by Dan O'Brien
* * * * *
Thunderclaps of the storm crashed above the tower and the purple and yellow lightning etched itself across the sky, splitting it in two. The rain fell lightly at first and picked up as the winds coursed through, carving creatures in the night air. The book lay open upon the altar, the pages turning as Xzin spoke the words.
“I, the humble servant of Chaos, implore the universe to hear my demands. I have sacrificed my own being to have the ultimate power instilled in me. The time sphere ends here and begins anew with the merging of all realms.” As Xzin spoke the words, the tower shook and pieces of the roof trickled to the floor. Edge and Hocher exchanged puzzled looks, and Delgado merely remained bent before his master. Rione’s eyes glazed with fear, and she made her way toward Mela, chained in the corner.
“I didn’t know this was going to happen,” whispered Rione. Her voice sounded so childlike and innocent. Mela just stared at her and shook her head. The foolishness of the impetuous shall always be man’s undoing, the words of Rider echoed in her head. Mela closed her eyes and called into the void of the universe, searching for her lover’s mind.
* * * * *
The plains were a cloudy white, and there was a light wind caressing the earth, causing the grasses to sway back and forth. The trees were an elegant peach color and their leaves shone an invigorating blue.
Rider’s boots caused no harm to the earth as he walked across the plains toward the distant horizon. Rider was aware of others trying to contact him, but it was not that easy. He had given up. Without Mela, without his balance, he would never be able to make things right. All he had left was self-deprecation and sorrow.
“James Rider.” The voice seemed so distant. The voice was of Herado, ruler of the Xeonians. Rider heard him, but did not attempt to respond.
It was hopeless.
“James Rider, you must return. The very stability of the universe depends on it. There cannot be balance without you.” The voice implored him, but he could no longer see any reason to live.
The one person in the world who made his life worth living had been taken away from him again. The merging of the realms could not be stopped. It was a battle that no one could win.
“James Rider, you are meant to be the champion of this universe. To turn your back on destiny is the path of the fool.” The voice grew more distant, perhaps because Rider had been walking for so long, or perhaps he had just stopped listening.
Rider walked across the picturesque landscape.
His mind drifted to times past, as if time unfolded before him. There he was with Mela, when he had asked her to be his wife. There was Wei upon their first meeting. People had called Rider a leader. Was it because he helped the downtrodden to find a way, or was it because he had been a downtrodden himself? His indifference had been his saving grace. Even now he stuck with his ability to not let others affect his true path.
The voice of Herado faded away and became an indiscernible sound, merely a whisper in the wind. A long time ago he had given the advice that if you can change one man’s opinion you have affected a lifetime, but now it seemed a fallacy.
One man could do nothing in the true tides of time.
The wind picked up suddenly and a fragrance permeated everything – the hills, the trees, and even the texture of the air. It was a smell he knew all too well. A figure shrouded in the sun’s brilliant light stalked toward him, each movement an act of grace. The form became clearer as the figure neared and the brilliance of the red hair and the blazing green eyes shot right through Rider’s soul.
It was Mela.
“Mela.” His voice was almost inaudible.
“Yes, my love.” Her words were like a calm warm breeze on a summer’s night; her hair flowed in the wind and the light blue dress trailed off behind her.
“Where did you come from?” Rider was not even sure he had spoken these words.
“You are lost. I have come to help you find your way back,” replied Mela. Her eyes sought to go right through Rider, to crack the departure of his mind.
“I no longer have a path. I couldn’t save you.” The wind became colder now, picking up Rider’s jacket flaps and smacking them harder against his frame.
“James, why do you continue to doubt your strength?” Mela’s laugh echoed across the hills, calm and serene. “You cannot deny your path in life, nor can I or anyone else. Stop cowering within your own mind.”
“What does that make me?” pleaded Rider.
“It is to deny our love.” Mela’s voice softened now and her face contorted in sadness. A solitary tear etched its way down her perfect cheek.
Before it could drop from her chin, Rider stepped closer and wiped it away. Mela fell into his arms and hugged him. Rider cradled her and rested his chin upon the crown of her head. He stroked her hair and kissed her lightly.
“I will not deny our love,” whispered Rider. Mela’s head came up and her tear-filled eyes met his. Her body shimmered and faded. Rider’s eyes clouded and misted and he could feel the forgotten rage come forth. He knew what he had to do.
“I will save you, no matter the cost.” Rider moved forward, forcing his mind back into the shell of his body.
“War is always coming, young one. The armies of good and evil will fight for all of eternity. The best thing you can do is enjoy the time you have.”
-Aged soldier to his son before dawn
The inside of the dome looked similar to the outside, very dull in color. It was furnished with only a few beds and a counter. It served as medical facility for the Xeonians, although they rarely became ill. Herado stood in the far corner of the room over the bed where the body of Rider lay, unmoving.
“James Rider, it seems as if you will be unable to defeat the terror my son has created. I give you thanks for making the effort.” Herado mumbled the words, not speaking to anyone in particular. He had a firm grip on Rider’s hand and was about to let it go when he felt the subtle squeeze. Herado looked up to see that Rider’s eyes had opened. A small grin appeared upon the prone man’s face.
