by Ben Hale
They pierced the surface of the Dark and disappeared, and the Swordsman allowed a smile of relief as the Dark withdrew. His breathing loud in his ears, the Swordsman focused on the red light of the flare and stayed close as they penetrated the Dark.
Silence stretched between them, and the Swordsman did not break it. After connecting with his brother, the Swordsman hadn't had much time to speak with him, and he still felt a barrier between them. Nearly twenty years apart left a lingering rift that he was uncertain how to overcome.
"Any idea what we are headed for?" Robar finally asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," the Swordsman replied. "I just hope there's something there."
Indigo issued a grunt of agreement. "It's our best chance of killing Alice. Wessel was adamant that this was her place of refuge."
"Well there is no satellite coverage for these coordinates," Robar said. "The military has mapped every inch of Earth—except here. Even Google missed it. But how's that possible?"
"Luck," the Swordsman said. "She must be guarding it with her own magic."
The wind began to pick up, driving them to the side and off course. They forced their way back, but the gusts of air continued to pick up. Even through his magic the Swordsman felt the biting cold and the wind push at them. It could have been coincidence, but he sensed a deliberate nature in the elements. Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to drive through it.
The wind buffeted them with increasing might, causing their tightly packed formation to shake apart. Head pointed straight down, it was all he could do to stay within Robar's bubble as the gale slammed into his body. Several times he was pushed away, and the whispers attacked. He closed his mind to anything but a single thought—returning to Robar. Controlling his body, he fought his way back to his brother's side.
Then suddenly the Dark came to an end, as did the wind. The Swordsman cast a night charm on his vision, and the ocean below burst into view. As he continued to fall, the Swordsman scanned their destination. Like a dome of darkness, the cloud formed a protective shield around a section of the Atlantic. At its heart a shadowed island sat free of the Dark.
"Pulling chute," Robar called, and yanked a chord.
The dark green canopy opened above him, jerking his body like he hung on the end of a whip. The Swordsman activated his air board, while Indigo used her innate magic to fly. Both of them drifted out of Robar's immunity sphere and their magic strengthened. Robar pulled off his helmet and tossed it away.
"Since when is there an island here," he said.
"She probably raised it herself," Indigo said, "or eliminated anyone who helped. You don’t do this much to hide and then let people know where to find you."
"Her army is on the verge of victory," the Swordsman said. "She may not be here."
"Everyone has a home," Indigo said, "and every contact I've had with the Harbingers has shown facilities akin to barracks. She doesn't strike me as the 'bunk with your buddies' type." She swept her hand at the darkened island growing larger as they neared. "This looks more her style."
The Swordsman hadn't taken his gaze from the island, and as they drifted downward he began to make out what lay on its surface. At a mile across, the island was tiny, and yet it boasted streams and lush vegetation. Waterfalls cascaded down tiny slopes. Blossoming from springs that dotted the landscape, the streams fed the abundance of vegetation. The island looked like it had been plucked from a mountainside in Virginia and dropped into the ocean.
A single structure rose above everything else and resembled a lighthouse. Smooth white stone formed the circular tower, while the roof had been fashioned of aquaglass. Rather than white light shining from inside, the color was deep yellow. It glowed like a mini sun, but its rays did not cascade outward.
"At least we know why the island hasn't been found," the Swordsman said.
"A source of luck that size would take a decade to build," Indigo said.
"I bet she built this place in the beginning," Robar said, and banked his chute toward the beach.
They alighted on the sand together, and he discarded his chute. Dropping his pack, he began withdrawing the weapons and fastening them to various points on his body. In short order he racked the slide on his assault rifle and nodded.
"Let's go kill the Master," he said.
The Swordsman drew his blade, and Indigo cast her own fire sword. Then the Swordsman leapt into the air and activated his black air board once more. Gliding to the pathway leading away from the beach, he readied himself for combat.
"I'll take the lead," he said.
Indigo fell into place beside him, likewise floating in the air. Robar brought up the rear, his attention on their flanks. As they entered the dark forest, the Swordsman kept his sword out and ready.
