by Mike Simmons
Step after step, leaping as fast and far as possible, Bram leaned forward as he ran, pushing him ever closer to the Guardians. Leaping over fallen bodies and torn up earth, Bram pressed off the ground with his legs as he neared the back of the human resistance, thrusting him high into the air. Right arm back, muscles tense and ready to unleash their stored up energy, Bram released his power. The explosion rang clear within his mind, dampening all other sounds on the battlefield. The pull of gravity against his flying body eased as he froze in midair. The battle ahead and below him stilled in a single frame of action; swords in mid-swing, falling warriors caught in an invisible web, and the spray of blood from dying elves and men captured and unmoving. Silence rang within the Avatar’s ears. Bram took it all in; where he would land, who fought ahead of him, and the arc of swinging blades. He calculated his moves, for only his mind had immunity from his power that slowed all action around him. His thoughts raced like lightning as all others fell into the slow quicksand of his amazing power.
Time inched forward slowly as Bram maneuvered his blade through three out-stretched giant arms that reached for the King, seizing the small opening he saw to bring his magical blade into the side of the Guardian’s head. His blade contacted with the beast’s face, spurting blood outward in a thick mist as the blade moved through the beast’s skull, cleaving the top of its head off.
As the half-headed Guardian tipped backwards, Bram planted his foot into its chest, leaping off towards another one. Arms outward like wings and blades pointing straight ahead of him, Bram collided into the side of the beast, ramming the blade in his left hand into the beasts ribcage and plunging the blade in his right hand into its back. Bram buried both blades up to the guards, and with a “schick” he pulled them back out, covered in blood.
Another Guardian roared as it tried to grab Bram, but his ever slow movements indicated his every move. Bram ducked into the beast as its hands shot over his head, stepping to the side to avoid the beast’s incoming leg. Bram put all of his might into an upward thrust, blades first, and sank both of them into the gut of the monster, pushing them upward towards the Guardian’s chest until both blades vanished. With a quick tug, Bram withdrew his weapons and stepped away as the beast toppled over towards him.
The army of giants inched towards him ever so slowly. In the group of incoming Guardians, Bram turned his head to catch the eyes of a particular Guardian. The giant beast had its sight locked on him and in each of his six arms, he clutched various weapons from the battlefield. Gripped in his upper two arms, the beast held two mighty hammers. His mid-arms branded two-handed claymores, and his bottom set of arms held the polearms of the Blade Maidens. This beast could smash, cut, or skewer him. Bram smiled at the thought.
The Avatar of War rushed forward towards his new target. Like a mouse, he avoided the passing Guardians that stood in the way between him and the armed Guardian. The Guardian moved towards him in a straight line as well, obviously seeking to end him.
Bram watched the Guardian meticulously. He watched how the beast planted his feet, how each arm swung in stride carrying its weapons, how his body tilted from left to right as it moved, and how its hips twisted with each forward movement of its legs.
For those in real time, the distance between the Avatar and the Kella’Dune Guardian closed quickly. The gigantic conqueror swept both polearms wide towards Bram, lunging the claymores directly towards his chest while bringing the hammers down in an overhead swing; a single attack with six weapons that would normally be unavoidable.
With cat-like grace, Bram bent backwards as the polearms swept over his chest. The claymores shot over his mid-section, leaving small cuts along his belly in passing as he bridged backwards, bracing his fall with his hands on the ground over his head. As the mighty swords split, Bram kicked his feet away from the beast, throwing momentum into a leap that flipped him over as the two hammers crushed the ground where he stood a fraction of a second ago.
The Guardian stood tall and roared, holding his weapons high as his muscles pounded and pulsed with the energy of battle. Bram watched the Guardian and saw the bends in his legs tense, the balance of his arms shift and the arch in his back straighten. He prepared to leap, and Bram moved to avoid it. The Guardian bounded upwards, moving through the air with all weapons raised, ready to bring them down up the Avatar.
