matter how far away you were.

Raven carefully moved the bow, lining up the tip of the arrow so that he was targeting Sho. He had a perfect lock, but from so far away. He would have to predict Sho's movements. Slowly, very slowly, Raven drew back to cord, causing the bow to bend. The arrow was ready and all that Raven had to do was release, and wait for the end effect.

The Em'Zca ship was departing and it's captain, Sho Joutenryu, was at the helm. It was a tradition not to look back and to keep a weather eye on the horizon for whatever may come, but Sho allowed himself one opportunity to do so. As he took his gaze away from the bow of the ship, he waved to his friends, who were busy extinguishing the flames at South Locke.

"They truly are knights... And if this kingdom has fallen, they are welcome within my home." Sho spoke to himself, but found his moment of silence and solitude interrupted by the sight of a red shimmering within the flames. It was very weak, but he could barely make it out. Sho stepped away from the wheel of the ship, towards the source, raising his right hand to shield his eyes from the blinding sunset.

Sho had the unique ability to focus his eyes almost like binoculars and zoom into whatever he was seeing. This made him an expert with a bow, which is why he was the head archer and master Dragon Knight of the Em'Zca Empire. His eyes narrowed further and the shimmer of light became clear. Standing on the other side of it was a man dressed in ruined knight's armor, bearing the symbol of the Lionheart Kingdom.

"Raven Lionheart? About time you showed up." Sho continued to stare, but gasped when Raven's eyes seemed to adjust to meet his own. Sho stepped back in wonderment, but suddenly felt a strange sensation in his abdomen. Pain surged through his body. Sho lowered his hand and refocused his eyes, staring down.

An arrow of pure energy jutted from his gut. Sho grimaced in pain and tried to dislodge the projectile, but found his every effort stymied. Slowly turning his eyes back towards the Lionheart Kingdom, he tried to come up with answers for what had happened.

"Goodbye, Sho Joutenryu..." Raven released a second arrow. The air whistled as the projectile soared in a straight line. The flames that were in the area were blown to the side by the force of the arrow and a sonic boom resounded throughout the sky. Raven lowered his bow, standing motionless, and smiled a bit when he heard a faint yell from the horizon.

Sho collapsed to his knees as the second arrow struck. This one, however, was special. It contained a powerful electrical force. When his hands came into contact with the arrow's shaft, the magical energy was released and a massive bolt of lightning exploded through the sky, destroying the galleon and sending debris in all direction.

On the shore of South Locke, Vincent and Tina turned towards the burst of lightning in shock to see the great galleon of the Em'Zca Empire blown to pieces. Tina stumbled towards the water, yelling loudly. Sho, her surrogate brother, was gone.

"No! Who did this?!" Tina yelled loudly and stood to her feet, clutching her dagger hilts tightly. Searching for answers, she wheeled into a circle and saw Raven, who was approaching her and Vincent. Amazed to see Raven alive, Tina took several steps towards him, but felt her steps halted by Vincent's firm hand.

"Raven... You didn't..." Vincent spoke, noticing the bow in Raven's hand. He was shocked and in disbelief. But the evidence was right before him. Vincent moved Tina to the side and unleashed his two short swords. However before he could react further, Raven swiftly raised his bow and aimed right at Vincent.

"I had no choice, as I do not now." Raven held the bow, his right hand dangling at his side. There was no arrow. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Raven quickly raised his right hand and drew the cord back. As he released it, an arrow took form in mid-flight, lodging into Vincent's chest. This single arrow was compounded by more in rapid succession, each one meeting their mark and driving back the wounded knight.

Vincent gasped in pain and dropped to his knees, staring towards Raven. His expression was solid, but his lips moved to form the words, "I understand, old friend." Vincent had the unique ability to use clairvoyance, for very limited periods, and saw the events that transpired atop Lionheart Castle. He heard every word in less than a second. He knew that Raven had no alternative.

Raven opened his left hand, causing the bow to dissolve. Those fiery eyes swiftly turned towards Tina, pain pulling at his heart. He wasted no time and quickly unsheathed his sword, waiting on Tina to react. Tina was bullheaded, a trait common to a new knight as she was. Vincent was her mentor and the man that saved her from death at the hands of the Hunter Knights years ago, but now she saw her duty and felt that she had to fulfill it.

"You're not Raven Lionheart!" Tina unleashed her daggers and aimed them at Raven. The gem placed into the hilt of each weapon resonated with a powerful force for only a few seconds before a rapid fire barrage of energy began to flow like darts towards Raven.

Raven, however, was well-trained in using his sword to deflect projectiles. Each motion was perfect and each blast of energy was pushed to the side or absorbed by Raven's sword. Tina continued to step back from Raven, seeing her former friend foil her every attempt.

