by T. C. Edge
I draw back to the room, footsteps sounding to my ears. I see the Overseer taking a step back, moving rearward to the shadows at the far end of the hall. Back there, where the steps lie, the elevator, the escape tunnel leading to the western plains...
"I'll be watching, Brie," he says. "Don't worry, I'll give you time to come around." He smiles at me. "We'll find each other when the times comes. Good plans always come with contingencies."
I try to lift my gun up at him, but can't. I take several steps forward, but feel my motion slowed. The Overseer moves calmly, stepping back slowly as though retreating from a wild, untameable beast.
I glance again to my grandfather, desperate.
He watches the man go too.
His eyes stare, blinking, head shaking. And slowly, like morning mists fading as they're burned away by the sun, I see them begin to clear...
Shivering in his old hand, the gun pulls away from his temple. It moves slow, but with purpose, as though battling an invisible force.
The Overseer freezes in his tracks, frowning as he sees it. "Artemis," he puffs. "Artemis, what are you doing?"
My grandfather's voice is a croak. It delivers a single, telling word. "Remembering," he says.
"Remembering," grunts the Overseer. He looks at him sharply, eyes narrowing. "No, no that cannot be."
The trembling gun grows still, lifting right to the Overseer's head. I stand rooted to the spot, trying to move, to rush in, but find myself unable.
"But you'll die, Artemis," huffs the Overseer. "This is...this is nonsense."
His voice pitches high, all that well contained calm dispersing, leaving behind a residue of panic.
"I know," my grandfather says. "It is what we both deserve..."
"Grandfather!" My voice echoes across the hall. "You don't have to do this."
He glances towards me. His eyes have cleared, broken free. "I am sorry for everything, Brie," he whispers. "For everything I have done."
I see a single tear accumulating, falling down his cheek. He manages to raise a smile, becoming the kindly old man he was, living with regret and shame, trying to make things right.
How he has broken free, I cannot know. Perhaps the Overseer never truly had him. Perhaps the Prime's own controls are now too weak. But I like to think it is something more than that. I like to think that his love for me is the thing that has brought him back to the light.
His eyes move back to the Overseer. A cold anger consumes his face. "We are both tyrants, Alfred," he says. "We both deserve to die."
"Artemis. Artemis, think..."
They are the final words he will ever utter.
The hall explodes, ringing with a single bullet. It cuts through the Overseer's forehead, ripping out the back of his skull. My eyes widen, as his head kicks back, his body dropping to the floor. And with a muted thud, his colourful robes flutter a final time, before settling around his old, wizened frame.
I stare forward now, turning back to look at my grandfather. He looks right back at me, smiling softly. And in his eyes, filled with memory and shame, I see it. This is what I want.
He lifts the pistol, as my body unthaws, the Overseer's controls gone. I dash toward him, reaching out.
Just one more second..
One more second and I'll stop him...
The temple rings again, calling out a single shot.
And my grandfather falls to the floor, a bullet through his head.
210
AMBER
I kneel at my grandmother's body, looking into those golden, lifeless eyes. They stare out through the shield, towards the top of the hill. After so many years, she got to see it again. I take some solace, at least, from that.
My eyes turn up, as the shield shimmers, Elian walking through. His eyes are shallow. He looks down at my grandmother, chest emptying of air.
"Amber," he whispers. "Amber, I'm so sorry."
I stand and move to him, falling into his arms. The tears come thicker, purged from my eyes. I cling hard for a moment, unspeaking. There is more for me to do, I know. I cannot delay long. But this moment...I need it.
"I told her not to," he whispers gently. "I told her, but she wouldn't listen. She knew what would happen. She did it to save you."
I pull back from him, and place a finger to his lips. "It isn't your fault, Eli," I croak. "Together, you saved my life."
His eyes dip lower. He didn't want to be forced to do what he did.
"Gailen?" I ask. I should hate the man now, but I don't. He was a tool only, a man possessed. None of this was his fault. "He's dead?"
