No one says anything for a long moment. Abrax looks at me with his dark eyes. I see the misgiving etched in his features. Sarina’s eyes seem watery and she shakes her head in a plea. But I have to stand firm. I won’t let my friends suffer anymore. Holdin back in Erron’s Ville, Abrax and Devin in Z’hart City, and now Vivían. I’m putting a stop to this.
It’s at this point that Remus steps forward and places an armored hand on my shoulder. “I— Fight— Too— ” he strains to say. “Better— Chance—”
There’s a beat of hope. I grin at him as he gives me a nod of solidarity. Remus has already demonstrated mastery of the armor, so I feel an overwhelming surge of inspiration. We can do this!
“Eyyeah!” Devin says in encouragement. “After seeing Remus kick some ass, they should have a chance.”
“Leave one of the bikes for us,” I say. “We’ll try to hold them for fifteen minutes. That should be enough time to get to the bikes and get out of here. We’ll follow as soon as we can.”
The others nod reluctantly as Abrax says, “Tálir, do not underestimate him. The powers at his disposal are far beyond anything you and Remus currently have.”
Despite his concern, Abrax’s eyes reflect a solemn acceptance as he limps towards me. His left hand squeezes my right pauldron before I push it aside and embrace him. It’s not a goodbye, but I do it out of fear that I may not survive. Abrax pats my back, sensing my trepidation. It’s almost fatherly the way he tries to calm my nerves. We let go of each other quickly.
“Remus,” Aida says softly as she approaches him. “Be careful. I want both of us to be there when we take down Centum.”
Remus smiles and gently caresses her chin, suppressing the pain evident on his face. Aida’s dark eyes close as his touch soothes her. Devin and Vyck say nothing but they both clasp us on our armored forearms in an old gesture of respect.
Everyone starts to head in the direction of the eastern garage of the village. Everyone except Sarina.
She puts a hand on her hip and regards me angrily. “You’re too stubborn for your own good, Tálir,” she says. Her nose wrinkles and her lips purse.
I smirk. “I was going to say the same thing about you. Take care of the others, will you? They listen to you more than me sometimes.”
Gently, I catch her right hand and very quickly place something in her palm; closing her fingers tightly around it. Something I’ve wanted her to have, but it’s also something she deserves. Glimpsing it, Sarina opens her mouth to say something, but stops. I know what she wants to say, but I also know why she doesn’t. It’s like if she says it it’ll spell permanent doom upon me. It’ll be my final knell for failure. So she says nothing, and turns away from me.
“Sarina,” I say quietly as she pauses.
With my hand still wrapped around hers, I pull her towards me. The instincts in my heart take over. I kiss her.
Her lips are soft and sweet in spite of everything, and her skin smells of charcoal. I place an armored hand softly against the back of her head. Sarina’s fingers trace down my jaw as if to pull my face closer. Time seems to stop as we’re rooted in each other’s arms, all noise dies away. I want to stay frozen here.
Sarina pulls away with an arched eyebrow. I give her a thin smile as I let her go. She punches me lightly on my breastplate before saying, “There’s your inspiration, Maven Knight.”
Before I can say another word, she runs off in the direction of the village outskirts. I still feel rooted on the spot, my heart pounding in my chest. I feel ready, determined to win. I turn and see Remus raising his eyebrow at me in surprise.
“Shut up,” I chuckle lightly.
Remus shrugs but says nothing as we both turn to face the incoming massacre. In the malicious darkness that approaches us, the light is present. I have Remus at my side. I have my friends waiting for me when I return. So I prepare to win.
Chapter 43: Tálir
Remnant Rematch
AN AURA OF POWER is present in the air, thicker than the heat of the fires around us. It bears down upon me like crushing water, making me shrink in size and significance.
Remus and I remain stationed in the ritual pit as the Remnant approaches us. It’s an optimal arena. Fires are lit, the ground is uneven, the diameter is large, and we’re fenced in by huts and shacks. We both load fresh kryos into our suits in preparation. The warmth of the magic flows through my legs, chest, and arms.
The morning sun peeks faintly over the mountains. But an indistinct cloud of darkness seems to be growing even as the sun rises. Our battlefield is set and our timer begins counting down. The Roil is coming and the group needs as much time as we can give them.
There’s movement from within the village. The screams have died down. A haze of smoke obscures the street leading into the pit. Someone moves ethereally from the dark cloud. He walks towards us; his steps are emphasized by undeniable swagger. Clearing the smog, I can see the cold arrogance etched on his face.
Septem walks into the pit followed by four other members of the Remnant. His sword is sheathed on his back, but I can see tendrils of ruby energy spark from his fingers. Septem’s long hair is pulled back into a topknot, and his gaunt face is smeared with blood and soot.
The others wear similar outfits. Long, leather jackets atop Maven pauldrons, breastplates, and gauntlets. Pride grows in me, for at least Remus and I possess full suits of armor. Though he brought only four with him, I assume the other warriors of the Remnant are scouring the northern section.
