Striton 21 - The Rage Within, Part 2 (Atlan)

Neither Miles nor Serina could do anything but defend 
themselves against Striton's blind charge. A pale orange 
glow eminated from the odd mark on his armor as he charged 
about with the Sword of Winds in hand. 

Miles fought desparately to keep the Sword of Winds away from 
him, parrying blow after rapid blow. He had never seen Striton 
fight like this before, and he didn't know how long it would be 
before he faltered and Striton's blade would find it's mark. With 
sweat dripping from his forehead, he pressed on, trying his best 
to not hurt his friend while Serina tried to figure out what had 
happened. She had taken to the sky and was circling about overhead, 
and was trying to break through the black aura surrounding Striton, 
trying to get into his mind so she could stop him. With every attempt, 
she would feel the sting of the black energy trying to get into her mind.

Serina soon realized that the situation was hopeless. Striton would 
never return to his senses. Their only hope was that they could trap 
him somewhere, get the armor off of him and hope that someday, his sanity 
would return...

Miles ducked out of the way of yet another fierce swipe. He was already 
feeling tired, but he continued to fight, hoping against hope for a miracle. 
Serina signaled him to get into the air. After getting a few feet between 
him and the enraged Mapakin, he lifted off so quickly that he felt nauseated. 

Surprisingly Striton didn't follow him. He immediately went towards the 
town square, and began hacking at the people there. The blood splashed 
onto the freshly cleaned sidewalk, reddening the streets. Miles and Serina 
stared in horror at the scene. The people began taking off in every direction, 
terror in their steps. Striton made his way to the exact center and thrust 
his sword directly into the central geyser. All around town, geysers began 
shooting out their hot water in unison, each one quickly growing in height.

"We have to stop him now!" Serina screamed to Miles. The two of them dived down 
to the street in front of Striton. Striton eyes were glowing a bright red as 
he mumbled. Serina's sensitive feet could feel the earth below trembling. "Miles! 
We have to get out of here now!" she screeched as she took to the sky.

Below, Miles stood dumbfounded. He could sense no reason why Serina had taken 
off so quickly. He turned back towards Striton. Striton abruptly withdrew his 
sword and took off to the sky. Miles watched as he flew up, above the clouds. It 
was only when the ground began to rumble that he understood.

He tried to get away, but it was too late. The ground beneath his feet exploded with 
the pressure that had been building below. He tried to shield himself, but to no 
avail. He howled for an instant in pain, and then howled no more, as both him and 
Striton's old armor disintigrated in the heat.

Serina watched in horror as she saw what had transpired below. The city streets 
buckled and broke, and a huge sinkhole appeared where the geyser had been. Debris was 
thrown high into the air, and only Serina's careful flying kept any of it from landing 
on her. "Miles..." she groaned as she flew away from the chaos, a tear falling towards 
the earth. There was nothing she could have done to save him, she knew, but he had been 
a very close friend. In anger, she began to look for Striton in the sky around her.

Down below, Roland and Rufus had been enjoying a nice game of cards when they heard 
a great explosion, and started seeing people running by the tavern. Both ran outside 
to find out what was going on. What they both saw filled them with terror. 
A geyser had exploded, and was shooting hot water hundreds of feet up into the air. 
Roland grabbed someone going by and asked what had happened.

The man, out of breath, screamed, "Striton is crazy! Striton is Crazy!!!" and broke free.

Roland allowed the man to leave. Roland and Rufus exchanged long stares and after 
readying their weapons, began to make their way through the people running towards 
the center of town.

What they found there was a deep hole in the ground, filling up slowly with boiling 
water from the earth below. It had once been the town square, and a nice market. 
Now, it was nothing more than a steaming lake. Rufus dropped a stick into the 
churning water and watched in dismay as it immediately turned into a puff of smoke.

"Whatever caused this must have been very powerful, as powerful as Striton is" 
Rufus remarked. 

"It was Striton...But why?" Roland pondered. He didn't have to think about it for 
long, as a sharp cough came from behind them.

They both whirled around, weapons ready, to see Striton standing there, about ten 
yards away, with both the Arms of Wind drawn and at his sides.

Rufus relaxed and walked towards Striton. As he got close, he asked, "Striton, 
did you do this?"

Roland saw Striton's eyes blaze red, but before he could say anything, Striton 
leapt at Rufus, slicing his throat with his sword. Rufus eyes opened in fear and 
then he crumpled to the ground, mortally wounded. His eyes looked up and he watched 
as Striton took one final slice.

Roland gasped as he watched Striton kick Rufus' head right off of his body. It rolled 
sickly and stopped but a few feet from Roland, it's face forever frozen in a look of 
terror. Roland looked away, trying to keep his sorrow in check.

