Chapter 32: The Battle That Echoed in the Ruins and the Awakened Legacy
The figure that emerged from the dark passage behind the stone tablet was like a nightmare incarnate. The being, who called himself "Morian the Shadow Judge," was clad in armor woven from dark energy, marking him as one of the most distinguished commanders of the Lords of the Void. His eyes were fixed on Kael and Aslan with a hatred that had lasted thousands of years, and the shadow sword in his hand seemed to swallow even the light around him. He was far more intelligent, far more powerful, and far more deadly than any servant they had ever encountered before.
"So you have heard the whispers of the Creators, little Echo Bearer," Morian hissed, his voice echoing in Kael's mind with an icy touch. "Did you come here with their shreds of hope? Neither the Creators nor their pitiful heirs could stand against the might of the Lords of the Void. Your fate will be no different."
Kael did not let Morian's words cloud his mind. The Chitauri core pulsed powerfully in his palm, providing him with both a warning and a surge of power. "Stop chattering, Morian," Kael said, his voice firm. "If you want a fight, you will have it."
The battle began in the blink of an eye. Morian lunged at Kael with incredible speed, his shadow sword lashing out in a deadly arc. Kael dodged the attack at the last moment, and at the same time, sent an energy-enhanced projectile through the joint of Morian's armor. The projectile found its target, but Morian's dark energy armor absorbed most of the impact. This would not be an easy fight.
Aslan took advantage of the momentary gap Kael had created, trying to sneak behind Morian. He moved nimbly, using the ruined walls and pillars of the ruins as cover, using small but effective attacks to distract Morian. Morian, however, was a seasoned warrior; he anticipated Aslan's every move, holding him off with a combination of his shadow sword and dark energy blasts.
Kael was forced to push his marksmanship to the limit in his fight with Morian. Morian was not only fast and powerful, but also sent psychic attacks into Kael's mind, trying to trigger his fears and doubts. But Kael had learned from his ordeal in the Infinite Library; he had made his mind more resilient to such attacks. The Chitauri core acted as a shield, absorbing or deflecting most of these dark energies.
As the battle continued, Kael kept his eyes on the glowing stone tablet. The symbols on the tablet flickered brighter, as if in response to the struggle. Kael instinctively sensed that this tablet was not only a source of knowledge, but also the key to the power of these ruins, and perhaps to his own.
Once, when Morian cornered Kael, Kael threw himself in front of the tablet in a final move. Just as Morian's shadow sword was about to hit him, the Chitauri core suddenly resonated with the tablet. A wave of ancient energy emanated from the tablet, creating a protective field around Kael, blocking Morian's attack. At the same time, a flood of new information flooded into Kael's mind: the potential of Echo Bearers to not only manipulate the core, but also to manipulate the "echo" energy around them—the energy of life, history, even the stars. This was an ability Kael had never known before, an ability he used instinctively but did not fully understand.
With this new knowledge, something within Kael awoke. His eyes glowed with a pure energy emanating from the Chitauri core. He could not only aim now, but also sense the "echo" in the stone of the ruins, in the air, even in Morian's dark energy.
"Your power comes only from the void, Morian," Kael said, his voice now deeper and stronger. "But my power comes from everything."
Kael raised his hands and began to draw an ancient energy from the ruins around him. The ruined stones trembled, the ground shook. It was a power that was not under his control, but rather flowed through him. When he directed this energy at Morian, the servant of the Void showed for the first time a true expression of surprise and fear. Kael's attack pierced through Morian's dark armor, knocking him back.
Aslan took the opportunity to lunge for a final blow at Morian, but Morian still resisted. Wounded and enraged, he attempted one last attack at Kael. But Kael was on another level now. He could anticipate Morian's movements, perfectly countering each of his moves. Finally, he focused a final blast of energy from the Chitauri core and the ancient energy of the ruins, shattering Morian into pieces. All that remained of the Shadow Judge was a dark energy that had dispersed and a resounding silence.
The battle was over. Kael sank to his knees, taking a deep breath. Using this new power had exhausted him both physically and mentally. Aslan rushed to his side, concerned.
"Kael! Are you all right? What was that... what was that?"
"I think so," Kael said, looking at the still-warm Chitauri core in his palm. "I am only just beginning to understand what it means to be an Echo Bearer."
The stone tablet glowed with a calmer light now. Its symbols whispered a new message to Kael: the seal against the Lords of the Void was weakening. And there were other "echo points," other ancient sanctuaries on this planet and perhaps beyond, that Kael must find to re-enforce or protect that seal. This was not just the end of a war, but the first step of a much greater task.
But at that very moment, an energy signature, even stronger and more menacing than Morian's, began to rise from the depths of the ruins. It seemed that Morian's death had awakened a greater sleeping evil.