“This just got interesting,” the demon bellowed. “You dare to fight back to preserve your precious ‘hope.’”
Lucia’s eyes glared. She wasn’t in any mood for games, not after everything good she’d felt tonight. She wasn’t about to let this darkness control her life as much as her duty already did. She pointed the sword and yelled, “Why not?!”
Lucia let the light fill to the tip of her sword and into a single spark. A volley of spiraling white light shot from the point of the blade. It burst toward the beast, but it was too fast. It ascended into the air, sending the light into an endless journey through the fog. But Lucia wasn’t ready to give up. With a swing of her sword, she sent waves of light into the sky, splitting the fog and revealing the moonlight. She took a deep breath as she drew the moonlight in and the stars themselves seemed to brighten. Lucia then remembered Luzanna’s words. Awakened with her song. Immediately she focused, recalling her song’s rhythm and letting it fill her head. She hummed as the Light Wings brightened. “No matter the fate, good or bad, this is where I stand!”
From her back, light traced the shape of wings that sent a pillar of multicolored sparks into the heavens. Slowly, the stars themselves seemed as if they plummeted, all heading toward the beast. Lucia allowed herself to stay connected and continued to sing. “So long, I’ve waited for the day! So long, I’ve waited for the faith and the hope I have yet to find.”
The beast was caught by surprise, moving and dodging the rays of light as they showered down. It stopped, taking in the shadows beneath its feet, and with a gigantic push sent dark energy through the air, dissolving the light into nothing. The shadows ripped, and the aura grew as the light faded. The demons wings were charging, glowing with anti-light as their shadows were pulled from behind them. “Clever girl. You’ve discovered the source of your power—yet still underestimate the cost of using it.” There was a crackling sound as its wings were covered in black lightning. “Where there is light, there is always darkness.” The marshes were nearly solid as the terrain turned black. From it raised a pack of shadowy wolves, each of their bloodstone eyes focusing on the sword in Lucia’s hand.
“Oh—” Lucia clenched her teeth as she readied the sword. Her fear raised bumps over her skin. The wolves . . . the forest. It was him.
“Get away from her!” Leo shouted, dashing forward. He leaped and, dagger in hand, plunged its blade into one of the wolves. The pack swarmed, running toward them as Leo struggled beneath the one he had stabbed. Snapping at his face, the wolf nearly subdued him just as Leo adjusted his hand atop the hilt of his dagger and twisted it to throw the wolf over his head. “Lucia, a little light please?”
Lucia nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment, continuing her hymn in her head. She held out her hand, and from it a sparkling blue light enveloped Leo, entering the blade of his knife. Charging forward, he slashed repeatedly as the wolves jumped at him. His moves were quick and deft, as the blade of his dagger melted through the ice-cold flesh of the beasts, causing them to explode into light.
Luzanna stood there, watching as Leo fought, scampering to think of a way she, too, could be useful. Her spear was lost in Aldric, and she was less adept at hand-to-hand combat than she was with her pointed polearm. But she could not let that deter her. She broke a large branch from a nearby tree and jumped in beside Leo, swinging it wildly just as she would one of the Carist-crafted lances. By the time Lucia’s prayer reached the branch, it was taking on a new form, changing from the deep, dark oak into a stunning white marble staff. It was vibrating beneath Luzanna’s hands as she danced around it and sent its edge into the shadow beasts.
The darkness growled as it hovered, watching as the three used their enchanted weapons to diminish the horde of beasts it sent after them. These virtues—they have potential. They mustn’t realize their true power. With that thought, it dipped and brought itself close to the earth before gliding over the marsh and toward the trio.
“Lucia, here it comes!” Leo shouted as he fought off another wolf. “Look!”
Lucia saw the figure of the demon approaching in the distance, with its dark wings emitting their electrifying aura. She closed her eyes. Focus. Let the words of your song empower you. Your prayer—it is enough . . . . I can’t stop this feeling, not when the words keep coming. From deep inside, I hear it, the drumming of my conviction. To accept my fate with grace, even from within the darkest place, this is my conviction. Because even when I walk alone, it glows.
