by Clayton Wood
“This is your fault!” he accused, feeling rage build up within him. “You let this happen to her!”
“Kyle...” Darius began.
“No!” Kyle shouted. “You could have stopped this! She's dead because of you!”
“Kyle!” Kalibar shouted, laying Ariana on the bed and standing up to face his son.
“It's true,” Kyle retorted, turning to face Kalibar. “He stood there and did nothing while you and everyone else got hurt! Just ask him,” he added vehemently, turning back to face Darius. “You let everyone get hurt and die around you because you just don't care.”
“Kyle!” Kalibar warned grabbing Kyle's shoulder with one hand. “I know you're grieving, but Darius is too,” he stated. “Everyone grieves in their own way.” Kyle hardly heard Kalibar, feeling his old resentment toward Darius building up within him. No, this time it was something more; he truly hated the man now.
But Darius said nothing, staring silently at Kyle for a long moment, then turning his gaze to Ariana's still form lying on the bed. The muscles of his jaw rippled, and he clenched his gauntleted fists once, and then again.
Then he strode up to Ariana's bed, slipping off his gauntlets and throwing them to the floor with a loud clang. He leaned over her, pushing Kalibar gently away, and placed one hand on her right shin, staring down at her pale face for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, Kalibar put a hand on the bodyguard's shoulder, a concerned look on his face.
“Darius...” he began.
But Darius ignored Kalibar, gently pushing his employer's hand away. He shifted his hand to Ariana's left shin, then reached into the recesses of his armor with one hand, pulling something long and tapered out from within. Kyle recognized it instantly.
It was a green crystal.
Kyle heard Kalibar gasp, and the old man reached for Darius's hand, but the bodyguard batted Kalibar's hand away, rotating the crystal so that its pointed end faced downward.
“Darius, where did you get that?” Kalibar shouted. “Don't do it,” he commanded, lunging for the crystal. Darius blocked Kalibar's arm in one fluid motion, nearly tipping the Grand Weaver over in the process. Kalibar leaped up from the bed, facing the bodyguard defiantly. “If you so much as touch that crystal to her head, Xanos will possess her, and we'll all be dead...is that what you want?”
Darius ignored Kalibar, lunging forward and slamming the green crystal into Ariana's forehead.
Kalibar shouted, leaping at Darius and grabbing the bodyguard's arm. Darius spun around with blinding speed, sending Kalibar flying into the bed by Ariana's feet. Then he returned to Ariana's side as if he'd never left it.
The crystal lowered itself slowly into Ariana's forehead, burrowing through her pale flesh. Then it stopped for a moment. Kyle heard a sickening crunching sound, and nearly gagged as the crystal suddenly sunk a few inches into her skull, then slid more slowly downward until it stopped, the broad base of the gem forming a vibrant green diamond-shape on her forehead. Darius reached down to press one finger on the butt of the crystal, and it sank a fraction of an inch lower, until it was beneath the level of her skin. Then he placed his hand over her forehead, closing his eyes. When he lifted his hand, the skin on her forehead had closed, appearing whole again.
“We're all doomed,” Kalibar warned, rising up from the bed, his face pale. “Even if I had magic in me, I...”
“It's okay,” Kyle interjected, breaking his gaze from Ariana's face. He walked up to Kalibar, clasping one of the old man's hands in his own. “He knows what he's doing,” he added. Kyle's anger toward Darius had vanished, replaced by an immense sense of relief. But Kalibar pulled his hand away, shaking his head vehemently. He pointed one finger at Ariana.
“The minute she wakes up, everyone in this Tower is going to die.”
“Kalibar,” Darius stated suddenly, turning away from Ariana and toward the Grand Weaver. “It's all right.”
“How?” Kalibar countered. “You don't know the first thing about...”
“Remember the being who gave you back your eyes?” Darius asked. Kalibar froze, then nodded. “After I killed the Dead Man, I kept his crystal,” Darius explained. “Your...benefactor modified it.”
“Wait, he visited you?” Kalibar blurted. Darius nodded.
“He's the reason we made it back here alive,” he replied. Kalibar stared silently at Darius for a long moment, then turned to Kyle.
“Is that true?” he asked. Kyle nodded.
