Episode 45

Episode 45: Twilight’s Beckoning

As the ship draws close to the island in the center of the calming whirlpool, there’s still some things that must be discussed. Luna approaches Wood, with a bit of anger in her eyes. She pulls him to the side, causing Wood to drop his heroic facade quickly.

Luna details that this trip has not been exactly what she and Azure were expecting, or perhaps even hoping for at first, but claims she doesn’t even want to know. She urges him that after all of this is over, he must return home with her and Azure and have a stern talk with them. Wood nervously tries to refute this, but is only met with Luna’s strong willed refusal. Almost on the verge of tears, Luna details how much her, Azure and his parents have missed him dearly. There were childhood promises that Wood has now broken, and even still, Azure and Luna followed their dreams because of him. She questions how often he speaks to his parents, compared to how often they both ask about him when Azure and Luna see them. Luna berates him with stories of his parents’ complete sadness and emptiness they’ve exhibited since their son left. Luna leaves him with no room to refute: after this, she is dragging him home, no questions asked.

With this, the boat lands on the tiny island, and everyone steps off. Calpurnico leads everyone to the far center, only to find absolutely nothing there. Wood tries searching for an answer, but is told to calm down by Calpurnico with a slight laugh. Calpurnico explains that the treasure has been with them the whole time. Calpurnico begins turning the sands into water, and from it arises a coral polearm, with a magical orb at the center. He brings forth Paramecium, the Divine Weapon he himself once wielded. Calpurnico admits that they left clues and riddles all around the Hostrea Arch to see if anyone would be worthy of wielding it after him. He details that the weapons can become a part of you, and couldn’t just hand his weapon off to just anybody, and used these riddle trials to get to know who the next wielder would be. To him, Wood is very worthy of this weapon, and hands it over to the new wielder. Wood accepts, and begins getting accustomed to it right away. With the orb in the center, the coral polearm can take on many forms, be it axe, sword, or the simple spear. Wood excitedly tries to begin the weapon’s transformation, but isn’t quite there yet.

With Wood’s newfound weapon, Gemevieve is excited to see another one of her friends become a Divine Wielder, being the only other one in the group to have theirs already. They spar with one another for a brief moment, bonding of their newness to their chosen weapon, but Wood’s moment of victory is cut short. Seemingly from nowhere, the cultists of the Repentence appear, this time more daring and prepared than the last.

Their captain, Daylin, addresses Calpurnico, and seemingly knows Wood, their primary target, as well. The Repentence and the Whirlwrecker party lunge into battle with one another.

The battle is very close, the skills of both sides being pretty evenly matched. Wood melds well with Paramecium, the weapon aiding him and accepting him as a wielder very early on. The weapon even offers some protection for its wielder, taking on some of the damage he would have taken. Gemevieve also uses her Divine Weapon, Cryactum, to lunge at enemies with a heavy hit. Baird engages with his lightning power, sending shockwaves throughout the sand as he battles. Calpurnico defends with his trusty sword, Cold Star, surrounded by both Repentence cultists and the young Divine wielders. Azure offers support while Luna and Praxis strike from afar, backing up Wood’s powerful attacks. The Repentence is nothing to scoff at during this fight.

Notably over the top with power is Taylansta, who uses xyr shadowing, sorcerer abilities to create clones of xemself to do some of the attacking and damage taking for xem. Xey rule the battlefield, dealing devastating damage with the clones.

As they all fight, the raging water of the whirlpool around the island suddenly halts and freezes, seemingly trying to flow the other way, seemingly on its own. The sands underneath them begin turning black.

Taylansta turns the tide, bringing many of the cultists to their knees. Xey pull in light from all around them, plunging the battlefield into deadly darkness. Xey use this darkness to deal massive damage to the cultists, even hitting Gemevieve in the process, and proving xemself to be a devastating opponent. Many of the Repentents are left retching and writhing in pain in the wake of all of Taylansta’s destruction. Taylansta barely even notices that Gem is almost knocked unconscious by xyr attack.

Just when it seems like the Whirlwrecker heroes are about to win, someone approaches from behind all of the dying cultists. A hulking, horned figure comes up, the sands turning black as they step. The Godslayer approaches everyone, not holding back as they tear through the cultists, killing them all as they approach the Whirlwrecker party. They claim that their warning to “return the weapon and leave [their] cycle have been ignored”. They shove Captain Daylin into an open crevice in the earth and shut them inside, burying the captain alive while the other cultists are slaughtered. Godslayer promises that this fight will not be as merciful as the last. They launch spiars over to Azure and Luna, wounding them deeply. Calpurnico rushes forward, dueling with The Godslayer for a moment to buy the younger heroes some time.

