“Traitor,” Alexander roared, a blood-stained dagger in his hand. The wound on his chest had been reduced to an angry scar, visible through the torn robe.
Sebastian lifted his rod and fired half a dozen shots.
The charges exploded in the priest’s chest, propelling him across the room. He crashed against the wall and onto the ground. “Can you not see?” Alexander asked with a cackle as he pushed himself up and dusted his hands. “The Servants shall always protect me.”
He raised his dagger above his head and charged. Sebastian ducked and flung him over his shoulder. With a loud oomph, Alexander smashed into a dangling piece of red crystal, breaking it up into a million shards that shone angry reflections of the approaching lava.
He stood up and cocked his head. “Why are you doing this? The Servants thought so highly of you. Why are you betraying them?”
“They’re using you, old man.” Sebastian bent his knees, preparing for another attack. “They only wish to rid the planet of all humans.”
Alexander let out a nervous laugh. “Lies. You are trying to question my loyalty.”
“To your gods? No. To your kind? Yes.” A thick rivulet of lava trickled toward Alexander.
Alexander’s eyes betrayed hurt and confusion. “They are just and fair. How can you say that?”
“That’s just it. It’s just and fair that humanity should disappear from the planet they stole from my people. But justice’s not everything. Where’s compassion? What about forgiveness?” The rivulet drew closer to Alexander’s feet.
“Pretty words,” Alexander barked with a dismissive wave of his dagger. “The world has no compassion to offer. My family’s death taught me that.”
“Then you’ve learned nothing. All you want is for everyone to be as unhappy as you.” Another moment and the lava will touch him. Sebastian prepared to charge.
The lava split around Alexander’s feet, as if an invisible barrier was pushing it away. He followed Sebastian’s gaze, seeing the lava surround him. With a loud cackle, he lifted his leg to step over the rivulet. “I told you. The Servants shall always protect me.”
“No!” With a furious cry, Sebastian jumped at Alexander and threw him into the pouring lava.
Alexander screamed as scorching magma swallowed him. It burned off the chain that held the crystal secured to his neck. The red eye dropped into the lava and exploded in a blinding flash.
Burning magma engulfed Sebastian’s arms. Searing pain shot up his blistering limbs. He refused to let go and ground his teeth, using his body’s weight to shove Alexander deeper into the river of fire. The screaming man’s flesh melted away, filling the air with an acrid stench.
Sebastian’s mind grew numb with agony. The last thing it registered before his heart stopped and he plodded into the lava was the vision of a smiling woman beckoning him to her, a beatific infant in her arms. Anna!
Cyrus
He landed on all fours with a loud thump. Sharp pain shot up from his shattered arm and he tipped over toward a growth of red crystal. He let out a curse as he flailed his right arm to regain his balance, heading right into the pulsing material. A hand grabbed his arm, steadying him.
“Thank you,” he said, out of breath.
Gella nodded and helped him to his feet.
Wiping thick beads of sweat from his forehead, he looked back up at the precipice. “Where is Sebastian?”
The stifling heat rose with each passing second. Rivulets of lava flowed down and started filling the cavern. The all looked up at the precipice.
“I don’t think he made it,” David gasped.
“We should help him!” Cyrus walked toward the precipice on shaky legs. Stinging sweat dripped into his eyes, making everything blurry. His gaze darted in the room, searching furiously for a way up. “Sebastian!” he shouted.
“There’s no time for this,” David cried out, pulling his arm. He pointed toward a side tunnel. “This way!”
“How do you know?” Cyrus shouted to be heard over the lava’s roar.
“Your father! He’s showing me the way.” He pointed at a newly formed path on the ground. Patches of lava were quickly filling up the empty space. “Hurry up,” he shouted and dashed ahead, jumping over low growths of crystal and rivulets of lava.
As soon as they reached the tunnel, a deafening crack echoed in the chamber. The entire side of the cavern split up. Wild tremors shook the earth. Their eyes popping in terror, they leaned against the tunnel walls to steady themselves as thick globs of magma poured down the fissure. With each passing moment, the crack widened, spewing ever more lava, until the entire upper half of the wall collapsed, bringing down part of the ceiling.
