Now standing in Zemus' lair, we walk up the steps to find Golbez and FuSoYa engaged in battle with the monster himself.
"Golbez! FuSoYa!" Cecil cries.
My eyes widen looking at Zemus. He is a lanky humanoid alien with bluish-purple skin dressed in a floor-length black cloak with a tall collar. His needle-like fingers crackle with powerful magic energy. Golbez casts a high-level fire spell. FuSoYa casts Slow. Golbez casts a high-level ice spell. FuSoYa casts Hold. Golbez casts a high-level lightning spell. FuSoYa casts White, my favorite white magic spell which I learned while traversing the Moon's depths.
None of it has any effect on Zemus.
"Do the Meteor now!" FuSoYa says.
"I'm ready!" Golbez says.
Silly!
FuSoYa and Golbez whisper an incantation in unison, then step forward and unleash Meteor, the most powerful spell in the whole game. Luckily, this time, they deal maximum damage to the unholy creature. Despite his agony, Zemus laughs. The sound haunts me.
This is just the beginning...
Only his corpse remains. FuSoYa and Golbez breathe a sigh of relief. No doubt they'd been fighting him alone for quite some time before our arrival. I can only imagine the toll taken on their bodies, despite their Lunarian blood.
"We defeated him," Golbez says.
"It's a pity," FuSoYa replies. "He was consumed with evil and could not use his powers for good."
"Right on!" Edge says. FuSoYa and Golbez turn around to see us. We rush over to them.
"Oh, you're here!" FuSoYa says, a kind smile on his tired face.
"Man! I was to get Zemus!" Edge says.
"Cecil..." Golbez begins. His ordinarily deep and threatening voice has a soft note of sadness when he calls his brother's name. Cecil says nothing. He can't even bring himself to look at Golbez.
"Cecil..." Rosa lifts a gentle hand to his face. He raises his own hand to hold hers. We all look at Cecil, hoping for him to forgive both Golbez and himself.
Just then, an intense, violent hatred overwhelms my senses. I press my palms to the sides of my skull. My eyes widen and I look behind the others. Where Zemus' ashes once were now lies a massive fire. I watch the room darken.
"HE'S STILL ALIVE!" I scream, dropping to my knees. Zemus' wretched voice speaks to us from beyond the grave.
I am the Absolute Dark Substance... product of Zemus' hatred... My name is Zeromus... I am... the hatred!
Suddenly, he unleashes a powerful burst of energy that knocks everyone unconscious. That is, everyone except Golbez, FuSoYa, and me.
"Death only increased Zemus' hatred!" FuSoYa says.
"Zemus... Or shall I say Zeromus! I'll cast you back to where you belong!" Golbez says.
"Begone!" FuSoYa says. I watch helplessly as they prepare more spells.
Now, in Zemus' place, Zeromus takes a much more alien form. He is an alien creature made of a web of thousands of thin blue tendrils and a demonic face.
"No! Stop! He'll kill you!" I shout, trying to stop them. Both Golbez and FuSoYa cast Meteor on Zeromus, hoping to destroy him once and for all.
Only for them to discover... the spell heals Zeromus.
"It's no use! Use the Crystal!" FuSoYa says. Golbez grabs a beautiful crystal from his cloak and holds it up to Zeromus. Magical light from the crystal bursts free and strikes Zeromus.
YOU ARE READING
A Paladin's Promise
Fanfiction[BOOK 1 OF THE ADRIENNE RAYNE SERIES] Adrienne Rayne lives a perfectly ordinary life in Ashbourne. She attends Monarch High, hangs out with her friends, and pursues her hobbies. All the while, she secretly wishes to experience a magical quest of her...