“How can this be?” whispered Herado.
“Truth came to me,” replied Rider.
“Truth,” reflected Herado.
“My love. The only truth I have ever known,” replied Rider, struggling to rise and settle his feet upon the sterile floor. He relaced his boots and holstered his weapons from the stand next to the bed. “I think it is time to end this.”
“Perhaps you should rest before you face my son,” replied Herado, worrying about the shake of Rider’s frame. “Do you think you are ready?”
“I have been ready my entire life. It just took me a while to accept it.” Rider turned and stalked toward the doors. He pushed them open and walked into the light of the dying sun.
* * * * *
Mela’s eyes flickered open and a sense of disorientation swept over her. She looked around to remind herself where she was. Being with James in the hills had seemed so real. The room had taken on a purple glow from the circle of candles. Xzin stood in the center, his robes having been cast away and his hands toward the sky.
He shouted against the wind. “I accept the mantle of Chaos. I will allow him to be transient within, to interlock my mind and body. Through these passages, I will receive the will of Chaos and command all that is his. I will carry the biddings of my new and only master. I command the heavens to hear my voice and carry through in the name of Chaos. Release the Dark One, release Rh’Keltken, the one true commander of time.”
The walls of tower trembled in a furious chorus. Without warning, the roof exploded heavenward. Xzin carried on with his maniacal tirade.
“Give me the power of Chaos, and I will bind all mortals to burn in your unholy prison. Give me the power.” These final words echoed through the remnants of the tower and the power of the words shook the walls of the citadel to oblivion, leaving the inhabitants to the mercy of the storm.
“Is this wise, my master?” called Delgado, trying to speak ove
r the winds. Xzin turned, his eyes blazing deep purple. Delgado looked away and lowered his head again in submission. Freed by the confusion caused by the crumbling of the tower, Mela rose to her feet. She turned quickly, grabbed the ’talon from Rione’s back and side kicked the girl into the night below. The girl’s scream faded as she plummeted off the tower.
“This ends now, Xzin,” called Mela, wielding the ’talon in front of her. She twirled the blade in concentric circles, encasing her body with a spherical shield of the rotating blade. Xzin only glanced at her and returned his gaze to the night sky. The Dark Compendium had fallen upon the ground and the pages were shifting in the wind. Xzin extended his arm toward the book and brought it up from the ground amidst a purple energy.
“Face me, you coward. I am your executioner. I will not allow you to destroy another being. You have gone too far already.”
Xzin did not acknowledge Mela’s threat.
He merely waved his hand behind him, motioning for Edge and Hocher to intercede and dispatch her. Edge drew his sword and Hocher moved closer, keeping a tight circle with his partner.
Thin dalconite claws protruded from each of Hocher’s hand and extended down past his knees, the extensions something he only brought forth when the battle found it necessarily so. Hocher lowered his center of gravity and moved forward like an ape, almost galloping on all fours. Edge energized his sword and an aura encompassed his entire body, creating a red energy field.
“Tonight, you die,” called Hocher, in a rough, primal tone. He licked his lips like an animal on the hunt and leapt forward, his claws reaching for his prey.
Mela sidestepped and quickly shifted her weight to the opposite side of Hocher, offsetting his centerline. He spun quickly, dragging his claws in an upward movement, trying to rip Mela through the center. Mela parried with the ’talon and moved to strike when she felt Edge closer. She rolled past his downward slash. She landed hard and used the blade to support herself.
“You can’t beat two of us,” called Edge mockingly.
“We will make you suffer,” roared Hocher menacingly over the wind. “You are worth nothing to us dead.”
Before Mela could digest these words, Hocher slid forward and raked her across the side leaving five deep slashes in her tunic. She brought her hand to her side before the pain even registered.
She was bleeding heavily. She raised her ’talon in a defensive stance and shot forward, spinning the ’talon in an erratic manner to catch Hocher off guard. He deflected and caught the top of the blade with both claws. Mela reacted quickly and spun the opposite end up, catching Hocher’s left hand. Hocher howled in pain as the bloodied claw hit the ground with a sickening thump. Mela heel kicked Hocher in the face. He spun violently back and skidded across the ground. His breathing was ragged and as he steadied himself, he leaned forward and coughed up blood.
“Perhaps you do not intend on killing me, but I have every intention of wiping you from the face of this universe.” Mela’s voice had lost its calm quality and was now overshadowed by the heavy breathing from battle.
She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Mela regained her defensive stance and placed the ’talon at a forty-five degree angle with the ground. She taunted Edge. He cried out in fury and charged, full speed, at Mela.
* * * * *
Rider pushed the door open and met the bitter sun of Xeon. He felt as though he had been gone much longer than a day. Madon and the other Xeonians slowly moved along the streets. Wei stood in the shadows under one of the largest trees in the city. Rider moved along the road in the direction of the tree, his aura growing with each step. Wei looked up and nearly lost his balance.
“Rider, is it really you?” called Wei in disbelief. Rider said nothing, but made his way into the shade of the tree to embrace his longtime friend. Wei accepted the embrace, and as Rider drew away Wei shook his head, “We thought you were gone for good.”
