by Sophia Sharp
Laura nodded to herself. It was time to correct that perception. The elder used the strength of the cord and shifted reality again. But just as he stepped through the portal, Laura drew on both her torrial and the connection with him to alter the destination to something he could not possibly expect. She brought him to her.
She saw a flash of light in front of her. The air shimmered, wavered, and solidified into an elderly man with a triumphant smile on his face. The smile disappeared and his eyes went wide when he realized where he was.
Laura felt overwhelming panic pulse through the connection. The elder tried to use his fading power to move himself away, but Laura stomped down on that, hard. She reenacted the shield that blocked him from accessing the lifeline given by the cord.
His mouth worked, but no words came out. Laura simply looked at him. He was a pathetic excuse of a man. All the pomp and glamour that he displayed when Laura first met him in the cabin was gone. In its stead was rotting skin and a decaying body. The natural air of confidence he had once assumed had disappeared. He stood there in front of her, a shell of the man he once was. No – this was who he actually was. Everything else Laura had seen was nothing more than an illusion. It was nothing more than a sham.
In one last, desperate attempt to get away, the elder turned and ran. Laura watched as he went into the woods. Then, when he was just out of sight, she sprang the invisible shackles he had once used to confine her. She did not know how she did it, only that doing so was both natural and instinctive. He fell to the ground, struggling against them, but it was no use. They had him bound tighter than the strongest chains. Laura pulled, and the elder came tumbling back, bouncing hard against the ground. When he stopped, sitting slumped over not ten feet away from her, he was beyond pathetic.
Laura felt hatred course through the connection with him. He shot a vile look at Gray, who was lying leisurely to Laura’s side. There was no more fear, however. The elder knew he had been caught, knew he had been bested. He seemed to have accepted the fact, and that surprised Laura.
“So, girl, you think this is it, do you?” the elder sneered. It was almost a shock to Laura to hear him speak so clearly. His voice had not changed at all, and the strength of it came at stark contrast to the rest of him. “You think you’ve got me beat, don’t you? That your despicable attempt to alter a world you know nothing about has succeeded?”
“Has it not?” Laura asked calmly. “Have I not gone against two of your creations, and beaten both? Do I not have you chained right in front of me, created prisoner by the methods you once used against me?”
“That may be so,” the elder said, “but you’re a long way from accomplishing your true goals. I am one of eight. Do you truly believe that all your pathetic friends will find the same success? If but one of us survives, everybody will be alerted to what you have done. All the Vassiz in the world will come after you. You think the packs that came for you before were bad? Those were the lowest of the low. We did not recruit our strongest, nor out best. They will come for you, and they will destroy you.”
“Your time of power is up, elder,” Laura said harshly. “The lies and deceit with which you spun your web of command will be revealed. What you did to the angels will be revealed. All the crimes against your own race will be revealed. The histories you hid will not remain covered up. The Vassiz will know of their true past, and of your role in eroding their race. The era of repression you oversaw is over!”
To her surprise, the elder looked at her, and started to laugh. It was an infuriating gesture, because it was so much at odds with the fear the elder felt earlier. It was the laugh of a man at ease, of a man who has the upper hand. In her mind, Laura double- and triple-checked to make sure the elder could not squirm out of the bonds that held him, nor draw on whatever power came through the cord attached to him. As far as she could tell, there was no threat of that. But then, why was he laughing like that?
“My era of oppression?” the elder finally sneered. “You truly think your intentions are noble, don’t you? That all the Vassiz will readily accept the change that you bring to them? That now, because you killed off the leaders they’ve had for centuries, they will embrace you with open arms?”
“Of course not!” Laura defended, but she felt an uncomfortable bit of uncertainty start to form in the back of her mind. She shut it away. “But anything I give them will be better than how they lived under you.”
“You say that as if it has already been decided,” the elder said sadly. “You are so young. You have so much potential. Why risk it all for a race you barely know? For a people you cannot possibly represent?”
“I don’t want to represent them,” Laura said, “only free them.” Why was she defending her actions before someone like him? His entire existence was marred with lies and deceit. He was despicable! Yet, for some reason, she felt compelled to let him say what he had to.
“Free them, and in the process, free yourself? Is that not it, Laura? Is that not what you are truly after?” He paused, letting his words sink in. “I saw your mind, girl. I know your thoughts. There is nothing you can hide from me. I know what drives you, and I know what motivates you. I know that in your heart of hearts you are just as selfish as any of us. You are, in a true sense of the word, a Vassiz. You spin the purpose of your words to suit your needs, to align with your conscience, whereas in reality you are guided by nothing more than selfish self-interest. You’re vapid and completely bland. Anybody with even the hint of intelligence could spot the stupidity of your ways.”
Laura felt anger bubble up within her. The elder was not in a position to make such accusations. She tightened the bonds that held him. Strain became clear on his face, and pain radiated through the connection. But he did not let up.
“You pretend to be chasing after some greater good, some higher purpose,” he continued in a voice that did not display any of his discomfort. “Revenge for what the elders supposedly did to the angels? Or for what you heard we suffered upon the Vassiz? Those ideals live within you only as a way of defending your true desires. You want to be free of us all, do you not? To live your life with your precious Logan.” He spat the name. “And to not worry about turning your head every time you hear the wind blow in the distance?”
