by J. E. Klimov
Bence stretched his arms higher and behind his head. He fingered two arrows. Life truly is full of cruel irony.
Malice flashed in Four’s eyes. “You’re not even trying to be subtle.”
“And what are you going to kill me with? Your bare hands?”
“Absolutely, I am.”
Bence snatched one arrow and aimed. After letting a shudder run through his body, he released the tension between the string and arrow.
Four’s head snapped the other way. When he turned around, he snarled. The arrow protruded from his left eye.
Bence strung his next arrow. Four took a step. And another. “Damn you to hell.” The gold arrowhead pierced his other eye with the sound of shattering glass.
Four’s limbs twitched. He fell onto one knee. After releasing a grunt, he collapsed to his side.
Bence held his breath to prevent his body from dry heaving. It was a gruesome sight, even for him. Balling his hands to fists, he gazed beyond Four. The remaining men and women stood, mouths askew. Some pushed past and walked up the staircase, but their movements were sluggish. A few dropped onto the ground, serving as stepping stones for others that pressed forward.
Reaching for the door handle, he kept his eyes glued to the slow march of Raiden’s army. A welcoming creak filled his ears, and when the gap was large enough, Bence slipped inside and slammed the doors shut.
“Astonishing timing, fit for a romantic tragedy!”
His bow slipped from his grip. The metallic ring reverberated off the walls. Isabel knelt on a rug at the base of the thrones, hands chained behind her back. Bence’s gaze crept up, taking in polished boots, black slacks and tunic, and with a maroon leather vest. Tattoos blossomed down his arms. A stripe of gray contrasted greatly with the rest of his jet black hair.
Bringing his fingertips together, his lips curled into a smile. “I’m sure you know who I am by now. After all, you slaughtered two, wait, three out of my four colleagues.” His studs clacked as he scrunched his nose. “You’re an aggravating little pest, but you did save me the trouble of finding you.” He flicked his arms outward and gestured to the few people peppered in the room.
“Men, here is proof that an Aeonian is the one conducting the series of brutal murders. Arrest him. He shall be executed along with the queen.”
Chain metal clinked as men lifted their shields. A Phoenix was painted at the center, but Bence could only focus on Isabel. His heart ached.
“Stop it! As the queen, I order you to cease and desist!” Isabel’s puffy eyes stared back at him. “You are my army, not Raiden’s. Listen to me!”
Raiden kicked her like an afterthought. She gasped but held in her pain. The Deranian soldiers stepped forward. They were shaky, doubtful─the true royal guard. Bence drew his sword.
“Must I remind you that I speak for King Dante, and his orders are to detain the convict. Here he is, right in front of you!”
“King?” The word eased from Bence’s throat.
“Yes.” Raiden cackled. “I think you know him. You watched him die. I thought the bounty for your head would work. But since you arrived on your own accord, I don’t have to pay anyone an award.”
It was like a living nightmare. When one soldier finally charged, Bence side-stepped and let him tumble on his own stupidity. “Blundering idiot! Listen to your queen!”
“I command you to attack, or else you will all suffer from penalty of death!” Raiden shouted. Clumps of hair fell lopsided from his immaculate combing.
The floor shook at the stampede. Grinding his teeth with impatience, Bence struck his first victim. He dodged a hurtling spear. One man shoved his shield into his torso, knocking him over. When the soldier lifted his sword, Bence struck his weapon against the floor. He froze in place.
“Got your shadow,” Bence said mockingly. He stood and swiped the shield. After releasing his sword, he parried the blow, matching blade against blade. Bence swung the shield and slammed it into the man’s helmet. He crumpled like paper. Turning around, he noticed two soldiers barreling his way. Another charged from the left. Bence flung the shield, connecting it to the soldier to his left. A clang followed by choked cries.
With a flick of his wrist, he met his current opponent’s swipe to the leg. He pushed, the soldier shoved. The helmet had fallen on this one’s head, revealing a middle aged man with a closely shaven head. Sweat shined off his skin. Leaning forward, Bence’s forehead pressed against his.
“Surrender, Aeonian!”
