by Tripp Ellis
He held out the blade and gazed at it with amazement.
Mia rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine,” he replied, somewhat astonished.
Mia examined Nolan’s abdomen. There was a hole in the armor, and blood crusted on the surface. But Nolan's wound was completely healed. Her eyes widened with astonishment. “How is that possible?"
"I thought you were the one with all the faith?”
Mia fumbled for words, somewhat dazed. "I am. I mean, I just didn't expect…" She didn't know what to say.
"Well, the sword is rumored to convey healing properties,” Nolan said, still mesmerized by the blade. "I would never have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes."
The tomb rumbled and the ground began to shake. What started as a subtle vibration grew to a tremendous quake. The walls cracked, and the ceiling crumbled. Chunks of stone fell from above.
Nolan grabbed Mia’s hand and pulled her down the passageway. They ran as fast as they could toward the exit, the tunnel crumbling behind them. The odds of making it to the exit were slim.
40
Large chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, smashing against the stone floor. Nolan and Mia dodged the falling debris as they raced for the exit. The sound was deafening as the passageway collapsed behind them. The quaking rumbled through the entire mountainside.
Brilliant sunlight filtered in at the end of the tunnel. Nolan sprinted as fast as he could. He sucked in heavy breaths of air, and his legs were on fire. Massive chunks of stone, falling from the ceiling, nipped at their heels as they ran.
Nolan and Mia dove out of the tunnel, tumbling into the verdant grass as the passageway flattened behind them. A rush of dust and debris blew out the passageway like a last breath. The face that had been carved into the side of the mountain cracked, and a large portion tumbled down.
Nolan grabbed Mia and pulled her out of the way as massive fragments of stone attempted to flatten them. Both of them were covered in a fine coat of dust. Nolan's eyes found Mia’s, and the panic in their faces turned to relief. It was a close call and neither one had been certain they were going to make it out alive.
The relief in their eyes faded as they quickly realized they were surrounded by Imperial Soturi. The barrels of a dozen angry spell rifles were pointing straight at them.
Nolan had experienced the power of the sword firsthand, but he still was not entirely sure it would protect him from the effects of a dozen spell rifles.
Valdovar emerged from the foliage with a diabolical grin on his face. "I see you have retrieved my sword for me."
Nolan stood defiant, gripping the sword, ready to attack. "The sword doesn't belong to you."
"Of course it does. You will hand it over to me." Valdovar's demonic eyes grew intense. They stared into Nolan’s, piercing into his very being.
Nolan felt Valdovar’s words rumble in his head, compelling him to relinquish the sword. Valdovar was trying to control his mind, but Nolan resisted. His body tensed as he tried to fight the compulsion. He trembled slightly, and his face flushed. Nolan found it difficult to speak, but he summoned all his focus and resisted. "No. You can't have it," Nolan growled through gritted teeth.
Valdovar looked surprised. Never had anyone defied him before. His face crinkled with anger. Then, in a slow, low rumble he commanded, “You will give me the sword. Now!”
Nolan felt the demon’s voice swirl around him. It was as if the very sound was attempting to move Nolan's hands, forcing him to turn over the weapon.
"I will not yield the sword."
"You may be invincible at the moment…” Valdovar's eyes flicked to Mia. "But she is not."
Nolan grimaced.
"Do you think you can stop a dozen spell rifles from incinerating her?” His words hung in the air like smoke.
Nolan’s eyes flicked from Valdovar to Mia.
"Don't give him the sword," she pleaded.
"I'm going to give you to the count of three," Valdovar said. "Then she dies."
"Then there would be nothing to stop me from killing you,” Nolan replied.
Valdovar shrugged. "Perhaps. But are you willing to let an innocent girl die?"
Nolan felt like he was going to explode. This was his chance to exact his revenge. Now he was torn between two possible choices.
Mia’s distraught eyes pleaded with him not to relinquish the sword.
“You have my word, I will spare both of your lives if you hand me the sword,” Valdovar said.