Finally, Tina thought that she saw an opening and swiftly moved her arms, firing two simultaneous shots, one towards Raven's heart and the other at his leg. The energy bolts traversed the span between her and Raven, but the cunning knight meant to take the impact of at least one of the dart-like shots ducked under the chest-shot and swung his sword outwards, deflecting the shot meant for his leg back at Tina.

Tina dropped to the ground and scrambled backwards towards the water. The pain in her leg was excruciating, but she had enough focus to use a spell if needed. She used the time that it took Raven to approach her to charge a quick elemental spell, but before it could be completed, Raven swung his sword at her, causing her to lose focus.

Within a time frame of only a second, the water surrounding Tina completely froze. Shards of ice jutted from the ground and Tina felt her legs trapped between the razor-like glaciers. Her blood flowed onto the frozen water, but her legs were not severed. She was only trapped and every movement made things worse.

"You should have focused more on a healing spell than an offensive one." Raven continued to approach Tina, now clutching his sword with two hands. Although she was immobilized, Tina could use her daggers proficiently. Raven steeled himself and just as he reached her, Tina unleashed a powerful series of blade strikes, but missed by mere inches.

Though he was silent the whole time, Vincent was not dead. He slowly rose to his feet, the arrows still sapping his life-force, swords in hand. The wounded knight immediately took one bounding step towards Raven's back and lunged, but his injuries prevented him from making a solid blow.

Raven on the other hand glanced towards Vincent in time to see him stumble and quickly sidestepped, throwing his foot into the knight's path. This caused Vincent to slip on some of the ice and land next to Tina. As Vincent landed, he felt yet another pain and glanced towards Tina, who's daggers were firmly planted into his chest.

At that moment, Raven made the finishing blow and spun into a deft circle. His blade whistled through the air and the first strike was delivered to Vincent's neck, decapitating him on the spot. Avoiding the spray of blood, Raven whirled his sword towards the ground and knocked Vincent's right-hand sword into the air, where he then caught it by the handle and spun again.

Tina yelled in pain as Vincent's sword penetrated her chest, but her cry was in vain. Her lungs were sliced and her heart, although missed, was grazed by the tip. This was enough to cause it to pump harder and push against the edge of the weapon and spread open.

"I'm sorry... I'll never forget either of you..." Raven turned away and sheathed his sword, staring back towards Lionheart Castle. He only wanted to be reunited with Malia and knew that only two more knights stood in his path. But he wanted to see Malia first. He began walking towards Lionheart Castle, his head lowered, the flames kissing his skin as he moved.

Not far up the road was Faith and Adrian, who had obtained horses. They were moving at high velocity towards the castle, and with good cause. At the moment of Vincent and Tina's deaths, the crystal pendants around their necks gave off a surge of pain. This was interpreted as a possibility that something happened at the castle.

Little did they know, however, that chaos had ensued and that Raven was partly to blame. The race for Lionheart Castle and the people of the kingdom was now on.

 

[David_MacCallister]

The Lionheart Saga​

Chronicles of the Heroic Knights​

Destined Encounter​

The wind blew voraciously and the flames consuming the Emerald Forest threatened to devour anyone or anything that dared to enter, but this did not stop Adrian and Faith from continuing towards Lionheart Castle. Their horses were moving at full velocity, eyes shielded by cloth to prevent them from seeing the flames. The sturdy hands of their riders guided the steeds along the perilous path to the source of perdition's flame.

Hunkered down, the two knights could feel the charring embers of the vicious fire, but this only served to fuel their desire to reach Lionheart Castle and obtain some answers. Exhausted as they were though, Adrian and Faith knew their duty and destiny was about to be met at the tip of a sword.

Not far ahead of the two men was a fork in the road, each path leading to other parts of the forest. The forward path was a direct line to Lionheart Castle, while taking the right path would take an adventurer into the graveyard and eventually towards the Dark Dragon Temple, the base of Deimos Alejandra. Only a select few people knew how to navigate the graveyard and outskirts of the temple without being killed, and Faith was one of them.

As they approached the fork in the road, Faith glanced towards Adrian and nodded to him. At the fork, Faith pulled his horse towards the entrance to the graveyard, speeding off into the distance. Adrian continued on his path to Lionheart Castle, his mission to find Malia and secure the safety of the survivors.

Faith's eyes burned. He felt anger, yet he was peaceful. There was pain, yet tranquility filled his heart. These were the souls of the graveyard interacting with him, trying to confuse him and shatter his will to continue. However the holy knight continued on his crusade, unleashing his holy sword and holding it high above his head.

A pure light flowed from the weapon, casting away the ghouls and ghosts that threatened to deter him. All of the gravestones immediately shattered and an underground path was introduced to the holy warrior. Faith continued to hold his sword high and swiftly dismounted his horse as it continued to run. When he landed, he watched his horse speed away, back towards the fork in the road.

"It's time to end this once and for all..." Faith lowered his weapon and began walking into the temple of the dark master, his body tingling with a combination of excitement and extra-sensory perception. This was the moment he had trained for, and sixty years of experience were about to be tested. While he was only seventy five years old, his body depicted the image of a young man, thanks to the power of the second sword sheathed behind his back. It was this weapon that would be used against Deimos, as it was the only one rumored to be able to kill him.

