Arsha and Oyed proceeded past the remaining three traps. One was poison gas which could be avoided by shooting the correct target, the next was the flame jets which was dealt with by walking on a concealed bridge, and the last was a spiked ceiling that lowered as they navigated a maze. Arsha nearly lost her helmet but got it back before the ceiling made full contact with the floor. They arrived at the central chamber where the midday sun gleamed through a window onto the floor where a pile of ash was. In that ash pile was a jagged, black crown with a single jewel in the center of it. Arsha looked to Oyed. “…What?” asked the former Titan.
“Any traps on the crown?” asked Arsha.
“He saw no need for any.” Arsha still gingerly picked up the crown, then regained her courage when it was confirmed that Oyed told the truth. She ripped the jewel out of the crown, then looked to the ash pile.
“Sorry, Your Majesty,” she said, “but the Realms need the Talkwen Stone right now.” She then looked to Oyed. “So, that’s all the traps?”
“That’s all the traps. The way back is clear.” Arsha and Oyed then headed back the way they came and returned to the sunlight. Arsha was met with the Hanthuus hugging her. Oyed simply rolled his eyes, then cleared his throat.
“Fine, a deal’s a deal,” she muttered. She pulled a phial of the antidote out of her armor’s carrying bag and Oyed goggled.
“You had the antidote with you the entire time?!” he snarled. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“Yeah, tell the poisoned ex-Titan who is SO known for not being opportunistic that I had the antidote,” snarked Arsha. “He’d NEVER leave me behind if he knew where the antidote was.” She handed him the phial. “Now, remember that the remains of your drink smoked when I added the antidote to it before finishing it?”
“What about it?” asked Oyed as he took the cork out of the phial.
“The smoke’s a gas. You’ll be burping and farting a lot.”
“I’d rather be gassy than dead.” Oyed guzzled the antidote, then his burps came out in five second intervals. They were rather tiny ones too. “Oh, come on!” he groaned. “How long’s this supposed to last?!”
“A full fifty hours,” replied Arsha. “But you won’t live that long.”
“Archers may nock!” called Lartin.
“What archers?!” demanded Oyed.
“Archers may draw!” ordered Lartin as she, her spouses, and everyone else pulled back. Archers of various species with various types of bows and crossbows then popped up from the rooftops, aiming their arrows at Oyed. Oyed then realized what was going on.
“You wouldn’t!” he snarled at Arsha. Arsha stepped forward.
“I would,” she said. “Through Yamta killing Calandra’s mother, you have taken that which we loved, the peace we enjoyed. You have also taken personally taken the life of the Coliamdii Kingdom’s Prime Minister, a good and dear friend to Queen Elmpam. You have erased Rellmeer’s husband from the face of the Realms! YOU HAVE KILLED MY COUSIN, TENDRAK!” Arsha then steadied her breathing. “…You have set us all against one another through Dr. Borg’s thrice-damned empire, weakening our people by your constant warfare! There might be a few Orcs who don’t care about that, but I think every single one of them, even the Orcs among the archers, care about how you ordered Intrag to create them by corrupting various Elves. Yes, I think they care about that a great deal. Malnar and Orbak gave their Prime Minister documents that proved that you took the most warlike of Under-realm Elves and tortured them, that YOU are responsible for giving Intrag shock-troopers that constructed death camps and genetic cleansing programs! You are responsible for their early, savage, and unkempt behaviors, and I think the Orcs would like to thank you personally for your efforts.”
“You can’t believe that!” he called to the Archers. “She’s lying!”
“Is she?!” called one of the archers. It was Moggle! “I’ve examined the documents! They are true! I think that’s more than sufficient inducement for a politician like me to actually get my hands dirty, don’t you think?” His fellows agreed with him.
“Oyed, it’s not enough for us to simply kill you,” continued Arsha. “I could have simply destroyed the antidote and let you die. But, through your death at the hands of those you foolishly think less of, you won’t get the satisfaction of dying at the hands of those you think is more powerful!”
“…NO! YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR HANDS BLOODY TO SEE ME DEAD! YOU SIGNED A BLOOD CONTRACT, DIDN’T YOU?!” shouted Oyed.
“That contract said that we wouldn’t rest until the Realm Trinity Empire is broken, it said nothing about us personally killing you. You will die alone. Goodbye, Oyed the Destroyer!” She then vanished from sight.
“ARCHERS MAY LOOSE!” shouted Lartin. Oyed ran as the arrows rained down on him. He was constantly blocked off by arrows landing in front of him, then an arrow pierced his shoulder, the pain halting him and forcing him to cry out. More arrows then struck him. He finally fell, supported by the arrows still embedded in him. Oyed, the former Titan, was now dead. “Cease fire!” called Lartin. The arrows stopped flying. She then gave a wry grin. “Archers may retrieve their arrows!”
Arsha had teleported to her ready room and saw the whole thing. Once the archers left their posts to get their arrows back, she switched the screen off and imagined a piano playing. She then started singing Zephyr gospel.
“No hidin’ place ‘round here! (‘Round here!)
There’s no hidin’ place ‘round here! (No hidin’ place!)
Y’know, I went to the wall to hide my face!
But the wall cried out ‘No hidin’ place!
There’s no hidin’ place ‘round here!’” Her door chime then rang. “Come in.” Denstra came in.
“Captain, intelligence reports an enemy build-up in the deserts north of here! Aldarval’s given the go-ahead for the entire fleet to attack at your command!”
“A chance like this doesn’t come but once in a life-time, Commander!” She hailed the fleet. “All ships, converge on the enemy’s position! This is our chance to end this!”