Nolan hesitated for a long moment. He lowered the sword and reluctantly handed it to Valdovar.
The demon grabbed the hilt with a maniacal glimmer in his eyes. He held the blade high in the air. He felt the power of the sword rush through him, and he basked in its glory. "There is no one that can stop me now."
His troops gazed at him with reverence.
"Take the prisoners back to the dreadnought. I’ll decide their fate later." Valdovar's eyes stared into Nolan. "I am a man of my word. You both shall live. But your quality-of-life may be a different story entirely." An almost imperceptible grin curled on his lips.
Nolan felt the barrel of a spell rifle nudge him between his shoulder blades. The Soturi marched the prisoners back through the jungle.
Nolan felt hollow. The entire galaxy would live under the tyranny and control of Lord Valdovar because of his actions.
Mia refused to make eye contact with Nolan. The scowl wasn't coming off her face anytime soon. Nolan tried to say something to her, but she cut him off abruptly.
"Don't even try to talk to me right now,” she said in a low growl. She didn't make it another two steps before she went off on him. "How could you do that? What were you thinking? My life is insignificant in the scheme of things. You had a chance to end this."
Nothing Nolan said was going to change the situation. It was a decision that he was going to second-guess for the rest of his life.
41
The Soturi marched Mia and Nolan through the thick foliage, back toward the clearing. Nolan heard the familiar rustle in the forest, and the heavy stomp of footsteps. A spike of fear and adrenaline rushed through his body. He was both elated and terrified. He knew exactly what was stalking them.
The giant lizard emerged from the trees, its shrill shriek piercing the air, taking the Soturi completely off guard. They spun to attack the creature, but it was too late—it had spit a stream of acidic venom that blanketed the area.
The deadly substance splattered against the Soturi armor, burning through it on contact. The composite plating bubbled and disintegrated like gasoline poured into a styrofoam cup. Flesh sizzled like bacon as the venom devoured soft tissue.
Mia created a spell shield that protected Nolan and herself from the deadly spray. Valdovar had done the same, but he didn’t bother to protect his troops.
Chaos ensued.
Nolan took the opportunity to swipe a spell rifle from one of the wounded Soturi. He unleashed a torrent of weapons fire at the creature. Bolts of energy blasted into its scaly skin. But it was like trying to take down a T-Rex with a pellet gun.
The creature winced with pain as bolts of energy tore through its flesh.
Mia grabbed a spell rifle from a fallen Soturi and opened fire as well.
Valdovar summoned a powerful ball of energy in his palm and hurled it at the beast. It was an odd moment when all three of them were fighting on the same team.
The creature squealed as Valdovar’s energy impacted its chest, staggering the beast. His powerful magic inflicted a serious wound. Chunks of flesh and blood splattered the trees.
The creature stayed on its feet. It struck at Valdovar, gnashing it's razor-sharp teeth.
Valdovar dodged as the beast repeatedly attacked.
Nolan and Mia kept pummeling the creature with the spell rifles until they ran dry.
The constant attacks from multiple angles distracted the beast. It gave Valdovar enough time to hurl another ball of energy. It smacked the
creature in the face, mangling its left side.
The beast struck at Valdovar again. He dodged the attack, and with lightning quick reflexes he hacked the sword into the creature's long neck, severing its flesh down to the spinal column. Blood spurted from its carotid arteries. Its head dangled from its neck. The creature writhed and flailed about, crashing into trees and whipping its tail until it finally bled out and fell to the ground with a thunderous thud.
The forest grew silent, now that the mayhem was over. The occasional twitching of the creature’s carcass remained.
Valdovar's wicked gaze turned toward Nolan and Mia. Now that the battle with the creature was over, they were no longer comrades in arms.
Nolan grabbed a sword from a fallen Soturi. He stood in a defensive posture.
A smug smirk curled on Valdovar's lips. "Why do you even bother? You know you will fall before me."
