“He’s here,” Emil said with clenched teeth, his eyes focused on his brother who hid beneath the sun. “Skye, are you getting anything?”
“No. We’re fine for now,” Skye responded. “I’m still not getting anything from the other Abnormal. How’s your side?” Her eyes drifted to Emil’s bleeding wound as she moved closer to him.
“It’s fine,” Emil said as he pulled away. “Save your strength. I’ll let you know if it starts to slow me down.”
“Are you su—”
“Second round, look out!” Omari yelled. The square trembled beneath the trio and a set of spikes erupted from the ground. Skye and Emil jumped into the air, and Omari blinked away, all three unaware that Arius had begun his descent.
A barrier...she’ll be the first.
Like a hawk, Arius dove in on his prey, fully aware that the healer would be his primary target. A smile spread over his face as he held his katana in front of him during his fall to Earth. Suddenly, a typhoon of wind twisted overhead and tunneled full force into Arius, leaving him stunned as he was launched skyward, well above the wall he jumped from, leaving Vespa alone.
Noticing the opening, Omari appeared and threw his fist into Vespa’s face. The sound of metal chinked against Vespa’s nose but his face failed to budge. Vespa’s blond hair flared back and tickled Omari’s gauntlet as the flow of air from the impact settled.
He’s even stronger than before. Vespa pivoted his body and responded with a side kick that Omari gracefully dodged by slipping underneath the blow. In one fluid motion, Omari rose, reached to his side, armed himself with a dagger, and swiped at his enemy’s neck. Vespa pulled back and Omari’s lunge fell short, only drawing a hairline scratch across his Adam’s apple. Faster, too. “Gah!” Vespa torqued his hips and fired a side kick that crashed into Omari’s jaw, sending him spiraling back towards the earth. As Omari’s body spun in the air, he managed to shake the fog that clouded his head and slung his dagger towards Vespa before landing on his feet. With both hands, Vespa caught the blade, but Omari was no longer in sight. I see. Omari warped behind Vespa and upon materializing, dodged the knife that Vespa lunged his way. So he can perceive my rifts. Vespa lunged again but Omari parried his attack. An Abnormal who feeds off of other Abnormals and uses their energy to enhance his own... It would make sense to assume that since his source of power is finite, his power spike is only temporary. This will be a battle of attrition. Without outside influence, his power will decay quicker than mine, and I’ll be stronger, but until then...
“Why won’t you stand still?” Vespa growled after his hook flew wide. Omari hopped backwards and twisted his body in a full circle, launching a slew of kunai at the end of his rotation. Vespa crossed his forearms and buried his head behind them, shielding against the incoming projectiles that hurtled towards him. In the barrage, a single kunai managed to get past Vespa’s defenses and graze his cheek. The others sank into the metal bracers that he wore on his forearms and shins. Omari warped forward and began to throw a straight, but Vespa read his movements and launched a devastating counter that tilted the battle in his favor.
“Gah!” A set of plated knuckles crashed against Omari’s skull, drawing blood as his head shot back. Omari shifted his weight to his knees, ducked under Vespa’s incoming hook, and fired an uppercut into his chest. After making contact, the hidden blade in Omari’s gauntlet shot into Vespa’s abdomen, piercing through his chest plate and jabbing into his solar-plexus. Vespa gasped and leaned forward as Omari drove the blade deeper into his bleeding body. A tide of crimson leaked from the incision in Vespa’s armor onto Omari's weapon.
Something’s not right. Omari glanced upward at Vespa and noticed the cut he had along his neck had disappeared. The cut on his cheek from his kunai was missing as well. What?! By the time Omari retracted his blade, it was too late. Vespa’s opened mouth shrank into a smile as he swung down at Omari’s head. His fist collided with Omari’s skull, sending Omari sliding across the earth as his screams filled the air.
Omari... Skye’s focus shifted to her brother as the remnants of his scream echoed in her mind.
“Hey,” Emil said as he placed his hand on Skye’s shoulder. “I need you for this. Your brother is strong. He’ll win.”
“Yeah.” Skye turned her head away from the battlefield and studied Emil’s hand that rested on her shoulder. Even without his touch, she could have felt the sense of desperation that fueled his body. Skye wasn’t sure that he meant what he said.
“We have to hurry. Arius is on the other side of that wall. If I can get close to him, I can kill him. I just need you with me to ensure my brother can’t mess with me.”
“And we can kill the other Abnormal, too. The earth manipulator, I found her. She’s been staying back since the beginning, but I finally managed to pinpoint her energy.” Skye kicked off the ground and began to run towards the other side of the erected wall of rock, Emil trailing behind her. “She’s just beyond these buildings on the other side.”
