Chapter 177 - Light of Two Suns

The sight in front of him was impressive, out of an insane nightmare.

Right after the front courtyard, the gate that gave access to the bridge and Ashgraufelsen's only access had tall stone columns, and the huge wooden doors were wide open. Lex couldn't see the bridge beyond the gate, as an unnatural mist emanated from the threshold, and where the wraiths came from. The strong wind blowing could not dispel the fog from the Hecate's Gate, summoned by Ludovica, the Imposter Nun.

The mansion would be easily defensible and perhaps virtually impregnable, due to the height and the impossibility of surrounding the small chateau. Of course, if it wasn't an attack like that, hellish hosts virtually indestructible by ordinary humans.

What could the Lightbearer do?

The wraiths were few. But she imagined that as long as Hecate's Gate remained open, they would continue to arrive, attracted by the plentiful and cornered pasture.

The soldiers defending Alexander already realized that it was useless to try to defeat the creatures with blades and maces. Lex couldn't blame them for being terrified to see those who fell down being consumed to their bones, and turned to dust.

The Lightbearer was sure that a personality like Magnus or Gutard could command a good defense easily, but he was nothing like them.

There was only one thing to do.

Enter the fog, whatever it was, with his Torch.

Taking a deep breath, Lex put his hands together, concentrating to create the largest flame he could.

"Whatever you're doing, I think I can help," Lex heard the voice behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Duke Kurt with a hand cannon in tow.

Then the Prince replied,

"All I can do is try to push them back to the gate… At least those who are here. But the gate needs to be closed, and it won't be easy," Lex looked at the scene unfolding before them, "Finding the source of the ritual is important ... It might be something on the bridge..."

"I studied everything there was to know about the Cult of Diana. That Imposter Nun is around singing the nitany ... but not for long."

"You must be aware... 'Their oracle' predicts that after the death of the 'second', the queen will ascend ... or whatever."

Alexander's uncle stared the Prince in the eye for a moment, and then huffed, shrugging

"Prophecies ... They are ambiguous on purpose. Besides, I don't intend to let you die..."

As soon as he said that, the Duke moved resolutely towards the fog, to Lex's amazement, shouting in a commanding voice,

"RETREAT TO THE CHAPEL! RETREAT!"

"You are crazy!" the Prince shouted at the Duke, who just shouted back without turning,

"It runs in the family!"

Shaking his head in disbelief, remembering that he was talking to an insane von Wuttenfal after all, Lex concentrated again, and also started to walk in the opposite direction of the people, heading towards the fog.

He felt that his light was too small to ward off mist and terrible wraiths. Lex redoubled his efforts, realizing that at least around him the mist was shrinking and the wraiths coming towards him shrunk in horror, and fled. But the darkness contained in them was impossible to deal with. Could Lex manage to get them back to the gate by himself?

The Lightbearer couldn't doubt it, or nothing would make sense.

The flame became blue and strong for a moment, and Lex could see two realities.

The depths from where the wraiths came from, which resembled the actual bridge, only leading to the obscure places from which these creatures were leaving ...

And the actual bridge. Where Ludovica was, reciting maniacally, in profane catharsis, and invoking damnation to mortals through her summoning of demons.

Kurt von Wuttenfal was making headway a few meters ahead of the Lightbearer, wandering blindly in the mist ... About to be caught in an errant wraith, or to enter one of the two destinations beyond the bridge's gate.

Lex needed to make him go not to go astray.

Wasn't that Lex's purpose as a Lightbearer?

But if Lex used her last strength to light Kurt's way to the witch, would she be able to avoid the wraiths that would surely come through this body?

She had that huge responsibility.

Incendiary arrows went over the Prince's head and hit the gate, only to go out immediately, harmless.

Then Alexa felt a heat take her body, as if she were embraced from behind by invisible and familiar, cozy arms. Hands that covered her hands, and a whisper in a familiar voice,

~ I am with you ... ~

'Alexander!' Before she could ask any questions or understand the feeling in her chest from hearing his voice again, the light in her hands blinded her for a moment, in an explosion of size and intensity.

