by Noah Michael
“Arias, please! Don’t! Arias, please don’t...”
Tears streamed down Atara’s face as she held her big brother in her arms, wailing painfully towards the heavens. “Arias! You cannot leave me! Arias!”
Arias looked up at her, a smile forming across his lips. He lifted his arm, stroking his hand against her cheek. “I love you, Atara,” he whispered, calm and at peace.
Atara bent down, giving him one last gentle kiss upon the cheek, closing his eyelids. She closed her grief-stricken eyes, placing her head down against his chest, sobbing helplessly, her heart torn to shreds. She stayed there, for what seemed to be eternity.
She turned her head towards Stone. “You.” She seethed, choking back tears.
She stood up, turning towards him, her eyes burning madly with pain and rage. Stone looked back at her, his face emotionless. “You killed my brother!”
The Chief’s hand shot out in front of her, stopping her. “Let me go! He killed my brother! He killed my brother!” she screamed hysterically, her voice thick with anguish.
“He was my brother too.” They stood, silent, their eyes locked together, sharing in their feelings of grief and rage.
Yuran walked forward, turning to face Stone. “You have slain Arias, head of the Chief’s guard, brother to the Chief! I, Chief of the Shadows, hereby sentence you to death by the sword of the Chief!”
Stone spread out his arms, iron blades growing out from his fingertips. “You truly believe your sword can hurt me, Shadow?”
“Oh, it can do much more than that.” Stone ducked his swing, jabbing his hand forward. The Chief dodged and spun, swinging his sword. Stone turned swiftly, blocking the sword with his arm. He screamed out in pain as his lower arm began to vibrate, bursting into hundreds of iron bits. Stone turned towards the Chief, his expression returning to its former calm.
“I do not share the weaknesses of other men. I do not grow angry at a wound, nor do I grow satisfied after dealing one. I am in complete control. I have no emotion.” Stone held out his arm stump, growing out from it a long, iron blade. “I truly hope you enjoyed that. You shall not strike me again.”
The Chief dove into the ground and emerged in front of Stone, swinging. The sword passed straight through Stone’s neck as Stone shifted his molecules around it. The Chief swung his sword with rapid speed, each blow passing straight through Stone. Stone kicked forwards, hitting the Chief in the stomach, knocking him backwards. The Chief regained his balance and charged once again. Stone swung his blade, but the Chief was too quick. He dove into the ground, emerging on the other side and spun, swinging his sword into Stone’s back. Stone toppled forwards, his body beginning to vibrate. He screamed as his iron skin began to crack, pieces flying off in every direction. Before the pulses could destroy him completely, he shifted back to his normal form. His skin was all ripped up and bloody, his blade arm reduced back to a stump. He landed in the sand, struggling to rise back up to his feet. The Chief walked towards Stone, preparing to deal a final blow. Stone looked up at him.
“I have not shown my true power for over a hundred years, yet you leave me no other choice!” Stone’s chest radiated a dark, purple shade. His skin changed color and form, shifting into shining, purple element, unlike anything the Chief had ever seen. His eyes glowed red as he charged.
Yuran slashed at Stone’s chest. The sword caused only a mere cut upon the surface. Stone punched Yuran hard in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Yuran rolled aside seconds before Stone’s blade followed, smashing through the earth instead. Yuran launched himself back up to his feet, swinging the sword at Stone’s side. Stone blocked it with his own blade, locking the two of them together, each man pushing with all his might.
“You cannot touch me, Shadow! The power I possess is not of our world!”
“No power is greater than the thirst for vengeance against he who slew my brother!”
The Chief roared, his sword slicing Stone’s blade in two, and slashing his opponent deeply across the cheek. Stone grew back his blade, turning to block another slash from the back.
They glared into each other’s eyes, each breathing heavily, filled with sweat and fatigue. Stone’s eyes stood void of emotion, thinking only of the next step. The Chief’s eyes burned red with pain and rage, thinking of nothing but vengeance. “Surrender, Shadow. Your sword cannot kill me.”
The Chief tossed his sword to the side, never leaving his gaze. “I know.” Yuran’s body glowed. His veins expanded, growing black, power surging through them. Dark, shadowy liquid oozed from his hands. “For Arias!” he cried, charging at Stone. He ducked under Stone’s punch, jamming his fist into Stone’s stomach, bursting a big chunk of it to splinters. Stone cried out in pain, but Yuran did not give him time to recover. He continued to barrage of punches, moving faster than he had ever moved before, smashing Stone to bits, blow by blow.
“He was more honorable warrior than you shall ever be!” Yuran cried out, increasing in power. Yuran grabbed Stone by the neck, landing one final blow to his chest, sending him crashing into the ground.
Stone lay crushed in the sand, surrounded by a cloud of black dust. As the cloud slowly cleared, he coughed painfully, opening his eye as much as he could. Yuran stood before him.
“Get up!” Yuran roared.
“Or what, Shadow?” Stone rasped, hardly able to speak, “You shall kill me?”
“No, I shall not kill you.” Stone looked up in surprise. “She will.”