With each step further into the dark lord's lair, Faith noticed more and more sets of glowing red eyes in the darkness. These eyes belonged to dark dragon beasts, but they did not rush out to greet him. They were under the direct command of Deimos Alejandra and merely waited for the order they wished to carry out.

Faith's steps finally came to a halt. Before him was a sacrificial altar and a man dressed in ceremonial garbs. The man's back was turned and Faith could only guess who he was. Faith took one more step and halted as the man raised his clawed hand into the sky, as if making a signal. At that point, the beasts roared, approaching Faith from their shadows.

The beasts charged towards Faith, a total of seven, each one bearing razor-sharp claws and teeth, but just as Faith was about to be struck, they veered away, flowing towards the man with his hand raised. Each beast struck the man, being absorbed into his body. With each strike, a red aura flowed from his body, increasing in fervor, until flames surrounded him.

Deimos Alejandra slowly turned towards Faith, his eyes narrowed and the evil sword Nemesis firmly within his grasp. His lips slowly turned to a sneer and his head lifted. Deimos moved one step at a time towards Faith, no words escaping his lips. He focused on Faith, the flames on his body finally extinguishing.

"I have sought answers for many years, and yet they escape me. Tell me, who are you, and why have you pursued me for over six decades?" Deimos stopped before Faith, his cloud of confusion finally clearing. Every one of his attempts to take the Lionheart Kingdom, abduct Sora Lionheart and even destroy the holy knights was thwarted by the man before him, but he could not place him.

"When you tried to kill my best friend and the woman that I was charged with protecting, I vowed to hunt you down and eliminate the threat to the prosperity of the Lionheart Kingdom, and my friend." Faith threw his sword off to the side, allowing it to strike the ground with an incredible clatter. He was now unarmed, but the power of Nemesis did not push him away or harm him.

Deimos merely stood silent, feeling an ache in his left arm. His old wound from several decades before began to spread fire throughout his blood. There was something oddly familiar to him about Faith, and he felt that this young man was no ordinary knight.

"When you attacked Lionheart Castle and abducted Princess Sora Lionheart, I was the only one who could withstand your power." As Faith continued to speak, lightning exploded outside of the temple, igniting the darkness within the cold room. Faith's facial expression was that of pure anger, but vengeance was the only thing on his mind.

"You..." Deimos became incredibly angered as he was able to finally place who Faith was. When he assaulted Lionheart Castle and abducted Sora Lionheart, Faith was the young knight in training that used the sacred sword of Zerathustra from the Altar of the Holy Knights, and gave him the painful wound that plagued him every day. Deimos finally saw the source of all of his pain standing before him, and wished to end his life slowly.

"It was I that vowed to retain the throne of the Lionheart Kingdom by keeping it's blood alive. I am the sole knight charged with destroying you at all costs, Deimos Alejandra!" Faith's voice exploded as he unleashed the sword on his back. The sacred weapon housed within the ornate sheath was brought into view, an elegant and powerful longsword with a double-edge and a split down the center. In the center of the split was a dragon's wings, exact to the symbol of the Lionheart Kingdom. It was indeed the same Sword of Zerathustra that he used many years ago.

"And you have failed, for I will not allow you to leave this chamber alive!" Deimos raised his right hand into the air and an explosion of light flooded the room from the open doorways. Within an instant, each doorway was sealed with an incredible force, and a locking spell was cast, which could only be dispelled with Deimos' death.

"I never planned on living through this, Deimos!" Faith rushed towards Deimos, the holy blade in his hands reacting to the evil energy in the air. The powerful holy knight wielded the blade of purity, swinging it at the dark lord, only to find it blocked by the dark blade Nemesis. The Sword of Zerathustra was supposed to be the only weapon that could destroy Nemesis, and Faith was surprised to see it in one piece after such a strike.

"Then we both agree to something." Deimos deflected the holy weapon, but felt the resonating energy of the blade and pulled his head away as the holy power penetrated his defense. Angered further, Deimos swung his blade, a powerful surge of lightning following the tip like a whip towards Faith.

Faith deflected the whip of lightning with his sword and moved further, raising his sword to strike down the dark master, but found his movements restricted when the coil of lightning suddenly whirled around and encompassed his body. Faith was restricted, held in place by the electrical tendril.

Deimos swiftly raised Nemesis, a greed aura of evil emanating from the weapon. Just as he struck, Faith turned the edge of his sword into the lightning stream, breaking it, catching Nemesis along the flat side of his weapon. With a swift deflection, Faith leapt into the air, rearing his sword back for a deathblow, but found his body struck in mid-air by torrents of energy. Each impact released a shock wave that exploded throughout the temple's main chamber, loosening several stones from the ceiling above.

