Disclaimer is on chapter one

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Deathbringer

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The giant stone doorway loomed high above them almost as if they were the maw of some grey behemoth closed for now but ready to open and snap shut at a moment's notice on the four heroes who stood before it pondering over how they should proceed forward passed this latest of hurdles on their quest to face Xiphos.

"Do you sink we can just open zis gate?" Fleurette asked almost as innocently as it was curious.

She squeaked when Sabre, to whom she was still holding onto, stepped closer to the stone doorway until the two were within arm's length. He then motioned to the healer to go ahead and 'open' the door. Having not expected such a response, Fleurette had then decency to look nervous and a tad embarrassed as she brought up her staff and cautiously tapped the door a couple times, as if knocking on a mere wooden door.

The resounding click like the sound of a lock being undone had the girl almost jumping into her hero's arms as the two stepped away on instinct as the door swivelled open revealing a long stone corridor leading into the bowels of the Deathbringer's lair.

It was almost too easy, like an illusion or dream the heroes had somehow stumbled into without their realising. It was clearly evident that Xiphos was expecting them and, perhaps foolishly, decided to humour their quest to destroy him. That or wished to crush their hopes and desires of ending what should have been done five years ago.

Almost instinctively, Fleurette's grip on Sabre's arm intensified. Her brother was somewhere inside probably in Xiphos' very grasp- how she knew of this she could not say. The thought terrified her and it was only the feeling of Sabre squeezing back that gave her courage.

"So, we're finally on the Devil's doorstep. Keep your wits about you, kids. The monsters in here will be tougher than anything we've seen before" Claymore warned.

Being a veteran of battle, Claymore knew that, to truly have a chance of trouncing Xiphos, they would need to be in top form. His eyes lingered longer on his son than the others. Of them all, Sabre was the most in need of a brief return to Avalonia yet he doubted the boy would budge even if the lass attached to his arm were to ask him.

"Well, the gate is open. It'd be rude not to drop in" Claymore sighed squaring his shoulders as he stood beside his son and the lass. "Aye, it's time to settle some old scores"

"Let us tarry not a moment longer!" Anlace pressed taking his place alongside them.

As one, the four heroes marched stepped into the castle of madness towards the final battle.

~#~

It was not so much a castle, or citadel rather, as more some sort of demonic labyrinth. The corridor opened out into what could only be described as a valley between rows of jagged rocks and lined with rivers of magma with paths leading off and further away to Goddess knows where. More ominous was the sight of a towering stone Cyclops leering at them in the far distance which the centre pathway seemed to be leading towards.

Daunted but not discouraged, the four boldly marched onwards with the prince bravely leading the group followed closely by Claymore while Fleurette and Sabre watching their backs. Sabre in particular, was looking quite grim as they soldiered on.

With his sword arm, his entire body for that matter, taxed from having gone through many hardships throughout the day, the swordsman had no choice but to hold back from spearheading their quests like he usually did. Even on the trip through the parted red sea, he had merely allowed the others a greater share of the fiends unlike now where he had resigned himself to being Fleurette's shield and protecting the healer until the time came to facing off against the Deathbringer.

Until then, he had to endure sticking to the back of the group as wave after wave of the Deathbringer's minions came at them. Trolls, demons, Cyclops, even slimes, bats and archers, it was an attrition gauntlet designed to whittle away at them, perhaps even kill them off before they reached their destination wherever in this accursed citadel it may be.

Against the overwhelming odds, the group managed to force their way through the throngs of enemies and passed through the mysterious portal the giant cycloptic statue was guarding to find themselves suddenly being pulled towards one place in particular.

The room was barren for lack of a better word looking like some sort of throne room from the Spartan days of yore. What captured the group's attention was not the décor or sinister throne that was placed before an empty window that showed a clear view of a portal into the realm of darkness however, but the prone figure lying before it.

"Aruval!" Fleurette cried out seeing the crippled form of her brother just lying there.

There were wounds covering the transformed monk's body, wounds fresher than those he had sustained against Sabre and Claymore not even half a day earlier, suggesting that he had either crossed paths with Xiphos or had had the misfortune of running into a score of the Deathbringer's minions after his demonic layer had risen from the magmatic underworld. Just the sight of him made Claymore want to rip the one who did this limb from limb then scatter the remains to the four corners of the world.

