Post by scorp on Sept 4, 2006 21:19:43 GMT -5
((This was meant to be the Grand Finale for the War of the Shadows. It will be posted here to be reverred by all. ;p
It's a little on the long side, and there may be typos; I'll fix them some other time.
Note that there will be a second, follow-up post. I ask that this thread not be posted in; it is just for reference-- not RPing.))
Diadem Fortress
Things had been going crazy since the Assault on Firefox began. Those few Shadows who had been left at their secret headquarters, led by a greatly-aged man named Saradin the Archivist (as all the commanders were busy elsewhere), were monitoring the cells of Shadows throughout the world on a magical map, and had been quite perplexed when the red dots signifying the location of these cells slowly started to fade, as did communication with them. The wizards and witches monitoring in the fortress didn't know what to do, and were further distracted when an old acquiantance of their Lord Scorpius showed up-- a chap by the name of Goodfellow.
Saradin had been keeping an eye on things in Firefox as well, communicating with Scorpius and other high officials. His Master had informed him that dark times awaited, and that there were traitors in the Society, and that Saradin should be prepared for a possible retreat. Scorpius did not usually give such hints, and the ancient wizard knew that there was a deeper meaning. Thus, without drawing attention to himself, the old man slowly shipped the Archives of the Society-- comprising mostly of their great library and certain artifacts in the vault-- to a safe location in Ireland. Count Scorpius had dispatched the Commander of the Shadow Knights, Daniel Black, to oversee the protection of this location in Ireland.
Saradin was quite certain that the Betrayal the Lord of Shadows spoke of was that of The Unknown One, the Serpent, who both Saradin and Scorpius knew had fascinations with power and the Chamber of Secrets. Thus, it was of great surprise to Saradin when an alarum sounded throughout the corridors of Diadem Fortress. Standing, the aged wizard walked to the window of the tower he sat in and gazed outside, his eyes taking in an alarming image.
"Great Scathach, Goddess of Shadows, deliver us," he murmured to himself as the very foundations of Diadem Fortress began to tremble.
Firefox University
~The Dueling Hall~
Scorpius had enterred the hall, spotting the enchanted Muryllis confronting Talon and Roan in a duel. He narrowed his eyes towards the Head Boy, and Muryllis collapsed on the floor, unconscious, by the magic of The Unknown One. He proceeded to toss Roan soomewhat carelessly into a nearby wall before confronting Talon. The two had spoken briefly before Talon, shocking even Scorpius let alone his allies, surrendered and stepped aside. Talon Windwaltz cleared the way for Count Robinson Antares Scorpius to step into the Chamber of Secrets, which the Unknown One had just opened.
As Scorpius stepped in, he charged his confidant, the French vampire named Louis Rousseau, with making sure no one else enterred the Dueling Hall. Meanwhile, he turned to his friend and ally, Syrus Korodin, and spoke cryptically to him, telling him to go "do what is needed" and saying a rather uncharacteristic goodbye to his ally before Syrus disapparated. Then, he proceeded through the antechamber.
Before being able to descended the staircase that led directly to the Chamber, Scorpius was confronted by his adversary and nemesis, Marcus Pelias Solomon-- an older, highly-decorated auror who had devoted nearly a decade to making sure Scorpius would no longer be a threat to Europe. With him he had a boy he had kidnapped--a teenager by the name of Orion. The lad had been apprenticed to Scorpius years ago, and Solomon believed he held the key to defeating the Lord of Shadows. Prior to the Assault, Scorpius had personally seen to attempting to ensure the boy remained out of Solomon's reach, not bothering to send lesser Shadows, doing it himself. He had failed, obviously.
Scorpius and Solomon dueled, but the Count had managed to defeat the old man, mortally wounding him. In the process of their duel, the boy had been hit and dropped his wand, which slowly rolled towards the staircase leading to the Chamber. As Marcus Solomon lay slowly dying near the entrance of the antechamber, Count Scorpius turned around. For a moment he hesitated, looking as if he wanted to console the boy, who lay somewhat disoriented on the ground, but he did not go near Orion-- almost as if in fear. No, he turned and walked down the staircase. What he saw at the bottom turned his cool grin into a glith grimace.