“You and I both know everything is a result of the usurper behind you.” Bence could see his reflection in the man’s watery eyes. As he continued to press, he slowly pushed the soldier’s sword back.
When the soldier’s strength gave out, Bence wound his arm. He froze, sensing the terror seize the soldier’s features. Bence lowered his sword and launched a fist into his face. The soldier crashed onto the floor, alive but out. He turned to find a dozen more soldiers as he tried to catch his breath. Before he took a step, they all glanced at one another. Chins quivered and knees quaked. They simultaneously dropped their weapons and ran. Some burst through the main door, while others into the depths of the castle.
Raiden scoffed. “I don’t see what’s so scary about you.”
“They aren’t scared of me. I’ve fought Deranian men before, and their hearts are fierce. They ran because they know you’re a fraud.” Bence released all his pent-up hatred, anger, and frustration like a broken dam and bolted toward Raiden.
A familiar blood orange glow flooded the room, this time the source from Raiden’s tattoos. Bence’s sword sliced right through him. Leaping back in shock, he jabbed forward. The tip of his blade pierced the throne. As he pulled back, Raiden’s body solidified. The sword, encased in Raiden’s chest, didn’t budge.
Placing a hand against his forehead, Raiden feigned pain. His choking turned into laughter. “You got me!”
Bence’s mouth dropped open. He tugged until his hands blistered. He lost grip and stumbled to regain balance. In one fluid motion, Raiden plucked the weapon from his body without any signs of a wound.
“You can’t kill me, Aeonian.”
Raiden leapt and crashed into him. Bence rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the sword thundering into the ground.
“Where’s your armlet, Isabel?” he cried.
She sped beside him, face reflecting shock. “He has it tucked away in the chapel!”
The desperation in her voice crushed him. Bence dodged Raiden’s incessant slashing. He circled the room, thinking for a solution.
“This is silly. Round and round you go. If tiring you out is the way to go, so be it!”
When his eyes landed on the chandelier above, Bence darted toward the center of the room. He beat his chest. “I’m tuckered out. Come at me!”
Licking his lips hungrily, Raiden closed in on him.
Bence slammed his foot against an idle spear. “I can disappear, too.” His pearl ring flashed with energy as he felt himself grow lighter until he was completely weightless. A magnetic pull dragged him toward the ceiling. Raiden sliced vertically where his body used to be. When his weight returned, Bence materialized on the chandelier. Its chain shuddered, and hot wax splattered against his skin. Raiden was a pathetic speck below.
Without another word, Bence struck the chain. It shuddered as cracks formed on the ceiling. After one more jab, the holding gave way. His stomach leapt to his head as he plummeted. Climbing to the top of the chandelier, Bence braced for impact.
It collided with an explosion of rock and metal. Isabel screamed. Bence slid down, joints burning with pain. Dusting his tunic, he glanced at his handiwork. Raiden clutched the twisted metal and growled.
“Moron. Didn’t you learn your lesson earlier?”
Bence picked up his sword and polished the golden hilt. “I did,” he said nonchalantly. “You’re just fine. But it’s gonna take a while for you to mutilate yourself out of there. I just need a minute.” He held his finger up.
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He raced toward Isabel and broke her shackles. Snatching her wrist, he pulled her up the grand stairwell. Bence felt her pulse race, giving him the energy to keep running.
“Ouch! You’re hurting me!” she exclaimed.
“Hello to you, too,” Bence said, winking at her. An ever-growing snowball of words rolled from his consciousness, but he held on to them. They could catch up once this was over.
They sprinted for the chapel as Raiden’s agonizing cries echoed down the corridor.
“Does this guy feel pain?” Bence huffed.
When they reached the chapel, Isabel ripped the door open. “It’s hard to say. I thought no, but he really messes with your mind.”
The armlet sat in a glass case on the altar. Bence slowed to a jog and lifted his sword. Isabel arrived first and thrusted her fist into the glass. Lowering his blade, he shrugged. “Looks like you’re doing pretty well for yourself.”
Sliding it up her arm, the four stones flashed, illuminating her face. The image stole his breath away. He took advantage of this precious moment to fill his heart with the void that had been missing. They were a team again. “Isabel, I─”
Sharp pain lanced through his body. A second object pierced his back. He strained his vocal cords, but nothing but blood spurted out.
