Chapter Text
The quiet after the battle rang in his ears, and a part of Zale wanted to charge at the portal as the Fleshmancer disappeared into the dark, swirling energy. Yet another wanted to grab hold of Resh’an and shake him, demand why he didn’t just let them finish it. The Alchemist merely stood between them and the portal, arms crossed and silent.
Waiting.
And then he could feel it— there was something else—
Zale turned to look up at the star strewn sky, eyes wide at the pressure bearing down on them. Valere stepped beside him, her hands clenched on her staff. Behind, Zale could feel Garl, Seraï, and B’st tense, readying themselves in response to how on edge he and Valere were.
“Can you feel it?”
It took everything to not jump at Resh’an’s question, and the Alchemist’s eyes were searching when Zale met them. He stepped further up to the edge, once again searching the sky, Valere matching him step for step.
“It’s…coming from so far away…” Zale trailed off, uncertain if what he was sensing was real or not.
“…a World Eater…” Valere’s voice was soft, but with those words Zale could hear their friends jump behind them. Seraï’s voice crackled and overlapped with B'st's in alarm; nothing that he could make out in words, but the despair in it—
“Are you ready?”
Resh’an stepped up, hovering behind them both and gently rested his hands on their shoulders.
“…”
Zale met Valere’s eyes, knowing that this was it. This was their destiny, and they were now responsible for dealing with this World Eater as Guardian Gods. Valere gave him a small nod, her mouth quirking up in a bittersweet smile.
Everything they’d done led them to this moment—and for a brief second, he wondered if this was why Solstice Warriors were told to isolate themselves, to keep the heartache of having to separate from their loved ones at bay.
(But if we had done that…would we have ever gotten to this point? How could we have made it, if not for our friends?)
They both turned to face Resh’an and nodded. Seraï and B’st’s world, they would not let it fall. They focused their power, each lifting an arm in defiance of the immense evil that was coming for them, and—
—Light.
Bright and golden and warm. It surrounded him, an endless plane of white that he couldn’t see the end of, no matter how much he turned.
“You’ve done well.”
Zale jumped, whirling in the bright expanse, eyes wide and trying to find the source of the voice. It was deep-toned, resonating like it came from inside an enormous bell, and the vibrations of it surrounded him on all sides. At first, Zale couldn’t see anything, too blinded by the brilliant surroundings—then——a man approached, stepping through the light.
“You’ve fought hard, accomplished so much.”
For a wild moment, Zale almost thought Moraine stood before him, but—
The man radiated light even brighter than their surroundings, flaring off his body in whirling tongues of energy and flame, dark skin glowing in the golden power. He stood a full head and hand taller than B’st, and would have been intimidating if not for the wide, bright smile on his face. His long, dark hair was intricately coiled and braided, then pulled back away from his face with a series of golden clips and combs. His beard and mustache were eerily similar in shape to Moraine’s, the color as dark as his hair.
The robes he wore were unlike anything Zale had seen before, a long, dark vest was overlaid on a vivid red and yellow robe with a bright, white, overlapped collar. A leather belt with golden inlay held up not only a heavy sword, but an equally bright, silken scarf—a scarf that held immense energy and made the woven cloth Zale bore feel weak in comparison. His boots were slightly peaked up at the toe, the heavy material lined in white at the seams, and his light colored pants were tucked firmly into them.
“You’ve even managed to knock Aephorul down a peg!” the man laughed, head tipped back with each chuckle. “I don’t think any of our devotees ever confronted him. Or managed to save more than their own world, before Calling.”
“Wh-what? Who are you—?”
Golden eyes crinkled as he looked down at Zale as he gaped up at the imposing figure. The man tipped his head to the side and crossed his arms, giving a thoughtful hum as he stared.
“Who am I? Surely, you’re joking?”
Zale bristled at the confusion the stranger radiated, knowing that every second in this strange place was keeping him from dealing with the incoming threat of the World Eater.
“I have no idea who you are! I don’t have time for this!”
Zale whirled, head swiveling to try to find a way out of the bright expanse. A hand gently settled on his shoulder, and Zale spun, arm swinging to knock the man off of him; he reached for his sword—
—it wasn’t there.
How could he not have his sword? They just fought and defeated the Fleshmancer—!
The man reached for him again, and Zale snarled as he leapt back. He threw his hand up, drawing energy into his palm, and the sunball flared to life with more power than he expected. It swelled to double, then triple in size in half the time it normally took, nearing the strength and power of what Garl had started calling Zale’s “ultimate” spell.
“Hold on, little lion! I’m not your enemy!”
The giant snapped his fingers, and the spell dissipated in a sharp pop and swirl of smoke.
“Wh-what?!”
How did he—how was that even possible?!
“Calm down. I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help you.”
“I—don’t understand! How did you—no!” Zale snarled as he shook himself from gaping at the giant of a man. “There’s a World Eater on its way!”
“Yes, and that—”
“Wait, where’s Val—what have you done with Valere?!”
“Luana’s chosen? She’s fine—ack!”
The man attempted to leap backwards as Zale threw himself at him, but Zale still managed to tackle the giant to the ground. He sprawled overtop the man, a hand clenched in the dark vest as he drew his fist back in threat.
“Tell me where my partner is, right now!”
