The Lost Relics Box Set

by LJ Andrews

  Miller shouted from the front of the building. His voice carried impossibly loudly across the growing crowd. Killian glanced behind. His grandfather was speaking, but his eyes never left focus straight ahead of him. “All of us are defending our homes and our way of life. Never give up and strength be with us all.”

  His voice cracked as he stopped his short address. It was enough. Realm people in every direction picked their weapons and watched as the distant darkness came closer. Soon, it was possible to make out a long line of black robes. The Trinity was here.

  They were an ocean of black. Their numbers were greater than Killian had ever imagined. The Trinity rippled toward them as if they were floating across the ground. He gulped and felt his heart drop. Maurelle stood regally in front of the swarm. Her long ebony hair hung in beautiful waves. Her black top revealed her perfectly carved collar bone. Though her eyelids were dark, they only accentuated the bright silver color.

  Billowing behind her, a sheer robe glittered with crystals blew in the wind. And on her head, a delicate silver crown he’d never seen sparkled with hundreds of diamonds. She was exquisite, but the look on her face was wicked and dangerous. Blake stood next to her holding two bows in his hand with a malevolent smile on his face. He locked eyes with Killian and seemed to laugh.

  The electric feeling pounded in his chest as he scanned the crowd, but nothing hit him harder than when he saw Axel. The Infinium smiled at him and bounced the red ruby back and forth in his hands. Killian saw the shimmer of a protection wrapping around Maurelle and Blake. He doubted anyone else could see it.

  “Axel’s protecting them,” he snarled.

  “How can you tell?” Egan demanded.

  “I can see it. Don’t try to attack her yet; it won’t do any good.”

  Maurelle raised her hands up as if to silence all the tense murmurs as they crossed the battlefield. “This doesn’t have to happen. Hand over the relics and your Infinium, and we will leave all of you in peace.”

  “Do not try to sway us, Maurelle,” Miller snarled with surprising Darkness. “Look at the people of the Hemisphere! They don’t stand with you. They don’t want your plan that you believe is best for the Hemisphere.”

  “I see many people,” she said sweetly. “Yet, not everyone. I wonder where the Cimmerian people are. Perhaps they realize what a foolish idea it would be to stand against me.”

  A loud crack filled the lawn and a surge of purple and blue bled into the other colors.

  Dalia was now standing next to Killian, clutching her club. Behind them, dark, silver-eyed Cimmerians scattered amongst the other realms, each facing their queen with a fearsome determination.

  “Such a shame, my people,” Maurelle said shaking her head.

  “They are not your people anymore,” Dalia seethed. “Your plan of darkness is not the heart of Cimmerian.”

  Dalia turned to face Axel. Her face fell visibly with a fierce sadness. “Axel, my friend, how could you do this?”

  He just smiled and slowly handed the ruby to Maurelle’s outstretched hand. “Power, Dalia, as alvays.”

  His voice was clear and understandable, just as he had always talked to Killian in his head. Killian’s anger flared and the electricity seared his skin. Axel had always been a fraud, and he’d trusted him blindly.

  “This Infinium knows a good deal when he sees one,” Maurelle chuckled, rolling the ruby in her hand and casting a glance toward Killian. “Help me, and get a piece of the power.”

  “Axel, don’t be foolish. She’s lying to you,” Dalia pleaded.

  The surrounding crowd watched curiously at the interaction.

  “You vill never vin. I released Achlys and so I control her. Ven I bind her to the ruby the gateway vill be opened.”

  “Just connect her to the stone, Axel, and the power is yours,” Maurelle said darkly.

  Axel raised a hand and lowered it toward the ruby in Maurelle’s hand.

  “Axel, no, don’t—she’ll never give you power,” Dalia said, running toward Axel.

  It was too late—Axel had already touched the ruby. It shone a bloody red then faded again. Dalia cried out in frustration, continuing on in his direction. Axel narrowed his eyes and raised his palms. Dalia stopped gasping as he clenched his hands into fists.

