by M. M. Reid
The woman smiled sweetly. “Lokus is renowned for training his Mystic recruits. Tell me, other than Lokus, have you ever met any other Mystics?”
“My father,” I responded quickly, just to prove her wrong. A pang of emotions ran through me as memories seeped their way into my conscious.
“I’m sorry,” she said knowingly, as she read me like a book. “My mother was killed by the Violet-Eyed Demon as well.” Selene no longer looked at me, but peered at the dwindling supplies. “It happened years ago, when I was just a little a girl, but I can still see it. I just wish…I wish.”
“You wish you were stronger. Strong enough to stop it,” I completed her thought.
Her eyes met mine. “Yes. She was the leader of our people before me and I was in line to be the next. So I would often be at her side for meetings with the Boorr, Mystics, and Druids. I met Lokus there when he was so feeble and old that I was surprised the larger men even gave him any mind.”
I involuntarily snorted with laughter. “Yes,” I said, “but he can surprise you.”
Selene laughed with me. “Definitely.” Her face turned solemn again. “We were the first targets of the Shadows. It was six years ago and I was fourteen. I can still remember it vividly like it was yesterday…” She trailed off.
I, too, had delved into my own memories. All I could see was my father reaching out for me, saying something as he lay dying in the embers of our home.
“Then I was the Mother Pagan,” she went on, both of us snapped from our inner trappings. “Gerald was appointed my advisor and together we tried to lead our people through this war. All that studying, all the meetings of diplomacy I attended, the private lessons…none of it truly prepared me for the reality of it all.”
I placed my hand upon her shoulder and our eyes met. We resonated there for a moment, two different people walking similar paths.
“So,” Selene said clearing her throat as she stepped away from my touch, “do you think this plan will work?”
“No,” I responded earnestly, suddenly needing to avoid eye contact, “but it will give us a fighting chance.”
“Why not wait for reinforcements from Lokus?”
“The longer we delay the less food we have and, thus, the weaker your people become. The time is now.”
“And you expect my people to simply walk to their deaths?” Selene said, her voice rising and cracking with emotion.
“Would you rather rot here like this forsaken tree?” My voice matched her intensity. “Do you want to wait until they are at your door, ready to exterminate you like vermin? Or would you rather meet them and make them pay for every last drop of Pagan blood they have spilled?”
Selene stepped forward aggressively. “Don’t speak to me of bravery, Augrais. Bravery caused our slaughter in the city. Bravery led to the Shadows taking my people from their homes into the night, kicking and screaming, never to be seen again. I will not, cannot, watch them go through that again.”
“Then it is up to me.” I turned on my heel and headed for the exit of the tent, determined.
Her hand clasped my arm as she asked, “What do you hope to accomplish, Augrais, besides your own suicide?”
I stopped and let that completely valid question sink in. It was true. From a tactical point of view we were completely outmatched. This battle could very well be the end of our resistance. But it wasn’t about that anymore. It wasn’t even about Mystic and Pagan lives. It was about the survival of spirit, about the knowledge that we fought and died for what we believed in, rather than lying down to accept our fate. It was after I understood this that I spoke, still facing the exit.
“Someone has to save our people. It is easy to just sit here and go with the simple solution, to roll over and die. Why do you think the Shadows haven’t been pressing the attack? Because they know you will do just that. It’s comfortable to take the easy path.” I turned to her. “It takes strength to stand up against the odds, to know that you and your kin may not come back. That is what you lack, Selene, strength. And I’ll be damned if I am to die here because you’re afraid to take the one and only chance at surviving this genocide.”
Selene was at loss for words, staring back at me as I stormed out of the tent.
Chapter 12
There were four of us. Four Mystics against a few hundred Shadows. I had to admit that even with all of our training and my great powers, this was pushing it.
“Whose great idea was it for us to leave all the nice Pagan meat-shields behind?” Ben asked as we huddled over the opened duffle bag. Inside were a few clips of ammunition for our side arms; Trosian’s scythe, Gungnir; my father’s sword, Balmung; and a few knives.
