His True Destiny: Chapter Seventeen

==Chapter Seventeen: The Downfall of Lucien Fairfax==
While the Heroes continued up the cliff, Reaver looked around, tapping his foot impatiently. Out of all the surviving Heroes, he had to be stuck with them. He could only imagine what Briar Rose would do.
Garth managed to reach the top of the cliff a little while later, before turning to help Hammer and the grumbling Sparrow. Both Hammer and Garth were tired from the climb, so they sat down to rest.
‘What are you doing?’ Reaver demanded.
‘Resting, what’s it look like?’ replied Hammer. ‘Unlike you, I’m not used to climbing cliffs, not to mention the passenger I was carrying. She’s heavier than she looks.’
‘I’m not fat!’ Sparrow yelled.
‘She didn’t say you were,’ Reaver grumbled, before looking down at Garth. ‘What’s your excuse?’
‘I’m not a fieldworker,’ he answered. ‘I’m a scholar. I spent most of my time inside examining Old Kingdom artefacts.’
‘No wonder you’re tired,’ Reaver muttered. ‘Fine. Ten minutes break and then we’re off.’
He then lounged on the grass.
‘So how much older is Theresa?’ Hammer asked the Thief curiously.
‘Four years,’ Reaver replied stiffly.
‘You hate her, don’t you?’
‘Is it that obvious?’ Reaver asked mockingly.
‘Well you sort of made it clear when you said something about killing her with the Sword of Aeons when you had the chance.’
‘You know where the Sword is?’ Garth exclaimed. He hadn’t heard Reaver’s comment about the Sword.
‘Of course I do.’
‘You found it? It hasn’t been seen since the Hero of Oakvale disposed of it. So where is it?’
‘Somewhere in the Void last time I looked, which was less than six hundred years ago.’
‘Reaver, how old are you?’ Hammer asked suddenly.
‘Six hundred and something,’ Reaver shrugged. ‘I lost track after three hundred.’
‘So you’re an original Hero!’ Hammer was getting excited. ‘You trained at the Heroes Guild and you’re a qualified Hero?’
‘Yes.’
‘No wonder you look at us the way you do,’ Garth muttered. ‘We must be a joke to you.’
Reaver didn’t bother denying it.
‘So did you know the Hero of Oakvale, my ancestor?’ Sparrow asked eagerly.
‘I knew him better than anyone else,’ Reaver said truthfully. They didn’t need to know that he was once the said Hero. ‘Right, breaks over. Let’s go.’
Resisting the urge to groan, the other Heroes followed Reaver into the marshes. However, before they could enter, they had to deal with Sparrow.
Reaver was a few metres into the marshes when he realised no one was following him. Growling, he turned and saw Sparrow was throwing a tantrum. She was slowing starting to scream, stating that she was not going through any worm infested mud.
It’s hard to believe that we are related, Reaver mentally sighed. She must take after the parent not related to me.
‘Come on then, I’ll carry you,’ Hammer grumbled.
‘No, you won’t!’ Reaver said firmly. ‘The marshes are infested with hollow men, banshees and the occasional balverine. You will need to be able to react at a moment’s notice. Carrying her will only slow you down. She can walk like the rest of us.’
‘But -’ Sparrow began.
‘No buts, Sparrow! You are a descendant of William Black, Scarlet Robe and the Hero of Oakvale. All of them were celebrated Heroes. It is time you live up to their legacy. Now get over here or we’ll leave without you!’
Not wanting to be left behind, Sparrow hurried after him as he started to walk away. An amused Hammer and Garth followed. They both noted that Reaver was better at handling Sparrow than Theresa was. They also noted that he sounded exactly like a father.
As they made their way through Wraithmarsh, Reaver was slowly beginning to lose what little patience he had. The reason for this was that they were currently wading through thick mud, which was containing hidden dangers. He lost count of how many times Garth tripped over a hidden dead root or stump, becoming slightly stuck in the mud. Even Hammer managed to find some of these hidden traps, but Sparrow managed to find them all. She was the main reason Reaver was losing his patience with her constant crying.
And then he snapped. Unable to take it any longer, Reaver went ballistic as he lectured her about what it meant to be a Hero and how she needed to grow up. Shocked that Reaver had yelled at her, Sparrow didn’t make a single sound afterwards. Hammer and Garth both agreed that Reaver should win an award for shutting her up.
