by Thomas Green
The battlefield was in utter chaos, allowing them to slide between the panicking soldiers of the demon prince’s armies with ease. Raven followed Lucas with his eyes as the golden cloak made it easy to track him on the battlefield. He was hunting someone, soulstepping around like a grim reaper gone mad. The pattern became clear to Raven, and he headed toward the cavern entrance where Lucas pointed him to. He didn’t lie he would meet them there. He lied about when. Before Raven and Zoey reached it, Lucas already disappeared inside.
They stepped into the tunnel. Corpses littered it, crushed and slashed apart. As Raven walked through the carnage, he wondered what happened to Lucas. This did not look like the man he knew. Ever since he came to Snowhaven with Luna, he gave a different feeling. The cold control he always wielded was gone, replaced by stifled wrath and hatred. And this corridor filled by corpses looked every bit like Lucas beating out that wrath.
A massive explosion made the entire mountain shake. Raven and Zoey soon arrived at a steel gate broken to shards. Beyond lay a temple lay filled by statues of naked men and women, some the size of humans while others the size of a tower. Across the temple, on a throne covered by emeralds, sat Ebilezerhar, his handsome face frowning in the light of the two braziers that burned by his side.
With a longsword braced over his shoulder, Lucas was halfway through the temple, approaching the demon prince. “I wondered when you would realize running is pointless.”
The demon prince shook his head. “We all know that is impossible.”
Lucas’ boots clanged on the stone floor with each step. “Think fighting me is going to go any better?”
Ebilezerhar shrugged. “Normally, not, but you aren’t yourself.” His eyes moved toward Zoey. “And your friend brought me a weakness to exploit, which is careless at best.”
Zoey scoffed. “Do you demon princes ever stop talking?”
Ebilezerhar laughed as his eyes strayed to Lucas. “You always liked the sharp ones. Shame she has to die. Or perhaps I will keep her, like the werewolf girl. She was so much fun when I played with her.” He moved his hand, and green gas burst out of the statues, filling the air.
Raven grabbed Zoey and leaped backward, focusing his aether around his face to stop the gas from reaching it. Yet the gas swirled, and flowed toward Lucas, contracting into the black orb Lucas held in his palm, pulled in by an invisible force. Raven felt the force tucking at him and had to shift his weight to resist the pull.
Ebilezerhar grabbed his spear from behind his throne and bolted to the side. The black sphere Lucas held disappeared, reappeared upon the demon princes’ throne, imploded and then exploded into a deafening shockwave.
All the statues started moving, reaching after them with stone arms.
Lucas soulstepped to the demon prince, punching the air around him, sending an absurd shockwave through the room that shattered all in its path.
Raven stopped time. As all around him froze, he gazed at the room. Behind him, Zoey was leaping away from a giant statue, Lucas, his face but a mask of pure wrath, was at Ebilezerhar’s side, stabbing at him with his longsword while the demon prince was spinning into a parry. Raven walked to Ebilezerhar, readied his sword, unfroze time, and slashed.
The demon prince spun, parrying Lucas’ stab and blocking Raven’s sword. Lucas weaved from his feint, punching the air before Ebilezerhar, releasing an absurd explosion. The blast threw Raven away, forcing him to stop time. How many of these can Lucas do? Raven stabilized himself and unfroze time.
Ebilezerhar flew away with a grunt of pain, but then burst into acid mid-air.
Lucas stretched his arm, forming another black sphere to suck the acid in. The statues turned into the shape of Ebilezerhar and converged on Zoey.
Raven stopped time, dread filling his veins as it took his all to avoid dying as collateral in Lucas’ fight. He felt the overuse of aether gnawing at his insides, so he did not loiter, but moved to the nearest Ebilezerhar to quickly examine him. The appearance is perfect so I cannot tell them apart. He allowed the time to continue flowing and slashed the clone apart, weaving away from the incoming explosion of acid. Lucas’ black orb appeared near them, drawing them toward it with its implosion before it exploded, throwing Raven aside and Zoey onto the spear of the Ebilezerhar’s clone that stood behind her.