"Thank you all for coming. In mere moments, I shall reclaim my body from this worthless vessel…" A sinister voice chuckled as a familiar silhouette materialised above the throne its beady red eyes aglow with malicious content. "And you shall witness the fruition of my plan"

It had been time consuming and sacrificial but it had been his own fault for underestimating the pitiful cretins and their persistence. Never the less, he was Xiphos, the bringer of death, thus rightfully, he controlled life and death accordingly including his own. Before being smote from the world, at the great cost of his power and strength, Xiphos had separated his spirit from his body and concealed them within the bodies of his enemies: the widowed queen and the exhausted monk.

As his strength and power slowly returned, the two unwitting vassals gradually began to learn of his presence within them forcing one to disappear from civilisation while the other attempted to imprison him within an ancient artefact that he was most familiar with. As luck would have it, the Queen's foolish peons assumed it was the mask controlling her not him and had destroyed the wretched thing unaware that they had just removed the one thing that could have slightly improved their odds of defeating him.

But the mask was now gone, his citadel and minions had returned and all that stood before him now were four miserable little humans wracked with fatigue and injuries.

The time of the resurrection and resumption of the reign of he, Xiphos the Deathbringer, had come!

Raising incorporeal arms, black tendrils shot from his fingertips spearing the unconscious form of Aruval. The cries of pain coming from the mutated monk as he took back what was rightfully his tugged on his heartstrings: how long had it been since he had last heard such melodious tones? It felt like an age, no a millennia since he had heard someone cry out like such.

Watching in horror as her brother arched his back in such a way he was becoming a human archway, Fleurette forgot all about Sabre and the others and ran to Aruval's side preparing to use her magic to expel the evil befouling him.

Before her spell could surge forth from her staff, the black shadow of the Deathbringer suddenly dove to the ground creating a fog of darkness sending the healer stumbling backwards into Sabre who had managed to catch her before landing hard on the ground herself.

As the black fog lifted, a new figure strode forth from the dissipating mist wielding a lethal longsword.

"Humanity shall bow down to a new order of terror, misery, despair and death!" Xiphos declared swinging his blade at them in a show of force.

"Nay, Xiphos! For we bring that to you!" Anlace declared standing brave and tall alongside the hero, swordsman and healer all of them drawing their weapons as one. "To arms, comrades, for Goddess, Queen and country!"

Smirking at their foolish bravado, Xiphos confidently strode towards them with blade poised to skewer the first of the fools who believed they could take him. With a rallying cry, Anlace surged forth, his rapier spearing the air towards the Deathbringer's heart- if he actually had one that was. As Xiphos made to bring down his blade atop the prince's head, his eyes widened when Sabre suddenly appeared in his field of view and batted away the sword with Rednusadner forcing him to back step to avoid Anlace's lunge then send a riposte the swordsman's way.

Deflecting the blow, Sabre lunged at Xiphos with Rednusadner arcing towards Xiphos left flank before suddenly feinting and backing away as Anlace suddenly appeared as if from nowhere and almost cutting Xiphos face had the Deathbringer not managed to twist to the side in time.

As the prince and swordsman continued to whittle away at their opponent using their speed, reflexes and trust in one another, Xiphos himself was beginning to get agitated and showed this by swinging his blade down and deadlocking with both of his opponents' swords. Smirking at the belief that they had not the strength to match against him now that they were locked together, Xiphos soon found himself surprised as the two puny humans pushed their locked blades up high leaving his torso open for a powerful fire spell from Claymore that broke the deadlock and sent the Deathbringer colliding several columns before coming to land in a heap by the wall buried beneath the rubble created from his flight.

Now more agitated than before, Xiphos returned the favour by using his own magic to banish the rubble surrounding himself at the four only for the broken columns and stone to bounce harmlessly off the barrier Fleurette cast over them. The Deathbringer barely had time to stand up before finding himself under assault from Sabre whose blade was but an arc of light that he was barely able to fend off. As suddenly as the assault started, the swordsman backed off just as quickly. The reason becoming evident as Anlace and Claymore had combined their spells into one powerful attack that knocked the Deathbringer clean off his feet once more to end up right at the foot of his throne unmoving.