Bram bounded ahead, running underneath the flying beast and turning around so he faced the Guardian as he landed. With lightning strokes, Bram brought his blades down upon the Guardian’s back repeatedly, splitting him open like an onion. The beast arched his back, attempting to get away from the Avatar but Bram leaped on him, swinging his blade around the beast’s neck. Grabbing the tip of the blade with his other hand, Bram pulled the blade towards him, severing the head of the Kella’Dune.
Brandon, Jasmine, and Edward ran inside the city. The streets were cobbled and besides the damage of war, the city appeared immaculate and well maintained. As they scuttled down the main road, staying close to the roads edge, Jasmine jerked on Brandon’s shirt, motioning to one of the large towers ahead that overlooked the city. The tower, a white marble beacon within the city, rose upwards towards the heavens. Everything in Orlimay seemed to be made from marble or granite. This would be a beautiful place to visit, if someone besides Aurora governed it.
Brandon looked upward at the tower. “There are five of those here. Aurora has to be in one of them. I guess we’ll start there.”
Edward grabbed ahold of Brandon’s arm. “What exactly is your plan if she’s in there?” He looked at Brandon with soft eyes.
Brandon sighed and his eyes dropped to the ground. “I don’t really know. I just know I have to try and stop her. I haven’t actually thought about the details of it.”
“Well, perhaps you should,” Edward said bluntly.
“We’ve come too far to mess up now,” Jasmine added.
Brandon nodded. “Alright. Aurora is going to have her personal guards around her, the Lash Lords, in addition she may also have Guardians. I also wouldn’t be surprised if she has other Gifted with her as well. That’s a whole lot of mess to handle at once.”
Edward pointed again to the tower. “Aurora has to be hiding in one of those towers. She would have a visual advantage point from up there. She would also be able to use her powers at a distance. We just have to find out which one she is in. Until we know that, it does not really matter what we plan on doing. I think we need to split up. If we stick to alleyways and back roads, we should be able to avoid too much trouble.”
“I do not think that is such a good idea. We will not stand a chance if we get caught alone in here,” Brandon said.
“But time is important, and I am not too sure we can afford examining the towers one at a time. Besides, we will be spotted much easier if we stay in a group. Jasmine should not have any problems here, being female, and I am pretty good at moving through areas unseen. My only concern is if you can handle it, Brandon?” Edward looked at Brandon with a small smirk on his face.
“This is not something to joke about, but you are probably right. Aurora’s forces should all be outside fending off Reinhold.” Brandon turned his head to make sure no one approached. “Check out the towers, then meet back here in twenty minutes. Stick to the less obvious paths and stay hidden. Edward, I need you to stay here.”
Edward stood up, ready to move, when he looked down at Brandon with surprise.
“Why? We stand a much better chance to find…”
“I want you to stay here and watch for Blue. We are going to need his help. It will be easy to hide here and stay out of danger.”
Edward tried to protest but his words were cut short. “Look, Edward, we are going to need Blue. We do not know what lies ahead of us, and I know I can trust you to bring him to me. You found me twice before and there is no one else in this world who I trust more. Do you think you can do this? For me?” Brandon reached his hand out and placed it on Edward’s shoulder.
The
hardness of Edward’s brow softened. “Yes, Brandon. I will make sure Blue and I are with you when you need us.”
“Thank you, friend. Jasmine, it is up to us to find out which tower the Empress is in. Do not do anything reckless, just poke around. If there is an excess of guards, there is a good chance that is the tower we are looking for. Do not do anything by yourself. Do not be a hero. We all need to survive if we stand any chance of facing Aurora.”
Jasmine looked at Brandon attentively and gave him a small nod.
“There are five towers like that one scattered throughout the city. I saw them from the tree line,” Brandon said, pointing to the tower. We need to check all of them. Get an idea of what each tower has for defenses and then meet back here in twenty minutes.”
“Got it, I will be careful,” Jasmine added with a smile.
“Edward, are you good?”
“Yes, please, travel even the back roads with caution. We are in the heart of evil here, everyone in this place is your enemy, armed or not.”
