TWENTY-NINE
My eyes stared at my father’s body, his youthful face now pale, and his scattered eyes gone of purple. Thunder boomed in the sky as flashes of light appeared every few seconds. The sky began to change from purple to a bright red. The world of Pearu had a new ruler, and it wasn’t me. Staring across the battle, my eyes landed on Lilith. Her head was tilted up towards the sky. Feeling my eyes upon hers, she dropped her head and stared at me with red eyes. She’d killed my mother, and now she was set on destroying my world. She would not be leaving here alive.
“Aristaeus no!” Zeus voice shouted behind me, but it was too late.
I ran for Lilith with speed as I lunged myself up from the ground. I dodged the bat of a giant as I flew over his head towards Lilith who waited patiently for me in her chariot. I raised my demos in the air and brought it down towards her. I didn’t even get a chance to touch her. She gave a wave of her hand, as I flew over her and onto the ground behind her. I landed on the ground with a thud, my blade going through my thigh.
“Ahh!” I screamed out. I pulled the blade from my leg as blood dripped down it.
I pull myself to a stand, the muscles in my leg tightening as they reattached. My moonstone ring lit up as my hand was tugged in front of me. A hell hound appeared before my face as it lunged at me knocking me down on the ground. I brought my hands up blocking the teeth of the hound as it tried to nip at my face.
My head swirled around on the ground as my eyes latched onto Lilith. She’d gotten off her chariot and was now walking amongst the battle. Creatures ran at her from both sides trying to get a hold of her, but she simply knocked them away as she did me.
I turned my focus back on the dog, its eyes red the same color as its master. Just the sight of that red color was enough to make me snap. Reaching around the hound’s neck, I gave it a quick snap before tossing it to the side. Two more followed as I kicked one over in Grethen’s direction and I sliced the other’s head off.
While I had been busy with the hounds, Zeus and Lilith were locked in a battle. Zeus seemed to have the upper hand as he knocked her around. I got up and made my way towards them when my attention turned to one of the Gods. The God approached Zeus with an evil look on his face. He held a golden staff as he brushed aside any creatures that got in his way. I turned to see where Astraea was located. She was off on the far side with Poseidon double teaming a giant. Zeus had no one to cover his back. He was left wide open.
Putting my demos away, I called forth my own power. I followed the same steps I did when I was in my bedroom at the palace. I felt the heat in my hand as the white ball began to form in my hand growing larger and large. This time as I released it, I had more control over it.
The ball zoomed smoothly through the air as creatures got out of its way. Zeus, Lilith, or the God didn’t seem to take notice of the light. The ball reached closer to them as the God stepped directly in its path. The ball hit the God, his staff falling out of his hands. He dropped to the ground on his knees as the other Gods turned to stare at him. They glanced from him to me automatically assuming I’d taken out one of theirs without proper cause.
They rushed at me as I prepared myself for battle.
Astraea landed in front of me guarding me the same way I’d done her.
“Stop it! You can’t kill him.”
“He killed Apollo!” Shouted a female God.
Apollo. I’d killed the God that had banished Samr from their world. Was this fate or the Creator’s way of punishing him?
“Apollo was about to attack your King.” I said. “I saved his life.”
The God reached to grab me as Astraea blocked her pushing her back.
“I won’t let you harm him. Any of you!”
The Gods stared at Astraea as if they couldn’t believe she was choosing me over them. I knew the look too well because it was the same look my father and the rest of the elite gave me. The female God opened her mouth to give a retort when the ground began to shake.
A cold chill began to sweep the air as wind picked up. Debris flew in the air as the wind whipped away anything in its reach harshly.
“What’s going on?” Astraea asked glancing around. The other Gods didn’t seem to have an answer either as they tried to figure it out as well.
I took in the scene as everything began to slow down for me. The cold chill, the harsh wind, the reddening of the sky, these things were unfamiliar with the death of a King. There have never been a death of royalty in Pearu, but I was quite certain these things did not come along with it. This was something different. This was the plague.
“It’s Eris.” I shouted. “She’s released the plague.”
The wind picked up even more roughly as small clearing appeared in the sky. One by one the Gods were ripped from the ground and pulled back up to the sky. Zeus went to go grab Lilith, but the wind caught him pulling him up as well.
I was not going to let her get away.
My boots flew across the ground as I felt my new strength taking over me. Using a falling giant for a boost, I leaped into the air, my demos raised high. Lilith turned around, her eyes wide with fear. I’d caught her by surprise. There was nowhere for her to run. Time seem to slow as I neared her. Our eyes connected for a slight moment, and then she was no more.
I landed on the ground as Lilith’s head rolled to the side. It was done. Lilith was dead.
“Aristaeus!
I turned around to see Astraea struggling to keep her balance.
The wind had caught her legs and was about to pull her up. I ran over and grabbed onto her hand as I felt myself being drug across the ground. Dyos and Grethen made their way over to me and grabbed onto my body as we all tried to keep Astraea from being pulled away. The wind picked up as dirt and debris flew around. Out the corner of my eyes I saw a shadowy figure making its way towards us. A blue ball rested in front of it as the figure neared us.
The force of the wind pulled again, yanking Astraea higher. With one final tug, it yanked her along with us as we all were pulled towards the sky.
I stared down at shadowy figure that seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. The world of Pearu began to blow past us fast as we were pulled towards the sky. The world of Pearu darkened with each passing second of the plague. There was a moment where everything froze, and then we were gone.
EPILOGUE
A blur of colors whirled around us as our screams seemed to encase us. We’d found ourselves in a world of tornado as different images flew past us. The spinning got faster and then stopped dropping us. We fell from a distance, our hands no longer attached. One by one our bodies collided with the ground.
“Ow.” Dyos cried. “Where are we?”
I pushed up from the ground and turned to see Dyos and Grethen. I didn’t see Astraea. Filled with fear, I turned behind me and spotted her. I sighed with relief. “You’re okay.”
Astraea did not reply.
“Astraea?” I said making away over to her. I grabbed her arm, but she continued to look straight ahead, her mouth ajar.
“Is anybody going to answer me?” Dyos complained. “Where are we? This place is giving me bad vibes.”
The sound of running boots brought all of us to attention. Groups of creatures approached us, dressed in battle gear. As they surrounded us, I took in the symbol on their armor. Now I know why Astraea didn’t reply. We were no longer in Pearu.
We were in her world. We were in the world of the Gods.
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