Golden Age: Ruin

Kelphy: <Ari!!!!!! Uncle, Lady Lilith, Ari...!>

*She screams, tears now continuously dripping down her cheeks. She leaps towards Seraph and holds her hands out, shooting a jet of extremely pressurized water at him*

Kelphy: <I won't allow you to hurt anyone else!>

[Ari: <(...W-What's wrong?)>

Kelphy: <Oh, it's nothing. ...You know, fighting for your King at such a young age... helping my uncle. You may not speak much, but you are truly the bravest child I have ever met. Thank you.>

*He blushes and smiles, turning around and walking over to Lilith*

Kelphy: [...Something bad is about to happen. I just know it is. Everyone, be strong.]]

Lune manages to prevent himself from being rent in half but Mordred's blade literally slashes out Lune's right eye. It flies through the air and lands somewhere never to be found again.

This does little to stop Lune. Even with blood running gently from his eye socket he continues to resist Mordred and even eventually parry his attack. He then makes an attack of his own as blood runs down his cheek. He slashes Mordred with almost feral speed and deftness. He doesn't know where he's aiming but Lune intends to make this a nasty blow. "MOOOOOOORDRED!!"

Mordred<What in the world? Why won't you succumb!>

*The attack ends up breaking Mordred's chest plate & 1 of his arm guards, exposing the chain mail below. Seraph lands face-first on the ground.*

Seraph<You know...I always wanted to go out with a BANG!>

*With this, his body explodes, spraying blood & entrails everywhere. Meanwhile, the sky becomes bright as day for a few seconds. Senthose falters in his step, looking up at the unnaturally bright moon.*

"What in the--?"

*He's cut short as Lilith ries to her feet. First she stabs him through the chest, then she slashes down from the crown of his skull, into his sternum, & out his right side. Amazingly, when the light goes back to normal, her wounds start to close up.*

*Covered in blood, she runs over to the edge of the water, glancing at the sky on her way there. She looks around at the surface, looking for Ari*

Kelphy: <Ari? Ari!?>

"This is pain is nothing compared to the pain you've made others feel. I'll succumb when you feel their pain, their sadness, their rage tenfold!!" Lune slams his right blade down on his exposed arm while his left blade strikes true into his exposed chest. "In the name of Arthur Pendragon, in the name of Merlin, in the name of Tom, in the name of everyone you ever hurt, GO TO HELL YOU BASTARD!" he twists his blade and wretches it free.

*Mordred punches him in the face.*

Mordred<You arrogant...you think you can fell a Pendragon that easily? Unlike my worthless half-brother, I inherited Father's ancient legacy! And unlike him, I actually know how to use it!>

Arthur<That "worthless half-brother of yours" was my son.>

*Mordred whirls around, seeing what's left of his Djinn army retreating into the eastern horizon. Titania is oozing blue blood from a few minor wounds, but other than that, she's fine. Gallahad is on the ground, holding a bleeding stomach wound. He mouths, "It's not serious." Making matters worse, Lilith walks up to join Lune.*

L"Make sure to have Thiera check that, when you get the chance."
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~The Past~

*Senthose is staring fondly at a woman with red hair tied into a braid. She's wearing basic peasant clothing, & washing laundry in a river. Malegant walks up to him.*

Malegant<If you like filth & squalor so much, why don't you marry it?>

Senthose<...Why don't you?>

Malegant<What?>

Senthose<In order to enter into our ranks, you have to pass a test to prove your loyalty. Something with great personal risk, that ensures you can't betray us later. I had to exterminate a peasant couple. But you? I think your greatest worry is being associated with "filth & squalor." Of course, if you don't like it, I could always kill you for knowing too much.>

Malegant<...We were supposed to turn on Mordred at the last minute. Take it all for ourselves. What happened to you? Did you lose all of your ambition?>

Senthose<No. In the end, I'll still come out on top. Just wait & see. If you survive that long, that is.>

"I will, don't worry" he rubs his face where Mordred punched him in a mocking gesture, "Mordred, you hit like a girl... errr... no offense Lilith" he addresses Mordred once more. "Your bloodline is strong but that strength lies with Arthur and died in Tom. Your strength is all gone Mordred." Lune readies his blades once more. Takes stance, aims true, and makes one more charge at Mordred aiming for his exposed chest again.

