• tab Jordan stood in a wind-whipped tent, his eyes examining a map of the surrounding area. Over the past month or so, thier forces had been halved in the struggle against The Beasts. As for the opposition... Well, half of New Babylon was in ruins. The other half was stricken with fear. Ten of the twelve Landlords had fallen to Jordan's blade, the other two had fled. He controlled the entire area around the inner wall of New Babylon, and some of the inside. He was winning this fight, he knew, but at grave cost to him and his family. They had buried May and Aske a week ago. Bale hadn't reported in ages. And Serenity... He feared to think what Sophos was doing with his wife held captive. That was what he was thinking about now, was how to remove the threat Sophos presented to both him and Serenity. He couldn't allow himself to let his wife be held in that hellhole. With a great sigh of reluctance, he pointed to a spot on the map.
    tab "Here." He said, tapping the intersection. "Set up the ambush here. I'll draw the pursuers through this intersection I need you to break them off my tail, commander." He lifted a finger, stressing the importance of such a task. "If you don't do this, both Serenity and I will perish. I know you all are more than capable of carrying on in my absence, but we all know we don't want that to happen." He set his hand on the table again, sighing. He constantly fought the utter depression that threatened to squash his very existence, that bone-crushing pressure that constantly weighed in on the hole in his chest. He had spent more time praying in the past two weeks than he had before they attacked New Babylon. The commander saluted and ducked out of the tent, leaving Jordan alone. So alone.
    tab "Sir?" Another soldier peeked his head into the tent, his tone concerned. Jordan looked up, waving his arm impatiently. The solder stepped inside, acting nervous. "Well... It's just that you seem tired. We have another tent set up. You haven't slept all week. You're no good to us exhausted." Ah, the tenaciousness of those who care. The Soldier's kind tone almost reminded him of Serenity. Almost.
    tab "Thank you, Gregory." Jordan said, adressing the soldier by name. "I'll take your offer." Tiredly, Jordan trudged from the tent and into the one next to it, flopping down onto the simple pallet laid there. He didn't sleep the entire night. His mind was too busy. For the countless hundredth time, he slid off of the pallet and onto his knees, clasping his hands in a prayer.
    tab "Lord," he began, the familiar rythym flowing easially. "Give me strength, give me wisdom, give me knowlege. I ask this in your name, Amen." He stood, stretching his protesting, aching muscles. He prayed they at least allowed him to do this. One of the soldiers brought his horse around, and he mounted. His eyes felt like they were drooping so hard, they would fall from his head. His thighs cramped up from the simple act of mounting his horse. Warfare was difficult work. He whipped his horce, wincing as the gigantic beast's flexing muscles carried him towards Babylon. He passed the outskirts of town, weaving his way between ravaged building and burning corpses. All around, the stench of war made him nearly gag. Ash, blood, plaster, dust, and viscerea rotted in the harsh sunlight, scavangers picking at some of the fresher corpses. He passed outposts of The Saved, his own force, holding key points throughout the ruins. After a long while, he made it to the porticullus of Inner Babylon. The gigantic wall stretched as far as he could see either way, curving away out of sight. The height was dizzying. The guard behind the gate raised it, as if expecting Jordan. He supposed they would be.
    tab "Right this way, milord." For a beast, the guard was suprisingly punctual. He supposed they were humans at one point or another... Maybe some of them still showed some sign of humanity. The beast took his horse's bit and led it through the winding streets. Tanis saw the gigantic tower that was Sohpos' spire rise in front of him, like a menacing jail guard. Jordan sighed and let himself be lured into the heart of the enemy. An hour of walking brought them to an immense courtyard. If Jordan didn't know better, he would have said this area had been constructed for the express purpose of the battle he was about to partake in. Beasts ringed the gigantic plaza, screaming and hollering jeers and taunts. It reminded him of the roman gladiators he had read about long before the Apocalypse had ruined the world. In the center of the square courtyard, which had to be more than five hundred metres each way, stood Sophos. His gigantic sword stuck in the stone ground, giving the large man something to lean upon. His voice was silken command. Jordan dismouted as the horse was led away, probably to never be seen again. His legs felt like they were about to give way as Sophos spoke.
