You Are Not Alone

Nerva was dead. If one would look closely, this was the likeliest conclusion to come up. He was still in the same place where Lothair left him. His eyes were open but not really seeing things. He had long stopped breathing too. If you could dare to touch his skin you would just feel coldness all over it. His pulse was very, very weak.

Why so?

Nervas body had enough. It already succumbed to the physical torture, and it was ready to accept death. The only hope now was the battle going on inside his mind, the battle he was endangered to losing. Nerva had far too many problems bottled up in him, and they were making his death all the more inevitable.

If only someone was here to give him a hand, he could wake up without effort. But he was alone, with nothing but bottled spiders, lizards and newts to keep him company. His life was fast running out in this dank laboratory. He needed help, help that was just one floor and a door away. But the people of Geffen didnt know he was here. Nobody outside knew he was here, losing a battle that could cost him his life.

Nerva stepped backward.  "Leave me aloneplease"

Isidore walked toward him, stretching out his decaying hands.  "Why are you afraid of me, Ner? Didnt you do this to me? Didnt you kill me, Ner? Why do you move away? Dont slink away from me whom you killed, Ner, Im only playing fair. You killed me, Ner. And so I am going to kill you too."

"STOP IT! DONT GO NEAR ME! GO AWAY!" Nerva hollered, edging into the corner like a common, frightened child. He shut his eyes.  "GO AWAY! YOURE ALREADY DEAD!"

Isidore laughed heartily. A chunk of his cheek wobbled and fell to the soil with a dull thump. He stopped laughing and blinked stupidly at the piece of meat by his foot.

"Ah, goddamn it, I hate it when I decay." Isidore said as he bent and picked up his flesh. He held it up and smacked it back onto his face.  "You know what, youre going to look like me real soon, you know. Youll feel how it is to decay, worms eating at you, tearing at your flesh"

Nerva felt his bile rise. He covered his ears and shook his head.

"What, youre disgusted?" Isidore guffawed. "Come on, Ner, its not really disgusting you see. Itll be less loathsome when you know youre decaying because your friend killed you. Believe me."

"WHY DONT YOU JUST GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" Nerva shouted.

Isidores shoulders drooped miserably. He bent over Nerva, one arm over the Wizards head.

"Deaths not bad, you know." He went on.  "Its like being born backward. You go smaller and smaller, recall things of the past. But the sad news is you can no longer go back. You can no longer feel things and enjoy them. Thats one of the reasons why the Dead envy the Living so much."

"Go awayplease, go away" Nerva sobbed piteously.  "Go awayplease"

Isidore sat down beside him.  "Nah, I cant do that. Ill be here until you give up. Hey, Nerva, Ive got a surprise for you! Why dont you look up and face me?"

Nerva slowly looked up. His eyes widened, and he screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Isidores face was badly decayed. One of his eyeballs was hanging loosely from the socket, supported by sinews of nerves. Green skin clung to his yellowing skull, and strands of hair grew in sparse patches on his head. His teeth were all mossy, and some were already missing.

"BOO!" he said evilly.  "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! BOO, Nerva, BOO!"

The Priest reached out and grabbed him even before he could move away.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Nerva struggled.  "LET ME GO!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Got you, Ner!" Isidore laughed diabolically.  "I wonder how you taste like! Do you mind if I take a bite?"

Nerva watched in horror as Isidore gaped his jaws. He shrieked in pain as he felt the teeth sink into his right shoulder. Blood erupted from the spot and started to flow in torrents down his arm. He screamed and lost his balance. The zombie bit deeper, and like a mad dog made to yank away a huge chunk of his flesh.

"AAAH! NOO! AAAH!" Nerva yelled.

Searing pain erupted down his arm. Isidore tore away a considerable amount of his shoulder, blood dripping down his black robes.

"Man, I knew you were delicious!" Isidore licked his lips.  "Ive changed mind, Ner! Now Im going to EAT YOU ALIVE!"

Nerva, bloody and painful, watched as Isidore gape wide for another bite, this time aiming for his neck.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Nerva balled his hands into fists. Gathering all his strenght he slammed his fist into Isidores face, and using his leg kicked him off with a loud thump. Nerva was quickly on his feet, sharp pain tingling down his right arm. Isidore was winded and law a few feet away. Nerva knew he should run while he had the chance. He spun around and bolted real fast, the cold winds of the graveyard whipping his face.

"You cant get away from me, Ner!" Isidore called dumbly as he stood up.  "Im going to eat you! Whoooooooo!"