“Selene figured dying of starvation was a better option than saving her people,” Trosian grumbled bitterly, hovering over the forest floor, with yet another strategy diagram beneath him.
“And you think getting shot at by a bunch of bloodthirsty, murderous Shadows is a good time? Man, and I thought I had a rough childhood,” Ben said as he prepared his pistol and his knife.
“Lee, anything?” I asked, as Lee leapt the last part of his descent from the tree next to us.
“I can’t be sure,” said Lee, casually putting his binoculars back into the pouch attached to his belt. “You can see some traces of smoke to the north, north west. But with the wind, it’s hard to tell.”
“So what’s our next move,” Ben said, quickly cleaning the barrel of his pistol. “Do we run or engage?”
“Run,” Trosian answered definitively, brushing mud over his strategy design. “Even with the extra thirty or so Pagans, our chance of victory was slim. We need reinforcements and we need Lokus. We should have never come here without him to begin with.” He began to spin Gungnir in his hands, getting used to the weight.
“Yeah, well, hindsight is always twenty-twenty.” Ben came to my defence as he holstered his loaded gun and began to attach clips and knives to his person.
I was still weighing my options silently as my friends continued to bicker. In quiet contemplation, I slid the scabbard off Balmung, my father’s sword. The blade hummed its slow, vibrating song as I swung it in practice. Was it right to run now? We were outnumbered, with no hope of victory. Should we abandon the Pagans to their fate? Or should I fight, and try to protect them with all of my power?
“If we move up onto those rocks on the face of the ravine, we might be able to get to the road without being spotted,” Trosian explained, pointing to the place as the other two watched. “It might give us enough time to get back to the Crapmobile.”
There are few times in life where one has a clear fork in the road. Usually our existence is a mixture of small choices that slowly mold and shape our lives. It is rare to see the obvious fork. Unfortunately for me, my life from now on would involve such large decisions, and this one was the first.
“We aren’t running,” I said, interrupting Trosian’s retreat strategy. My practice of meditation had stopped. It was time to stand my ground.
“I would ask if you’re insane but I think we all know the answer to that question by this point,” Trosian said offhandedly.
“Let me get this straight. You want us four,” Lee pointed around the group, “to engage a group of a hundred Shadows who are armed to the teeth?”
“I’m asking you to trust me,” I responded.
“Trust you?” Trosian’s temperament suddenly shifted to rage as he closed the distance between us. “We trusted you when you went against Lokus and brought us all on this suicide mission. We trusted you to secure the alliance between the Pagans and Mystics. Look where that trust has taken us! I think we are fresh out of trust right now!” We were face to face, the veins of his head were throbbing. My immediate thought was that he was going to attack me. Had he been holding that urge in the entire time, trying to remain calm in a situation that just kept getting darker?
“If we flee now, we kill one of the few allies we have left,” I said coolly, allowing my numbness to overcome my
emotions.
“So we die with them? How is that going to solve anything?” Trosian asked, turning away from me and throwing up his hands in frustration.
“When they are eradicated, where do you think the Shadows will go next?” I asked. “If we retreat, yes, we may live to see tomorrow but we will not win any war if we toss our allies to the side.”
“I don’t disagree with you, brother,” Ben said, remaining just as calm as I was. “But that still doesn’t solve the problem of, you know, dying.”
“Guys,” Lee tried to say something.
“I’d rather die fighting.”
“Guys!” said Lee again.
“That doesn’t mean we all want to die fighting, Augrais. You idealistic—“
“Trosian, shut up,” Lee shouted, his Water gift echoing in his voice.
We looked to Lee in stunned silence as he simply pointed behind us.
My eyes widened. We had been so busy arguing that I had not sensed the Vitae approaching behind us. In a flash, I spun around, expecting to face a line of fully automatic weapons pointed at me. The reality was quite different.
“You Mystics really should keep your voices down. We could hear you clearly from five hundred metres,” Selene said, looking rather smug.
“I guess it’s decided. We’re going to die then,” Ben said lightheartedly, as five more Pagans took their Mother’s side.
“I thought you were content with starving to death?” I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ll be damned if I let you Mystics think you’re stronger than us.”