Faith tumbled through the air, each strike weakening him, but he found peace and focused his mind, raising his left hand to his head. Within a second, a sphere of light flowed around his body, deflecting the evil energy bolts away. This same sphere also absorbed many of the strikes, healing his body and empowering him.

"Very good, master holy knight. You have certainly mastered the Sword of Zerathustra and even the abilities within the sword..." Deimos cackled and crossed his arms, allowing his cloak to fall over his body. He instantly opened his arms wide, the cloak shredding away, revealing a new sight. The evil sword Nemesis was now two blades, one in each hand.

"And you've apparently learned nothing!" Faith once again leapt into action, flying through the air, sword ready. As he closed in on Deimos, he unleashed a powerful strike, impacting the blade in Deimos' left hand. The two swords resonated for a moment, then an explosion of dark energy propelled the two warriors away from each other. As the darkness subsided, Faith saw exactly what he wanted to see.

Deimos stood, his balance hanging by a thread. The sword in his left hand was shattered, shards lying in all places. Deimos' look of shock swiftly became sincere, as he raised his eyes back towards Faith. A grin formed on his lips as his left hand opened and the destroyed weapon fell to the temple floor.

Faith moved towards Deimos, the sword of Zerathustra firmly within his grasp. Upon closing the gap between himself and the master of darkness, he felt his feet come to a halt. He was unable to move. It was not a time spell, like the one used on Raven, but something far more sinister.

The shards of the destroyed sword began to vibrate, and immediately flew into action. A whirlwind formed around Faith, the shards of the sword flying through the air around Faith. The shards were still amazingly sharp, and passed closer and closer to Faith with every second.

The hurricane of razors swiftly closed in on Faith, shearing him, slicing into his skin, causing his blood to spill. Faith yelled in anguish, but fought with all of his might to ward away the pain to prepare a spell to stop Deimos' powerful attack. However each time he tried to focus, a shard struck him with intense velocity.

Deimos slowly stepped behind Faith, extending his left hand towards the knight's back. He held his palm slightly open, as if he were holding something firmly in his grip, yet there was nothing there. His lips turned to a smile, and it was over at that point.

The shards of metal exploded with power, then suddenly were drawn inward towards Deimos' hand. When the explosion of light concluded, Deimos stood proud, the restored Nemesis blade in his left hand bearing the body of Faith Lionheart part-way up the weapon's length. Faith was impaled by the weapon and his blood flowed freely to the ground and down the blood groove of the evil sword.

"You fought valiantly, Faith Lionheart. I shall never forget the name of the man who was supposed to be the only one that could defeat me and my empire... Pathetic..." Deimos growled as he spoke and slowly levitated the sword into the sky with one hand. Faith was suspended off of his feet, dangling like a rag doll with the Sword of Zerathustra still in his right hand.

Faith trembled as he felt his life escape. The massive blade had penetrated him and each second suspended in the air felt like an eternity. Blood flowed not only from the wound made by the sword, but through his mouth, as his abdomen was ripped to pieces. Fighting to focus, Faith tried to utilize some sort of a spell, but found that not only would he be able to heal himself, but he only had enough power for one small spell.

"And now, you will die. Farewell, Lionheart Holy Knight. I shall give you your deepest desire... I will reunite you with Princess Sora Lionheart, who also died at the mercy of this very same blade." Deimos' words were laced with cruelty and sincerity, both traits that he flaunted on a regular basis, but his words were also a source of fuel for Faith's will to survive.

Faith's eyes widened as he saw a vision, courtesy of Deimos' magic. He saw Sora Lionheart as she was ravaged by Deimos, and then killed by the Nemesis sword. This infuriated Faith, causing his blood to pump faster. His grip tightened on the Sword of Zerathustra and the holy knight finally saw his chance.

Deimos drew Nemesis back towards his body to brace himself for his trademark finishing strike, the Vicious Strike, a powerful and merciless spin attack that could cleave a man into multiple pieces within three seconds, while they fell from mid-air. His muscles tensed and his breath was drawn. Just as he began to unleash the Vicious Strike finisher, Faith used the last of his strength to do his sacred duty as a knight.

Faith whirled the Sword of Zerathustra so that the pommel faced away from his body and the two points were aimed at his own heart. Faith yelled loudly and pulled with all of his might, drawing the holy weapon into his own body, through his back and deeply into Deimos Alejandra's beating heart.

Faith spasmed violently, but continued to push the weapon until the hand guard was against his chest. Blood flowed like a geyser from his chest and back, but moreover Deimos Alejandra was also mortally struck. Deimos could not speak, as his vocal chords were severed and his heart was pierced. The holy weapon penetrated him, exiting through his back. His grip on Nemesis weakened and finally, he released the weapon, tumbling forward.

As Deimos fell, Faith fell away from the Nemesis sword and the Sword of Zerathustra pulled out of Deimos' body, but was still lodged into Faith's chest. The fallen holy knight immediately collapsed to the ground, his life nearly spent. Deimos, on the other hand, was still alive, but barely.