However, when they were at the Drowned Farm, they ran into trouble. True, they had to fight hollow men on their journey, but they were nothing compared to the large, white banshee that stood before them. Surprisingly, this was the first banshee Reaver had ever seen.
‘What would your father say if he could see you now?’ the banshee hissed at Hammer. ‘Do you think he would be proud? He is disappointed. He is disappointed that you broke your vows and all the blood that stains your once pure hands.’
Hammer flinched and closed her eyes. She had often wondered how her father would react to who she was now, and every conclusion she had ended in disappointment.
The banshee turned to Sparrow, who tried to hide behind Reaver.
‘You still hear your sister’s death cry when you try to sleep at night, don’t you?’ she whispered. ‘Did you know Rose didn’t die right away from that shot? No, she watched you fall through the window, and cried bitter tears before a final shot from Lucien ended her life.’
Sparrow was crying, not that this surprised anyone, but what did surprise them was that they were genuine tears of sorrow.
‘Don’t listen to her, girls!’ Garth yelled. ‘What she says isn’t true! She’s merely messing with your head!’
The banshee turned to Garth. At first they thought she would go after him, but she went after Reaver instead. None of them had noticed that her children were missing.
‘Your daughter despises you, great Hero,’ she informed Reaver. ‘Little Seraphina hates you for abandoning her. She threw away the hobbe tooth you gave her the first chance she got.’
‘Seraphina,’ Reaver whispered as he suddenly remembered her screams and pleas when he abandoned her.
‘Love wasn’t enough to keep her with you,’ the banshee continued, ‘but was it love? You swore to love Emily for all eternity, yet you sleep with anyone who asks. What would happen if everyone knew the truth? You were meant to be the protector of Oakvale, yet you destroyed it. What would your father say? Or your mother? Scarlet Robe was never selfish, so what would she say seeing how cold and insensitive her baby had become?’
Reaver was now shaking, but the Heroes didn’t know if he was shaking with grief or anger. Garth, being the only stable Hero, noticed that the children weren’t attacking. He quickly went off to look for them. He found them just as the banshee said to Reaver, ‘It is all over. After your death, you will join Jack of Blades in the Void. You will cease to exist.’
‘I have survived Jack’s vicious attacks and survived the destruction of the Guild,’ Reaver said quietly, ‘so what makes you think that you have any hope in defeating me?’
Out the corner of his eye, he saw Garth destroy the last of the children. He then fired several shots at the banshee, kill her.
‘Are you alright? Garth asked his fellow Heroes.
‘We’re fine,’ Reaver announced gruffly. ‘Let’s get to the cullis gate before its friends notice our presence.’
As Reaver stormed off, Garth gently led Hammer and Sparrow after him.
When they got to the cullis gate, Hammer and Sparrow had settled down, allowing Garth to fix the cullis gate. During this time, Reaver glumly stared at his destroyed house.
It took Garth thirty minutes to fix the cullis gate. Once it was active, the Heroes used took it to Brightwood Tower. From there, they headed for Hero Hill in Bower Lake.
‘I haven’t been here in a long time,’ Reaver commented as he looked around. ‘The last time I was here was back when the Guild was being burnt down.’
‘Huh, and Theresa told me that no man remembers it burning down,’ said Sparrow.
‘She’s half right,’ said Reaver. ‘I only vaguely remember it. I was quite drunk at the time. So tell me, what exactly does Lucien want?’
‘Asides god-like power, that’s a tough one,’ Hammer answered.
‘Is he like Jack of Blades?’ Reaver asked sharply. He hoped that this Lucien wasn’t Jack somehow alive again. ‘Does he wish to control the world?’
‘When I knew him, he wanted to resurrect his family,’ Garth replied softly, ‘but give a beggar a bag off gold, he’ll eat until he’s full. Then, he realises that food isn’t the only thing for sale.’
‘I can relate to that,’ Reaver muttered.
‘I don’t get it,’ Sparrow announced.
‘If Lucien gets the taste of power, then he could do more than resurrect his loved ones,’ Reaver said bluntly, when they stopped on top of Hero Hill. Theresa was standing there waiting patiently. Her patience irritated Reaver.
‘Now we can begin,’ she began. ‘Stand in the centre, Sparrow. You represent that of which binds the three together. Hammer stand on the plate there baring the mark of Hero of Strength. Garth… Will, and Rowan –‘
‘Reaver,’ he corrected automatically.