Raven froze time, watching the tip of the demon prince’s spear exiting through her guts. He stepped to them and unfroze time. Before Raven could swing his sword, Lucas appeared at Ebilezerhar’s side and slashed him horizontally across the chest, his sword but a flash of darkness, nearly severing him in two. In a split second, Lucas stepped in and swung down his sword. The massive blade sunk into the demon prince’s collarbone, crushing his torso as it sent him to the ground. All of Ebilezerhar’s clones exploded to acid. Zoey crumbled to the ground.
Raven stared at Lucas, at the endless wrath in his eyes, his stomach turning from the intense evil he emitted.
Lucas pierced Ebilezerhar with a glare, his rage finally subsiding. “What was that about?”
Ebilezerhar coughed out blood. “The place by your side belongs to the Queen, and no one else.”
Lucas raised his blade and beheaded the prince. He turned to Raven. “I will be out for a minute.”
Raven watched Lucas sit down by the corpse, pull a black mold out of his pocket, and throw it into his mouth, passing out in the next second.
Raven stepped into Zoey and examined her wounds. Her stomach was pierced, and acid melted a hole through her while her veins started turning green, a mark of poison. He removed the spear, tore off a piece of his cloak, and wrapped the wound the best he could.
Lucas sprung to his feet, awakened. “I will take her to the healers.”
“What did you just do?”
“I went to Limbo to destroy Ebilezerhar’s soul.”
Raven nodded. “I believe this fulfills my promise.”
Lucas raised Zoey in his arms. “Your promised was to help me kill both Ebilezerhar and Kayleanne, and she still lives.”
“Where is she then?”
Lucas motioned to a tunnel with his head. “She is fighting my subordinates as we speak. That corridor should lead you there.”
Without a word, Raven dashed away, smiling as he did, for Lucas telling him her location was the only way he knew how to find her. He stretched out his aether as he walked, making sure Lucas wasn’t following him. The last thing he wanted was for Lucas to use him as a distraction to kill her.
Raven found Kayleanne sitting on a rock by the side of a tunnel. She sat only in her pants and boots while having bandages wrapped around her breasts. Bruises, gashes, and burns covered her. With her hand, she was spreading lotion over a massive wound in her side, throwing Raven a cold stare as he appeared within the corridor.
He flinched when he saw the wounds, anger, and sadness exploding through him without him understanding why. “Have a proposition for you.”
“I’m listening.”
His heart leapt to his throat, but he clenched his fists to keep his voice steady. “Your war with the Order is lost, but you don’t have to die. I rule a large city within the Order’s territory so I can shield you there. Come with me, and I will make sure Lucas can never reach you.”
She laughed. “Why would you do that?”
“Don’t know. But I know never forgive myself if I don’t.”
She smiled. “Do you still think I am the woman from the memories you keep seeing?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “I never took you for a romantic... but I have a better idea though. I can go fortify myself within my city with the rest of the army I managed to save and hold out until the Order runs out of supplies while I take you as a hostage.”
Raven’s heart froze. “Won’t work plus I cannot let you do that.”
She raised an eyebrow, wearing an amused smile. “Will you try to save me by force against my own will?”
He sighed. “If I have to. Why do you have to be so
stubborn?”
“Many reasons.” She unlaced her boots, stepping onto the stone with her bandaged feet. “For one, I will not abandon my city and my people.”
“And the main reason.” Raven drew his sword and readied his shield.
“The Tsal Sanui have no parents, no guardians, and thus no names merely nicknames given by strangers. Just like you, Raven. You are as nameless and purposeless as I once was.” She rose and drew her sapphire sword. “But then the King of Hell himself named me and made me his apprentice, elevating me, the Cripple, to the same heights where the princes of hell themselves stood. I shall not tarnish the name by surrendering. Not now, not ever.” She bolted forward.
Raven froze time. I am sorry, but I refuse to let you die. He stepped to her side, prepared to strike her with his shield and unstopped the time.
