The Dark Disciple (The Daybreak Saga Book 2)

by Dan Neil

  He picked Jisaazu and Friedrich up with telekinesis and threw them. They went some thirty feet in the air and tumbled another twenty.

  Struggling to stand, Aliya’s mouth opened to call out, but the Dark Disciple was already upon her. She yelped and readied herself. Their swords clashed.

  Mirage and Guardian were both aglow, the copy blades peppering Ezra’s defenses. Aliya cast wards, illusory strikes, and time shifts in tandem to hassle her enemy and stave off defeat—all while gasping for air. She was throwing everything she had at him, and he was weathering all of it with ease.

  His crackling sword met an incoming Mirage blade, and the other two copies rushed in, pushing the trapped Darkfire Blade downward. Aliya leaped in, adding her hand-sword to the fray. The shadowy blade shrieked and hissed, releasing a foul black smoke as it was pressed into the ground by Aliya and Mirage’s combined effort.

  Spinning, Ezra cast aside the Mirage blades with a sweeping, upward slash. Forced to give ground, Aliya barely raised Guardian in time to meet his follow-up attack. A metallic clang collided with an unnatural screech. The impact sent a shockwave shooting up her arm. Aliya leaped back, her lungs heaving for air.

  A cold sensation emanated from Keia’s core as she watched, trembling and full of hopeless despair. They’re all going to die. And there’s nothing I can do to save any of them.

  A single tear stained Aliya’s cheek as the Dark Disciple lurched toward her.

  Ezra resumed his furious assault. Mixing calculated, vicious strikes with precise spellcasting, he pushed her back, keeping her off balance. His attacks steered her as she gave ground. Eventually, Aliya’s back was to the temple—she had nowhere left to retreat.

  Ezra thrust the Darkfire Blade at Aliya’s heart. She raised Guardian and summoned a ward, but he did not let up—he pushed harder against her spell, his blade contorting and hissing. Her duplicate blades swung in, but he steered them into the ground with telekinesis.

  Eyes alit with furor, Ezra said, “This is it, Aliya!”

  The ward weakened with every second. With every ear-splitting shriek, the Darkfire Blade came closer to breaking through. Aliya’s spell cracked under the weight of his power.

  Staring on in horror, a familiar sense of helplessness overcame Keia. There had to be something she could do. The Darkfire Blade surged forward, shattering the ward. Keia’s heart stopped as a sick cracking noise, followed by a moist crunch, broke out. Ezra’s blade impaled Aliya’s shoulder.

  Everything went silent. Keia stared on in disbelief. Then, in despair, she cried out, “A-Aliya!”

  Fragments of the fading ward fell all around Aliya, her eyes open wide. A scream of sheer agony tore upward from her throat, but only a breathy wheeze escaped her lips. The Dark Disciple withdrew the blade. Mirage fell from her hand as she crumbled; the copies dissipated. Ezra smiled and raised his sword for the last strike.

  Keia tried to rush forward but fell on her stomach, her face hitting the dirt. She screamed, tears and dust blurring her vision, “No!”

  At the last moment, Jisaazu jumped in and blocked Ezra’s stroke. The combatants disengaged and stared each other down while Aliya writhed, barely able to cast a light spell to extinguish the Darkfire.

  Ezra pointed his blade. “Get out of my way.”

  “Over my dead body!” Jisaazu replied, readying the Jaaza Greatsword.

  With telekinesis, Ezra brutally smashed her against the outer wall of the temple, rendering her unconscious. He then tossed her some thirty feet.

  “Now,” he continued, “where was I?”

  He stalked toward Aliya. She lay sprawled against the pyramid, panting and fighting to keep her eyes open.

  “No!” Keia protested. “Aliya, run!”

  Aliya weakly raised Guardian. Ezra smiled and viciously knocked the weapon from her weakened grip with a full-power strike from the Darkfire Blade. She scrambled for Mirage, but it was kicked from her hand before the copies materialized. Ezra then grazed her torso with the blade, eliciting another round of agonized screams.

  “It’ll be over soon,” he raised his blade, circling her. “The less you struggle, the less painful it will be—gah!”

  Ezra shouted in surprise and turned. Friedrich had thrown one of his blades into Ezra’s back.