"I... never meant... for you... to escape... alive..." Deimos spoke in pain through his severed vocal chords, writhing in agony as they finally separated and his voice was lost. Deimos reached towards the ceiling of the temple, his eyes filled with blood and fire. The dark lord had one final spell to cast, and it would be a spell that he had been preparing for a century. His preparation was complete.

High above the continent of the Lionheart Kingdom, the night sky was illuminated by an unearthly glow from the heavens. Streaks of fire began to fill the air, heading towards Lionheart Castle. Within those fiery balls of death were spheres of energy that were charged over the years and kept in safe storage in space around the planet, just above the Lionheart Kingdom. Now these deadly projectiles were on a course for the castle.

Each impact was phenomenal. Craters measuring over a mile wide were left behind with each strike and incredible amounts of elemental energy were released. Helios Mountain took the brunt of the impacts, the solid rock foundation crumbling with every violent collision.

Jets of lava spewed from the craters in the mountain, revealing that a dormant volcano was situated beneath the castle. Deimos' magic was meant to bring it to life, and the power being released was doing just that. Earthquakes began resounding throughout the Lionheart Kingdom, leveling everything that was standing.

Within the temple of the dark lord, Faith and Deimos felt their lives escape just as a flow of fiery magma penetrated the hardened walls of the sanctuary. The crimson molten rock swallowed the two warriors within an instant, destroying the bodies and all evidence that a battle had taken place. Faith Lionheart, the retainer of the Lionheart Kingdom, and Deimos Alejandra, the progenitor of the Dark Dragon Lords, were now nothing more than a memory lost to the elements. But now a far more important battle would be fought... A battle between father and son...

 

[David_MacCallister]

The Lionheart Saga: The Final Chapters (last one)

The Lionheart Saga​

Chronicles of the Heroic Knights​

Battle of the Heroes​

The Lionheart Kingdom was in ruin, with geysers of molten rock spewing into the air from all locations. The sphere of energy released by Deimos Alejandra's final spell were devastating at best, with the entire continent now a burnt and wasted sea of flames. The only surviving structure was Lionheart Castle, which was now in danger of falling into the crater of the newly formed Helios Volcano. The people of the castle were in panic and only one lone holy knight was there to secure the people from their fears.

Adrian Lionheart worked furiously to unleash all of his magical power to extinguish the flames surrounding the castle, but found his efforts futile. While he was busy with the disasters surrounding the castle, another former knight entered the castle keep, rushing up the stairs. Raven Lionheart merely wanted to see Malia and make sure that she was in good health after the destruction caused by Deimos.

Raven's mind was free of the control that Deimos had and his line of thought was clear. To his knowledge, all of the holy knights were eliminated by the massive spell and now, he was the last one. As he raced towards the roof of the castle, where Malia would likely be, he could feel the sensation that someone familiar was nearby. He merely shrugged it to the side, continuing on his quest to find Malia.

On the roof of the castle was Malia Dualas, but she was not dressed as a traditional Dragon Knight. She was dressed in her casual clothing, but her sword and Storm Dagger were on her belt. After the commotion that rose from Deimos' attack, she was forced to fight several shadow beasts that threatened to destroy the people of the castle.

Malia stood silent, the fiery wind encompassing her. Her black, long hair blew in the breeze and several tears were strewn across her face. She knew what happened to Raven. She felt everything, even Deimos' control over him. She knew that Raven killed Sremmos Van Deras, Sho Joutenryu, Vincent Alexander and Tina Dragonheart, four of her closest friends, but she knew that Raven was justified.

Seconds later, Raven exploded through the doorway of the south tower and rushed towards Malia, his arms open. His eyes showed pain, yet his expression depicted that of happiness. Malia rushed headlong towards him and the two met, their arms encompassing each other. Raven and Malia stared into the other's eyes, lips trembling in fear.

"I thought that I would never see you again, Malia." Raven closed his eyes and held Malia tightly to his body, feeling her heart beat against his chest. Tears flowed freely from his eyes and his breath came in a sharp draw. He was afraid that Malia would not be there and now he felt safe and secure again.

"Raven... Where are the holy knights?" Malia drew away from Raven and stared into his eyes. Although she knew the truth of what happened to him, she still wanted to hear it from Raven's mouth. She could sense the presence of death surrounding her love, and each presence was that of a dear friend.

Raven went completely silent and turned his head away in complete guilt. He felt his heart stop for a second and a heavy weight seemed to strike him in the gut. He knew that his actions were far more than just wrong. He was just as evil as Deimos Alejandra, even though his actions were guided by the sole thought of Malia's safety.

"I had no choice... He would have killed you..." Raven turned to the side, feeling sick to his stomach. His teeth were bared and his stomach heaved, yet he did not vomit. He was in deep pain from his actions, but even deeper that Malia's primary concern was for the holy knights and not him. It was a mild moment of jealousy overshadowed by deep love.