The Unknown One had taken the wand of Orion as Solomon and Scorpius fought, and now stood in Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets looking at it. Scorpius' eyes widened, and for once there was what one could describe as a slight fear in his now silver-blue eyes.
"Not even you know of the consequences of this action, Serpent King," said Scorpius, one hand on the Sword of Shadows and the other clutching his wand as he stared at Unknown. "I thought it would be you... Your thirst can never be quenched if secondary to me, can it?"
"Your words will not be able to persuade me, Viscount," said Unknown, using the lesser title to unnerve the Count. "I was here when Salazar Slytherin created this. I know of its purpose. You will not gain control of the Chamber of Secrets."
"I will... And then I will reign in a world of peace," announced Scorpius, removing the Sword of Shadows. "The Chamber has the power to end all wars. I will wield it..."
"The power of the Chamber of Secrets will not rest in your hands," countered Unknown. "I'm sorry, Count. I always liked you. You amused me."
Then he flicked the Wand of Orion towards the Count, and Scorpius raised the Sword of Shadows and flicked his wand at the same time. The two beams met in the center of the Chamber, and a rumble slowly started to shake the entire school......
Firefox University
Around the Grounds-- Feasting Hall, Great Lake
Firefox University had been ravaged. Bodies of students, aurors, and the assortment of beings that made up the Society of Shadows littered the ground. Even a few carcasses of hippogriffs, winged horses, and a dragon or two could be seen. The War of the Shadows was swinging full blast as the students of Firefox, villages of Drakborough, and defenders from across Europe fought against the Society of Shadows and their allies.
But what were they fighting for? To stop Scorpius from gaining control of the Chamber of Secrets? If Talon Windwaltz had just stepped aside, why fight?
No one really had time to ponder these questions, as they were too busy defending themselves from death. Duels were erupting everywhere around the school. But then everything stopped. The ground was shaking, somewhat violently. Atra Alveus, the mysterious French sorceress and personal ally of Scorpius, was distracted from her duel with Melia Birchheel, the Spanish woman and former auror. Abandoning the duel, she began to make her way towards the Dueling Hall.
Around the school, things stopped as people gazed around. Night had fallen some time ago, now, and fires offered the most light, as well as the Dark Mark hanging high above the school. But there were now clouds swirling in the sky, lightning cackling right above the tower that housed the Dueling Hall. Thunder boomed, and a mixture of green and purple bursts of lightning flashed every now and then. Some people, they swore, saw the constellations of Scorpius, Orion, and the Serpent--separated in the night sky by the gods--converge above the school and do battle.
Something major was happening, and everyone knew it....
Diadem Fortress
Explosions sounded everywhere, and fire illuminated the darkness deep within the Spanish forest where Diadem rested. Duels erupted between the Shadows and these mysterious attackers; many of the Shadows did not know what was going on. Who could possibly attack Diadem Fortress? It had been the European safehouse of the Society of Shadows in times of trouble for years. This was impossible.
But, it was happening none the less.
Saradin the Archivist stood in the Chamber of Shadows, where dark and menacing statues stood emong the black marble floors and walls. Before him stood Syrus Korodin, a master of arcane magic and leader of the Redeemers. They spoke as the fortress around them shook.
"Has everything been moved then?" asked Syrus.
"Yes, Lord Korodin," said the older Saradin. "The library and your personal holdings. Unfortunately, not everything can be saved, but that was to be expected when Scorpius gave us our orders."
"Yes... Very well. Go to Ireland, then, and await further instructions," said Syrus.
"I sometimes have found myself wondering if there will be further instructions, and who they will come from," said Saradin, who had served Scorpius since the Count took control of the Society. "We are potentially on the dawn of something very changing... And even I cannot predict all of Rob's intentions this time."
"I have wondered too, and found it best not to question it any further. Scorpius ordered this, and we will honor it," said Syrus. "Now, I must return. Sodalitas a Umbras."
"Sodalitas a Umbras."
Syrus disapparated again as a blast shook the Diadem Fortress.
The Chamber of Secrets
The beam of light connecting Scorpius and Unknown exploded, sending both flying back into the stone walls of the Chamber of Secrets. The Unknown One blinked, looking confused. What have I done? he though. He started to shake, and looked at his hands. They began to burn away, as did the rest of his body. He had dared to make the power of the Great Hunter match against the power of the Scorpion God, and its result was too powerful for even he.