Everyone gathers and discusses a plan, Gemevieve panicked and begging to run. Baird takes Paramecium and hands it to Gemevieve, urging her to take the weapons with Praxis and running away. While the wielders of Divine Weapons are replaceable, the weapons themselves are not. Praxis takes Gemevieve, with both Cryactum and Paramecium, and the two bolt back to the safety of the Whirlwrecker. Only Wood, Baird, and Taylansta stay behind to challenge The Godslayer.

The Godslayer is able to overtake Calpurnico while the party discusses with one another, and they turn around to find Godslayer severing Calpurnico’s arm clean off with his own blade. Calpurnico falls to the ground, lunging Wood, Taylansta and Baird into a heated battle.

Wood using Raijin Tide to reign down electrical attacks on Godslayer, leaving them remotely unphased. Taylansta, giving it xyr all, unleashing even more lightning, seemingly to no avail against the hulking Kronon. Baird goes in with his raging axe, but is only met with Godslayer invincible might. The Godslayer picks up Baird swiftly and punches his face in, deeply wounding him before throwing him across the island.

Wood’s attacks don’t seem to be doing too much, so Taylansta tries a last resort. All of Taylansta’s clones wreak havoc on the Godslayer, attacking all at once with all of their energy combined. Their attacks should have brought Godslayer down a significant amount of health, but they remain unscathed. Even despite all of the cuts and gouges they leave, they seemingly have no response. Taylansta is enraged by this, claiming their strongest attack and having done almost nothing. Godslayer reaches out for the real Taylansta among the clones. They pin xem to the ground, and take Neant, their shadowy dagger, from xem. They hold the blade above xyr head, growling out,

“You think to wield this blade? A pest like you truly believes to be able to wield a demonic weapon. It’s power may course through your blood but it is not your right to wield. Answer one question for me, Burrow, have you writ the seal for the contract yet? No, then I shall make you sign it in your blood!” (Godslayer, Episode 45: Twilight’s Beckoning).

They make Taylansta take a hold of Neant and Godslayer forces Taylansta to stab xemself in the chest with it. As this happens, the island falls silent, despite screaming faces. No yells are heard as the air seemingly rips itself, a void appearing in Taylansta’s chest like a black hole. Xey dematerialize and shred apart, being sucked into the void, and leaving nothing but the blade behind. Xey are gone, with no body or remains left behind. Godslayer drops Neant on the ground where xey were. The White Hound, the one with the discordant memory that Taylansta saw just a few mornings ago appears for a fraction of a second, touching the blade for the briefest moment before disappearing into that same void.

Godslayer challenges Wood next, demanding to see the Deep Sea Scion’s true worth. With Baird still barely conscious on the ground, Wood charges Godslayer, plunging Raijin Tide deep into Godslayer’s chest. The Godslayer staggers for a moment, giving Wood a chance to turn around and go towards Baird in victory. However, Baird sees Godslayer rise again behind his friend, having feigned the injury. They tear the blade from their chest and run Wood through with it, killing him instantly.

This gets Baird directly up onto his feet, despite his feeble state. Baird steps between Wood’s lifeless body and the Godslayer only to be picked up and thrown again, this time the Godslayer picking him up by the ear and tearing it off as they launch him. Baird lands a bit aways, still alive but barely able to stand again as Godslayer approaches him, for what seems like the last time. Before they bring their deadly fists onto him, Godslayer has one last thing to say to Baird:

“You’re the Squallsheer, aren’t you? I remember your ancestor Cataegis well. Specifically how the snapping of bones sounded when I broke them. Cataegis was brave and pious, though just as foolish as both. In his honor, I’ll grant you two things. First, the knowledge of who has ended your divine fate, I am known by the name Sartorious. As for the second gift, I shall bestow mercy on you, and make this swift” (Godslayer, Episode 45: Twilight’s Beckoning).

Baird brings his hands up towards the sky right before Sartorious is able to end his life. Just as Baird’s vision goes black, a light puff of feathers floats over him. Light shines, and engulfs him. A hooded figure, wielding a large scythe, makes Sartorius freeze. The figure brings everything to a halt, saying,

“Alright, that’s enough out of you! A forsaken relic like yourself might as well dig hole and go die in it. Tell you what, I’ll grant you two things. First, the knowledge that you’re staring down the Reaper. As for the second gift? I shall bestow mercy on you, and allow you to leave before you face judgement” (The Reaper, Episode 45: Twilight’s Beckoning).

