The Last Silver

The ancient weapon continued to rotate above the pedestal.

Silver rings moved around its central sphere faster and faster, filling the vault with a low, resonating hum.

Dinraal stood beneath it.

The Ashen surrounded the chamber.

He could feel the weapon responding to him.

But something was wrong.

He reached toward it again.

Silver energy surged through his body.

His wings erupted with light.

The floor beneath his feet cracked.

The entire chamber shook.

Yet the weapon remained suspended above the pedestal.

It had responded.

But it had not awakened.

Dinraal clenched his fist.

"Come on."

He reached deeper into the Silver.

The energy inside him answered immediately.

It flooded through his veins.

His horns began shining.

His eyes became completely silver-white.

The weapon reacted.

One of its outer rings stopped.

Then another.

Then another.

But the central sphere remained dark.

Dinraal gritted his teeth.

"Why won't you activate?"

Theron stared at the weapon.

"I don't know."

Dinraal looked toward him.

"You said it was waiting for me."

"It was."

"Then why isn't it working?"

Theron shook his head.

"I don't understand."

Another wave of Ashen energy crashed into the chamber.

Gilgamesh intercepted it.

His weapon tore through the darkness.

"Less conversation!"

Alexander joined him.

"Agreed!"

Julius and Johanna attacked from opposite sides while the First Weapon charged directly into the darkness.

The little corgi disappeared beneath the black mass.

A moment later, the darkness exploded outward.

The First Weapon emerged completely unharmed.

It barked triumphantly.

Johanna laughed.

"Good dog."

"Grrrrrr!"

"Yes, yes. Very intimidating."

Dinraal barely heard them.

His entire focus remained on the weapon.

He tried again.

Nothing.

He pushed more power into it.

Still nothing.

His knees began to shake.

Tiamat noticed.

"Dinraal."

He didn't respond.

"Dinraal!"

He finally looked toward her.

"I can't activate it."

Tiamat stared at the weapon.

Then she stared at her son.

Something suddenly occurred to her.

"Isolde."

Dinraal froze.

"What?"

Tiamat stepped closer.

"The Silver."

"What about it?"

"You aren't carrying all of it."

Dinraal frowned.

Tiamat looked toward Isolde.

"Neither is she."

Isolde stared at her.

"What are you saying?"

Tiamat looked between them.

"You share it. Remember your bond."

The chamber went silent.

Dinraal looked at Isolde.

Their bond had always been unusual.

Their Silver energy had responded to one another.

They had strengthened each other in battle.

But neither had ever fully understood why.

Tiamat continued.

"When you two became bonded, the Silver didn't remain entirely within Dinraal."

Isolde looked at her hands.

"Part of it came to me."

"Yes."

Dinraal looked back at the weapon.

"So it isn't waiting for me."

Tiamat shook her head.

"It is waiting for both of you."

The Ashen surged again.

Dinraal reached for Isolde.

She grabbed his hand.

The instant their fingers touched, Silver energy erupted between them.

The chamber vanished beneath a wave of light.

Isolde gasped.

"I can feel it."

Dinraal stared at her.

"So can I."

Their bond intensified.

Not painfully.

Not violently.

It felt natural.

Like two halves of the same force finally becoming whole.

The weapon responded.

Every ring began spinning.

Theron stared.

"The weapon..."

Asha looked at her readings.

"It's activating!"

The central sphere opened.

Instead of releasing a blast of energy, it dissolved.

Silver light poured outward.

It wrapped around Dinraal.

Then Isolde.

The two stood completely still.

The light formed armor around their bodies.

It wasn't metal.

It wasn't crystal.

It was something beyond either.

The armor looked as though silver itself had been shaped into living form.

It covered Dinraal from head to toe.

His wings were encased in brilliant silver.

His horns became crowned with luminous armor.

The mithril gauntlet on his right hand was absorbed into the new armor.

His eyes burned like stars.

Isolde received her own armor.

It was similar to Dinraal's, but distinctly hers.

Silver plates formed around her arms, legs, torso, and shoulders.

A radiant crown-like structure formed around her head.

Silver energy flowed behind her like wings.

Then the weapon split.

Half of its energy entered Dinraal.

The other half entered Isolde.

Two identical cores appeared on their chests.

Dinraal looked at his hands.

He clenched one fist.

A blade appeared.

He released his hand.

The blade vanished.

He thought about a shield.

A shield appeared.

He thought about flight.

His wings erupted with energy.

He looked toward Isolde.

"Did you—"

"Yes."

She raised her hand.

A bow formed.

She thought about it becoming a spear.

It changed instantly.

Then she thought about healing.

The weapon responded.

A warm silver glow spread from her palm.

Dinraal stared.

"It responds to thought."

Isolde nodded.

"Not commands."

"Intent."

"Exactly."

Theron was speechless.

Asha looked at the readings.

"This thing isn't just a weapon."

Dinraal looked at the armor.

"What is it?"

Theron finally answered.

"Anything."

Dinraal looked at him.

"What?"

"The weapon doesn't have a fixed form."

Theron stared at the two armored figures.

"It was designed to become whatever its wielder needs."

Gilgamesh laughed.

"Now that is a weapon."

Alexander smiled.

"Indeed."

Julius looked toward the Ashen.

"Then perhaps we should see what it can do."

The darkness answered for them.

It surged.

Dinraal stepped forward.

"Everyone get behind us."

Tiamat immediately understood.

"Dinraal."

He looked at her.

"We'll protect the colony."

Tiamat nodded.

"But don't try to fight alone."

Dinraal smiled.

"I won't."

He looked at Isolde.

She smiled back.

"Together?"

"Together."

They stepped forward.

The Ashen attacked.

Dinraal raised his hand.

A wall appeared.

The darkness slammed into it.