She whirled to dodge his shield, but he rammed his body into her, throwing her away. Before she landed, he stopped time once more. He walked behind her, prepared, unstopped the time and struck at her head with the edge of his shield. She sprung her body to evade. Raven stepped in, straightened the shield, and slammed it into her head, smashing her into the wall.
Raven towered above her as she slid by the wall, stopping herself with her feet. “I don’t want to do this, Kayleanne. Don’t force me.”
She spat out blood, smiled, and her eyes turned black with sapphire irises while two elegant horns sprouted from her head, tail weaving behind her. “I am not who you think.” She charged, faster than before.
Raven stopped time, walked toward her, unfroze it and struck at her face. Kayleanne ducked under his shield, slashed his thigh, caught his ankle with her tail, and spun, throwing him at the wall. Mid-air, Raven stopped, and unstopped time for but a split second, halting the momentum of his flight to land on his feet. Before he could blink, Kayleanne was at him, stabbing at his side.
Raven parried the strike. She weaved to the side, slashing his calf. He aimed his shield at her face. She bent and stabbed his shoulder. Raven stopped time before her blade passed through the bone. He walked away from her, spread his aether through the air, and unfroze time.
The cavern turned into sand. Kayleanne leapt to him, evading the collapsing ceiling. Raven slid forward, striking up with his shield. She turned over and kicked his face. His movement and nose broke, making him step back to recompose.
She gave him no such chance. Raven stopped time, feeling his strength starting to run out as his insides began getting cold, vision blurring, his breathing turning shallow due to the broken nose, his head pounding.
He walked to her side and struck at her ribs. She parried his swing, kicked his knee, weaved from his shield, and punched his chest, bending in the breastplate, throwing him at the wall.
He stretched out his aether. Before he could form the spell, Kayleanne slashed. He raised his shield to block. The wood shattered. She stabbed his sword arm, pinning it to the wall, stomped his ankle, and slammed her forehead into his.
The impact blew his senses out of him. She caught his head, sprung up and sunk her knee into his face, relieving him of consciousness.
33
Zerae
Zerae awakened as Astril carried her in her arms through the Frozen Heights. Her head pounded while her vision was blurry. She felt weak, so, so weak. She spoke anyway. “Where are you… taking me?”
Astril formed a worried smile. “I have a hideout nearby.”
“A hideout?”
“You were right.” Astril sighed. “I have lied to you, more than a bit.”
“It’s… alright.”
She sighed. “No, it’s not.” She carried her toward a mountain at the edge of the Frozen Heights. While wind carried a distant scent of blood, everything stood peacefully. Astril weaved among the ancient rocks, taking her to a hidden, stone door covered by runes. She touched the runes in a swift sequence, and the door slid open.
Astril entered to descend down long, ancient stairs.
Zerae stared at the door closing behind them. “What is this place?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how did you find it?”
She shrugged as she descended the stairs to a sealed, narrow cleft with a path by a river. “I remember it. I don’t know why. I don’t know how, but I do. I have never met anyone here or someone who would know of these places.”
Zerae’s eyes widened. “Then how did you find the entrance code?”
“I remembered it as if I had always known. The same way I remember the location of all the other thirty-six other places like this.”
Zerae blinked for a few times to clear her eyes and focused. The plants and mushrooms filling the narrow cleft weren’t helpful, but the oval door, with a symbol etched on the top, the symbol of scales crossed by a spear. I have never seen a symbol like that.
Beyond the door lay a corridor. All the paths were collapsed save for one, at the end of which was a room. Astril lit the oil lamps by the walls, revealing a glorious bed covered by furs, feathers, and duvets. By the other side of the room lay a massive hoard of golden coins, gems, and priceless objects.
Zerae blinked, but the glistening treasure didn’t disappear. “That’s more gold than the Voidspire treasury has.”
Astril smiled smugly. “I like shiny things.” She put Zerae into the bed and tried to undress her. Most of Zerae’s body was swollen and covered by dried blood, so the armor and clothes were stuck onto her. After a while of struggle, Astril managed, safe for her coat, where she had to cut the thick leather by the shoulders, for the sleeves were melted into Zerae’s arms.
