by C. J. Lloyd
In the distance, bright orange lifeboats floated in the ocean, a good sign that there were survivors from the naval ships. She focused, trying to sense the energy in the area, but the dark energy was crushing and foul. There was no point. She couldn’t feel anything under the overwhelming pressure.
“Anything, V?” Eden asked.
She shook her head. “It’s like the darkness is interfering with my ability to sense anything but darkness. I can barely sense you guys, and you’re right next to me. It’s thick and sticky like tar.”
Terra stepped between them and spread her hand on the ground. Her eyes became fluorescent green as the ground swayed. She bit her bottom lip, trying to focus, then sighed and shook her head. “The way that castle is set up, it’s made to counteract earthquakes. Whoever made that place thought of everything.”
“Calamity made it,” Rai said. “That place is massive and filled with dozens of rooms. I mean, I could use a giant tidal wave to smash into the place, but …” Rai looked out to sea at the dozens of lifeboats that dotted the ocean.
Violet understood immediately. “Thanks for taking them into consideration.”
Rai shrugged.
An explosion of black sand launched Violet and the others back, scattering them over the beach. The earth rumbled as the air crackled violently. For a moment, Violet thought it was an airstrike, but an uproarious laugh breaking through the settling sands deterred the notion.
Calamity rose from the ground with Allure at her side. Calamity’s appearance had changed completely thanks to the two large horns protruding from her forehead. Though her face kept some of the human features, she looked more like that drawing in the Book of Old now more than ever. She obviously had finally decided to show her true colors.
Violet focused, trying to sense her powers. Nothing.
“Where’s Enzo and Elric?” Rai asked.
“Oh, don’t worry about them. They’re dead.”
Everyone froze. No, it couldn’t be true; it didn’t make sense. Calamity had to be bluffing. She had to. Why would she kill Elric? She’d built everything around him and put all this time and effort into his abilities.
“You’re lying!” Jennifer yelled.
Calamity’s hands spread open in resignation. Her bright orange pupils flickered in a way that didn’t go with her gesture. “I’m not taking my chances fighting six Titans. That’s why I’ve decided to take care of the main problems first. So now, only four left.”
She looked at the others greedily, her teeth sharp like a demon’s.
“You don’t stand a chance against all of us!” Eden shouted. “You wouldn’t last ten minutes with the four of us.”
“And there she is.” Calamity grinned ear to ear, looking over at Jennifer. “The only one who I have to get rid of in order to help fulfill my part of the bargain.”
“Bargain? What bargain?” Violet asked.
“Nothing that concerns Sage’s pup.” Calamity threw her arms out, and long claws sharp like knives spread out at her side. “Allure, take care of those three annoyances. You deserve a little bit of fun.”
“Gladly.” Allure shrieked, transforming into her bat form. She tightened her claws and licked her fangs as she scowled at Sasha, Manie, and Alfred. “It’ll be an honor to slay the three of you in the name of Calamity.”
“Can you guys handle her?” Violet asked, looking over her shoulder.
“I’ve been waiting for this for way too long,” Sasha growled, glaring as Allure glided to the opposite side of the temple. “Don’t worry about us. You just worry about yourselves.”
Violet knew Sasha, Manie, and Alfred had gotten strong over the years since Zaroule died. But Allure was still a general and one of the surviving originals at that. I have to trust them. I can’t keep holding them back. “Make her pay for what she did to Z. Finish what he started, got it?”
Sasha’s eyes changed from their usual olive green to her wild orange as tears cascaded down her orange fur.
“We won’t let you guys down,” Sasha barked. “Kick Calamity’s ass!” she shouted just before the three of them bolted in the direction where Allure had gone.
“So, all we have to do is take her down, and this ends?” Terra asked in a low voice.
Light emitted from Jennifer, first in sharp spurts, snapping and crackling, then pulsing in waves. “I don’t know what you did to Elric, but I know you didn’t kill him. You can’t. No matter how strong you think you are.”