Lucia opened her eyes just as the beast’s claws reached for her face. She pivoted and maneuvered her sword between herself and its slashing claws. Her perception was too great. It was instinct. The edge of her diamond sword met the blades of the beast’s gauntlets. Her reflexes were taking over, and her adrenaline-pumped body was thrust into a trancelike state. With each slash, she caught the monster’s claws. In her head, she heard it whispering. There amongst the mess, the voice of light was accurately predicting the movements of the dark beast while waiting for an opening. “I’m going to rip you from existence,” she said.
The beast chuckled as they faced off. “You say that with so much hate. Do you hate me, girl? Do you hate me,”—it shined a toothy grin as it charged its claw with dark energy—“Lucia?” It dropped its heavy hand and shattered her sword, surprising Lucia, who, with quick thinking, used the light to propel herself backward a good distance from the beast.
“You fool,” it howled while sending its terrifying claws at her again. “How dare you challenge those who despise you? Hate leads to wrath. Wrath leads to violence. Hate kills . . . . Are you a killer?”
“I’m not a killer. Nor do I fear them. I don’t hate them, even,” Lucia said, shaking her head and summoning a new sword into her hand. “Do you want to know what I hate?” She brought her sword in front of her face. “Losing.” And then with a step, enhanced with light, she bolted toward the monster, dodging under its right claw. Briskly with her left hand, she summoned a bright golden shield. She rose up and slammed it underneath the head of the demon before shattering it on the side of its face. This is it, she thought. You’re open. As the demon was hunched sideways, Lucia sent her sword into its black torso. And with her diamond blade deep within the beast’s tar-like flesh, she let go of the sword’s hilt and flipped backward. With a light-filled kick, she thrust the sword deeper into the beast and brought the demon into the air as the sword exploded into shards of incandescence. She caught herself as the monster twisted and spun. Gravity was just about to bring him down before Lucia extended her hands and sent a powerful blast of golden light toward the monstrosity.
Consumed by the white flare, the beast snarled, burning with intense radiance. The trio covered their faces as the monster was enveloped in the light. The wolves dissipated, and the shadows retreated beneath their feet. The light beaconed before flashing into an array of sparks, revealing what was left of the demon. It fell to the ground, its anti-light and dark electricity inching about its body as it attempted to rise. Its wings were tattered, beaten. It let out an echoing cry as it fused its claws to its side. It knelt in the distance, glaring at Lucia intensely. “You’re just a puppet . . . a tool!” it shouted in shock. “You think those wings will redeem you. You’re wrong. They’ll forsake you.” The beast growled as it pulled in the shadows of the night to regenerate itself. “They’ll forsake you all.”
“Why are you still talking?” Leo spat. “You lost! So why don’t you beat it before Lucia makes some target practice out of you? I mean, that is, if you’ll fly again.”
Lucia glanced toward Leo and then back to the demon. Where did all that come from? she thought. Puppet? She sensed something true about that word. She had never fought a day in her life, but today, all this came from somewhere. I have to know why. “What does the darkness really want? To destroy the world? The light? There has to be a goal. If I’m the light’s puppet, so be it, as long as it rids the world of sin and rights the
wrongs of the past. It intends on saving humanity, whereas you”—Lucia’s voice rose—“intend to destroy it.”
The demon released another growl, narrowing its bright scarlet eyes. “You mock me, but don’t understand the light’s true motives. One cannot exist without the other. Our bond is eternal, regardless of the light’s petty schemes. Don’t underestimate our power, girl! Those wings hold nothing more than deception. It knows what was promised.” It hesitated and then said with a disoriented chuckle, “And it will pay for what it has taken from us.” And then, with a great push of its wings, the demon shot upward, flying high until it was out of sight.
