Blade(Part 4): Midnight

Chapter 16: Catherine

Catherine could sense the world around her. She could feel the radiance of Ember. She could feel the darkness of the Abyss, and she could feel her own power growing inside of her. Most of all, though, she could feel the exact location of the lower ring's switch, and she followed it deeper and deeper into the temple. She had her new bow split into daggers, and held them both at her sides as she went through every corridor that was leading her towards the switch. She didn't make it far before she began to sense a strange, dark, and evil aura in front of her. Both of the ancient daggers were enchanted with crystals of radiant malakyte, so she had a chance against whatever was waiting for her. Still, Catherine was trained to fight people, not demons and monsters. She had no idea what to do if she ran into one. Even so, she wouldn't let that scare her. All she could do was press on, following the aura that was drawing her towards the switch. She snapped her daggers into a bow and kept moving forward. The darkness that hung over the temple grew stronger with each step she took forward, and Catherine's heart began to race with dread. What would she do if she was attacked by a demon or monster? There was no idea. She had no idea how to fight one, and she sensed something in front of her. Catherine drew her bowstring back, forming a white, glowing arrow that was ready to fire.

"Come out here!" she challenged. Suddenly, she heard a footstep from the end of the corridor. She began to make out a pale figure that was twice her size, with giant, pointy teeth in its mouth. Catherine's heart pounded against her ribcage at the sight of it, and as the demon began to charge her, she drew her bowstring back and loosed a bolt of white light at it. The arrow went straight through the monster's skull. Its darkness faded as its body collapsed. Still, Catherine pulled the bowstring back and pointed her weapon at the demon's body as she crept past it. There was still a powerful, terrifying aura of darkness that completely surrounded her, but she reminded herself of what she was doing. She followed the aura leading her to the switch of the ring, keeping herself prepared for another one of the monsters. Xyhra's weapon was definitely effective against demons of any kind, whether it was a bow or a pair of blades.

"Come on," she whispered to herself, as she pressed on. She still felt the demons' aura growing stronger every time she stepped forward, and screamed when she heard something crash against the other side of the wall. She jumped and slammed against the other wall, then slid down to sit on the floor.

"Shit," Catherine cursed, reminding herself that there was a strong mithril wall between her and whatever just tried to kill her. Whatever it was continued to crash against the wall, but it couldn't touch Catherine, so she collected herself and continued through the temple. Suddenly, though, the darkness that surrounded the temple faded, and a powerful, radiant aura took its place. At first, Catherine thought it was Xyhra approaching her, but what she was sensing now wasn't nearly as powerful as the Ancient One. If anything, this was a New One, which was the name for the gods that were worshipped throughout Zenartha.

"Come closer, daughter of Xyhra," a woman's voice suddenly echoed. "The Swarm are cleansed from this temple. You may put your weapon away." Catherine couldn't sense any darkness surrounding her, and there was no deceit in the woman's voice. She snapped her ancient daggers into a bow, and put it on her back.

"Are you a goddess?" asked Catherine.

"Those of our kind do not refer to ourselves as such," the "goddess" answered. "You know me as Riohna."

"Riohna?" Catherine gasped. "You're the Goddess of Time. The Oracle of the Gods. The Queen of the Gods."

"Again, do not call us gods," Riohna hissed.

"I won't," Catherine assured. "Where are you?"

"Follow my voice," Riohna enlightened. "Or wherever you are sensing me from."

"Alright," said Catherine. Riohna's aura was coming from the same direction as the one that was drawing Catherine to the ring's switch, so she followed it until she reached a round chamber with a pedestal in the center. A large, round button was sitting on the pedestal, with the aura that was drawing Catherine to the ring's switch surrounding it. The button could only have been the switch. Riohna's aura was also hanging over the chamber. Catherine could only assume that she was in here with her.

"Is this it?" Catherine asked.

"Yes," Riohna answered. "Your friends' armies will be able to march on the Furnace, and Aziz once you press that button." There was no question of what Catherine would do, now. She reached for the button, but then felt someone's hand on her shoulder. The hand had a bright, blue bracelet around it, and on the ring finger was a signet ring in the shape of a sundial. Catherine turned around, seeing a tall woman with a circlet that had a radiant crystal in the center on her head, and wearing blue, sleeved silks for a dress. For the Queen of Ember, she didn't look as terrifying as Catherine thought she would.

"Before you press that, however," she warned. "You must know that your power comes with the price of a great responsibility. A responsibility to your family, to your friends, to Zenartha, and to everyone living in your world. Those with your blood are the only thing keeping the darkness from consuming both Ember and Zenartha. The Peacekeepers, including Aziz, are just as dangerous as the Abyss. They will come for you, and they will not stop until you, and your brother, are dead, especially after the death of Aziz."

"I know," Catherine sighed. "Dameon said that I'll be hunted for the rest of my life."

"You must be prepared for such a thing," Riohna warned.

"I will be," Catherine promised. "As soon as this is all over, I'll make sure no one can find me."

"And the weapon you found must never leave your possession," Riohna hissed.

"It won't," said Catherine. "As long as I live." Riohna then said nothing. She took her hand off of Catherine's shoulder, and she nodded her head to the switch.

"Well," she urged. "Only mortals may use that switch in particular."

"Really?" asked Catherine, stepping up to the pedestal. "Even though you're the ones who built it?"

"The Ancient Ones built it," Riohna reminded. "But only one with the soul of a mortal may use it."

"I see," Catherine understood. She raised her hand above the button and slammed it down. The entire chamber then suddenly began to shake. Catherine grasped the top of the pedestal with her hands and held onto it as tightly as she could. She felt as though she would be thrown from her feet with how much the chamber was shaking. Suddenly, there was a huge tremor to rival an explosion, and Catherine was thrown from her feet. Riohna caught her before she could crash to the ground, then stood her up.

"Are you alright?" Riohna asked.

"Yes," Catherine answered. The chamber wasn't shaking anymore. The ring must have been on the ground, already.

"The other two rings are already lowered," said Riohna. "The last battle for Zenartha's survival is about to begin."

"I know," Catherine sighed. She knew what was at stake, and she knew that Xyhra had the last Cleansing Stone. She was the one that Aziz needed to kill before he could activate Ember. When Catherine began to walk out of the chamber, she suddenly felt a light fade. It felt familiar, just before it died out. It was a person who just died. It was someone that Catherine knew. She then realized exactly whose light had just faded.

"Ptolemar," she gasped. She then knew what had happened. Tears began to fall from her eyes, and she fell to her knees. Ptolemar was dead.