  “No, Dalia!” Killian cried running after her across the lawn. He heard Rhetta cry out too. Dalia gasped and grappled against the invisible power crushing her throat until he closed his fist even tighter and she fell to her back, no longer fighting against his strength. Killian cried out in anger and ran past Dalia’s lifeless body. Rhetta stopped behind him and knelt by her friend sobbing ‘no’ over and over.

  Opening his arms wide, Killian blasted all the fury in his chest toward Axel. The other Infinium easily deflected his obvious attack and glared at Killian.

  “You coward,” he cried at Axel.

  Axel held out his hand and Killian was instantly stopped in place. Maurelle laughed.

  “Isn’t it wonderful? I have both Infinium at my fingertips.” Her eyes darkened and narrowed at Axel. “Killian, do you really think I’d let this abomination join my ranks? You think I don’t know what he did to my mother? I just needed Achlys.”

  Axel’s brow furrowed and he turned around to face the queen, releasing Killian from his powerful hold. Axel raised a hand, ready to defend himself against Maurelle, but she was too swift. Her silver eyes darkened and she swiped her index finger across the air. Axel stopped and held his throat; red blood began to coat his palms from the gash on his neck that had magically appeared.

  Without hesitation, Maurelle angrily placed her hands on his chest and pushed hard as blue and black mist swirled beneath her palms. When she pulled her hand back, a ball of white light blasted after her from Axel’s chest, and then faded into nothing. Axel’s body wobbled for a moment before falling back as his life was extracted.

  A chilling hush fell over the field as Maurelle whipped around furiously.

  “No more lives need be lost. Make your choice,” she shouted at the crowd. Her powerful voice carried and made Killian’s heart pound in his chest like a wild drum.

  He glared at Maurelle and, without waiting for anyone else, rushed toward her again. Behind him, he heard the pounding footsteps of others. He focused on the ruby in her hand. She hadn’t released the curse yet; he hadn’t seen the elusive prisoner Achlys, so maybe if he could get the ruby he could stop her.

  The Trinity had followed suit and was rushing toward them, brandishing weapons. Killian glanced at Mercedes who offered him a brief, sad smile before they both clashed hard into their enemies.

  Killian basked in the power that surged along his skin and, feeling strengthened, he swung his spear at two Trinity soldiers. They circled him, but somehow he could see them both as if they stood in front of him. Pushing one point of his spear behind him, he felt it sink deep into the midsection of the guard then again in one motion he stabbed the front point into the other. Without waiting, he pulled the points back in as the soldiers fell to the ground and quickly moved on to other attackers.

  Marie and Owen worked together with Angus against five soldiers. Marie skillfully climbed along the backs of two soldiers, stabbing her sword in them before they even caught sight of her small frame. Owen and Angus both rushed at three soldiers, expertly swinging their blades. One Trinity blade caught Angus’s shoulder, making the large man cry out in anger. Quickly, he turned and launched a small arrow from a compact bow under his robe deep into the chest of his attacker.

  Stepping on the dead man’s arm, he pulled out the arrow. “That’s what ya get. Slicin’ my arm like I’m some kinda meat…” he muttered as he walked away ready for the next attack.

  Mercedes rushed into the battle with Egan and Gwyniera at her side. The empress leapt from the tall horse as if she could fly and swung her sword furiously, cutting through three soldiers before her feet hit the ground. The soft-spoken Glacien people had transformed into fierce, icy warriors with terrif
ying accuracy.

  Ada, Fia, and Blaise formed a circle with their backs facing each other and blasted arrows one by one into the oncoming Trinity, never missing. Egan caught a sword Blaise threw at him and now with both hands ripped through the dark cloaks. Screams and cries surrounded the powerful family. Mercedes was their equal in strength and fury, but she had the added talent of her creatures.

  “Go!” she shouted at a flock of enormous black eagles. The birds erupted off the surrounding trees and shrieked as they landed on shoulders of the black cloaks and ripped them from the ground, carrying them off the field. Some more aggressive birds simply ended their lives with their enormous beaks and talons. Mercedes cried in fury as she thrust her daggers deep into the stomach of a tall Cimmerian woman. The Cimmerian’s silver eyes fluttered in disbelief before she fell back, staring lifeless into the sky.

  “That’s our girl,” Ada shouted, and Fia whooped in excitement. Mercedes turned and smiled at them, but quickly her eyes widened in fear.

