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)

by Alex Villavasso

  “Good to hear. I knew I could count on him. How ya liking the place so far?”

  “Roen and I were attacked by your boys on the way here.”

  “Is that so?” He leaned in closer. “Do you know which ones?”

  “He went by the name Barric. Two others came to his side, but in the end, they ran.”

  “Damn.” Hugo blinked rapidly. “They ran? What’d you do for ‘em to do that?”

  “Hugo,” Roen began, “they said that you punished them for what happened when I found Arius. Is that true?”

  “Damn right it is. They’re dicks. I’ve seen how they treated you. I would have spat in their food hundreds of times by now. Surprised you haven’t,” Hugo said after scoffing. “You got to let ‘em know you mean business. They’ll do whatever they please if they think you’re a wimp.”

  “I doubt they’ll be messing with Roen anytime soon,” Arius said, ignoring the smell of smoke that filled the air in tandem with Hugo’s gestures.

  “And why is that?” Hugo asked as he stepped closer to Arius.

  “Barric was trying to pick a fight with Roen and I stopped him. There was a crowd. I’m sure it wounded his pride.”

  “Hmm. Impressive stuff for being on bed rest for so long.” Hugo casted a suspicious eye and Arius quickly redirected the conversation.

  “I came here to ask you something.” Hugo’s brows perked up.

  “Yeah?” The twig that hung from his mouth was burnt at the tip.

  “What is this place? How do you manage it? Yesterday, you mentioned offering your services. How exactly does that work?”

  “So many questions.” Hugo sighed. “I was a bodyguard, then I became a merchant, then I got rich and bought this place. Then King Arlo’s taxation cut my profits and scared away my customers with the newer reforms. Then I got poor. That was a while ago though. One day I found some kid on the street begging and I offered him one of the spare rooms I had in here. He had no family or nothin’, said he’d only be there for the night and would be gone by morning. When I woke up the next day and checked my inventory, I realized he’d been up since the sun rose, polishing and what not. It was real nice of ‘em. He told me he didn’t have any money but he’d help out as long as he could stay. It kinda’ grew from there. We started getting some business, so he brought in some of his friends and so on.” Hugo waved his hand.

  “I don’t see how extortion fits into all of this.”

  “I said I was a bodyguard, kid. Pay attention. They pay me for protection. I run routes with other merchants and make sure things go okay. You were saying some weird shit last night but I let it slide because I thought you were crazy. Turns out you’re just a little slow.” Arius glared at Hugo, but Hugo continued with no regard for his emotions.

  “I run a shop and a protection service, escorting traders and merchants throughout Coren. We’re at the storage house, the boys live here and so do I. When I’m not around, some of the older ones I can trust run the shop for me until I return. Others do inventory and prep food and things like that. It’s a good system. Sometimes a few of them even go on routes if the merchants don’t fit my price range. You get whatcha’ pay for, you know?” Hugo chuckled. “We aren’t thieves or anything like that, we’re just really good businessmen. Hm...so, I guess we are thieves then, huh?” Hugo paused as if amused with his newly found revelation. “When I found you that night, some of the others must have been trying to show off their skills or something. The boys come from hard walks of life, some got issues, I admit, but I still taught some of ‘em a thing or two about self-defense in case they end up leaving for a trip or going off on their own.”

  “As a bodyguard, correct?”

  “Yeah. I don’t send them out to die or anything like that. They got to have what it takes for me to even consider letting them go. It gets wild out there. Bandits try all sorts of things. If you’ve been out on your own long enough, you’d understand what I mean.”

  “I do,” Arius succinctly responded.

  “You don’t say,” Hugo said as he stroked his chin while he ran his eyes over Arius’s body. “You don’t look like the fighting type, but before you passed out you seemed to be doing good for yourself. You gave Barric hell too, and he’s pretty good.”

  “Do you pay your mercenaries?”