The power of the blast flew through Scorpius, and Sword of Shadows and the Ring of Merlin magically dissapitating. The green crystal of the ring--usually glowing--suddenly became dull and cracked. The Sword of Shadows rose into the air, black lightning sizzling around it before it erupted in a fury of bright light and vanished. The power of the Shadows was broken.
Unknown stood, stumbling over to the place where Salazar Slytherin left his great secret. Scorpius was still slumped against a wall, incredibly weakened, and thus did not stop The Unknown One. As he walked to the location, he looked back at Scorpius, eyes widened slightly. He warned me. Though he wouldn't admit it, he felt a small guilt for what he did to the Count... But, guilt was useless now. He stumbled onward.
Unknown collapsed before the Altar of Salazar Slytherin, and gazed at the secret. His eyes widened, and there was a look on his face that resembled a content.
"Oh," was all The Unknown One uttered upon reading the Great Secret of Salazar Slytherin. Then, he explored in an eruption of dark light. The Unknown One, it seemed, was no more. He had fallen.
And yet the Chamber of Secrets continued to shake and tremble. The duel between Unknown and Scorpius--between the WANDS of Orion and Scorpius--had caused such a friction in existence that the Chamber was crumbling. Scorpius stood up, trembling and sweating immensly. He still clutched his burnt wand on his hand.
Slowly, he turned and walked towards where the Altar of Salazar Slythern was, stepping over the ash and robes that were once The Unknown One.....
Firefox University-- The Dueling Hall
Louis Rousseau turned around when the trembling began, entering the Dueling Hall. He would have approached the Chamber of Secrets, but was apprehensive about the power of it all. Then, he saw the large light, and he knew what had happened. Scorpius had confided in him what would happen if his wand and the wand of his former apprentice, Orion, crossed paths, particularly if the wand was not in Orion's grasp, but another's. He knew this had happened, and he knew that it was all too late.
Louis Rousseau glared over at Talon, Roan, and the unconscious Muryllis before quickly leaving the Dueling Hall. On his way out, he bumped into Atra Alveus, and scowled.
"Que se produit?" asked Atra, frowning.
"Il est terminé," said the vampire to the panther. "Le Comte des Ombres est tombé."
Then the vampire walked past Atra and made his way out, vanishing through a Shadow Corridor. Atra Alveus stepped into the Dueling Hall at the same time that Syrus Korodin apparated there. They looked at each other, exchanging somewhat worried glances, before walking towards the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, ignoring the three others in the room. They enterred the antechamber, coming upon Marcus Solomon.
The aged auror glanced at them, coughing blood from his mouth, his hand over the bloody wounded where Scorpius had stabbed him with the Sword of Shadows. He saw both of them wince at the light, and knew that each Shadow was starting to realize that the bright light signaled the Doom of Scorpius. "Thus shadow owes its birth to light," croaked the old auror, his white eyes falling upon the shadows of the Shadows cast on the floor, made due to the bright light coming from the Chamber. He also alluded to something few people paid attention to--- Scorpius had once been a good, young man, before becoming a Shadow. He saw in the Shadow the ability to do good deeds at first, and thus joined them. Then he changed.
"Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," hissed Syrus as Solomon died.
Atra Alveus walked towards where Orion lay. "Un chasseur des ombres, lui-même une nuance," she murmured to herself before glancing at Syrus. "What shall we do with him?"
"You take him away from here. Bring him to Raven's shop to hide out, for now, and decide from there what to do with him," said Syrus. "Rob would like him to be safe, and Raven's is where he shall be safest right now, yet still within reach."
Atra nodded, using her wand to levitate the boy out of the Chamber.
Syrus Korodin turned, and the Redeemer stepped forward and gazed down into the Chamber of Secrets....
