by Lee Morgan
“If she knew that you were disregarding her orders to guide the next sentient race, what do you think she would have to say?”
Ranvan roared out a demeaning laugh as Connor held his position behind Sorono, looking just barely over his shoulder. “So you are going to bring her into all of this? Forgive me, but neither you nor I have ever heard her words directly. If she really did want me stopped then she wouldn’t have let me succeed this far. She didn’t interfere when our brothers, Afleen and Ragke, fought and killed each other. What is to stop me from killing you? She won’t get involved, she never directly does. She isn’t worth the scum between my toes…”
“I have a few surprises of my own, even without her assistance. Don’t think things will happen like last time. This time you cannot spring a trap on me and hold me in bonds. Now we can fight honestly and you cannot win.” Sorono then turned his head from side to side to look at his own company fighters and said “All of you, please take care of Ranvan’s assistants. We brothers need some alone time and plenty of space to come to a final solution.”
Ranvan made the same gesture and spoke to his guards with a malicious grin again. “Yes, please show them how vain their hospitality really is. Get away from me and kill to your heart’s content.”
All of the Keepers slowly began flying away from the Harmonizers while also sizing each other up. Within a few seconds they rocketed away from them and began tearing into one another.
Once everyone was away from them, Ranvan chuckled and asked “So what kind of surprises do you have for me that might actually save you?”
Coolly and clearly Connor stated “That surprise would be me!” and announced his presence to the fifth Harmonizer and his elder sibling.
He altered the angle of his legs to drift around Sorono’s tense shoulder and Ranvan’s eyes locked onto his movement. Within moments both Sorono and Connor were flying shoulder to shoulder like an unmovable blockade. Together they stared down their unpardonable brother. His hazel eyes were doubtful when staring at him.
Ranvan grinned and thought “What’s this? Is this one of the so called Balancers our kind created from among the human filth? Ah yes I’ve come across a handful of them before, but they didn’t live long after our meeting. Run along little human trash. You are no match for the likes of me.” Then his head tuned to the side for a moment before he reconsidered with another demeaning grin. “Better yet, once I kill my elder brother I’ll eat you.”
“You’re mistaken if you think that you can honestly do that, brother.” When Connor used that title for him, his eyes almost bugged out. “That’s right, Ranvan. I’m your younger brother, Connor. Here’s the proof that I too am a Harmonizer.”
With a bloodstained and free left hand Connor grabbed the bottom of his shirt and chainmail and lifted it to show the mark seared into the center of his chest. Ranvan literally choked just before his clawed hand dropped to his abdomen. Connor figured that is where his brand was located. Connor then lowered the mail and clothing back down because the final fight would begin at any moment.
With wide eyes Ranvan said “How? How can this be? Why is a Harmonizer not of our superior race? This can’t be happening…” Then he smiled in denial. “That’s right… This is all just an elaborate farce. There isn’t any way that another Harmonizer can be alive without me knowing about it. That’s it, I know it.” Then Ranvan’s eyes hardened. “Doesn’t matter, it’s time for both of you to die. Say hello to our mother once you perish. The time of humans ruling over this world has come to an end. After I remove your head, Sorono, our race can finally take its rightful place as the strongest race of them all. Now it’s time for you to die.”
Without another word, the fight began. Ranvan’s energy spiked as he took a breath and released it in a gigantic red jet of fire.
Sorono and Connor were prepared for his initial strike and separated from each other to avoid being consumed from the intense heat.
Connor twisted and dove down, just like in practice, and aimed his fist at the unforgivable brother. Dark blue flames erupted from his fist moments after the flesh warmed and began glowing faintly. The dark flame grew enormously and streaked towards its target.
The flame was like a personal representation that would consume the evil of the world and Connor knew of no greater threat to the freedom of life than this very enemy.