“It's true,” he confirmed. “The Dead Man captured us, and uh, that guy showed up and killed him.”
“Wait, what?” Kalibar asked, his expression incredulous. “You're talking about the Dead Man? He's alive?” Darius smirked.
“Not so much.”
“He's the one who kidnapped us,” Kyle explained. “He was brought back to, uh, life by Xanos, I think. He killed Master Banar and took us back to the Arena.”
“Brought back to life?” Kalibar asked incredulously. He lowered his gaze, shaking his head. “How can we defeat an enemy who can raise the dead?”
“It gets worse,” Kyle admitted. Kalibar's eyebrows raised.
“Worse? How?”
“The Dead Man was storing an army of Behemoths above the Arena,” Kyle explained. Kalibar stared at Kyle for a long moment.
“Behemoths,” Kalibar repeated.
“Behemoths,” Darius confirmed.
Suddenly they heard a piercing scream, so agonizing that it set the hair on the back of Kyle's neck on end. All three men jumped, then spun around.
There, sitting bolt upright on the bed, was Ariana, her eyes wide with terror.
“Ariana!” Kyle exclaimed, bursting with joy. He ran to her and hugged her, squeezing her tight. But she pushed back against him, her arms incredibly strong, shoving him backward. He stumbled, slamming his back against the wall. Ariana stared at him for a moment, her chest heaving, her eyes wide. Then she turned to Kalibar, scrambling backward in her bed.
“Ariana,” Kalibar soothed, reaching for her. She shook her head, crawling backward until she met the headboard. Kalibar paused, then smiled at her kindly, stepping backward. “It's okay, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You're safe.”
Ariana sat there for a long moment, staring at Kalibar. Then she turned her head, glancing at Kyle – still up against the wall – and then Darius. Then she turned back to Kalibar, her shoulders relaxing.
“Kalibar,” she stated with relief. She glanced at Kyle again. “Sorry Kyle,” she said, smiling apologetically. “I thought...” Then she frowned. “Wait, what happened?”
“You were...hurt,” Kalibar explained. “You're okay now. No one's going to harm you.” Ariana lowered her gaze, apparently thinking this over for a moment. Then she shook her head.
“Something's wrong,” she declared, glancing up at Kalibar. “I don't feel right.”
“You've been through a lot,” Kalibar said. Then he sighed. “Ariana...”
“No,” Ariana interrupted, her eyes narrowing. “Something's wrong. She glanced up at Kyle with her lovely brown eyes, and quite suddenly broke out into a huge smile. “Kyle!” she exclaimed, leaping off of the bed and running toward him. He cringed, bracing himself against the wall right before Ariana crashed into him, giving him an enthusiastic hug. Too enthusiastic; he felt the air explode from his lungs, his ribs threatening to splinter under the incredible power of her embrace. He gasped for air, flailing his arms uselessly. Ariana leaned backward, frowning at him.
“What's wrong?” she asked. Kyle wheezed, his vision blackening. Ariana let go of him just before he passed out, stepping back from him with a concerned look on her face. He slid down the wall onto his butt, sucking air greedily into his tortured lungs.
“What's wrong?” Ariana repeated, bringing her hand up to her mouth. She knelt down, putting a cold hand on Kyle's cheek. “Kyle, what did I do?”
“Ariana,” Darius interjected, kneeling down and putting a hand on her slender shoulder. “I need to tell you something.”
“I'll do it,” Kalibar interrupted, putting a hand on Darius's armored shoulder. Darius shook his head.
“This is my failure,” he countered, his voice resolute. “I did this to her,” he added. Kalibar stared back at the bodyguard for a long moment, then nodded silently.
“What are you talking about?” Ariana pressed, glancing suspiciously from Kalibar to Darius. “What's going on?”
“Ariana,” Darius said, squeezing her shoulder gently. “Tell us what happened to you.” Ariana frowned, then lowered her gaze, her eyes getting a faraway look. Then she shook her head.
“I...it's hard to remember,” she admitted. Her eyes narrowed, and she bit her lip. “Something woke me up,” she added. “In the middle of the night...I can't remember why.”
“Go on,” Darius encouraged.
“I remember Jenkins,” she continued. Then she shook her head. “Or a butler.” Then her eyes widened, and she looked up into Darius's eyes. “I think...I think I was attacked!” The memory seemed to startle Ariana, and she rested backward, sitting on her butt, gazing off into the distance.