Isabel’s hands flew to her mouth. “No!”
“Your Majesty, I think you forgot something.” Raiden’s voice slithered past Bence’s ear.
He clamped his mouth shut. Metal pics twisted and ripped deeper into his muscles. The whole back of his tunic was soaked in warm liquid.
Yelping uncontrollably, Bence was lifted off his feet by the objects lodged in his back. He cycled his legs but couldn’t reach Raiden. He felt like he was physically manipulated like a puppet. Terror, in its purest form, possessed him.
Fire rocketed from Isabel’s palm. He tucked his legs up, letting the flames consume Raiden’s legs. His grip loosened and dropped Bence on the floor. Forcing himself on his elbows, he crawled closer to her. Each movement was like a hundred daggers dissecting his back.
“Stay still! The sais. Let me remove them!” Isabel’s hazel eyes shined with worry. She bit her lip and scrunched her brows.
“Queen Isabel! You think you can be rid of me so easily?”
Bence turned on one side, fighting the swell of pain infiltrating every organ. Every time he inhaled, a wheeze escaped.
Raiden’s eyes bulged, and he ached with laughter. His clothes were torn to shreds and his slacks were singed black. Some fabric even clung to his skin. “You can’t kill me! I’ve grown too strong.”
Wind whipped though Bence’s hair. Energy undulated beside him as Isabel wound her arm. All four talismans glowed fiercely. “You’re a Healer. None of your powers can do harm, but mine can!”
Stretching his hand toward her, his tattoos lit up: Raiden’s bloodstone was completely embedded in his body.
“What are you going to do? Burn me? Blow me away? Drown me or even bury me? I’ll just end up digging myself up!”
Fuzzy beams of red and blue shot from Isabel to Raiden. Bence rubbed his eyes. His vision waned in and out. Each time Isabel’s attacks collided with Raiden, the Healer simply laughed harder.
“Is─” Bence choked.
Viscous blood dripped from his lips. Frustration stripped away at him as he scratched the floor to grasp her ankle. When the ground shuddered, the sai seemed to dig even further. He snapped back in pain. Chucks of ceiling crashed around him. A strong gale encased Isabel and himself as the roof continued to crumble.
“Die, you bastard. Die!” Isabel’s voice strained and broke with each pause.
Bence’s heart wrenched with each syllable. The internal agony battled with his physical wounds for dominance. Despair sprouted like thirsty weeds as he felt more and more useless. He had an iron-clad hunch that no external damage would kill Raiden, but he couldn’t communicate that. His fingernails scraped her boots.
Light flooded the area like a curtain ripped open. Snow dusted the world around them. Shivering uncontrollably, Bence looked around. The entire chapel collapsed, leaving one solitary wall. A pile of debris stood in Raiden’s place. Bence rested his head against the floor. It became difficult to expel his breath.
“Bence, it’s okay. We got him. Let me remove these carefully. Hang in there.”
Her voice echoed like an angel. Bence stared into a pool of his own blood. Snow swirled around like a morbid work of art. A tug lifted his body an inch from the ground. Completely numb, Bence felt nothing but pressure. Isabel pulled harder, but then stopped.
Rock scraped against one another. An alarm sounded in his increasingly foggy mind. That damn man is nothing but a cockroach.
The surge of fury illuminated his ring. It flickered in his periphery. With a sprig of hope, Bence pushed himself onto his knees. Isabel’s muffled voice rose, but he pushed her back. With everything out of focus, he zoned in only on Raiden. He stood in the pile of stone, hands on his hips, tattoos glowing blood orange.
You got powers? I have them too.
Bence motioned his hands toward himself. With a sneer, Raiden charged. Their hands met each other’s, and they grappled for control. Bence locked his arms and bent his knees. The pressure forced more blood from his body, but be shoved back.
A fire lit up behind him. Isabel is about to attack. Useless. He noticed his shadow elongating and overlapped Raiden’s. Or maybe not.
