“Zarlach!” I breathed and skidded on my knees towards him. I pulled his head into my lap and turned his face towards me. “Zarlach. Wake up.” There was nothing. I had faith he was alive—his body didn’t disappear on me or was it only a matter of time? “Zarlach!” I screamed, fearing the worst.
I heard the girl behind me bubble a laugh. “You might as well give up. He’s on his way to the afterlife.” I glared at her. How dare she! I wanted nothing more in this moment than to strangle her. I wanted nothing more than to make her suffer. I wanted nothing more than to make her feel what I felt—undeniable grief. “You’ll join him soon enough.” Her gaze held my own with a much venom as she could muster. “What’s the matter? You upset?”
“What does it look like?” I managed through my streaming tears. I didn’t realise I had until I tasted the salt on my tongue.
I was crying for him. I didn’t cry for David, even though I missed him and screamed at his death. I managed. This I didn’t know if I could manage.
She nodded with a pout, “You do look upset. Here . . .”—she held up her hand and a large sword hovered in mid-air—”. . . let me ease that!” I threaded my arm beneath Zarlach and conjured my energy. I held him vast and leaped. I flipped and landed a few hundred feet away, placing Zarlach’s body on the ground I glanced up at the child. In my eyes she was no longer a child but the enemy—I wouldn’t hold back. I wished I knew how to energetically warp like Kal did that would have helped this situation.
“Let me help!” her brother called. He raced towards me and pulled out several knives between his fingers and tossed them towards me. I managed to dodge them in time and block a few. One slipped by and grazed my cheek. “You’re good little princess but not that good.”
“I’ve had practice.” I glared. I’d make them pay for their disrespect.
“Oh, well come on, then. Show me your practice.” she urged. She leaped high and caught onto the sword. The ground cracked behind her, once she leaped high into the air. She spun the large monstrosity of a sword in the air. She dashed straight towards me and I blocked. Both of my forearm bracers were crossed, protecting my face. She frowned when I didn’t budge. “Huh, you’re stronger than you look.” She was right but not entirely accurate, I more pissed than anything else. “No matter.” she smiled. “I’ll just have to try harder.”
“Let me try sis,” the male called from behind. I didn’t know what he did but the sister moved in time and a black energy ball was thrown straight towards me. I brought my forearm braces to protect my face and felt it push me back. My boots slid along the ground but I held steady. The energy ball extinguished and I glanced at the male. He mumbled, “I was sure that would have worked.”
I glanced over at his sister and was surprised. I was quick to jump to my right and roll in time to watch her large sword smash into the ground near Zarlach. She glanced down at him. “Why hasn’t he vanished yet?” she seemed to ask herself more than anyone else. She reached down to grab him and I bolted towards her.
“Don’t touch him!” I yelled feeling new power surge within me. I leaped and knocked her square in the face with my fist. She flew from her sword and across into the surrounding houses. I flew after her through the countless holes she made from the force of my attack. I spied her on the ground through, a the end of the lining houses. I watched in anger as she rolled out onto a road. She pulled herself to her feet but it was too late. I delivered a perfect upper cut and watched as she bounced high in the air. I wasn’t finished. I flew towards her and spin kicked her into the bridge and watched as it shattered under her impact. I could see her from where I hovered. She pushed the stones away and glared up at me. Her once clean white dress began to tear away and she glanced down. She pulled the material off of her and tossed it to the side—black scales gleamed under the stormy sky. Armour materalised upon her shoulders, chest, legs and forearms.
She charged at me and I bought up my forearm guard, blocking her armoured fist. She punched again, again and again. I deflected each block. She pulled up her knee and I blocked it—a poor mistake on my part because I was wide open. Smack! Her steeling armoured fist smashed against my jaw and I catapulted through the air before bouncing along the ground. She even blew on her fist to mock my reaction. “Tell me, are you always this weak?”
“Tell me, are you always this nosy?” I retorted crawling to my feet and wiping the blood I could feel pooling over my chin. I wanted to destroy her. I wanted to do exactly that but she just kept coming back and it drove me ballistic.
She seemed to stifle a laugh. “At least I have guts,” she retorted. “I know I can die without fear. What about you?” She raced towards me and pulled back her fist. I grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her, I flipped her over. She landed on the ground a blade zipped out from between the top of my forearm armour. I punched her and watched as my forearm blade pierced her. She remained motionless. I gazed around for the brother. Something wrapped around my ankles and I glanced down, “I’m not done yet. The fun is only just beginning.” I watched as her hands strung around my legs. She heaved me off the ground and flung me far away—I splashed through the floating water and watched as she followed after me with a large blade. She tossed it and I ducked, avoiding it in time. I turned to the right and headed for the bridge that overpassed the embankment. As she chased after me I spun around and connected my energy to the bridge seeing a chain form, I pulled the bridge collapsed on top of her. I smiled, I may have won. I moved to turn around and wandered down the waterless embankment and heard the boulders move. I glanced back over my shoulder and she tossed the sarsens away. She glared over at me and I stood ready as she ran at me once more, I deflected her first attack, blocking her second attack before twisting around and sending a kick into her stomach—she bent over and I threw a round house.