The crystal exploded as searing magma covered it. Ear-piercing shrieks made of screaming Whispers filled the air, covering even the lava’s deafening roar.
A wave of exhaustion almost overcame Cyrus. He steadied himself on the wall to stop from keeling over. “Run!” he growled, his throat closing from the ash and heat. He stumbled up the tunnel as fast as his legs would carry him.
The tunnel twisted and turned, forking into a myriad side passageways. With each step away from the chamber, the heat died away, the air becoming more breathable.
“Where to?” Gella asked as they reached the first fork.
David craned his neck, as if to feel the air in each tunnel. “Parad!” he shouted and then pointed to the right. “He’s showing us the way.”
Cyrus staggered after David. He lost track of time, his gaze fixed on David’s feet before him. Up, down, up, down, until one tunnel merged into the next and one step melted into another; until his head was foggy and his limbs leaden. His lungs ached and burned. His head pounded. His wounded shoulder stung and throbbed. Did I escape death before only for him to meet me here? He resigned himself to his fate. If he were to die in these god-forsaken tunnels, then so be it. It was just punishment for his crimes.
“Is it getting brighter?” David exclaimed as they entered another side tunnel.
Hope filled Cyrus’s heart, chasing away gloomy thoughts. Is that sunlight?
They scuttled farther up, until Gella let out a relieved cry. “Blue! I see the sky.”
They burst through a bush-covered hole on the side of a lush hill. Pine trees swayed over them, the morning sun melting away dew from their needles. In the sky, a few scattered clouds failed to hide away the sun’s warmth. Cyrus drank eagerly the fresh air. Its crispness invigorated him, sending life to warm his numb body.
They pushed through the trees and broke into a clearing. One after another, they crashed on the ground. Cyrus ran his fingers through the soft, moist grass, enjoying its softness against his calloused hands. His scorched body drank up the moisture from the leaves. The soft breeze carried the sound of running water. He craned his neck and spotted a brook less than a hundred yards from them. Thirst fought exhaustion in his mind. In a moment.
“Look,” David cried out. He pointed at the area under them. “That’s the cemetery.” Like a light-starved sunflower, he threw his head back to take in the sunlight. “We’re safe.”
Gella hollered in joy, then rolled over and fell on top of David. Arms and legs wrapped around exhausted bodies, their lips and bodies melting into each other.
Cyrus raised an eyebrow and chuckled. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, then yawned and stretched his arms. “I can’t remember the last time I was so bloody tired. Plus, my whole body aches. I feel like a wagon’s run me over.”
He heard a rustle in the leaves and his hand flew to the hilt of his rod. He relaxed his grip when a deer pushed its slim head through the bushes to stare at them in curiosity. His stomach growled. He let his head plonk on the grass. We should hunt. He stared at the deer for a moment. As soon as I can move again. But first, some rest. He fixed his gaze at the Chamber of Justice in the distance and an exhausted grin parted his lips. And then, I get my throne back.
Fennel Bay
Satori
“Kill hi
m,” Teo screamed. “What are you waiting for? Kill him.”
It’s her, you idiot, not him. Satori tore the helmet from her head and shoved it into her uniform. “It’s me, you murderer!”
Teo’s jaw gaped. “Satori.”
The officer lowered his gun, waiting for Teo’s orders.
Gella slowly rose to her feet. “You escaped me in Ephia, but not this time.”
Teo grinned. “I had promised your father your safety. But he betrayed me, the ungrateful bastard. How kind of you to join in his punishment.” Teo nodded at the officer with the gun.
She stared at the barrel of an energy weapon pointing straight at her head. At this distance, the man couldn’t miss. She instantly regretted removing her helmet. Images filled her head. Her father, whom she’d never see again. A summer in Jonia, where she had met her first love. Her first kiss. Sol.
She shut her eyes as the man’s finger twitched against the trigger. Before he could press it, the damaged mast broke off with a deafening crack. The ship shook and swayed violently. The main topsail banged against the marble slab. Two of the ropes holding it in place snapped. The slab swayed to the side. The sudden shift in weight tilted the ship. The officer lost his balance, sending the blast to fly over Satori’s head.