“You make baseless accusations,” Laura said strongly. “Is there anything so wrong about desiring a life of peace with the one I love?” She did not know why she was defending herself in front of the elder, only that there was something compelling her to do so. The small seed of doubt that had sprouted in the back of her mind had to be eliminated. She had to have a clear conscience if she were to kill the elder in cold blood.
“If that is your true desire, girl,” the elder said with a hint of satisfaction, “I would be remiss if I did not tell you that such a thing is not in the cards.”
“What are you talking about?” Laura asked suspiciously.
“Only that there is more to the prophecy that you believe guides you. Oh, don’t look so surprised, girl. I’m sure the omission was one that Gabrielle sorely regrets.”
“What omission?” Laura asked. She tested her hold on the elders bonds, and kept them tight. “No more riddles. Tell me the truth.”
“That is all I propose to do,” the elder said, and for the first time, the strain he felt entered his voice. Good. Let it. “But first, a rhetorical question. Why do you find it so easy to trust the angels? Was it true benevolence that guides them – and you – or is it something else? All beings yearn for power, Laura. And all will cheat and lie to achieve it. The angels you hold in such high regard are no different from you and I. Think! Your search for the repository took weeks, yet could have gone so much faster had they simply revealed the location to you. What was the point of the delay? A vague dispute they had with Rafael? You still do not know what that was about, do you?”
“How do you know all this?” Laura demanded. Why had the angels not shown them the repository earlier? Gabrielle’s justification of it was vag
ue at best.
“I see things in your memories that you cannot understand,” the elder said. “Nobody can ever be trusted. Everything has to be questioned. Remember those two universal truths, and they will serve you well in the future.”
“What are you talking about?” Laura repeated. She tested the bonds once more in her mind, just to make sure the elder had no chance of slithering away. He did not.
“One thing at a time. I can see you’re questioning the trust you put into Gabrielle. Good. Such suspicion is good.”
“Get on with it,” Laura growled, and tightened the bond around the elder’s neck, temporarily cutting off his air supply. His breathing became rasping, and he gagged for air. Laura kept him like that for a few moments before easing her hold. She did not like what he was forcing her to do, but she had to show she was the one in control.
“I mean only this,” the elder said in ragged breath once Laura released her hold. “The prophecy Gabrielle told you is not the full one. He only told you of one half.”
“One half? What is the rest?”
The elder met her eye, and, in a truly repulsive gesture, winked at her. “I would tell you, Laura, but I’m afraid the bond that holds me has sapped me of my strength.” He frowned. “I don’t take you for a fool, so I do not expect you to let me go, but an easing of my shackles would go a long way in encouraging my tongue.”
Laura grimaced unhappily but complied. Somehow, the elder had her entranced with his words. But she was confident she still held the upper hand, if only by the amount of power she had in this world.
The elder smiled as his bonds loosened. Laura allowed him a certain amount of flexibility in his arms, which he took advantage of by rubbing his wrists where the force Laura commanded had been particularly harsh. She still held both his legs tightly to the ground, lest he attempt to surprise her with an attack.
“Well?” Laura demanded. “Get on with it!”
“I will,” the elder said. “You see, there is more to the prophecy than Gabrielle told you. The part he omitted is one I doubt very much you’ll like to hear. But of course, I’m sure it just a simple slip of the mind on his part.” The smile he formed showed that he did not think so at all. “‘When darkness comes, and hope is lost, a shimmering star shall be revealed. And she will free the fallen ones, restoring order to the rule of man.’ That is what Gabrielle told you, is it not?”
“It is,” Laura said slowly.
“Well, there is more to it than that. In fact, there was a whole clause he omitted for you. Right in the middle of what he said. The true prophecy goes like this: ‘When darkness comes, and hope is lost, a shimmering star shall be revealed. Born of flame and darkness, her screams will pierce the deep of the night, for they are screams of the destruction she wrought. An equilibrium held for centuries will shatter before her coming, and with it, she will free the fallen ones, restoring order to the rule of man.’”
“You lie,” Laura said defensively. But that small inkling of doubt in her mind grabbed onto the elder’s words and held them tight.
“Do not be a fool!” the elder spat. The sudden outburst frightened Laura, and instinctively she tightened the bonds holding him again. He stiffened on the spot.
“What I mean to say,” the elder said through clenched teeth, “is that there is a darker side of the prophecy. One you knew – know – nothing about.”
“If that’s true,” Laura said, “why would Gabrielle tell me nothing of it?” She could not believe that she was conversing with the elder, but that lingering doubt forced her to. She had to be sure what she was doing was right!
The elder looked shocked at her question. “You truly understand nothing, do you?” he asked. “If Gabrielle told you that, would you have continued on the path that led you here today? He has a stake in all this, as do the other angels. I told you earlier all beings yearn for power. The angels you hold in such high regard are no different. They are flawed, like you and me. They are blinded by ambition and greed, spurred on by a ridiculous sense of revenge against my kind, the Vassiz.”