"Is…he defeated?" Anlace voiced as the Deathbringer slowly brought himself onto one knee.

"Not likely, lad. Don't let your guard down" Claymore warned already preparing another spell to send the Deathbringer's way. They had just provoked the sleeping lion and now the lion was awake, in a bad mood and hungry for blood.

"I see you have grown stronger since our meeting five years ago" Xiphos conceded as he rose to his feet. "Unfortunately for you, the same can be said of me"

As he spoke, wisps of darkness began to form and swirl around him condensing and rising until the Deathbringer was hidden by a column of darkness.

"By way of proof, savour now…the splendor…of my true form!"

Exploding outward in a burst of red light, the four warriors shielded their eyes from the blast the sheer force of the wind almost forcing them to step back. Once the light receded, the four could not prevent the shiver of fear brush up their spines as they gazed upon the now towering, draconic form of the Deathbringer whose size had completely destroyed the roof to his own throne room.

"He looks nothing like in ze tableau now!" Fleurette gasped comparing the Deathbringer before her to the stone tablet that once adorned the mountain where the citadel now stood.

Cackling at the fear that had washed over them, Xiphos calmly strode over to his throne which came apart easily to reveal that it was actually several weapons and a shield that he could easily wield in his new form: a towering greatsword for his sword arm; a spiked cestus for his lower left arm and a large rectangular shield for his upper left arm while his upper right arm remained free so as to cast whatever dark magicks he so wished.

"So, humans! Shall we?" He challenged. "True terror, morbid misery and dire despair! I will teach you how to feel them all!"

With his foes still trying to comprehend his new form, Xiphos lunged at them with blade and cestus bared and hungry for their blood. It was reflexes alone that saved them from being either skewered or cut in two.

Quickly recovering, Claymore and Anlace sent a barrage of spells at Xiphos who merely raised his shield to deflect them. With his view of them now obstructed by his own equipment, Sabre took the chance to close the distance between him and the Deathbringer. Having not noticed the swordsman's approach, Xiphos had no time to raise any of his weapons to block Rednusadner whose silver arc left a gash across his massive torso.

"Obnoxious pest!" Xiphos growled lifting a massive foot in an attempt to squash Sabre as he tried to fall back.

So engrossed in trying to crush the swordsman, Xiphos had left himself wide open to a strong lightning spell from Claymore that caught the Deathbringer square in the side of his face. As that happened, Anlace's rapier scored a direct hit on the Deathbringer's unguarded leg forcing him once more to his knees.

"Yah may be bigger, Xiphos, but that jus makes you a bigger target!" Claymore taunted earning the attention of the Deathbringer as he stood up.

"Then come! Bring death to the Deathbringer, if you dare!" Xiphos challenged raising his greatsword high above him and swung it in wide arcs above his head.

As the greatsword gained more centrifugal force the more it was swung, an orb of dark red energy began to form gradually growing bigger and bigger until it was as big in diameter as an average adult male was tall.

"Now…FALL!" Xiphos roared as he cut the dark orb clean in two unleash a surge of malefic energy towards those who opposed him.

Acting on instinct, Sabre swiftly unleashed the Master Stroke technique he had used to part the red sea the interlocking arcs of light cutting through the forces of darkness just as easily as it had done the lava previously. Unfortunately, with his strength hindered by his fatigued body, the attack could only hold out so long before succumbing to the opposing darkness shattering like brittle glass before the evil torrent which surged forth to strike the four warriors who could do naught but become engulfed by the attack.

Laughing in satisfaction as his Master Stroke Technique kicked up a cloud of dust, Xiphos patiently waited for the dust to settle before taking in what remained of the four warriors caring naught for the destruction of his throne room.

Of the four, he could only see the males, the frail wench probably wiped clean from the realm most likely, yet none of them were in any condition to continue their battle. Claymore, the very man he had disarmed during their last meeting, was experiencing the loss of his right arm once more, the metal replacement now in pieces from the force of the Technique whereas the orphaned son of King Excalibur appeared to be out cold. As for the son of Claymore…

Xiphos could not help but feel shocked when he saw the red clad swordsman suddenly rise to his feet with Rednusadner in hand. Sure, only one out of four had died from his Technique, but it could not be possible for someone to take it head on and still stand before him. As if hearing his thoughts, Sabre suddenly collapsed to his knees with Rednusadner falling from his almost lifeless hands to be used no more in their battle unaware that the Deathbringer was now breathing easier now that it was seen that he could no longer fight.