The wall didn't crack.

It didn't move.

It simply absorbed the impact.

Isolde raised her hand.

Silver light spread across the chamber.

Every colonist connected to the Preservation Network suddenly became surrounded by a protective field.

Asha stared at her readings.

"She's shielding everyone."

Isolde looked surprised.

"I didn't know I could do that."

Dinraal smiled.

"Neither did I."

He looked toward the Ashen.

"Let's find out what else we can do."

Dinraal launched himself into the air.

His armor transformed around him.

His wings became enormous.

He crossed the chamber in an instant.

The Ashen tried to surround him.

He simply thought about speed.

His armor responded.

He vanished.

A moment later, he appeared behind the darkness.

Silver energy erupted from his hands.

The Ashen recoiled.

But it didn't disappear.

Dinraal frowned.

"That didn't destroy it."

Isolde joined him.

"Maybe destruction isn't the answer."

She extended her hand.

The silver armor changed.

A massive lattice of energy spread across the darkness.

The Ashen began pulling apart.

Not destroyed.

Separated.

Exposed.

Dinraal stared.

"It's working."

The darkness screamed.

Behind it, something became visible.

A doorway.

A real doorway.

Isolde looked at Dinraal.

"The Ashen was hiding something."

Dinraal nodded.

"Then let's see what."

Aurelius watched the readings from the evacuation command center.

"What is happening?"

Arcturus stared at the display.

"I don't know."

Aurelius looked toward the evacuation chamber.

Hundreds of thousands of colonists were being loaded onto transports.

Tiamat, Aramaeis, Gilgamesh, Alexander, Julius, Johanna, and the First Weapon were helping maintain order.

Rhiannon was coordinating the final transport groups.

Aurelius looked toward the vault.

"What about Dinraal and Isolde?"

Arcturus looked at the readings.

"They're holding the Ashen back."

Aurelius's expression tightened.

"We need to get them out."

Tiamat stepped toward him.

"No."

Aurelius looked at her.

"They need time."

"They're my daughter and son."

"I know."

Tiamat looked toward the vault.

"But if they leave now, the Ashen follows."

Aurelius understood.

"We evacuate everyone first."

"Yes."

"Then we get them."

Tiamat nodded.

Aramaeis approached.

"The transports are nearly full."

Aurelius looked at him.

"How many remain?"

"About forty thousand."

Rhiannon called from across the chamber.

"Thirty-eight thousand!"

Aurelius nodded.

"Keep moving."

Inside the vault, Dinraal and Isolde stood before the strange doorway revealed beneath the Ashen.

The darkness was retreating.

Not fleeing.

Reorganizing.

Dinraal looked at Isolde.

"Whatever is behind that door..."

She nodded.

"We need to know."

"Agreed."

He reached toward the door.

The armor responded before he even touched it.

The door opened.

Beyond it was another chamber.

And inside—

were thousands of enormous crystalline containers.

Isolde's eyes widened.

"What are those?"

Dinraal stepped closer.

Then he stopped.

Inside the nearest container was a person.

Alive.

Suspended in silver light.

Asha's voice came through their communicators.

"Dinraal?"

He looked toward the others.

"We found something."

Isolde walked to the next container.

Another person.

Then another.

Then another.

Thousands.

Perhaps tens of thousands.

All alive.

All preserved.

All waiting.

Dinraal's eyes widened.

"The colonists."

Asha answered immediately.

"Impossible."

Dinraal looked at the people suspended inside the vault.

"Apparently not."

Then one of the containers opened.

A man inside gasped.

His eyes opened.

He looked directly at Dinraal.

And whispered:

"You're late."

Dinraal froze.

"Who are you?"

The man looked toward the silver armor.

Then toward Isolde.

His face filled with fear.

"You're not supposed to have activated it."

Dinraal's expression hardened.

"Activated what?"

The man pointed toward the ceiling.

"The weapon."

A deep sound echoed through the vault.

Something was moving above them.

The man whispered:

"Because now it knows where you are."

Dinraal looked toward Isolde.

The Silver armor around them intensified.

"Then let it come."

Isolde stepped beside him.

"Everyone else gets out first."

Dinraal nodded.

He opened a communication channel.

"Aurelius."

"I'm here."

"Get everyone evacuated."

Aurelius looked at the readings.

"What happened?"

"We found the missing colonists."

Aurelius's eyes widened.

"Alive?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"We don't know yet."

Dinraal looked around the chamber.

"But there are thousands."

Aurelius breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then bring them home."

Dinraal shook his head.

"Not yet."

Aurelius understood immediately.

"Dinraal—"

"We can't risk the Ashen following them."

Silence.

Then Dinraal continued.

"You and everyone else get the survivors out."

Aurelius's voice became firm.

"And you?"

Dinraal looked at Isolde.

"We stay."

Isolde nodded.

"We'll hold the Ashen here."

Aurelius hesitated.

"You don't have to do this."

Dinraal smiled.

"Yes, we do."

He looked toward the thousands of preserved colonists.

"This is what the Preservation Initiative was built for."

Isolde took his hand.

"And this is what we're fighting for."

Aurelius closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he answered.

"Understood."

The channel closed.

Dinraal looked toward the chamber entrance.

The darkness was returning.

This time, it was larger.

Far larger.

Isolde raised her hand.

Her armor transformed into a massive silver weapon.

Dinraal's armor responded in kind.

He looked at her.

"Ready?"

She smiled.

"Always."

The Ashen poured into the vault.

Dinraal and Isolde stepped forward together.

Behind them, the evacuation continued.

Ahead of them—

the darkness came.

And for the first time in recorded history, the Ashen faced two wielders of the Silver at once.

The Last Silver.

And the woman who carried the other half of his power.

Together, they raised their hands.

And the ancient weapon answered.

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