"Come on Raven, we can still get through this. We must leave the Lionheart Kingdom." Malia was serious, even though Raven single-handedly assisted in the destruction of the Draconian Alliance and the fall of the world's greatest warriors. She only wanted to be free with Raven and to leave the world behind.

Raven nodded and began to follow Malia, but froze immediately in his tracks as he saw a man emerge from behind a closed door. Many thoughts flooded Raven's mind and the inevitable conclusion came as swiftly as the shimmer of light reflecting from the man's sword.

Adrian Lionheart stood at the opening of the door, his sword in hand, his garbs burned and eyes locked onto Malia and Raven. He still bore the symbols of the holy knights and the Lionheart Kingdom and was still charged with protecting the land, even under these circumstances. Seeing his son and friend alive was a relief, but he felt animosity flowing from Raven.

"You tricked me... So that he could kill me?!" Raven glared towards Adrian, and then swiftly turned his eyes to Malia, anger flowing through his soul. He was aware that the holy knights were looking for him, but he never expected Adrian to be the one to find him. He also thought, in his wildly churning mind, that Malia had summoned Adrian just to dispatch him, as it would be her duty to do so if she detected a threat to the Lionheart Kingdom.

"What are you talking about?!" Malia stepped away from Raven and towards Adrian and found her movement suddenly halted. She was bewildered. How had Raven's train of thought come to such an incredible conclusion as this? Malia's mind was in turmoil, but her heart was torn between duty and love.

"You have betrayed me!" Raven yelled loudly and unleashed his sword, thrusting it violently towards Malia. The sword penetrated Malia's stomach and rammed straight through her back. Raven continued with the strike, pushing towards her until his chest was against hers and his face was mere inches from hers. He felt her blood flowing along his hand and the fire in his mind was somewhat extinguished.

"Raven no!" Adrian sheathed his sword and rushed towards Malia and Raven, sliding towards the ground in time to catch Malia as she fell away from Raven's sword. Adrian's eyes were filled with pain, focusing on Malia's eyes. His breath came as a gasp as he watched his sister-in-arms slowly die in his arms.

Malia said nothing and continued to stare at Raven, even as she fell away and towards Adrian. Upon landing in Adrian's arms, she gazed towards her brother and future father-in-law, a smile crossing her lips. She could see her fallen brother Kain and the caring warmth he brought within Adrian's soul. She felt safe. She felt warm, even as death slowly crept through her body.

Raven stood silent, Malia's blood dripping from his weapon. He stared at Adrian and his dying love, trembling in anger, trying to find a reason for his actions, and the only reason available was right in front of him. Adrian Lionheart, coveting his love...

"You turned her against me..." Raven spoke and sheathed his weapon, stepping away from his father and Malia, who was barely alive. Raven turned his back on Adrian, moving towards the opposite side of the castle keep's battle site.

"You have done that yourself." Adrian spoke calmly, yet harshly at the same time as his right hand moved towards Malia's eyes. He could no longer feel her life force and gently closed her eyes. Adrian closed his own eyes and placed Malia's lost body carefully on the floor of the roof, staring at his dead friend one last time.

"You try to justify your actions by blaming others. Your lust for power has caused you to lose everything you hold dear." Adrian slowly rose to his feet, staring at his son. The exploding eruptions in the background were an ample sum of the emotions running through his heart.

"Don't try to lecture me, father. I did what I had to do to secure my kingdom." Raven held his ground, his back to Adrian. His mind was filled with delusions that were very real to him. Now that he and Adrian were the last members of the Lionheart Royal Family and the only remaining holy knights, he thought that he was already the lord of a destroyed land.

"Your kingdom?! Raven, it's not about a kingdom, it's about what you've done!" Adrian tried to reason with his lost son and stepped towards him, feeling the hate and anger flowing from him. Raven's power was indeed as great as his feelings and Adrian felt that he would barely be a match for his son should violence ensue.

"Don't make me kill you, Adrian." Raven's face became sincere and his eyes continued to gaze towards the horizon. He no longer thought of Adrian as his father, but as another person who was in his path to securing the Lionheart Kingdom. Mentally, he was ready to take on Adrian.

"Only an Alejandra Dragon Lord follows through with such gestures when he is already defeated." Adrian went silent, and slowly reached towards the hilt of his sword. With a solitary draw, the weapon was freed and raised to the sky. Adrian was prepared to defend himself, if necessary, against the new Alejandra Dragon Lord.

"So be it..." Raven finally narrowed his brow and leapt backwards into a somersault twist in the air towards Adrian, his right hand drawing the curved weapon by his side. Raven's sheath shattered into pieces as the weapon came into view and a mighty strike was made towards Adrian. Raven landed on the ground, throwing a volley of powerful and quick sword strikes at his father.