Sartorius, tired of useless fighting, leaves, claiming this Reaper is but a farce who “carries their blade”. The Reaper hurls some insults as Sartorius disappears, and begins tending to the wounded. The figure approaches Baird, the last alive on the field. He says,

“You’ve seen it haven’t you kid? The White Hound, some call it. Rumor has it that those with heavy destinies see it. It’s never seen for more than a second, scrawling something into some kinda grand manuscript. Yeah, I saw it too once….I was just a kid, a bit younger than you. It was the night my life changed. When it comes there’s almost a beautiful melody in the air. Personally, I call it Fate’s Chorus, considering it demands to be heard. The song is almost deafening on days like these… Hey, breathe deep, lover boy. Fate brought me here to you and I should be able to save those who are left…. I’m the Judge and the Jury, though tonight, I’m not playing executioner. I’m also called the Reaper, the Angel of death, the hand of fate, but I’m reality, I’m just a man who’s lost his way” (The Reaper, Episode 45: Twilight’s Beckoning).

The figure unmasks, revealing underneath a spotted Hyaenid, with dark, brown fur, and even darker, heavy spots covering his face. One of his eyes is a radiant amber, and the other is a ghostly blue. The Hyaenid steps over to Calpurnico, seemingly familiar with the lion hearted hero. The Reaper cracks a dark joke about his now severed arm, remarking that he can now, “match that ancestor [he’s] always spoken about”. He is able to heal Calpurnico’s arm as best he can and stops the bleeding.

While Baird cradles Wood, the Reaper sits down next to them and hands Baird a potion, one that he claims can heal almost anything. Baird sips a little of it, and gives the entire rest of the bottle to Wood. This should basically bring him back to life, despite the fatal injury. Baird, despite his thousands of questions, does nothing but thank this person. Baird, already knowing the unfortunate answer, asks if The Reaper can do anything for Taylansta, which is, of course, a stern ‘no’. Baird tries to comfort himself, claiming that this is what history wants. He continues to thank The Reaper, eying the scythe he wields. Knowing that this scythe is probably important, he recognizes what this stranger has done for him.

The Reaper takes out another small potion and hands it over to Baird. The Reaper says that this potion will wipe Baird’s memory and rearrange what happened to both Baird and Wood, The Reaper claiming to, “make it so they won”. He claims that Baird can’t be running around telling people that he’s alive, so he has no choice but to erase him from Baird’s memory. After drinking it, Baird’s memory fades and he falls asleep, the last thing he remembers being when Wood stabbed Godslayer, and nothing else afterwards. The Reaper disappears.

After a while, Gemevieve and Praxis return to find Baird, Calpurnico and Wood asleep but alive, Taylansta gone, and Azure and Wood not far from them. Praxis runs up and sees everyone but Taylansta, shaking Baird awake as she asks where xey are. Praxis promises to hunt Godslayer for what they did to Taylansta, breaking down sobbing in the black sands. As Baird and Wood come to, they hazily try to recollect their memories. Baird proclaims that they won as Gem pulls both of them into a hug. Gemevieve breaks down crying as well, with Baird in shock and Wood left confused. Azure and Luna begin to make their way over to where they are. Luna tries to reiterate that Wood is going home after this, but is too weak to hold to it. Wood tries to affirm that he did, indeed, kill Godslayer, but is left wondering where Taylansta went. Baird then begins breaking down, screaming that xey’re gone despite having no clue where xey went. Wood takes off his eyepatch and stands about where Taylansta was, standing still for a moment before the sobbing starts. Baird falls next to him, heaving and slamming his fists into the sand. Wood clutches Raijin Tide to his chest, trying to find words and again, falling short. Despite their efforts to speak, no words really come out.

Baird gets up and walks away for a moment, keeping his eyes on the endless ocean around the island. He watches the waves, searching his memory for what happened. He remembers Taylansta being stabbed, and Wood stabbing Godslayer in return, but not much else. He also retains a vague memory of something else: a shadowy outline of a person in his memory, but nothing else. Only a blurry image of what seems to be an angel, but doesn’t know why he can see this. He has no memory of meeting this person or what they really look like. Despite the pain, he can’t recall any other clear images of what transpired there that day. He offers that they return to Kahlessi and tell Methandi what has happened. Wood takes Paramecium from Praxis, and snaps the belt that holds his sheath for Raijin Tide. He hands the sword over to Praxis, claiming he has failed everyone and apologizing to Taylansta.

In tears and wreckage, everyone tries to make their way back to the Whirlwrecker. Praxis drags Calpurnico’s body, still limp but still alive. Azure and Luna support Wood as he staggers, as he tells them that he’s not really a hero and doesn’t deserve his weapons. Baird, standing by the ocean, takes out the jacket he had bought for Railund. It’s bloodstained and ruined by battle, a large gash brazened in the back of it. He stares at it briefly before putting it on. Gem offers to walk Baird back to the boat, through her tears and sobs, and the two walk back together as he staggers still from shock. Everyone walks back, bloodied and defeated, despite their idea of victory.