The light of the moon and stars graced them as the brilliance of Leo’s dagger dimmed and Luzanna’s staff transformed back into a branch of oak.
“What was that?” Luzanna asked, stepping beside Lucia, her eyes fixed to the heavens.
“It was another sin. Hate, I presume. The sin that destroyed my home.” Lucia’s tone was solid. “I’m beginning to understand. I know why we were all brought together. The light—it needs the three of us. It spoke the names of the others: Wym. Lykorus. These sins—they’re awful. But they’re real, and we’re the only ones who can stop them.”
“We?” Leo asked, shocked by Lucia’s words. Was she really saying this? Days ago, she’d felt the burden of the world lying solely on her shoulders. Today, she was confiding and placing her faith in them. “I mean, it was your light that saved us. That backflip was incredible!”
Lucia sighed. “Leo, you don’t get it. It called us the ‘light’s virtues,’ virtue being the opposite of sin. We all have a role to play in this. You, me, and Luzanna.”
“Just as Stello predicted,” Luzanna said, placing a knuckle to the beak of her mask as she thought. “He told my father that the light had an extraordinary destiny for me, but that’d I’d suffer greatly for it.” She paused. “So you’re saying the light is assembling its virtues.”
Lucia smiled and nodded, “Precisely.” She still felt it lingering. Talon was right indeed—there was a connection, one she was at first unaware of. But now, as she tapped into it, everything started to fall into place. “There is a virtue for every sin, a counterpart destined to aid in its destruction.”
“But we don’t have powers. Whatever we did, you allowed us to do it. Aren’t the Light Wings supposed to be the key to destroying the darkness?”
“Yes, in part. But when the beast was in the air, I read its thoughts. I know, it sounds odd, but there’s truth to what it said about there being a bond. When I opened myself to the source of its power, I could feel it. The light and the darkness exist eternally, each bonded to the other within the same place. Except, now, the darkness is overpowering the light. How? I’m not sure, but the key to restoring the light’s power is in awakening the powers within each of us.”
“Our powers?”
“Yes. On the other side—where the light is, where the Light Wings and the sins are connected to. I’m almost positive that whatever we find in Remena is going to show us what we need to do to establish your connections, like I did with my song.”
Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, I know a whole lot of crazy crap just went down, but I’m finding it hard to believe that we could create any sort of connection. Luzanna said only protectors could use the light’s power. We’re clearly not protectors.”
“And neither am I,” Lucia said.
“But you might be,” Luzanna interjected. She followed with much skepticism. “I don’t know. If I had any special connection, an intuition or spirit like yours, I’d know. My powers come from logic and reason. My nature is human, nothing more. What you’re saying, it’s just not viable. There is no evidence to support this.”
“Does there have to be, though? Isn’t that what faith’s for? Let me ask you, Leo. Where does your power come from?” Lucia asked.
Leo hesitated. He didn’t know exactly how to answer that. “I don’t know. The only faith I’ve ever had was in myself and the choices I make.”
“Well, I believe there is more to both of you than you’re willing to accept. If you don’t believe me, just remember. My intuition is never wrong. I know I’m right on this one.” Lucia turned on her heel and started walking toward the forest in the distance.
“Lucia, where are you going?”
She stopped and glanced back, forgetting that they hadn’t even rested. “Where do you think? Remena is this way. Come on!”
Luzanna and Leo looked at each other, bewildered by what their senses were telling them. Virtues of light. The source of the light and darkness. The protectors. It was all too much for their minds to take on at once. But the two knew they had no choice. What the Light Wings had demonstrated tonight only proved that Lucia was more powerful than they could have ever imagined. And even in those tight moments, fighting side by side, they were too. If they were blessed with power just as Lucia was, who was to say they couldn’t save this dying world?
Little did they know, the answers to their questions were beyond that forest, waiting to open their eyes to a whole new world.