He commanded the black pearl to taken Raiden down. One knee buckled. Raiden leaned forward with a manic look in his eyes. Bence ignored the pain as he inhaled sharply and pushed his hardest, digging his nails into his opponent’s skin.
Raiden sunk a foot. His knees are giving out too!
Looking down, Bence’s eyes widened. Instead of being on bended knee, Raiden disappeared into the juxtaposition of their shadows. As he continued to push, Raiden’s arms wobbled. The pressure eased as Raiden sank further into the shadows.
You may claim to be indestructible, but no one can escape the darkness!
With one last shove, Bence forced the Healer into the abyss. Utter darkness ate through his neck, over his mouth, then nose. Raiden’s eyes stared until they, too, disappeared.
Once the shadow engulfed Raiden in his entirety, it solidified, and Bence’s hands pressed against the hard, uneven ground. Panting, energy ebbed away and his visceral pain returned. No. I can’t stop yet. I need to get Isabel to safety.
As if she could read his mind, Isabel swung an arm over his shoulder. Words spilled out of her mouth, but Bence couldn’t discern them. After studying his face, she pointed at his back, then pointed away from the castle. He nodded. He limped and relied heavily on her support, grateful he befriended a strong woman and not the prissy princess that he had originally thought her to be. Strong physically. And mentally. I want to tell her, tell her─
Isabel staggered to a halt. Blinking rapidly, he tried to see what she was gaping at. Gray walls. He shook his head and looked again. The gray walls had heads, arms, and legs. Metallic edges of weapons glistened in the sun.
When she swung him around, Isabel trembled. More gray people flowed from the broken chapel entrance. Losing grip, he slid down Isabel, and for a brief moment, heard her heart beating. It resounded in his empty mind as his body gave out. His heart thudded to the rhythm of hers. Isabel flung everything she could at the encroaching army. Wind pushed back some. Fire incinerated others. But every time she created a gap, it filled with more bodies.
This is hopeless.
A pair of men that led the pack jogged forward, swords drawn. Bence squeezed his eyes shut and focused on the sound of her heart one last time.
He grasped her ankles and pulled. She slammed onto her back, and Bence climbed on top of her. Something wet dropped from his eye and splashed on Isabel’s cheek. He tried to memorize the shape of her face, the beauty of her skin and her lush, dark hair. He wanted to remember the woman who helped him become human again. Isabel screamed.
A sword dug into his back. Then another. Bence only had a few breaths left.
Giving himself fully to the pain, the black pearl reacted, surging boiling heat through his veins. Instead of a tingling sensation, he felt like broken glass rolled against his bare skin.
He caressed her cheek and mouthed words that he couldn’t speak.
Thank you.
His hand by her head blackened and spread upward. A tug, a pull. He closed his eyes and imagined a place where Isabel could be safe.
Yes, I can picture it now. Paradise.
CHAPTER
36
Isabel continued screaming. Raiden’s men hacked away at Bence, splattering his blood everywhere. His lips had moved, but she didn’t understand. Wresting from his grip, she fought to escape.
“I’ll save you, Bence!”
Before she twisted from his grasp, his skin and clothes covered in an inky black. When a soldier struck again, Bence dissipated into wisps of smoke, or shadow. Something. It swirled around her like a cocoon. Muffled grunts and dull banging vibrated from the other side.
Isabel elbowed against the whirlwind, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free. Thoughts raced through her mind, but nothing made sense. When she commanded Tuuli’s Opal, she forced winds at hurricane strength to stretch her make-shift coffin, but it blew right through. Her breath picked up as she banged against the dark encasement.
A violent yank sent her plummeting downward as if she were hurtled off a cliff, but she couldn’t see anything. Still just a swirl of shadow. The sounds of battle faded away until she drowned in complete silence. She clutched her head as the world spun. The nauseating sensation lasted like an eternity.
Her body slammed face first onto a solid surface. Before she could move, the cocoon sucked her through the physical barrier, like passing through a bog. When everything stilled, the shadowy whirlwind dissipated. Isabel gasped for air. She flailed her arms and scrambled to her feet, but when she stood, gravity pulled her down. Crashing onto her bottom, Isabel waited for the dizziness to subside.