“Arius first, then the girl, then the others. We can’t allow ourselves to get distracted.” His head turned to Skye as they matched speeds.
“Easier said than done, right, brother?” A cold chill ran down Emil’s spine as he saw the brush of Arius’s cape weave between him and Skye. Before Emil’s aura could resurface, Arius spun and launched a side-kick into Emil’s chest, forcing him to the ground while simultaneously drawing his sword. A streak of pain sliced across Skye’s stomach, cutting into her clothing as she managed to avoid the majority of Arius’s blade.
“How...how did he...?” Emil rasped, stunned by his brother’s impressive speed.
Skye armed herself with a dagger and fended off Arius’s second attack but it was evident that she was outmatched as Arius continued to pursue her.
“Leave her out of this!” Emil’s aura fell upon him in a blaze before he rose from the ground and dashed to Skye’s aid, intercepting his brother’s sword with his own. “Arius!” Emil’s aura lashed against his brother’s face, cutting him on the cheek as their swords continued to press against one another.
“It’s been far too long, brother,” Arius said with a smirk. Emil ignored his brother’s comment and pushed his weight deeper into his blade as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Emil’s aura grew thicker as his light became more aggressive. His stray bolts of energy connected with the ground, peeling it away. “ARRIUSSS!!!” Emil pressed deeper but his brother’s stance remained unmoved. “You took everything from me!” As Emil yelled, his aura grew fiercer, striking more of Arius’s body as his light began to grow unstable. “Everything!”
“Humph.” The shaft of Arius’s blade turned blue as it began to spark with his brother’s energy. Refusing to let go of his sword, Arius hopped backwards, cutting off the flow of energy from Emil’s body.
“You’re not getting away this time!” Emil growled. Just as his brother landed, Emil swung his sword, releasing a current of energy that flew Arius’s way.
He’s a lot stronger now, Arius thought as Emil’s energy blazed past his chest. Arius dodged and recovered with a backhand spring. But it means nothing. By the time Arius was on his feet, Emil was already on the move again, eager to sate his thirst for revenge.
“DIE!” Emil dashed towards his brother, sword drawn and ready to strike. From the ground, a spire erupted from the earth, abruptly cutting off Emil’s approach. With no time to dodge the spire, Emil sliced through it, splitting the rock, but Arius was no longer in his sight. Where? Emil gritted his teeth as he quickly darted his eyes side to side. Using the debris as a distraction, Arius emerged on the side of Emil, slipping past his strike, and positioning himself for his next attack.
“You know, I haven’t taken away everything, yet.” His voice was sleek and soothing. There was no urgency in his tone.
When did he get so fast? A streak of wind siphoned over Arius’s blade as it raced towards Emil’s ribs. By the time Emil’s body reacted, Arius’s blade had already clipped him, c
utting into his already bleeding side.
Emil yelled in pain as he twisted his torso and swung his blade across his chest, but his injuries made him slow. Before Emil could fully extend his arm, Arius halted his strike with his katana. Damn it! Emil grunted as their swords remained at a stand-still, his blood pouring from his side from the tension. Without his full range of motion, Emil had no leverage against his brother and his injuries and growing exhaustion only worked against him. I can’t lose to him...I can’t. Emil’s energy shifted to the palm of his right hand as he swiftly raised it to Arius’s face. The sky-blue aggregate of energy, crackling and unstable.
“Careful, careful. If you’re going to shoot that thing, you better hit me,” Arius said as a devilish grin inched across his face. Emil’s eyes widened when he saw the remnants of the clock tower behind Arius’s pompous smile. In his fight with Sage, Emil accidentally damaged the tower with one of his attacks, trapping dozens of citizens inside the crumbling building as it burned. A flash of the burning building echoed in his mind disrupting his focus as his memories momentarily transported him away.
A swift cross quaked against Emil’s jaw, sending him to the ground. On the way down, Emil fired a bolt of his energy at Arius, but Arius tilted his head to the side, allowing it to shoot over his shoulder and travel aimlessly into the air.
“Humph,” Arius scoffed, “I told you to hit me. You’ve used most of your energy now; I can tell that last move of yours was purely out of desperation.” Emil tried to scurry to his feet but Arius’s boot swept past Emil’s nose, knocking him back onto the ground, the impact dislodging his sword from his hand. “It seems that I didn’t even need to use my abilities to deal with you.”