Atara took the sword from Arias’s limp hands, looking down at Stone, her eyes filled with tears, her heart torn to pieces, blazing with anger, raging for vengeance. She looked up to the heavens, her scream piercing the highest levels of the universe. She plunged the sword downwards, penetrating through Stone’s neck, severing his head.
Atara fell to her knees, breaking down crying, her entire body shaking. Rain poured down from the heavens. The universe was in mourning. Yuran kneeled beside her, taking her hand.
Atara collapsed on Yuran’s shoulder, crying until there were no tears left to be shed.
The Shadows and Molders watched as the sky calmed, the surviving Burners having had escaped with Galaxius through the portal. They had achieved victory, but there was no sense of joy, as it was suppressed under the weight of sacrifice. The men gathered around their fallen leader, one by one, crowding in circles under the rain, standing solemnly, their heads bowed in respect for Arias.
The Chief stood up, walking towards Arias, surrounded by his people. He bent down to his knees, placing Arias’s sword over his body. “We did it, Arias. It is over, and we have won. Just like we always do, fighting side by side. Together.”
Yuran looked into Arias’s face, calm and at peace. “I was not the hero this time, Arias. You won this war. You were the greatest warrior this tribe has ever known. You lived with honor. You died with honor. I chose you to join me by my side, all those years ago. I saw the fire in your eyes, the strength in your spirit, the justice in your sword, and I knew you were the one. The only one I could ever trust. Goodbye, my brother.”
The Shadows and Molders cleared the battlefield, preparing for another funeral. Arias’s body was carried back carefully by Bastion and Suria, their eyes swelling. As the warriors moved about, Maximus walked across the battlefield littered with corpses, looking for one in particular.
The one which had taken Arias’s life. The one which had taken the life of his father. He found it, lying shattered and still upon the sand, its head severed from the rest of its body. Its skin and flesh had returned to its natural, human state. However, its chest continued to glow.
“This is not how I imagined it. I dreamed of the day I could finally sever your head from your cursed heart. But here you are, already dead. I suppose the justice I feel as I look upon you in this state...such shall be my vengeance.”
Maximus walked off through the sea of bodies, the rain soaking through his hair and armor, running smoothly down his reddened blade. As he walked, he thought abou
t the future and what it held. Roko had been defeated, along with his entire army. Sarah was safe and under his protection. And Raiden...the boy had changed so much throughout the journey. It was the right choice to have taken him in. He was strong. He would find a way back. However, after everything they had been through, Galaxius had been resurrected.
He was building an army.
So were they.
The future was cloudy, yet one thing was crystal clear.
This war was far from over.
Chapter Thirty
Contemplation
Location Unknown
Time Unknown
Darkness...I had always thought of it as fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of what may lie beyond it. However, I am no longer afraid. I do not need to see my reflection in order to understand what is inside. The greatest lessons are those learned from others. We are all connected. We all share a common future, connected by delicate strings of fate. Some of them meant to come together, others destined never to meet. Today, many of those strings were tragically torn. The times of change, the times of self-reflection, of deep connection between two souls, those are the moments from which one must draw one’s strength. Here, it approaches. One of those moments.
The brother, he has returned. He has grown powerful, discovering the second of his true names. Justice. He holds within his arms a casket. His heart mourns. His soul remembers. They shall remain brothers for the rest of time. Some things are more powerful than death itself.
The sister, she feels alone. Her heart is torn, her grief inconsolable. However, her spirit fights on, one of the strongest I have ever felt. She shall emerge from this even stronger than before, her brother’s love accompanying her throughout all the challenges she shall ever face. She shall soon discover that she is not, nor shall ever be, alone.
A unity has been formed.
A powerful one.
The King, standing tall and proud, his people finally given a purpose. They shall fight for freedom and justice. The King’s heart no longer aches. The pain is bearable now. He was able to find peace. His son is closer now, his memory avenged.
The Chief, a leader devoted to his beloved people. They are changing. They begin to see what he has seen for so very long. Honor is not defined by the man you kill, but rather by the man you are. They have seen the horrors of war. They have seen the sacrifice, they have mourned their dead, buried their loved ones. They are beginning to realize that war is not honorable unless it can open a doorway to peace.
The son, standing faithfully to the legacy of his father. He shares in the feeling of relief, yet he knows it is only temporary. The threat continues to rise, and the responsibility weighing down upon his shoulders. He has finally opened his heart. He loves the girl as his own daughter. He does not know it, as he does not know what love is but would do everything in his power to keep her safe.
The human. He seems farther this time. He has traveled off to the unknown. He is surrounded by forces far exceeding his own. He feels the danger, he fears the threat. However, he does not give in. He marches on, searching for a way back home. He has a mission. He has heard his calling. He shall not stop at anything until it is reached. He has transformed, his spirit growing stronger and stronger each day. He is different than the rest. That is what makes him powerful.
I have ventured too far. He has found me. He searches for a weakness, for a way back inside. I can hold him off, but not for much longer. He grows stronger each passing day. It shall not be long before he breaks through…
◆◆◆
Alia walked through the halls of the tower, the walls around her scorched, the chandeliers shattered, the doors smashed. Everything was destroyed. Burnt corpses littered the floors.