Trees grew on either side of the path, their twisted trunks curving toward the night sky. Small animals blinked at them from the darkness, their eyes reflecting briefly before they retreated. Somehow the moonlight managed to penetrate to filter through the branches, providing faint illumination.
They reached the lighthouse, and the Swordsman paused on the threshold of the forest. The surface of the stone glowed with imbued light, illuminating the clearing around it. The soft sounds of night drifted from the forest, somehow inviting and yet menacing at the same time. This was the home of the Master. Entire nations had knelt before her, and soon the world would follow.
The Swordsman scanned the tower for traps or other curses. It disturbed him that none appeared. There was no hint of even monitoring motes. Indigo shook her head, indicating she hadn't seen any anything either. A frown creased his forehead. Whatever guarded the refuge, it was apparently sufficient that Alice saw no need for other defenses.
His caution mounting, he glided to the door at the base of the tower and dismissed his board. Landing on cat's feet, he proceeded to check the door. Indigo and Robar took up positions on either side of him.
"The door isn't locked," he whispered.
"I have that feeling I get right before I get shot at," Robar said.
"Alice has proven an extreme talent for forethought and caution," Indigo murmured. "Whatever guards this place must make even regular locks unnecessary."
"Time to find out what," the Swordsman said, and swung the door open.
He darted inside, and the others followed suit. The interior was larger than he would have been expected, and was well lit by the source of luck magic at the top. A spiral staircase wound its way up the large, empty shaft and connected to the seven balconies that ringed the space. Four doors opened to each balcony and led to the many rooms inside the lighthouse.
Pillars of aquaglass supported the second floor, allowing an unimpeded view of the open bottom floor. Visible between the transparent columns, the walls were filled with auren art and mage memory frames. Couches, tables, and other fine furniture were carefully placed on the smooth wood floor. The Swordsman scanned the space but saw no one. Then a figure appeared.
Exiting a room higher in the tower, Alice herself flew down to greet them, her luck magic blazing in her hands. The cold rage on her face made it clear she had discovered their presence, so the Swordsman stepped into view. The others did as well and they drifted apart to flank her.
"Two assassins and an aberration," she said, her voice shaking with anger.
"And a target," the Swordsman added.
Alice ignored him, and continued staring at Robar. "The source of the anti-Dark weaponry, Robar is it? I'm so glad you came to me. It will make killing you that much easier."
Robar kept his gun trained on her. "I'm not here to talk."
The click of the trigger echoed in the tower, but no bullet exited the barrel. Alice released a mocking chuckle. "Your immunity does not extend to me? How very . . . fortunate."
"Every magic has a weakness," Indigo said calmly. "We are here to exploit yours."
Alice smiled, but it only served to enhance the threat in her gaze. "There are very few things I would relis
h more than killing you, Indigo, but I have a defiant world to subdue. Enjoy my guardian. It has had precious little to do in the last ten years."
Before any of them could react, Alice faded from view. Then the yellow light brightened. The shift drew the Swordsman's gaze upward in time to see the orb of luck change shape. It tightened into a thin stream that poured down the center of the tower. As it neared the floor it separated into three teardrops that landed facing each of them—and then swelled into three figures.
The one facing the Swordsman became a man with a sword and shield. Dead eyes stared at him before a Gladiator helm obscured its features. It twirled its sword in anticipation as its companions took shape.
The one in front of Indigo swelled into a woman with features like hers. Its hair drifted in the air as it rose off the ground and gathered magic across its arms. Robar's adversary joined the first two, and the yellow magic extended out from its hand until it became a gun that dwarfed Robar's assault rifle.
The Swordsman cast speed and agility. Then he tightened his grip on his sword as he realized why Alice had no other defenses. The sphere that guarded the island was not a source of luck.
It was an entity . . .
Chapter 28: Entity of Luck
The trio of guardians attacked as one. The Soldier pulled the trigger on its huge gun and shattered an aqua pillar as Robar dived away. The Flyer ignited a torrent of flames at Indigo so intense that the temperature in the tower spiked. Then the Swordsman was forced to devote his whole attention to his adversary.
