~ The Fall Of Rivendell (And Scott) ~ An Empires SMP Fanfic ~

~ Part 3 ~

He pointed out the places that had been affected, like the stag statue and the tower. The statue's head had been bowing down, almost like it crashed to the ground, while the tower had fallen apart, only a small fragment covered by a tentacle remained.

When he reached the ground, he ran inside the burning ruins of his childhood home, all up in flames. He foraged around for anything that was left, anything that he could salvage. When he checked his bedside, though, he managed to find the Rune Blade. Luckily enough, it was still there.

But everything else wasn't.

His whole life had been ripped to shreds and burnt in the aftermath of this fire. There was no going back.

He had never seen the corruption this bad before, even when that person was loose the first time. As he rushed outside the burning building, he noticed that the crystals in the sky were filled with lava, which were spilling out the sides. It reminded him of another crystal, that him and his friends used to contain Xornoth.

"Xornoth." Scott said with distaste. He remembered when he used to say this name out of admiration and love. Not anymore. Now, he spoke the name as if it were something dirty that had stained his lips permanently.

"I've got to go check on the crystal." He panicked, racing to the spot he hid it in. "I know it's stupid, I know he's out there somewhere." What could he do? He didn't know, but he just wanted to salvage something. Anything. The spot was revealed to be underneath the Church of Aeor, and he hastily climbed down.

Gone. The cavern was flecked with corrupted red, with a few bits of ice contrasting the bright color. The ice pillar that contained the crystal was broken, while the crystal itself was nowhere to be seen.

"That's not good, I need to warn everyone!" He uttered, and went back up, but there was someone in front of him, standing on a tentacle.

"You-!" Scott scowled.

"Hello brother. I hope you don't mind what I did to the place. Gave it a nice makeover, don't you think?" Xornoth spoke with a grin on his face.

"How could you do this? This was your home, this was our home!" Scott stammered. His expression changed into that of displeasure.

"Was, being the key word here brother. Not that there's much left to call home now." He let out a sinister laugh, one unlike the playful one Scott was used to hearing. He laughed as if he enjoyed the whole situation.

"How did you even get out? We trapped you!"

"Not very well." Xornoth started, glaring at Scott. "That pathetic excuse of a wizard has a lot to learn if she thinks THAT'S magic. But she won't get time to learn anything when I'm done with her."

"They all won't."

"Don't you dare hurt them! I'm not going to let you." Scott seethed.

"Aww, do you care for them? You couldn't even help them when I was here. What are you going to do? Throw a snowball at me?" Xornoth mockingly said.

"If you haven't noticed yet brother, fire melts ice."  "Don't worry, I'll make sure it hurts when I get them all." He looked up, straight at Scott. "Especially that one fish boy you're fond of." He smirked, knowing he hit a sore point.

"You leave Jimmy alone-!" Scott raged. He was already angered by Xornoth's threats to his friends, but mentioning Jimmy had crossed the line.

But before he knew it, Scott was surrounded by a cage, one summoned by Xornoth.

"Now now, brother. I thought I was the one with a temper. But I know you're going to be a thorn in my side if I don't deal with you first. So, let's sort that."

In the blink of an eye, Scott was teleported into the same ritual circle they used to trap Xornoth. Corruption plagued the ground, surrounded by large corrupted tentacles that arched inwards, creating a dome-like shape. The circle was surrounded by a ring of fire, much like the one that trapped Scott in the middle.

And there was no way out.

"You need me Xornoth! You can't kill me or you die!"

Oh, I know that. Why do you think I didn't bother you much the first time I came here? You don't recognize the layout of the spell you and your friends did to me?"

He continued, " I had plenty of time in the crystal to figure out how it works, and work out a better one."

"I had to speed up my process when that idiot set off an explosion and the tremors broke the ice containing me, but I think I worked it up pretty nice in the time I had." He sneered.

"You're going to be trapped away forever, brother. But don't worry. I'll make you watch as your friends beg for me to finish it." Xornoth smiled cruelly.

I won't let you get away with it!" Scott recklessly protested.

"What are you going to do? Your ice magic doesn't work in here. Your friends are trying to stop the destruction in their own empires."

"You have nothing. You have no one." Xornoth coldly added.

Scott had never felt so helpless. He was trapped and going to watch as all his friends were killed at the hands of his estranged brother. Adrenaline was rushing through his body, along with the despair he felt at hearing those words. But, he remembered something, a specific item he had. One that could change it all.

"You're wrong. I have this." He smiled, as he pulled out the Rune Blade.

"What. Where did you get that?"

"Seems like you know what it is then. You know what it does."

"But you're stuck in there. You can't kill me with it anyway." Xornoth said, unsure.

Scott simply kept smiling, sadness hiding behind it.

"See, that's the difference between us. I don't always put myself first." He continued, "And sure, I've made plenty of mistakes and I've hurt people, but I always did my best."

He looked up at Xornoth, his lips curling into a sad smile. Xornoth was taken aback.

"And for the first time, in a long time, I finally know what I need to do for my friends."

It explained everything. Finding the prophecy, the sudden appearance of the Rune Blade, Xornoth's escape. He had a feeling this was meant to happen.

Scott had grown with Xornoth, content to be by his side while he became the ruler. But it all changed when he became increasingly violent,  and started growing horns. Scott had watched his brother change and twist into someone he no longer knew. When he had to step up as king, he wasn't sure if he could shape up to the ruler that Rivendell needed.

Even now, he wasn't sure if he had been a good enough leader, but he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. Scott knew what he had to do. For his friends, for his allies, for his people. For Jimmy, the fish boy he had come to like, no, the one he loved.

His voice quivered as he spoke, yet he spoke with strength and clarity. "Because I don't need you in here to kill you. When I'm right here." What he was going to do next didn't matter to him, because he had already sacrificed himself many times before, what was one more time?

Xornoth realized what he was going to do too late. "NO-!"

As tears gently slid down his face, he plunged the sword into his chest, crumpling to the ground.