She jumped to the side and rolled on the deck, until she reached a swinging manrope. Grabbing it with one hand, she let her weight carry her. She slipped under the mast and oscillated like a mad pendulum as the ship tilted farther. The broken mast banged against the marble slab once more, sending splinters to fly everywhere.
The slab broke free from the ropes securing it. It slipped over the wedges holding it in place and wobbled, undecided for a moment. Altman looked up. His eyes bulged. He shouted something unintelligible. His officers darted away. Some jumped to the sea, others made for the forecastle. One started on the stairs to the deck below. Altman, however, remained frozen in place, as if the ghosts of his countless victims were pinning him to the deck. He raised his hands in a vain attempt to protect himself.
With a deafening groan, the deck gave way and the slab crashed down. With an inhuman scream, Altman disappeared under it. The marble broke in two. One chunk tore through the ship’s hull. The other rolled off toward Satori. The marble block bounced off the deck, cracking the wood, and flew over her, missing her neck by a hair.
She let go of the manrope and flew in the air, then the Anthean sea swallowed her. The cold water numbed her skin. She opened her eyes, ignoring the stinging sensation. The sinking ship dragged mutilated bodies to the bottom. She glimpsed the dead and the wounded, their faces contorted in pain and fear. Her burning lungs reminded her she would soon be joining them if she didn’t act fast.
A sinking piece of a sail caught on a metal rod threatened to entangle her. She ignored the pain in her chest as she kicked her feet with all her might, propelling her body sideways. Sinking pieces of debris blocked her way up. Panic threatened to swallow her. With her last ounce of strength, she gave her body one final push, praying she was heading toward the surface.
She broke through the flotsam, her heart pounding. With a loud gasp, she hungrily gulped the fresh air. Broken pieces of wood surrounded her, the only sign of the once proud ship. Sudden exhaustion made every movement labored. With the last ounces of her strength, she grabbed a floating piece of a mast and let the current carry her back to the shore.
She closed her eyes and lost track of time, opening them when she felt her feet scrape against sand. The current had carried her to the bay’s edge, below the pine grove. She let go of the piece of wood and splashed to the shore. Her knees buckled as soon as she reached it, and she collapsed into the sand’s warm embrace.
April 8, The Capital
Cyrus
The rising sun tickled Cyrus’s eyelids. He moaned and turned his back to the light. A few minutes later, his stomach growled. His mouth twitched. His tongue felt as dry as burned toast. He smacked it against his palate, then it crawled out of his mouth to lick cracking lips.
The sound of running water made him pry his eyes open. He groaned, his head feeling stuffed with cotton-wrapped lead. With effort, he stood on aching limbs. His entire left side felt numb. He made his way to the brook they had spotted the day before.
“Morning,” David said, sitting cross-legged on a flat rock next to the running water.
“Mmph,” Cyrus muttered and splashed his head into the water. After a moment, he jerked it up, sending drops to fly everywhere. He regretted the sudden movement as renewed pain flared up from both his skull and his shoulder blade, but he took starving gulps, relishing the fresh taste in his mouth; never had water tasted so fine. When he finally satiated his thirst, he pushed back dripping hair with his good hand and stepped out of his clothes, leaving them in a pile next to the stream. Something clinked inside his trousers, and he remembered the pills. He took two more and gulped them down with some more fresh water. The pills might make him groggy, but they would help with the pain.
David pointed at his bruised shoulder. “We need to look after that if you want to use your arm again.” He ran a gentle hand over the swollen limb. “I’ll make you a sling. Try to rest it.” Leaning closer, he studied Cyrus, a concerned expression on his face. “How are you feeling? You know, from the injections?”
“Actually, I feel fine.” Leaving just his underwear on, Cyrus sank into the water. Its coolness tore away the slumber from his body. “The lava must have destroyed all of the crystal.” With a shudder, he rubbed his body, washing away the memory of their ordeal. “I guess the Librarian wasn’t lying when he said we’d cure pretty fast once that happened.”