“I’ve been around before either of your great-great-great-grandparents were even considered. From the shadows it was I who created the Titans by manipulating the most powerful Anomaly into doing so. It was me! I’ve battled all of the Titans and have come close to killing all of them, only sparing their lives because I knew I could use them as valuable pieces. You should bow and worship me as your mother and creator, infant.”
Eyes widening, Violet thought about Zaroule and Sage. An Anomaly with the power to create the Titans. An Anomaly with god-like power. Absolute. Was it true? Did Calamity even have her fingers in the creation of the Titans?
Jennifer’s face hardened. A blast of light rocked the ground and blew through everyone. “I don’t care about your résumé; you haven’t fought me. My name’s Jennifer Reeves, adopted and raised by the Reeves family, trained by the queen of the Pride Empire, and the vessel of light. You’ve been doing a lot for a long time, but it ends today.”
Violet smiled, feeling the light shove the darkness back. The once blackened sand had become bleach-white as if whatever darkness had settled had been purified.
“Big talk coming from a little girl.” Calamity started laughing. “But no matter what you say or think, Elric is dead all the same. He was nothing more than a knight on my chessboard, a useless piece that had only a significant part in ushering in the apocalypse.”
“And I’ll kill you for that,” Jennifer said, imbued in a blaze of golden light.
Violet was blinded by the light around Jennifer’s body. The aura burned brighter than before. “Jennifer, wait!” Violet reached for her, but there was nothing there. She moved so fast it was as if only her image remained.
A thunderous crash rocked the island and sent ripples through the ocean. Jennifer was in front of Calamity now. Calamity shielded one of Jennifer’s blow with her arm.
Calamity jumped back close to the steps of the temple. Jennifer appeared in front of her again and slashed down on her. An explosion ensued, turning the large black stones of the temple to dust. Her attacks and powers reminded Violet of Elric, but Jennifer’s speed was far beyond anything that could be seen.
Calamity’s long thin tail wrapped around Jennifer’s legs, binding them together. Her legs were ripped from beneath her as she hit the sand with a thud. Jennifer dangled over Calamity’s head, struggling to get loose, but couldn’t reach the tail with the energy she used as a blade.
A slight breeze blew by Violet as she watched Eden run toward them in a blur.
Calamity launched a blast of blackness at him. Violet watched as Terra formed a fist made of blackened sand and smacked the blast away. Without wasting a second, Eden sliced through the thin tail, freeing Jennifer.
As soon as she hit the ground, she bolted toward Calamity. A hand made from the blackened sand grabbed Calamity and slammed her to the ground.
“We can take her,” Eden yelled. “I say we go in for the kill, now.”
“This freaky chick needs to go down,” Rai said, standing. “For Enzo and Elric!”
Dozens of large serpents slithered out of the ocean, increasing in size. They hissed, spitting boiling water onto the sands as their eyes filled with life.
Monstrous apes dug themselves out of the earth, eyes green and bright against their blackened bodies, matching the vibrancy of the puppeteer controlling them. Terra tightened her fists with a fury in her eyes that Violet hadn’t seen in her before. For the four Titans, this was personal.
Calamity squirmed in the grasps of the large hand. �
�You shouldn’t be too cocky, children. You really should respect your elders.”
A serpent darted toward the massive black hand of sand with an earth ape beside it. Calamity burst from its grasp, jumping onto the shoulders of the ape. She dug her razor-sharp claws into the neck of the ape and tore its head clean off, returning it to a pile of dust. Blackness consumed her claws as she leaped to the serpent, cutting it clean in half. Instantly, it turned into a puddle of water.
Eden appeared in front of Calamity, coming down with an attack of his own. She grabbed his hand and sliced across his chest.
“Eden!” Violet screamed. She threw her hand toward him, focused, and teleported him to her side.
He fell to the ground, blood trickling from the wound, but he was slowly healing.
“I’m alright,” he said, rising to his feet. “You plan on joining us any time soon?”
