Fragment

by Alvin Atwater

  Enraged, Aaron roared, deep, low-pitched, more threatening than a lion. That gave Jonas chills. Black slime oozed from Aaron’s skin, covering it entirely.

  “Lord Aaron, please let us fight,” his men chanted.

  “Stay idle, my men,” Arron said. “I’ve played around with him enough. What kind of leader I’d be if I get laid out right in front of you by some human.”

  Jonas knew he’d get no information from this man and plunged his sword into his throat. Aaron laughed, deep, demonic, dark.

  “What?” Jonas whispered.

  “You know, kid, you’re smart for taking me seriously,” Aaron said. “I could mention to Lord Abaddon that you put up a halfway decent fight before losing your head.”

  Annoyed, Jonas stabbed Aaron again, but Aaron still laughed. “You don’t get it, kid.”

  Jonas felt chills again. Something didn’t feel right. A sense that he couldn’t understand raged through his mind. Why did Aaron lie there? Why did his men easily agree to idly stand by? His stabs were ineffective as if plunging a stick into plastic.

  “Prince Thor, want to incinerate them now?” Bacchus nagged.

  Thor didn’t respond. Sweat poured from is hair down to his tired face.

  “Prince Thor!” Bacchus began to move, but Aaron’s ten men pointed their swords at him.

  “One move and your head will be reaching the stars faster than you could scream ‘mommy.’”

  “I grow tired of this,” Loki said. “I only stood still just to see if the human was capable of destroying all of you with that kind of power. But now I’m losing interest. If ego brain isn’t going to do anything, then . . .” he turned to Bacchus. “Can you do anything besides whine?”

  “It’s going to take a little time,” Bacchus said.

  “Just make them go mad,” Loki suggested.

  “No. All of you will be affected if I cast that.”

  “Really now? You better do something, or I’ll shame you in front of everyone.”

  Jonas watched Aaron carefully. Aaron had planned something, and his inability to die bought him time. Jonas wondered why Thor stood there without taking this opportunity to incinerate all of the Sabers.

  “Thor, fight with me,” Jonas said. The light surrounding him brightened in response to his confidence. Thor, however, didn’t respond. He looked Thor in the eye. That’s when he realized the severity of the situation. He recalled past stories about demons. It wasn’t until now that he believed them. Unfortunately, Jonas was too late.

  Thor grinned.

  “He has control of Thor’s soul!”

  Chapter 19

  “You’re too sharp for your own good,” Aaron laughed. He stood up and stretched. The black slime that covered his skin fizzed into smoke. Aaron looked brand new. “Thor, come to my side. You are one of us now.”

  Jonas’s eyes widened as he watched Thor obey the command without resistance.

  “Thor, no, stop!” Jonas bellowed.

  “Why pout?” Aaron said. “I am one of the most powerful demons around, yet no matter how hard I tried, I could not touch your soul. Your soul is definitely human, I mistake not, yet all I can do is commend you.” Rage built within Jonas every second that he glared at Aaron. Jonas thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, but it did. “Thor, use your great lightning to kill them.”

  Jonas dashed at Thor, heart pounding, palms sweating, and with all of his might, he sliced at his hammer. It didn’t cut. Thor raised it slowly until it was over his head, and brought it down.

  Suddenly, Jonas felt a rapidly rising warming sensation. He yelped as his vision faded into nothingness.

  Ashes remained in his spot. Loki and Bacchus stared at Thor. “Why are you surprised?” Aaron said, feeling a rise of satisfaction course through his blood. “Lord Abaddon wouldn’t have bothered to make me an elite if I could handle not a simple job like this.” He picked up the Holy Sword. Mission success. “Zeus is on his way back to the palace, my men. Kill them the rest—”

  Aaron gasped as the blade of the sword he thought he held slid out of his throat. He turned around to see the human standing, unharmed. “How the hell . . .” He fell to his knees.

  “Psionics,” Loki said walking right past Aaron’s unmoving men. “You almost had him, but”—Loki stopped in front of Aaron and poked his nose—“the false thoughts I projected into you halted your movements. Bacchus teleported him behind you. I have to commend you for resisting as long as you did. Now release Thor’s soul.”