Nerva ran like he never ran before. He jumped over the ledges, trying to get away. His right shoulder was killing him, but he must escape somewhere. He had to leave this place, whatever the cost. He had to leave. But the only problem was, he didnt know where he was.

He overlooked a stone on the ground. He tripped over this and fell face-first on the ground. He couldnt stand up. He felt so lost, so alone. He started to cry again. He wanted to die so badly it made his heart ache.

"Please, help me" he wailed.  "Anyone. pleaseI cant bear this anymore"

"Nerva"

He stopped. He looked up and saw a flicker of golden light. Once more the surroundings vanished. He was in deep and infinite black, falling deeper, the tiny golden glimmer just before him.

"Nerva"

A womans voice. It was melodious and sweet. He knew this voice. Somehow it gave him strenght. He reached out, trying to touch the light.

"Please, help me!" he called.  "Help me! Dont go!"

"You are not alone, Nerva. I am always here for you. We are always here for you."

Like a miracle, the tiny glimmer started to change. It transformed into a beautiful woman with long brown hair and gentle lilac eyes. She floated toward him and enfolded his bruised body with her soft arms. Nerva moaned; she was so warm. So warm and so alive

Alive

"Nerva, you are never alone." Wealthow spoke to him, her delightfully warm hands on his cheeks.  "You can fight, Nerva. All you need is willpower. Remember, Nerva, the darkest hours of the night come just before dawn. We are here for you, Nerva. We believe you. Never lose hope."

Wealthow leant forward and planted a dainty kiss on his forehead.

"Go and fight, Nerva." She said, smiling.  "You must win, dont you? We trust you. We love you."

Tears flowed from his eyes. But they were no longer tears of regret and guilt. They were tears of joy and hope.

Nervas eyes cleared in a flash. His spine bent upward as his lungs took in a great deal of air. In a sudden he bolted upright like a reanimated corpse, his breath short and ragged gasps. He was wet. Drops of water dripped from his hair and clothes. He blinked under the light of the torches.

"Go and fight, Nerva"

Yes, he could remember now. Wealthows memory saved him from the brink of total insanity. Her memory pulled him back. She wasnt lying. He was NOT alone. He knew people were still waiting for him. People who were named Wealthow, Altair, Theodoric, Signy and Sibyl. He couldnt fail them.

He tried to stand, but his knees would not support his weight. His fight had horribly weakened him. His mind was still cloudy and feverish. He was still weak, yes, but he could use his magic now. He knew it.

He leaned against the wall, staring down at himself.

That had been close. He could have died, yes, but Wealthows memory saved him in the last second. He mused about what just happened inside his fevered mind. Why did it have to be Wealthow? It could have been the real Isidore, or Matildaor Richard. Why did it have to be Wealthow, whom he was just getting to know and trust? Why did it have to be her?

The door creaked. Nerva felt a grin spread on his pallid face.

"Cursed wretches! They think they can defeat me? Ha!" Lothair was muttering nonstop as he descended the spiral stone steps.  "My loved one will take care of them! Those wretched kids should be in Glast Heim by now, dying at the hands of the Undead! That will serve them!"

Lothair stopped dead, eyes wide. Nerva was sitting down at the floor, looking up at him and grinning.

"Hi. Arent you even going to welcome me?" Nerva smiled as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.  "Satan said I was so headstrong that Hell had to spit me back out. So I guess Im not dead, right?"

"No!" Lothair stammered, hardly daring to believe it.

Nerva laughed hard, his voice ringing in sharp echoes in the room.  "No, really, you arent dreaming. Nerva alThor is alive. I am alive. I survived your petty trap."

Lothair quickly had his Arc Wand out. Nervas smile vanished, only to be replaced by deepest loathing.

"So you mean to kill me again." Nerva spoke.  "Ive already died hours ago. You cant kill someone whos been dead."

"EARTH SPIKE!"

Great spires of earth erupted from the floor, heading straight for Nerva. But Nerva remained where he was, sitting calmly. He extended his right hand.

"Safety Wall."

An invisible shield materialized before him. The Earth Spikes were countered, and they broke up. Lothair stepped back, utterly alarmed. Nerva sighed deeply and started to twiddle his thumbs.

"It was like being born backwards, dying." He said softly.  "You had to go through the unimaginable pain of soul separating from body. After that, numbness. You couldnt feel anything, even yourself. I died, yes, but here I am, returned. So I guess, it isnt my time yet. The Shadow is still out there. I have to kill it first before Death claims me back."

"NOT BEFORE I ALLOW IT! SOUL STRIKE!" Lothair shouted.