The Chamber of Secrets
Here he was. Count Robinson Antares Scorpius, Lord of Shadows and Commander of the Society of Shadows. One of the Thirteen Familiars of the Dark Circle Coven. Descendant of Merlin the Wise and Bearer of the Ring of Risban and Merlin. Escapee of Azkaban Wizarding Prison. Destroyer of the Neo-Death Eater Union and Ravager of the Auror Training Camp. Founding Father of the short-lived Confederacy of Darkness. Expert duelist, graduate of the Hogwarts House Ravenclaw, former Servant of the Grand Council of Risban, Affiliate of the Ethereal Guardians, Sworn Enemy of Mordoom. Dark Lord and Scourge of Europe to many, Bringer of Peace and Subduer of Chaos to others.
The Unknown One had misused a great power that did not belong to him, and perished for it. The blast had weakened Scorpius to an almost near-death state, but he pressed on. He needed the secrets of this Chamber. He needed the power to bring his order to the world. He had ordered the dismantlement of the main section of the Society of Shadows. He had given his blessing for the removal of cells across the globe. The Deputy Chancellor of the International Confederation of Wizards, as would be discovered in tomorrow's newspaper, had been assassinated overnight; there would be a story on how some believed that he had ties with the infamous Count Scorpius and had been partially responsible for the Count's successful escape from Azkaban. Meanwhile, he had distracted the Confederation, sending Raven to do that, and had others loyal to him strike the British Ministry of Magic and temporarily dismantle him to ensure that no one would stop him from getting to the Chamber of Secrets. With Harry Potter and the other famous British aurors, the Chancellor of the ICW, and his commanders around the globe all distracted, he would gain this power.
He did anticipate betrayal from Unknown, but not the use of Orion's wand. He had Syrus send Redeemers to retrieve Orion. Apparently, they had failed. Oh well.
Scorpius stood tall and torn before the Altar of Salazar Slytherin, and gaze at the Great Secret of the Chamber of Secrets. As he looked at it, a looking of dawning crossed his face, and a sincere smile appeared. The Chamber began to shake more violently and fall around Scorpius, who stood before a statue dedicated to the Serpent God, the sworn enemy of the Scorpion. He closed his blue eyes, and whispered something that, magically, echoed throughout the entire school.
"Come like shadows, do depart," he murmured.
Then, Count Robinson Antares Scorpius stared up at the serpent, which slowly collapsed, its mouth falling towards him. In one great rumble, the Chamber of Secrets was destroyed.
Firefox University
"Come like shadows, so depart!"
The phrase echoed throughout the entire school immediately followed by a large sound and a bright beam of light. The Shadows, all of them, quickly retreated, a good deal leaping into Shadow Corridors, escaping the light and following the heed of their master. Other ran from the school, or hid as the temporary chaos ensued. The Shadows were retreating, but many would not return to Diadem Fortress. It had been destroyed while they were assaulting Firefox, its leaders vanished.
Syrus Korodin watched the Chamber fall upon Scorpius before fleeing himself. The Society of Shadows had disintegrated, sects across the globe collapsing, the primary sect vanishing altogether with the absence of its leaders and its headquarters. The Russian quickly took control of the eastern European sects and waited to decide what to do.
As this all happened, the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, a portion of the sky gaining a pinkish glow as the dark clouds that had engulfed Drakborough and Firefox for months now receded. A new morning had dawned. The War of the Shadows was over.
They would inspect the ruins of the Chamber of Secrets, yes. But the Secret of Slytherin had been destroyed. They would find the corpse of Marcus Solomon where the entrance to the Chamber was. Inside, they would see what was left of Unknown-- a pile of robes, and something that could have either been ashes or dirt. But there were be no trace of Scorpius. No body, no bones, no ashes, no clothes. Nothing. No, all that was there was a single white rose, a drop of blood on its largest petal. Scorpius was gone.
Was it over? Was it done? There was no way Scorpius could have escaped that alive. Was Count Scorpius, the Scourge of Europe and Destroyer of Nations, finally defeated? No one knew for sure. The only certainty was that it was over, and the Shadows were gone. Firefox University would have peace for now.
A New Dawn had Risen.
((Part II is to come within the next few days.
Note 1: Due to some observances, I will point out now that the power of the Shadows lasted until Dawn, and has since been vanquished with the loss of the Sword of Shadows, which fueled the power for the night. With the Sword of Shadows gone and no Lord of Shadows at the head of the society, the special powers have been lost for the time being, namely Shadow Corridors and then the special spell known to few that acts sort of like Avada Kedavra.))