The Gladiator charged with its shield, causing the Swordsman to dart away. In spite of the Swordsman's enhanced movement, the Gladiator swung its shield as if it had anticipated the move, and clipped the Swordsman on the shoulder.
He rolled with the blow, and came out into a leap. Activating his air board, he spun back in time to block the next attack. His weapon vibrated from the contact with the Gladiator's blade, and he was forced to duck as the Gladiator followed up with its shield.
The Swordsman retreated, attempting to gain space to regroup. The Gladiator didn't allow it, and pursued him with relentless purpose. Gritting his teeth, the Swordsman added strength and dived onto the first balcony. He caught the railing and levered himself over.
The Gladiator rotated into a fluid flip and alighted next to the Swordsman, but the slight delay had given the Swordsman what he needed. Snagging the hilt of a dagger at his back, he yanked it out and attacked.
Now with two weapons, the Swordsman assaulted the Gladiator. Every skill, every trick he knew, he flowed into a combination of lightning blows. The sheer ferocity of the attack drove the Gladiator back, and the Swordsman's skill got past the defenses.
The Swordsman's blade skimmed the side of the shield and drove into the yellow flesh. He yanked it out to block the next attack, and the wound solidified in seconds. The Swordsman growled under his breath and sought for another way of damaging his opponent. Risking being impaled, he cast a look at his companions.
The Flyer had driven Indigo upward. Blasts of fire and wind shredded the upper balconies as they sought for an advantage. The walls rippled as gravity waves slammed into them, tearing great holes in the tower's walls.
At the base, Robar and the soldier were exchanging blistering fire. A grenade exploded next to the Soldier, and the shrapnel pockmarked its skin like ugly wounds. Just as with the Gladiator, they sealed in seconds.
The Swordsman's distraction allowed the Gladiator to close the gap. Fending off the dual blades with a spinning assault, it slammed its shield into the Swordsman. Ribs cracked as he crashed through a wall, and he sucked in his breath through clenched teeth. He cast a healing spell and rolled to his feet.
The Gladiator pressed the advantage and charged through the hole. Its dead eyes held no emotion as it drove for the kill. The Swordsman growled and rose to deflect the attack. Slapping the overhand chop to the side, he spun to the Gladiator's back with lighting speed.
As he passed, he hooked his arm over the shield and stabbed his dagger into the Gladiator's side. Then he twisted and used the contact to throw the Gladiator into the desk at the side of the room.
The wood crumpled under the Gladiator's weight, but the Swordsman wasn't finished. Pouncing onto its back, he drove his sword into the back of the Gladiator's skull, pinning it to the floor. Then he dragged his dagger across the neck of the Gladiator. It reformed in the wake of the slice—and the Gladiator began to morph.
Like a boat sinking under water, the back of the helmet withdrew into the head—and the face pressed out. With the dagger now sticking through its forehead, the Gladiator's hollow eyes did not blink. Then its arms rotated as if the shoulders were made of liquid. Recognizing what was coming, the Swordsman yanked his sword free and withdrew.
Racing through the hole, he used his momentum and leapt to a railing above. He caught the rail and levered himself out and up. Rolling into a back flip, he landed on the second balcony. At his back the floor splintered into a hole as the Gladiator carved a path to him. The Swordsman waited until it was halfway through and then dived over the side.
"Can't hurt mine," he shouted as he fell. "Coming on your right!"
Without waiting for a response, he landed on the back of the Soldier, carrying it to the floor. Using the momentum, he drove both his blades into the Soldier's back. At the same time Robar rotated, and his gunfire slammed into the Gladiator jumping off the railing above. The impact of the rounds threw the Gladiator back.
The Swordsman sliced great wounds in the Soldier. Each time the liquid flesh knit in seconds. Recognizing the effort to be futile, he issued a furious grunt and leapt to Robar's side. A glance revealed how much damage his brother had sustained.