  “Haven’t you learned,” Ezra spat out, “that you’re too weak to stop me?”

  By the look in Friedrich’s eyes, he didn’t care. He shouted and charged. The Dark Disciple caught him with telekinesis and lifted him into the air.

  The wounded soldier struggled, but to no avail. Ezra smiled wolfishly as Friedrich’s arm curled inward. He was helpless to stop his own body; Ezra had complete control.

  Friedrich fought as his own blade neared his stomach. He resisted with everything he had, but it was hopeless. The blade slowly drew blood from his belly and sank ever deeper. Friedrich howled in pain. Ezra smiled with childlike delight as his captive slowly gutted himself, screaming the entire time.

  When Jisaazu woke up, Keia’s shrieks of protest and Friedrich’s tortured shouts filled her ears. She managed to stand but stumbled before gaining some momentum. Raising her blade, she charged Ezra and hacked at his head with all her strength.

  Ezra spun to face her, easily repelling Jisaazu’s strike as Friedrich crumpled into an unconscious ball of blood and steel. She barely pulled her sword back in time to block as a black maelstrom of shadowy wind erupted from his gauntlet, honing in on her. The blast enveloped the swordswoman.

  The Jaaza Greatsword burned with a fierce glow, shielding Jisaazu, but she was pushed backward by the force of his magic. She held out until her arms and leg went from numb to flaring up in searing agony—it was too much. Her prosthetic bent the wrong way and buckled. Having rendered her off-balance, the spell’s force then slammed her onto her back. The Dark Disciple ceased casting and looked on, amused by her efforts.

  Gasping for air and severely weakened, Jisaazu again struggled to her feet and gave a feral growl. Keia’s muted screams vaguely registered in the background. The swordswoman put everything she had into one last, desperate swing. Her hands shook as she charged him.

  With a sneer, Ezra cast telekinesis, ripping Jisaazu’s prosthetic leg from her body. She yelped—half in shock, half in pain—and fell, face-first, into the dirt.

  “I was wondering what you were standing on.”

  Jisaazu propped herself up on her arms enough to lean on the Jaaza Greatsword. Her eyes were desperate and crazed as she activated the warp stone on her armor, pointing her sword as she rocketed at Ezra, screaming and channeling all her remaining strength into this one blow.

  The Dark Disciple sidestepped and struck with his gauntlet. She was wrenched out of warp speed in an instant—Jisaazu doubled over. Darkfire burst from his hand, punched through her armor, and erupted from her back. She fell to the ground, defeated. The shadowy flame’s spread was slow but agonizing.

  Keia cried out, “Jisaazu! No!”

  Jisaazu tried to cry out in pain, but nothing came out—the world fell to darkness as agony consumed her. She clung to life, but barely.

  With her heart pounding in her ears, Keia gasped for air as Ezra walked toward Aliya. He grabbed her hair and forced her to kneel. Then he put the cackling Darkfire Blade at her throat. She thrashed about and punched at his legs; so, Ezra released her hair and struck her with the gauntlet, drawing more blood from her battered face.

  Aliya fell onto her back, her eyes unfocused. She had nothing left. Her chest rose and fell without rhythm as she struggled to breathe and coughed up blood.

  “Now,” Ezra said, “we can finish this. No one’s going to save you now.”

  This has to be a bad dream. This can’t be real. Keia was panicking. They were all going to die, and there was nothing she could do. She was powerless—angry. There had to be a way to help Aliya—there had to be. She refused
any other answer. A burning sensation sparked to life inside her chest, forging a new resolve that couldn’t be contained—it consumed her. The dim humming of a familiar sound—something she couldn’t quite remember—rang out from within, coming into focus with each distant heartbeat.

  Ezra, smiling triumphantly, raised his sword to deal the killing blow.

  Something snapped within Keia. A shriek tore from her throat as light burst forth from Ziel, knocking Ezra onto his back. Jisaazu, Friedrich, and Aliya were instantly rid of any Darkfire festering their wounds.

  Ezra staggered about until his eyes fell upon Keia. They turned to disbelief and anger as he shouted, “You—impossible!”

  With refocused hatred, he cast a stream of dark wind at her.

  Keia instinctively cast a portal with Ziel, sending the attack flying harmlessly into the sky. Once his spell ceased, she noticed hands in front of her.

