I could not believe what had just occured. Everything was gone. My home, my lord, and the kingdom I had fought so long and hard to help build were all just a memory now. My once thriving and beautiful world was now just a barren husk.

Images flashed through my mind.

I saw my servants bodies burning in piles. Pillars of smoke billowed into the sky blocking out Soren's twin suns.

I saw women and children engulfed in flames. They flesh melted from their bodies and dripped to the ground as they cried out in agony.

Last, I saw my lord reduced to ashes on his throne. His crown was blacked with soot as it crashed down through his body scattering it in all directions.

All of them shared the same final words. Their pain filled screams echoed through my mind over and over. "You have failed us Malek! You have killed us all!"

This was my fault. I had not prepared enough. I had let my lord put his trust in me then panicked. I had not followed his orders and surrendered. Why didn't I surrender? Why did I kill them?

I fell to my knees. My tear filled eyes remained locked on the dead grey orb that was once an image of my world. My lips quivered uncontrollably as I attempted to speak. No words escaped my lips.

The words of the dead continued to echo through my mind, ripping through my psyche like a farmers sickle through his harvest. "Failed us Malek! Killed us Malek! Failed us! Killed us!" Over and over they screamed.

The words paralyzed me. Nothing in the universe seemed to matter anymore. All that I had ever been, all that I had ever believed in, was gone. I was nothing, just a broken man kneeling before the image of the world his victims called home. A failure, too incompetent to utter two simple words for his king. "We surrender." It was not a complicated task. Just two simple words.

As tears rolled freely down both of my cheeks, I managed to utter two simple words, these were quite different than the ones I was sent to deliver. "I'm sorry."

The artificial voice of Nessus over powered the screams in my mind. His words lifted the guilt induced haze around me. Even now I heard no emotion from him. His tone was as constant now as the first time he spoke.

"You may go Malek. Our business is concluded."

I managed to pull my gaze from Sorens dead image. I looked to Technomancers wrinkled limp form. My guilt turned rapidly to pure hatred.

He had just slain millions, yet remained apathetic to it all. This was no crusader attempting to bring peace to the universe. He did not care who or what he destroyed to achieve his goals. He was the devil and every soldier that followed him formed his pack of demons. Indeed I had entered hell itself. With the righteous cloak removed, the line between good and evil became crystal clear.

I rose to my feet gripping the hilt of my blade with all of my strength. At last there was no confusion, no panic, no choices left to make. My course of action was clear. The beast which destroyed my world would die, or slay me and wipe the last trace of it from the universe.

There were no words left to trade. The screams of the dead changed their chant. "Kill him Malek! Avenge us Malek! Kill him! Avenge us!" The dead did not have to convince me, but their blood thirsty chorus did reinforce my resolve.

I clenched my jaw tight, then rushed toward the Technomancers defenseless form. I skid to a stop just one foot from the throne planting my feet. I put my momentum and all of my body weight behind one diaginal slash at his body.

Time slowed to a crawl as the scene unfolded. My blade started downward. The chant of Soren's citizens was replaced by the sound of my pounding heart. The blade continued its journey toward the Technomancer. Vengeance was at hand. My sword neared his shoulder. One foot to go before it ripped into his withered flesh and began splitting him down the middle.

At that moment his head lifted. Time slowed even more. My blade was just six inches from his shoulder. Only a split second left until victory was mine. His blood would splatter across my face. It would coat my armor. I would lick the crimson fluid from my lips as I cut him limb from limb.

Destiny had other plans. The Technomancer opened his eyes. There were a clouded white, just dead orbs in their sockets. They locked with mine. Time now stopped completely. My blade was just three inches from his shoulder.

We stared at each other for what seemed like hours, the slayer of Soren and its last survivor eye to eye. One of us was destined to perish this day. I would not be denied my victory. He would not go down so easily.

Energy arced in his eyes. Each tiny bolt flowed over their clouded surface like yellow streams of liquid. Time was beginning to move again. My blade had just two more inches to go.