Nolan said nothing. Fear raced through his body. He knew he was no match for the Dark Lord.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance,” Valdovar said.
Mia created a spell shield around the two of them.
Valdovar laughed. "Your magic is no match for mine." With a wave of his hand he obliterated the shield.
Mia summoned a ball of energy and heaved it at Valdovar.
He deflected it with the blade of his sword.
Mia threw another, then another.
Valdovar batted them all away. With a thrust of his wrist he sent Mia flying back through the air. It was like she had been hit with an invisible cannon that launched her through the jungle. She slammed into a tree trunk and cracked her head. She fell to the ground unconscious.
Nolan clenched his jaw. He gripped the hilt of his sword tight.
"Her magic is not going to be able to save you now,” Valdovar cackled.
Nolan charged at the demon, but he didn't get very far. Valdovar held out his hand to stop him, and an invisible force seemed to restrain him.
Nolan summoned all his strength and broke free of the force. He continued advancing toward Valdovar, whose eyes were wide with surprise.
"Impressive." Valdovar seemed amused. He was always confident, but now his arrogance grew beyond measure. As Nolan had experienced, wielding the sword produced an almost euphoric sensation. It made the wielder feel skillful and confident. It seemed to maximize one's ability, allowing the user to always bring their A game.
"Tell you what. Let's make this a fair fight," Valdovar said. "Just the two of us and our swords. No magic."
Nolan's face filled with rage. He lunged at the demon. It was an acceptance of the terms. Their swords clashed, the clank of metal echoing through the jungle.
Valdovar blocked Nolan's repeated attacks. Then, with blinding speed, he slashed at Nolan's torso.
Nolan dodged and swung hard at the Emperor.
Valdovar blocked his attack once again and the two exchanged furious blows. The uneven terrain made the battle difficult. It was easy to trip over thick roots or fallen branches or slip on the slick grass.
Nolan was exhausted. His heart pounded in his chest, and his lungs heaved for breath.
Valdovar didn't seem to tire at all, and soon he gained the advantage. Nolan staggered as he tripped over a root, trying to evade an attack. He steadied himself and blocked Valdovar’s sword. The impact rattled his bones. He felt each strike jolt through his hand and up his arm. Valdovar already possessed superhuman strength, and the sword seemed to increase that.
The Emperor struck again. Nolan blocked the blow, but the strength of his blade was no match for the mystical steel of the Sword of Destiny. It severed Nolan's blade in two. He was left with only the hilt and a few inches of the jagged blade. Events were unfolding just like the Font had predicted.
Valdovar towered overhead, ready to strike the final blow.
42
Valdovar stabbed the blade through Nolan's chest. It pierced the armor like a it were paper, breaking through his ribs, slicing through organs. Nolan gasped for breath, gurgling as his lungs filled with fluid.
Valdovar removed the blade and gloated over his kill. "Fool. You lost this fight before it began. My flesh cannot be killed." Valdovar sighed, clutching the crystal pendant around his neck. "It was a valiant effort though."
Nolan glanced up at the victorious demon. His eyes fixed on the crystal pendant around Valdovar’s neck. A wave of realization washed over him. He remembered Valdovar had clutched the pendant before on the dreadnought when he first demonstrated that he was invincible. Perhaps the crystal was Valdovar’s amenkonti?
If he could destroy the crystal, perhaps he could destroy Valdovar?
The knowledge wasn't going to do Nolan much good now. His heartbeat was a dull thud that echoed in his ear. The world grew dim as his vision began to fade. Nolan was suffocating on his own blood as it filled his lungs. He tried to cling onto life, but everything went black.
His heartbeat thumped one last time.
Nolan went still.
His eyes were fixed and dilated, staring at the verdant canopy of foliage above him. All traces of life had left his body.
Valdovar marched back through the jungle to the clearing, where the dropship was waiting for him. He climbed the back ramp, and moments later the craft ascended into the sky. Its thrusters throttled up, and the craft rocketed toward the upper atmosphere. The sound of the engines rippled through the air.