  “I give everyone an allowance depending on what they do and if we turn a profit or not. But I figure, if you’re putting your body on the line you can keep what you make, just throw something my way for the hookup and the overhead,” Hugo said as he pointed up at the ceiling. “And we’re good. If we run a job together, we split seventy-thirty but you keep what you get for yourself. By the way, it’s best to use the term bodyguard or escort. When you say mercenary, people start to look at cha’ funny. Using the wrong terms can lead to some interesting conversations...not too good for business,” he said with a smirk. “You want in?”

  “Yeah, I do. I figure I can stay here for a while and make some money before I’m on my way.”

  “You sure? This ain’t something you take lightly. It’s life or death out there.”

  If I take missions with Hugo, it’ll give me a chance to grow stronger. I’ll be safe from the elements as long as I work with him as well. We won’t be in any real danger. Not as long as I’m vigilant. Hugo’s no pushover either. The money will also be useful once I leave. “I’m sure.”

  “You can handle a sword, right?” Hugo asked as he moved back towards his table. As he walked, Arius noticed that the smell of smoke stemmed from a burnt piece of paper still smoldering in the corner of the room beside his work shelf. The scroll caught his eye again. Like a moth to a flame, his eyes began to hover over the document.

  “I’m decent. My father taught me a bit, but I’m no expert. He was...nothing special, but he was a good teacher,” Arius said as his eyes drifted towards his feet.

  “You never told me where you were heading,” Hugo said as he began to run his finger across the object of his obsession.

  “Does it matter? I said I’ll work.”

  “Chill out, kid.” He sighed. “It’s not that serious. Just a simple question,” Hugo said as he looked up from his table. “I’m going over a route here from a client. It cuts through an old trail north of Verieon and leads to Mayarc. It’s a job I took up before your arrival that I’m supposed to be heading out for today. It’s a quieter route so I’m not expecting too much of a hassle. Maybe some intimidation if we’re lucky. I figure if you want to get your feet wet, this’ll be the gig to do it. You’ll get a weapon, but you won’t get paid. How’s that sound?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Good,” Hugo said as he thumped his hands on the table before standing straight. “We leave in an hour.” Arius watched him silently as he rolled the map and stuffed it into a satchel that hung from a chair in the corner of the room. “Is that a problem?”

  “No, it isn’t,” Arius retorted.

  “It’s about a day and a half’s worth of travel,” Hugo said while he continued to scrummage around his office. “Normally it would take a half a day but given the merchandise, he wants to take it slow. He claims it’s safer that way for the product.” He snickered.

  “Hugo,” Roen’s voice slightly tremored as he spoke, “Can I come, too?” From the corner of his eye, Arius shifted his attention to Roen. In the time he knew him, Roen had always seemed to take up as little space as possible. Slouched shoulders, timid posture, jittery eyes, almost as if he wanted to not be seen or heard. Hugo’s face sank while he studied Roen but then returned neutral as a spark flickered in his mind.

  “Yeah, sure thing. It’ll do you good. Heh, you can even protect Arius when we’re out there.”

  “Yeah,” Roen said as he tried his best to hide his smile.

  “I’ll be sure to let the other boys know that you were bad-ass too when we get back.” Hugo laughed. “I’ll think of something. Just play along.” Roen perked up the sound of Hugo’s proposal.

  “Humph.” A
rius forcefully exhaled from his nostrils as a smirk ran across his face.

  “Something funny, Arius?”

  “No, it’s nothing,” Arius paused. “Nothing at all.”

  Chapter 7: The Boy Who Called Lightning from the Sky

  With a boom of wind, Omari and the others materialized, their feet landing on the lushness of well-watered grass. Both parties separated immediately as their bodies adjusted to sudden shift through reality, except for Omari and Skye, who remained where they stood. “I doubt they can track us from here, even if they had somehow devised a method,” Omari said as he looked back towards the city’s landmarks that peaked over the tips of the forestry.

  “Yeah,” Skye said as she followed her brother’s movements with her eyes before calmly spinning around in a circle. “I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary either...”

  “Skye, Omari! Get back!” Emil roared, his hands feverishly clutching the hilt of his swords.

