Scene 39: The Passing

Lying on his back, run all the way through, radiant light shines from Samael's belly and also in a small pool of dying Neumaferous.  But just as Samael's protection had lifted from Erimentha's skin
in a black cloud so did the black of his robe spontaneously disperse to reveal pure white beneath.

Zayd-Neil attempted to seize the fallen sword in a tendril, but Esben placed a foot there and proceeded to blast Zayd-Neil square in the chest with his long rifle.  Zayd-Neil rose from a crouched knee and holds a hand to his chestplate amidst sparking wires.

Just then Elan appears next to him and envelopes
them both in a cloak.  In a moment the Atlas begins
to rise revealing the light of the bright blue sky.

And sun shines down on the gasping Samael.

Erimentha comes to his side and takes his hand.

SAMAEL:  I never wanted this.

ERIMENTHA:  I do not understand

                           how you could have

                                           turned back the Masters' blood.

SAMAEL:  Young Perdeus, the Neumaferous 

               was never theirs to begin with.

                    It was first from the Alethia.        

           Find the Fates.  And do not 

         mention their names in the

 presence of the Order.

Or you will surely die

with them.  Find them.

Erimentha, find them.

ERIMENTHA:  Why this way?
                                 Why do all of this?

SAMAEL:  Would you have ever believed?

ERIMENTHA:  How would I begin?

DESDINE:  Fulfill your name.

ERIMENTHA:  What was that?

SAMAEL:  No!  No, that is not the way.

ERIMENTHA:  What is the machine saying?
Answer me!

Samael clenches his jaw.

DESDINE:  You can save my master,
                       though, I have no memory.

Desdine inserts Safe into himself
amidst halting hands from the others.

DESDINE:  Long discarded.  I couldn't have known

                  you before.  But now I remember once

                   that you wanted this.  You placed chaos

                    in the machine.  You gave me autonomy.

               And you thought me a failure because

all I wanted was to serve you.

             And I became Zayd-Neil's resentment.

              In my absence he beset me against you.

               Now there are countless heathens for me

               to vanquish.  I ask, what should I do once

                         I complete that task and you are no longer here?

Desdine extends his hands flat out over Samael
for Erimentha to take and he lowers her hands
on top of his head and wound.  They glow.

ERIMENTHA:  Am I doing this?

DESDINE:  Just learning, yes.

                    What is different?

ERIMENTHA:  Can you give me

                              no more direction?

DESDINE:  I am machine.  I frustrate this mysticism

                    though I do not understand it.  You must

              find the way to fulfillment as I must.

SAMAEL:  Erimentha, don't.

ERIMENTHA:  This doesn't make any sense.

                               His blood runs pure.  But I feel

                              the presence of Lethchor, still.

                                        I know it from that time on the Atlas.

DESDINE:  You were given a false translation,

                       Erimentha Perdeus.  Lethchor is not

                           indicative of corruption.  It means it is

                       hidden.  He is attempting to conceal

           his heart and mind from you.

SAMAEL:  Stop.

AARON:  Maybe you should let him go.

ERIMENTHA:  There is so much to learn here.

AARON:  Look at him, Erimentha.  

She is caught by his pleading eyes.

AARON:  There is something wrong 

happening here.  Can't you feel it?

SAMAEL:  You still have your own journey

                     ahead of you.  I have left a way

                to the Fates.  You don't need

           this burden.  Let me go.

ERIMENTHA:  Maybe I should.

Erimentha begins to remove her hands,
but they continue to glow and she sees
the Lethchor disappear from around
Samael's mind.

ERIMENTHA:  I see it!

In a flash the tower is washed in blinding light.

When the light fades, beneath
Erimentha's hands is Samael's fixed gaze.

AARON:  What did you do?

ERIMENTHA:  I glimpsed something.

                                 I was so sure I knew what

                              it was.  Now I can only 

                            remember that feeling.

She gets up.  And in turning to leave they all
see that Nicodemus has just dragged himself
to the top of the steps.

ERIMENTHA:  I thought he was dead.

DESDINE:  So did I.

NICODEMUS:  No such luck.  

Is anyone going to help me?

Behind him comes Abbess and Valory.
Aaron and Esben take up Nicodemus.

Erimentha speaks to Desdine
without turning to look at him.

ERIMENTHA:  You were not discarded.

                          You were tucked away.

DESDINE:  I know, master.

The tower begins to shake.  It as though every stone
has simultaneously lost its mortar.  The crew dance
about as the floor rises and falls as if on water,
but yet refuses to collapse while pushing against itself.

DESDINE:  In speaking of tucked away,

                      where is the Shadow's Heart?

The Shadow's Heart rises into view and hovers
a moment in the space of the window that the
Atlas made a hole in.  The loading ramp lowers
and Erimentha vaults everyone inside.

The small ship disappears into the sky as the
last straggler of the evacuation while the
tower tumbles into a pile of rubble.








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