Indestructible, part 3

((Last part.... couldn't stop writing once I started x.x;;))

"Mai, guard Seik.... we can't have our precious flower taken from us, now, can we?" Alberic smirked at Sparhawk, slinging the sheathed sword onto his shoulder. Unwillingly, yet unable to resist the mastery in his voice, Mai backed up to stand beneath Seik, her eyes fixed on the black-armored form before them.

Sparhawk said nothing, asked nothing. He simply reached onto the sheath in his back and drew the long, black-bladed great sword, the steely rasp of the finely tempered steel leaving its scabbard seemed to echo through the tomb, and Alberic laughed in delight. "Good, that's good, Anakha!" he shouted joyfully, and brandished the sword in his arms as if it were drawn. "Now, let's fight!"

There was no trace of remorse or hesitation on Sparhawk's face; it was as if it were carved in stone, and when he charged at Alberic, his blade crackled with lightning as he swung it around in a powerful stroke. Alberic looked incredulous, delightedly so, as if this were more than he could have possibly expected; he parried Sparhawk's first, mighty swing with a swing of his own, the two men wielding the swords with brutal skill. Even as they clashed physically, Pandion-tempered steel meeting the ornate scabbard of Lightbringer again and again, the magical battle was just as intense, black lightning arcing from Sparhawk's hands and flame bursting from Alberic's maw. Sparhawk wasted no energy on words, and his flat, intense expression did not change one bit.

Lightbringer's sheath was not made for intense combat, and the brilliant blade within was exposed with each chop of Sparhawk's heavy black blade. Glittering white light shone forth from the cuts, and Alberic took full advantage, dazing Sparhawk with the light gleaming from the flat of the blade. Mai occasionally twitched as if to run to Alberic whenever Sparhawk's attacks came too close, but Alberic shook off the magical attacks impatiently. Fused with Bahamut, he was nearly the embodiment of the avatar, and Sparhawk's prodigious skill was not enough to surpass that.

Alberic blasted flame into Sparhawk's face, and he staggered back, scraping a gauntleted fist against his eyes, and Alberic launched himself at Sparhawk, driving his shoulder into the smaller man with a thrust of his wings. Sparhawk fell heavily to his knees, whipping a dagger out from his boot and driving it into Alberic's knee; the dragonkin screamed, his head whipping back, and
Mai could hold herself back no longer, charging forward and leaping at Sparhawk, screaming herself, made wild by Alberic's pain. Sparhawk lurched out of the way, rolling clumsily in his armor, lashing out at Mai with magic, and she fell heavily to the ground, bound to the spot--but her attack had diverted Sparhawk's attention enough that Alberic twirled on his good leg and ripped off Lightbringer's scabbard, burying the glowing blade into Sparhawk's back.

Sparhawk stiffened, looking down at the glowing, legendary blade sticking from his chest. Alberic laughed and laughed, a hysterical sound that caused Seik to stir on the beam above. "HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, YES! Die, Anakha! Die--and let me take your place!" Alberic extended a hand at Sparhawk as he fell heavily to his face. "Give me your power, give me your freedom! Let me be unbound from destiny as you are!!"

"Alberic!" Mai called weakly, still struggling against the Bind spell holding her in place, but her cry was drowned out by the scream of horror and anguish above them. "SPARHAWK!!!!" Seik was staring down at them as if her entire world was ending, struggling feebly against her bonds, staring down at Sparhawk with Lightbringer through his heart. Blood gushed from Sparhawk's body, pouring out onto the grass, dripping from crevices in his black armor.

Alberic turned away, his expression satisfied and exhausted, limping and dragging his bad leg. But a faint rattle from behind him made him turn, raising an eyebrow, a trail of blood winding down his cheek from a cut in his black hair.

Sparhawk was slowly pushing himself back up, his mail fists pushed into the muddy ground beneath him. "Are you still trying to fight?" Alberic said, his tone a mixture of amusement and amazement. "But you've lost. -I- am Anakha now."

Mai and Seik caught their breaths as Sparhawk reached back around himself and slowly pulled Lightbrighter from his body. Blood flowed even more freely from the wound, but he came to his feet, his eyes fixed implacably on Alberic, and he raised the legendary sword, taking up his black blade with the other. Alberic took a step back, dumbfounded. "But... but how... this is impossible!! You are DEAD!"

Sparhawk charged at Alberic, the weakness of his wounds seeming to fall away as if they had never happened, and whirled both immense blades at Alberic, driving him back; the black blade sheared off one of Alberic's twisted horns, and it went flying, impaling itself into the earth; the other chopped into Alberic's arm, and he tossed his head back like a wounded dragon, breathing flame, but Sparhawk blocked it with the flat of Lightbringer's radiant blade; Mai tried to run to Alberic, but the Bind spell held her fast, and she could do nothing but watch in horror as Sparhawk drove Alberic to the base of the beam holding Seik, and for the first time, Sparhawk spoke.

"Now, I end this."

He reared back, and Alberic lunged, but Sparhawk's arms were faster, burying both swords deep into Alberic, pinning him to the base of the beam, Lightbringer in his chest and the black sword in his belly. Alberic did not even scream, staring up at the star-filled sky as if incomprehending; blood poured from his unresisting lips and he grinned faintly, unseeing. Sparhawk straightened, looking at Alberic pitilessly, the flow of blood from his armor having ceased; Alberic slowly lowered his gaze to meet Anakha's, and understanding dawned within them. "I see..." he whispered, his voice strangled, and a slow rattle filled his throat. "A... Anakha is...."

Then, his head sagged back against the beam, and his body turned into light and dissipated into the night.