"You should have abandoned hope. Defeating me was impossible to begin with" Xiphos chuckled darkly as he stepped towards the weary swordsman who looked to be using up what little strength he had left to stop from collapsing again. "Still, to have pushed me this far, I shall be lenient and grant you a swift finish!"

Aiming the duel pronged point of his greatsword at the swordsman, Xiphos speared his weapon towards Sabre who was too weak to even attempt to avoid the impending death. Staring at the oncoming form of his demise, Sabre was suddenly shocked to find himself being pushed aside to be finding himself literally kissing the ground while his saviour took the blow meant for him, her petit frame skinny enough that she was able to cheat death but become stuck between the two blades that made up the Deathbringer's greatsword.

"So, you managed to survive after all" Xiphos chuckled lifting up his greatsword to get a better look at Fleurette who did nothing to hide her anger and contempt for the Deathbringer for what he had done to both her brother and her hero. "Any last words before I kill you"

Her response was neither voiced nor not at all ladylike. Gathering phlegm and saliva, Fleurette showed just how lethal she could be by spitting right in the Deathbringer's eye. In response, Xiphos channelled his magic through his greatsword causing the healer to suddenly scream in pain as dark lightning surged through her.

"You may have survived my Master Stroke Technique, but you squandered it by taking that fool's place!" Xiphos jeered eventually relinquishing his spell to give her a brief respite to think over her foolishness.

He was therefore surprised when, despite feeling like she had been burned up from the inside, Fleurette managed to sneer back at him.

"You are ze fool, Xiphos!" She taunted him despite her position. "After all, only fools look away from zeir foes at the worst of times!"

Confused at first, Xiphos quickly turned his attention back to Sabre just in time to see the swordsman come flying at him and unleash three arcs of intertwining gold light that seared his face and arms causing him to drop his weapons and clasp his burning features. Bracing herself for the impact with the ground, Fleurette was surprised when she felt herself become cushioned within a wind sphere allowing her to float harmlessly to the ground.

"This is absurd!" Xiphos snarled prying his hands away from his face to glare at the four who continued to stand before him to deny him of his rightful fate. "I am the Bringer of Death! You cannot bring Death unto me!"

That was when he saw it, clenched in the swordsman's left hand, the Rorrim Mask! But, he had seen the swordsman himself cut it clean in two. It could not- should not be possible for it to be repaired in this day and age!

Weakened as he was, Xiphos could do not to stop the accursed mask from flying towards him and adorn his face. As he felt his body begin to petrify, all he could do was cry out in despair as he watched Rednusadner, firmly latched to the swordsman's hand with the bandages that had once adorned his arm, bear down on him sending him back to the darkness from whence he once came.

"At last! The demon is dead!" Anlace cheered or at least attempted to as he stood doubled over trying to regain his bearings after such a critical battle.

"Aye, lad. There's no mistake it this time" Claymore grinned as he stood up albeit unsteadily as he had a tad more weight on one side thank to the loss of his metal arm. "Xiphos is an ex-arch-villain"

True to form, Sabre said nothing as he untied Rednusadner from his numb grasp allowing the appendage to hang limply as he returned his weapon to its place on his back with his left hand. If one were to listen carefully enough, they would have heard the silent swordsman let out a quiet sigh of relief safe in the knowledge that he would not be fighting for a while.

While the three men celebrated in their own way, Fleurette postponed her own celebrations in favour of searching for her brother who she had lost track of ever since Xiphos had become whole once again if for a scant amount of time. Ignoring the pain in her sides from her brazen foolishness in protecting Sabre, the healer soon spotted the prone form of her elder brother among the rubble barely taking note of the fact that he was once again human as she rushed towards him and began using her healing magic to revive him. As the others approached her, Fleurette's heart skipped a beat when she saw Aruval's eyes flicker open darting about unfocused before finally training on her.

"Fleurette?" He croaked groggily as if just waking up after a night at the pub with Claymore which was something he strongly felt like doing after the horrors he had just experienced.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, the healer flung her arms around Aruval's neck as she sobbed into his chest. For his part, Aruval bit back the groan as he patted his little sister on the head in comfort. It would have been a very touching scene were the ground to not suddenly quaking beneath their feet.

