by Noah Michael
“We need to get out of here now,” Gospin said.
“Not without Spade!” Alia insisted.
“There’s nothing we can do!”
She’d come too far to leave a man down. “Head for the mountain!” she called to Pierce and Bane.
“The Shadows will fire upon us if we get too close,” Gospin warned.
“Activate the shield. The wasps will follow us there and the Shadows will destroy them.”
“What if the shield won’t hold out against their arrows?”
“That’s not an option.” Alia watched as the Burners fired at the wasps, which by now were closing in around Spade. Most of them passed by him, focusing on the helicopter, but some opened fire. He maneuvered around them as best as he could, but he wasn’t quick enough. One of the wasps hit him with a laser in the back, and he cried out in pain.
“Focus on the wasps attacking him, not the ones coming for us!” Alia ordered. As the helicopter shifted its direction, she lost sight of him, now facing the mountain. She could see the Shadows gathering on the edge of the mountaintop, preparing to fire their arrows. In the middle of them stood Arias, tall and strong. “Alia,” Pierce said, “In a few moments we’ll be in their firing range. We need to activate the shield now.”
Alia hurried over to the cockpit and placed her hand on a square sensor plate between the pilots. The machine scanned her handprint. “General status detected. Full vessel access granted.”
“Activate shield,” Alia said.
“Shield activated.” The Absorbers let go of their shield as the entire helicopter was encapsulated in a blue force field. They sat down and rested their arms, their energy depleted.
Alia watched as Arias raised his hand up into the air, signaling to his men to take aim. Alia looked towards him, waving her arms. “Arias!” she shouted as loud as she could.
Come on Arias, you can figure it out! If I’m the enemy, why are those bloody things chasing me? If I was attacking, why would I come alone?
Arias was too far away for Alia to see his face. She couldn’t know what he was thinking. He moved his arm. The archers shifted their aim, focusing now on the wasps.
“Fire!” The command echoed through the wind. The arrows soared, striking down wasps by the hundreds.
“He’s coming in! Lower the shields!” Gospin shouted.
Alia ran back to the cockpit and retracted the shield. The forcefield dissipated seconds before Spade came crashing through the entrance. As the team cheered, rushing to give help to the wounded, Alia looked out towards Arias on the mountaintop. He was looking at her. She held up her hand. She couldn’t tell for sure, but thought she saw him nod in return.
The helicopter took off, soaring swiftly away from the mountain and the encampment.
“Well General, it seems like we’ve pulled off yet another miracle.” Gospin walked over to her, his face covered in sweat.
“How did you know I was trapped?”
“Roko called me in, I picked up a few details from his face. He asked me if I could replace you in a strike against the Shadows.”
“What was he planning? The battle is already lost.”
“He is using our simulation strategy. They are going through the valley.”
As Alia contemplated the idea “That might actually work,” she admitted with dread.
“If it does, he’s going to kill them all.”
Gospin read the concern from her face. “Why do you care so much for them?” he asked.
“The Shadows are innocent, they don’t deserve to die over Roko’s ego. I started this war, now I need to fix it.”
Gospin grunted, lifting his eyebrows. “So now what? Where do we go?”
Alia looked out at the desert. To the Silver Tower to save Bella? Or stop the massacre of the Shadows before Roko killed them all? She closed her eyes. “Bella, what would you want me to do?” she whispered.
“Save them.”
Alia opened her eyes. “We are going to the Molder tribe. I need to speak with the King.”
◆◆◆
“Can I come in?” Arias asked.
The short nurse nodded, opening the door for Arias to enter the infirmary. He walked through the rows of injured men and thanked them each personally for their bravery. Finally, he reached Atara. She sat up on her bed, watching him, waiting excitedly for him to come. Suria stood at her bedside. When Arias approached, Suria stepped back to give them privacy.
“Atara.” Arias took her hand in his and sat down beside her. “How are you feeling?”
“Now that you’re here, just fine,” she smiled sweetly.
“This is what I was afraid of. This is why I was so stern with you earlier.”
“Arias, I told you before. I make my own choices.”
“I know, I just can’t put my full concentration into the battle if I know you’re in danger.”
“I’m a warrior, just like the rest of them, if not better. It was my choice to put myself in danger for the good of the tribe. You must accept that and stop worrying.”
“I will never stop worrying. I’m your older brother. It is my right, and you are my responsibility.” Arias looked down at the floor and let out a deep sigh.
Atara placed her hand gently on his cheek, and he grasped it. “What’s wrong?”
“Atara, my whole life I’ve been a guard. My only responsibility was to protect Yuran, and he was never hurt. Now, the entire tribe is my responsibility. People are dying due to my choices, my actions, my word. We pulled off a stunning victory, but Roko still outnumbers us five to one. Eventually, we will run out of miracles. Yuran should be here, not me.”
Atara put her hands around her brother and held him close. “Yuran couldn’t have done it any better. It will be okay. All of it. We will get through this like we always have. Together.”
Arias held his baby sister tight before kissing her forehead and finally letting go. “Make sure you heal well. We need you in prime condition back on the battlefield.”