Mia stirred in time to hear the last echoes of the dropship rumbling away. She was dazed, not sure what had happened. Her worried eyes scanned the forest, looking for Nolan. She saw corpses of the fallen Soturi, their bodies burned and mutilated by the lizard’s venom.
She sprang to her feet and her eyes finally fixed on Nolan's body. Her face contorted in horror. An agonizing screech billowed from her mouth.
She ran to Nolan's body and knelt down beside him. Tears welled in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks “No, no, no! You can't die."
Mia was utterly distraught. Besides the fact that she believed Nolan was the one of the prophecy, she had another reason to be upset—she had let her feelings for Nolan grow strong. Her heart ached, and it felt like an anchor was pulling her down into the pits of hell. Her stomach churned, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
She thrust her arms around Nolan and hugged him for one final time. Then she remembered the Elixir of Life that Master Tong had given Nolan. She reached into his pouch and pulled out the vial containing the pearlescent liquid. It seemed to glitter in the dappled rays of sunlight that filtered through the jungle canopy.
Mia stared at the liquid for a long hard moment. Then she unscrewed the lid and put the vial to her plush lips. She tilted the small container back and the elixir flowed over her tongue.
She swallowed it down and a wave of warmth rushed through her entire body extending to her fingertips and toes. Then, with tears in her eyes, she pressed her lips to Nolan's and blew life into his body. At the same time, she was exhaling her life force.
Mia stared at him one last time, and as Nolan’s chest filled with breath, Mia collapsed. Her body fell limp alongside his.
Nolan's eyes opened. He sat up, gasping for air. His confused eyes looked around, trying to get his bearings. He saw Mia’s lifeless body next to his, still clutching the empty vial. He knew exactly what she had done, and his face filled with anguish.
"No!” he screamed. His tortured voice echoed throughout the forest.
Nolan attempted to resuscitate Mia, but it was no use. Despite his efforts, he couldn't breathe life back into her lungs. His eyes brimmed with tears. He finally had to give up his attempts to bring her back.
Nolan felt sick to his stomach and unworthy. Mia didn't deserve to die, and she certainly shouldn't have sacrificed herself for him. He was sure Mia had done it because she believed he was the one to fulfill the prophecy, but Nolan knew he wasn't. He felt like a liar and a cheat for not telling her what the Font of Truth had shown him. Perhaps she would still be alive, he thought?
; Nolan scooped up her body and cradled her in his arms. He carried her back through the jungle to the clearing.
It was empty. Only the matted grass where the landing pylons of the heavy dropship had been.
Nolan grumbled under his breath, cursing at JT for abandoning them. There was no way off the planet. There wasn't an outpost or colony to be found on the entire desolate world. He could easily spend a lifetime on this godforsaken rock and not see another soul. But with the amount of danger present on the planet, a lifetime wasn't going to be that long.
43
Nolan's eyes flicked to the sky as he heard the rumble of engines ripple in the clouds. He thought for an instant that Valdovar's dropship was returning, but the tone of the engines were different. He watched with amazement as JT's skiff descended from the clouds. The vertical thrusters blew the tall grass flat as it landed in the clearing.
Nolan carried Mia’s body up the ramp, into the cargo bay.
JT's eyes filled with sadness. “Let's get her into a suspension chamber."
"What?"
“A suspension chamber. It will put her body in a quantum superposition. That will give us time to get her to a med facility, or to a powerful sorcerer."
"You know one who can revive the dead?"
JT shrugged. “I know someone who may be able to help. There's always a matter of cost, though.”
"I'll pay whatever it takes."
"That's not what I meant. Depending on the magic, sometimes what comes back isn't the same as what left, if you catch my drift."
Nolan cringed at the thought.
He helped JT put Mia in one of the quantum suspension chambers. They powered up the capsule, then sealed her inside. "Are you sure this thing is going to work?"
"It's old technology, but they built this ship solid." JT tapped on the capsule and the display panel flickered.