  Aaron laughed wheezily. “Your foster brother cares nothing for you. Why bother demanding his release?”

  “The honor of killing him belongs to me, not you,” Loki replied.

  “What childishness,” Aaron said.

  Bacchus walked up to Aaron, balled his fists, and slugged him hard enough to propel him to the floor. Black slime sizzled from the hole in his bloodless neck.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Bacchus said as he held Aaron by his chin. “You do know of my power, right? If you don’t talk, you’ll spend the rest of your life out of your mind. Why do you want th—”

  “Wait,” Loki interrupted. “Restrict him first. I can deduce some basic things based off his careless mouth.”

  Jonas noticed Aaron’s hardened expression and figured that he felt regretful. No. He grinned the second Bacchus took hold of his hands.

  “You are still missing an important point,” he said. Bacchus froze. “So let me show you. Thor!”

  “Move!” Jonas yelled to everyone. He, Bacchus, and Loki simultaneously dove from their spots, barely dodging Thor’s lightning bolts. Aaron, refreshed again, stood up.

  “Men, let’s retreat. Zeus is getting close. I can smell him.”

  Aaron and Thor ran toward the exit, but Aaron’s men didn’t budge, powerless to Loki’s spell.

  Jonas stood up. “I’ll go after Aaron. You get Zeus.”

  “Alone? Are you sane, human?” Loki snapped. “You’re better off leaving that to—”

  Loki paused as Jonas’s light grew brighter.

  “Believe in me,” Jonas said, hoping that they would set aside any differences for now. He raced after Aaron. He didn’t know why, but he felt that if he let Thor fall into the control of the enemy, all of his hopes would be lost.

  A minute passed, and Jonas could see them by the back gates of the palace.

  “Hey!” he yelled. “Stop!”

  Aaron did. He turned around, his sword unsheathed. “You reminded me. I almost forgot the Holy Sword.”

  “Release Thor’s soul, or I will kill you,” Jonas said in a cold voice. The two pointed their swords toward each other. Aaron made the dash that began a relentless attack on Jonas.

  Chapter 20

  Jonas knew he was in trouble. Aaron had him on the defenses, nothing else, leaving no room for counterattacks. Aaron attacked fast. Too fast. His attacks were like cobra strikes—maybe even faster—and Jonas could barely keep up. Even with the boost provided by Jonas’s sword, Aaron fought steps ahead of him. At this rate, Jonas might possibly be dead in minutes.

  Unexpectedly, Aaron knocked Jonas’s sword from his hand. It slid a foot from his reach. Aaron didn’t waste any time charging for the kill. Jonas barely dodged five attempts. But. On the sixth, Aaron’s forward thrust plunged the jagged blade into Jonas’s chest. Fortunately for Jonas, the blade didn’t punch more than an inch. He mustered the strength to backstep, fighting the pain of skin tearing, and pick up his sword. Jonas felt the flowing blood as he lunged forward, increasing his efforts, burning with sweat, breathing hard. Aaron easily put him back on the defenses by increasing his speed. He was already fast; now Jonas barely kept up with him. Aaron continuously pushed Jonas backward until his back smashed into the door behind him. The pain delivered by the stone door swept through his body and rendered him immobile. Aaron thrust forward. Jonas gasped, feeling his real end approach. Time slowed, and the blade moved very slowly toward his face. Jonas’s surroundings blurr
ed. Someone spoke to him.

  “You were given power, yet you fail to use it. You lack training. Fear not, for I will bail you from this branch of fate. You get just one chance. Take no heed, and that blade will send you to the land of the dead.” Before Jonas could reply, the voice continued. “Focus all power into your head, and avoid the blade that will kill you. I will count to five, then end the time disruption. Trust in your abilities, boy, or you will never receive the fighting chance to claim Zeus’s will. Five.”