‘- Skill.’
The Heroes did as she asked. The entire time Reaver glared at his sister.
‘Together you will call upon the weapon that will help us defeat Lucien.’
‘Care to explain how we are to summon it, or do you expect us to read your mind?’ Reaver asked sarcastically.
‘All you have to do is stand there,’ replied Theresa, before Reaver, Garth and Hammer fell to their knees groaning with pain. Then, beams of yellow, blue and red lifted them into the air, before coursing through their bodies, then going straight at Sparrow.
Reaver had to admit that this was worse than the times Theresa and Scarlet Robe gave him some of their power. At least that pain was giving him strength, not taking it away. When it had finished, he felt weak, though nowhere near as weak as he did when he used all his Will to defeat Jack as a dragon.
He struggled to his feet and saw that Sparrow was examining herself happily, admiring how powerful she now felt, while Garth and Hammer struggled to the sitting position.
‘That… hurt!’ Hammer grumbled.
‘I… agree!’ Garth gasped.
‘Well, I did enjoy making that pretty light with you, but what happens now, Theresa?’ Reaver asked, looking around for his sister. ‘Theresa?’
The other Heroes were now looking around too.
‘Where is she?’ Hammer wondered aloud.
‘What has she done now?’ Reaver grumbled, but he looked worried. While he let on that he hated his sister, he didn’t really. He still loved her. Deep down, he had made peace with what she had done a hundred years ago.
He then readied his gun as shards suddenly appeared, transporting Commandants who immediately surrounded the Heroes, but didn’t attack. Reaver hated it when enemies didn’t attack. It made him uneasy. He became even more uneasy when Lucien appeared. This was reminding him of the time he and Scarlet Robe had first tried to escape Bargate Prison, only to be trapped by Jack and his minions. In this scenario, Lucien was Jack and the Commandants were the minions. He only hoped that it wouldn’t end the same way.
‘Heroes, enough power to reshape the world, yet you waste it trying to protect the old one,’ Lucien said calmly.
‘Open your eyes, Lucien!’ Garth growled. ‘The ruins of the Old Kingdom are all around us!’
‘And soon they will be beneath the new one… and you’re looking at your new king.’
‘Pretender! Your fall will be hard indeed.’
Lucien ignored his comment and turned to face Sparrow, whose pretty face was scrunched up with rage.
‘I should have gone out and searched for your body, but I was hasty,’ he said. ‘I let the bloodline continue, and you have indeed flourished. The last of this Heroic bloodline will flow from the top of this ancient place.’
Lucien drew his pistol to shoot Sparrow, but Reaver was quicker. He shot him in the hand, causing the Mayor to scream and drop his gun. While his Commandants attacked Reaver. They managed to get the pistol off him before forcing him to his knees.
‘When I no longer need you, I will make sure your demise is slow and painful!’ Lucien growled, facing Reaver. ‘I was willing to give you back your freedom, but now you have lost it. Take them away!’
Before he knew it, Reaver was inside the unattractive, sinister interior of a Great Shard, surrounded by Commandants. They were all watching him suspiciously.
Before he knew it, he was in the Spire and was being unceremoniously dragged into a room beyond the great white light. He was then forced to his knees in a ritual room, on a platform marked with the symbol of a Hero of Skill. Moments later, Garth and Hammer appeared and they were both forced onto their relevant platform. Lucien followed shortly.
Once he was standing in the middle platform, he dismissed his Commandants and began the ritual the Heroes had just performed with Sparrow. Only this time, the ritual was ten times worse, due to how weak they already were. They all screamed, but Lucien paid them no heed. And then… it stopped.
Panting on the ground, Reaver heard Lucien talking to someone. Raising his head he saw that he was talking to Sparrow. He had wondered what had happened to her. He vaguely wondered why she was holding onto a music box.
‘You fool!’ Lucien hissed. ‘Do you think you are the only one who has lost loved ones?’
‘No, I don’t,’ Sparrow replied calmly. ‘I have seen many who have lost loved ones. Hammer lost her father, while Reaver lost his wife and daughter. We all know what you are going through, but this isn’t the way to handle it. You don’t see Hammer and I trying to bring our loved ones back. My ancestor, Scarlet Robe, is said to have said that everything happens for a reason. Our loved ones no longer belong in this world. People only leave this world when it is time for them to go.’