Adrian stepped back from Raven and perfectly and swiftly deflected Raven's attacks, feeling the ferocity of his son with each strike. Adrian waited for Raven to step back, so that he could try to disarm him, but noticed that his son's fighting style was different. It was incredibly more ferocious. Raven was giving no quarter and was violently throwing himself into each strike.

Both knights continued on their path towards the edge of the castle keep, but Adrian was perilously close to falling towards the chaos below. In fact, the area around the central keep was now gone, engulfed by the magma below. It was a straight fall towards the torrential lava and certain death.

Feeling the perilous nature of his position, Adrian countered Raven and unleashed a powerful strike, knocking the turned knight off balance. He then moved away from the edge and continued to deliver more powerful blows, knocking Raven away. At this point, Adrian realized that he would have to fight with all of his skill to survive this encounter.

A sudden eruption from below propelled a ball of lava towards the castle, causing the wall on the west side to buckle under the incredible force. Debris and slabs of stone fell towards the lava below and the castle became incredibly unstable. The entire foundation began to crumble and the structure, as weakened as it was, started tilting towards the damaged area.

Raven and Adrian were knocked off-balance by the sudden impact, but continued battling. Raven took a mighty swing at Adrian, knocking him very far back, but the cunning holy knight grabbed onto a tower supporting rope that was now dangling in the wind and swung out over the edge of the keep and over the lava that was several feet below.

Adrian felt the hot embers brush his skin as he swung away from the tower, but the electricity in the air was also increasing. Adrian, now swinging towards Raven, reared his blade back and swung hard, delivering a strike that knocked Raven's sword from his hand. Raven fell backwards, but rolled to his feet, extending his right hand towards Adrian.

A surge of lightning propelled from his hand and struck Adrian's sword, throwing it into the sky. Adrian, who was also struck by the incredible elemental energy, focused his life-force and magic, nullifying Raven's attack. At that point, Raven charged towards Adrian and threw himself into the air with a powerful kick.

But his attack missed and Adrian performed a mighty knee strike to Raven's gut, knocking him to the ground in agony. Adrian gazed off to the side, seeing his sword as it tumbled away, and extended his hand just as Faith taught him so many years ago. Tendrils of lightning propelled from the magma, striking the sword from below, throwing it back towards Adrian's waiting hand.

Raven turned his eyes off to the side towards his own sword and focused his mind, causing an eruption of lightning to explode under his weapon. The blade tumbled and flew like a rocket, the handle landing in his waiting palm, just as Adrian caught his own sword. Eyes widened, Raven raised his weapon while lying back and braced himself.

Adrian raised his sword into the air and swung downwards with a double-handed chop, but Raven's sword perfectly blocked his own. Pushing with all of his might, Adrian forced his sword's edge closer and closer to Raven's face. Adrian was no longer on his feet, but on his knees, pushing his sword with every ounce of his strength.

Raven swiftly brought his right leg to his chest and thrust his right foot into Adrian's chest, shoving him away. As Adrian landed on the ground a few feet away, Raven flipped to his feet, raising his sword for a thrusting strike at Adrian, but found his attempt foiled when the weight of the crumbling castle shifted and the entire keep began to move. Raven landed on one knee, his sword striking the ground.

The stress was too great, and the entire west quarter of the castle crumbled away, falling towards the magma below. Raven and Adrian, who were on the west quarter, fell with the debris, towards the fiery inferno. It wasn't that far of a drop, either. It seemed that the magma was pooling, or the land was sinking, and several stones made artificial stepping stones in the lava.

Raven tumbled for at least forty feet and used his magic to slow down. He landed precisely on one of the larger stones, the intense heat of the lava pushing against him like an open fist. He then turned his eyes to the sky to see Adrian falling as well, but he had another method of coming to a halt.

Adrian jammed his sword into the remaining landscape that was holding the last remnants of Lionheart Castle above the hell below, slowing his descent by quite a bit. Adrian's sword was so sharp that it could penetrate the rock. Adrian turned his head towards Raven and planted his feet against the rocks, then kicked with all of his might towards Raven.

The holy knight's sword dislodged from the rock wall and he soared towards Raven. The landing space was small, but Adrian landed right in front of Raven and swung his sword, throwing his son off-balance. With so little room to move, Adrian and Raven squared off, throwing precise strikes that were not only offensive, but defensive.

Finally, Raven and Adrian struck simultaneously, catching each other by the center of the other's blade. The battle would now be decided by strength and will, and both warriors had plenty of both. If one faltered, they would fall into the deadly flames below. It was then that Adrian saw his chance and felt something that he had not felt in ages.

A moment of clarity overtook him and Adrian seemed to see things very clearly. Adrian leapt with all of his might at an angle towards the castle, a stone passing under him. The well-trained knight landed on it, barely avoiding Raven's deathblow.

Both warriors were charred, covered in dirt and sweat and exhausted. Only their will to continue drove them onwards. Raven and Adrian continued to stare into each other's eyes, their individual pain evident. However, only one warrior would leave alive.