  Omari shifted his eyes to Emil. “We’ve had our disagreements in the past but it should be clear now that they aren’t the enemy. At the very least, not for the moment. It was because of each other that we were able to escape and minimize civilian casualties. We’ve all faced Arius and know that his elite force is formidable. Even with an advantage, his party of four was able to drive us back...and that was without the use of Arius’s abilities. It would make no sense to fight one another when we all want to see him dead.”

  “Omari, your face.” Skye placed her hand on her brother’s cheek, almost instantly removing the cuts and bruises that deformed his features.

  “But what about the execution? The people he’s killed?” Emil gestured toward Sage. “Your city!” Emil scowled as he looked past Omari and stared into the eyes of the man who laid ruin to the city only days prior. The gaze Sage returned was soft and uncaring but at the same time fierce and oppressive. He wore the same smirk as he always did, as if he was amused at the anguish he caused. His eyes carried a weight of knowing, a brewing arrogance that nothing would be done against his actions.

  As Emil’s stare intensified, Sage tilted his neck upwards and to the right as his grin widened.

  “I know what he did.” Omari paused. “I, my sister, and the citizens of Everrmore will never forget that day. However, as unfortunate as it may be, he strengthens our chances against Legion. At least for now I will pardon him for the sake of the greater good.” Omari’s head sunk as his eyes drifted towards the grass that brushed against the soles of his boots.

  “How can you go from a defender of men to defending someone who kills them without reason? He’s a murderer!” Omari clenched his fist as he continued to stare at the ground in silence. Sage lowered his head, aligning his eyes with Emil, more interested than intimidated by the recent turn of events.

  “And you’re telling me the thought never crossed your mind?” Sage slithered. “Imagine this scenario if you will. You show up to a crowd where one of your own, like The Saint or that girl, is set to die. You see them beaten, bruised, and mocked by the masses. There was no proper trial and the people are raving for blood to be spilled. You and only you have the power to do justice...do you stand there and become a bystander to a pointless death or do you do whatever it takes to save your friend?”

  Emil scowled and blue blots of energy began to outline the dimensions of his swords.

  “Well, wouldn’t you do the same as I?” Sage chuckled. “I saw an opportunity to reward them for their actions. What an eye opening visual to see the ones sworn to protect you, turn against you. I only manipulated what was in their hearts, boy. It was already there to begin with.”

  “Not all of them wanted him to die!” Emil said through clenched teeth, his energy growing more unstable.

  “Emil,” Skye whispered.

  Emil’s aura faded away, but only at the onset of a sudden pain that echoed through his chest, causing him to slump over.

  “Humph. This is true,” Sage said. “Not all of them had malicious intent, but for those that did, the good suffered for their sins. I’m sure you remember it. Brother against brother. Husband against wife. The guards verses the citizens, mowed down without proper cause. I wonder about the thoughts of those who lived, those who committed such travesties. Maybe now they know who the real monsters are.” Emil winced as he fought to regain his posture.

  “You are and will always be a monster. You can’t just do whatever you want. Innocent people were killed.”

  “And you will always be clueless. I look out for our kind. What do you do to pass the time in that fantasy you live in?”

  “Eric Crane is a normal man. He was framed. That’s why we intervened in the first place.”

  “That statement only justifies my course of actions even further. In a society hungry for answers, they’ll throw anyone into the fire, including you. Perhaps it’s a good thing that Arius is king. He’s one of us, after all.”

  “Just whose side are you on?”

  “I can ask you the same question.”