‘You are as ignorant as a child!’ Lucien snapped. ‘You have no idea of what you speak! You have been a thorn in my side all these years and it is time I removed it!’
Lucien raised his gun awkwardly and went to shoot Sparrow again. Growling, Reaver drew his hidden gun and shot Lucien in the head, before watching him fall to his death. He then got to his feet and looked at Sparrow.
‘It’s finished,’ he said as Hammer and Garth weakly got to their feet.
‘What happens now?’ Hammer asked uncertainly.
‘Now it is time Sparrow gained her reward,’ Theresa said, appearing where Lucien once stood.
A wave of relief flooded Reaver’s cold heart as he stepped forward and embraced the startled Theresa. She then hugged him tightly the way she used to.
‘Don’t you dare scare me like that again!’ he growled.
‘Why should you care?’ she asked. ‘I thought you hated me.’
‘I was angry with you. There’s a difference.’
‘Then I’d hate to see what would happen if you do end up hating me,’ Theresa said as they broke apart. ‘Now, take my hand, Little Sparrow,’ she added.
Reaver watched as Sparrow hesitantly took Theresa’s hand, before they both disappeared. However, even though they were nowhere to be seen, the Heroes could still hear them talking. They heard Theresa explain that Sparrow could choose from one of three rewards. The first reward, Sacrifice, would return the loved ones who were killed during the construction of the Spire. The second reward, Love, would return Sparrow’s loved ones to her, while the third reward, Wealth, would give her more gold than she could possibly imagine.
Silence followed Theresa’s explanation, before Sparrow said confidently, ‘Sacrifice.’
This did not surprise Reaver, as Sparrow was like the Hero of Oakvale, who would have made the same decision before he died.
‘So be it,’ replied Theresa, as a pulse of energy erupted from the Spire. Reaver immediately knew her reward had been granted as his relatives reappeared.
‘We heard everything,’ said Hammer.
‘Yes, a wish was made and now all of Albion will have to live with the consequences,’ replied Theresa.
‘You have more strength than me,’ Hammer admitted. ‘I would have never been able to sacrifice my father.’
‘The Hero of Oakvale would have made the same sacrifice,’ Reaver informed Sparrow. ‘Those of the bloodline always make sacrifices.’
‘It was a difficult decision,’ Sparrow admitted, ‘but I had my image to maintain. If I didn’t have an image to worry about, I would have chosen Wealth.’
Everyone started at her.
‘What?’
‘Why would you want to choose Wealth?’ asked Garth. ‘What about your family?’
‘Who cares about them? They’re dead. Nothing can hurt them, but with wealth… imagine all the clothes I could have!’
‘I feel sorry for the bloke you marry,’ Reaver muttered. ‘He better be a patient and filthy rich man to deal with you.’
‘Hey!’
‘What do we do now?’ Hammer asked Theresa.
‘That all depends on you,’ replied Theresa. ‘I can send you anywhere from here.’
‘I wish to return home,’ Garth declared immediately, ‘to Samarkand.’
‘Oh, I’ve never been to Samarkand,’ Reaver said, looking highly interested, ‘with its hot nights, exotic substances and uninhibited people.’
‘It’s nothing like that!’ Garth said hastily.
‘Trust me, I’ll find the exciting bits.’
‘Fine, but stay out of my way,’ Garth huffed. He turned to Hammer. ‘Hammer?’
‘No. I’m done,’ Hammer replied, shaking her head. She turned to Sparrow. 'I know why we were attacked in the Wellspring Caves. You brought those hollow men in with you. Two monks would have found nothing, but a warrior finds battle... always. I want to go north,' she told Theresa. 'Study with those warrior monks. I was so sick of avoiding violence, but now I'm sick of causing it.'
'Well time to go,' Reaver said casually. 'Goodbye, Hero. I simply can't thank you enough for dragging me into this mess. Oh, I should tell you. I have to make the occasional sojourn back to Albion. I have an obligation to some friends in Wraithmarsh. So, until then.' 
Reaver smiled at her as Theresa sent him on his way. Maybe the kid wasn’t too bad after all. He had to admit that he had his doubts about her at first, but he was proud of her. She made their family proud. 
Written: 25 February 2013