“Where are the others?” Trosian asked, his composure returned.
“Following your plan, Trosian,” Selene answered. “And if we keep prattling, we’re going to be late.”
We would make our stand in the ravine where we had first met the Pagans. Though the bodies from the previous battle had been taken away, the stench of blood still lingered. We had set up three lines of rocks and fallen trees as cover, starting at a choke point directly at the open part of the ravine. We planned to defend each line until we were forced to move to the next one. I just hoped the Shadows were as stupid as Selene made them out to be, because if they went for the higher ground, we would be in trouble.
As the final preparations were being set, it all felt too surreal. Moreover, I found myself having to be reminded that just because we now had allies, it did not mean we were going to make it through the battle. The small group of Pagans a few metres to my right was already unleashing most of their Vitae. It wasn’t strong, but it was enough to get the attention of any nearby Shadows.
“I don’t see any sign of the second group,” Lee spoke quickly, his voice higher than usual. “Are you sure they will be here?”
“Talking about it won’t make them get here faster,” I said calmly.
“Look, Lee, don’t worry about it.” Ben kept his voice level but I could sense his anticipation. “We’ll just let Augrais and Trosian go first so when the Shadows unload on them, we’ll have enough time to get away.”
“Asshole,” I muttered and Ben grinned.
“So remind me again why you won’t use a gun?” Ben quipped back.
“Because I’m better with Balmung,” I said defensively.
“Also because he couldn’t hit Lokus’s house with a gun from ten metres away!” Lee said, chiding me with his laugh.
“I just prefer to fight with my father’s sword,” I said, knowing full well where this was going.
“Leave Augrais alone!” Trosian came to my defence.
I gave him a surprised nod.
A slow smile spread across my rival’s lips. “Besides, we all know boom-sticks make the Neanderthal nervous.”
The others laughed as Selene slid in next to us, out of breath from excitement. “The circles are set but there’s no sign of Gerald yet.”
Lee groaned.
Selene shifted closer to me and peeked over the rock. “It won’t be long now,” she said, almost as if she were talking about a train arriving at a station. The Mother Pagan then looked at me with her transfixing eyes. “Are you scared, Augrais?”
Though silently attending to their weapons, I could tell my Mystic friends were eavesdropping.
“No,” I said, gruffly, taking a moment to survey the battlefield. In truth, I didn’t know how I felt. The Master part of me was powerful, but as Selene had so astutely pointed out earlier, it was not fully dominating my human mind.
Cold metal touched my open palm.
“What’s this?” I asked, wondering why Selene would give me a metal necklace at a time like this. The chain itself gave off a golden glow, as if reflecting the sun. There were strange runes, similar to the ones on the tree, etched into each individual link. In the modern culture, shouldn’t the male be giving the female jewelry? Or had that tradition gone out of style?
“We found it hidden in the tree,” Selene explained. “I can’t tell you exactly what it does, but it has Magick within it, powerful Magick. I just…I just thought you would be needing it more than me.” The Mother Pagan’s white skin turned slightly pink as I placed it around my neck. The metal was surprisingly heavy around my throat.
“Thank you,” I said.
“No, thank you. Without you, Augrais, I would have died in that tree.” A deep appreciation marked her face. “After we survive this battle, together we will convince the Pagans, Mystics, Druid, and Boorr to join, once again, into the Underground Ring against the Shadows. And I need your help to lead it.”
I was flabbergasted. Me? Lead an army against the Shadows? I didn’t know what to say.
After a small silence, an awkward smile took the Mother Pagan’s lips. She went to leave but, before she could, I grasped her arm. “Selene,” I said, “I’ll see you after this is over.”
She smiled at me and then left to rejoin her comrades.