Striton continued to approach Roland, unfazed by what he had just done. An evil-looking 
smile appeared on his face with every step he took. 

Roland could take it no more. In anger, he activated his axe and took aim at Striton's 
head. The fireball emerged, and flew directly for it's target. Roland watched, hoping it 
would stop the obviously insane man from getting any closer. 

In the blink of an eye, Striton knocked it away with his sword, and leapt directly 
at Roland, his weapons swinging. Roland did his best to keep out of the way, but Striton 
was prepared. His sword found the weak point in Roland's leg armor, and went clean through.

Roland screamed in pain as he hit the ground. His axe flew from his hand and landed 
several feet away. He rolled over to see half of his leg laying there, sliced off and 
still moving, but barely so. Striton walked deviously towards him, his red eyes gleaming 
as he swung his weapons menacingly. Roland prayed in a frenzy for a painless death or 
mercy. He closed his eyes.

It was over quicker then he thought.

Striton took off again after mowing down several more people. He flew in circles 
around town, diving and picking off the panicking people below. Serina watched 
in the distance, preparing a spell to stop Striton for good.

He found her before she was ready, and they began to fly about in the sky, fighting for 
any advantage they could. Serina worked desparately to finish her incantation for the 
spell of anger purging, the only thing she could think of that would stop him. The only 
thing she had going for her in the sky was that she could maneuver better than he could 
up here.

Not much better, she quickly found out, as he sliced at her leg. The burning sensation 
almost made her lose her concentration completely. Looking at her former love below her 
made her want to be sick. In anger and pain, she shot a firebolt at him, hoping to knock 
him to the ground.

Striton shrugged it off and continued after her. She tried every offensive spell she 
could think of.  Nothing worked, not even her healing magics. She began the incantation 
of anger purging, making the mystic marks in the sky. The air about her began to glow 
brightly as she continued the spell. She could see Striton coming at her, sword straight 
out, but she continued, knowing that she couldn't stop now.

The sword went through her chest just as she finished the spell, killing her instantly. 
Striton laughed maniacally as he hovered in the air, her slumped body on his sword. 
He was about to start chopping the limbs from her body when the magic began to take 
it's effect. Striton's eyes slowly turned back to normal.

Striton suddenly woke up, feeling his senses slowly come back to him. He could 
immediately tell that he was hovering in the air, something heavy on his sword. 
Then his sense of smell came back. The smell of sulpher was everywhere. His hearing came 
back, and he could hear the shouts and screams below, and the geysers erupting. When his 
taste came back, he could taste the salty taste of blood.

When his sight returned, he suddenly realized what was on his sword. The limp body of 
Serina lay upon it, her blood flowing town the blade towards his hand. Confusion entered 
his mind first, then utter sadness at what he had apparently done. He pulled Serina from 
his blade and held her dead form close to him, crying in great sobs upon her prone 
shoulder. Hovering in the air, he saw the damage done to the city of Atlan, from the 
town square to all the damage on the outskirts. Knowing that he had caused all this, 
he knew but one way to pay for the damage.

He ascended, Serina's body still in his arms, many miles up into the sky. He hovered 
there a few seconds, his guilty concionse knowing what it must do.

He dived towards the earth, gathering both the ether around him and the psionic energy 
of his mind together, forming a white field behind him, pushing him faster towards 
the earth below. He could feel his skin begin to melt away as he began to turn himself 
into pure energy, and Serina's body with him. Time began to dilate as he plummeted 
towards the center of Atlan below.

As he struck the ground, he was completely transformed into energy and all went white...

For several miles around, a great crater was formed in only seconds. For many more 
miles out, all vegetation was flattened. The entire town of Atlan was immediately 
vaporized, as were most of the people escaping. A thunderous noise was heard by all 
within a hundred-mile radius, and the earth itself shook from the violent, yet beautiful 
end of Striton, the last Mapakin Wind Master.

The crater soon filled with water from the ocean, and all traces of Atlan, save for 
the memories of those who were lucky enough to escape it's destruction, was lost 
in that single instant. Those who survived looked back on the now-filling bay and 
wondered to themselves about what had happened to the once kind master of the town.

And far away, in distant Evergreen, the woman who had caused it all smiled to 
herself. "One less enemy to worry about..."

________
End Striton 21...and of Striton.

This is the final chapter for Striton. I will remain on the mailing list for awhile, 
just to read all of your chapters. Atlan can be removed from the map, and replaced 
with a large bay that I would like to be called, "Striton's Bay"
If I have left any NPC's alive, anyone may use them, (Vin and Zerus are the only ones 
I can think of.) or kill them...

It's been a great couple years, and I wish I could stay on, but other things have ended 
up taking over my life. I really hope to hear from some of you, if at least to tell me 
that your glad Striton is finally gone.