*She dives into the water, the water around her face being pushed off so as to allow her to breathe*

Kelphy: <Ari!!!>

*As she swims, she hears singing, & sees eerie lights down below. A voice seems to say, "We'll take care of him."*
=================================================
*Mordred blocks as Ywain, who I totally forgot about, swings at his head from behind with that big mace again. He docks, but Lilith slashes upwards & when he blocks, she actually knocks him off of his feet.*

Mordred<There's no way...you can be this strong....>

*Eyes wide in fright, he causes the rock below him to burst upwards like a cliff once more. Lilith grabs Lune & scales it in a few jumps as Arthur jumps up it from another angle.*

When they all reach Mordred Lune steels himself once more and begins the attack anew.

*She widens her eyes and just stares at the lights for a little bit. She hears a loud noise outside and nods to the lights, closing her eyes and swimming back to the surface, refusing to open them. Upon climbing onto land, she runs over to Roatha, wiping her tears with the back of her hand*

Kelphy: <I-Is Thiera all right? That was one large spell...>

R"Yeah...she seems fine. I guess it took more time than anything else. They're settling things up there."

*Up above, Mordred materializes a second sword in desperation & blocks Lilith's & Arthur's attacks while occasionally being skewered by Lune's. He looks up at the moon.*

Mordred<I can still have it!>

*The cliff collapses, depositing them near an altar where the castle once stood. He scrabbles towards it, but Lilith reaches it before him & kicks him back. He turns over on his back, looking at Lune & Arthur, his face contorted with rage.*

Mordred<Why!? Why must I be held back at every turn by a bunch of worthless ingrates!?>

"You lack what it takes to defeat us" Lune stabs Mordred again. Even now Lune's voice is still full of conviction.

[Uncle... be strong, you can defeat him.]

Kelphy: <Roatha, had it not been for you I wouldn't be alive today to face Seraph. Thank you.>

R"It was nothing, really."

*He scratches his head, looking embarrassed.*

T"How did you even get here?"

R"This sword kinda...brought me. I found it in the throne room, so I guess it must be the sword from the stone. Sounds so Deus Ex Machina, though."

T"Yeah. Magic has a funny way of doing that. It's sad about Oberon, though...."

Titania<He'll return eventually. It may take a hundred years or more, but he can't be killed for good.>
===================================================
*Mordred spits out some blood, then just smiles.*

Mordred<So, what? Kill me, I'll just become a ghost. You can't win, Father.>

Arthur<Yes, I thought that might be your plan.>

*He stabs Mordred in the stomach.*

Arthur<So I had Lancelot bring me back something when he was in Rome: A pomegranate. From the underworld. Which I then smeared on Excalibur's blade.>

*Mordred's eyes widen as a fissure opens up & hundreds of ghostly hands grab him & drag him down into the Earth, where screaming is issuing from deep within.*

Arthur<As you know, consuming food from the Underworld means that you can never leave.>

Mordred<Don't think this is the end! I shall return, kill you, & take my rightful throne, even if it takes over a thousand years!>

*With that, the fissure closes up. Lilith approaches him.*

L"Will he really be able to come back?"

Arthur<Well...he's not technically dead...but it will be almost impossible for him to escape. I had no idea you could swing like that. Do you have some magic after all?>

L"No, I think Senthose transferred some of his powers into my blade when he died, somehow. I guess he hated Mordred more than us."