"The whole place is coming down!" Claymore swore somehow managing to keep his footing despite his impaired equilibrium. "Everyone out!"

Even with only one arm now, Claymore quickly reminded the others why he was one of the heroes who first defeated Xiphos by helping Aruval to his feet then slinging the monk's arm over his shoulders before following after Anlace who had managed to locate the exit followed quickly by Fleurette and Sabre.

As the now five heroes pushed their fatigued and aching bodies to limits and beyond, none of them dared to look back to see what was happening to the defeated Deathbringer's layer now that he had been truly vanquished. Ignoring their protesting limbs and worn out lungs, it was only once Fleurette had reached the sanctuary of the giant stone archway that led to the outside world did she finally look back the way she had come and promptly felt her heart stop.

Wracked with fatigue, pains and exhaustion, Sabre had slowly started to fall behind the others and was now pushing his body to, if not beyond breaking point to keep ahead of the crumbling pathway lest he wished to be burned alive by the molten lava that was eating up the crumbling citadel. Calling upon whatever dregs of strength he had left in his all but depleted reserves, Sabre made a running leap as he felt the ground beneath him give way. Even through tired eyes, he could easily see he was not going to make it this time and allowed his eyes to close praying to the Goddess for fatigue to overcome him before he landed in the lava as gravity took hold.

He was not expecting something to catch on the buckler of his left arm sending him face first into the cliff face below. Blinking the stars from his eyes, Sabre looked up to see a strained Fleurette clasping hold of his wrist with both hands even going so far as to ruin her finely manicured nails by digging them into the leather gauntlet in an attempt to prevent him from falling.

What are you doing?! Just let go! He silently pleaded to her knowing she could easily understand what he was saying. He could see the strain she was in trying to hold on to him and with both hands clasping on to him, she had no way of preventing herself from tumbling down into the lava along with him.

In response, Fleurette could only shake her head even if she did feel herself slowly start to slide over the edge. It was evident that she would rather die than let go of him even if her brother was now safe and free from Xiphos curse.

As things started to look bleak for them, three, or rather two and a half pairs of hands clasped hold of the healer and slowly began to pull her up along with the swordsman until he was high enough up for Claymore to clasp his son's collar and haul him up and over the edge onto firm ground.

"You're not dying on me now, lad! Your mam'd never forgive me!" Claymore groaned as he all but sent Sabre flying through the air to land in a heap at his feet.

Too exhausted for words, Sabre merely smiled up at his old man knowing that his father knew that he was silently telling him thanks and that he was not going to die just yet especially if a certain healer still clasping his left wrist had anything to say about it.

~#~

Even from within the depths of Avalonia Castle, Sabre could still hear the sounds of celebrations as he made his way through the castle to where the partying was. No sooner had they returned victorious from their quest, Minister Misericord, despite what his name might imply, had declared a 'jolly good knees-up' as he put it signifying that a repeat of last night should happen- only this time to mark the permanent defeat of the Deathbringer.

As the preparations began, the five were ushered to the medical wing and were swiftly given clean bills of health aside from Sabre who had accidently fallen asleep as he was being treated explaining as to why he was only now heading to the party unlike the others. Nobody blamed him for dozing off though, after the day he had experienced, despite his now impressive reputation he was still human after all and required rest just as much as the next man.

Quickly rounding a corner, Sabre barely had time to register Fleurette in front of him before colliding with the surprised healer only just managing to get his arms round her waist to prevent her from being knocked down.

"You're awake!" She squeaked evidently shocked to see him up and about so soon after dozing off. "I would have thought you would still be asleep after all you had accomplished today but it seems you have proven me wrong once again, non?"

Sabre merely shrugged his shoulders his eyes saying something along the lines of 'I try' to the healer causing her to smile softly at him. Noticing that he still had his arms around her, Fleurette wasted no time in looping her own arms around her hero and hugging her tightly. For his part, while not really understanding what was going, Sabre tightened his hold on the petit Lolita taking in the small sigh she let out as a good sign as she nestled her face into his shoulder.