There were no survivors. He had killed them all.
She walked through the office. The desks were crushed, the robots leaning back against their chairs filled with sparks, their heads removed from their bodies. The floor was covered in a blanket of dead wasps. She neared the desk at the end, grasping the silver orb.
“The secret chambers.”
“General rank detected...access granted.” The orb spread down her skin.
She stood in the room, turning towards the hospital bed in the center of the room, an IV by its side. She walked closer, her heart beating loudly, nervous to see what lie upon it. When she saw the front of the bed, her heart dropped, her stomach twisting with knots of worry and despair. Where Bella used to be, instead there lay an envelope. Alia picked it up.
A noise erupted throughout the room. All surrounding doors began to lower, expanding the room extensively. When they finished, Alia looked around at what seemed to be a laboratory, filled with dozens of man-sized test tubes. In each of the tubes floated a robotic clone, its features completely identical to those of Roko.
She had found his birthplace.
Alia opened the envelope, pulling out the card from within.
She read through the card, short and simple.
Dear Alia,
After all these years, I look forward to finally seeing you again in person. You are more beautiful than I had ever imagined.
Love.
Your Father
What th-
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain in her neck, as someone stabbed her with a needle. It injected fluid from a syringe. She fell to the floor, the world spinning around her, everything turning black. As her eyes closed, a voice rang loudly in the back of her head.
“I am merely a small rodent in this vast forest ruled by creatures of the night. I should have known you were one of them. You will be caught. If not by a wolf, then by a bear. If not by a bear, then by the lion himself.”
Epilogue
The School of Socrates
August 12, 1939
Legasus entered the dimmed alleyway. He was exhausted, his armor scratched and stained with blood. The woman awaited him in the shadows, her features young and vibrant. “Are you alright? You are hurt.”
“I am fine, Ella. There is not much time.”
“Did you speak with the Ominus?”
“I did.”
“So, it truly does exist…” the woman said in astonishment. “What did it say?”
Legasus reached into his pocket, taking out a letter and a shining, sapphire amulet. He placed it in the woman’s hands. “Take this. One day, a boy shall emerge from your line. His mother shall name him Yuran. You must give this to him when the time is right.”
“What if I do not live long enough to see him?”
“You must. The future of our race and our planet depends on it.”
“And how shall I know when the time is right?”
“When my blood line shall cross with yours, that is how you shall know.”
Suddenly, Legasus grew silent, his senses alert. “You must go. I was followed.”
Legasus grabbed the kaza from his neck, pulling the necklace over his head, and handed it to the woman.
“Take this, in case I do not make it. Bring it to my daughter. The future relies upon her survival. Sarah must one day be born.”
“What about you?”
Legasus turned to face the entrance of the alley, his face filled with determination.
“Do not worry about me. Leave now!”
The woman jumped into the ground, fleeing through the walls as a shadow.
Legasus watched the entrance with anticipation. The words rang endlessly in his mind.
He heard a cry erupt from afar.
“They are coming.”
Turn the page for a sneak peek at The Legend of Solis, the second book in the Chronicles of the Enlai Series!
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Excerpt copyright © 2019 Noah Michael
All right reserved.
Prologue
Antarctica
January 17,2095
T he air was cold and bitter,
the pathway dim.
“Give us light. Keep the fires low so as not to melt the ice.”
A dozen flames burst through the darkness, revealing the faces of twenty men. Galaxius walked between them, carefully inspecting the surrounding cave. Its icy walls glittered in the firelight.
“Wait.”
The group froze. Galaxius walked out from among them and over to the cave wall. He slid his hand slowly across the ice, then grunted in approval.
“This is the place.”
Two Burners stepped forward and pointed their hands towards the wall, releasing a plume of fire. When they finished, a puddle lay where the wall had once stood. Galaxius stepped through the hole, the Burners followed close behind.
They found themselves in a vast, circular, shimmering ice cave. At the back of the cave, frozen in the ice wall, was a man. He had an ugly appearance, his face severely scarred, as well as wounds all across his body. His eyes were closed, yet his ears and eyebrows were perked, as if he were waiting in anticipation.
“You've been sleeping long enough, my friend,” Galaxius said. “Sin, get him out.”
“With pleasure.”
A woman stepped out from among the Burners. Her hair was smooth and painted red, matching her eyes. Her face was pale, her ears were pointed, her lips were smeared with blood. Her tongue was split like a viper, her fangs sharp as a wolf's. As she neared the frozen man, she threw off her black cloak, revealing an alluring, curved figure and smooth, bare skin. The men snickered and stared with delight. A few of them stepped closer, testing their limits. As they cooed and gawked, a sinister smile crept its way across her lips. Suddenly, her body began to change, her skin growing scaly and black. A long, thick tail grew out from below her bulging hips, sharp as a spear. The men behind her stepped back in fear. She turned around, pointing two clawed fingers forward.
“You two, unfreeze him.”