Grian

Chapter 17

Xelqua was still dodging fireballs as he made his way up to Astaria, he could tell that she was tired. It was a harder fight than what she had to do before because the watcher in front of her was in the same generation as her, but with her having both the powers of an admin and the powers of a watcher she was stronger than them. There were bolts of lightning coming from more directions as some of the other watchers who were fighting the other council members were sending stray shots when they got an opening. "Astaria!" Xelqua yelled out.
Astaria didn't turn towards him, but he could still tell that she heard him. Before he could continue what he was saying he saw a fireball coming towards him from the left so he turned to block, he sent another shield up on the right to stop another fireball that had made its way towards him. He kept flying up, having to block more and more attacks as it seemed that all of the first watchers, with of course the exception of Astaria, were trying to attack him.

He finally got close enough and had a few moments when the others weren't trying to kill him, for him to try and scream out again. "Astaria! Freeze time please!" he pleaded as loud as he could.

Astaria heard what he said and focused, she took a deep breath and went through the motions of the weather spell, she felt the crackling between her fingers and the misty air around her, and then she did the flick of the petrifying spell, feeling a crack as it fell into place. The spell went out all at once and Xelqua could see everyone around him freezing, what he found very interesting was how stray spells also got stuck in the air, he didn't know what would happen if he touched them so he tried his best to avoid, twisting while flying to make sure that no part of his was at risk of hitting one of the frozen spells. The rest of the council members were making their way towards Astaria, who had now flown down to the ground as well, he could see that they all had some degree of injuries, Kelin had the least, only just coming back into the fight after a healing session. The admins just walking, he wondered if their teleportation wasn't working, or if their fingers were hurting too much to type when they didn't have to.

The mood felt bleak as all council members came together, all of them were tired, injured and were running out of hope. The fights they had were the hardest they had done yet, even in their powered-up forms the first just had too much of an advantage. He tried to lighten the mood by talking to Gryff and saying, "You know we have matching scars now,"
What he got for a reply was a snort from Gryff but the mood turned cold again. "We need to do something, we aren't winning here," Zyrex said, stating the obvious.

"Any ideas anyone," Xelqua said, looking at Astaria who seemed to be growing tired holding time still.

They stood there pensively, they couldn't think of any ideas when they were that tired but they also didn't know how to defeat them, after all, they were firsts. "Are we able to just send a fireball at all of them?" Via asked.
"They all have a spell that protects them while time is frozen and will break the whole spell," Astaria explained, how tired she was coming through in her voice.

They stood there for a while longer, knowing that even if time was frozen it was still ticking down from when the battle would resume. It was then that Xelqua got an idea, he was thinking of one of their previous battles, not the one they just had but the one before that. The one where Astaria was able to make them all fade out into nothing, he wasn't sure if she would be able to do it or not but he thought it was worth asking. "Astaria," he started, "Are you able to do the spell that you did for the battle before last? The one where the attackers faded into the air and you were in your superpowered-up form with six wings?"

Astaria paused for a second, Xelqua thought he could almost see some sadness on her face, before she replied, "Not that one but I can do... a similar one. If each watcher uses their magic to give to one of you admins, and if you all type the command at the same time, there should be enough power to bypass their defences and teleport them all to one location, from that I... I can do a similar spell,"

The council all nodded at this, but Xelqua had this strange feeling inside, something was eating away at him but he couldn't place it. The admins all brought out their screens, typing in the command, but not hitting send yet. Astaria turned to him and said, "You know after this... I have something in my home for you. The one on the edge," she said, a smile appearing on her face, one that looked happy but felt strained.
Xelqua nodded, that strange feeling seemed to grow but he still couldn't place it, but what Astaria said caused it. Xelqua then saw a bright purple light as Astaria switched to her superpowered-up form, all six wings coming from her back but this time she had four halos, two red and two purple. Her eyes were once again glowing red and purple but he still felt there was sadness behind them. Astaria turned so that way they could all see her face, "On 3 all of you enter your commands, watchers start infusing them with your magic now," Astaria said, before her voice changed into a sombre tone, "I have enjoyed having all of you as my family. You are all strong in your own right,"

It was then that Xelqua realised Astaria was going to die and she knew it. She had seen it using her unknown sight, she said she had seen to her death after all. Xelqua wanted to stop, to find another way that wouldn't involve his family dying, but it was too late. "1... 2... 3!" Astaria gave her signal, dropping the time freeze spell.

All of the admins and watchers were teleported in front of where Astaria was standing, her arms were outstretched. "⨅ᒷꖎ╎⎓ᒷ ̇/ what do you think you are doing?!" Xynis yelled out, standing with magic in her hands, "I will make it so you don't make it past this battle! You won't live another day!"

"I know," Astaria said, a tear falling from one of her eyes.

From her skin, some markings were a shining silver, blazing out for everyone to see. He could hear her this time as she whispered:

"⎓∷𝙹ᒲ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ʖꖎ𝙹𝙹↸ 𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᒷꖎ↸ᒷᓭℸ ̣ ᓵ∷ᒷᔑℸ ̣ ⚍∷ᒷ

𝙹リᒷ ⎓∷𝙹ᒲ ᔑ ℸ ̣ ╎ᒲᒷ ʖᒷ⎓𝙹∷ᒷ ⚍ᓭ ᔑꖎꖎ

⟟ ⎍⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⟟⌇ ⌿⍜⍙⟒⍀ ⟟⋏⌇⟟⎅⟒ ⍜⎎ ⋔⟒ ⋏⍜⍙

⌇⍜ ⏁⊑⟒⊬ ☊⏃⋏ ⏃⌰⌰ ☊⍜⋏⏁⟟⋏⎍⟒ ⍜⋏

Take my soul with theirs so they cannot return

To the place beyond the void, we'll go!"

A light as bright as the sun burst out from where Astaria was standing, it flew fast around the others first wrapping them and as the light hit them they were no more, they were gone. Slowly all the mobs around them faded into the air, the ones keeping them there were no more. The council members all looked towards Astaria, and for a few moments, they saw her. Her skin was now purple as her scars expanded to take over her whole body, and in those few moments she turned to the council and said, "Goodbye my family,".

The light then erupted from her again, causing everyone to turn away, and as they looked again they were shocked. Astaria was gone. There was no trace of her there. At that moment they knew their High Leader, the person who had looked after them for so long, the one who ended the multi-generational war, someone who saved them from places where they were suffering, was dead.

WC~ 1379

A/N: So yeah... Thoughts? (3 chapters left!)