outweigh one disloyal one. We are defeated.
Yes, Cardinal.
You wish to speak.
He is fallen, Cardinal. My prey. He is fallen. I have him.
This was his doing. They all watched, and they all saw our weakness. Anger is a flaw. They all saw this, and that was at his bidding. We have acted in anger once already this day. We shall not do so again. When he is to be destroyed, it shall be an act of purity. You have become too bound up with this one, our servant.
Yes, Cardinal. It is true.
We have been defeated this day. Not by war, nor by arms, but by ourselves. This is not a war for their worlds or their lands or their ships. This is a war for their hearts.
What are your orders, Cardinal?
We have shown them our power. Now we shall show them our mercy. We are creating a sanctuary here, a place of perfection. We desire only those who wish to stay. Those who wish to go may leave. They shall depart unmolested, but they shall be forevermore denied our sanctuary. We saved them from the Darkness, and if they choose to turn their backs on us, then so be it. All who depart this day shall be denied paradise.
He will not stop, Cardinal. He will continue to oppose us.
And we will destroy him - but not from anger. We will remove him because that must be done, and we shall do it in the correct manner, at the correct time. Let him depart.
Yes, Cardinal.
For all his power he is tied to his emotions, and that will destroy him. The female. Already she is dying. She was his reason for fighting, although he never knew it. Mortals understand so little of why they do what they do. He will lead them, and his flaws will become more apparent. He will destroy himself over time, as Chaos always does. You have served us well, in this as in all things. Do not let anger overwhelm you now.
Yes, Cardinal.
You questioned our will, and for that you are to be punished.
Yes, Cardinal. I accept your decision.
He is to live. Leave him, now. Before he wakes.
Yes, Cardinal.
Have no fear. Victory shall be ours, in time. He shall destroy himself.
* * * Sebastian slowly and deliberately lowered his staff, taking two precise steps backwards. Sinoval still lay semi–conscious, twitching and shaking. It would be so easy. A single strike, and it would be done.
No. The thought disappeared as soon as it arose. His Masters had ordered otherwise. They had ordered him to leave, and so he would leave.
There would be another time. Sinoval would destroy himself.
It was.... irritating, but necessary.
Sebastian supposed he still had a long way to travel until he reached the perfection, physical, mental and spiritual, that he had been promised.
He glanced briefly at Kats, still holding the gaping wound in her stomach, blood seeping into her robe and onto the floor. Carefully, he stepped around it and walked on, not giving her a second glance.
* * * This is to all those who can hear us.
We are your friends and your protectors. We are your saviours and your salvation. We want only the best for you.
We want you to see this for yourselves.
And so we say this. Those who desire to do so may leave this place. For one hour, we declare a cease–fire to enable this to happen. We will grieve for each and every one of you. Those who depart from this place shall be forever cast out of the light.
To those who choose to remain, we offer perfection, we offer our protection. We are not your enemies, and we never have been. We are your friends.
For those who have raised arms against us, it is not too late. Repent, come before us, and we may be merciful. Your actions will be considered and weighed and it may be that you may yet live. We never forget, but we can forgive.
Those who continue to oppose us, we shall destroy. There is no mercy for those who continue to battle against the Light. There shall be no forgiveness for those who ally with the Darkness, who bring Chaos, who bring war where we seek only peace.
You have one hour. Should this cease–fire be broken, we will respond in kind.
You can trust these words. We do not lie.
His death was regrettable, but necessary. You have seen our justice, and now you will see our mercy.
Remember.
We love you all.
* * * It hadn't even hurt.
It still didn't.
Kats knew there must be pain, but it seemed a far and distant thing. Everything seemed distant to her. She was.... not floating, but drifting - at peace, in perfect emptiness.
'Is this what it was like for you?' she whispered, looking around. 'This sense of.... perfection?'
Then she heard her name being called, louder than seemed possible here. She recognised the voice, and hesitated, but then she smiled.
'Wait a little longer,' she said. 'Please, just a moment. There's one little thing I've got to do.'
She blinked her eyes, and now there was pain, stabbing in her gut, filling her mouth, burning in her heart. She cried out involuntarily with the sudden rush of sensation.
'Kats!' he called again. She could see him, his face so near to hers. There was pain in his dark eyes, but more than that, there was something she had never thought to see there.
Fear.
'I am....' She coughed violently, bloody spittle filling the air. 'I am here,' she said again.
'You're alive,' he said. She felt his hands above her heart. 'I can save you.'
'No,' she said.
'I can save you. I can save your soul, at least.'
'No.'
'But....'
'No!' she said again, loudly. It sounded almost like a shout to her ears, the loudest sound she had ever heard. 'We all die. Let me die.'
He did not reply in words, but his eyes said everything.
'You have lived your entire life.... by your own rules. Please, respect mine now. Let me die.'
He closed his eyes bitterly, and nodded.
'He's been waiting for me all this time.... We can't make him wait.... forever....'
'You don't have to die,' he said, his voice filled with bitterness.
'Yes, I do. All mortals do. It is.... what makes us what we are.'
His hand held hers now, strong but cold. As cold as death itself. She raised her head as much as she could, as much as the pain would let her, and gently touched his cold lips with her own bloodstained ones.
'Thank you,' she breathed. 'I.... always.... believed in you.'
'My lady,' he said simply. Bitter, ashen words.
Then she lowered her head, and the pain was gone.
'There,' she said afterwards. 'I'm sorry I kept you waiting, beloved. I am here now.'
