Wielder

Chapter 33 - Golden Wings

The whole world thundered as the Emperor's soul departed. The last of his power shattered across the sky, turning the otherwise peaceful day into a storm filled with black lightning. The castle walls trembled. The city became dwarfed in shadow. It seemed the whole world paused as the dark energy burned off and disappeared.

   Alie slowly rose. Michael had appeared beside her; she leaned on him as he helped her to her feet. He spoke something into her ear, but the words were unintelligible. A thick fog of grief and sorrow blocked all sound, turning every noise around her into a dull moan.

   Michael pulled her away. Away from the emperor's body; away from the grieving commander; away from what she had done. Away from what she had needed to do.

   She thought she had understood the cost. After reading so many novels, after spending so many hours lost to the fantastical worlds of fantasy, she thought she had understood what would have to be done. She had walked into the throne room knowing that the emperor would have to die. And by her hand.

   The novels hadn't prepared her for this.

   She stumbled over her own feet. She couldn't see straight. Her stomach flipped inside out. What had she done? What had she become? Why had she deemed his death so necessary?

   Darrel tackled her. She nearly fell over, completely unprepared. He seemed... happy? Was that joy on his face? She couldn't tell anymore, not when the fog had seen fit to shield her vision as well.

   A soft touch brushed into her hair. Instantly, the fog began to fade. A sense of peace and joy and hope washed away the guilt and shame. You did well, the butterfly she'd freed from the crystal promised her. It had to be the butterfly. Its magic felt so familiar as it washed across her skin, taking away the remnants of the emperor's power that had managed to cling to her and fill her with such dread. You did well, but you are not finished.

   It was right. Its emotions flooded over her, uniting with her own until they were nearly one and the same. She gently pushed away Michael and Darrel's attention as she lifted her hand up to brush the edge of its paper-thin wing in greeting and in thanks. The butterfly arched into her touch.

   A wave of her hand caused the Ultimate to come sliding back to her.

   She spun the blade over her head. Magic stirred once again around her feet. With a wide swing, she slammed the blade deep into the throne room floor.

   Dark power fled from the blade's impact as magic spread throughout the room. It called up the dark chasm where the emperor had stored the stolen magic. The throne room carpet transformed into the chasm's entrance, opening up into a gaping hole. Magic kept her and her friends afloat, supporting them with simmering golden disks.

   The Ultimate sank deep into the heart of the dark power that sealed the chasm. As it did so, the seal cracked like shattering glass.

   As the dark power broke, a million sets of golden wings took to the air.

   The butterflies rose up like a flock of birds. The glow of their wings shimmered into a blur of glistening magic, drifting past her in a flood. They swept past her toward the blown-out windows, taking happily to the skies. Their glorious power hummed a song of joyous freedom.

   She could do nothing until they all made it past the window. Their power was too great to withstand. It stole the breath from her chest. She clung tight to the Ultimate as best she could, riding out the flood, until every last butterfly was gone.

   While the emperor's power had turned the world dark, the freed magic turned everything to gold. Cloud cover was replaced by shimmering light. Dark alleys brightened with the light of day. The entire castle shimmered in magic's beautiful reflection.