by Jay Swanson
He took a step back from the pool as the chunks of stone beneath the statue across from him began to shake and slide in towards the base. A wind cropped up suddenly and swirled through the ruins, kicking up a cloud of dust which moved against the breeze. The dust came together over the statue, like the ghost of some ancient warrior as it hovered in place.
Chakra could just barely make out the features of a man as they lined themselves out along the gently shifting dust, its face harsh and somehow kingly. And then a mouth appeared, and it spoke.
“Why are you here, child of man?”
Chakra was taken completely aback by the sudden words, but the topaz on his arm urged him on and restored his confidence. “I am here to save the one I love with the power in this pool.”
“The power that lies herein can save nothing,” the voice boomed with a gravelly authority. “The darkness here can and will only destroy.”
Can and will only destroy? Chakra thought. But the topaz flared to life, calming his nerves and reassuring him of its power. Save Melina.
“In my hands this power will save her,” Chakra said as he stepped forward to the edge of the recess in the ground again. “Do not interfere.”
“This power serves no man, nor can it be mastered.” The stones on the ground shook more violently, then suddenly floated up and began to snap into place, building from the broken feet up until the entire ghost had solidified into a stone soldier. There was a crack as its rigid form was given life. It jumped to the floor with a thud. “I cannot allow it to be unleashed.”
It stuck out its hand, the vines beneath it shaking before stones leaped in the air and clicked together to form a staff. The soldier twirled the staff with one hand before resting it in the other. It did look like a king, adorned with a crown and covered in the moss that had grown on the stones over time. It looked regal, and lethally angry.
“You have come far too close already. This ends now.”
Chakra jumped forward then, the topaz igniting a furious anger in him, urging him to fight for Melina's life. He jumped to the stones at the center, then lunged at his foe from them in the same motion. He brought the sword around and down, the staff of the statue coming up lightning quick to catch his blow. Chakra shot a foot out, kicking the statue in its stomach.
The soldier staggered, but the sheer weight of it absorbed most of Chakra's strike. The teal veins in Chakra's black boots sparkled with a renewed energy at the defused blow, and he brought the sword up to strike it on the head. But the staff was again in motion. The statue swung it in a blur and struck Chakra in the side. The blow knocked him off to the left, and would have broken half of his ribs had he not been wearing the black armor.
He stumbled, turning to ward off the blow that was sure to follow up the last. He caught it on his blade, then threw it back to the right to catch the other end of the staff before it connected. The soldier swung through his block, sweeping his blade down before thrusting the staff forward, sending it directly into Chakra's shoulder like a punch. Chakra worked to catch his balance.
Melina.
He brought the sword around to catch the far end of the staff as it swung around at full speed. The weight of the stone dented his blade, sending a shiver up his arm as he dove away in desperation.
I can't lose...
The statue was right behind him, each step thunking into the ground with increasing intensity. It would not pause in its pursuit.
It swung the staff around, allowing it to slide until holding it from one end by both hands. The statue brought it down like an ax at Chakra's head. Chakra swung his sword up and overhead, directing the blow to the side but at the expense of the blade. It cracked with the blow this time, a shard of steel flipping off and landing with a clink at the empty base of a statue.
The staff came back up from underneath his outstretched arm. It flipped the blade up and away. Chakra watched as it shattered into pieces which scattered through the air and away from the temple.
No... Chakra watched it go in disbelief. The solitary moon seemed to gain a myriad of brothers in each flickering shard of metal as they careened over the edge and into the night. And then the monster struck him hard in the chest.
Chakra coughed a curse as he slid along the ground. He kicked back up and over his head, rolling to a crouch from which he could dive away from the next attack. Before he could move, the soldier brought up a knee, then stomped the ground so hard that a pillar of stone jutted out of the ground and struck Chakra in the chest again. The force flipped him onto his back. He rolled as another stomp sent another pillar jutting into the air.
The statue spun its staff so quickly Chakra couldn’t see it, then shifted its weight to lift its knee again.
NO! Chakra lunged forward, charging as it brought the foot down in another stone-crunching stomp. As the stone jutted out Chakra planted his foot on it, using its momentum to launch himself higher in the air than he could possibly have jumped. The armor absorbed the force of the blow and poured it into his leg as he flew at the soldier.
It spun the staff around to strike, but Chakra kicked down and beat it to the hit. His kick knocked it back into the dry pool, laying it out over the stones at the center. Chakra made a clumsy landing and rolled on the other side of the pool, turning as he scrambled to regain his feet. The statue moved more slowly on its back, and his boots glistened at the opportunity for revenge. He took three quick strides into a jump, coming down on the statue's head in a brutal stomp that shattered it entirely along its length.
The stone crumbled and fell away into dust, leaving Chakra fighting to regain his balance in a dry, dusty pool. The loss of his father's sword somehow stung through the victory, but he had done it.
He found it hard to believe, but he had finished each and every obstacle that stood in his way. The topazes all over his armor glowed brilliantly, infusing the subtle veins running along the metal and leather with life as they did. There was a deep sense of finality to it all, and yet mingled in it came a strange fear of what unknown was to come next.