Blood dripped from his arm, and a bullet had grazed his skull, leaving a bloody furrow in his hair. Other bullets had creased his legs, barely leaving him upright. The body armor had taken most of the damage. Gaping holes marked his chest, back, and leg armor pieces, leaving the ceramic plates scratched and blackened.
Indigo impacted the ground next to them, landing so hard she stumbled. Regaining her stance, she cast a massive wall of fire, cutting off the image of the three entities of luck leaping after them.
"Outside," the Swordsman barked.
Robar kicked the door open and led the way. "Nothing I have hurts them."
The pain in his voice was echoed in Indigo's. "Me either," she said and cast a spell that shut the door behind them.
The barrier shattered as the Gladiator led with its shield. The other two were only a step behind, and all three surged in pursuit. Relentless and lethal, they closed the gap.
"How do we kill an entity of luck?" Robar panted.
The Swordsman threw a look back, searching for any hint of a weakness. Then he noticed an oddity. Barely distinguishable, a space separated the entities from each other. It could have been nothing, and yet the buffer was slightly more than necessary.
"We can't hurt them, but perhaps they can harm each other."
Robar grunted. "I'm the slowest. I'll lead the Soldier straight."
"I'll take left," Indigo said.
"Thirty seconds," the Swordsman said, and swung his air board right.
The Gladiator peeled off from the Soldier and leapt into the air. It activated a shimmering yellow air board, and streaked in pursuit. Counting the seconds in his head, the Swordsman feigned fatigue. He slowed as the Gladiator caught up. Just as the Gladiator swung its sword, the Swordsman rolled on his board and banked aside, grazing the Soldier as he streaked past.
The Gladiator's blade clipped hair from his head but missed—and sank deep into the Soldier's neck. The Soldier stumbled and went down, and the Swordsman caught a glimpse of its gaping wound.
It did not heal.
A grim smile creased his features, and he rotated back for another pass. To his surprise the Gladiator was no longer in pursuit. A sinking feeling seeped into his gut and he turned toward the sounds of Robar's passage. Dark trees bl
urred past him until he burst into a clearing.
The Gladiator stalked Robar, its sword raised high. The Soldier advanced beside it, one arm limp as it fired one-handed to keep Robar pinned behind a boulder. The angle allowed the Swordsman to see Robar grab a grenade from his chest and pull the pin.
Fear for his brother gripped the Swordsman, but it was burned to a crisp by a surge of rage. Dismissing his air board, he amplified his speed, agility, and strength beyond any limit. His reflexes and abilities magnified by magic and focus, he bolted into the clearing.
Hearing his approach, the Soldier spun about—but the Swordsman was too close. In a blur of strikes, he shredded the Soldier's injured arm. As the wounds knit he kicked the Soldier in the stomach, launching it away. Wood splintered as the Soldier snapped a heavy branch and went down.
"Grenade!" he barked, and Robar tossed the explosive at the downed Soldier.
The Swordsman dived toward the Gladiator as the grenade detonated, and a shard of shrapnel dug into his back. With so much magic coursing through him he barely felt it, and drove for the Gladiator. The Gladiator whirled to face him and deflected the initial strike with its shield. Then it swung its sword in a blow meant to remove the Swordsman's arm.
The Swordsman shifted his weight and rotated, drawing his own sword through the Gladiator's wrist. With deliberate control, the Swordsman cut the hand like he was slicing bread, dragging it out from hilt to tip. With the Swordsman's weapon in the way, the hand could not heal, and it fell to the ground, taking the sword with it.
Hand and blade immediately began to disintegrate, but the Swordsman saw the opportunity. Leaning into the blow, he kicked the Gladiator's shield with all his might, sending the Gladiator skidding back. Taking advantage of the space, the Swordsman snatched the luck blade with his free hand and attacked.
Pieces of luck splintered off and evaporated as the Swordsman cut the Gladiator to pieces. Finally he caught the shield and yanked it away—and then severed it as well. Then he plunged the fading luck blade into the Gladiator's heart. As if its power had been cut, the entity collapsed and did not rise.