Elian nods mournfully. We take another moment of silent respect.
I draw a large breath into my lungs, and wipe my eyes of the tears. Around the shield that protects us, the battle continues to rage. More and more keep coming. More and more continue to fall.
"I must go to Lilly," I tell him. I cast off the grief, pushing it to one side for now. "I must get my sister."
Elian nods. His eyes take on a new conviction. "I'm helping, Amber. I'm coming too."
I would smile if I could, but I have no such energy for it. We turn, together, as I lead the way, the shield bubble popping and dispersing into the predawn air. Our shields gather closer, shimmering on our skin. I move with a new purpose, a single directive in mind.
I will not lose someone else I love. I will not let her fall...
I hold the thought to drive me, rushing quickly now for the southern edge of the square. On this side, more of the coalition forces gather, their presence helping to keep the regular citizens away. They move back to give us space as we pass, pulsing quickly along with our fire. Ahead, the main street moves off, sloping down the gentle hill. From the top of it, you can see almost all the way down towards the main square, the gate and wall beyond.
The sight that greets my eyes shocks me. The square, and the street, are littered with the dead.
We rush down the slope a single block, turning left down a short alley. Ahead, a beautiful courtyard opens out, filled with sculptures and gardens, little fountains. The once peaceful place has become a battleground. Fountains lie in ruin, water rushing free from their broken walls, flooding through the paths and gardens. Sculptures stand limbless or worse, cut down by gunfire, chips and shards and entire body parts scattered around the place.
A number of people are still there, firing with guns, hacking with blades and blunts. An utter madness seems to have taken hold, blood pooling between the cobbled paths, figures lying dead all over. We ignore the fighting, even when targeted, bullets pinging off our shields as we quickly rush for the doors. Ahead, the apartments are sprawling and luxurious, Felina living on the top floor. I grab hold of Elian before we enter, and turn my eyes up. There, a balcony looks out over the courtyard.
He seems to know my mind.
Checking the coast is clear, we burst from the ground, shooting up to the balcony, landing upon it several floors up. We rush into the connecting bedroom, and burst straight through into the main corridor.
"Lilly!" I bellow, my voice ripping loud. "Lilly, where are you!"
I can hear gunshots firing from the floors below. The building has already been invaded. I turn as I hear footsteps rushing up the stairs, and at the same time, hear the elevator ping. Immediately, a number of soldiers, Neoromans and City Guards alike, come hurrying up and rushing towards the northern side of the apartment.
"What the hell are they doing here?" Elian calls, watching them go.
We follow, briefly, as they move north, bursting into bedrooms and living spaces that have a view over the square. They begin firing immediately, cutting down the soldiers inside, the Olympian troops using the apartment to snipe our soldiers in the square below.
I turn again, my eyes widening with fear. "Lilly!" I roar. "Lilly!"
We begin rushing down through the apartment, heading for the servants's quarters. We're stopped before we can get there, the battle breaking out, spreading into other rooms. An Olympian Titan sudd
enly comes crashing, bursting straight through a wall. He connects with Elian, knocking him right back, his armour catching fire as he hits him.
The flames immediately begin to swirl around the giant, and he roars to the heavens and takes flight, lumbering through the apartment, stumbling from side to side and hitting the walls. I watch on in horror as he sets the place alight, the lacquered furniture going up in flames, smoke quickly billowing down the hallway.
I reach forward, set to finish the Titan off, as other soldiers come rushing, panicking as they attempt to escape the inferno. It spreads so quickly, catching from room to room. Curtains and drapes and sofas immediately join in. I hear an explosion, something set off in a room behind me, ripping apart the walls, the ceiling.
I stare back down the hall, the Titan now falling to his knees, unable to go on any longer. I look past him, knowing the Worthies live down there. I begin to sprint again, rushing right through the flames. I leap the Titan, ignore the frantic soldiers, reach a solid door. I kick it through, and the decor changes, less opulent, the hall ahead simple.