Like a cue from someone offstage, the forest itself became deathly still except for the soft swish of the wind. I could sense them—the Shadows—they were coming. It wasn’t long before they were in my field of vision, slowly emerging from the forest through the choking point of the ravine, moving as slow as molasses. It was far too early to tell how many of them there were. Luckily, I wasn’t going to rely on that. I closed my eyes, reaching out quickly with my Earth gift. I could feel the earth sway below me, and I could feel the fear of the Pagans and my friends. But when I focused on the Shadows themselves, I couldn’t find anything. It wasn’t like Selene where it was clear that her white light was forcing me out of her mind. Much like it was with the police officer before, there was nothing there. It was as if they were incapable of any rational thought. They were empty shells of people: people without a brain and yet with the singular desire to wipe out the remaining underground societies.
“That’s strange.” Ben took the words right out of my mouth, his head gingerly peeking over the boulder.
“What is it?”
“It seems you need the Water gift to be accepted into the Shadow club.”
I used my Air gift to sense the Shadows. Ben was right. Shadow power was not of varying strength. I felt the same Vitae from Shadow to Shadow. I glanced over the rock to see many more of them emerging from the trees like wraiths from a graveyard. They were all sorts of different individuals: men and women; some old, some young; and with different skin colours. The only thing they had in common was their sluggish walk and filthy clothing. So what banded them together? Was it hate?
Unfortunately that question was not to be answered as the thunder of gunfire echoed into the valley. The twangs and crunches from the bullets striking our cover were nearly deafening. I had never in my young adult life been in a battle of this magnitude, and so much was dependent on a strategy I could not control. I understood then that all of what I had experienced—the training, the ascension, my father’s death—did not matter. My lack of control obsessed my mind like some sort of disease, a fear I could not fight off. Chips of rock and wood splintered above me and came hai
ling down like sharp little daggers. Were my friends alright? I glanced over to see Trosian and Lee squeezing their eyes shut from the noise. Selene and her Pagans were furthest from me and were waiting for the barrage to stop. Ben was sitting right next to me, his knees tucked into his chest, eyes shut, and hands slapped over his ears. He was trembling. It was in that moment that a rational calm came over me. How could Ben be brave if I, a Master, could not? How could I expect him, or anyone, to lead the counterattack? I couldn’t. It was up to me.
When they reload, cover me, my Earth gift rang out to Trosian and Selene.
I shut them out before any responses could come. I didn’t need distractions right now. It was time to live in the moment. It was time to act. The Vitae began to circle around me, starting in my belly and then slowly warming my limbs with pure power. This would be the first time I would release my full potential and I was trembling in anticipation. Vitae surrounded me in a blood cloak, the energy within my veins engulfing me in invisible flames. The air around me began to heat as if we were beneath the rays of a hot summer day. Lee and Trosian and even some of the Pagans gaped at me even though they were under the missile attacks. I could hear their heartbeats. I could hear my own. I could even hear the soft breath of the wind. It all came back to me suddenly: the battle; the bullets; Ben cowering next to me. I placed my hand on his shoulder.
I flipped myself over and stepped back a few paces before summoning every last bit of Vitae into my legs. The barrage of bullets began to sputter and slow until, finally, it ceased. I smirked. My turn now. I exploded from the ground as if I was shot from a rocket, the soft grass evaporating under my feet. I easily cleared our cover, leaping like a jungle cat unleashed from its cave. In one fluid motion, I landed on the ground and rolled onto my feet. Now in full sprint, the hum of Balmung was my battle cry.
I had already reached the two dozen reloading Shadows. I jumped over the few logs they used for cover, just as my allies behind me opened fire upon them. With one clean swipe, I decapitated my first victim. Then using the momentum from my first attack, I spun about, my blade a whirlwind of steel and death. By the time my enemies had reloaded, four of them lay dead at my feet. The remaining Shadows lifted their firearms and I had virtually no time to get to cover before they peppered me full of metal. But suddenly some of the Shadows froze in place as if they were cast in ice. Pagan circles of energy bound our enemies as the rest of the Shadows were assaulted in the melee by my Mystic friends. Blood and chaos ensued as the Shadow line was hit by two forces simultaneously. Selene was standing a few metres away, her forehead sweating with concentration as she managed to bind the Shadows standing within the circles with their own energy, whilst Trosian, Ben, Lee, and I engaged in the crushing battle. Sweat and blood flowed like rivers beneath our feet. So this is war.