by Jarod Meyer
“No. Let him go. He would only destroy you,” Haraldr said, hanging his head.
William took off into the night sky. There must have been some illusion being cast over the sky, because the cloudy darkness of Dichonia was being drowned out by the light of stars.
He felt sick. The lives of few sacrificed for the lives of many. A terrible choice and one that William didn’t want to make. He made it back to his room. The window was repaired, and he paused for a moment before giving up and shattering it again. The bar area was carefully restored, and all the glasses washed.
William looked around the vast flat. He couldn’t see or sense anyone, so he decided that it was safe to meditate. The few hours that he got after the battle with Karma were simply not enough, and the new power granted to him was no longer keeping him together. He took a pad from one of the plush sofas, and laid it in the center of the room. He sat facing the window, and pinched the sides of his head and closed his eyes, trying to relieve stress. He tried to tell his mind that it wasn’t real, but despite all of his journeys, his mind was still young.
William felt someone enter the room. He recognized her immediately, and he didn’t even open his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, sighing.
Then she was right in front of him. Her long blond hair smelled of jasmine, and her soft plush lips pressed against his. William grabbed her, and jumped up, holding her.
“Georgia what are you doing?” he demanded.
“This is what you want, isn’t it?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes.
William pushed her away, and she grabbed after him.
“I will do anything! Anything!” she burst into sobs. “Just help us. You don’t know what they do to us here. We are slaves!”
William, who was exhausted beyond comprehension, sat down on the sofa, thoroughly defeated. He let her sob for a while. She crawled over to him, and looked up into his eyes.
“What can I do?” she pleaded.
“Trust me,” he replied.
“What?” she asked, wiping her eyes.
“No matter what I do, no matter what I become, or what you hear about me, you have to trust me.”
She looked at him completely confused, but nodded. He quickly produced his map, unfolding it, and projected a small, red crayon. It was the first thing he could think of.
He circled Tamara’s Village. “If anything happens to me. Go here. There are three good people there. They will take you to the gates of Archonia. They may be able to barter your way in. You tell them I sent you,” William said.
She nodded and took the map.
“Now go,” he said.
She stood slowly, still wiping tears. She watched him for a while as she retreated to the broken window, and then took off into the night.
William plopped back down on his makeshift meditation seat and sighed heavily. He couldn’t risk his mission to save these few. They made their bad choices, after all, and earned their place here. Of course he had done the same. Meditation that night wasn’t nourishing. He kept having horrible dreams about Angelica and his other friends, just as before. They kept snapping him out of his trance. It looked dreary outside when morning finally came. He got up and stretched his legs and arms a little, and then took off.
Luxor’s palace stood like a beacon at the south end of the city. The jade building looked like an Islamic mosque with four large pillars sprouting from the corners. He landed in a courtyard, which looked more like a pavilion. Streams of water cascaded from the building all the way to the foot of the city, where green, healthy plants grew. William wondered if they were projections designed to endure the harsh climate of Dichonia.
He was met with the full force of the guards, but they didn’t impede him, instead falling in line beside him as escort. Their thick black armor was loud and clattered, unlike William’s, which was perfectly silent. One of the guard asked William to relinquish his sword. William tossed Gungnir at him, and watched it pin the man to the ground. A few moments later he summoned it to himself, and it appeared once again on his back. The guards didn’t ask for his blade a second time.
This entrance to Luxor’s palace was colossal. It was tall and narrow, with jade colored doors.
He walked with his babysitters through a hall. He was sure that if he shouted it would echo for an hour. Statues and artwork dotted the space. It appeared that Luxor worked hard to make his home feel like Archonia. It wasn’t long before he spotted Meredox’s brother. Perched on a throne, located up a long stair, sat the Basileus.
William raised a hand in greeting, and Luxor’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Young, William,” his voice bellowed, filling the vast hall. He was at the bottom of the stairs in a second, smiling at William. “Do you like my home?”
The Basileus now wore formal armor with a long cape.
“I don’t know, there isn’t much elbow room,” William said, looking at the guards around him. Luxor gave one laugh.
“Please forgive my loyal subjects. they only wish to protect me,” he said, waving a hand and dispersing them. They moved away, but took up formations near the base of several tall pillars.
William looked over his shoulder and saw movement near the entrance. A small group of people were walking towards the throne.
“Won’t you forgive me? I didn’t expect you this early. Duty calls. Will you join me for the morning report?” he asked, snapping his fingers.
A stunning girl appeared, placing a chair next to Luxor’s throne. William whisked up the stairs with Luxor, who slid regally into his seat. William sat, and crossed his arms. The act began. He needed to appear as cold and emotionless as possible.
For the next hour groups of people poured in, reporting on the comings and goings of the city. William watched as Luxor greeted each one with a smile and a friendly response. He couldn’t figure it out. He imagined this man for the past few weeks as his mortal enemy. That he was a ruthless murderer who would betray anyone in an instant. He had to keep reminding himself of the horror he saw in Georgia’s eyes, and the desperation in her companions.