Brandon and Jasmine both nodded. “It seems that the towers are spread out evenly throughout the city. If you head that way,” he said, pointing through the alley closest to them, “cross a handful of streets and you should be at another tower. Start there. I’ll start here and we will circle the city until we meet at the middle tower.”
“Got it,” she said, standing up in the alleyway.
Brandon gave one more reassuring look at Jasmine and Edward and then in a half crouch, hurried along the buildings down the road. Jasmine cleared half of the alleyway before Edward turned back towards the city gates.
As he scuttled down the edge of the perfectly cobbled road, Edward saw the plumes of unsettled dust and dirt surrounding the once intact gate and guard wall. Now, the towering section of the guard wall that housed the gate sat in crumbled pieces, spread across the roadway and out into the plains. The guard towers on either side of the wall lay in mounds and heaps of broken and crushed brick and stone.
Lifeless bodies, dressed in the signature armor of Empress Aurora, lay scattered about, some out in the open and others partially buried under the piles of rubble. As Edward looked upon the area, movement within the hazy air caught his attention. It was Blue!
Blue picked through the rubble, appearing to be looking for something. As Edward stepped out onto the road, Blue’s head perked up, fists clenched, ready for another round. As his blue eyes fell upon the old man, joy replaced ferocity. Blue held onto a thick metal bar in his lower right hand. It appeared that he used it to cause some of the destruction at the gate. Blue moved over to greet Edward. To Edward’s surprise, Blue ran up to him and embraced him tightly within his arms.
“Ha! Easy there, big guy! I am glad to see you, too!” Blue pressed Edward out to arm’s length away so he could look at him. Blue’s eyes rose, looking over the top of Edward’s head. The smile on his giant face slowly turned to anger. With a quick shove, Edward hit the road and rolled against the wall.
The thunderous crack of the metal whip, topped with a spinning blade, caused Blue to roar out in pain. Blood flowed from his collar bone down to his stomach from the wound. If Edward stood there, he would have been cut in two.
Whip still in hand, Petal glared at Blue and Edward. Petal, one of the four Empress High Guards, a Lash Lord, stood seven feet tall. A four-hundred pound muscle machine, he wore a black leather bondage mask with two small holes cut for his eyes and an open zipper that ran along his mouth. He only wore an elk-hide loin cloth and boots.
Blue roared again, pushing off the ground with his hind leg into a dead run towards Petal. He gripped the large bar in his hand, ready to bring it down upon him. With the snap of his arm, Petal let loose the whip towards the charging Guardian. The whip, like strangle vine, wrapped around the bar in Blue’s hand, and with a quick yank, Petal sent the bar flying overhead. Blue ran headlong into the Lash Lord, but he stood ready. Leaning into the momentum of the six-armed beast, Petal intercepted the first of Blue’s arms, instantly twisting his hips and stepping aside, setting Blue off balance as he fell hard across the cobblestone road.
Petal looked at Edward who stared at him in horror. In a harsh voice, Petal said, “I will be with you in a minute, old man.” Petal turned back to face Blue, who now stood as he brushed himself off.
Edward pulled at his power, trying to feel the depth of Petal’s power, but he could only see the Beacon’s face. He cursed, scooting up towards the edge of the building. Petal and Blue locked arms again in a fierce contest of power, each giving momentary sway to the other. Blue locked his legs into the ground and lifted Petal off the ground as he turned, slamming him into the building to their right. The white marble wall cried out as it cracked and splintered from the floor to the ceiling. Petal seemed unfazed.
Bringing his arms up in between Blue’s arms, Petal broke free from Blue’s grasp as he locked his fingers together, bringing his clenched fist down on the side of Blue’s face. Once, twice and then a third time he brought his crushing fist down on Blue. Quickly releasing his locked fingers, Petal arched his hand back and in an upward swoop, he brought it hard under Blue’s thick chin. Blue grunted as his head whipped back from the blow, toppling him backwards back onto the road.
Even though Blue stood three heads taller than Petal and outmatched him in girth, they seemed matched in strength. Petal exhibited a style of violence that Blue did not have. Petal fought like a skilled weapons master, enhanced by years of training and physical combat. Petal’s muscles were stacked on him like thick plates of body army, hardened through a life that put them to the test.