They walk into the pit cautiously, but Septem remains unsurprised to see us. “It seems like I always find you at the right time, Tálir,” Septem comments as he stops twenty meters from us. “Still, I have to commend you for wanting to face me again. After last time, I’m surprised you didn’t crawl away like a little worm and let Abrax fight me instead.”
The Remnant warriors start taking positions to try and surround us. There is a flash of light, and one of the warriors is blasted backwards—his armor singed and his body unmoving. I see Remus’ armored palm sizzling with steam. I snort in surprise. He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d provide support.
“No— Sneaking—” Remus grunts, his eyes reflecting intense focus. “You— And— Us—”
“It’s about time we settled our score, Septem,” I add with a tinge of eagerness. “I feel like I owe you an ass kicking after our skirmish in the catacombs.”
“I wouldn’t call that a skirmish, Tálir,” Septem derides taciturnly. His green eyes reflect impatience. “You are a child playing dress up compared to me. You think a few weeks of training make you a Maven? Romulus was just as naïve. And just as stupid.”
My anger bubbles up inside my chest, and I feel a similar sense of humiliation. Like before, my singular desire is to fully disprove his allegations and make him eat his own words. I feel defiant of everything he said, and I know just how to prove him wrong.
Septem revels in his status, and therefore will be bound to defend his honor if challenged. His entitled sense of self makes him just as susceptible to goading. All I need to do is find the right words. Catching him off guard is my only solution to defeating him.
“The last time I saw you, your ass was kicked just as bad as mine,” I say slyly, giving him a grin. “Abrax showed me just how insignificant you are.”
His expression remains nonchalant as I speak to him, but I can see his body beginning to tense up. He’s competitive. I see that now. He wants to be better than Abrax. Better than my father. Perhaps even better than Centum. But right now, all he wants to do is prove that he’s better than me.
“Abrax merely had the element of surprise,” Septem says, folding his arms across his chest. “I underestimated him, but I’ve learned my lesson. There won’t be any mistakes when I face him this time.”
“And what makes you think we’ll just let you get to him?” I retort, cocking my head.
There’s a chilling pause. The pandemonium has all but died away. Shadows start spreading more r
apidly over the horizon far beyond the mountains. We have maybe ten more minutes before the Roil hits. I have to defeat Septem in that time.
I take in my surroundings for any advantage I might have over him—or he over me. Septem is unfamiliar with the terrain, but I doubt that’ll be enough. Remus and I will have to use raw power to beat him.
“You don’t seem to understand the situation, Tálir,” Septem says with a snort. “You may have us occupied, but the others are scouring this place for your companions. You can’t run from us this time.”
The three other Remnant warriors start to converge on us. Two males and one female. Ruby magic forms in their hands as they advance.
“I only have one more question, Septem,” I say, stalling for one more moment. “Why us? Why try to kill us in the Pyrack and in Z’hart City?”
For the first time, I see a faint sense of emotion on his face. He’s surprised as he replies coldly, “It was never about you, Tálir. It was about Sarina. Centum wanted her for some elaborate plan, and I decided to not waste resources. The rest of you were just collateral.”
I look at him in confusion. “So you disobeyed Centum?”
“No,” Septem says. “I just… trimmed the excess. We all have our agendas. And mine currently is to recover the Tome. Which I’ll take from your corpse.”
The three warriors suddenly unleash Streams of ruby energy. I’m too slow to react, but Remus responds instead. A massive Shield envelops us like a barrier as the crimson magic smashes against it. My helmet slithers over my face, but Remus remains helmetless. I waste no time and roll from underneath it, sending a Blaze to catch one of the males in the chest. In a shower of sparks he’s blasted backwards and his body slumps meters from Septem’s feet.
The female launches a fiery Discus at me as I stand defensively. A Shield generates on my arm to block it, but I underestimate the power yet again. Her energy smashes mine apart and I stumble backwards. She advances, but I recover quickly. Channeling 80%, I hurl a Discus at her but she sidesteps and sends one in return. She’s fast. I have to be faster.
Rolling to the side to avoid her magic, I stay rooted on one knee and raise both hands. Two Streams fly towards her. My kryo charge is now at 85%. I’m getting better at managing the usage. She blocks with a ruby Shield and keeps advancing. In quick succession, I release four separate Streams. As I suspected, she’s fast enough to dodge each of them. But I’m ready and taking a play from Remus’ book.
With an 88% charge, I fire a Blaze from my palm at the ground where her feet will land. Like stepping on a mine, the soil beneath her left foot explodes in sage flames. A shriek of pain escapes her as she’s hurled several yards away and into a shack. Her body smashes into it as the shack practically caves in on her. After a moment, she moves no longer.
I turn to see Remus similarly defeating his attacker with a Blaze, burning a hole through the man’s stomach. Chills run down my spine at the aloofness in his eyes. He’s barely wasted any energy. Remus gives me a nod as we both turn to face Septem.
Meters from us, he walks forward with a hint of swagger as a helmet folds over his face. Drawing his sword, I can almost feel the surge of energy as the ruby flames ignite across the blade. My heart pounds with fear. But I mustn’t let it obscure my focus. We can do this.