It's a little on the long side, and there may be typos; I'll fix them some other time.
Note that there will be a second, follow-up post. I ask that this thread not be posted in; it is just for reference-- not RPing.))
Diadem Fortress
Things had been going crazy since the Assault on Firefox began. Those few Shadows who had been left at their secret headquarters, led by a greatly-aged man named Saradin the Archivist (as all the commanders were busy elsewhere), were monitoring the cells of Shadows throughout the world on a magical map, and had been quite perplexed when the red dots signifying the location of these cells slowly started to fade, as did communication with them. The wizards and witches monitoring in the fortress didn't know what to do, and were further distracted when an old acquiantance of their Lord Scorpius showed up-- a chap by the name of Goodfellow.
Saradin had been keeping an eye on things in Firefox as well, communicating with Scorpius and other high officials. His Master had informed him that dark times awaited, and that there were traitors in the Society, and that Saradin should be prepared for a possible retreat. Scorpius did not usually give such hints, and the ancient wizard knew that there was a deeper meaning. Thus, without drawing attention to himself, the old man slowly shipped the Archives of the Society-- comprising mostly of their great library and certain artifacts in the vault-- to a safe location in Ireland. Count Scorpius had dispatched the Commander of the Shadow Knights, Daniel Black, to oversee the protection of this location in Ireland.
Saradin was quite certain that the Betrayal the Lord of Shadows spoke of was that of The Unknown One, the Serpent, who both Saradin and Scorpius knew had fascinations with power and the Chamber of Secrets. Thus, it was of great surprise to Saradin when an alarum sounded throughout the corridors of Diadem Fortress. Standing, the aged wizard walked to the window of the tower he sat in and gazed outside, his eyes taking in an alarming image.
"Great Scathach, Goddess of Shadows, deliver us," he murmured to himself as the very foundations of Diadem Fortress began to tremble.
Firefox University
~The Dueling Hall~
Scorpius had enterred the hall, spotting the enchanted Muryllis confronting Talon and Roan in a duel. He narrowed his eyes towards the Head Boy, and Muryllis collapsed on the floor, unconscious, by the magic of The Unknown One. He proceeded to toss Roan soomewhat carelessly into a nearby wall before confronting Talon. The two had spoken briefly before Talon, shocking even Scorpius let alone his allies, surrendered and stepped aside. Talon Windwaltz cleared the way for Count Robinson Antares Scorpius to step into the Chamber of Secrets, which the Unknown One had just opened.
As Scorpius stepped in, he charged his confidant, the French vampire named Louis Rousseau, with making sure no one else enterred the Dueling Hall. Meanwhile, he turned to his friend and ally, Syrus Korodin, and spoke cryptically to him, telling him to go "do what is needed" and saying a rather uncharacteristic goodbye to his ally before Syrus disapparated. Then, he proceeded through the antechamber.
Before being able to descended the staircase that led directly to the Chamber, Scorpius was confronted by his adversary and nemesis, Marcus Pelias Solomon-- an older, highly-decorated auror who had devoted nearly a decade to making sure Scorpius would no longer be a threat to Europe. With him he had a boy he had kidnapped--a teenager by the name of Orion. The lad had been apprenticed to Scorpius years ago, and Solomon believed he held the key to defeating the Lord of Shadows. Prior to the Assault, Scorpius had personally seen to attempting to ensure the boy remained out of Solomon's reach, not bothering to send lesser Shadows, doing it himself. He had failed, obviously.
Scorpius and Solomon dueled, but the Count had managed to defeat the old man, mortally wounding him. In the process of their duel, the boy had been hit and dropped his wand, which slowly rolled towards the staircase leading to the Chamber. As Marcus Solomon lay slowly dying near the entrance of the antechamber, Count Scorpius turned around. For a moment he hesitated, looking as if he wanted to console the boy, who lay somewhat disoriented on the ground, but he did not go near Orion-- almost as if in fear. No, he turned and walked down the staircase. What he saw at the bottom turned his cool grin into a glith grimace.