He reached down, tilting one of the stones back to reveal the glowing topaz affixed to the forehead of the most awe-inspiring helmet he had ever seen. He pulled it out, the broad dark eyes and long gashes in the face guard making it look like a black, horned skull covered in teal cracks. He studied it for a moment.
It’s beautiful. He smiled as he ran his fingers along the sparkling veins. This will drive fear into the heart of any enemy I ever make. He turned it in his hands, bowing his head to put it on. Once I've saved Melina, no one in the Stone Lord's army will be able to stand against me.
The stones blazed as he felt his strength redouble, his heart rate picking up as the excitement of their combination came over him. I will be as a god.
- - -
“They're not so big,” Thruss said as he jumped down from his horse. He swung his staff from his back and spun it in his hands as he walked forward. “Pa talked about shadow cats, he always said they were the size of a horse.” Maybe pa doesn’t know everything, Thruss thought. Maybe the woods doctor really can help Melina.
“Thruss!” Yoren reached out from his horse as he shouted for him to come back.
“Here kitty, kitty.” Thruss moved forward slowly with a small grin on his face. He gave his staff another twirl as the nearest shadow cat began to move forward, its flat face snarling as its legs tensed to pounce. The short tail twitched once before slowing to still. There was a low gurgling rumble that picked up among the cats as they positioned themselves to block the road and begin their advance.
Pegg was shouting now, but Thruss ignored him. Chakra needed his help, and no number of cats would be able to stop him from saving his friend. It was his fault that Chakra was here in the first place. It was his fault that they were all in danger. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he told himself shadow cats weren’t anyone. They were evil. They were trying to kill his friends.
The first shadow cat moved to pounce, but twisted and flopp
ed to the side, twitching with an arrow jutting out of where its neck should have been.
The following cats showed no hesitation now. They sprung forward and sped down the road towards them. There were around a dozen left. Thruss had counted, and he was certain he could thrash a dozen cats for Chakra.
He stepped forward, planting his front foot and putting every ounce of his massive stature into an undercut that broke the jaw of the first cat to leap his way. Its claws continued to reach out instinctively, slicing his right forearm before he could spin and dodge the rest of its oncoming weight. Another cat jumped at him, but this one too fell prematurely in its attack with an arrow in its eye.
Pegg was beside him suddenly, cutting out at a cat with his sword before another tackled him to the ground. Thruss dashed to his aid, bringing his staff down with a thrust that separated the monster's spine at the base of the skull. He kicked it off of his friend just as a cat hammered him in the back and sent him sprawling on his face.
The monster's claws ripped at his clothes, tearing at the heavy folds in every effort to get at him. Thruss began to flail in a panic. He hated being pinned down. He swung back with an elbow, landing a strike on the side of the monster’s head, but was rewarded only with a renewed fury in its attack.
A yell intermingled with the fall of horseshoes, then suddenly the cat went rigid and slid to the ground.
“Get up Thruss!” Yoren shouted as his horse rushed forward into the fight.
Thruss pushed himself up, shaking the coiled arm of the dead cat off as he gained his bearings and slowed his breathing. Aims kept his horse back, shooting at each cat as quickly as he could manage. Yoren rushed one that he had knocked off balance with his horse. Pegg twirled his blade to keep another at bay.
These cats are terrifying after all, Thruss thought as he blinked the tears from his eyes. He must be cut somewhere, he realized. But there was no time to check.
He ran forward to help as another cat came at Pegg from the side. An arrow thunked into its hindquarters, but it barely slowed. Pegg's head snapped to the side at the violence of the impact, sliding along the ground as he struggled against the weight of the cat. Another raced in to attack him too, but Aims' arrow found its mark this time. It dropped before it could get its teeth on his leg.
Thruss yelled and kicked at the one that was attacking Pegg, ramming his staff so hard into its eye that it released him immediately and backed off a few staggering paces.
“C’mon kitty!” Thruss shouted at it. “I’ve got a stick for you.”
It twitched, snarling at him before it launched itself forward. Thruss struck it so hard with his staff that blood sprayed out of the top of its skull. At the same moment an arrow pierced its side.
The monster slammed into the ground dead, and as Thruss looked around, he realized they had killed them all. He reached down for Pegg who was groaning at his feet. The wounds along his collar bled profusely.
“You're hurt,” Thruss said dumbly as he reached into his purse for a bandage.
“Nah,” Pegg said as he let Thruss pull his hand off the wound. “I'm just light headed is all. You need to take a shower… or one of these things does. Something stinks.”
“You should be used to those smells, Pegg,” Aims said as he got off his horse to join them. “Gods know I have to put up with it whenever I visit your home.”
Thruss sprinkled the slashes with a dusting of Martingue leaf, then pressed the bandages into them and put Pegg's hand back on it.
“Push on it,” he said as he stood up. “It helps.”
“Or keep pressure on it,” Aims rolled his eyes. “Whichever you prefer.”
“Thruss, you were really impressive,” Pegg said against a wince.
“Me?” Thruss had never heard those words before. Ever. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Pegg said with a grimace shaped to look like a smile. “Gods, thank you for saving my life, Thruss.”
