The Price To Be Paid

Bong! Tolled a bell, colossal and disembodied. Time seemed to stand still in this Chamber Of Fate as the light finally settled on one person. Without averting his gaze from the ceiling, the reaper’s left hand and the gun within it pointed lazily to his left. Moze stood there, sweat pouring down his face, Eyes dark with realization as he shook and stared breathlessly forward. The barrel of the reaper’s gun leveled at his face. He gulped loudly, words impossible to form. However, not all was quiet. Maggie and Lian had broken down, their wretched sobbing choking out everything they were attempting to say, and even could they speak, would anyone have been able to hear it over the manic shouting of Ember? Smashing himself against the barrier, growing exhausted and sore, the imp continued to shout in untamed fury.

“I’ll kill you! Don’t you dare do anything to him or you’re dead, I’ll rip you apart! Moze! Moze c’mon, we can take him, c’mon!” Ember shouted, tears streaming down his own face in spite of his burning rage.

Moze however remained there, staring, saying nothing. His eyes no longer wandered in search of a solution. His hand raised lazily, some deep resistance still residing within him, checking to see if he was still sealed away in the confines of his own invisible cell. As expected, the ripple of the barrier still showed at his touch. His hand fell back down to his side. This was it wasn’t it?

“Well, it appears fate has made her decision. Moze. You have been selected to give your life so that your three companions may keep theirs. They will continue on their journey while yours ends here. Before you meet your destined end, is there anything you wish to say?” The reaper asked, his gaze drifting downwards before locking eyes with Moze.

“No Moze, no! Tell him to screw off! Don’t let him just kill you like that, you’re the strongest one out of all of us! You can’t just let him do this! C’mon, just try! We can break out of here, we can fight him, I know we can!” Ember shouted, his strikes against his prison growing weaker and weaker.

The reaper stood there and said nothing, his finger on the trigger as he waited patiently for Moze to speak. Indeed, it took the paladin a good few moments but eventually, he moved. He looked up, met the reaper with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

“Ember” Moze started to say through those very tears. “Calm down Ember… We haven’t known each other for long, yet it feels like it’s been a lifetime. You rolled with my scheme to rush in so we could learn why we were taken here in the first place. You found the other Chosen and gathered them together. It was only because of you that we could have even accomplished that feat in the first place. Lian, Maggie. It’s the same for you. I might’ve had some doubts at first, but in the end, you really impressed me. I even started thinking to myself, that if I had to be stuck here, then at least I got to be stranded with you all at my side… Look, I get it, this… this is not how I wanted it to end. I wanted to learn why it was we were here, what the significance of being Chosen was. I wanted to experience this world with you all, but… It seems that it just isn’t meant to be… I know it’s going to be hard on you all but please, whatever you do, do not start blaming yourselves. This was my plan, my decision that got us into this, so it’s only right that I pay the price for my mistake.

“Overall, I have only one request to make… Ember. These guys are going to need a leader going forward, someone who can keep them together and guide them through the hard times. I guess I’d sorta taken on that role accidentally, but from here on out, I want it to be you. I know you just wanna go around and hit things, but I think you’re a lot more capable than you realize. You could very well be the one who gets everyone out of this mess as clearly, I myself could not. Please you guys, live on for me alright? Live on and become absolute champions of this freaking place!” Said Moze as he straightened out his posture and turned his head back to face the reaper.

“N-no, no Moze! We need you! You’re way better at being a leader than I am! I’m just some dweeb who lives with his parents! Please Moze, you can’t do this!” Ember shouted, as if there were any other choice yet remaining.

“It’s been fun. I’ve lived a good life, working a job so many others like me never get the fortune of having. Streaming video games and entertaining millions. I can’t doubt that I had it good while it lasted, and in the end, I think I’m satisfied… well then Charon, I… I think that’s it. When you get out of here Ember, let the world know that I’m no longer around to keep them entertained. Don’t want the rumors lingering that I’m suddenly going to make some kind of triumphant return now.” Moze stated, shooting off an amused grin.

With that, the reaper nodded his head as Ember continued screaming for Moze. In the end, those protests didn’t matter as the reaper leveled the weapon between Moze’s eyes, and pulled the trigger. The others could only watch on as Moze suddenly went still, a blue flame appearing where the bullet had landed, right between his eyes. Moze staggered back, still standing before his body was slowly engulfed by blue flame. There were no screams, there was no pain. There was only peaceful resignation as Ember's protests finally gave way to tears. He fell to his knees as his friend burned away, dissolving into the ether piece by piece until he was no more. As blue smoke cleared from the reaper’s gun, he gave the weapon a quick twirl before returning it to its holster.

“The price has been paid. To the survivors, Moze’s collected experience points have been dispersed, plus… a little bonus from me. Don’t go get’n used to it. This’ll be the only time I help ya out like that. Finally, his personal effects have been divided out among y’all. Y’all can decide whatchyer gonna do with 'em yourselves. Oh, and one more thing. When y’all are back up topside, try ta be careful about where y’all happen to drop dead. Fail’n a dungeon aint the only way to lose a life for y’all. Remain a corpse for twenty four hours without anyone find’n ya, and you could consider that another means o’ get’n a game over. What that means ta y’all go’n forward, who knows, but keep it in mind, alright. Anyway, y’all have prolly had enough o’ me, so I’ll see y’all out now. Jes, try not ta come see me again.” The reaper said, tipping his hat to the three remaining party members before everything went white.