  Jonas prepared, closed his eyes, and focused on the power he felt coursing through him. He needed more than speed to avoid the blade. He must have a follow-up—a surprise to win. “Four.” Jonas thought of his fight with the sactos. This situation felt similar. If he could produce enough lightning to create an opening, he’d win. He felt that this was impossible, but he had to try. “Three . . . two . . .” Jonas split his focus and silently prayed. Please, God, I ask you to redirect my fate from the lines that will lead my falling. The countdown reached zero. Jonas, eyes still closed, moved his head toward his right. He opened them. Aaron stared at him with wide eyes. His opportunity had come. He sliced at the air in Aaron’s direction. A chunk of raw lightning erupted from the blade, hit Aaron, and incinerated him.

  Jonas collapsed to the ground, unable to fight exhaustion any longer. He knew that his prayer had manifested a miracle.

  Jonas woke up in his room at the palace. Somehow he bore no wounds. He assumed someone had healed him. He glanced out the window to see two full moons in the sky. Half a day had passed since he was out, he could tell. The fresh memory of defeating Aaron with lightning plagued his mind.

  “Jonas Ariel, the heroic soul, I greet you,” someone said. Jonas looked around but saw nothing. “On your shoulder, nim-brain.” A lemming dressed in a black cloak waved at him. Jonas saw no face through the hood, only two glowing red eyes which seemed to peer into his soul. “No need to flinch,” the lemming said before Jonas committed the action. “I am called Lare, and for the rest of your time in the palace, we shall be acquainted. Thanks to your actions, some of the titans may allow you to attend comfortably. Any questions?”

  “Y—”

  “Good, glad you are the smart type.” Lare floated to the door but stopped. “Umm . . . open this, please. The knob is five times the size of my hand.”

  Jonas blinked twice then laughed as he walked toward the door.

  “What do you find so amusing?”

  “Nothing you should worry about,” Jonas said. “I think things will be—” He paused as he recalled something important. “Blast! Medusa awaits me at the balcony.” He rushed past Lare, ignoring his questions. If he was lucky, she’d be there and willing to provide him with the truth of the competition.

  PART TWO

  Chapter 21

  A nice, warm breeze hugged Jonas as he stepped onto the balcony. The brilliant glow of the two full moons illuminated the area. That breathtaking radiance shared its sky with the stars. The midnight felt calm for Jonas, but deep down, he knew he’d encounter the Saber again.

  “You are quite late.”

  Jonas turned, and there she stood, in her same spot, her womanly gaze fixed upon him. He did not feel Medusa’s presence a moment ago, almost as if she concealed it at will.

  “Forgive me,” Jonas said as he walked to the edge of the balcony. “It’s difficult to stay awake after using this sword.” He looked down at the ground.

  “Word has spread like wildfire about your heroic actions. Many are surprised that a human took on Abaddon’s forces.”

  “Abaddon . . . Who is that?” Jonas asked.

  “We’ll save that for later—that is, if there is a later,” Medusa said. “I trust you didn’t forget the purpose of this meeting, yes?”

  “No.”

  “If you know not of Abaddon, then you are of more unintended ignorance than I thought.”

  “It’s not like I asked for this destiny,” Jonas said.

  “Then turn back,” Medusa said.

  “Just tell me about this whole thing. After all that has happened, I will not just turn back. That’s just cowardly.”

  Medusa sat on the balcony’s floor and motioned for Jonas to join her. He did seconds later.

  “The worlds aren’t at peace as you may think,” she began. “On the outside, this appears to be a competition to prove yourself to Zeus for his power, but it is more than that. Zeus has been cursed with aging. He has grown old, and soon the power which he has must be passed onto someone else. If not, the lightning will eventually kill him. I know not why he doesn’t pass the power to his own blood. Maybe they are not worthy, but . . . he is handing over more than just his power. The person who obtains it will have the right to rule over the entire realm of Olympus, by law.”

  “I came not here to rule,” Jonas said.

  “It matters not,” Medusa said. “A lot of people did. It’s strange that Zeus is gathering strangers to seek his power, but the entire setup is questionable. A lot of things don’t add up. Who is powerful enough to cast an aging curse on the great, immortal Zeus? Do you really want to be here, Jonas?”

  “Why are you here?” Jonas said. “Do you wish to rule?”