Atara smiled brightly. “You’re truly the best big brother a girl could ever ask for.”
◆◆◆
“Wait here with the men. This is something I must do alone.”
“I insist you take at least one guard. What if someone tries to kill you? These people have committed assassinations in the past.”
Alia looked Gospin fiercely in the eyes. “If someone kills me, I deserve it. I go alone.”
She climbed into the boat beside the driver, a Molder whom she had hypnotized. It was the only way she could get to the King without being recognized. The driver was wearing black. As they rowed through the canals, the towns were very quiet. Black ribbons were tied at every doorpost and on every boat. Every tribesman was dressed in black, similar to her driver.
“We are mourning our prince,” the driver moped as Alia stared out the side of the boat. “He was a symbol of true heroism, a constant glimmer of hope. He gave himself so that we could live in peace. We shall never forget that.”
As they rowed through the canals of the mourning nation, memories of David filled Alia with pain and guilt. The boat pulled into the Senate and parked inside the grand column. “We have arrived.”
Alia climbed out of the boat and walked to the staircase. She made her way into the Senate room. The room was dark and empty, the stone knight stood alone at the center. Alia headed through the rows of seating towards the King’s platform, moving to the door at its end. It opened just as she got to it, startling her.
It was Alroy. He wore a long, black robe and his eyes were stained red. To her surprise, he didn’t react violently to seeing her. He simply stared at her, blank-faced.
“Are you going to stop me?” Alia asked quietly.
“No. But if he tries to kill you, I will not stop him.” Alroy moved aside. She walked slowly into the throne room. The walls and furniture were draped in black, including the throne itself. The room was colorless, quiet, and empty. The king sat on the floor beside his throne, dressed
in rags, no cloak or crown. He faced the back wall. In front of him was a small bowl, brimming with liquid. He did not look up to see who had entered. He showed no acknowledgement that someone stood before him. The room was silent.
“They say,” he started, breaking the silence and gesturing to the bowl, “these tears are the final gifts of the departed. That is why we collect them. For even in death, our loved ones wish to comfort us. Even in death, my son continues to give to his beloved people, to his beloved father.”
“He died saving a woman whose life was worth far less than his own.” Alia responded. “But he only saw the good in people. He believed she could do better.”
“You...” The king paused, sitting up straight. “Get out.”
“Your majesty, I-”
“I said get out!” The king turned violently, revealing his unrecognizable face. He seemed to have aged years in a matter of days. His eyes were stained a dark red, his face wrinkled and distraught. His chest heaved painfully up and down. “How much more suffering must you inflict before you are satisfied!?” The king hissed, tears forming in his eyes, “Get out!”
Alia took a step back, her body shaking. She couldn’t bear to see his sorrow-stricken face, one which so much resembled that of David. She wanted badly to run away, but she wouldn’t let herself. She wouldn’t run away from him. Not again.
The King looked at her, overcome with grief and rage. “Leave!” He roared.
“No!” Alia shouted back, her voice echoed throughout the room. Her eyes filled with tears, yet they burned with a fiery glow. “I owe David too much to leave now. And it’s not out of guilt, but out of responsibility that I come to you today. For his sake, I cannot sit and watch you suffer like this. I cannot sit and watch you and your people wither away to nothing.”
Alia took a step closer to the king. “If you want to honor David’s memory, then you must finish what he started. Defend the weak and fight the evil. Show the world what it means to care for another, and how powerful such an attribute can be. Evil comes in many forms. The evil that took your son was named Roko, who now wages war against the Shadows. He plans on murdering them all; man, woman, and child. They are innocent. It is because of my respect for David that I can’t let this go. I can’t sit and watch his ideal be drowned in the blood of the innocent. Please, join me in this fight against Roko. Help me save the Shadows.”
“I will never stand by your side. Not after what you did to me and my people.”
“I am sorry for what I did. I deserved the bullet that cut through my heart and should have killed me. But it didn’t. And because it didn’t, I have the responsibility to correct my actions. To join in David’s ideal.”
“Enough of this! I have given you your answer. Now leave my people alone!”
So that was it. She had failed. She would return to Arias empty-handed. She would stand with them as they fought to their last breath, to their last child. And then she would die with them.
“I am sorry for your loss,” she said, turning one last time before she left. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. I’m not asking you to do this for me. I’m asking you to do this for David, and for all innocent lives about to be lost. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
Alia walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Chapter Twenty-six
Sacrifice
The Silver Tower
July 25
8 p.m.
“Get out.” Marcus opened his eyes and peered up towards the voice. Light poured in from the door. He squinted in pain, his eyes not used to the light. A hand pulled him into the light, dragging him forward. As they moved, Marcus’s vision slowly recovered. He struggled to keep up with the man, his body weak from starvation. They were surrounded by a collection of glass cells, but Marcus was unable to see who was inside. He turned to his escort. “Who are you?”
There was no answer. They climbed a staircase. By the time they reached the top, Marcus’s vision had returned to normal. They stood in front of a door. Marcus didn’t recognize it.