Zerae didn’t feel the pain anymore, only tiredness and cold.
Astril undressed as well. “Let’s clean you up.”
Zerae wanted to resist but was too weak. She let Astril lift her up and take her to a side room, where a waterfall fell from above, through a steel grid that made the floor. Astril put her down and started washing the dried blood off her, but Zerae noticed random shimmers around Astril’s face and body.
The curiosity overcame her tiredness, allowing her to speak. “Is that an illusion that shimmers on your face, Astril?”
She sighed. “Yes.”
Zerae pushed up her hand to stroke Astril’s cheek. “You don’t have to hide before me.”
“I do. I’m not pretty anymore.”
“Please, show me.”
A yellow flame flickered around Astril, peeling the image Zerae had watched for her entire life. Deep, hideous scars appeared on Astril’s body, covering her every limb. Zerae stared at the torn lip, deep scar over her bloodshot eye, half-missing ear, nose was broken beyond repair, and the carved muscles that took the place of the soft skin Zerae knew. Astril’s eyes appeared dead, robbed of the light of hope, of the spark of happiness.
Zerae tried to speak but couldn’t. I had done this to her. For all these years, I have been using her as my main weapon, one that wins every fight I send her to, one that kills everyone I point at. Her insides clenched as tears filled her eyes.
“Sorry.” Astril smiled faintly. “I was made perfect and destined to always be perfect. But I sinned so much I lost the ability to return to how I was made. I marred the creation of our Goddess and became like this.”
Zerae caught Astril by her neck, pulled her down, and kissed her with all her heart. “You didn’t mar anything.”
Astril hugged her tight, but then shook her head. “I’m not supposed to be like this. I don’t know why I was made, but not to do… what I do.”
Zerae narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“I have killed people… tens of thousands of people. I should feel bad about it, but I don’t.”
Zerae smiled. “Me neither. It’s wrong, but I can’t feel sorry for anyone other than our sisters.”
Astril sighed. “I’ve killed those too. So… so many.” Tears flashed into her in her eyes. “When the matrons sentence someone to death, I find them and give them a choice between a clean death and exile. Many
choose death, so, so many.”
Zerae’s heart froze. “You don’t have to do that. The whole reason we have law and trials is so nobody would have to do this.”
“But they don’t work.” Astril shrugged. “So somebody has to see to justice being done.”
“Why would that somebody be you?”
“Because I can.” Astril ran her hand through her hair with a troubled look in her eyes. “And because I feel like I should.”
Zerae tried to ask why, but words failed her.
“Sometimes, I see memories of someone else, someone who lived somewhere else in a different time.”
“Who?”
She cleared the hair off Zerae’s face. “I don’t know. In these memories, people call her Sophiel, the Judge, and she looks like you with the golden hair and sky blue eyes.”
Zerae’s heart shot up to her throat. “That’s an archangel.”
“Is she?”
It fit perfectly. An archangel would be the fitting being to be their Faceless Goddess, the mother of the purebloods, of Astril. Perhaps the search for the Goddess wasn’t in vain, after all. “I read this book a while ago, which said that before The Fall, the heavens were ruled by the nine archangels. One of them was named Sophiel, who was the judge of the heaven’s court.”
Astril smiled faintly, but then her face hardened again. “In that book, is there a crimson-haired man with emerald eyes? One that looks like the male version of our former Queen?”
Zerae shook her head. “No, but there is one of the archangels missing in the book. There is no hint of his looks or age. Why?”
“He’s the man I see the most in my memories. He was Sophiel’s lover.”
“Did she call him in any way?”
Astril shrugged. “The Surgeon? The memories of him are blurry… it’s like he’s not supposed to be there, like he doesn’t belong into the memories, but is there anyway. I tried to have Leena track where these memories come from, but they are embedded into my soul since I have been made.” She lifted Zerae up to dry her.