"Merci, Blade. If it were not for you, I don't sink I would have ever seen my brother again" She whispered quietly withholding the fact that she would not have been around today either if it were not for him but reckoned he probably knew that.

"I wouldn't be here if not for you either" Sabre replied causing Fleurette to stumble from his grasp in shock at him actually speaking up.

The shock quickly turned into mirth and laughter which rang through the halls before she could collect herself. Ever since their paths had crossed, she had been trying to get him to actually speak to her casually and while he did do so vocally now and again, this was the first time he had done so under pleasant circumstances.

"Bon, now close your eyes" She told him suddenly earning a look of confusion from the silent swordsman. "Today was your birthday, non? I want to give you your gift now while zere is still time"

Suddenly feeling wary of the girl before him, Sabre quickly gave in to her pleading eyes and, if somewhat reluctantly, closed his own. No sooner had his sight become engulfed in darkness did he feel a pair of familiar arms loop round his neck quickly followed by a pair of soft lips press against his own. Quickly snapping his own eyes open, Sabre was just in time to see a blushing Fleurette pull away from him with a satisfied smile plastered to her face.

"Bon anniversaire, mon amor. Perhaps, once we are both more rested, we can pick up where we left of, non?" She winked flirtatiously before attempting to take her leave.

A sudden tug on her wrist and Fleurette quickly found herself facing Sabre again before feeling weak in the knees as he kissed her. Perhaps they would be continuing sooner that she first thought.

~#~

Even down an arm, Claymore could still put away the ale while goading on a flustered Anlace who was currently the centre of attention of a gaggle of pretty lasses. There were a few real beauties he would not mind sampling himself among the group- if he were not married, of course- and it was right amusing watching His Highness try to keep his composure among them and not look pleased at the attention he was getting from them.

The sound of a body dropping into the seat beside him had Claymore twist round to see his son had finally graced them with his presence…and looked ready to drop off again any second.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to join us. I have to say, you look partied out and we haven't even started yet, lad" Claymore teased easily guessing where his son had been and with whom seeing as a certain young lass was still nowhere to be seen and would likely not show up until after making herself more presentable.

Knocking back the last of his drink, the father of the hero Sabre rose from his seat and beckoned for the lad to follow.

"Don' be getting too comfortable there, lad. There's still one job left for you to do" He told his son who reluctantly rose from his seat to follow. "The whole of Avalonia's waiting to see the great hero who defeated Xiphos. After that, you an the lass can do as you please 'til dawn for all I care"

Claymore's laughter rang out as his blushing son shoved him hard while muttering something along the lines of 'shut up!' to him. His son was definitely a man now or soon would be.

~#~

Standing on the balcony from which the royalty of Avalonia would normally address the people of their kingdom, Sabre could not help but stare slightly in awe at the sea of faces cheering him. He might not show it, but he was actually feeling a tad nervous right now.

"Everyone is waiting for you to say something" Anlace said standing on Sabre's right.

"You could shout out somezing like, 'Xiphos is dead! Long live Avalonia!', n'est-ce pas?" Fleurette offered her lover energetically now looking far more presentable than when they had last seen each other not that long ago.

"Take no notice of them, lad. Now's not the time for words" Claymore advised his son holding up Rednusadner for him to take. "Just raise this sword of yours above your head"

Now that, was something he could do. Taking his namesake firmly in his right hand, Sabre raised Rednusadner towards the heavens and the crowds below raised their voices in response. For a silent person like him where actions spoke louder than words, that simple gesture said plenty.

~#~

Far to the northeast where what was once a demonic citadel of a terrible foe, a lone tear of light dropped down from the heavens. As the light touched the barren and scorched earth, the land was engulfed in a brief flash of light that dwindled to reveal a towering mountain much more pleasing to a traveller's eye than what once was.

Carved clearly into the side by who could only have been a master sculpture, a large tableau could be seen depicting four brave souls who had stood up to this great foe and how they had defeated him telling future generations of their tale should this foe arise again to terrorize the world…

~#~

Fin

~#~#~#~

I cannot believe I have finally finished this! Seriously, this should have only taken eight or so months to do not two & three quarter years.

Alright, rantings aside, thank you all who read & reviewed this work & thank you for your patience.

Watch this space, peace out & MERRY CHRISTMAS!