The Unknown One had taken the wand of Orion as Solomon and Scorpius fought, and now stood in Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets looking at it. Scorpius' eyes widened, and for once there was what one could describe as a slight fear in his now silver-blue eyes.
"Not even you know of the consequences of this action, Serpent King," said Scorpius, one hand on the Sword of Shadows and the other clutching his wand as he stared at Unknown. "I thought it would be you... Your thirst can never be quenched if secondary to me, can it?"
"Your words will not be able to persuade me, Viscount," said Unknown, using the lesser title to unnerve the Count. "I was here when Salazar Slytherin created this. I know of its purpose. You will not gain control of the Chamber of Secrets."
"I will... And then I will reign in a world of peace," announced Scorpius, removing the Sword of Shadows. "The Chamber has the power to end all wars. I will wield it..."
"The power of the Chamber of Secrets will not rest in your hands," countered Unknown. "I'm sorry, Count. I always liked you. You amused me."
Then he flicked the Wand of Orion towards the Count, and Scorpius raised the Sword of Shadows and flicked his wand at the same time. The two beams met in the center of the Chamber, and a rumble slowly started to shake the entire school......
Firefox University
Around the Grounds-- Feasting Hall, Great Lake
Firefox University had been ravaged. Bodies of students, aurors, and the assortment of beings that made up the Society of Shadows littered the ground. Even a few carcasses of hippogriffs, winged horses, and a dragon or two could be seen. The War of the Shadows was swinging full blast as the students of Firefox, villages of Drakborough, and defenders from across Europe fought against the Society of Shadows and their allies.
But what were they fighting for? To stop Scorpius from gaining control of the Chamber of Secrets? If Talon Windwaltz had just stepped aside, why fight?
No one really had time to ponder these questions, as they were too busy defending themselves from death. Duels were erupting everywhere around the school. But then everything stopped. The ground was shaking, somewhat violently. Atra Alveus, the mysterious French sorceress and personal ally of Scorpius, was distracted from her duel with Melia Birchheel, the Spanish woman and former auror. Abandoning the duel, she began to make her way towards the Dueling Hall.
Around the school, things stopped as people gazed around. Night had fallen some time ago, now, and fires offered the most light, as well as the Dark Mark hanging high above the school. But there were now clouds swirling in the sky, lightning cackling right above the tower that housed the Dueling Hall. Thunder boomed, and a mixture of green and purple bursts of lightning flashed every now and then. Some people, they swore, saw the constellations of Scorpius, Orion, and the Serpent--separated in the night sky by the gods--converge above the school and do battle.
Something major was happening, and everyone knew it....
Diadem Fortress
Explosions sounded everywhere, and fire illuminated the darkness deep within the Spanish forest where Diadem rested. Duels erupted between the Shadows and these mysterious attackers; many of the Shadows did not know what was going on. Who could possibly attack Diadem Fortress? It had been the European safehouse of the Society of Shadows in times of trouble for years. This was impossible.
But, it was happening none the less.
Saradin the Archivist stood in the Chamber of Shadows, where dark and menacing statues stood emong the black marble floors and walls. Before him stood Syrus Korodin, a master of arcane magic and leader of the Redeemers. They spoke as the fortress around them shook.
"Has everything been moved then?" asked Syrus.
"Yes, Lord Korodin," said the older Saradin. "The library and your personal holdings. Unfortunately, not everything can be saved, but that was to be expected when Scorpius gave us our orders."
"Yes... Very well. Go to Ireland, then, and await further instructions," said Syrus.
"I sometimes have found myself wondering if there will be further instructions, and who they will come from," said Saradin, who had served Scorpius since the Count took control of the Society. "We are potentially on the dawn of something very changing... And even I cannot predict all of Rob's intentions this time."
"I have wondered too, and found it best not to question it any further. Scorpius ordered this, and we will honor it," said Syrus. "Now, I must return. Sodalitas a Umbras."
"Sodalitas a Umbras."
Syrus disapparated again as a blast shook the Diadem Fortress.
The Chamber of Secrets
The beam of light connecting Scorpius and Unknown exploded, sending both flying back into the stone walls of the Chamber of Secrets. The Unknown One blinked, looking confused. What have I done? he though. He started to shake, and looked at his hands. They began to burn away, as did the rest of his body. He had dared to make the power of the Great Hunter match against the power of the Scorpion God, and its result was too powerful for even he.