With a quick swoop of his hand, Petal picked up the giant bar that he disarmed from Blue before leaping into air on top of the Guardian. With all his weight, Petal plunged the bar into Blue’s chest, breaking through his chest cavity and continuing to push until the bar sunk into the road. Blue roared out, a pain-filled, haunting cry for help. He struggled to remove the bar that pinned him to the ground but the power in his muscles faded fast.
Petal hopped down from Blue’s chest and smiled as he turned towards Edward. Edward stared as his Guardian friend writhed to get the thick metal pole from his chest.
“Alright, you old bastard, now it’s your turn,” Petal said through the bondage mask. A smile spread over his lips. “Time to die.”
Jasmine left the first tower after peering into its open doors; a library. No one occupied any of the available seats inside. She figured that Aurora would not walk through a library to get to her quarters. She needed to get to the next tower.
She hurried through two more alleys towards the next tower. Nearing the street, Jasmine crouched by the edge of the alley, carefully watching the door of the tower. She could not see any movement. Glancing to her left and right, she bolted through the clear street to the towers edge. Moving quickly, Jasmine approached the door. Two women walked out. A faint sound, like a foot being pulled from sticking mud, stopped the women coming from the doorway.
Both women dropped their heads in a bow, bending slightly at the waste as if they might be in trouble. Simultaneously, they both spoke.
“Milady, Ivy…”
Her beautiful red hair rustled in the wind as Ivy stared hard at the two women.
“I am looking for my sister. Have you seen her?” she said aggressively. Jasmine knew Ivy had no kindness in her words and had no tolerance for anything but business. She played the role almost too well.
When neither of the women immediately spoke, Jasmine clenched her fists and spoke harshly, slowly pronouncing each of her words.
“I asked you a question. Answer me!” Jasmine yelled.
The younger of the two woman stuttered with fear, spouting out, “She’s not here. She never comes here, this is, this is the Tribunal Archives.” The woman, fearing retribution for talking to the Queen’s sister in a tone lacking formality, glanced quickly at the metal plaque attached to door. As soon as she realized Ivy had looked, her eyes instantly went back to the ground. The
all bronze plaque had bold letters across it, identifying the building as the “Tribunal Archives of Cloudkeep Kingdom.” Jasmine understood that as the sister to the Queen, she would have known that Aurora would not be there, and implying that royal blood made a mistake here in this city could be the sentence of your death.
Jasmine flapped her hand outward towards the road, commanding the women to leave her presence. Quickly, the women scuttled away out of sight. Jasmine released the breath she held deep in her lungs. Her posture eased up as she rested against the wall.
Damn, that was close. She is not here. Perhaps the next one.
Jasmine eased control from her magic, turning back to her normal form. Walking around as the Queen’s sister, who they had killed, could get her in more trouble than she could handle. Jasmine looked up, spotting the next tower. Alright, Brandon is moving as well. Hopefully he has had better luck than me.
As Jasmine neared the edge of the building opposite the third tower, the dual metal doors at the base of the tower opened outward. Two men exited the tower together, both bending at the waist as they left to avoid hitting their heads on the door frame. The men had muscle heaped on their bones, tanned and smooth. They walked with thick, solid footsteps, and each wore a black leather bondage mask. To Jasmine’s complete surprise, Aurora walked out after them.
Jasmine stared, taken aback. That is Aurora, the Queen and ruler of Cloudkeep Kingdom, the woman behind this war. Burn me. Where is Brandon?
The two Lash Lords stopped, looking down both ways of the road. Jasmine pressed herself tight against the edge of the building, slimming her profile. Satisfied with their search, the two huge men moved down the road away from Jasmine. Aurora followed.
Jasmine looked around frantically trying to find Brandon, but the roads were clear. She needed to stall the Empress in hopes Brandon would find his way here. With a quick draw of her power, Jasmine shifted into a clone of Ivy Arclight. She thought that Aurora would not pay attention to anyone of less status. It would be a huge gamble, but she only needed to buy enough time for Brandon to show up.