She growled and I watched as she became angrier. She glared at me and I saw her body beginning to increase in size. I had this burning desire to scream at her. She seemed to enjoy this and I hated it. Even as I watched her size increase. I learnt that she was absorbing the energy from objects around her to make her larger in size. I was soon pre-occupied by the brother who lunged towards me with his claws extended like solid grey glaciers. “You’ll die!” he gargled and I glared. I wasn’t going to die, not here, not now. Not when I needed to find Kal. I evaded the attack and grasped his hair and pulled him back. Easily, kneeing him in the back. I spun and kicked him away before pulling out my sword and pointing it to his sister.
“Your turn, ugly.” I mocked and ugly she was. Her once pale skin, was now grey and bubbly. Her brown eyes were now a shade of red and her flat teeth were but that of fangs. She laughed.
“You’ve got spirit. I’ll give you that.” I heard the thunder in the air and smelt strongly blood—it wasn’t human blood. It was different. “Hmmm,” she purred. “Nefaliem.” I glanced over her shoulder and realised she was right, I smelt the demonic blood but something else sweeter mixed in it, it was like warm chocolate and melted marshmallows.
“Kal!” I called, I sensed her presence for a while now so I knew she was nearby. “Kal!” I called again.
“Interesting,” she rumbled and I ran straight for her, forgetting my goal for a moment. “You care for those hybrids?” she mused. “They’re abominations.” I skidded between her legs and pulled out my twin forearm blades, in one movement I sliced her ankles and she screamed in pain.
“That was for calling my friend an abomination.” I retorted. I had to finish this—it was taking longer than expected. She dropped to one knee and glared at me. She got on her feet again and her brother pounced at me, once more. This time I flung a butterfly kick at him, summoning my energy I blasted him with it and he flew across the embankment. Nabba charged at me and I felt the ground tremble under each foot as she ran. She backhanded me and I attempted to stop it but ended up being swatted away. I felt my back smash against the ground as I slid along it once again, I pushed myself to my knee and regarded the small cr
aters I had fashioned. She ran at me the ground thundered underweight and I held my ground. Concentrate Cecelia. I scolded myself.
She threw a punch and I blocked it. I was moved a little from the impact and backed away as she attempted to kick me. I dodged it easily and used my energy—I felt the connection and knew that I was linked to something. I glanced at it more closely and saw it was a transparent chain with a curved blade at the end, the chain was wrapped around Nabba’s throat and I yanked. She fell towards me and I leaped, kneeing her perfectly square in the face. I gathered my energy and channelled it onto the chain. I felt the chain heat up and watched as she was shocked by electricity. She fell down to the ground unconscious. “Nabba!” the male called as he raced towards me.
I dodged his first attack and blocked his string of combinations. It went on for what seemed like forever but I knew it wasn’t that long. He was like a raging bull ready to stake me. I efficiently avoided his attacks and knew that he wasn’t going to give up anytime soon, I ducked under his punch and ended up being kneed in the face. To my surprise, I’ve often considered we Vampieruz as strong Outlanders, or one of the strongest beside the Nefaliem but as I fought him I understood why we needed to train, why we needed to stay healthy, because even though we trained there was also someone else who was doing the same thing to defeat their enemy. “You know what?” he asked his breath a little ragged.
“What?” I asked as I back hand sprang away from him and managed to gain some distance between us.
“I want to know why the syndicate insist on protecting mortals.” I was surprised by this he didn’t look ready to fight instead he relaxed. I did as well. He seemed sad for some strange reason.
“It’s what we do.” I replied.
“Liar!” he yelled. “Don’t you dare go and act or noble. Those humans got away with so much over the centuries because they’re weaker and vulnerable they’re automatically innocent! How is that justice?” He seemed distant and I watched as his demonic form return to his secondary form of fleshy skin, with dark hair and eyes.
“Sometimes I think the same thing but all we can do is try and see the good in them.”
“There is no good. It’s the sole reason why there’s demons. To show you that mortals can be just as evil.” He stared me down and what happened next took me completely by surprise. There was a zapping sound and the head of the demon exploded in a shower of jelly and blood. I was dumbfounded and stared at the person behind the demon’s body which fell to the ground and disappeared.
“Why do you make things so difficult?” the voice asked. I smiled and ran over to him.
“Zarlach! You’re alive!” I screeched and threw my arms around him. He was alive. I felt him stiffen a little before returning my embrace. He released me and we glanced over at Nabba, she remained unconscious and Zarlach walked over to her and pulled out a hand-held crossbow. He pointed the arrow at her head and I placed my hand over the crossbow. This wasn’t right. “No.”
“Why?” he asked. “She bit you and drank your blood. Do you know how much trouble she could cause?” His red eyes gazed upon my own and I nodded. I did understand what could happen, she’d have some of my power—she’d be a lot more dangerous just like Ivan was now. I felt my body become weak with fatigue and my stomach ache in pain. I was hungry, very hungry. I recalled I haven’t had any blood since I woke up from my state of Cryogenesis. “I’m sorry but I have to.” He fired and the arrow went straight through her skull. Moments later she began to fade away before her dark soul disappeared in an orb and flew to the ground before disappearing. I turned from him and wandered towards the white house, climbing out of the embankment. He was close behind me and I glanced over at my shoulder realising I hadn’t checked. “What?”