Ten ancient spirits answered the summons and made to attack. Nerva shook his head.

"You dont learn, dont you?" he whispered.  "Safety Wall."

The wall reappeared and met the attacking spirits. Lothairs Soul Strike sizzled and died. The Safety Wall vanished. Nerva stood up gingerly, one hand leaning heavily against the rough stone walls.

"Why dont we end this here and now, master?" Nerva said.  "Only one of us can come out of here alive, and you know this is the best solution we should have taken all those years ago."

And so they came face to face, master and apprentice, young and old. Power against power. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Lothair had all his powers ready, and Nerva had his unmatched cunning and intelligence. Yes, the fate of Midgard relied on this duel.

"ALTAIR!" Theodoric shouted in terror.

Time seemed to stop as Altair flew high in mid-air, drops of red blood spurting from his chest. His hammer had already left his hand and crashed to the ground in a horrifyingly slow manner. Altair crashed to the ground, death fast coming to him. Signy and Wealthow quickly flew to his side.

"Altair! Altair, answer me! Youre going to be okay, Altair!" Wealthow said hysterically.

"Altair, get a hold of yourself!" Signy shrieked.

Altair shivered and more blood came gushing out of his mouth and chest. Wealthow placed her hands above the wound inflicted by the Ghoul and concentrated with all her might.

"HEAL!"

The cut vanished and the blood replaced. Altair took a sharp intake of breath and sat upright, ready to fight again. Signy gave him his hammer.

"Bugger, that damn of a Ghoul got me!" Altair gritted his teeth in outrage.  "Goddamn it, Im really ANGRY now!"

He stood up and held his hammer high above his head. Then he started to spin it very fast, so that gales of wind arose around him, whipping through his hair and clothes. Sibyl and Theodoric jumped out of his way, knowing what was coming. You would never want to be in they way of a powerful Hammerfall dished out by a very angry Altair.

"HAMMERFALL!"

An earthquake shook the whole of Glast Heim. Wealthow, Signy, Theodoric and Sibyl all lost their balance and fell flat on the ground. A huge chunk of the surrounding Undead was obliterated in a flash, their bodies pulverized by the powerful blow.

"DIE, ALL OF YOU! DIE!" Altair shouted as he spun his hammer again.  "HAMMERFALL!"

An earthquake much stronger than the first followed next. A much larger chunk of Undead was pulverized. Wealthow was lying flat on the ground, covering her ears. Signy was shielding her head with her arms, while Theodoric was trying to stand up but to no avail. Sibyl performed a backflip and readied her katar.

"YAHOO! SONIC BLOW!"

Attacking in lightning speed, Sibyl moved through the crowd. Undead was soon flying all around her, torn to bits with her katar. Meanwhile, Altair was preparing to cast a spell.

"ADRENALINE RUSH!" He shouted.

"All right, Altair!" said Signy, feeling energy creep into her veins as she stood up, bow ready.  "I thought you wouldnt leave some for us! ARROW SHOWER!"

The upcoming wave of Undead was stopped, thanks to Signys shots. Theodoric had his spear ready.

"BOWLING BASH!"

The number of the attacking Undead was fast decreasing. The Shadow fell back.

"Turn Undead!" said Wealthow as she blasted off the last piece of Undead that attacked them.

"All right, baby!" Theodoric panted.  "We should do this more often! My adrenaline is going haywire!"

 Firnheild turned and faced the Shadow, ready for anything. But the Dark Creature emitted her deafening shriek once more and lifted her bony arms toward the sky.

A black void started forming on the ground. Out of this void emerged one of Midgards legendary monsters, one that was thought to have been pure myth until now. Even Wealthow could not believe her eyes.

The Abysmal Knight arose, his dark steed rearing. His armor was full-plated and black as the void from whence he came from. His standard blew proud even though there was no wind. It was a pure nightmare from the netherworld.

"Oh my God" Sibyl whispered as she took a step backward.  "Were dead"

Lifting his lance, the Abysmal Knight attacked like a phantomand speared Signy right through the chest.

Geffen was in a wide hysteria once more. People were running frantically away from the collapsing Geffen Tower. Just moments ago a loud rumble shook the grounds, and like a domino the historical place started to crumble down right before the peoples eyes. From the ruins Nerva shot upward to the air like a hawk.

"METEOR STORM!" Nerva shouted.

A gigantic pentagram appeared around the ruins of the Tower. The sky darkened immediately, and from the thick clouds, huge meteors rained down onto the chosen spot. The burning boulders smashed and destroyed everything in their path, the fire incinerating and the rock pulverizing.