The dark blue flame twisted and rolled furiously as it streaked its way to Ranvan’s position. Just as it made its way, Connor saw above and around his evil brother as a pure white flame of equal proportions descended from above. Both Sorono and Connor were coming at Ranvan from two different sides.
The blue and white flames connected on the single point and began twisting and blending together, growing and intensifying. The flames continued growing as they continually poured more power upon Ranvan’s location.
Just when their victory seemed certain, an arching flame streaked away from the inferno and the sky shook as the stream exploded. When Connor looked closer he saw that Ranvan had created a Pressure orb around his entire body and had come out unscathed from the attack.
I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Connor thought as he canceled the flame and went on the attack again.
Once their enemy was free of the flame, the look in his eyes said he realized that Connor truly is a Harmonizer like himself. Not only that, but his situation had compromised in terms of equality in power. Connor now became a priority target.
As he tightened a grip on Tool Connor could sense that Sorono was flying just above him and thinking the same way.
They knew that when it comes to using the elements that they can always be canceled out or avoided, but in hand to hand combat only ones skill and experience will determine a clear victory.
Sorono and Connor struck Ranvan simultaneously and were both thwarted. He had created another shield and if it weren’t for their instincts forewarning they would have crashed head first into the invisible barrier and probably have ended up like a fly on a windshield.
As Connor moved from the shield, Ranvan took that initiative and it was then that he realized just how adept and skilled in combat his elder sibling is. Unfortunately for them, Ranvan has been practicing and killing more than imagined because in a single moment they were both overwhelmed from a single opponent of equal strength.
Sorono was struck in his jaw by a well placed elbow, just as Connor felt pain from being struck in the center of his back by Ranvan’s tail.
The force of the impact launched Connor skyward and the pain grew in intensity, but he locked his jaw and managed not to scream. It took several seconds to stabilize himself in the air, but it had taken too long.
Sorono was falling towards the ground, while attempting to regain his equilibrium, but Connor’s fear had risen as Ranvan streaked in his very direction, jaws agape and prepared to devour. Connor managed to avoid the bite by less than an inch, but also took the opportunity to take a chance.
He swung Tool and connected on something solid, but not where it was intended. The target was to shatter his jaw, but Ranvan saw it coming and avoided the strike just enough to remain unharmed, but his helmet wasn’t so lucky as it was launched away from its master, faster than a bullet.
Connor’s instinct told him to move and he rolled away just in time before Dark Steel claws sliced him into pieces.
Ranvan was just as swift, but his instant battle experience surpassed his smaller sibling and Connor needed to regroup or end up dead. He dumped more energy to his legs and dived straight down until he met up with Sorono again. He kept his eyes on Ranvan, but he began rubbing out the pain from his jaw and Connor suspected he was trying to still finding his equilibrium. The sharp pain in his own back remained intense and proof that this would be a hard earned battle.
Sorono took only a moment to speak to Connor as Ranvan just realized what had happened to his helmet. “Are you alright?” He explained that he was. “Good. That was unexpected, but at least you removed a piece of his armo
r. I’m still having slight trouble not seeing double at the moment. If I attack him now I’ll only be a hindrance. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
Just as he said that, Ranvan roared and dove for them.
Connor met him half way and began striking and defending as best as he could under the circumstances. If it weren’t for his smaller size, comparatively, he would have been easily overtaken and dispatched. Connor was thankful for his greaves and armguards as they were the only things defending him from certain death. For every blow that was thrown, Connor countered and so did he. Many times he was barely able to avoid a fatal strike and for all of his efforts he managed to only make a simple wound to Ranvan’ left arm and bottom lip.
Everything went wrong as Connor fell for a feint.
Currently he found himself by Ranvan’s abdomen because it offered a small advantage from full strikes from his tail, for the most part. Ranvan pretended to use both of his hands to grab, but Connor flew up into the trap.
The fifth brother’s menacing mouth opened wide and Connor’s head was heading straight for it. He curled in on himself in hopes of flipping and diverting the flight.
