Distant Cathartic

Distant Cathartic III (Soul 8)

Athlon opened his eyes. He was lying on his back, and above him he could see the night sky. His hearing was muffled for a moment, but then began to clear, revealing the sounds of distant gunfire and an occasional explosion. A figure came into view, and then another. Six men stood above him, smiling down at the Android. Athlon thought they looked like his Elysian friends, but they were flesh and blood, not the beings of energy who had fought by his side. One of them spoke.

"Athlon, can you hear me? Are you still in any pain?"

Athlon considered the question. He remembered being in terrible pain, but now he felt... good. He felt great.

"We managed to heal you, Athlon. The six of us. We poured our energy into you. The power of our Elysian heritage was enough to repair you, and then some. Can you stand?"

Athlon stood. His memory was a bit foggy, but he was piecing it together. They had been fighting Lucifer; Athlon had been injured. The Elysians had carried him off of Cimmerian, bringing him here, to Thracia. Athlon could remember the faint chanting of the Elysians, and then a bright light had filled his body.

Like a brick wall, everything hit Athlon at once. The power of the Elysians was inside of him; he could feel their knowledge in his mind. There was so much - Athlon felt like he had been a child before his friends expanded everything he had ever been. It was like being alive twice over.

One of the Elysians doubled over, coughing and groaning. The others bowed their heads. Athlon looked around at them, one by one, trying to read their faces. Finally he asked: what had they done?

"You must not feel sorrow Athlon. We made this decision because we know only you can stop Lucifer. We volunteered to fight alongside you knowing we would likely die in battle. Instead, we have the glory of dying not by the enemy's sword, but for your resurrection. Our time is very short, but you must know, we are honored to go in such a way. Your power is heightened; our energy will lend you the ability to defeat this threat, and all who have hope in the galaxy will be saved."

Tears welled in Athlon's eyes. He had only just begun to know these men, and now they were going to die because he had pushed ahead without thinking. He should have regrouped, he should have made a plan. It had been so stupid, rushing to attack a monster he couldn't possibly defeat alone.

"We made this sacrifice out of necessity, Athlon. We never would have defeated Lucifer. We barely hurt him as it is. Now, you hold the power to win this fight. Had we the strength, we would fight by your side forever. And in a way, now we can."

Athlon grabbed each Elysian, one by one, hugging them too tightly, and when he was done, he went back and hugged them all again. How could he ever earn what he had been given?

The Elysians were growing old before Athlon's eyes. Their faces were turning gray, and their bodies were growing frail. Athlon couldn't watch.

"You must go now. Dawn approaches. Soon, there will be no stopping Lucifer at all. Return to Cimmerian, stop the Dark Lord. Ensure the galaxy will not fall today."

Athlon nodded. One of the Elysians fell to the ground. He had stopped breathing. Athlon turned to go, no longer able to stand being in the presence of these warriors.

"Athlon. You have our essence with you now. You have the strength of Elysia. Remember: that strength does not reside only in our bodies, but in our minds as well. Search your thoughts. There you will find the key to understanding this battle."

Athlon tried to respond, but he was overcome. He gave a shaky nod, and flew high into the sky, through the atmosphere, and into space. The last Elysian watched Athlon's light disappear, and smiled weakly. He sat down next to his brothers, turned his face to the wind, and died.