  “Blaise!” she cried. “Look out!”

  Blaise whipped around in time to have the long sword of a Trinity solider lodge deep into his stomach. Ada and Fia screamed and tried to reach the killer, but stopped when the soldier gasped and fell forward, a large knife sticking from his upper back.

  Bant stood behind the dead soldier with a dark expression on his face. He lowered his good arm from the deadly throw and shifted his gaze to his brother-in-law bleeding on the ground.

  “Blaise,” Egan bellowed as he ran toward them. Kneeling next to him, Egan cradled his head with Ada on the other side, sobbing over her husband. “Blaise, you stay with us. Come on.”

  Blaise rolled his head and looked at Ada. Weakly, he lifted a hand to her cheek and smiled at her before his eyes fluttered closed and he went limp.

  Ada released a fearsome cry and stood her skin red with fury. She pulled two long swords from her back and threw them with expert marksmanship at two more Trinity soldiers, killing them before they even knew they were under attack. Ada’s shoulders heaved before she crumpled to the ground into Fia’s arms.

  Egan stood and glared at Bant. They met one another’s eyes for a long moment before Egan turned and faced the battle again. Mercedes wiped a tear and watched Ada hold her husband’s hand and kiss it before rushing to Bant’s face.

  “Make it right, Bant. Make up for your sins! These people, your people, killed my husband. His blood is just as much on your hands! Make it right!”

  Ada turned away from him and rushed after Egan; her level of energy in the battle rose as she fought with her pain fueling every move. Bant saw Mercedes and she held his gaze too. He nodded at her and removed his knife from the back of the Trinity soldier and joined the ranks of the Ponderi.

  The battle raged on Killian fought his way through the crowd, his anger pulsing up the red scars. No one could touch him; every attack, no matter the direction Killian overpowered any weapon. But every time he tried to ripple the protection barrier around all those he loved, nothing came. It was as if something blocked him from it.

  Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Maurelle. She seemed to be observing the battle and occasionally she would blast someone with her wicked, painful black mist. Killian ran at her, both points of his spear opened. He had a clean pathway, but then was stopped when a terrifying woman stood in front of him.

  She was like no one he’d ever seen. Her skin was pale and her black hair fell down to her knees. Her entire body looked sick and emaciated, with long black and yellow fingernails that obsessively scratched her pasty arms. Her teeth smiled wide and, with her lips pulled too far back, much like a skull. Her eerie smile gave Killian chills, but as she watched him with her dead eyes her teeth chattered excitedly, and with each movement her cheeks cracked and blood oozed down the sides of her face.

  Maurelle smiled at him and her voice carried like a song when she spoke. “Meet Achlys, imprisoned long before the Terrene Venture even started, poor thing.” Maurelle rubbed a hand lovingly along Achlys’s long hair. “You know this wonderful creature thrives with darkness, and is just the person to keep an ancient, dark curse under control.”

  Killian’s eyes widened as he tore them away from Achlys and her nightmarish grin. He looked at Maurelle’s hands and saw the ruby and a large piece of yellowed parchment in her palms.

  “You know the reason we came here to the Praetorium?” She began stepping closer to Killian. “Because this” –she held up the scroll− “led me here. Merlin, what a character, actually hid the entrance to the Gateway here, of all places.”

  “Maurelle, don’t do this,” Killian begged once more, desperately trying to pulse the burning Infinium at her.

  “Stop it, Killian. Your little power won’t work as long as Achlys keeps absorbing it, and you can see it doesn’t affect her. She’s practically a God, you know. And about your concern of me losing control,” she said, raising a finger much like a teacher would to her pupil. “I am slightly offended you people believe I would be so foolish not to insure that very thing didn’t happen. Achlys, much like she’s controlling your power, will do the same with the darkness. All the excess goes to Achlys. I take what I can handle. You see, Killian, you cannot stop this.

  “Another interesting fact,” she continued, kneeling behind a salivating Achlys, “the ruby isn’t only the key to lock the gateway up; this scroll and the ruby are also the keys that open the door.”

  “You know whose ruby that is, don’t you? I’m sure she’s very proud you’re using it for the reasons she fought to prevent,” he snarled.