Arthur<Mayhap...but mayhap his plan was for you to kill Mordred all along. So that you would be remembered for defeating 3 traitors & a dragon.>

Lune smiles then wobbles a bit falling forward and using his swords to balance himself, "Merde, lost a lot of blood from my eye." He steadies and stands and looks skyward. Blood is still running gently from his empty eye socket and from his left eye, he cries, its a gentle stream just like the blood running from the other. "Is it over? If so, what heavy cost did we reap? Where will I go now? It just seems like such a waste. So many lives gone..."

<That's what makes it fun!>

Arthur<That voice--!>

*A shimmering, translucent Seraph appears over the altar, which begins to glow. Lilith looks back to all of the Seraph goo, her eyes wide.*

[Destroy his body...but which part?!]

Seraph<Not to worry, Lil-Lil, I'll only be staying long enough to do this one last thing. All of the world's magic...mine to command...& I want it to burn! Burn it all, leave nothing left, not even ashes!>

*Seraph's ghost disappears, cackling. As he does, all of Avalon seems to glow. Some trees catch on fire. Titania begins blasting spells wildly at Roatha.*

Titania<I can't control it!>

*The seas begin to churn. Reflected in the altar, they can see hundreds of images. Volcanoes are rumbling, beginning to explode. A landslide is falling down Mt. Olympus. In some uknown jungle, wings of light emerge, scraping the atmosphere for miles as a step pyramid crumbles to dust. In Egypt, ghostly shades are drifging out of th pyramids & tombs, killing anything they can find. The images vanish as Arthur stabs Excalibur into the altar.*

Arthur<I can't stop it! The best I can do is freeze it until his spell wears off.>

L"But that means--"

Arthur<Yes. All of the world's magic will disappear. Time will freeze as Avalon disappears from the world. Quickly, you have to leave now! There will be no coming or going soon!>

L"But what about you?"

Arthur<Those 3 were once my knights. This is my responsibility. I must see it through to the end.>

Lune wobbles some more, "Arthur, I swear it, no matter how long it takes, no matter the method, I'll come back here. Lilith lets go!"

Kelphy: <...I can't leave! Not after all that has happened. After losing so many people, going back to live in a world without magic... I'm staying with you!>

*Lilith is already in the boat.*

L"Come on, people, let's move!"

*Thiera climbs in as well.*

R"I'm not going. I've spent so much time looking for a place where I belong...maybe it's not a where, but a when."

L"Don't be ridiculous, you belong with us! Both of you!"

R"Nah."

Lune calls back to Kelphy while getting in the boat, "Kelphy! Even in a world without magic... Merlin and Ari would want you to live and everyone would miss you. Please come with?"

[Roatha too...]

*She slowly walks towards the boat, staring at the ground*

[They wouldn't want me to stay but... No, I should go for my aunt.. and my parents... and Camelot.]

*She speeds up, crying, and gets on the boat, sitting down and refusing to look back*

OOC: A quickie before Neo posts again.

Lune, with all his might, hurls one of his swords into Avalon's ground where it sticks blade in. "I'll be coming back for that sword, someday, sometime, I will return, we all will, in spirit or in body. I swear it!" Lune then sits down next to Kelphy and hugs her. "We will come back."

L"Roatha, this isn't a joke, GET IN!"

*Roatha starts forward. He has 1 foot in the boat when he pushes it into the sea, grinning & waving.*

L"That's it, I'm swimming back there & dragging him with us!"

T"There's no time!"

*As the boat continued to sail, the island seemed to dissolve into fog. Lucian ended up taking control of Camelot after all, entering into an uneasy peace with the Franks. Those who were faithful to Arthur, & thus could not take refuge from either side, went to live a splinter tribe from Camelot that would come to be known as the Germans. While Gallahad & Ywain stayed with Arthur, Lilith & Thiera died many years later, of old age. Guinevere & Lancelot simply disappeared one day. In his waning years, Lucian became paranoid, purging the world of any evidence of Arthur or his Knights. Thus the story became the realm of myth.*

Arthur<Merlin, old friend...one day, I promise I will restore what we've cost the world.>