Zarin towered over Xavier's body, watching as the battered Guardian slowly enveloped himself in a decent amount of aura.
"Healing?"
Zarin crouched down.
"Sure. I'll wait."
Xavier's breathing was ragged.
"T-The Vyre... Stones..."
Zarin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's what you're here for."
"They did say you can never fool a Guardian..."
A faint smile appeared on Zarin's face.
"...even a former one."
Xavier coughed.
The blood around his lips had already begun to dry.
"I don't... have them."
"I know."
Zarin's answer came almost immediately.
The sound of breaking trees in the distance caught his attention.
He slowly looked toward the forest.
"Right now, your disciples are going tooth and nail in an attempt to escape."
His gaze returned to Xavier.
"Inexperienced as they are, they wouldn't have left you behind if they had the slightest chance of making a trade."
"So..."
Zarin paused.
"Why?"
He stroked his chin, pretending to think.
Then his lips curled into a smile.
"I like a bit of fun."
His young face remained almost expressionless.
Bored eyes stared directly into Xavier's.
"The Daltons..."
Zarin tilted his head.
"Did they have anything to do with your mission?"
Silence.
A full minute passed.
Then a smile slowly crept across Zarin's face.
"See?"
He chuckled.
"A bit of fun."
Xavier's expression twisted with disgust.
He clenched his fist and hurled a handful of debris at Zarin.
"Bastard!"
The debris bounced harmlessly away.
"They were innocent!"
His voice cracked.
"An entire family gone... for your amusement."
Zarin barely reacted.
"Humans are quite funny."
He stood.
"I watched as the Purge units hunted down your kind while you watched quietly, afraid of being exposed yourselves."
He tilted his head.
"Noble, don't you think?"
Xavier glared at him.
"But when I do it, I'm labeled a monster."
Zarin's smile faded slightly.
"Tell me..."
He stepped closer.
"What makes them more humane?"
Xavier's expression faltered.
"Or did you consider your kind guilty..."
Zarin's eyes narrowed.
"...and the Daltons innocent?"
Silence.
"You never fail to give me reasons to doubt the Guardians' judgment."
His voice lowered.
"Not twenty years ago."
He looked down at Xavier.
"And definitely not now."
The look on Xavier's face broke.
For the first time, he seemed to actually consider the words.
Then—
"Get away from him."
A voice came from barely twenty feet away.
Zarin's smile returned.
"Look now."
He turned toward the voice.
"A friend of yours has come to the rescue."
He glanced back at Xavier.
"And you're supposed to be the Guardian here."
"I won't repeat it, Zarin."
Zarin's head slowly turned.
"Just who I came for."
Andrew stepped forward.
His right hand was raised, his middle finger bent like the string of an invisible bow.
"Step away from him."
His eyes never left Zarin.
"I know the location of the stones..."
His hand shifted slightly until his middle finger rested beside his head.
"...and I'm not afraid to take that information with me."
Zarin's expression remained calm.
But his eyes briefly dropped toward Andrew's hand.
He understood.
"You're willing to take the secret with you."
Andrew said nothing.
Zarin smirked.
"What makes you think I won't get to you before you do?"
"I've already activated the spell."
Andrew's voice remained steady.
"So trust me when I say you won't."
All he had to do was release his finger.
The secret would disappear with him.
Zarin stared at him for several seconds.
Then—
He took a leap backward.
Andrew immediately rushed toward Xavier.
"Can you stand?"
He kept his eyes on Zarin as he spoke.
"I should be able to..."
Xavier slowly tried to move.
"...in ten minutes. Maybe more."
"I'll buy you time."
Zarin's face still carried that little smirk.
"The bastard can still hear us."
Xavier glanced at him.
Demons possessed physical senses far superior to most other races.
Zarin was practically impossible to deceive in a conversation this close.
"Why are you helping me?"
Andrew's eyes remained fixed ahead.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
He lowered his voice.
"I can't let you die until you've answered my questions."
Xavier's eyes dropped.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Maybe there's no redemption for me.
Then—
A silver beam tore through the sky.
Both men looked up.
"A portal?"
Andrew's expression changed.
Zarin stared at the beacon for a moment before smiling.
"Seems our little chat has to come to an end."
His hand moved toward his sword.
Andrew immediately tensed.
"Are you sure that's what you want to do?"
His hand remained beside his head.
Zarin glanced at it.
"Will I get to you first..."
His fingers tightened around the hilt.
"...or will you shoot?"
His smirk widened.
"Guess we'll never know until we try."
Zarin disappeared.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
Andrew reacted.
"Mayn betspurt ictschstandberg!!!"
He thrust his left hand forward.
A tremendous force of wind erupted from his palm.
BOOM!
The blast slammed into Zarin and sent him flying backward.
The air itself seemed to ripple around his body as he was hurled toward the barrier.
Xavier's eyes widened.
"Aurelion!"
Golden light erupted beside him.
His sword appeared in the air.
Aurelion spun once—
Then shot forward.
SHNK!
The blade pierced straight through Zarin's chest.
And continued through the barrier behind him.
For a long moment...
Nothing happened.
The sword vanished.
Silence settled over the battlefield.
Andrew slowly lowered his hand.
"Did we...?"
"No."
Xavier's voice was quiet.
"I've done far more damage to him than that."
He pushed himself upright.
Andrew immediately moved beside him, helping him stand.
"Your sword landed in his heart, right?"
Xavier stared at Zarin's motionless body.
"...That..."
His eyes narrowed.
"I don't know."
Zarin remained slouched against the barrier.
Completely still.
Andrew looked at Xavier.
"Do you really have the stones?"
Xavier turned toward him.
"Right here."
Andrew reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat box.
He opened it.
Two stones lay inside.
Both hummed faintly with energy.
Xavier stared at them.
"I have a lot of questions."
"So do I."
Andrew closed the box.
"But first, let's go somewhere safe."
Xavier nodded slowly.
"Do you have enough strength for a portal?"
Andrew glanced toward the distant beacon.
"It'll be dangerous to follow them."
He paused.
"It'll just be a big catch."
"I do."
Xavier took a slow breath.
"But it'll take the last of whatever I've got."
He looked toward the sky.
"Dragon Speech..."
His fingers tightened.
He took another breath.
And prepared himself for one final use of the power.
"Open the gates beyond the stars,
Aurelia, answer my call.
Tear the veil between worlds,
And carry us beyond it all."
The air rippled.
Millions of tiny points of light appeared around them, twisting together like a galaxy being born.
Another beacon shot into the sky.
The space before them slowly tore open, revealing a brilliant portal that seemed to lead into an infinite realm.
Andrew stared at it.
"Aurelia? Your..."
A sudden gust of wind swept past them.
Their heads snapped around.
Zarin's body still lay against the barrier.
Motionless.
Xavier didn't wait.
"Let's go."
The two hurried through the portal.
For the first time since the battle began...
They felt safe.
At least for a while.