Focusing my energy, I generate two orbs within my palms. I stare at him intensely. Even under his helm I can sense a measure of malice. I hurl the Discuses at him as Remus unleashes a Stream.
Twirling his blade, he parries and absorbs our magic before unleashing his own energy towards me. The wave of ruby magic flies towards my face, and instinctively I duck underneath it. Moving towards him, I extend my fingers and send a Stream at his torso.
On the defensive, Septem starts weaving and slashing his sword to deflect my attacks. Even Remus’ assaults can’t pierce his defense. His speed is astounding; it’s as if he knows the exact spot where each Stream will hit. Part of me is both impressed and envious of his mastery.
“Come now,” Septem calls through his helmet as he parries another Stream. “I expected this pathetic power from Tálir, but not you Remus. Impress me!”
A Blaze soars from Remus’ left hand in response, only to be blocked by a combination of Shield and sword. I can see Remus getting just as frustrated as I. We keep pushing, hitting him from different sides. Improvising our attacks. But Septem stands firm.
However, he begins to go on the offensive. Faster than I anticipated, he unleashes several Discuses that hurl towards me. Trepidation slows my movements. Using both arms, I use a Shield to block the ruby orbs but it fails. After two hit, the Shield crumbles and another Discus hits me in the chest.
Flying backwards, I crash into several crates stacked along the perimeter of the pit. Pain wells all throughout my body despite the armor amplifying my physical prowess. My ears are ringing and my chest burns. The armor starts to feel sluggish and the HUD reads: Armor Integrity: 27%. Dazed, I struggle to stand up as I catch a glimpse of the duel.
Remus and Septem charge at one another like bulls. The fiery sword in Septem’s hand prepares to swing down on Remus. He sidesteps and uses a Stream to blast Septem backwards. Remus hits him again with another Stream before blocking Septem’s counter. My dark-haired companion even manages to deflect a sword swing with a Shield. Remus has him on the ropes.
Even through everything, I can see a hint of unease etched in Septem’s features. Remus blocks another sword swing before blasting him backwards again. Still on his feet, Septem remains aloof but flourishes his sword cautiously.
I stand and prepare to enter the fray. Now on the defensive, Septem will be more vulnerable when facing the pair of us. He’s underestimated us, and I feel my confidence growing. We can beat him. I can beat him.
With a 46% charge, I send a Stream at Septem as Remus rushes forward. Something ominous creeps up my spine though. At the height of his charge, Remus hurls a Discus at Septem who bats it aside casually before sidestepping. My heart skips a beat. Upon sidestepping, Septem pushes Remus into the path of my Stream. Energy strikes armor.
Caught wholly unprepared, Remus is flung a meter back into the ground. Septem wastes no time. With Remus on the ground, he stabs his sword directly into Remus’ stomach. The flaming blade sinks through the armor and into his gut.
“REMUS!” I shout, rushing towards them. Remus spits up blood.
Rage and fear take hold of me. I can’t fight it, for that’s who I am. Who I’ll always be. Passionate about those I care about. I think about the Itinerant Mind, but it seems like a long forgotten memory. All I can think about is killing Septem.
Blinding anger fuels me as I direct two Streams at Septem as I charge. He bats them aside with ease. Faster than I anticipated, he swings his sword like a club and sends several waves of energy at me. Panicked by his ferocity, I place my forearms together and form a large Shield in front of me. The magic smashes into my Shield, sending sparks and causing me to slide backwards. My Shield crumbles, but I generate another to replace it. I focus my rage into the barrier, and I feel it draining more energy to stay intact. But then I realize something.
My HUD indicates a 26% Kryo Charge and dropping. Dread clutches my chest. Septem has been forcing me to use more energy than he. Here I am, barely holding on with the last of my reserves. In the back of my head I can almost hear Abrax scolding me.
You were supposed to be serene and smart, not brash and stupid.
Before I can bolster my Shield, Septem closes the final meters between us and stabs his sword into my energy barrier. There’s a screeching ring in my ears, and my arms feel like they’re about to catch aflame.
Time slows as I look through the transparent energy. Remus is on one knee and his armor is burned and bloody. He tries but fails to harness his magic. We look at each other.
“GO REMUS!” I yell through the clash of energy. “I’LL HOLD HIM OFF! RUN!”
Deep in his eyes, he doesn’t want to. He wants to stay by my side until the end
. But in his condition, I know he wants to see Aida one last time. Just like I want to see Sarina one more time before the end. But it’s no longer about what I want. It’s about what I need to do.
Septem continues to press into my energy, and it allows Remus to escape. The Shield shatters like a pane of glass, and I can feel the last of my energy fade.
Abrax, I say to myself solemnly. I failed you.
Septem’s flaming sword continues towards me—cutting between my bracers and piercing into my breastplate. There’s a flash of light, a deafening ring, and I feel as if I’ve been hit by a cannonball. Burning pain wells within my chest, and I let out a scream of agony as it engulfs my entire body.
Then it stops. Septem pulls the blade from my chest and steps back. My body goes numb and I fall to the side. Something warm seeps from my chest as my vision begins to grow dark. I look up.
The Maven Knight (The Maven Knight Trilogy Book 1) Page 33