But Nerva was not finished with that. He raised his right hand toward the sky and extended his left hand toward the blazing ruin below.

"LORD OF VERMILION!"

Another gigantic pentagram formed around the Tower. It looked like a hundred bombs exploded on the spot, creating a massive explosion with a powerful wind impact within a one-mile radius. The noise and spectacle were so terrifying that it looked like Ragnarok had finally come down to smite the City of Magic.

Nerva alThor, winded and panting, landed on the rubble-filled ground with a swish of a cloak. His body felt so hot and alive, his SP coursing through him in torrents. His sweat-slicked clothes were starting to stick to his skin but he did not care. All he knew was this duel was far from being over. Lothair was still alive, he can sense it.

Just like what he expected, Lothair shot out of the ruins, badly injured but perfectly alive.

"FIRE BOLT!" Lothair cursed, aiming straight for Nerva.

Fiery spears answered the call. Nerva avoided all of it without effort. The younger Wizard used his Napalm Beat to deliver an abandoned sword into his hand. He gripped it hard and attacked like the wind.

"May you die and take your horrendous creature with you!" Nerva shrieked, lifting the sword high.  "Im sending you to Hell! BASH!"

Lothair saw it as the gleaming blade came bearing down on him. He saw his own blood spurt out and stain Nervas robes, face and hands. He felt the blade slice menacingly through his skin, flesh and bone, resonating every tiny bit of Nerva alThors boiling anger.

He fell to his knees, blood flowing unstoppable from his mouth. He reached out and grabbed hold of Nervas cape, smearing it further with the red fluid.

"This is where it ends, master." Nerva told him.  "Neither of us can live while the other survived. You taught me this, master. You taught me how to kill others without bearing guilt. And so I shall endure, even if I am bloodstained beyond salvation. You gave me this Dark Gift master. But I will give you something you truly deserve, and this is death."

"Nerva" Lothair mumbled.  "Youdontwincantyet"

Nerva frowned.  "You must die now. Die."

Lothair smiled grimly.  "At leastyou shalldietoo"

He withdrew a stiletto from his robes and thrust it hard into Nervas body. Nervas eyes widened as he stepped back, staring in horror at his own blood. Lothair gave a final triumphant laughter before dropping dead, blank eyes staring at the sky.

"No!" said Nerva as he pulled the stiletto from his side.  "No!"

His own blood gushed out, first from his stab wound and then from the corners of his lips. The old man tricked him! The damned old wretch still managed to trick him!

Pain erupted from his side, spreading fast all around him until it reached even the tips of his fingers. He staggered away from the ruins of Geffen Tower, his vision fast dimming, and his mind clouding over once again. Then he realized that the stiletto was enchanted with poison.

"I can'tdie!" he said as he staggered, tripping as he went.  "I cant!"

He fell face-first on the ground, breathing for dear life. His blood flowed out of him and out, staining the ground red. The poison, hot as fire, was spreading fast in his body. His vision was fast darkening, and the pain of the stab wound was doubled with the creatures struggling inside him. It hurt so much.

"I cantdieyet!" said Nerva, struggling to get up.

He still managed to stand. A thick crowd of people surrounded the scene. They stared at him with unspeakable fear. Nerva staggered toward the nearest Acolyte and grabbed the poor young man by the collar.

"Warp me!" Nerva demanded.  "Warp me to Glast Heim now!"

"Butbut master," said the Acolyte, alarmed.  "Youre wounded! I must Heal you first if youd allow me!"

"I SAID WARP ME NOW!" Nerva yelled so savagely that many people stepped back.

"But!" the Acolyte stammered.

Nerva rolled his eyes impatiently and fished out a Blue Gemstone from his pocket. He thrust it into the Acolytes shaking hands.

"NOW WARP ME TO GLAST HEIM IF YOU DONT WANT TO DIE!" Nerva shouted.

The Acolytes shoulders trembled. He was so frightened, but Nervas death threat was a lot more disturbing. He had no choice. He brought out his mace.

"Warp Portal!"

A portal appeared right then and there, gleaming brightly. The creature inside Nerva went more haywire than ever before. The Wizard gritted his teeth but refused to shout with pain. More blood flowed from his wound.

"Master, if you can allow me to Heal you!" said the worried Acolyte.

Nerva pushed him roughly away before jumping into the warp portal. The Acolyte knew that was the last he shall ever see the legendary Nerva alThor. He sensed death fast coming to claim the man. And he cannot be wrong.