“Your injury.” I replied.
“It’s tender but the wound has healed.” I was stunned, we could heal our scales? As we climbed out of the embankment. I ran straight towards the white house, I head Zarlach whoosh beside me and watched as he flew in the air—keeping up with me. I knew he used his energy to propel himself through the air like how boats would use a motor to move. “I’m going to go on ahead.”
“What?” I asked as I climbed the stairs. “You can’t leave me! I’m only a minor!” I almost roared.
He smiled, “You’ll be find just remember to not leave yourself wide open. And technically to the mortals you’re an adult now, you were in Cryogenesis for four years, remember?” Up to the top of the white house he flew and I glared at his retreating form. I didn’t want to be left alone that last battle made my scales ached but feeling the warm sensation pool over me I knew I was healing. I could smell the blood strongly in the air as I entered the building and it wasn’t just Kal’s blood but there were others too—human blood. I walked through the foyer and moved over to the desk, peering over it I saw she was dead her arms and legs were bent in awkward positions. I wanted to know what this would be all over and if so was I going to get what I wanted in the end, everlasting peace and prosperity. Then again, I was certain it was something else altogether.
As I ascended the stairs I made it to the top level and watched as the stones began to rise on their own. I was close—I was closer to Ivan now, closer to Kal. I knew I could fly but I didn’t know how I could do it again, I figured it was a onetime thing. I glanced up and watched as the president’s office, I glanced at the wooden desk and the presidential seals scattered around the room. I saw a pile of stones at the corner of the room and knew that the ceiling must have shattered. Electricity rung loudly in my ears and heard what was left of the ceiling collapse. Ivan smashed down and glared at me he was in full body armour—all silver. His helmet pulled back to reveal his features and I regarded him cautiously. “I’m happy you could make it princess.”
“What have to done with Kal?” I demanded. He smiled.
“Nothing much just using her to destroy the world you know. Same old, same old.” I felt Zarlach’s energy level so I knew he was nearby and sensed another person nearby he was familiar but I didn’t know who. Through the doorway appeared Dante.
“There you are!” he growled as his eyes were set upon Ivan.
“What’s the matter. . .? Afraid I’ll steal your promised one?” Dante glared and I knew he wasn’t thinking anything of the sort. I could tell he was wound up by the danger Ivan possessed we all were—all thanks to me he had new power—all thanks to me he had a Codex and all thanks to me he had Kalverya to activate it.
Dante leaped at Ivan and attacked. While Ivan was pre-occupied, I slipped around those two and climbed up the ascending rubble of bricks. I made it to the roof and what I saw froze me in place. Kal was chained to a steel, her wrists were bound on either end of the crucifix. She seemed to be unconscious. I was surprised when she didn’t form a telepathic connection. I ran towards her but was stung and flown back by an energy barrier concealed around her. Ivan didn’t want anyone to save her—to save the humans. I channelled my power to my fingers and felt them heat. I glanced down at the red energy orbs that pulsed within my hands and thrust them forward. A trail of energy zoomed towards Kal and bounced off. I glared. Why is this so difficult?
I glanced at the Codex high above her, it hovered in mid-air and released a golden wave every now and again. The waves were small but the impact on the surrounding buildings, trees and many other objects around it was detrimental. I heard a battle cry so loud it rang out over the sound of the pulsing Codex. I glanced over the edge and watched as several members of the Dark Cartel ran straight for the building. “No way!” I heard the thundering sound of Dante and Ivan in battle and the sound of another battle over head. It was Zarlach and the demon commander.
I gathered my energy again and channelled it into the barrier but this time I moulded it enough that electricity formulated around my energy ball. This was the simplest of energy techniques that I had learnt at Castle Haven. So I knew I couldn’t mess this one up. I practiced it over and over again until I got it right. I let it fly towards t
he barrier and was surprised when the energy barrier began to shatter and breakaway like falling glass. I smiled and ran over to Kal, I began to pull the chains away and watched as the Codex flittered like static as if it a signal was being interfered with. “Kal. Wake up!” I growled as I caught her.
As I carried Kal away. I saw Ane staring at me. “Where do you think you’re going?” Her green scales seemed almost black under the dark skies.
I wanted to smartly retort to that but instead I asked, “What’s your real name?” Annoyed that she was a shape-shifter just like Zarlach.
“Why do you want to know?” I asked. Certain I could defeat her but I needed to know her name for my own sake. I remained silent and she declared, “Arianna.”
“Are you lying?” I questioned and placed Kal on the ground, I stepped over her and approached my target. She was bound to be lying because she was good at it. She was also that type of person but regardless she seemed to suit the name Arianna.
“I can’t let you take her.” She leaped towards me and I dodged her attack in time and brought up my knee before bringing my elbow down on her back. She smashed against the stone ground and I bent to punch her in the face. Once she was unconscious, I focused on a much bigger fish. Soon war cries rang out and my attention turned from Ane to the roar of the Dark Cartel.
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