B A S I N

Chapter 8 - The Abyss

As Elzabeth falls, Repentance shines a light which he uses to find a wall. As he reaches around there's nothing to grab a hold of, and he looks down. A void, filled with nothing. He hits the ground, but there is no damage done. He holds up Repentance, but cannot see anything past the darkness. As he walks around, he hears footsteps, ones in armor. He readies his sword, and as he waits, he sees Alhelm dragging Iaphram. His throat is bitten into, and he has no armor. Elzabeth notices scratch marks on his stomach and near his genitals. Alhelm throws his body onto the black floor.

Alhelm : Does this sight please you?

Elzabeth : What happened?

Alhelm : A serial killer and a rapist all in one. Are you happy?

Elzabeth : I never sent him for you. If he raped you, then no. I'm sorry for you.

Alhelm : Telys. That girl that seemed close to you early on. Do you want to know what happened to her?

Elzabeth stays quiet.

Alhelm : He had ambushed us. Back when you beat me in a duel, I went back and brought the others here. Telys was tending to my wounds in a separate tent, and he grabbed her. Everyone else was asleep, and he ran all the way here. This... filth forced himself onto her. Then he slit her neck in front of me. Before he did it, she told me to run but I was too arrogant. I ran for him, and I lost him near those slum ruins. He dropped from the top and thats when he tried the same to me. I want it to end. I'm through with this shity feud we have. Kill me right here. Right now. If you hold back, I'll never forgive you.

Elzabeth : I've always held back. Everyone that came here, I saw them as allies, even if they hated me. We have an objective, Alhelm. Get rid of the curse.

Alhelm : Do not lump me in with whatever errand you got yourself in. We came here secure land. Kill off the stragglers in Albea and Lerenotia. You went off and played with some fox boy and snake girl, came here and started spouting nonsense. Curse or no curse, it ends here.

As Alhelm walks forward, Iaphram moves his finger to touch her leg. She slams her foot into his skull, crushing it and finally killing him. She unsheathes her sword, and Elzabeth readies himself.

Alhelm : I wish you make it out of this. You will make a great leader as she once did.

Elzabeth : Your grandmother. The one who stood upon the corpses and slayed their king with the spear.

Alhelm : You resemble her. I wouldn't hate dying to you now. Enough, my death sentence begins now!

Alhelm rushes towards Elzabeth, who lunges forward and swings upward. She dodges backwards, and thrusts at Elzabeth, who parries her, and counters with his own thrust. The blade stabs her in her stomach, and she swings from the left to catch Elzabeth. He takes the blade out of her stomach and blocks the incoming slash. He enters a low stance, and takes hold of Repentance by the blade. He swings towards her head, and the hilt of the blade kills her instantly. Her body drops to the floor, and Elzabeth shuts her eyes and puts her blade onto her chest with her arms crossing it.

Elzabeth : You were a fine warrior. Only caught off guard and tricked. If you had the upper hand and weren't injured by me, you and Telys would have lived to see us go back to the homeland. Sleep, Alhelm.

Elzabeth looks around, and only sees the darkness. He looks up and see only what looks like a star, presumably where he dropped down from. He walks towards the center where its shining onto. As he passes the center, he trips on something seems invisible. He draws Repentance and shines her light onto the floor, showing the demon. He stabs it and the darkness shoots back into it, killing it. He looks around the newly visible area and sees the palace chambers. The marbled hallways leading to what looks like the throne room. He walks down the hallway and looks at the gold trimmed tables broken on the floor and the soiled paintings. He picks one up, but the paint is smudged and ruined. He approaches the door, and turns the handle.