  “Enough, Killian. I’ve heard plenty from you.” Maurelle glared at him. Maurelle held the ruby firmly in her hand and quickly unrolled the scroll.

  “No!” he shouted and tried to run at her, but Achlys stepped in front of him. Her long black hair floated up behind her back in long thick tendrils and black smoke billowed from her feet, covering Maurelle from view. Through the thick smoke he saw Maurelle lift the ruby and slam it onto the scroll.

  A loud crack sounded across the field, knocking over several fighters. He saw Blake several yards away, standing with a blood-stained arrow over two dead Glacien girls, barely out of the Potential phase. Blake smiled and the last light he had from his once playful eyes vanished; there was nothing but darkness left.

  Gwyniera stood next to Killian, holding the green pearl on her chest and closing her eyes. Miller and Mercedes soon followed her example and held up their relics. Killian clasped his gold charm, and the piece warmed his palm as if the living magic inside it was igniting to stop the darkness that was buried behind the invisible wall.

  Maurelle laughed maniacally as she watched them join the power of the relics to block the opening of the gateway. White light encompassed the four relics. Mercedes stumbled against the strong force, but Killian wrapped his arm around her waist and held her up. The power surged against the strange magic billowing up from the scroll and the ruby. White light intertwined with a dark smoke and the two powers seemed to battle one another. Even though they were from the same sorcerer, they were being used for such different purposes.

  Killian closed his eyes and urged Infinium to protect them and destroy the key and the ruby; this needed to end before it could begin. Gwyniera gasped beside him. He looked and saw the green pearl blazing in white light, but a dark gray light was creeping along the smooth surface of the pearl, extinguishing the white magic until the whiteness was dulled and nothing was left in Gwyniera’s palm but a dull off-white pearl. She met Miller’s eye with fear as the same gray attacked the other relics, slowly dulling their power. Killian clenched his teeth together and begged Infinium to save Merlin’s relics against the incredible power of the ruby and scroll. But something held Infinium in a constant burning; dying to be released and be useful, the power fought against whatever barrier was in place to stop him.

  Cracking one eye open, he saw Achlys watching him with a satisfied expression. Something she was doing was blocking him. He cried out in f
rustration as he watched the light of his gold charm die and fade to nothing but a bronze circle on the end of a chain.

  Maurelle laughed as each relic had the magic snuffed out by the greater, more dangerous power of the two keys.

  “It’s too powerful to stop,” she cried out joyfully. “Merlin and Eldora put all their might into creating these two keys. Even the relics cannot stop them.”

  The four guardians watched helplessly as all around them the magic of the keys began to take shape and the gateway manifested in front of them.

  Wind blew furiously and the colorful sky began to light up again, shifting from red, blue, and orange, to silver as the sky seemed to rip open. A chill passed through them, creating a feeling of suffocating terror. Through the ripping sky, an enormous black cavern opened wide with wails and screams of suffering as it tore open.

  Maurelle watched with a hungry excitement as clouds of blackness slithered out of the crack like long snakes in the grass, but once the gateway opened completely, Killian saw it—a simple dagger resting on a large gray boulder. The end was tipped with blackness that oozed over the blade.

  No one moved, as if the black snakes sliding along their feet were locking them in place. Maurelle stepped through the gateway and clasped the dagger tightly in her palm. The dark serpents rushed backward as soon as her skin touched the hilt and were absorbed into the black tip. Maurelle’s lips curled into a wild smile. Stepping out of the hidden cavern, she pulled the ruby off the scroll, and instantly the ripped opening blew shut in a furious wind blast until it was completely shut off from them again.

  Maurelle raised the dagger and stabbed the nearest person to her, which was her own soldier. The man gasped and grappled for the dagger, but surprisingly, when she ripped it from his chest he didn’t fall down dead. Instead, he cried in a frightened agony, as his eyes blackened and his skin became pallid. The man scrambled along the ground as if something terrifying that no one else could see was coming after him. The soldier screamed and batted at the air until a dark stain colored his skin and his screams turned to gasps. Slowly, his body stopped convulsing, and he lay still on the grass, blackened from head to toe.