Arius whipped his sword across the air as he loomed over his brother. “My poor, poor brother...perhaps this is the better option for you, seeing that reality ails you so,” Arius said as he pointed the blade at Emil’s chest. “Instead of seeing life as it is, you hide behind a fairytale...a dream. You turned your back and ran away while I chose to fight and make things right. Maybe this will wake you up.” Arius plunged his katana down towards Emil’s chest but Emil clasped his hands around Arius’s blade, impeding its descent. “It’s almost like before, isn’t it?” Emil ignored his brother’s sentiments as he struggled against the slowly sinking steel that desired to pierce his chest. “It was a mistake to give you Father’s sword. Then again, Father saw no problem with the vanguard’s agenda until your powers came into play. I realize that now.”
“He was trying...to...protect us!” Emil yelled as he struggled.
“Is that so?” Arius sighed. “If he was as noble as he claimed to be, he wouldn’t have mingled with dogs in the first place.” Emil clenched his teeth as a weak charge of energy outlined his body. His muscles quaked while he strained to lift Arius’s blade away from him. “I wonder if he did the same thing Raphael did to us, to others, Emil.” Arius paused. “Tell me, brother, has that ever crossed your mind, or are you still naïve to the ways of the world?”
“Damn...you,” Emil grunted as Arius’s blade lightly kissed the fabric of his tunic. I’m still not strong enough...
“HA!” A funnel of bustling wind slammed into Arius’s side, launching him away from Emil’s body. Emil’s head rested against the earth as he released a sigh of relief, knowing that his rest was destined to be short-lived. “I’ll buy you some time!” A feminine voice called out in tandem with the set of feet that raced past Emil.
“Thanks.” It was another voice. This one, familiar. “Emil!” Emil turned his head across the ground and saw Skye rushing to his side. “Emil, are you okay?” Emil inched his head forward but was halted by a sharp pain that ripped across his chest. “Don’t move. You got nicked pretty badly, but I’ll fix it,” Skye said as she fell to her knees and pressed her hands against Emil’s chest. “Just try to relax.” A rush of warmth washed over Emil’s chest as a new layer of skin began to form over his open wound. “Okay, that’s better. Now for your side,” Skye said, her voice tense but still nurturing.
That’s the one, she told me to aim for. Luna grunted as she pushed another funnel of air from her palm towards the king. Skye watched as another funnel ripped through the air towards a building with a sideline view of the city square.
“Good job,” Skye whispered to herself as she refocused on tending to Emil’s wounds. “Luna is her name. I told her where the other Abnormal was hiding.” The ground quaked as the infrastructure began to crumble from the typhoon that pierced through the building. In its wake, chunks of debris and shrapnel left a trail that testified of hurricane-force winds. “How are you feeling now?” Skye glanced at Luna who was no more than a few yards away, still slinging wind to delay her enemy’s offensive. “We can’t stand still for too long.”
“Better.” Emil’s eyes met Skye’s and she noticed an emptiness that wasn’t there before. “My body is fine but I’ll need time to gather my strength, thanks.” Skye weaved her arm underneath Emil’s side and over his shoulder as she helped him rise to his feet, putting her curiosity aside.
“Don’t sweat it,” Skye said as she dropped her arm. “Consider us even from when your brother attacked me.”
“Guys, there’s trouble!” Luna yelled as she twisted her body towards Skye and Emil. “The vanguard!” Luna pointed.
Luna quickly returned her gaze to the opening ahead of her and began to shoot gusts of wind to delay Arius and the other Abnormal’s advances, all the while, while Arius’s men stormed forward.
“Damn, it!” Emil hissed as he surveyed the fleet of soldiers. “So that’s why he waited. He knew that while we were at full power they wouldn’t stand a chance.” Emil tensed his right arm and a charge of sky-blue energy began to fissure along his palm, outlining his fist. His arm buckled as the energy grew. He winced in pain as it began to crackle. Emil examined his light as it glowed; compressed, yet scattered, striking recklessly within its confines. It’s not nearly enough... Emil looked to his left and saw Omari and Vespa still fighting their long-drawn battle. In front of him was Luna, dancing with the wind, both attacking and defending at the same time against his brother and the Abnormal who shifted the earth’s every foundation. Sage was with Grim, recovering, and Skye was at Emil’s side. “Stay with Luna.” Emil angled his head slightly as his eyes narrowed to the group of men rapidly approaching.
“You plan on facing them alone...don’t you?” Skye’s voice trailed off as her hair twirled behind her from Luna’s wind. “You should take your sword. It’ll help,” Skye said cautiously as she pried into Emil’s resentment.
“Yeah,” Emil murmured as he kneeled down and reached for his sword. Skye studied his apathy as she watched Emil grip the hilt of his sword, noticing the sting of guilt he felt as the blade rested in his hands. She knew it was because of something his brother said, but what, she was unsure.