William went rigid and adjusted himself involuntarily when Haraldr walked in behind the Commander. His armor, mostly his helm, was unmistakable. William tried his best not to make eye contact with the rebel, and prayed that the man wouldn’t do anything stupid.
A wave of relief flooded over him as they turned and left. After the painstaking morning reports Luxor stood and thanked them for the report politely, and then turned back to William.
“Well that was fun,” he said in a bored tone.
Tear him to pieces!
How many of his fellow Archonians died because of this man’s actions? A new determination gripped him, and he simply nodded.
“Now, William, I will take you on a tour of my palace,” he said, happily.
He didn’t know what to expect from this visit, but inaction hadn’t been one of them. Patience was never one of his strong points, but clenched his jaw and nodded.
Luxor rambled on about his realm for what seemed like hours as they walked the halls and corridors of his palace. He saw many paintings of the dark curly headed figure, but most read “Meredox”.
“Ah, family,” Luxor said, walking up and rubbing a hand across the canvas.
“A Justicar,” William mocked, trying to play his part. “He saved your life, if I recall. He cannot be all that bad,” Luxor replied, unexpectedly.
William held his breath. He forgot how strong the bond of brotherhood could be. Evidently, somewhere deep down Luxor still cared for his brother.
The two continued, and William became more and more convinced that this must have been some mistake. Could the man at mount Olympus been an imposter? This person seemed so kind and refined. William’s next move surprised even himself.
“How soon until you attack Archonia again?” William asked directly.
Luxor stopped, appraising him with squinted eyes.
William didn’t
move, and finally added, “I want in. They have someone that I want.”
Luxor’s expression changed.
“Is young William in love?” he asked, coyly.
“She was taken from me, and I want her back. I want to see Archonia burn,” William growled.
“Why? I could fill your exquisite new flat with all the women you could ever desire. Why settle for one? Do you not like it here?” Luxor asked.
“When are you going to quit pretending that you don’t want to see it burn as well. What happened to the man I fought at Mt. Olympus?”
Luxor remained completely calm, but he seemed satisfied. Then he bent in to William and whispered in his ear, “One must keep up appearances.”
Luxor dashed away. He was fast, but William matched him. They zipped through corridors and down vast hallways. They came to a bare patch of wall in moments, and Luxor placed a finger on it. A doorway materialized, emerging from the stone. The door itself told William everything he needed to know. It was metallic and black, its shiny surface covered in a collage of horrific looking deformed figures, molding into one another. Luxor pushed through without a second glance. William followed, the path descending into the darkness. Orbs lined the walls, and lit up as they approached. The path twisted and curved in all directions, but they kept going down.
William thought that they were going to fall out the bottom of the city, but soon the floor leveled out. A room came alight with many more of the glowing red orbs. William’s eyes fell over the scene, and his stomach lurched. At first glance, it appeared to be a torture room. Strange and horrific devices and machines were spread out across the dungeon. Each one looked creatively horrific in its own way. Some had people strapped into them, and William nearly lost his composure when he set eyes of a rack in the corner.
Splayed out with what looked to be barbed wire wrapped crudely around his body, and wrapped with chains so thick that William thought he couldn’t even break them, was Zues, the Commander of the Sentinels in Archonia. He wasn’t only a Greek legend, but a mentor to William. His large body, which normally looked so strong, seemed broken and shriveled, and his eyes were closed. William couldn’t tell if he was alive.
“Zeus,” William muttered under his breath. Luxor smiled and answered.
“Yes indeed. We were able to capture him near the end of the battle,” Luxor said. William struggled to keep his composure.
“Would you care to say hello?”
Without hesitation, William walked over, and with a mighty swing hit the Greek god in the chest, digging the barbed wire deeper into his flesh. He could feel it cutting in to his own hand, but ignore the pain. The limp man groaned in pain, and his body slowly came to life. His eyes fluttered open, before focusing on William.
Though they were weary, when he saw William they became fierce. The man struggled and writhed, trying to break free. William raised his hand again, but this time it was caught by his true enemy.
“Have your fun, but don’t kill him. We need him,” the Basileus said seriously.
William ripped his arm free. He didn’t want Luxor to notice that he was shaking. He was deep now. A double agent, and he had to prove to this man that he was as wicked, if not more so, than him. William hit the mighty warrior again, eliciting a groan. Luxor walked to a table covered in documents. William leaned in once more and struck Zeus, digging the barbed wire in even deeper. Then he whispered, “For Archonia.”
The giant man’s eyes popped open, surprise written plainly on his tortured features. William turned and walked over to Luxor, not giving Zeus time to respond.
“You have much hatred in your heart, young one. Tell me what is it that happened to you?” Luxor asked.
“They treated me like an outcast. They used me as a tool for their selfish purposes. Even after I helped stop your attack they heaped the blame on me. They said it was my evil that brought you there,” William growled. He continued with his well-rehearsed rant. “Then they locked me up, and forbid my lover to come see me. They should have killed me.”