“Roko wishes to speak to you.”
“About what?” The man opened the door and shoved him inside.
“You have committed a very grave sin, Marcus.” Roko stood in front of him, dressed in his silver suit. The room they stood in was small, designed like an office. The entire back wall was a giant window overlooking the city.
“Just get on with it,” Marcus grumbled.
“You know what they say, Marcus? When one kills for the first time, his heart is stained black. He is filled with a thirst for more, a thirst which only grows with each victim. Here-” Roko picked up a bottle of red wine from his desk, poured it into a glass, and offered it to Marcus. “Have a drink.”
Marcus took the cup and gulped down the wine with a feverous thirst.
Roko smiled. “I know you, Marcus. I know your ambition, your dream of power. I want to offer you that power.”
“I am no fool, Roko.”
“Neither am I. You possess the knowledge to awaken Galaxius. I can tell by the glimmer in your eye. You want to become his right-hand man. I can offer you a greater profit than that which you would gain with him.”
“And what is that?”
“Half the universe.” Marcus looked up at those words, curious. Roko continued. “I am on the verge of awakening the greatest weapon this world has ever seen. I will be unstoppable, even by Galaxius. The entire world would be at my doorstep. I offer you a fifty-percent share in this undertaking.”
“What do you ask for in return?”
“I need you to take another life. I need you to cut the last wire keeping this weapon attached to its soul.”
“Alia...You want me to kill her sister.”
Roko refilled Marcus’s glass, this time pouring one of his own as well. He walked up to Marcus and held out his glass. “To a promising future.” Marcus raised his glass in return.
The wall burst open and Roko tumbled to the floor beneath the debris. Marcus dropped his wineglass in surprise.
“Hello Marcus.” Stone walked out from the rubble towards where Roko lay. As Roko scrambled frantically to his feet, Stone grabbed him by the neck with a silver fist and lifted him up into the air. Roko looked desperately towards Marcus.
“Stone, what are you doing? Put him down!” Marcus protested.
“Are you truly a fool enough to trust him!? Feast your eyes on the truth!” Stone placed his second hand on Roko’s head.
“No!”
He pulled violently and ripped Roko’s head from his neck. Blood dripped down to the floor.
“What have you done!? Are you-!?” Marcus grew suddenly silent as he looked more carefully at the head. The bones were completely metal, the veins made of wires. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“He’s...a robot. But how-?”
“There is no time for questions. Roko was full of lies. He planned to kill you after having used you. The power Galaxius will grant you shall be vast, far greater than what you enjoyed working for this machine.”
Marcus looked at Stone’s bloodstained fists. “Wh-What do we do?”
“Do you know the name of the Decrepit? Speak the truth, or I will kill you too.”
“I-I do,” Marcus spluttered, “Alia has shown it to me. But I will need your help in return.”
“Tell me who to kill, and I will kill them.”
“We need to get to the dungeon. We need James.”
“What do we need with him?”
“Revenge.”
◆◆◆
Stone charged through the hallway, tearing apart any drones that dared stand in his way. The metal on his fingertips expanded and sharpened into razor-sharp claws which he used to slice apart wasps and drones from all sides. Marcus hurried along behind him. Stone reached a mechanical door at the end of the hallway. “Open,” he commanded.
“Access denied.” Stone smashed a hole in the door with his iron foot. He grabbed both sides of the hole
and bent it wide enough to pass through. Marcus followed him through the door and into the dungeon. They passed the multitude of cells, each containing a different prisoner. A television beside each cell displayed the prisoner inside. The Marcus recognized one of them as the opponent of the president in the past elections. Each of the prisoners were positioned the same, lying down or sitting curled up in the corner of the room, their eyes closed.
“Here we are.” Stone had stopped in front of a cell. Marcus peered inside. Unlike the other prisoners, James stood up in the center of the room. His eyes were dark, completely void of light or color. His face was shriveled from starvation. Yet the hunger was not what brought him pain. There was something else.
Stone punched through the glass wall, shattering it. James looked up in surprise as light rushed into his cell. His eyes filled with color. He looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. When James saw Marcus enter, his eyes churned with hatred.
“You!” James shot his hands out at Marcus, but nothing happened. James looked at his bare hands, then lowered them. “I will kill you!” he growled.
“With what? A second-rank Absorber is powerless without his gloves.”
“Just as a Reader is powerless without his sight.” James’s eyes glowed. One by one, all the dungeons lights went out.
“James, if you do not restore the ligh-” James’s fist cut off the rest of his sentence.
“Are you going to fight back, Marcus?”
“No need. I brought a friend for that.” Choking sounds filled the air. “Don’t kill him, we still need him. Just get the lights back on.”
One by one, the lights were restored. Stone had pinned James against the wall. “Enough.”
Stone let him go. James leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.
“I did not come here looking for a fight,” Marcus said. “I came here to complete our deal. You remember it, do you not?”
“It wasn’t a deal. It was a set-up. You wanted my position.”
“A few minutes ago, Stone and I killed Roko. I have your position, yet I’m still here. I require your assistance.”