“Your kind, the elders,” Laura corrected. “The angels have nothing against the Vassiz. It was you who imprisoned them.”
“How can you be sure?” the elder asked. “Why are you so easy to trust them, but not others? Is it from some archetypical representation you hold of them in your mind? From what you were taught in school, or by your parents? That they are the bearers of peace and good?” He spat on the ground beside him. “Bah! You are as blind to the propaganda they seeded within humans as you are to the true nature of your quest.”
“Why should I believe anything you say?” Laura asked. “You’re a prisoner. I could – and should – kill you with a flick of the wrist. If for nothing more but the attempts on my life you made today. And the attempts you orchestrated after I first visited the dream realm.”
“Then do it, Laura! Kill me here and now!” He glared up at her defiantly. Laura did not move. “Ahh,” he cooed, “you cannot do it yet, can you? For whatever you might say, your heart knows that you may be mistaken yet. You search for truth.” He shook his head. “The pieces are in play. It is too late to correct what you have started, yet now you have new doubt. If but one of my brethren survives, your whole plan will fail. But if we all die, as you intend, perhaps the outcome will not be what you had in mind.”
Laura had had enough. The man was trying to worm his way into her heart, to slither into her mind with his poisonous words. Everything she knew about the elders said they deceived and corrupted. That they were cunning and manipulative. Who was to say he wasn’t trying to do something of the sort right now? How could she believe any of his words?
No – she could not. She saw the true nature of the man before her through the bond. His heart was black, and his thoughts were churned by madness. But why did she not feel any hint of deceit come through the bond when he spoke to her now?
Laura stepped toward him. “Elder, I will not believe your lies.” She drew on the torrial, and willed the knife to appear in her hand. She modified it, though, so that the blade stretched farther outward, much like a sword. “Your attempts on my life belie anything you have to say. The era of oppression you and your brethren inflicted onto the Vassiz is over.” She eyed the cord that came out of his back. It was pulsing wickedly now. “Your era is over. Your time is up, and the race you betrayed will be set free!” She stepped around him, and shifted the sword high overhead.
“Wait!” the elder strained. “Who do you think guided you here, girl? Remember, it was Selaine who—”
His voice cut off in a scream as Laura’s downward slash cut through the pulsing cord. “It is ended!” she exclaimed.
The cord snapped back, whipping over the earth like an elastic band breaking after too much strain. The elder screamed. Laura looked down at him in disgust. She released the bonds that held him, and the creature that she saw before her now looked nothing like the man she first met. When she cut the cord, the last part of the illusion broke. She saw the skin stretched tight over his skull, completely devoid of hair. She saw the hollowness of his cheeks, like those of an emaciated dog. She saw the blotchiness of his complexion, the fraying ends of hair that hung lifelessly from his chin in cruel resemblance of his once handsome beard. The garments he wore so proudly now swallowed up his body, at least three times too big.
His scream pulsed on and on, while his hands desperately searched for reprieve. He curled in on himself, writhing on the floor in immense pain. Laura felt no pity. Everything he had done in his life had brought him to this point, and it was past time to see justice done. She prayed the others had had the same success.
Laura was expecting that light to burst out of his skin, to overtake his body as it had his previous two creations. That did not happen. Instead, the man started to decay right in front of her.
It was as if all the years of extra life he had bestowed upon himself were now catching up. His sagging skin began to shrivel and harden. His mouth con
tinued to work, but his voice had given out. A sickly complexion overtook him as the muscles in his arms and legs melted away, leaving nothing but bone and blotchy skin. Laura forced herself to watch. This was the price he paid for what he had done. This was what Laura had come so far to do.
Bit by bit, the elder’s movements slowed. He gave one last feeble kick, and was still. What remained was nothing more than the frail, pathetic skeleton of a man, swallowed up by his once-great clothes.
Laura turned to Gray. Surprisingly, she did not feel particularly elated or happy at the outcome. She had come far to accomplish it, yes, but the way the elder went was not very… satisfying. At least, not nearly as much as she had imagined. Maybe it was the fact that success depended on the uncertain fate of her seven other allies. Or, maybe it was that some of the things the elder said before his death had made her think. In any case, it was not the triumphant victory she had been expecting.
Not yet, anyway. She had no way of knowing how the others were faring. If they were successful… if, only then could she celebrate.
At least she was done here. Although she wasn’t sure what would happen now. With the elder dead, all that was left for her was to return to Gabrielle. But she didn’t know how to do that. And why did the elder mention Selaine, of all people, right before—
Laura’s thoughts were interrupted as an enormous tremor shook the earth, hard enough to knock her off her feet. She landed on her back ungracefully, and was immediately tossed up again. A loud groaning sound bellowed beneath her. She caught herself in the air this time to land in a crouch. She looked at Gray, who was not standing on the ground anymore, but rather, floating a good foot above it. The tremors didn’t touch him, but Laura wasn’t sure if he was really here anymore. His reflection wavered, turning to mist and back, and he didn’t seem to be seeing anything around him. Suddenly, his whole being winked out of existence.