With my left arm still locked within his grasp, my right hand crashed into the concrete below us and sent a cloud of dust and debris flying into the air. Still holding onto my left arm, The Reaper kicked his legs into the air with astonishing speed.
Defiant to the end I see, I thought as he pulled my left arm and yanked me toward him as he locked his legs around my head into a surprisingly tight triangle choke hold. I slammed my right hand against the ground and pushed myself to my feet with The Reaper still locked around my neck and arm like a rabid wolverine. I could not free my left arm from his grasp as he was using both his arms to keep it pinned against his chest but my right arm was free and I knew that it was only a matter of seconds before I pulled his legs away from my neck.
My heart skipped a beat as my first attempt to break the hold was unsuccessful. I yanked at his legs again with my right arm but to my surprise The Reaper tightened his legs around my neck even more and I was not able to gain even the slightest bit of leverage. I staggered backward as I yanked at his legs with all my might, but no matter how hard I tried I could not free my left arm from his grasp and my right arm alone wasn’t strong enough to overpower the strength of both his legs.
Still hoping to break his hold, I fell to the ground as quickly as I could and slammed his back against the concrete below us—but even as the back of his head bounced against the pavement The Reaper would not relent and before long I could feel myself starting to become lightheaded. Hundreds of cracks spread through the pavement as I slammed The Reaper to the ground again but no matter how hard or how many times I crashed his back against the pavement he still managed to somehow squeeze harder.
My struggle took a turn for the worst as I lost my balance and we both toppled to the floor. I then pounded him in his side with a series of punches that could have derailed a freight train but even as I felt his ribs crunch beneath my crushing blows The Reaper would not let go.
Smoldering blue energy consumed my right hand as I used it to desperately claw at his already disfigured face. The bloodied skin on his battered head began to peel and flake away as the holy energy that engulfed my hand threatened to corrode his entire face away. But even as my fingers burned deeply into his skin, The Reaper would not break the hold. It was only then that I realized the true extent to which I had underestimated him. In the beginning of our battle he had been so weak that he could barely stagger me with his blows but somehow he had gotten significantly stronger as the battle progressed.
I was fading in and out of consciousness as our deathly struggle continued and I realized at last that there was only one way for me to defeat him—the same way that I had been able to defeat Cyrus, The Godhand, who, by all accounts, was by far the greatest Anokian warrior to have ever lived. To this day, I am still disappointed to have had to rely on my mother’s energy in order to defend the Right Hand against The Godhand, and it was even more embarrassing to know that without it I would not have stood a chance.
There were always grumblings amongst my kind because many thought my gifts to be an unfair advantage but in the end the same can be said about The Godhand’s astronomical size and power as well as The Reaper’s lightning speed and unusual ability to gain strength throughout the course of a battle. My mother’s energy was my birth right and it was given to me for the purpose of protecting the very Crown that The Reaper now sought to obtain. So what if relying upon that energy meant succumbing to another wound to my inner pride? As long as my father remained in power, that was all that mattered.
I closed my eyes and concentrated as The Reaper continued to choke the life out of me, but within seconds I was suddenly invigorated as a fire ignited within my chest and an inferno of power surged throughout my body. Every part of me began to violently shake and vibrate as the rush of power gave me the strength to lift myself to my feet—even with The Reaper still locked tightly around my neck.
Time seemingly stood still around us as I opened my mouth and roared just as a blinding wave of blue light filled the garage. The Reaper held on for dear life as a powerful blast of energy suddenly jolted from within me. Despite his vehement resilience, he was soon thrown into the air against his will as a smoldering ball of blue and white flames filled the room in an instant—and The Reaper, along with everything else in the garage, was completely consumed by it.
TO BE CONTINUED
EPILOGUE
**** STRANGER NETWORK 8.88.03.775 ****
USERNAME……FINAL_SOLUTION
PASSWORD......****************
Brothers and sisters,
By no fault of our own… we have, all of us, been deceived. As such, we must prepare for the fight of our lives, for the very forces that have given rise to our might will some day soon seek to destroy us all.
The Pillar of Eden approaches and though its destructive shadow now looms above our hopes for survival… we shall not go quietly, and should I make it back to lead you… we shall not go at all.
I have fought for two years to deliver this message unto you and even now I still fight to stop those who would seek to silence me. In my absence I only ask that you endure… and know that I shall return.