  Wait—did I…

  She’d broken the magical bonds.

  The humming within was growing, turning into a familiar melody, taking form and shape. Long deadened notes became clearer, sharpening into focus and creating a harmony she never thought to hear again. Like a long-forgotten warmth, it filled her, pouring out of her being as if it were never truly gone.

  It’s back.

  She stared at her hands for a moment. They were the same hands she’d always had, but they felt different. Now, they were filled with a song: Gaea’s song.

  It’s all back.

  The strap on Keia’s wrist glowed as she called to Valiance. Tension gripped her hand as the shield responded from miles away. Ezra advanced.

  Killing spells shot from his gauntlet. Ziel glowed, and Keia cast portals to redirect his salvo. She flinched, preparing for her body’s backlash, but it never came. The spells didn’t tax her at all. She felt—freedom.

  Staying mobile, Keia kept him at bay with defensive magic. Her movements were precise, designed to keep him in the path of the incoming shield. She sent a fierce swing through a portal just as Valiance came into view.

  Perfect! Keia thought. The Darkfire Blade raised; he was about to bisect her when the shield impacted his head. Valiance’s edge carved into his face, cutting above one of his eyes. Keia caught Valiance, while Ezra howled in anger.

  Keia steeled herself. A strange calm came over her. Wielding Valiance’s familiar weight, her confidence soared. Gaea’s song filled her with hope and strength. She turned to Aliya, Friedrich, and Jisaazu, all injured but alive.

  Thank you for all your help in getting me this far. It’s my turn to protect you now.

  She enjoyed the familiar warmth of Gaea’s song for a moment before returning her attention to the matter at hand. Ezra was twirling his cackling blade, a hateful glare on his face. He seemed apprehensive, unsure of what to expect.

  “You think you can save them?” he taunted. “You can’t even save yourself.”

  “I don’t need to be saved,” Keia said.

  Ezra’s temper flared. His eyes burned as he bellowed a brutish shout and leaped forward. Keia readied Valiance for the fight of her life.

  Chapter 49

  One for All

  Day 15 of the Season of Life, 1020 YAR

  The Darkfire Blade crashed against Valiance with ancient fury. Black sparks flared with every booming collision of their weapons. Ezra lashed out at Keia with everything he had; she kept Valiance in front of her, constantly moving backward while staving off his assault with portals, wards, and time shifts.

  Each spell flowed through Keia without pain or fatigue. Valiance was an extension of herself, as was her newfound magic. Gaea’s song rang out within.

  The pace of their bout was astounding. Keia hastened herself with time shifts, matching the disciple’s speed. She was keeping up; no, she was a little faster.

  He swung and missed, but she was just out of reach. Sensing an opportunity, Keia turned and summoned a full-strength blast of wind. Razor-sharp gusts ripped through the ground at blazing speed, but Ezra sent waves of Darkfire into the gale, staving it off. He charged behind his spell.

  The Darkfire Blade smashed against Valiance. He tried to reach over the shield to cast a point-blank killing spell, but Keia rotated away as gray bolts sizzled inches from her face. She jumped backward, dodging a haphazard slash. Upon hitting nothing, he lost his balance.

  “You can’t win by running away, Keia!”

  Keia shot another blast of wind from Valiance as a reply. Shadows rose from the ground and formed a wall to deflect her spell. The wall then unraveled into dark tendrils, which honed in on her.

  Wristband glowing, she summoned portals to fend off the tendrils; wards deflected anything that strayed too close. Ezra threw the Darkfire Blade, and Keia knocked it aside with Valiance. Tremors of pain shot up her arm, but she gritted her teeth and kept going. The blade rematerialized in his hand as he summoned more shadow tendrils.

  Witnessing the wave of twisting darkness, Keia felt a natural fear, but no panic. She’d trained for this.

  Keia sent one tendril through a portal—it reappeared and snaked around, but another portal intercepted it. She danced amidst the chaos, moving and casting in the exact pattern needed to survive the onslaught of shadows, guided by the Song of Gaea. She summoned all her will and concentration to match him.

  With a frustrated roar, Ezra launched a wave of Darkfire at her; it crashed helplessly against a ward. Portals popped in and out of existence, taking shadow tendrils with them. Keia swatted aside a killing spell with Valiance. The foul magic was redirected to the temple wall only twenty feet from Aliya.

  I have to draw him away from everyone.

  Light burst from Ziel, disintegrating the shadowy tendrils and Darkfire. Keia bashed a killing spell into the ground and readied Valiance. Ezra charged, the Darkfire Blade primed for a killing blow. At the last moment, Keia fell through a portal. Appearing behind him, she made a run for the temple.

  Consumed by rage, the Dark Disciple needed little motivation to follow.

  “You can’t run, Keia!”

  Inside the pyramid, he met a bolt of lightning with the Darkfire Blade and countered with killing spells. Keia dodged or redirected them, but Ezra had closed the distance.

  The Darkfire Blade slammed into Valiance, and every muscle up to her shoulder tensed up. Before Keia could react, he struck again. She gave ground as he spun, slashed, and hacked away, trying to overwhelm her. Wrath granted him more strength, with each frenzied strike coming in faster. The impacts wreaked havoc on her arms, but she held strong.

  Growling, Ezra swung furiously and knocked her shield arm out of the way. As he raised the Darkfire Blade, Keia dislodged the ground beneath him with a quake spell. His swing was disrupted by his loss of balance, and she retreated out of melee range.

  Ezra shifted his tactics, casting killing spells and throwing his blade in concert. Keeping her distance, Keia sent his blade back at him through a portal; The Dark Disciple raised spikes to block before summoning another sword and casting Darkfire. A shining ward burst forth from Valiance to meet his spell.

  Jets of black flame enveloped Keia’s barrier, plunging her into endless shadow. Refusing to give up, a defiant growl escaped Keia’s lips as she pushed through the raging storm of darkness. Ezra’s eye was twitching as he stared on in disbelief.

  He ceased the spell and charged. The moment the ward was dispelled, he was upon her. Keia barely raised Valiance in time. Pain racked her arm upon contact—her muscles were about to explode.

  Raising the Darkfire Blade to strike again, Ezra was struck by a violent gust of wind and thrown backward. He leveled his gauntlet to cast Darkfire.

  Keia readied Valiance. No point in holding back—

  She cast magnetify, attracting his gauntlet to a metal pipe next to him. Knocked off course, the spell erupted in close proximity to the Dark Disciple wit
h a booming screech. He was drowned out of view by shadowy smoke.

  Keia breathed a sigh of relief before choking on the sour-tasting smoke. I can hardly believe that worked.

  From the blackened fog, Ezra emerged, smoldering with rage as he approached. Then, lost in bloodlust, he wildly swung his Darkfire Blade. Valiance cast off the first strike, but he pressed the attack. Ezra slashed vertically, cleaving into the ground. Keia emerged from a portal above him, and she smashed Valiance into his face, knocking him off-balance.

  Ezra wiped the blood from his face. His puzzlement had given way to hatred. With one wrathful eye open, he charged.

  Keia blocked a few bashing strokes before turning to run, covering her retreat with portals. She came to the stairwell extending to the top of the pyramid; there was nowhere to run but up.

  Ezra was upon her within a few steps. Keia cast magnetify again, and his gauntlet latched onto the metal railing, derailing his bladework. Roaring in anger, he hacked through the railing to free his arm. He cast another round of killing spells, but they failed to hit their mark.

  More shadowy tendrils rocketed toward Keia. Precise bursts of light blasted through his spells, destroying them in midair. He tore forward, swinging vertically, and the stairs cracked under the weight of his blow as Keia jumped backward.

  Halfway up the stairs, Keia cast multiple barriers to buy herself a few seconds. Ezra brutalized her defensive magic, bashing the wards until they shattered.

  A killing spell burst from his gauntlet, but Keia trapped the gray bolt in place with a time shift. He cast his own time shift to force his spell through with sheer magical power. He pushed ever harder, eye twitching as he bared his teeth but was unable to overwhelm her. Ezra howled, consumed by wrath. Their willpower was even, and the gray bolt stayed exactly where it was.

  Keia growled, shoving with all her strength. The killing spell shot back at Ezra. He raised shadows to guard just in time. Enraged, he replied with Darkfire, and Keia counter-cast a torrent of water. Their spells collided with a piercing hiss, exploding and leaving behind a layer of blackened steam.