“Who attacked you?” Darius pressed, his voice still uncharacteristically gentle. Ariana shook her head, looking confused.
“Someone in a blue shirt,” she answered after a long moment. “He tried to kill me.”
“Was it Jenkins?” Darius asked. Ariana frowned.
“I think so,” she replied. “Yes, I think it was,” she added more confidently. “But he had magic.”
“Of course!” Kalibar interjected, slamming his fist into his palm. “The assassins...Xanos is putting crystals into our butlers!”
“What?” Ariana asked, turning to face Kalibar. Darius put one bare hand on her cheek, gently bringing her gaze back to his.
“Tell me what happened next.”
“I...I think he stabbed me,” Ariana replied, clutching her chest with both hands, her eyes widening. “Oh god, he stabbed me!” she exclaimed, her face contorting in terror. She slid backward on the floor, crawling until her back struck the wall behind her...until she was right next to Kyle. Darius frowned.
“Ariana, I need to know what happened next.”
“What happened next?” Ariana repeated. She paused, then frowned. “What happened next...” Then she gasped, staring down at her left shin, peeling back her pants leg with both hands, exposing smooth, pale skin below. Darius glanced at her leg, then back at her, saying nothing.
“He cut me!” Ariana exclaimed, her eyes widening with terror. She glanced at Kyle, then Kalibar, then back to Darius, pointing at her leg. “Someone else...he cut me right here!”
“Who cut you?” Darius pressed, his voice still calm, almost hypnotically monotone. Ariana frowned.
“An old man,” she answered.
“What did the old man look like?”
“He had bad breath,” Ariana replied, wrinkling her nose. “And...he was really old,” she added. “I think he told me his name.”
“What was his name?” Darius pressed. Ariana frowned, her eyes narrowing. She sat there for a long moment, staring at the floor in front of her, then shook her head.
“I can't remember.”
“What happened next?” Darius asked. Kyle caught Kalibar frowning, and knew the Grand Weaver was annoyed that Darius had switched topics so quickly. Kyle gave Kalibar a reassuring smile, hoping that the old man would trust the bodyguard enough not to interrupt. His hopes were realized; Kalibar pursed his lips, but remained silent.
“He said you'd died,” Ariana answered, her eyes widening. “He said someone opened me up, and carved runes into my bones.” She retracted her leg, grabbing it with her hands and staring at it intently. Then she looked up at Darius. “He said we should remember the past,” she added. “Then something about...eyes...and...” She shook her head in frustration. “Why can't I remember?”
“Give it time,” Darius murmured. “You're doing fine.”
Ariana paused for a long moment, then sighed.
“I think he said something about me not understanding,” she continued. Then she frowned, her eyes narrowing. “No, he said I wouldn't live long enough to understand.” Then her eyes widened, and she grabbed her left wrist, staring at it. “He cut me!” she exclaimed, running her fingernail down her forearm. Despite her proclamation, the skin was perfectly intact. She frowned, looking at her other forearm, which was also intact.
“Darius,” Kalibar warned, but Ariana stood up without warning, clutching Darius's armored biceps in her hands. The golden metal buckled under her grasp, her fingertips sinking into the metal itself. Ariana stared down at the crumpled metal, then let go, stepping backward.
“What's wrong with me?” she asked, gazing at her fingertips in disbelief.
“Ariana, sweetheart,” Kalibar interjected, stepping toward her. But Darius barred his path with one arm, his eyes locked on Ariana.
“You died.”
Ariana stared mutely at Darius for a long moment. Kyle stepped well clear of her, not wanting to risk her fury; if she could mangle Darius's armor, there was no telling what she could do to him.
“What?” she blurted out.
“You died,” Darius repeated. His tone was almost cruel in its finality. Ariana shook her head.
“But I'm alive!” she retorted, looking down at herself. She stared back up at Kalibar, her eyes pleading. Kalibar sighed.
“It's true, honey.”
“But I'm alive,” Ariana insisted. Darius stepped up to her, grabbing her right hand and pressing it against her chest, pressing her back into the wall in the process. Ariana resisted at first, then relaxed.