Onward and upward,
—The Suspect
END OF PART TWO
The Savior Series will return this December with:
SAVIORPART 3
LEGION OF THE GODHAND
Available January 16, 2015
Use the link below to preorder:
http://goo.gl/qtgCwL
Cyrus, The Godhand
Commander of the Knights of Eden
Height: 9’2” – Weight: 2800 lbs
Sketch by A. King Bradley
“The Son of Eden is imbued with the holy essence of the Goddess and he is therefore the deadliest of us all, but in terms of combat skill and sheer physical power… Cyrus, The Godhand has no equal.”
Savior Part 2: Son of Eden Discussion Questions
The Anokian fleet is minutes away from invading Earth. How will our people defend themselves against a race that is, not only physically stronger than us, but more technologically advanced as well?
The people of Earth will find themselves woefully overmatched when pitted against the military might of the Anokians. Should we adhere to The Righteous’ demands and willingly allow them to sacrifice a billion people in order to save the rest of the world, or should we resist and risk the destruction of the entire planet?
How will the return of The Suspect impact the impending conflict on Earth? Is The Suspect’s true goal to save the world, or does he have more nefarious motives?
How might The Righteous’ plans to double-cross The Strangers affect the outcome of the impending conflict?
What is the Goddess of Eden’s role in this conflict? Is she a villain, or is she simply working toward the salvation of her worshippers?
If Howie is able to repair the master wormhole generator and call in help from the Equillian Federation, would Earth truly be safer at that point, or would we just be exposing ourselves to even more destructive firepower?
Is it in our best interest to rely on the military might of the Equillian Federation, or should the people of Earth attempt to unite and defend ourselves against the Anokians?
Howie told Reaper that he has figured out a way to save Earth but he never divulged exactly how he plans to do so. Should Howie have included Reaper into his plans to save the world? What reasons could Howie have for keeping Reaper in the dark about his plans?
Will Reaper survive his clash with The Greater? Discuss theories on how he could have survived after being completely consumed by The Greater’s extremely corrosive power.
The Righteous told The Greater that Cyrus, The Godhand means to challenge him for the Right Hand of the Crown once the Anokian fleet reaches earth. Are the Knights of Eden coming to rescue The Righteous and his party or do they simply mean to seize power from the High King?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A. KING BRADLEY grew up in a tiny town in southwes
t Georgia. As a child, he would often turn to reading and art instead of wrestling his six siblings for control of their household’s lone television. What started as an alternate form of entertainment soon became his passion as he developed a powerful love for storytelling.
His Savior Series is a daring, complex, and unforgettable take on the Hero’s Journey that delivers a perfect blend of captivating action and suspense.
Follow A. King Bradley on Twitter, Facebook and IG at @akingbradley
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am deeply grateful for anyone who has ever expressed interest in my work, and I am especially thankful for those of you who have been most vocal in your appreciation of The Savior Series.
Thank you to Yvonne Bradley, Marie Hall, Tameika Scott, Scott Landry, Karol Spratley, Sandra Teague, Ramiro Martinez, Raniyah Bradley, Javon Toney, Shantae Chester, Chelsea Hall, Nichole Wright, Shelly Baksh, Tia Ingram, Omar Goodman, and Sarah Welcomer. You have all gone above and beyond to let me and many others know how much you loved Part 1 of The Savior Series, and I sincerely hope you enjoy Part 2 just as much.
Thank you to Randolph-Clay Middle/High School for supporting my vision and creating a wonderful feature display for The Savior Series in your school library.
Thank you to my lovely wife, Monica Bradley, for the inspiration that you provide by simply being in my life.
Thank you to my partners in crime, Damian Bradley and Juan Lopez. I look forward to the day that we take this world by storm. Thank you to Travis Schroder, Pat Bradley, Shawn King, Kenny Taylor, and Omar Goodman for helping me put together an awesome soundtrack. Thank you to Katie Cary for your countless hours of copyediting.
And most importantly, thank you, my valued readers. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed Son of Eden, and I look forward to bringing you much more from the Savior Universe in the future. Part 3 is on pace for a December 2015 release, and I anticipate being finished with Part 4 around late 2016 to early 2017.
Savior Part 2: Son of Eden (The Savior Series) Page 30