The power of the blast flew through Scorpius, and Sword of Shadows and the Ring of Merlin magically dissapitating. The green crystal of the ring--usually glowing--suddenly became dull and cracked. The Sword of Shadows rose into the air, black lightning sizzling around it before it erupted in a fury of bright light and vanished. The power of the Shadows was broken.
Unknown stood, stumbling over to the place where Salazar Slytherin left his great secret. Scorpius was still slumped against a wall, incredibly weakened, and thus did not stop The Unknown One. As he walked to the location, he looked back at Scorpius, eyes widened slightly. He warned me. Though he wouldn't admit it, he felt a small guilt for what he did to the Count... But, guilt was useless now. He stumbled onward.
Unknown collapsed before the Altar of Salazar Slytherin, and gazed at the secret. His eyes widened, and there was a look on his face that resembled a content.
"Oh," was all The Unknown One uttered upon reading the Great Secret of Salazar Slytherin. Then, he explored in an eruption of dark light. The Unknown One, it seemed, was no more. He had fallen.
And yet the Chamber of Secrets continued to shake and tremble. The duel between Unknown and Scorpius--between the WANDS of Orion and Scorpius--had caused such a friction in existence that the Chamber was crumbling. Scorpius stood up, trembling and sweating immensly. He still clutched his burnt wand on his hand.
Slowly, he turned and walked towards where the Altar of Salazar Slythern was, stepping over the ash and robes that were once The Unknown One.....
Firefox University-- The Dueling Hall
Louis Rousseau turned around when the trembling began, entering the Dueling Hall. He would have approached the Chamber of Secrets, but was apprehensive about the power of it all. Then, he saw the large light, and he knew what had happened. Scorpius had confided in him what would happen if his wand and the wand of his former apprentice, Orion, crossed paths, particularly if the wand was not in Orion's grasp, but another's. He knew this had happened, and he knew that it was all too late.
Louis Rousseau glared over at Talon, Roan, and the unconscious Muryllis before quickly leaving the Dueling Hall. On his way out, he bumped into Atra Alveus, and scowled.
"Que se produit?" asked Atra, frowning.
"Il est terminé," said the vampire to the panther. "Le Comte des Ombres est tombé."
Then the vampire walked past Atra and made his way out, vanishing through a Shadow Corridor. Atra Alveus stepped into the Dueling Hall at the same time that Syrus Korodin apparated there. They looked at each other, exchanging somewhat worried glances, before walking towards the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, ignoring the three others in the room. They enterred the antechamber, coming upon Marcus Solomon.
The aged auror glanced at them, coughing blood from his mouth, his hand over the bloody wounded where Scorpius had stabbed him with the Sword of Shadows. He saw both of them wince at the light, and knew that each Shadow was starting to realize that the bright light signaled the Doom of Scorpius. "Thus shadow owes its birth to light," croaked the old auror, his white eyes falling upon the shadows of the Shadows cast on the floor, made due to the bright light coming from the Chamber. He also alluded to something few people paid attention to--- Scorpius had once been a good, young man, before becoming a Shadow. He saw in the Shadow the ability to do good deeds at first, and thus joined them. Then he changed.
"Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," hissed Syrus as Solomon died.
Atra Alveus walked towards where Orion lay. "Un chasseur des ombres, lui-même une nuance," she murmured to herself before glancing at Syrus. "What shall we do with him?"
"You take him away from here. Bring him to Raven's shop to hide out, for now, and decide from there what to do with him," said Syrus. "Rob would like him to be safe, and Raven's is where he shall be safest right now, yet still within reach."
Atra nodded, using her wand to levitate the boy out of the Chamber.
Syrus Korodin turned, and the Redeemer stepped forward and gazed down into the Chamber of Secrets....