"Lilly!" I bellow again, not knowing where she might be. I thrash to the left, guessing, and enter into a small dorm room. I see several young Worthies in there, cowering in the corner. I scan their faces. She isn't here.
"Lilly!" I shout at them. "Where is Lilly?"
Their voices choke in their throats, but one manages to point and mumble. "The...the kitchens," she says. "At...at the back. She's with Lady Felina..."
I nod and turn, relief spiking, and then turn right back. "It isn't safe here," I say to them. "The apartment's on fire. You have to get out of here, now!"
They look to one another, perhaps wondering where 'safe' might be if not here. I can't give them any further thought, though, as I pounce back off, Elian rushing behind me. I head right for the rear, where the kitchens are found. I suppose with everything going on, it's the safest place in the house.
I reach a metal door, kick it open and step through. The kitchens are large, metal surfaces everywhere. I see signs of a struggle, pots and pans and utensils lying all over the floor. A stack of knives has toppled over, a couple of them absent. I scan and then look up.
And my chest empties with a great blow of air.
"Lilly," I breathe.
My sister turns to me, standing near a thick metal door. It looks to be a walk-in pantry or freezer of some kind. There's blood on the handle. There's blood on Lilly's hands.
My eyes show fear, as she begins moving towards me. "Amber...you're here!"
"What happened?" I call to her. "The...the blood..."
"It's...Lady Felina," she says, glancing back. "She just went mad. We had to lock her away. What's happening out there, Amber?"
I look again to the door behind her, a circular glass window cut into it. I get the impression of a face, planted against it, breath frosting as wild eyes stare out.
"It's the Prime," I tell her. "Controls. I'll explain later. I have to get you out..."
She continues towards me. "Not without Lady Felina. We can't just leave her here."
I look to Elian, standing to my side. He nods to me. "I'll get her."
He rushes off, as Lilly approaches me. I let the fires douse on my body and take her into a hug. I feel the tears brewing again as I grip her tight. She pulls back, looking into my damp, blurred eyes.
"What's happened?" she whispers softly. "What's wrong, Amber?"
She knows. Somehow, she always knows.
I blink hurriedly, trying to smile to reassure her. This isn't the time for this, I know, but somehow her tender eyes and soft expression breaks me down.
I don't expect to speak, but I do. "Grandma," I croak. "She's..."
A sudden commotion bursts behind me, interrupting me as I speak.
I turn, protective, holding my arms out wide, as several Olympian soldiers come rushing in. I step forward, putting space between me and my sister, my body pulsing with a renewed flame, just as the soldiers begin to fire. The bullets clatter off my shield, pinging, melting, burning. One ricochets off to the side, cutting through a pipe on the wall...
It bursts.
I smell gas.
My eyes widen as I turn, see my sister there a few metres behind me, cowering, making herself small.
I reach out, trying to spread my shield around her, protect her from the carnage.
It is the biggest mistake of my life.
The spreading fire catches, igniting the invisible gas. Immediately, a great blaze begins to flow and churn, spreading through the kitchens, engulfing those within. I hear the soldiers behind me screaming, attempting to flee. Yet as the flames gather around her, my sister makes no sound.
I stand, numb, paralysed, feet fixed to the floor. Behind, I see Elian rushing from the back of the room, his armour glowing blue, pulsing out great waves of cool air to try to calm the blaze. I watch on knowing that he's too late. I stare at the space before me, knowing my sister is dead too.
The icy air sweeps through, putting out the flames. I see flashes of a sizzled figure before me, clothes burnt to a crisp, form blackened. Smoke and steam churn about her. I can barely look, but cannot turn away.
Maybe this is what I deserve, for taking so much life.
I feel my legs beginning to buckle as I stare at her, the mists fading away. And when they do, when the air clears, I drop right down to my knees in tears, my body filling with shock.
