Ch. 11 Great Sacrifice

As they traveled into the tunnel after Emil, Conall and Detric fell back some from the group, not wanting the others to overhear there conversation. Neither knew that Alsandair and Crimthann already had some idea what the future held, and understood what was happening.
“Detric, I know what it is you think you must do, and I beg you, there is another way”
“There is no other way, the Source wills it, so it must be.”
“But must it be you? Allow me to take this burden from you! You have a future, a life ahead of you!”
“That, my friend, is what makes it what it is. I do not relish it, I merely accept it”

Jaci looked back and wondered what had Detric and Conall so deep in conversation, it appeared they were almost arguing over some matter. She attempted to drop back to overhear what they were discussing, but Crimthann and Alsandair urged her along. Whatever was going on, none wanted her to know, which only worried her more. Detric had become much more solemn of late, he attempted to hide it, but she had sensed it.

Alsandair hoped Conall could talk sense into Detric, if what he had heard Conall praying about was correct. He could not live with himself if Detric did not come out of this coming fight alive, he would not allow that to happen, no matter the cost, Detric must live.

Crimthann busied himself checking for traps and hidden passageways, not wanting to think about what he had overheard or the conversation going on behind him, hoping the Source would reveal another way....there must be another way!

They approached a wall with a door in the center, quite similar in appearance to the door in the middle tunnel when they had first started. Crimthann checked it over for traps, and found it to be safe, swung it open, revealing a large cavern, or more of a room, furnished with a few chairs and a table in the center, several rugs and tapestries, and bookshelves lining the wall. Icons and statues adorned several of the shelves, as well as the table, and they all seemed to emanate sheer evil. No doubt this was Emil's lair, and Crimthann was rather surprised they had gained entry so easily. immediately he went on guard for any sort of hidden traps and other nasty surprises...but something was wrong, this was to easy....something was horribly wrong.

From another room attached to the central room, a familiar dark figure walked towards them, eyes blood red, cloaked in a dark red robe. But it was not Emil, all somehow knew this.

“We knew you would come, we have been waiting”
A dark, deep, guttural voice spoke to them. The very sound seemed to bring a chill over them, as if evil itself was in the room with them.

Conall and Detric stepped ahead of the rest of the group, this would be a battle of faith and will. Suddenly, a dark, creeping mist began to flow outward from the red cleric, seeming to envelope the room in darkness. Crimthann, Alsandair, and Jaci could no longer see their two friends, or the enemy, they could barely see each other.

Detric and Conall both began to pray to the Source for clear vision, and the mist seemed to fade away, at least it no longer seemed to affect their sight.
Conall began to pray to the Source to strike their enemy for his evil, and it seemed to be working, as the red cleric stumbled back. Although it was a hard blow, he still stood.

Jaci and the others could not see the battle, but they could hear different events, Detric and Conall chanting and praying here and there, and the evil cleric doing the same. Every time the evil cleric spoke or prayed, it sent a cold chill up each of their spines, as if a surge of evil was flowing past them into the room. It seemed to last forever to Jaci, and she was growing frustrated that she couldn't help. Finally, the mist began to clear, and, though there was still a dark and evil feeling about the room, it's presence was weakened, and they soon saw why. Detric and Conall were standing over the corpse of their enemy, Conall's sword through it's chest and his foot on it's throat. It seemed at some point the battle had turned from one of faith and will to one of sword and shield. Jaci rushed over to Detric, his arm and side bleeding from the battle, and Conall, though looking somewhat tired, appeared untouched, other than a small scratch on an unprotected portion of his throat from an attack that struck a little closer than he would have liked.

Jaci knew some healing power, and Detric's wound soon healed, it was not a deep wound to begin with, and they were soon ready to continue on, unsure how far ahead of them Emil was after the last delay. They searched the room before continuing, and finding nothing of interest, moved on.

It seemed this tunnel was full of rooms here and there, some well furnished, some nothing more than closets carved from the tunnel walls. It seemed pretty certain they had found Emil's lair, but searching every room could take forever, and they didn't even know if he was still here or not, Conall and Detric could not sense him directly, but they could sense the distinct feel of evil all around them, and it made the entire group, especially Jasmine and Cahan, uneasy.