As Connor flipped and poured everything down his legs to escape, Ranvan’s sharp teeth pierced cleanly into his thighs. They pierced skin, muscles and even the right femur. Pain was instantaneous, blinding and Connor couldn’t hold back an honest scream of torture. It was a pain he hasn’t felt since receiving the brand on his chest. The thick, sharp teeth went through his flesh and the jaw strength of Ranvan’s forced them even deeper, trying to sever the legs. He had found the weakness in Connor’s armor as his hips to knees were the only parts that weren’t protected. The pain became so intense that it consumed Connor’s every thought. His eyes squeezed shut in the vain hopes that he would let go.
Suddenly Connor heard three distinctive roars and the teeth that held him ripped themselves from his flesh. Connor pushed through the pain and used just enough force to get his broken right leg out of the tooth that still secured him in Ranvan’s mouth.
Once clear of death’s clutches he tumbled helplessly in the air.
Before he knew it he felt something solid wrap around his middle. He managed to open his eyes to see Sorono looking down, worriedly. Through heavy and painful panting Connor saw that he had caught him as he fell helplessly.
Before either of them could ask anything their attention diverted as another roar filled the sky. He looked above to see two floating figures and quickly realized what had happened and who the new person was.
Xaon had showed up out of nowhere and in the back of Connor’s mind he realized Xaon had been the one who followed earlier. His reddish orange eyes were both alight and focused. His katana was being firmly held in both of his claws and it looked to be stained and dripping with fresh blood.
They looked at Ranvan and realized how Xaon had rescued him. Ranvan was looking in both pain and unbridled rage. Xaon had cut off almost all of Ranvan’s tail and left it a useless and bleeding nub. Their friend had bided his time and struck once he had an opportunity. Xaon did two things that changed Connor from feeling pain to hope. He not only saved his life, but also dealt real damage by severing off one of Ranvan’s primary weapons.
Suddenly Xaon mentally shouted “LET’S PLAY!!!” Just as the rescuer leaned forward for another fight with his blade, Ranvan struck without remorse.
Connor’s mind kept running so fast that everything was slower and clearer, but that made what he saw even worse.
Before Xaon could even see or avoid the attack, Ranvan clutched his throat single handedly. And with a single twist, snapped Xaon’s neck and he went instantly limp. He just killed one of the oldest keepers Connor had ever met and one of the most personable and playful, without hesitation.
Sorono and Connor watched as their companion was thrown away like garbage and fell to the earth, lifeless. The friend had saved him, but ended up getting killed.
Ranvan was still too preoccupied because of the pain from his severed tail. He ripped a piece of his red robe in a long strip and began trying to make a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
While he struggled Sorono said “Connor, I’m sorry you were hurt and Xaon lost his life. I am capable of defending myself now, but I cannot hold you and take him on.”
“Drop. Me. And. Go!” Connor yelled through gritted teeth.
“Staunch your bleeding and wait for an opening. I will do what I can.”
Sorono’s grasp opened and he dropped him. As he flew up to Ranvan Connor managed to fly on his painful left leg and hover.
Just as Ranvan made the final knot on his tail, behind his back, he and Sorono began fighting furiously.
Connor knew that his ripped shirt wouldn’t be strong enough to make a tourniquet for his legs, he had on something stronger. After sliding Tool on his hip, he ripped the mangled shirt off from the collar and held it between his teeth. He loosened the strings on the armguards, knotted the cloth around each punctured leg and pulled the chainmail links ends tight enough to slow the bleeding.
Connor looked up and saw that his two elder brothers were dead even in terms of the battle. Now all there was to do was wait for an opening to exact justice and his personal revenge.
Now all he could do was watch as Sorono fought with all he had.
Ben, Amphrite and Sarah covered each other as they flew around the city and drew in the unsuspecting Keepers into a trap. So far the trap worked well, most of the time, but some of the enemies needed to be taken care of if they knew they were setting up a trap. Those that weren’t killed by her family, on the top floor, felt the bite of Fangs and none lived long after the meeting.