  “I have my reasons, but I care not for the law. You must understand that a fight for power on this scale isn’t something a human should get involved with. A massive scale of death will be the only way this conflict resolves.”

  “Like you, I have a reason to be here,” Jonas said, thinking of his village.

  “You’ll stay here at the risk of encountering Abaddon’s forces, getting stabbed in the back, fighting against someone you thought as a friend, and dying? Some of your competition will take advantage of your humanity. They will use human weaknesses against you, even hold your loved ones hostage. This is a battle for control over Olympus, maybe one’s native realm. What reason could you possibly hold that urges you to get involved in that?”

  Jonas stood up, draped his arms over the balcony’s rails, and sighed. “My realm is in danger. This mysterious man we call the Altimias has never predicted wrong. He told me of a destiny that I cannot ignore.”

  “The death and calamity prediction, huh?” Medusa said in a tone that sounded as if she was used to calamities. “Can’t blame you for coming to this realm, but you’ll have more than just the competition to worry about. After nearly three hundred years, it seems Abaddon made a move. There might be a war, but even that isn’t your biggest problem. It’s time.”

  “Time?” Jonas turned to her. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Fast aging is one of humanity’s biggest enemies. This competition could last more than a decade, possibly longer. Then there’s the daunting task of mastering Zeus’s powers, politics, and educat—”

  “I just want to save my realm,” Jonas interrupted.

  “You can’t expect to come here, somehow win, and leave. It is shameful that you were given no explanation, but the winner of this competition must replace Zeus, inheriting his will.”

  Chapter 22

  Abaddon stared at his messenger, expressionless, soaking in the severity of his message. He didn’t want to believe it, but his servants knew better than to lie to him. He set down his glass of ale, aghast. Aaron couldn’t have died. All of the training Abaddon gave him—there was no way some novice killed him. Abaddon had underestimated the current Holy Sword holder, and Aaron had paid for it. He struggled to hold back his rage.

  “Send for Prudus. I want him to gather the other elites for a meeting.” Abaddon stood up, realizing he only had four remaining elite henchmen. Now that one had died after so many years of service, he’d have to rethink all of his tactics. That would start with the identity of the sword carrier.

  “Yes, sire,” the messenger said with a nod and hurried out of the room. Abaddon began to think of his past. He, Hades, and Gabriel lived as unspoken friends. Hades, his partner, watched his back until the very end. Gabriel despised Hades at first, but as time passed, she found he
rself laughing with him. Abaddon and Hades revealed their jobs to the curious Gabriel and introduced her to the dark world of delivering souls to the land of the dead. Hades’s job was to keep order in the place—his overwhelming power made it very easy. Abaddon sighed.

  Though he missed his partner, he shoved most of his past behind him centuries ago. Revenge for his pride, dignity, power, soul, even Hades—this wasn’t moving along quickly enough. It was only a matter of time before Gabriel somehow found out the truth which he kept secret. She could become an obstacle to him. Abaddon did not want her pity. He would sever the bond between them to block out that day. The past was simply a burden.

  Abaddon left his room, crossed several halls, marched upstairs, and walked a wide hall, stopping at its last room. The library. He already had a large book open on the table. Bookcases of books and scrolls covered this circular room. Gia’s magic lit it—orbs that endlessly floated feet above the ground. There were no windows. Abaddon wanted no distractions to his study. He sat at the table and studied the pages of his previous readings. Three artifacts mentioned on the pages always grabbed his interest. One could vanquish his wretched curse, restore his power and immortality; another claimed resurrection abilities; and the other, which he needed not, could make one immortal and cure all diseases. Before his plans could take off, he’d need the Holy Sword. Everything depended on the sword.

  Chapter 23

  Jonas twisted and turned during the night, struggling to sleep. He pretended to be calm, but Medusa’s words stung at him like a hive of angry hornets. He knew he had no say in Olympus’s affairs, but the last thing he wanted was to take King Zeus’s place. How could he? Jonas needed to think of something, and fast! Wasting a decade of his life here didn’t appeal as an option. He’d have to speed up the competition somehow.