“Anger can be a powerful ally, my friend, but it can also betray you. You must keep your eye fixed on the prize,” Luxor said, pointing at a map depicting Archonia. “I miss the light, you know…the warmth of that place. Even now, I have one hundred souls hard at work powering heating devices to keep this place tolerable. Like you, it was taken from me because I wouldn’t live they’re way. I didn’t fit into their mold,” he said, his face twisting with rage.
“We will make them pay. Together,” William responded. Luxor’s eyes darted to him.
“And what makes you think, young William, that I trust you even the slightest bit?” he asked.
William froze. He didn’t have a response for this. He thought that he was playing his part well, but now doubted everything he’d done and said.
His lack of response didn’t seem to bother the Dichonian king, because he turned and walked over to one of the racks nearby, and motioned for William to follow. Once he approached the rack he realized that he vaguely recognized the man strung up on it. He was at the club the previous night, and was on the platform of the guard barracks when he first arrived. William didn’t know his name.
“Tell me, William, why should I help you destroy Archonia, when you have nothing but hindered me, and now, threatened my life?” Luxor asked.
“You nearly killed me. I think that I deserve to hold a grudge, however, I’m willing to set that aside. I believe we could be strong allies. I will follow you. Be your right hand,” William said, playing to his ego.
“Hmm…that still leaves the small detail of me trusting you,” Luxor said, speaking towards the man on the rack.
“You see this pathetic fool before me? He has divulged some interesting information, against his own will, mind you. Apparently there is a rebel force amongst my guard, and they seek to kill me,” Luxor said casually.
William’s heart beat wildly. He didn’t even have to wait for Luxor to say it. He already knew what was coming. Dread filled him and his composure began to slip.
“Really?” William asked, stumbling over words and trying to act surprised.
“It just happens that he also told me of a meeting that will be taking place tonight,” Luxor said, pausing, and turned his gaze to William. “If you bring me the heads of these rebels you will gain my trust,” he finished, turning back to the tortured man.
Then to William’s utter horror, Luxor thrust his hand into that man’s chest, and ripped out his heart. The man’s eyes went wide and locked on to his heart in Luxor’s hand, his breath wheezing out in a wet, bloody gurgle. The pain distorted his face into an ugly mask, until finally, he went limp.
It took every ounce of will for William not to avert his eyes. That would have surely given him away. He wanted nothing more than to rip Luxor to pieces, but he took a heavy breath, gathering his courage, and asked.
“Where can I find these rebels?
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
FINAL ACT
William was frantic. He had to find a way to warn Georgia and the others. Unfortunately, Luxor insisted that William stay for luncheon. William tried several times to duck out, saying that he was still tired from the previous night’s activities in the nightclub. Finally, after hours of exhausting conversation about the recent news in Archonia, from which William actually knew little, Luxor bade him farewell. Without hesitation he set his eyes on the guard tower, and rushed across the skyline. He only prayed that they were there, and not out on patrol, but his hopes were dashed.
He searched high and low in the guard tower for signs of anyone, but due to the recent dragon attack the rotations were doubled. He began at the top of the tower, and worked his way down. As he exited the tower into the crowded streets he made to take off again, when the hair on his spine stood on end. He stretched out his Archonian essence, searching the area around him. Without thinking his eyes turned to the source of his unease. It was a pale bald man dressed completely in black. He wore clothing common a
t the palace, not the fashions trending on the street around him. His gaze locked on the figure, but darted away immediately for fear that his stalker would see that he noticed him.
So, Luxor didn’t fully trust William. Perhaps he was much smarter than he gave him credit for. Hope completely faded. There was no way that William could warn Georgia now. If he killed the Stalker he wouldn’t report back to Luxor, and his mission would fail. If the tail saw him get anywhere near any of the rebels, his mission would fail. William had to consider that Luxor already knew who some of the rebels were. He felt boxed in, trapped like a rat in a maze.
William almost screamed as he took off into the sky. It was one obstacle after another, with more people’s lives hanging in the balance. No matter how difficult his decision was, the lives of ten fallen Archonians versus the lives of billions of Archonians William already knew what he would choose. Still, his rage was blinding.
Why do I have to make these decisions!? I shouldn’t have to choose who lives and who dies!
This was more than triage, or collateral damage. This was murder. He would have to murder ten men and women so that he could maintain his deception. Having two faces was the most difficult thing that he’d ever done.
He ascended to his loft and looked behind him out over the city. The tail was nowhere in sight, but William could feel him waiting at the top of the building, most likely looking down and waiting for William to leave. The stress reached the breaking point, and he sunk down onto his knees, shaking. He felt sweat upon his brow and he labored with each breathe. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and then wiped sweat from his brow.
He sat contemplating his options for hours. He thought of all the horrible things he did to get here, all the regret that he had in his heart. He thought of his friends, and all the lives he fought for in Archonia. He thought of Luxor, and whether or not he could beat him. Perhaps he could simply storm the palace, and kill the tyrant.