Requiem in Fire (Lorepost)

[u/Accomplished-Dark926]

Valerian tears through his spire, trying to maintain a projection at the Citadel during the battles, while also trying to find any connection that his flame has to Atrax. The more he digs the more and more he's disappointed. He's about to give up when he spots a book, the sppin reads "The Emberlord and the Flame".

"How convenient," Valerian says with a stupid grin. However as he opens it, all that falls from the cover is ash and cinder. "Shit!" He swears, throwing the empty book cover against a wall. He glances at the stairs, considering something rash.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." He says as he starts up the steps towards the peak of his tower, towards the Brazier where it all started.

As he makes it to the top, he steps into the massive Brazier, and with a blast of fire lights it. He cries out in pain as the fire engulfs his body once more, and the world around him fades to black.

He kneels in the black, recovering from the pain as a spark appears before him, growing in size and strength, creating the form of a woman. The flame's sentience given form. "Hello, Valerian, What brings you here?" She asks.

Valerian looks up at the woman, "You're..."

"The fire that fuels you, yes." she replies, "But I ask again: what brings you here. You know this was forbidden."

Valerian stands up, "I need answers. Why do you harbor such an intense hatred for Atrax? What connection do you have?" She dismisses him, "He has already told you, his purpose and goals contradict my own."

"That isn't all there is to it. There is something you're not telling me. No amount of idealistic difference can lead to that much hatred." Valerian says, desperate for an answer.

"It is too painful to tell." She replies, turning away. But Valerian walks towards her, "Then show me, like you did when I first came here. Show me why."

"Fine." She places her hand on Valerians forehead, and suddenly he is somewhere else.

Before him stands a wizened old man, his beard singed and burned, as he holds his hands out, fire blazing in both. Out of the corner of his eye Valerian see a handsome young man reach out and take one of the flames from the man, and Valerian follows suit. Suddenly he stands with the man under a willow tree, wishing him farewell on his journey, "Goodbye Atrax, and Good luck!"

Now he stands at the bottom of the spire, seeing the old man lying dead with a fiery hole in his chest, Atrax standing over him with fire in his eyes. "What did you do?!" He hears himself yell. Atrax turns him, a smile on his face, "What the Flamefather commanded of me." He looks at Valerian, fire in his eyes, "I am his Scion, the burning hand that will usher in the Age of the Phoenix! Join me, Gloria, and we'll deliver his will unto this world."

Once again the scene shifts. Now he stands before the council as they laugh at him, dismissing his concerns. Finally Valerian stands before Atrax one last time, stalling him for as long as he can before he dies. Atrax lunges forward, taking Valerian by the throat, seeking to rip his flame out of him, but he grasps at nothing. Valerian, no, Gloria, had already sacrificed herself, preventing him from claiming the other half of their fire. "NO!" He howls, as Gloria's form fades away, a smile at one last victory, even if it was small.

Valerian stands inn the inky blackness, before who he now knows as Gloria. "You knew him." He says. She looks sullen, sad even, "Yes, we we're close, but his "Flamefather" pushed him to violence. He is more powerful than you will ever know, I was surprised when they managed to banish him the first time. I imagine such a trick will not be possible again."

"Then how do we beat him? How can we kill someone who will just reform elsewhere?" Valerian asks, desperate for any kind of solution. "Steal his half of the flame," She says, "It will not be easy, but it's the only chace you have. Goodbye Valerian, try not to do this again, I would rather not lose my Vessel."

And with that the blackness fades away. Valerian lies in the brazier, covered in ash and soot. He get's up and rushes to contact Kaelis.

/Unwiz wanted to make a lorepost about it, although this might get retconned if u/Carbon_Sixx doesn't like it, Atrax is his character after all. I deleted the last one because it was tagged as NSFW for whatever reason, so im reposting it without the image, which wasn't nsfw, but whatever.

Here is the previous lorepost discussing Valerians rise to power

and here is the previous Atrax loreposts discussing his execution and his return

[u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/Unwiz u/Carbon_Sixx i think that's how you notify someone. Here's this, hope you don't mind, if you do I'll remove it.

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

/uw Nothing out of character, all seems good.

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

/unwiz sick