“You boys ok?” Yoren walked his horse back over.
“Pegg's taking a break, but otherwise we're fine,” Aims said as he shoved his bow into its slot on his back. He jumped down to help Pegg up as Thruss walked back to his horse.
“I get really sleepy after a fight,” Pegg said with a grunt as he got to his feet. “Old family trait. Not one we’re all that proud of.”
“Does your family have any traits they’re fond of?” Aims slapped Pegg on the healthy shoulder, then darted off to reclaim what arrows he could find.
Thruss dug around in his saddle bag until he found a longer bandage to wrap around Pegg's shoulder and tie the others in place. He walked back over and motioned for Pegg to strip off his vest and coat, which he did so grudgingly. It only took a minute before they were ready to move again.
“Things didn't put up much of a fight at least.” Yoren's words masked an anxiety that even Thruss could hear. “Good work, boys, but the night isn't over. Let's go.”
- - -
Nothing kept Chakra from running this time. No nagging fears of attack, no worry that an ambush might fall from the sky or a monster erupt from the ground. He had only one thing left to fear: time.
He figured he had plenty of it to return to the broken down castle in the mountains, but the topaz on his arm led him to believe that not everything was as it seemed. The paths from the pool by the castle led him to very strange places, places that couldn't have possibly existed, places that were the construction of some other power.
The stones were working overtime, communicating amongst themselves and bridging gaps that had been made and kept for far too long. Among the surges of energy around his body came portions which he found he could understand, his knowledge growing as if his memory were slowly returning to him. A dark power once separated these stones, and had worked to keep them apart no matter how hard they tried to unite. That power kept them hidden here, built the illusions and monsters that would misguide and attack any attempts at uncovering them. That power was still at work.
He needed to get back to Melina, to use the power that was growing within him to restore her lungs and save her life. He ran as hard as he could, descending the mountain so quickly he almost stumbled down it, then crossed the plain at a speed he knew he could never attain on his own. The sheer walls of the path opened up before him as it descended below the surface, and soon he wound his way back to the castle.
The pool was there, nine statues carved from the walls. The knights held their swords with the tips resting on the ground before them, and the solitary scholar held his staff out defiantly. Their stances were proud, their armor thick. Piles of dust lay beneath them against the wall of the quarry and trailed over the ground to the pool at the center. The moonslight glistened from a dozen directions here, reflected by some material bound within the stone of each statue. It danced across the water in such a fashion that Chakra felt it celebratory.
The sight only drew a moment's hesitation before a flash of fear shouted at Chakra. Melina. He made to the left to circumvent the pool, taking the steps leading out of the quarry two at a time as he raced back to her. The energy of the armor was growing with every step, its strength propelling him forward as he drew near the end of his quest.
The vast gardens behind the castle stood dark in the night, foreboding, as if to ward him off. The sense was enough to slow his approach, so he picked his route carefully as he navigated the ancient paths that made their way to the castle. He crossed the streams running through the garden to find the woods doctor waiting for him in the doorway.
“You've succeeded...” The old man's tone expressed as much disbelief as his expression. “I... you succeeded!”
“Where's Melina?” Chakra pushed past the old man and kept walking through the ruined old castle.
“She's where you left her, of course.” The woods doctor fell into step behind him. “I can only hope that you are not too late.”
Chakra whipped around on him. “What do you mean, you 'hope?' It isn't yet the second sunrise, there should be plen
ty of time!”
“The flux is strong, my boy, and the sun is not so far from the horizon. The magic of your armor...” The old man trailed off for a second as he reached out to trace the veins of teal running along the surface of Chakra’s arm. “The armor is an ancient magic, one that cannot be so easily controlled.”
“Don't mince words with me, old man.” Chakra grabbed the woods doctor by the chest of his tattered old cloak. “If Melina doesn't survive the night, neither shall you.”
Chakra released him with a shove. He turned, making his way back through the broad expanse of the living quarters before coming to the room where they had lain her the night before. She was so pale. He feared he could see through her should the moons shine directly on her. He dropped to his knees at her side, the sight of her deteriorated state drawing tears to his eyes.
“Lina...”
She turned her head ever so slightly, as if to speak. The strength of the topaz grew steadily, rising up in him as he placed a hand on hers, the other on her forehead. He could feel the power of the gems surging through him. The armor grew tense, spawning an anticipation in him of what was to come.
“What do I do?” He asked the woods doctor without ever breaking eye contact with Melina.
The power surged even more now, and he knew he would soon find out on his own. He swallowed hard, fearing that it wouldn't work but hoping with renewed intensity that it would. Knowing he could do this. The topaz on his arm blazed brilliantly in the way it always had to warn him when danger was present, and then a shearing pain shot through his chest.
A black blade punched through the armor, its tip glowing blue as it mingled with his blood. The point was driven farther forward then, grinding against the metal plate and bone. It was everything he could do to keep it from forcing him into Melina. Then the weight behind it released. He rocked back on his heels as he realized what had happened.
It was reacting to the final piece. It didn't warn me...