Violet hadn’t had a chance to react. The four of them were on a different level. Watching Eden and Terra fight was one thing, but four Titans was a sight to behold. She thought about the threat levels the secretary of defense had discussed; no wonder they weren’t taking any chances.
Calamity dusted the sand out of her tangled black hair. “I’m impressed. Eden, right? Who’s next?”
“I’ll take you up on that offer.” The golden aura consumed Jennifer’s entire body, golden sparks flickering and popping all around her.
“Come then, babbling infant.” Calamity sunk into her stance with a long black tongue licking her fangs.
Violet watched Jennifer explode forward, leaving a crater in the sand. Everyone shielded their eyes from the intense brightness. Thunder radiated over the island. When Violet opened her eyes, Jennifer was going blow for blow with Calamity.
Calamity put her hand up to block an attack. Jennifer cut clean through, ripping her arm off. Then Calamity’s tail pelted Jennifer across the face and sent her into the sand.
Violet studied the tail. Eden had just cut that thing off. What’s going on?
Calamity regained her footing and jumped onto the temple, looking down at them. Her right hand dripped a black fluid, and her fingers oozed out of the stump as her arm regenerated.
“Good as new.” She giggled playfully, cracking her knuckles. “You can do better than that, right, Jen? You are the Titan of Light after all.”
Jen threw her left hand out to her side and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Violet watched in the distance. Jen was mumbling something, but Violet couldn’t read her lips. A mass of light glowed in her hand. Then Jennifer nodded.
A battle-ax formed from the light. Jennifer slashed into the air effortlessly, wielding it like a skilled warrior. Both of Calamity’s hands pulsed with dark energy as she lowered her gaze, and like Elric’s power, three black streams of energy formed from her darkness.
Violet couldn’t move. She watched the four of them in awe, the power within them far beyond her own, overwhelming to the point of suffocation. The only time she felt this way was when Elric and Eden had fought each other. When their beasts took charge, and they nearly killed themselves. But this was different. They were in control, and yet the weight of their power felt horrific.
Violet thought about the Anomaly who created the Titans. It was true. Calamity said it, the words coming from her own mouth, and she didn’t need to lie. Why lie? Why now? Violet looked down at her hands. The ground trembled as her eyes shot up to the battle unfolding before her.
Three of the earth apes stampeded toward Calamity. She cut them down with ease. Two serpents went after her as well, but with no effect; they were cut down just the same.
Jennifer rushed in, coming down on Calamity with the ax. The three streams went for Jen’s skull. It was now or never. Violet flashed over, cutting the streams down and reducing them to particles.
“Violet, finally ready to die like your mentor, I see.” Blackness engulfed Calamity’s hand like an ominous flame. She grabbed hold of Jennifer’s ax and wailed. Her flesh burned away, leaving nothing but a grotesque skeletal hand. “I don’t know who trained you for battle, Jennifer, but I like your style. Too bad I have centuries of battle experience over you.”
Calamity smashed her horned head into Jen’s, forcing her back. Then she released a blast that threw Violet over the beach and Jen over the ocean.
“Jen,” Violet cried, watching a massive wave catch her. Violet looked to see Rai’s hand orchestrating the wave from the shoreline. It rolled her back to the beach as Terra ran over to help her stand.
Calamity stood proudly, claws on her hips. “You little maggots will sleep peacefully.”
She raised her hand to the sky toward the darkening clouds. In the palm of her hand, a large mass of energy was taking shape.
Enough of this. Violet teleported behind Calamity, her hand sizzling with purple energy as it sharpened into a psionic blade. Calamity hadn’t noticed because she still had the upper hand.
Violet plunged her hand through Calamity, making her back arch. Violet ripped her hand free, watching Calamity crumble to the ground, black fluid seeping from her pale lips in rivulets.
Calamity crawled onto all fours laughing hysterically. She stood, working a claw around the gaping hole in her stomach. “That was very, very sneaky, Violet. Seems you learned a lot from Sage before I killed her.”
The wound closed, and before Violet could make a move, Calamity’s tail rattled her across the chin.
