The Sentinel's Reign

by Suzanne Rogerson

  ‘Come back with me.’

  ‘No, I have to defeat him.’

  ‘Then I’ll help you, we’ll stand together.’

  Callisa looked at Tei, realising she was willing to die at her side. She knew she had to accept for the sake of the island. As the Sentinel, but also as a friend, she stood before Tei’s spirit, torn by indecision.

  ‘It’s alright.’ Tei held out her hands.

  With tears streaming down her cheeks, Callisa closed her eyes, unable to look into her Confidante’s face. Then she drew a deep breath and reached out to take Tei’s hand. ‘I’m sorry to ask this of you.’

  Black swirling mists suddenly began to form. The dark tendrils snaked together and Rathnor appeared in front of them.

  He looked at them and sniggered. ‘That’s a noble gesture, Tei. Now you can die together.’

  Callisa knew she was about to sacrifice Tei’s life for the sake of the island. She pushed her Confidante behind her. Go and find Rike and Garrick.

  Before she could see if Tei had acted on the order, Rathnor attacked her, the red flames of his magic overwhelming her spirit.

  She screamed as the force sent her reeling backwards with a pain so intense that she felt as though her spirit was on fire. She writhed and attempted to douse the agony with her own healing magic.

  ‘Don’t waste your energy, it’s time to die.’ Rathnor advanced on her with a malicious grin.

  Callisa fought against the terrible pain still lancing through her spirit, struggling to stay lucid. She looked for Tei, but her Confidante had not returned.

  Rathnor loomed over her, savouring his victory, the mad glint in his eyes darker than ever.

  Callisa rallied her thoughts, determined to challenge him to the end. ‘You may kill me, but you’ll never win. People like you aren’t meant for this.’

  ‘I think you’ll find I’ve already won.’ He raised his arm for the final strike. ‘People like me change history.’

  Just as she felt the power building within him, Rathnor’s spirit wavered and then disappeared.

  Callisa sagged back, panting with relief.

  She’d collapsed in a heap by the time Tei found her, trailed by Rike and Garrick. They gathered in a protective circle around her and looked out at the empty mists in confusion.

  ‘Take the Sentinel back now,’ Rike ordered, brandishing his spirit sword.

  Tei touched her arm and the mists faded, then Callisa woke up in her tent.

  Farrell, Hafender and Tei were crammed into the tent with her, leaning over her with concern filling their faces. They stepped back as she struggled to move and Tei helped her to sit up. No one spoke and the air was heavy with fear.

  Callisa looked between them. ‘Something’s happening... we have to get to Rathnor.’

  ***

  Nadan held the blade to the old man’s throat. ‘Stay back or I’ll kill him.’

  The guards lowered their swords and backed away, but not by much. One false step and Nadan knew they would be upon him, hostage or not.

  Nadan edged closer to Rathnor, keeping a wary eye on the swordsmen. His whole body tingled with adrenalin and the strange sensation of the untethered magic inside him struggling to reassert itself. When Tei broke the ties of Rathnor’s spell on him, she’d unwittingly released his magic. Now he only had one thought...

  ‘This isn’t a good idea, Nadan,’ the grey-haired old man said.

  ‘Shut up.’

  His hostage ceased talking and stood compliant in his grip, though Nadan didn’t trust the Elder not to try a heroic last act.

  ‘Nadan, I’m pleased to see you,’ Rathnor called.

  He didn’t acknowledge his former master, but tightened the grip on the dagger.

  His prisoner hissed as the blade pressed a little too deep. ‘Stay still old man,’ Nadan whispered in his ear.

  He spun them around, sensing movement behind him. A guard stood just feet away, his sword raised to strike. Nadan lashed out in anger. The man dropped his sword and flew backwards, before lying splayed unconscious on the ground.

  The rest of the guards took a step back.

  Nadan used their confusion and pushed his hostage away. The Elder stumbled and hit his head on the ground. Guards pulled him aside, but he wasn’t moving.

  Nadan picked up the fallen sword and regarded the blade. Then he looked at Rathnor.

  The assemblyman sat tied against a stake in the ground. His hands were bound tight in front of him and he held them out, waiting for Nadan to cut him free.

  Nadan didn’t move.

  Rathnor eyed the blade, looking up the length of the weapon to meet Nadan’s eyes. ‘You haven’t come to free me,’ he said, the words seeming to slip out.

  Nadan smiled savagely. ‘Free you in a manner of speaking I suppose.’

  The guards stayed back, waiting to see what he planned.

  Nadan paced a circle around Rathnor, muttering under his breath. A ring of light formed in his wake, trapping them inside.

  When a guard touched the magic shield with his sword tip, he flew backwards.

  Nadan opened his arms wide, indicating the magical shield. ‘It appears I have magic. Who would have thought it, Rathnor? All this time I’ve been one of them, one of the people you made me hunt down, the people you made me kill.’

  ‘Nadan, I can explain.’

  ‘No!’ he shouted. ‘I don’t want your poisonous words in my head again.’

  ‘Please, Nadan. Let me free and we can talk about this. You can still be a part of my plans, my right-hand man.’ Rathnor shook his bound hands, wrist upwards, pleading.

  Nadan stepped forward and slashed down.

  The rope fell away in pieces. Rathnor grinned and then gasped as Nadan’s sword stabbed forward. He looked down at the spreading red patch on his shirt.

  Nadan swept the sword down again, a delicate slice on the arm, another on his thigh. He circled the tethered man and slashed him down the back, a flesh wound leaking bright blood.

  ‘Stop,’ Rathnor cried, holding the deepest wound in his stomach.

  ‘You killed my family.’ Nadan raised the blade. ‘I had a wife and two little boys; your men murdered them.’

  ‘Nadan, please let’s talk about this.’

  Nadan pictured them, their faces slowly coming back to him through the haze of magic blindness. He didn’t see Rathnor anymore; he saw his wife slumped over the lifeless bodies of his sons.

  ‘You bastard, I’m going to make you suffer...’

  Reality came into focus and he saw Rathnor sitting defenceless in front of him, a look of horror spreading across his face like the blood spreading from his wounds.

  ‘Not so much fun being on the receiving end, is it?’

  Rathnor didn’t reply. By his glazed expression, Nadan guessed he was attempting to undo the Elders’ spell.

  Nadan grinned. ‘It’ll take you hours to break through their spell and no one is getting through my barrier anytime soon. So it’s just you and me, Master. Where shall we begin?’

  Rathnor cowered. ‘Please...’

  Nadan flicked his wrist and the blade danced through the air and shimmered in the dying rays of sunlight. A speck of blood flicked off and sizzled on the cordon of magic enclosing them.

  He grinned at Rathnor again, empowered by the terror on his face.

  You don’t have to do this, Nadan. The golden woman spoke in his head. Her tone was soothing and he felt no pain from her touch, but she was standing in the way of his revenge.

  Please don’t interfere. I have to do this. He looked down at Rathnor and then at the sword in his hand, already lowering to strike...

  ***

  The circle of armed guards obscured Tei’s view. As she drew level, helping Hafender support the exhausted Sentinel, the guards parted to admit them. Tei gasped and Callisa tensed beside her.

  A force field of some kind shimmered around Nadan. No one dared to touch it as static energy rippled across the surface. Thal lay unmoving at the
edge of the circle, alongside two unconscious guards.

  Nadan stood over a figure, Rathnor she assumed, though she couldn’t see his features. The former Masked Rider was holding a sword splashed red with blood. He was poised above the figure, ready to make the killing blow.

  ‘Stop,’ Callisa said.

  Nadan’s sword arm faltered and he stepped back. As he did, Tei saw Rathnor for the first time, bleeding from a number of shallow cuts and holding a wound in his stomach.

  Callisa broke away and approached the barrier, signalling to Tei and Hafender to stay back.

  Tei watched her go and then glanced across at Hafender. The general was frowning, his knuckles turning white over the hilt of his sword.

  Brogan stepped alongside Tei and they shared a worried glance, before turning back to watch the Sentinel.

  Callisa focused on the leader of the Masked Riders. ‘Don’t do this, Nadan. He’s dying, there’s no need for you to use that weapon again.’

  ‘He should pay for what he did to my family.’

  ‘He will pay. But this isn’t what your family would want you to do.’

  He looked at the Sentinel as if slowly taking in her words. The madness of grief seemed to slide from his face and he went slack.

  He stumbled back and lowered the sword. The barricade disappeared and Callisa stepped towards him.

  Hafender charged past her, putting himself between them.

  Nadan sagged, allowing Hafender to take the bloodied weapon from his limp hand. He didn’t struggle as the guards led him away.

  Callisa circled Rathnor, her movements slow and deliberate. ‘This is not quite the victory you envisaged, is it?’

  He smiled, showing bloodied teeth - his eyes full of hatred. He spat and tried to laugh but blood frothed up and he gave a feeble cough.

  ‘You don’t have long now, so I will accompany you on the start of your journey.’

  Are you sure? Tei asked.

  I have to save the spirits.

  Tei watched Callisa sit down opposite Rathnor. She peeled his bloodied hand away from the wound in his stomach and held it. He was too weak to refuse, though Tei read his eyes and saw the murder in his heart.

  I’m your Confidante... we do this together. Tei stepped forward to join them.

  Callisa glanced up without complaint as Tei took position next to her.

  Tei reached for Rathnor’s other hand; it felt cold and slick with blood. The wound leaked freely now and his hold on life receded.

  ‘You’re a fool, Callisa…’ Rathnor whispered, his words trailing away.

  Tei watched the life fade from his eyes. His chest stopped expanding and his head sagged forward against his chest. He only remained upright because of the stake at his back and their tight grip on his hands.

  Tei looked across at Callisa. The Sentinel’s expression remained blank as they entered the Astral Plane.

  Rathnor’s spirit was there with them but he broke free and faced them. ‘You are either naive or stupid, standing against me. I still control my destiny here, that hasn’t changed.’

  ‘But it will,’ Callisa said as she advanced, drawing Tei along with her.

  Rathnor blasted them with a twisting ball of magic. Its red fire exploded against an opaque shield that appeared around them, licking across the surface before fizzling away. Tei felt the heat even through the barrier; without it they would both be dead.

  ‘Thank you, Gohan,’ Callisa called.

  The old Sentinel materialised next to Callisa. Tei couldn’t control her shock, but Rathnor beamed manically at the new arrival.

  ‘Showing your face at last, old man.’ Rathnor laughed. ‘Now you’ll see what true power is and how it feels to watch the people you love die while others stand by and do nothing.’

  Gohan’s expression softened. ‘You were the boy; you begged me to save your grandmother.’

  Rathnor sneered. ‘And you were the selfish bastard who turned me away. You, with all your magic, couldn’t save one old woman. You let her die while you sucked up all the power for yourself.’

  ‘It’s not a choice a Sentinel can make, we...’ Gohan began.

  ‘Of course it is. You chose to let her die.’ Rathnor wagged his finger and shook his head at the old Sentinel. ‘But none of that matters anyway, because you showed me something else. You showed me the power that’s here ready for the taking.’ Rathnor lunged towards Gohan’s spirit. ‘And now I can take it all from you.’

  His spirit swelled, black and menacing, as the Soul Eater took his place.

  Tei stumbled back. It didn’t matter that it was really Rathnor, the monster she remembered from her childhood nightmare still terrified her.

  ‘The three of you are no match for me,’ Rathnor said, but then he staggered and fell to his knees, the image disappearing as he returned to his true form.

  Rike stood behind him.

  ‘Make that five.’ Garrick stepped up beside his friend.

  Rike had used the element of surprise to trap Rathnor in a cage of white light. It blocked Rathnor’s magic, but Tei could see the effort needed was enormous. Cracks were already beginning to show and the blackness was leaking out through the gaps.

  ‘A little help,’ Rike said.

  Rathnor was beginning to get back to his feet, forcing Rike to his knees as the tide of control shifted between them.

  Gohan added his power, then Callisa and Tei added theirs, pouring their energy into the cage, strengthening it, filling in the widening cracks with their magic.

  Rathnor’s spirit strained against them. Like the water of the River Avalene, his power battered against Tei, driving the strength from her limbs.

  She felt Rathnor’s presence diminish and realised he was trying to escape.

  Gohan reacted, a chain of white light lassoing from his hand. It wrapped around Rathnor’s neck, shackling him in the Astral Plane.