David jumped off the rock. “So, we saved the world and not one medal, huh?”
Cyrus held his breath and dove his head into the river for a moment, the cold water rejuvenating him. “Some medals hang on your soul, not your jacket.” He picked up his clothes with his good hand, ignoring David’s surprised glance.
David picked up a straight branch and studied it. “You slept for almost a day, you know.”
Cyrus dragged his shirt and pants into the water and washed them as best he could. His stomach growled again, this time louder. “Is that why I’m starving?”
“There’s venison for breakfast.”
“An odd choice.” Cyrus climbed back out of the brook and hung his clothes on a sunny branch. “And yet, I wouldn’t mind some of that.” He followed David’s gaze to a small fire pit. Next to it, a half-eaten deer was placed on a hastily-prepared skewer. “Thanks.” He made his way to the pit and tore off a large piece of meat with his fingers. It was surprisingly tender, melting in his mouth. “Mmm,” he moaned in appreciation.
“Morning,” Gella said behind him.
“Mmm.” Cyrus nodded, still chewing. When he swallowed, he fought between a second bite and talking. “Morning,” he said, the latter option winning. “Sleep well?” He took that second bite and moaned again.
“Not as well as you,” David said with a chuckle, approaching them. He ripped his shirt in narrow shreds and used them to secure the branches around Cyrus’s arm in a makeshift sling. “We washed up, caught a deer, skinned it and cooked it. All the while, you were snoring louder than a bear.”
Cyrus yawned and stretched, his fingers still clutching the piece of meat. “What can I say, I needed my beauty sleep.” His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he scanned David’s face. “Wait a minute—what happened to your beard?”
David rubbed his hand against the remaining stubble on his face. “Gella trimmed it for me. You might want to do the same if you still want to get your throne back. It helps if people recognize you.”
“It also helps if you’re properly fed,” Gella added, emerging from behind a bush. “I’ve found us these.” She opened an awkward bag made from her shirt, showing them it was filled with berries.
Cyrus grabbed a handful and shoved them in his mouth, relishing the explosion of sweet and sour flavors. He closed his eyes and sighed in delight. “T
hank you,” he said as soon as he had swallowed.
“You’re welcome,” Gella said, chuckling. “I’d probably be starving, too, if I’d slept for so long.” She placed the makeshift bag on the ground and they all took another handful.
When they had all eaten, Cyrus went to the brook to wash up again. He let out a frustrated groan at the awkward sling but managed to finish up with one hand. “Gella, can you make me look as good as David?” he asked as he returned. He swiped water from his palms.
“I doubt it,” David said and laughed.
Gella studied Cyrus’s hair. “I can do something about that bush on your head,” she said after a while.
“Very funny,” Cyrus said with a grin. “Let’s do it, then. I have an appointment with Altman that can’t wait.”
“That’s your plan?” David asked, his mirth evaporating in an instant. “Are you trying to get us killed?”
Cyrus ran his fingers through his beard. “Can you trim this, too? I have to look my most regal.” He sat down on a thick pine root and placed his right hand on his lap, the left one hanging useless inside the sling. “Remember when I took over Styx? People loved me. That’s what gave me the authority to claim her seat.”
“People loved your father,” Gella pointed out. “They didn’t know you.” She pulled a thick strand of hair and cut it with the dagger she had taken from their guard. Mercifully, the man had kept it razor-sharp. “How many will want you back now that you’ve ruled them for almost a year? Can’t say you were the best ruler I’ve known.”
Her words stung Cyrus, but he swallowed his pride, seeing the truth in them. “I’ll do better this time. Besides, Altman is just a Regent, acting in my name. With Alexander gone, who will dare oppose me?” He bowed his head to allow Gella to shave his neck.
David sat down, facing them. “It’s true, you’ve been a better ruler than both Styx and Altman.”
Cyrus touched the scar at the side of his head. “Clear this side, will you?”
Pearseus Bundle: The Complete Pearseus Sci-fi/Fantasy Series Page 109