The Chamber of Secrets
Here he was. Count Robinson Antares Scorpius, Lord of Shadows and Commander of the Society of Shadows. One of the Thirteen Familiars of the Dark Circle Coven. Descendant of Merlin the Wise and Bearer of the Ring of Risban and Merlin. Escapee of Azkaban Wizarding Prison. Destroyer of the Neo-Death Eater Union and Ravager of the Auror Training Camp. Founding Father of the short-lived Confederacy of Darkness. Expert duelist, graduate of the Hogwarts House Ravenclaw, former Servant of the Grand Council of Risban, Affiliate of the Ethereal Guardians, Sworn Enemy of Mordoom. Dark Lord and Scourge of Europe to many, Bringer of Peace and Subduer of Chaos to others.
The Unknown One had misused a great power that did not belong to him, and perished for it. The blast had weakened Scorpius to an almost near-death state, but he pressed on. He needed the secrets of this Chamber. He needed the power to bring his order to the world. He had ordered the dismantlement of the main section of the Society of Shadows. He had given his blessing for the removal of cells across the globe. The Deputy Chancellor of the International Confederation of Wizards, as would be discovered in tomorrow's newspaper, had been assassinated overnight; there would be a story on how some believed that he had ties with the infamous Count Scorpius and had been partially responsible for the Count's successful escape from Azkaban. Meanwhile, he had distracted the Confederation, sending Raven to do that, and had others loyal to him strike the British Ministry of Magic and temporarily dismantle him to ensure that no one would stop him from getting to the Chamber of Secrets. With Harry Potter and the other famous British aurors, the Chancellor of the ICW, and his commanders around the globe all distracted, he would gain this power.
He did anticipate betrayal from Unknown, but not the use of Orion's wand. He had Syrus send Redeemers to retrieve Orion. Apparently, they had failed. Oh well.
Scorpius stood tall and torn before the Altar of Salazar Slytherin, and gaze at the Great Secret of the Chamber of Secrets. As he looked at it, a looking of dawning crossed his face, and a sincere smile appeared. The Chamber began to shake more violently and fall around Scorpius, who stood before a statue dedicated to the Serpent God, the sworn enemy of the Scorpion. He closed his blue eyes, and whispered something that, magically, echoed throughout the entire school.
"Come like shadows, do depart," he murmured.
Then, Count Robinson Antares Scorpius stared up at the serpent, which slowly collapsed, its mouth falling towards him. In one great rumble, the Chamber of Secrets was destroyed.
Firefox University
"Come like shadows, so depart!"
The phrase echoed throughout the entire school immediately followed by a large sound and a bright beam of light. The Shadows, all of them, quickly retreated, a good deal leaping into Shadow Corridors, escaping the light and following the heed of their master. Other ran from the school, or hid as the temporary chaos ensued. The Shadows were retreating, but many would not return to Diadem Fortress. It had been destroyed while they were assaulting Firefox, its leaders vanished.
Syrus Korodin watched the Chamber fall upon Scorpius before fleeing himself. The Society of Shadows had disintegrated, sects across the globe collapsing, the primary sect vanishing altogether with the absence of its leaders and its headquarters. The Russian quickly took control of the eastern European sects and waited to decide what to do.
As this all happened, the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, a portion of the sky gaining a pinkish glow as the dark clouds that had engulfed Drakborough and Firefox for months now receded. A new morning had dawned. The War of the Shadows was over.
They would inspect the ruins of the Chamber of Secrets, yes. But the Secret of Slytherin had been destroyed. They would find the corpse of Marcus Solomon where the entrance to the Chamber was. Inside, they would see what was left of Unknown-- a pile of robes, and something that could have either been ashes or dirt. But there were be no trace of Scorpius. No body, no bones, no ashes, no clothes. Nothing. No, all that was there was a single white rose, a drop of blood on its largest petal. Scorpius was gone.
Was it over? Was it done? There was no way Scorpius could have escaped that alive. Was Count Scorpius, the Scourge of Europe and Destroyer of Nations, finally defeated? No one knew for sure. The only certainty was that it was over, and the Shadows were gone. Firefox University would have peace for now.
A New Dawn had Risen.
((Part II is to come within the next few days.
Note 1: Due to some observances, I will point out now that the power of the Shadows lasted until Dawn, and has since been vanquished with the loss of the Sword of Shadows, which fueled the power for the night. With the Sword of Shadows gone and no Lord of Shadows at the head of the society, the special powers have been lost for the time being, namely Shadow Corridors and then the special spell known to few that acts sort of like Avada Kedavra.))