    tab "Aah, Jordan. Good to see you again, my old friend. You've finally decided to give up this futile struggle?" Even from where he stood, a good twenty metres away, Jordan could see Sophos' eyebrow raise questioningly. The soft ring of tempered steel rang as Jordan drew his own sword.
    tab "When have you ever known me to give up, Sophos?" And so it began. The two of them dashed at eachother, controlled power rippling between the both of them as blade met blade. Cheers and screams erupted around him as the resounding clang echoed out through the square. Sohpos was just as relentless as Jordan remembered. His big sword swang so easially, with perfect timing inherent from long hours of practice. On a regular day, Sophos would have been a tough opponent. In the state Jordan was, he was Death incarnate. What strength Jordan had left was quickly sapped in the struggle. Stepping back, his blades fell to the ground, his hands still clutching the handles. Looking down, he was only vaguely aware of the bloody stump that was his arm now. Both of them, suprisingly. He had lost his hands. Somehow, it failed to suprise him. Sophos cried in triumph as the gigantic blade reversed, thrusting forward and deep into Jordan's chest. He could feel the blade fill the void in his chest that had previously been occupied by Serenity's love. Now, he felt emptier than ever. Sohpos' ugly grin of triumph hovered right in front of Jordan's face, watching his old friend's life energy slip from him.
    tab "Aah. That wasn't half as difficult as I imagined." The blade slid back out, the razor-sharp edges slicing vital organs open. "So the leader of The Saved falls. Your God has failed you, Jordan." Jordan, falling backwards, caught the gigantic blade in his hands. His perfectly whole hands. The ones that had been severed just a moment ago. His chest was whole once more, where just a blink ago, there had been a gaping hole in his life.
    tab "Has He, Sophos?" Jordan grinned, pushing the blade aside as his face put itself directly in front of his worst enemies... His oldest friend. "I think it's yours that has failed. The Saved have prevailed. Look around." The square, now whisper-quiet, was littered with the bloody remains of The Beasts that had come to see Sohpos triumph. The only two standing anymore were Sophos and Jordan. With a scream, Sophos whirled his blade around at Jordan. "You can't harm my anymore, Sophos. I have Perfect Faith." The blade passed through Jordan like he was nothing but mist, leaving no damage on Jordan's now-perfect skin. He seemed to glow with an iridescense, lighting the square with pure, white light. Sophos swung again, backing away just as Jordan started to advance.
    tab "Your time has come, Sophos. Your reign is over. Your master's reign is over. Tell him I said 'Hello' when you meet him." Raising his hands, Jordan held a perfectly white sword, gleaming with a brilliance of it's own. Quick as lightning, Jordan struck out at Sohpos. The world disappeared in a blink. The next thing Jordan could comprehend, he was standing in a perfectly flat area, no distinguishing characteristics. From his feet began to rise a grainy, white sand, pulsing and growing underneath his very feet. The sand rose to form walls, buildings, edifices, streets and byways. Far in the distance, Jordan could see an immense wall rise to the heavens, and he knew. The entire world was lit, not by lamp nor flame. No bulb, no halogen light. No sun, even. The light radiated from the walls and the streets. It was only then that Jordan realized what this place was.
    tab "It's heaven." Turning, Jordan beheld a glowing white figure, clothed in robes of the greatest opulence. The figure's voice rang out with quiet authority, resounding deep into Jordan's very being. It was then that he knew. Jordan fell to his knees before the radiant figure.
    tab "God."
    tab "Rise, Jordan." He did as commanded, tears streaming from his face. Not out of sadness, but pure joy. "You have struck a great blow against evil, my Son. You alone achieved Pefrect Faith. Because of you, I was able to return to the world and end Satan's reign over my people, my domain. Because of you, Jordan, I was able to banish those who deserved it to Hell, and keep them there. Now, for the rest of eternity, you and those who know me are permitted to live here, in my perfect kingdom." The walls pulsed as he spoke, the words vibrating into Jordan's core.
    tab And so it shall happen. The end of the world as we knew it ends with the forces of The Beasts banished to the underworld, to Hell. Those who have faith, those who believe, were permitted to live thier lives in a truly perfect world. Lit with the love of God, fed by the Word, and nourished by the perfect exictence of a place with no pain, no suffering, and only joy and happiness the likes of which no human could ever express. There, in that perfect place, Jordan enjoyed life in it's simplest form. For the rest of eternity.