They were engulfed by the light they emitted together. She instinctively closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the painful screams of dread from the wraiths their Light hit. Even with eyes closed, for Alexa, everything went white and it was as if the midday light had come abruptly. Alexander was with her, and together they shone like a sun.

That little joy lasted for a few seconds, however. The ground started to shake under the prince's feet, and a deafening noise from above made Alexa look up towards the sound.

When she opened her eyes again, it looked like everything had stopped in the air.

She did not know if she was deaf, as she heard no sound and nothing moved. The arrows, the wraiths receding, not even the flags on the posts flapped in the wind.

There was no wind.

The bridge was shaking heavily in front of her, and the great pillars of the gate began to bend, while the mist was 'swallowed inwards' like smoke from a chimney.

The Lightbearer knew that Ashgraufelsen's door was going to collapse, and she needed to send back as many wraiths as she could.

Then Alexa saw through the mist dissipated.

Kurt von Wuttenfal walked towards the witch, in the middle of the bridge, and raised the hand cannon.

The woman had her face transformed into a frightening and macabre rictus, and laughed ...

"Kurt von Wuttenfal, the coward ..."

"I'm rewriting my epithet, Sister!"

BOOOOOM!

The firing of the gun rang in her ears, proving that she was not deaf. The gunpowder smoke after the shot totally covered what happened immediately afterwards, but Ludovica's horrible, final maddened scream echoed loudly over the cliff around Ashgraufelsen.

The stones and wood columns around Ashgraufelsen's bridge's gate crumbled and collapsed, and the bridge's timbers and cables creaked, crack and splinter like sparks in the fire.

Lex saw parts of the bridge fall, from a height of 40 meters, and saw the Duke running across the bridge back towards the portal.

The Lightbearer felt a great dizziness when she noticed the prince's feet not touching the ground, and she knew that her conscience wanted to black out, but she forced herself to remain conscious,

~ We have to hold on until the Gate closes, hold on, Alexa… ~

But it was too much for her strained body and soul, and the last thing she saw was the Duke throwing himself forward as everything collapsed around them.

°°°

When she opened her eyes again, Alexa realized that she was in Alexander's room, in Alexander's body as expected, and that Cordelia was applying damp cloths to the Prince's forehead.

His hands were bandaged and hurt as much as the wound under his shirt. His eyes darted around, trying to understand what was going on.

The place still had the putrid smell of the wraiths' outbreak, and also of gunpowder. And at a glance, Lex saw that Ceridom at that moment was giving medical care to Kurt, who was lying on a bench. The Moor stood beside his friend, like a tower watching everything, and winked at the Prince when he saw him awake.

Lex tried to reciprocate, but Cordelia whispered,

"Don't look up, Alexander, don't force yourself. It's over, thanks to the Good Lord."

The Prince took a deep breath,

'Where are you, Alexander?' she asked in her mind, hoping he hadn't left her alone, and that nothing had happened to him after they closed the Hecate's Gate together.

Could Alexander do the same as she? What had really happened? Her memories were a muddy puddle right now.

~ I am here. ~ his voice sounded close, and it comforted her. ~ I just think we put in a lot of effort… I am exhausted. How are you? ~

'Feeling like I fell off the bridge into the rocks…'

~ Nothing can really stop you, right? ~

Lex smiled weakly, blushing a little at the unexpected compliment.

'You didn't tell me you could do that,' she commented, about what happened at the bridge's gates. But before Alexander answered, she heard Cordelia whisper, also smiling at Alexander,

"You'll be fine, and your secret is safe with me."

"Secret?" Lex was alarmed, worried about what Cordelia might mean by that, and feeling that she was in great danger now. His attention turned to Helga, who was opening the curtains. The day was dawning.

"Yes, Alexa. Your secret. You are safe with me," Cordelia whispered in his ear as she stroked the Prince's hair lovingly.

"...!"

~ ...! ~