“Not yet,” replied Rider moving from beneath the aquamarine-colored leaves.
“How can we expect to make it in time to stop Xzin from completing the merger? He must be close to completing the incantations.”
“You must have faith that we can accomplish this. If you accept defeat, then it shall be,” replied Rider as he closed his eyes and brought his hands up level with his chest. Herado pushed through the medical building doors and rushed to where Rider stood, holding the folds of his tunic against his body.
“My son will be waiting for you.”
Herado’s words were simple and true.
“I know.” Rider never shifted his body, his eyes moved beneath his closed eyelids and his aura rose and swirled around him.
Herado and others shielded their eyes in defense.
“If you fail, you will have completed the merger with your presence there.” Herado grimaced against the glare of Rider’s aura. The energy pulsated and moved in a reverberating sphere, ensnaring all it encased. Herado stepped away from the sphere and raised his hand in the farewell gesture of the Xeonians. Wei raised his hands in the same fashion and disappeared as Rider’s aura fluctuated for the last time.
* * * * *
Edge brought his sword down upon Mela’s ’talon and twisted to the right in an effort to catch her off guard. Mela spun into the attack and deflected, bringing the opposite end of the blade around for a counterattack. Edge merely sidestepped and reflected back into a defensive stance.
The skies burned now with purple flashes of evil and Xzin stood, arms outstretched, beckoning for the ultimate power. The unseen force responded and a single flash of lightning struck the evil warlord square in the chest. The grand explosion obliterated the remnants of the citadel.
The dust from the rubble blocked what lay beneath and the clouds upon the ground swished to and fro with a crimson ferocity. Edge’s sword drooped for a moment as he turned and looked at his master. Even Mela’s resolve faltered as she took in the gravity of what had just transpired. The winds pushed the dust back and revealed the crouched form of Xzin, shaking from the attack, a dark purple aura rose from around him.
“Master,” called Delgado weakly.
“I am no longer of this world,” boomed the voice as if it came from every crevice of the earth. Xzin rose to a standing position and his body hovered and stayed suspended in the air for all to view.
Delgado moved closer and knelt before his master, bowing his head ever so slightly. Xzin raised his hand, shrouded in his purple aura, and laid it upon his servant’s head. “Now the merging is complete. All that remains is the erasure of everything you have ever known.”
Mela turned toward Edge. Instead of raising arms against each other, they turned together toward Xzin, their weapons in an attack stance. Edge moved closer to his partner and knelt beside him. Hocher lifted his arm and rested it upon Edge’s shoulder, allowing himself to be hoisted up. They stood there like statues of long-forgotten warriors and watched as Xzin raised his hands to the sky and manipulated the heavens.
“If you destroy existence, then you shall go with it,” called Mela as loudly as she could. Her frustration began to mount and then, as if exploding from within, a blue aura surrounded her and encased her within its energy field. Xzin moved forward, swooping toward Mela.
“You pitiful, little human,” mocked Xzin. “I am existence itself. I encompass all that is time and energy. How can you expect to stop what has been building for eons?” Xzin laughed from high above the battered form of Mela and then, as if stung, plummeted to the ground. He fought viciously against a stream of green energy as he crashed into the far wall of the citadel.
“She can’t, but I will.” Rider floated effortlessly in the air, his energy field encompassing the entirety of the citadel floor. The energy dispersed and Wei fell in the proximity of Mela. Xzin emerged and rose again into the sky, his purple energy trail crashing into everything in its path. He flew forward shouldering Rider, cascading him off into the distance like an emerald star in the night sky.
&n
bsp; The rain poured harder now and the visibility became hazier. Wei drew his sword and the crimson glow pierced the wall of wetness. They saw something they had not anticipated. Delgado moved toward them, his clothes appearing as if melting into his skin due to the ferocity of the rain. His form cowered and when he came close they could see that his face had contorted to something not of this world.
* * * * *
Xzin followed the fading figure of Rider.
Rider surprised him, coming from beneath and slamming into Xzin’s solar plexus. Xzin leaned forward from the strength of the hit, his face contorted with pain. Rider slammed into Xzin’s face with his foot, sending him crashing into the foliage below.
Xzin plummeted, and as he braced for impact, Rider’s fist slammed into his lower back sending him back into the blackness of night. Xzin focused intently and brought himself to a stop. He spun, coming face to fist with Rider’s gloved palm, his energy billowing around the surface. Xzin couldn’t even muster a scream as the energy flowed, blasting him into the upper atmosphere. Rider was in pursuit. Xzin’s body crashed through the tops of the trees and came to a stop high in the sky.
“You can never destroy me, mortal,” called Xzin weakly. He coughed hard and his face was smeared with his own blood. Rider appeared beside him and brought his elbow across the side of his skull, causing Xzin to cough blood violently.
Xzin was flung aside, and Rider grabbed his hair and pulled him back into an energy attack that exploded in his face, charring him to the bone. Xzin’s body dropped through the trees and crashed into a heap upon the ground. The left side of his face showed a row of stained white teeth.
“Mela,” Rider whispered. He turned and flew back toward the citadel, not noticing that Xzin’s purple aura still shone deep.