Chapter Sixteen:
The Protectors’ Promise
The vegetation was heavy as they walked through the ever-growing jungle. Luzanna was quick to explain how the jungle served as a border to this sacred realm where they soon hoped to discover the secrets of the Light Wings, and their plan to rid Terestria of the sins that plagued it.
With each new encounter, they’d learned more about the light’s intentions, about their own roles, and about how they all fit into the grand design Stello had set in motion years ago when he left the Light Wings in Ara’s care. The sky was thundering overhead, and a shower of rain came soon thereafter. Lucia sensed it. The Light Wings were pulling her, eagerly, toward their long-fated destination. They were ready—ready to go home.
“Remena is not far now,” Luzanna said. “Once we cross the forest border, we’ll be there.”
“Come on,” Lucia mumbled as she pushed leaves from her face. “Just a little longer.” The signs were growing all around them. The laws of nature, Terestria itself, called to her asking her to remember and discern the signs so she could redeem it. I’m going to do it. I’m going to save the world. I will . . . I am.
Lucia was determined. There was no other way. Her old life, who she was now, and everything she knew before was different. She had changed. Everything had changed. And she did not want to go back. No ounce of will in her body wanted to. There was a conviction building deep inside her, and oddly enough, the words her mother once so passionately spoke made all the more sense to her. Duty above all else. That’s my family’s motto. Lucia pressed forward, leading the way with glowing gold eyes. Thank you, Mother, for teaching me all the right things. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.
Eventually, Lucia stopped. She lowered her head noticing a pink rose. It tilted in the rain, pointing to her left. There, she saw roses of blue and yellow. Lucia followed them with her eyes, observing as they met a rose of violet and then another of pink and blue. “There’s a trail this way. Look—the roses . . . .”
“I’ve never seen roses of violet or blue before. I actually never thought it to be empirically possible to produce roses such as these.” Luzanna stated, fascinated with Lucia’s discovery.
“Neither have I. But those colors—they repeat. I’m seeing them everywhere.” Lucia sped along the path as the colored roses alternated and increased in number. “In my dreams, the stained glass window at home in the light of the pendant—these colors are connected to the light. They have to be.” Lucia was catching on, learning the patterns. “Don’t you see? We’ve been blind this whole time. Mankind has forgotten all about the things the light holds dear. They no longer believe or pay attention. They play with their politics and ploys for power, but they’ve forgotten about the one true source of all life. The knowledge was lost and kept secret, but to what end? Why? The
re has to be a reason.”
“Lucia, are you feeling alright?” Leo was growing increasingly worried. Over the course of their journey, he had seen many sides to Lucia, but this one was intense and so unlike her. In a way, he was glad she was out of her head and focused on the mission, but in another, he felt like she was losing touch with who she was.
Lucia stopped to smile back at him. “I am. I think I’m finally starting to understand.”
“And this . . . ” Leo was trying not to sound skeptical. “This makes you happy?”
Lucia stepped back and took a moment to think. “No, not happy.” She took two slow steps as she thought of how to explain how she was feeling. “But . . . content.”
“Surely you’ve felt that way before,” Luzanna said as they pressed forward.
“I really can’t say so,” Lucia said honestly. “My entire life, I lived in a cloud of doubt. I was never fond of my duty. I rejected it. I wanted nothing more than to be free, but now, even trapped in the midst of all this, I feel as if my duty is why I live. It’s this purpose that makes me who I am.”
“But, Lucia, you’re more than that,” Leo said touching her shoulder. “You’re not just the high maiden of Moz or some virtue of light. You’re still you, right?”
Lucia hesitated. She smiled again and nodded. “Of course.”
Leo exhaled as a weight lifted off his shoulders. Maybe he was overreacting and overthinking the severity of the situation. Lucia was in no way the light’s puppet. Why would the light enslave her and give her the exact opposite of what she always wanted? In the end, surely it intended to reward her and grant her many blessings. He hoped this was the case with each of them. Because he did not want to think of the light as such a force corrupted in its own intent. How could something that was meant to represent and embody all that was good in the world be capable of such evil?
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