So far they’ve taken down over four hundred Keepers together. This location truly was one of their primary targets.
The city remained a live battlefield and it was a good sign because that means that they haven’t lost as many as projected. The sparing they got from fighting the good Keepers and the lessons Connor gave them had tipped the odds in their favor that much more. Many opponents still remained, but at least their own forces remained strong.
During one of their runs with ten or so Keepers on their heels Sarah felt Connor in pain. Sensing this put their lives in jeopardy because it made her have a moment of hesitation. Just before anything could happen to her or her companions she turned around and slit the throats of their pursuers. If it weren’t for having the speed and ability from being a mate to a Harmonizer they would have all been killed for her actions.
Once they were in the clear Poseidon almost chewed off her head for getting distracted, but he went silent when Sarah told him that Connor was hurt and in pain. After a few minutes they returned to the top floor and explained what she felt to the others. At least they were sympathetic in her position and didn’t give much grief. After all she was the only one among them who fought alone.
Suddenly someone outside the window yelled “SARAH!!!”
They all turned to see her grandfather Ryan barreling his way towards them. He was frightened and covered in blood, including his. He flew directly for them and when he landed he was panting heavily. He ran straight up to her and quickly grasped her shoulders.
Jillian became worried and almost yelled in asking “Father, what is going on?”
Without looking at anyone, but his granddaughter, he stated after a deep breath “Sarah, we need your help. There is a Keeper stronger than all the others we’ve come across. It moves like you and we cannot keep up. It has already killed nearly a hundred of us and isn’t showing any signs of weakening like the others.”
She asked in a surprisingly calm voice “Where is this Keeper?”
“Laura is with the others to try and stall the Keeper.” He pointed to the southeast while saying “It’s that wa…”
His words cut off suddenly and as his eyes un-focused and rolled up in his head. The grip he held on her shoulders relaxed. Then it was like someone cut the strings that held him up and his knees buckled and began to drop.<
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Sarah grabbed his body as her heart raced at realizing what just happened. As she slowly helped him to the floor Jillian shrieked “FATHER!!!”
Jillian was by her side and her fingers went straight for her grandfather’s throat, to see if there was a heartbeat. In a few seconds she announced through tears and a sob “He’s gone. That means…Mother?” They all understood what had happened as Sarah’s mother turned around to bury her face in Jack’s chest.
This is the fate for all Balancers, should their mate perish.
Her grandparents were gone from this world and they at least made amends to their unjustifiable ways of treating all of them. Their hearts went out to them.
Sarah slowly stood up a few moments later, after closing her grandfather’s lifeless eyes. She turned around to see the heartbreaking scene and announced “Ryan, came here for a reason. If I don’t go, his warning would result in more deaths. Don’t worry Mother, I’ll kill the Keeper who did this.” She glanced at the others and said “You know what to do. Keep luring our enemies in and taking them down.”
Before anyone could say anything or try and stop her, she ran and launched herself out of the window and headed to where Ryan pointed. Sarah needed to get there quickly so that this murderer didn’t have time to escape.
She streaked high above the individual battles and saw that they were just as intense as the next. She needed a better way to find her target. Using her aura she saw where the most likely fight is. There were hundreds of auras battling one big one. This enormous aura was blood red. Fright struck through her because Sorono said that Ranvan’s color was crimson. Sarah thought that Ranvan had come here, but upon a closer look this Keeper appeared indeed a female.
This female stood in the wreckage of a building. She was surrounded by rubble, trash and over a hundred Balancers using the debris as cover to attack her. She just stood there and Sarah assumed she was laughing, but she was laughing as weapons and elements were being thrown, spewed, volleyed and launched directly at her, but were all ineffective as they hit an invisible barrier that completely surrounded her body.