  ‘No…!’ Rathnor’s voice echoed around them.

  ‘Rike, there’s not much time,’ Gohan said.

  The Spirit Guide nodded. ‘Follow me.’

  Rike led the way, Callisa and Gohan flanked the immobilised Rathnor, while Tei and Garrick followed behind them. They travelled further into the Astral Plane, deeper than Tei had ever gone before. The bonds to her body weakened as the pulsing magic of the island intensified.

  Rike stopped on the edge of a bright void in the Astral Plane and looked back at the old Sentinel.

  Gohan looked between them. ‘It’s time for you all to leave. I’m the only one who can take Rathnor through, as I’m the only one ready to pass over.’

  Callisa was looking at Gohan, her expression tortured. ‘I have to know... all those times I needed your guidance… why didn’t you help me?’

  ‘I couldn’t allow Rathnor to find my spirit. But I watched over you, over the choices you made and the agonies you suffered. You’ve done well and you’ve become a fine Sentinel.’

  Callisa’s eyes welled with tears.

  ‘Enjoy this victory, Callisa, you’ve earnt it,’ Gohan said, then he pulled Rathnor’s unwilling spirit towards the void.

  Rathnor strained against him.

  Gohan held the lasso taut. ‘No amount of stolen souls could ever replace your grandmother, or your childhood. But at least now you can atone for all the horrors you’ve inflicted on our people.’

  ‘Wait, please, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go.’ Rathnor fought back, but he was losing strength as the light beckoned him.

  ‘It’s time for you to give back what you took and join your grandmother in the magic.’ With a mighty shove, Gohan pushed Rathnor forward.

  Rathnor’s scream echoed in their ears as Gohan stepped in behind him. Tei had a last glimpse of the old Sentinel and heard his joyous cries drown out Rathnor’s screams.

  For a moment, the light pulsed and swelled as the two spirits dissolved into the island magic. Then there was an explosion of brightness as the trapped spirits within Rathnor found release and were absorbed into the is
land.

  The power washed over Tei, and the island called out, drawing her towards it, to ecstasy.

  Rike held her back and she looked up into his face. ‘It’s not your time,’ he said softly, pulling her away.

  Tei’s life flashed before her as she tumbled towards her waiting body. She remembered the loves and the losses, the pain and the happiness of friendship. Faces of those she loved raced in her mind, a torment and a joy to remember.

  She came back to consciousness with a jolt and jerked her hand free of Rathnor’s. The dead man slumped sideways, still tied to the stake.

  ‘The enemy is dead!’ a single voice cried.

  The crowd quickly picked up the chant. ‘Rathnor’s dead!’

  Goose bumps rose on her skin. ‘We did it.’ She turned to Callisa and saw the Sentinel’s eyes were brimming with happy tears.

  The crowd had swelled to encompass the entire camp. Most of Kalaya’s population, along with Farrell and his men, had gathered. Exiles and islanders, Elders and Assembly members, all united. Tei’s throat constricted and tears blurred her vision. She tried to stand but dizziness swamped her. Then Brogan was at her side, helping her to her feet. She leant gratefully against him. ‘It’s over, Rathnor’s gone for good.’

  Brogan smiled down at her. ‘I know. I felt it, we all did.’

  His lips pressed against hers. In answer, she laced her arms around his neck. ‘I love you.’

  Wrapped in Brogan’s arms, Tei’s mind began to clear and she felt the subtle changes in the island. She understood Brogan’s words; the magic trapped in Rathnor was returning to its rightful place in Kalaya.

  She looked across at Callisa. Hafender stood at the Sentinel’s side with a discreet arm around her waist, supporting her. The burly general winked at Tei and she grinned back at him.

  Thal shuffled up to them, there was a large lump on his forehead but he was smiling. He took Callisa’s hand and held it high. ‘The enemy is dead! Thanks to our Sentinel, Kalaya and its magic is saved.’

  Even as Tei wondered what reaction his words would evoke, the applause began.

  Tei hugged Brogan and then moved to Callisa and embraced her.

  ‘Thank you,’ Callisa said in her ear.

  ‘That’s what friends and Confidantes are for.’