It would never reach its destination. A shockwave eminated from the Technomancer. Pain flooded through my body as I felt my feet leave the ground. I was thrown through the air like a rag doll by the force of its impact.

I hit the ground hard on my back, then slid another thirty feet to the stairwell. I nearly blacked out, but managed to stay conscious long enough for the pain to subside.

Time resumed its normal flow. I scrambled to my feet then locked my gaze on Nessus once again. I furrowed my brow as my fury continued to build. I stepped into a fighting stance preparing for a second assault.

The Technomancer rose from his throne. His eyes continued to glow with magic power. His fingers crackled with energy. The cables embedded in his flesh swayed overhead as he took a few steps toward me.

His lips did not move as the artificial voice filled the chamber. "Our business is finished Malek. You do not have to die today. You may go."

I sneered and began moving toward him slowly. I had no response to give. Our business was not finished and I would not go. Soren did not have to die today, yet it did. If I was meant to die so be it. I would go to the gods as a warrior rather than slink away in defeat.

I rushed ahead once again as I let out a battle cry. "For Soren!"

The Technomancer lifted his hand toward me. Magic flowed from his fingertips as the chamber echoed with the sound of thunder. A bolt of pure energy streaked toward me. Again I was flung backwards.

I could feel it coarsing through my body. My skin grew hot rapidly. I could feel blisters forming on my flesh and energy arcing between my teeth as I cried out in agony. The smell of burnt flesh filled my lungs.

Nessus ended his onslaught. The energy disappeared, but the pain remained. Wave after wave raced through me. It was almost unbarable.

I rolled to my stomach and grit my teeth. The blisters which covered my body began bursting as they rubbed against the inside of my armor. I groaned. I took a few deep breaths then pushed myself to my knees. The action took all of my will as I struggled with consciousness, my eye lids feeling heavy. The chamber seemed to alternate between light and dark.

The voice filled my ears. Even now its tone was unfaultering. "I do not wish to kill you Malek. Go. Leave me. There is much I must do."

It's lack of emotion only fueled my own. I used my anger to strengthen my body. I staggered to my feet as a I coughed a few times. The effort sent more waves of pain through my body. I rested my eyes on the Technomancer as I stood there, gathering my strength for a few seconds.

He did not approach as his arm remained outstretched towards me, prepared to finish me with one final magical assault if nesseccary.

I took a few deep breaths then lowered my head. I turned away from him and took a few steps toward the stairwell.

I grit my teeth and summoned all of my remaining strength. Suddenly, I turned on my heels bringing my blade back behind me. I used my momentum to whip my arm ahead. My blade flew from my grasp. It twirled over and over through the air.

The Technomancer did not move. He had no time to react.

The quick motion caused me to lose my balance. I fell to the floor with my eyes locked on my spinning sword. Upward it went, higher and higher.

Finally, it hit it's mark. The Technomancer was showered with sparks as my blade ripped through the cables linking his body to the ceiling. My sword had cut them cleanly. They fell around Nessus like dying snakes.

My weapon clanked to the floor forty or so feet beyond the Technomancers throne. It slid another twenty before finally skidding to a stop.

Nessus did not seem effected at first. His outstretched arm slowly moved to his hip. He stared at me and I stared back.

I was out of strength, out of will power, and I feared out of time. My breaths were growing shallow; each tiny movement was agony. I could no longer fight and was completely at his mercy.

Nessus stood there for another ten seconds then his eyes slowly closed. He fell straight ahead, face first to the ground. He did not stir. I saw no signs of life.

My head lowered. The metallic cool surface of the floor felt like heaven against my cheek. My eyes slowly closed, as shock began to set in.

Soren had been avenged and the conquerer had been conquered, but the price I had paid was a steep one.

I was a mess; battered, blistered, burnt, and bruised. But, at that moment, those things did not matter as I was victorious!