The blade gleamed in the mid-day sun, the reflection like a beacon of light that shone into Emil’s eyes. He could hear their screams now; raving men, fighting only by command. Was his father really no different? The base of his hilt groaned as Emil squeezed it tighter. His idle thoughts began to blur his focus.
Emil scowled as he averted his eyes from his blade and kicked off the ground, his fleeting steps overshadowed by the crackling blue energy that stirred in his hand.
Chapter 5: Relinquished
“Rahh!” From Emil’s mouth a visceral yell emerged as he engaged the small fleet. Leading with his right hand, Emil stabbed his hand through a soldier’s plated armor and forced his weight on top of him. The soldier was dead before he hit the ground, but only then did Emil rip his hand from his bleeding chest. Emil’s body ached as he tried to structure more light but the rest of the guard was already approaching. Emil lunged his body forward and threw his sword into the heart of another soldier, who then fell lifelessly onto the ground.
“That kid really is something,” Sage said, still anchored to Grim, who supported the majority of his body. “He’s been fight
ing like that for a while now, but it looks like he’s already burnt through his reserves.” He coughed. “He’s being reckless.” Sage wiped the running saliva from his jaw with the back of his hand. “I want to try something.”
“Are you sure?” Grim asked.
“Yeah,” he said as he pushed off from Grim and stood securely on his own two feet. “I know they were all pissed off earlier, but I’m hungry now and my next meal just might save that brat’s life.”
“I rather you not refer to such an intricate exchange through such simple means. It’s disgusting.”
“My powers, my choice.”
“Very well...but you’ve tried before haven’t you?” Grim asked as he leaned away from his ally, interested but still adrift. “Overexerting yourself will only delay your recovery.”
“Maybe so.” Sage shrugged. “But that healer bitch was right. I’m starting to feel less shitty now. Plus, I’m pissed off for being dealt with so easily by King Arius’s lackey.” Sage’s face snapped into a mischievous grin. “Consider this the first in a long sequence of paybacks.” Sage’s grin rippled across his face as he placed his palm forward and began to manifest his energy on the psychic plane. “Ha, yeah. It’s working,” Sage strained. The head of a single snake began to emerge from Sage’s hand.
“I could intervene on your behalf. My abilities aren’t ideal for this situation.”
“No,” Sage grunted. “Just like we discussed before, you need to be at full strength.” Sage gripped the base of his forearm as if the invisible serpent was weighing him down. Grim’s brow raised as Sage rasped but he didn’t move to his aide. “All right, I’m ready...HA!” Sage jerked back as his tethered serpent launched from his palm in Emil’s direction, the recoil knocking him to one knee. “Well, that wasn’t too bad.” Grim’s face remained frozen as Sage’s breaths became more labored while his serpent continued to slither through the air.
“Sure.”
Emil dashed further into the ranks of the foot soldiers, now armed with a second sword that he secured after swiftly executing one of his attackers. His light was nonexistent and brought him pain whenever he tried to channel it into a tangible form. From behind, a slice from an unknown attacker swept towards Emil’s head but his reflexes were more than enough to twist and parry the blow with ample time. Another yell erupted from Emil’s throat as he jutted his second sword into the neck of his attacker. Out of the fifteen men that originally attacked Emil, only ten remained. Emil pulled his sword back and twisted his body again, his sword lagging slightly behind him. The scream of another soldier rang in Emil’s ears as his blade cleaved horizontally across his enemy’s chest. With six of their own dead, the remaining soldiers stopped their advances and began to circle Emil. “I’m sorry about this. Really, I am. This isn’t a battle any of you should be a part of,” Emil murmured as he lowered both his dripping blades to his sides. The soldiers staggered their steps, hesitant to proceed any further even though Emil’s chest rose and fell with exhaustion. “If you drop your weapons and renounce your allegiance to Arius, I’ll let you live.” Emil paused as he amassed more air into his lungs, agitating the freshly cut wounds he acquired in his most recent bout. “You’ve seen what I can do. I don’t want to hurt anyone unless I have to. I only fight if I must. You can all walk away and live your lives, free of any more meaningless bloodshed... Arius, your king, is my brother and he’s just like me, an Abnormal.” The soldiers stirred as they exchanged glances with one another. “Before he was adopted into Arlo’s court, we both sought revenge against the guards that killed our mother and father. I learned then that killing only leads to more killing, and sated my thirst for revenge when I righted the wrong that was dealt to me. With my brother, however, his path is a different story.”
The Last Light Series Omnibus One: - The Dreamer and the Deceiver - All Things Eternal - Ode to the King: A Superhero Epic Fantasy Collection (The Last Light Collection Book 1) Page 24