“Feel your heartbeat,” Darius commanded.
Ariana frowned, pausing for a long moment, her head lowered. Then her eyes widened.
“I can't,” she whispered.
“I brought you back,” Darius explained, letting go of Ariana's hand and stepping back from her.
“But how?” Ariana pressed, shaking her head. “That's impossible!”
“It isn't,” Darius countered. He raised his hand up then, pressing two bare fingers against Ariana's forehead. He kept them there for a moment, then dropped his hand to his side. Ariana stared at him for a long moment, then brought her own hand up to her forehead, running her fingers across the smooth, pale skin there.
“I'm sorry,” Darius murmured.
“What?” Ariana blurted out, her eyes narrowing. “What did you do to me?”
“It was the only way,” Darius explained, his tone gentle.
“What did you do to me?” Ariana repeated. Kalibar grabbed Darius's shoulder.
“I don't have any magic,” he warned, glancing at Ariana. Darius ignored the Grand Runic, his eyes locked on Ariana.
“I used the Dead Man's crystal,” Darius replied. “It's inside you now.”
Ariana stared at Darius for a long moment, her eyes as wide as saucers, her jaw slack. Then she stumbled backward until her back was against the wall, her mouth opening, then closing.
Then she screamed.
The sound was horrendous, the sheer agony and terror wrenching Kyle's heart. He backpedaled away from her, covering his ears with his palms, goosebumps rising on his arms. Kalibar backed away as well, with only Darius remaining where he was. Ariana took a deep breath in, then screamed again, clutching at her forehead with her hands, curling her fingers into claws. She went wild, raking her forehead, digging her fingernails into her own flesh. Darius lunged forward, grabbing her arms and pinning them to her sides, pressing her up against the wall.
“Calm down,” he ordered.
But Ariana resisted, clenching her fists and pulling them upward. Her eyes were wild, her face twisted in rage. Darius didn't budge, his grip holding fast. Ariana pressed against the wall with her back, tiny cracks forming in the stone behind her.
“Ariana, yield!” Darius shouted. His voice slammed into Kyle's mind, shocking in the sheer power of it, and Kyle found himself backing away, and glanced at Kalibar, who ha
d taken a step back as well.
Ariana froze, staring at Darius, her eyes still wide. But the madness slowly faded from them, and she unclenched her fists, lowering her gaze. She nodded mutely, and Darius released her, taking a step backward. She stood there for a long moment, then slumped slowly to the ground, propped up against the stone wall.
And then she cried.
Her pale, slender shoulders shook with each sob, and Kalibar immediately knelt beside her, putting his hand on one of them. Kyle hesitated, then moved toward her, putting a hand on her opposite shoulder. Darius took her chin in one hand, raising it up until her eyes met his. Despite her weeping, no tears fell from her eyes.
“We couldn't lose you,” he stated. “Your family loves you.”
Ariana continued to sob, holding a hand up to her forehead, the skin unblemished from her violence toward it earlier.
“He's inside of me,” she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. “I can't do this.”
“He's dead,” Darius countered. “His crystal is just a tool, Ariana. You're not the Dead Man, and you never will be.”
“But it's inside of me,” Ariana insisted. “I'm like him now!”
“It doesn't matter,” Kalibar interjected. “We love you, Ariana.”
“We all do,” Kyle added, squeezing her shoulder. It was disturbingly cold, and the horrible truth was that it reminded him of the Dead Man. But he hid his momentary disgust, smiling at her. Ariana turned to face him, the barest hint of a smile appearing on her lips.
“I can't believe you're alive,” she murmured, reached up and squeezing Kyle's hand. He howled, dropping to the floor, yanking his arm away. Her grip had nearly broken his hand! Ariana looked startled. “Oh Kyle, I'm so sorry...!”
“It's okay,” Kyle mumbled, shaking his throbbing hand and bringing it to his lips. “Wow, you're strong,” he added with a rueful grin. Ariana paused, then smiled faintly.
“Sorry,” she repeated. “I'll be more gentle next time,” she promised, slowly raising her hand up and patting Kyle on the cheek. Kyle tried not to cringe in anticipation of a bone-crushing slap to the face, but her touch was indeed gentle this time. He forced himself to relax under her icy touch. She turned to Kalibar.