Lilly's face appears to my eyes, skin tanned and unhurt, clothes blackened and scorched. Her hair glows, radiant and gold. Her eyes dazzle with a similar hue. I look at her, my tears flowing, and scramble towards her on the floor. I take her face in my palms, look deeper into those eyes, and a smile of wonder grips at my lips.
They were once identical, my eyes and hers, a golden amber, like my name.
That is no longer the case.
Hers now carry an additional hue, ringed in a beautiful hazel light. The same light of the young woman who awakened her.
My sister is now a Fire-Blood, like me.
211
BRIE
I stand above my grandfather, soft tears drifting down my cheeks.
In New Haven he is so despised, so hated for the things he's done. Now, perhaps, his story will change. He has earned his absolution.
"Goodbye, grandfather," I whisper to him, kneeling down to the floor. I lean in and kiss his forehead, and gently pull down the lids of his eyes. "I'll tell them all what you did."
I stand and step away, wiping my eyes as they lift to the Prime. The Overseer's illusions have fully departed now, fading at his death. Anyone looking at them would see them for what they are. I have half a mind to drag them out, put them on display for the world to see.
But, looking at them now, I know they wouldn't last that long.
"Did he always control you?" I ask them. "Was he the true power here?"
They sit, their withered arms hanging weakly in their laps, grey skin creased like crumpled fabric. Their eyes are hollow, dark pits in their skulls. Their white hair hangs lank and thin, teeth rotting and decayed. How they are still alive, I do not know. If they were all truly born together, then it was the Overseer blessed with the longest life of all.
"We ruled," croaks the old woman, "together. It was always our purpose."
Her voice is as her appearance, shrivelled and feeble, hardly audible to my ears. She takes a laboured breath. She doesn't have many remaining.
"Are you sure about that?" I ask. "Maybe you were just another part of his great illusion."
"Oh, we are sure, child," she whispers, her voice without the magical quality it once held. "We were the perfect symbiosis. We paved the way...for you."
I huff, shaking my head. "You have paved the way for nothing," I say. "Soon you will be dust, remembered only as the tyrants you were."
I see the old man nodding, thin lips pulled into a smile. "We can accept that," he says. "We have played our part."
"What part? Pretending to be gods?"
<
br /> "Bringing about a new age," he whispers. "An age of awakening. An age of...peace."
His breathing is as ragged as hers. His throat sounds clogged, a drainpipe that needs to be flushed.
I prepare to speak, but find myself stopping. An age of awakening. Will I, I wonder, continue on that path? Will I release those who wish it, help activate their genes?
They smile at me together, as if knowing my mind, seeing the question I pose and fail to answer. I have no answer yet. There is nothing inherently wrong with awakening people when done for the right reasons. And now, with the shroud lifted, I recall the great joy that I felt when my own powers were fully unleashed, the joy I felt in others when I did the same for them.
Might I continue on that path? I wonder again. Might I help awaken the world?
"Good," they say together, staring right at me with those hollowed out eyes. "Now, we can rest."
As one, their lungs begin to empty, their final breath pushed out. And deflating in their thrones, they do not take another. Right there, in that fire-lit temple, the Prime's life force fades away.
And as they do, so their controls are severed. And in my mind, I hear Zander's voice growing louder.
It is done, Brie, he says. They are gone.
I nod, looking at the dead figures around me. Tyrants all, at one time or another. An ugly thought comes: might that be my destiny too?
I step away, moving out of the temple and onto the plateau. The rains have now ceased, the sky brightening with a brand new dawn. I see Minerva approaching, moving towards me from the central, white courtyard, Beyond, the plateau lies in ruin, great chunks of rock scattered all over, ragged pits excavated into the earth. The cells have completely collapsed, but they may not be the last to go.
I look around and imagine that some changes are needed. The hill represents the past, the myth and the lie. We will have the Forgers dismantle it, rip it apart and use the rock and stone to rebuild the city anew. I look out, as Minerva comes towards me, and see that Master Vulcus, the Chosen Forger is with her. He will be the one to lead the effort, I think. Yes, very good.