Then, as they neared one of the doors, Conall and Detric both stopped
“He is here, waiting” Conall spoke
Detric nodded
“We may be able to defeat him, together, we may be able to avoid your plan Detric”
“What plan?” Jaci asked
“Yes, but we do not know that. He has overpowered some of the most powerful clerics in Sylvian forest, my plan guarantees his end”
“What plan?”
“But at what cost my friend? I demand we avoid that plan until it is our last resort”
“What plan?!”
“Very well, may the Source be with us, but should he begin to overpower us, it must be done”
“What must be done?!” Jaci was getting angry that they were ignoring her
Without bothering to answer her, Detric and Conall flung open the double doors leading to the room, and without even waiting to see what was inside, having already seen it in their souls, Detric began playing his pipes and Conall began to chant a prayer, and they advanced on a cloaked figure waiting for them in the center of the room.
Alsandair launched an arrow, but Emil easily stepped aside, ignoring the presence of Alsandair, Crimthann and Jaci, focusing on Detric and Conall.
Emil was obviously unsettled by Detric's music, but it did not appear to frighten him as much as it had on their first encounter, though it was having an effect, Emil was focusing a lot of his power on countering.
It seemed the battle was going well, or at least not going badly, for Detric and Conall, when suddenly, Detric winced, and Emil turned towards Jaci, and began to move towards her.
Alsandair and Crimthann stepped between them, knowing he was attempting to unbalance Detric by attacking her, but were thrown aside like chaff on the wind as Emil pursued Jaci.
Suddenly, before Detric could even act, Conall tackled Emil and wrapped him in a bear hug, and began to speak in the most beautiful language any had ever heard, though only Detric recognized it, he was speaking a celestial tongue, praying to the Source. Detric was horrified, Conall's action would kill Emil and end his power, yes, but it would likely also kill Conall, that was how it worked, it was a sacrifice...it had been his plan from the beginning.
As the two bodies began to glow, Emil squirming frantically,screaming a guttural "nnnnoooooo!", Conall looked up at Detric
“Live well!”

Suddenly a great burst of energy filled the room, and Emil and Conall disappeared. The evil all had sensed upon entering the caverns was gone, but all felt a new grief, Conall was no more. Crimthann, who had known Conall the longest, simply stared at the spot he had last seen his friend, shocked, unable to accept what had just occurred.

Detric had dropped to his knees, tears flowing freely, knowing the sacrifice his friend had made for him, knowing that should have been him.

Jaci stared in disbelief, and then moved over to console Detric. She did not understand what had just happened, but she knew her Detric was nearly insane with some great grief, and attempted to console him.

Alsandair had known, at least had an idea of, what was coming, and though saddened, accepted the fact that it had happened, and thanked the Source that it had not been Detric who had made the sacrifice. He moved over to Crimthann, who was still staring at the spot his old friend had been, still deep in shock.

“Emil is dead my friend, we have won”
“Conall is dead, we have won at what cost?”
“We knew coming in we would not all return, you, Conall and Detric knew that clearer than any of us. He has cleansed a great evil from this world, we mourn his passing yes, but we honor his act even more! Conall did not die in vain, he knew his end, and he welcomed it. He now rests with his forefathers in the great beyond.”
Crimthann began to overcome his shock, but he was still shaken. He had traveled with Conall for a long time, felled many foes at his side, Conall was almost a brother to him...and now he was no more.
He turned to Detric and Jaci
“Conall allowed himself to be taken to ensure that you would live, and I shall honor that. His death will not be in vain, and I will honor him by ensuring you live well. So long as I live, my blades shall serve you.”
Detric didn't know what to say, his eyes still covered in tears for Conall, so he simply nodded, then embraced Crimthann as a brother.
Alsandair watched all this, and, after a few moments, he bent and picked up Conall's helmet, all that remained, handed it to Crimthann, and walked from the room
“We must be going”
“The rest lingered for a moment, and then, knowing that no amount of grief or lingering would bring Conall back to them, ventured out of the room and back towards the surface, back home.