Adrian's stone approached the shore and he stepped away from it, taking the high ground. This left Raven to drift away towards rapidly flowing magma, similar to rapids in a river. The elder holy knight watched as his son drifted away and slowly stepped away from the dangerous magma.

Raven, on the other hand, watched his target shrink away in the distance and turned to face the oncoming rapids. He growled in anger and turned back towards Adrian, his exhaustion now completely evident. He couldn't die like this. Raven was a fighter.

As Adrian walked away and began scaling the cliff to the surviving remnants of Lionheart Castle, he turned back one last time to see a blur in the distance perform an absolutely incredible feat. Adrian's eyes widened as he stepped away from the rock wall, in time to witness Raven approaching him by leaping from stone to stone using wind magic.

"Come on Raven, don't do it... If you miss, you'll die..." Adrian gasped as Raven bounded through the air, narrowly touching down on each stone. Debris was beginning to run short and soon, he would be out of options. Adrian wished for his son to live, but knew that their battle would continue if Raven made it to the shore.

Raven yelled with every leap, the power of his wind spells becoming erratic. There were even times when he missed his landing point all together and had to use an auxiliary blast of air to move to the next one. But a problem was approaching. He was indeed running out of places to land on. Adrian was right there. If he could leap twenty feet or more to the next one, Adrian and safe land were only a thirty foot leap beyond that.

Raven propelled himself once again, landing squarely on the last stone before his thirty foot leap to Adrian. He was drained. All of his magic power was gone, except for one more spell. He could cast one more wind spell, but it wouldn't be enough to make it to Adrian. However...

Adrian stood silent, but the air around him began to chill. It became bitterly cold. Realizing what was going on, Adrian stepped towards the shore line and extended his right hand over the magma, feeling the flame and heat burn his skin. He was reaching out for Raven, to catch him. He didn't want his son to die and hoped that he would realize this.

"You fool..." Raven muttered to himself and extended his hand towards the magma. The frigid air around the magma was extreme and caused the molten material to begin to harden. An ice spell, but the lava was so harsh that it wouldn't last long. With that, as the lava hardened in front of him, Raven leapt, rushing across the magma as it solidified only a foot ahead of him at a time. If he ran too fast, he would fall into it.

"He's not going to make it..." Adrian continued to hold his hand out, but his left hand firmly held onto his sword. He knew that Raven would probably try to kill him if he made it, so he had to be ready.

Raven realized that something was wrong. Each step was not cold, but extremely hot. The ice spell was failing and he was splashing down into partially remelted magma. Even worse was the fact that the solidified ice behind him was dropping down into the lava and causing explosions. Raven finally gathered himself and leapt with all of his power, an explosive reaction propelling him from behind. Burnt at his legs, Raven flew through the air towards Adrian and landed on his knees, collapsing to the ground.

"It's over, my son. It's over..." Adrian stepped towards Raven and kicked his sword away and into the lava, leaving him without a weapon. At that, he stepped away, leaving Raven behind.

"It's... never... OVER!" Raven yelled loudly and climbed to his feet, charging Adrian, but he stumbled because of his burned legs and found himself tumbling towards Adrian. At that point, it was over. Adrian whirled into a circle with his sword ready, performing a perfect diagonal slice that struck Raven in the side and sent him flying back towards the lava.

The shearing force of the sword was enough to strip Raven's armor away and cut the cord to his holy pendant, and without that a spell of any kind was impossible, including a shielding spell that could be cast without any problem. Raven fell through the air, his voice silent, fire engulfing him.

Raven struck the magma full force, sinking down into the deadly material like a rock in a pond. He was instantly consumed by the fire, melted away to nothing but bones that eventually melted as well. His head was the last thing to go under and the last thing he saw was not Adrian, but Malia's smiling face and her arms reaching out to him.

Adrian stood silent, feeling an intense pain in his body. His own son, his flesh and blood, was now dead at his own hands. Duty and honor were the driving force that made him carry out his deed, but love and compassion drew guilt upon him. With these thoughts in mind, Adrian began his long trek away from the carnage and towards a new home.
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Author's Note: Yeah, I know it's coming... I'm just waiting on someone to say, "HEY! That's just like the end of Star Wars 3!". Alright, yeah, there are similarities. But check this out. All of this was an RP session done four YEARS before Episode 3 was even announced. Some of the characters were different, because the transcripts only had usernames like "Goku_kicks_ur_ass384234256235694" and "Big_Daddy_likes_it_69" for example, so I decided to alter a few things and put in the characters of the story that were there from the beginning. For example, Tony Valla's character Sremmos Van Deras, or Samantha Lane's character Tenkou, or heck, Christine Kahana's character Malia Dualas. You get what I'm saying, right?

This is NOT a direct take to SW:Ep3. It's damn well convincing, though. Even -I- will say that. Oh and, Merry Christmas.