  “Enough!” Omari said succinctly. Sage’s smile shrunk into a grin and then became hidden beneath the folds of his lips. The wind boomed as Omari warped behind Sage and pressed the tip of his blade against his neck. By the time Sage realized what had happened, it was too late. He was already at Omari’s mercy. “Not once did I ever say that I forgave you.” A cold chill kissed Sage’s cheek where Omari’s breath fell. “You are a murderer, and one day your judgment will come. By whose hands depends on what you say next.” Grim began to move closer to Sage but Luna grabbed him by the wrist, halting his movement. Omari glared in their direction, showing no weakness in his pending decision. The muscles in Sage’s neck tensed as silence ensued over the forest clearing. With the breeze, Omari vanished and reappeared closer to his allies. “Don’t make me regret saving you.” Sage growled as he lowered his neck but refrained from saying another word. “I’ll be back shortly. I’m going to do a quick sweep of the landscape and then the city. Marona and Crane are still at the church.” Without saying another word, Omari disappeared from sight.

  “That’s one fierce leader you have there,” Sage said as he wiped the trail of crimson that inched down his neck. “I actually believe that he would have done me in if I had pushed him far enough. I like him.”

  “Sage, stop it,” Luna said.

  “Relax, it’s a compliment, nothing more. I don’t want any trouble. So what you said about Arius...is it true?”

  “Yes,” Emil answered. “He’s my brother. Everything else is true as well.”

  “What is he talking about Sage?” Luna asked as she exchanged glances between Emil and Sage.

  “Mind reiterating for the lady here?”

  “My name is Emil, and Arius, the king, is my brother and also an Abnormal.”

  “What? How? That doesn’t make sense!”

  “We separated not long after our parents died. They died protecting us. The vanguard came after me before Legion was established and sought to kill me. My father was in the guard as well but he couldn’t keep my secret. My powers were too unstable as a child.”

  “That’s horrible,” Luna remarked.

  “It is, isn’t it?” Emil narrowed his eyes. “When they came after us, I tried to fight them off but I was no match for them as a boy. My brother, Arius, awakened his abilities that day and saved my life.” Emil paused. “He has the ability to control a person’s will...that’s the only way to explain it. When I was about to die, he simply told my attackers to stop and their bodies froze without their consent. We ran in the forest and plotted our revenge to kill the officer who set up the initial attack on our home. He was a family friend.”

  “And you killed him, right?” Luna asked.

  “Yes. Arius and I...together. It took a year or so to hunt him down, along with his men, but we did it, all the while growing more proficient in our abilities. It was after our revenge was completed that he realized that he desired more.”

  “Got to hand it to ya, kid. You’re no
t as green as I thought you were,” Sage said.

  “I don’t enjoy killing. It was the right thing to do. I wanted to move on with my life afterwards. Arius wanted to go further—to the very source.”

  “The king himself,” Luna uttered beneath her breath.

  “Correct. Arius wanted to end our persecution as Abnormals and reform the world by force. It was bad what they did to us. Horrible even, but I realized that going further down the path of blood would only make things worse. After our parents died, we both changed. I acknowledge that in full, but I was hoping things would go back to the way they were before. I was naïve to think that, I admit. His anger changed him, consumed him. The way he was talking...I knew he wouldn’t stop unless I killed him, so one night I tried...and failed. That same day he used his ability against me. He forced me to break my own fingers and left me for dead. We haven’t really spoken since, outside of today.”

  “Emil,” Skye whispered as she placed her hand on his back.

  “I wanted to lock that chapter away in a vault and never open it again. I thought I found my peace away from everything, but then he somehow found me and destroyed everything that I loved.”

  “And that’s why you’re after him now, huh?” Sage asked as he slid his hands into his pockets. “If you knew what he was capable of, you shouldn’t have run away so soon, don’t you think? I’m sure when you heard that your brother somehow managed to inherit the throne, a part of you knew what that meant, did it not? Especially when there was no kin next in line. How convenient was it when King Arlo died and then Astrid? Did something click then?”

  “Sage, stop it!” Luna adamantly shouted as Sage began to smile.

  “No, he’s right. Everything up till now is on my hands.” Emil gazed down towards the ground as the wind began to comb through his hair. “I still believe that we can all live together, but if Arius continues on the way he’s acting now, I doubt there will ever be peace. The past hurts...no doubt, but we can use that pain to help structure a better future. For the moment we are allies, but if you’re serious about siding with him, any of you, just know that I’m coming for you as well.”