Calamity laughed, grazing a claw over her jet-black lips to wipe away the inky fluid. “I don’t understand why Legion fears you. You’re not even my best work.”
Violet crawled to her feet, swaying in the ominous wind. Eden glided to her, keeping her balanced. She could feel the warmth of fluid coming down her nose and lips. Eden tore away some of his shirt and pressed it to her face.
“Hey, you’re going to be okay, alright?”
Her ears rung, competing with the echoing thud of her racing heart, but nothing compared to the aching pain that came in waves from her nose. That was just her tail. Violet imagined that a blow from her fists could be even worse, maybe critical. Her dirt-caked fingers searched her face. Her nose felt out of place. Yup, definitely broken.
Eden caressed a blood-stained strand that lay across her face and moved her hands away. He laid Violet down by the others, holding the shirt over her nose. “You can sit this one out, Violet. We got this.”
“You were just talking trash about me not getting involved. Now you want me to sit this one out? I can’t. I can’t let Sage down like that.”
He smiled as he caressed her face, then kissed her on the forehead.
“You can call me out on it later, but she’s strong, really strong. I can’t let you get hurt. Besides, you’re always showing me up, and I’m a Titan. Let me save you now and then,” he said with a shrug.
Violet grasped his wrist. She could see her vibrant purple eyes in his fierce, unwavering blues. That was the old Violet, the girl she hadn’t seen since she plunged her hand deep within Elric’s chest and blew him off that cliff.
“Screw that.” She pulled the shirt away, snapped her nose back, and began healing it. She fought the pain as it faded. She splashed warm salty water into her face, washing away the blood from her lips and mouth.
Rai leaned over, giving her a sly smile. “No, she’s not sitting this one out, the hell with that. If I couldn’t kill her, Calamity isn’t either. Right?”
“Damn right.” Violet took a deep breath and faced the demonic-looking woman. Calamity was becoming more monstrous by the minute. Violet focused her breathing, calming herself.
“Every detail, every move from the creation of the Titans until now was all part of my plan. The wars of this world, the war in Ermak …” Calamity laid her long claws on her hip and leaned forward, patronizing them. “I’ve been manipulating people and moving pieces exactly where I wanted them to go. Everything has been my work of art, my spider web of decadence.”
Violet tightened her fists, trying to understand Ca
lamity’s words. “So, you’re saying you helped plan this out with Blight?”
“Blight?” Calamity’s expression looked as if she’d bitten into something bitter. “Blight was nothing but a philosopher I corrupted with dark power. Just like the other generals, he was more of a rat led by the flute. You give people a little power, fill their empty, worthless lives with ideals, and there’s no telling where they’ll go.”
“No.” Violet thought about the pain and suffering in Ermak, Sasha and Manie’s family, and Alfred’s parents still fighting in the war. Purple energy wrapped around Violet’s arms and legs. Her red hair rose to the sky as the energy radiated from her. “You really are a monster. You don’t care about who you hurt or who you kill. Why?”
“When you’re offered a seat at the table with the gods, you use whatever means necessary.”
The gods? Violet teleported toward her and released a beam of purple energy.
Calamity countered with her own black beam. An explosion launched Violet back, but a hand of sand grasped her. She turned to Terra, whose green eyes glowed from the strands sprawled over her brow, sweat streaming down her face.
Calamity covered herself in a dark sphere of protection and raised her outstretched claws to the thunderclouds above. Black lightning struck from above, causing explosions all around them.
Violet raised a shield over the group. She wasn’t sure what good it would do, but it was all she had. A black bolt struck near, shattering the shield, and scattered them around.
“You see this? It’s the same attack I used to kill Elric. It was a pinpoint attack right through his chest. I watched as he bled out myself. In his dying breaths, I explained how I had his parents murdered, how I utilized and manipulated a mad man to destroy his life. At least he died with some kind of peace, and so will you.” Calamity raised her right hand to the sky as the lightning bolts struck closer.
Violet swallowed hard. Between the quaking ground and the thunder rumbling above, she was out of ideas. She held her breath and closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip.