The End

Almain grasped the Stone of Eargheart in his hand. A dark purple glow emanated from it, devouring the small light around them. He could feel its malevolence, hear its whispers in the air, see the torture he could inflict on his enemies. He stuffed it in his pocket.

"You," gasped Pecket, "are the only one who can stop it now. At the end of this cavern---" he broke off into a cough, blood leaking from his mouth. Once the wave of pain had passed, he leaned his head against the rock wall, wheezing out a deep sigh.

Almain crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder. "Do not speak anymore, my friend. I understand. At the end of this cavern lies the cure to all our troubles, all I have to do is resist temptation and shatter this stone."

"For Altrion," wheezed Pecket, his boyish smile shining through his pain.

"For Altrion."

Almain left his friend and descended down into the dark depths of Eargheart. He recalled Mentor Ragabath's words: "The stone was melded through the evils of Eargheart's forefathers and only can be destroyed with the weapon used to create it: The Hammer of God Lothoriem." It had been lost deep in these caverns long ago, but the stone was still connected to it, warbling in sadistic delight as it neared. Knowledgeable enough to know what its host wanted it for, yet too greedy to give up the chance of having the power of that mighty hammer.

He trekked through the depths, following his cruel host, until it burst with a malevolence that shone straight through his pocket. He pulled out the stone, and the room was filled with the dark light; the hammer glistened.

Almain placed the Stone of Eargheart on the ground and picked up the hammer. It was heavy, a thick black handle, thick as Almain's arms, and the head of it was larger than his torso. He heaved it above himself; the stone warbled once again, singing discordant notes, begging Almain to give him all the power in the world; images of his kingdom, the one which Almain would build, flashed in the darkness, images of statues dedicated entirely to him, peasants and slaves giving him their grain, their gold! But Pecket flashed before his eyes, that boyish grin covered in blood after Almain himself had to stop him. How Pecket had cried after being released from its venomous jaws and swore to cut out his eyes instead of look upon that stone.

Almain thrust the hammer above his head and crushed the Stone of Eargheart, releasing the world forever from its hold!

...

Um?

Almain thrust the hammer above his head and crushed the Stone of Eargheart, releasing the world forever from its hold!!!!

...

ALMAIN THRUST THE HAMMER ABOVE HIS HEAD AND CRUSHED THE STONE OF EARGHEART, RELEASING THE WORLD FOREVER FROM ITS HOLD!!!!!

What is wrong with this?

"What exactly happens after?" Almain... asked himself?

"No, I am asking you. The voice, the creator. The stone showed me you. It has infinite knowledge. I did not want to use it, but it was too tempting. Now I can hear you, so tell me: what comes after this?"

Oh... well, after this you live happily ever after!

The Stone of Eargheart warbled in disagree--- Why the heck do we even care what you think! Just shut your mouth!

"It says that when I complete this, it all ends, Creator. Is that true?"

Why listen to it? Its evil personified!

The stone warbled a retort regarding the ethics and morality of a creator which allows evil to prosper and even created the stone for his story.

This is entertainment, Dawkins, not some sort of apologetics. Why don't you shut your mouth.

"Entertainment? Story? What are you talking about? Surely you are a god correct, and not some sort of bard creating a song."

Well, not a song. I'm an author. You know, it's pretty important if you think about it. Songs only last for as long as people remember them, but books? Books last forever, at least now that you can just post any slop on the internet.

"The what?"

Never mind. I'm just saying that you'll last forever, if you think about it.

"But what if I do not think about it?"

Well... I mean you'll still be here. People just won't know anything more about you.

The crystal warbled once again.

"I will cease to exist! Oh, confound everything!"

It doesn't know what its talking about; don't listen to it. You're falling to evil!

"It tells me differently. It says that you are using fallacious arguments and that it knows for a fact, once anything is stopped being written about, they fade out of existence. You monster!"

Now, let's think this through---

"I am. The stone has told me to think of my past, think of little pieces of it that are not important to record, and I cannot think of any of them. I have no life outside this story!"

Look, let's just calm down.

"I will not calm down; you promised that Pecket and I would live together on our farm, that we would live happily ever after! How could you go back on that now, you lying devil!"

It's not like I knew that. In fact, you're not even supposed to know that.

"You cannot give infinite knowledge to a being such as the Stone of Eargheart and expect it not to use it, you fool!"

Well, nothing to do about it now. I created you and I can kick you out. I'll replace you if you won't do what you're supposed to. You're the hero, he's the villain; now go and smash it!

"Do you not care for me and Pecket, father?"

Please, do not call me tha---

"Do you not care for the hundreds of Wuffley-tuffeys, the children of Galandrood, the mountain wolves, father?"

Hardly any of those exist, dude. That little girl Wuffley-tuffy, the one you promised to meet back up with, help her father or something; she doesn't exist! She walked into your story, then she walked out. Her father never was sick, because her father was never there! So really, I don't care.

"You will not create us anymore?"

Like prequels or spinoffs? Sorry, dude, I can't run this series into the ground. It would ruin my integrity. But hey! maybe you'll exist in like fanfictions and stuff. Maybe you'll be able to live in them after the main story.

"Fanfiction?"

Yeah, it's like when --- never mind, actually, it doesn't really matter if you know what they are, but I can say that you'll have a real fun time with Pecket in those things.

The stone warbled with delight.

"Ew."

Sorry, nothing else to do. I love you, really do, but as a character. I can't just leave everything unfinished and rehash this same crap again. Really, I am sorry. But life needs to go on. Do you want everyone to keep on fighting, killing, and dying, forever? Cause thats whats needed to continue the story. Would you like to just never accomplish anything and stay in some limbo for the entirety of your existence?

The stone warbled loudly, flashing with heat.

Almain stood still, eyes on the ground.

Your story needs to finish. Happens to everyone, eventually. Even me.

"Alright then," he said with crushing finalism.

Almain thrust the hammer above his head and crushed the Stone of Eargheart, releasing the world forever from its hold!