Legend of Parocaav II: Against the Darkness (rough draft)

Chapter LII: Against the Darkness

After a moment's reprieve, Roku draws her twin blades from their sheath. Her mind is completely focused while staring at the goddess, their eyes locked. Lady Parocaav's yellow eyes are unblinking as she looks at the Bringer of Hope. Her fear has been partially realized, one of them has survived the journey and is standing before her. The only relief she has is knowing that the Bringer is alone, Drayk is not at her side.

Lady Parocaav lifts her right arm and a long sword appears in her hand. The blade is silver in color with a golden laced handle. A small dagger blade with a slight curve is at the hilt. The planet shakes with every movement the Goddess of Life makes. Lightning crashes down off in the distance, lighting up the darkened grey skies.

Without hesitation, Roku charges at the goddess. She spins her blades and strikes at her. Lady Parocaav blocks the attack with a swift move of her sword. The planet shakes even more violently as their weapons collide. The quake throws Roku off balance so she jumps back to regain herself. Just as she moves away, she gets a vision from her Ultimate Magic.

These visions are easier for her to see, more clear and focused. For the first time, Roku can understand the true extent of the magic. Everything has been revealed to her, the power of Life Magic. She quickly sheathes her blades as she focuses her mind on these visions. Suddenly, Lady Parocaav's movement no longer causes earthquakes. She has discovered a way to silence the rage of the goddess' new powers.

As soon as Roku has to break her focus to dodge an attack, the goddess' movements begin to tremor the world once more. Roku realizes she cannot do both, she could really use Drayk with her now. She tries to focus her mind again, but Lady Parocaav keeps coming at her with her sword. Roku doesn't have a chance to suppress the power of Gaia, she has no choice but to fight back.

"That was a nice little trick, but it's one you will not get to use again!" Lady Parocaav shouts.

Lava continues to burst forth from the newly formed cracks in the planet's surface. Roku uses wind to raise herself up off the ground. For a brief moment, doubt fills her. At this point, she is uncertain that she can defeat the Goddess of Life on her own. Roku has never seen such power in her entire life, nor did she even think it was possible.

Lady Parocaav leaps into the air while charging at the Bringer of Hope. She slashes at her with her long sword. Roku quickly blocks it with one blade while slicing at the goddess with the other. The tip of the blade cuts her arm as it goes by, causing her to bleed. The blood running down the goddess' arm makes Roku smile a little bit.

"So! You are still mortal flesh!" Roku exclaims in excitement, "I no longer have any reason to doubt myself anymore!"

"Do not get cocky Riinah! This will be the only scratch you land on me!" Lady Parocaav roars angrily as she heals the wound, "You have every right to doubt, I am invincible!"

Lady Parocaav makes the blade disappear as she lowers herself back to the ground. She stands very still as she focuses her new powers. At the snap of a finger, the air around Roku explodes. She is sent flying for several feet while falling back down. Lady Parocaav takes a deep breath and teleports straight where Roku is about to land.

The long blade reappears in the goddess' hands just in time to impale Roku through her left shoulder. Lady Parocaav sweeps the blade through the air, slamming the Bringer hard into the cracked dirt. Roku manages to pull the sword from her shoulder and heals the wound. She looks around to see the planet is starting to look even worse. Everything is starting to crumble apart as if it slowly decaying.

"What ever happened to that charm you two sought out?" Lady Parocaav stops to ask, "It was supposed to be enough to stop me, or weaken me or something."

"The charm is nothing. He never admit it, but the charm had no purpose," Roku pauses, "That's not true. The search for the charm helped us in our journey to get here, to this point."

"What did that get you child? Nothing. You are here alone. Drayk and Tao failed."

"They may not be here.... I have grown far beyond what you knew you had!"

"My old magic was worthless! It was worth sacrificing it!"

"What happened to you Lady Parocaav? Why are you like this?"

"I have always been this way. I have pursued the chance to claim Gaia's power for more years than you can ever realize. I followed her here, to this lifeless world. This planet touched her, she gave her life to restore the planet. I created the balance and started life here, all to one day find a way to take the power she no longer deserved!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your reign will be short-lived."

Roku focuses her mind on the Ultimate Magic. Thoughts race through her mind as she tries to think of a way to end this before the planet actually falls apart completely. Her focus is lost to the sound of a familiar voice in her head. Drayk. Roku spins around, her heart pounding. That couldn't have been his voice, right?

Roku notices that time almost seems to be standing still, or a least moving incredibly slowly. Out in the distance, a figure can be seen. Tao. He approaches her with a smile on his face. Just as time returns to normal, he kicks the sword right out of Lady Parocaav's hands. She jumps back a little bit once she realizes who had appeared out of nowhere. More fear strikes her as she sees Tao standing before her.

"Tao! What are you doing here!?" Roku yells, "I don't want you here!"

"You need me! I felled the goddess once during the Ragnarok Wars! Besides," Tao pauses as his body reverts to normal, "We are the Bringers of Hope!"

"Drayk!?" Roku screams happily as she runs over to him, "You.... have a lot to tell me."

"There's no time right now," Drayk says with a smile, "Lady Parocaav! Prepare to die!"