52. By The Sword | Beyond the Firmament: Tales From the Cosmos

Beyond The Firmament

Tales From The Cosmos

52. By The Sword

- Written by Gift C Enyadike Jr

The Titaness, Fari Hasira and the Arbiter, Diohlatas, were locked in pursuit. Even in his weakened, withering state, he would not be so easily caught or subdued. After all, he had been on par with the Archs, who themselves could challenge Onárstil at his brightest, who was second only to Da Suun, who is Da Vaada.

The chase spanned the full breadth of space, back and forth, past the Jarwan worlds that remain, the stars, the very Earth itself. 

Diohlatas would leave a trail of black feathers behind. With each one that fell, he became slower and slower. Too slow for this to continue. So he led her back to what had once been the Chiliad front. The place where they had fought together for a thousand years.

At once, he turned around and drew his blades again. She charged full force, only to feel them from every direction.

"Blinded by rage, White. As always."

"Hypocrite, you are, Avenger!"

"I am the only one who SEES! In service to the Adversary was everything we have ever done. By the will of the Father!"

She found an opening and struck him.

"The Evil One bore us false witness! Why give HIS testimony such weight?!"

Again, she felt his blades, losing more and more of her essence, which became dust as the stars do. It was during this assault that Diohlatas answered.

"He IS testimony! He is the living image of all that is WRONG and he... still... LIVES!"

"Evil's... defeat... is inevitable."

"Good enough, that is NOT!"

Again, she found an opening and struck him even harder, "YOUR defeat is inevitable."

He opened all of his remaining eyes again and bore into her with a level of loathing that is unmatched to this day.

"Saved you many times, I have, bastard child of Heat and Light. The one who ends you, I am."

She matched his hatred with her rage, now burning hotter and shining brighter than ever before. When he moved to attack her with his blades, she moved faster and struck him, again and again and again. 

She then gripped one of his wings and, with all of her might, tore it off. And then another and another and another and another and another after that. 

He was left unarmed, blinder than he had been before and completely at her mercy, which she showed him by taking him back to Udamu, so that they could both be judged.