by Eric S Kim
“That is good to know.”
“Just tell me one thing. Tell me when this is gonna be over.”
“I do not the answer for that. The only thing we can do now is hope that the end comes just a little closer to us.”
10:36 AM
Edward now had the chance to see the fate chosen for Loretta the witch. He had turned on the television in the living room. The livestream at Ironbark Animal Kingdom had already started several minutes ago. Now, he paid attention to the naked woman trapped in the gigantic lair. Sepulveda had forced her to strip away her apparel. This would give the viewers at home a more enticing way to enjoy the show. Loretta tried to escape from the ropes bound to her hands. The tall posts standing between her housed the ropes that kept her ensnared.
This was the exact same room that Paulina Delgado previously stayed in. The giant sliding doors on the wall had opened. Zedezim had emerged from the darkness. His loud footsteps echoed all across the chamber. Loretta screamed. She tried to pull her arms away from the ropes. Her futile attempts at a possible escape would only entertain those who watched the livestream.
Zedezim licked his lips. Loretta couldn’t stop screaming. The giant mutated coyote grabbed her by the waist, cut off the ropes, and lifted her up in the air. The blonde witch, now stripped of her clothes and her magic, became Zedezim’s neck meal. She repeated Paulina Delgado’s panicky movements by trying to push Zedezim’s fingers away from her. She even punched at it without success.
She still didn’t stop screaming. “No!”
The enormous anthropomorphic coyote opened his mouth and shoved her in. He bit down hard on her back, causing her legs to twitch. He pushed her into his throat and swallowed her whole. Another woman given a humiliating end to her life by Edward’s lover. Zedezim had a satisfying meal, and the livestream viewers had a fun time watching him devour the witch.
Edward turned off the TV with the remote control. He had already seen enough. He had no sympathy for the witch that made him shrink to the size of a tiny doll. He left the living room and went upstairs. He searched for Sepulveda, who must have been in the bedroom during the public execution.
He found her sitting on the bed. She signaled him to come closer. “Join me.”
Edward found no reason to deny the mood she was currently in. He entered the bedroom and said, “ You should have seen it. Loretta was reduced to a hot meal.”
Sepulveda’s tone of voice had already grown seductive. “I have more important news right now.”
She stood up and gave him a kiss. “We did it. Vincent Yoon has given us the go-ahead.”
“You’re talking about the Zadith, right?”
“Oh, yes.”
She kissed him again. “He wants to nominate us right away. We could easily win them in June. You and I will join the Zadith and become a part of Gorvex’s family.”
The news was something that made Edward reach out for second thoughts. He tried to smile, but failed to do so. “This really is big news. But are you sure about this?”
“Yes, I am. I have been imagining the two of us living together as disciples for so long. You and I are perfect for it.”
Edward had to be truthful this time. “I don’t know if I’m right for it. I never really saw myself as a guy who belongs in the family. It’s like a culture shock that lasts for the rest of my life.”
“Oh, you’ll do fine. Trust me. I’ll show you the way. The two of us will blend in and have no regrets.”
Edward had already thought of the friends he had made in Southern California. Most recently, Joseph and the Blackjacks. If he won the nomination and moved overseas, he would leave behind a legacy that he stayed true to for so long.
He sighed. “I still need time to think about it.”
Sepulveda brought him closer to her. “Edward, this is our one chance. Our biggest opportunity ever. You and I will help rule this world. And if I am lucky, I might even take Mr. Yoon’s place and become the leader of the Zadith.”
“You’re really that determined, huh?”
Sepulveda kissed him once more. “I’ll be the most powerful human being in the world.”
Edward, despite his uncertainty, showed his appreciation by saying, “Then I’ll be your acquaintance.”
Sepulveda whispered, “Oh, you’ll be more than that.”
She pulled him into her embrace and accepted her next kiss. They held each other with intimate intentions. This time, Sepulveda left the door open as she brought Edward into her bed. The young man felt relieved to be back in her home. Even if he had lost a woman in his life, he still had another who held the reins.
FORTY-THREE
2:11 PM
The cabin on the mountain would now be left behind by the temporary inhabitants that hid from their enemies. Lionel, Theodore, and Hugo had finished their arrangements for their next voyage. Tannitari had gathered the rest of the surviving Nevinoth Dragons, despite some tearful memories brought to the foray.
As the three men gathered their belongings, Olimay had brought her head down like a heartbroken soldier that finally left the battlefield. Lionel found her alone on a tree stump near the cabin. She was silent for quite some time. Her solitude was uninterrupted by her inactive state.
He asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Olimay the red-tailed hawk slowly brought her head up. “So many friends are now gone.”
She mourned her loss by emitting a soft call. “All of them…it shouldn’t have ended that way.”
Lionel understood. “I know the feeling.”
He stroked her head with his two fingers. She welcomed the touch as she was absolutely still.
He added, “Their lives won’t go to waste. We will remember them as the heroes they’re supposed to be.”
Olimay ruffled her feathers. “I can’t wait for Gorvex to finally fail.”
“He will…as long as we find out what’s going on out there.”
“What do you suppose he’s up to?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure we’ll automatically despise it.”
“That sure sounds like the most logical response for a dragon like him.”
Theodore closed the door behind him. He became the last person to leave the cabin. Everyone else had gathered outside. Tannitari, Abakarit, Rikorro, Olimay, Sanzenia, and Jimorid stayed with the three men who were on their way out of the mountains.
Abakarit asked them, “How are we going to get to Seattle, anyway? That place could be guarded like a fortress.”
Hugo checked every one of his paraphernalia collected in his two bionic arms. “We’ll find a way. In the meantime, we have to get out of here as fast as possible. Anything can happen if we linger for too long.”
Theodore kept a map in his back pocket. “We’ll have to lay low this time. Try not to change into your original forms. It’ll bring unwanted attention when we make our move across the States.”
The six Nevinoth animals had no objections.
Lionel was ready to leave the mountains. There were no dragons or drones in the partly cloudy sky. The gentle breeze kept him calm. This was his fate. His reputation in Anaheim had been ruined. The only solace that emerged from his intended disgrace was the fact that Jerome would still be safe back home. Lionel only wished he could see his son again. He would have bid farewell before he took the risk. Nevertheless, his new ambition kept his heartbreak from being persistent.
“And we’re on our way.”
He kept his sword safely in the scabbard attached to his belt. He led both men and animals just a little closer to their new destination. Their departure from the mountains of Wyoming had begun. According to Lionel’s own estimate, it might take an entire week or so to set foot on the State of Washington. An alternate mode of transportation besides both feet would be one thing that Lionel had hoped for. He and his group sauntered down the mountainside and disappeared into the woods below. No one would receive the hint of their presence or their motive. Lionel and his friends were s
afe for now.
End of Volume Two
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
THE SOUNDTRACK
Music That Represents The Novel & The Series
CONTEMPORARY
1.
“2 Sides of Me,” by Hinder
From the album All American Nightmare
2.
“Burn It Down,” by Skillet
From the album Unleashed
3.
“So What,” by Three Days Grace
From the album Human
4.
“Enemy Within,” by Rev Theory
From the album Justice
5.
“Hurricane,” by Theory of a Deadman
From the album The Truth Is…
6.
“Here It Comes,” by Shaman’s Harvest
From the album Smokin’ Hearts & Broken Guns
7.
“Different Kind of Animal,” by Adelitas Way
From the album Stuck
8.
“Bliss,” by Red Sun Rising
From the album Polyester Zeal
9.
“Kings,” by Disciple
From the album O God Save Us All
10.
“Same Disease,” by Red
From the album Release the Panic
11.
“Incomplete,” by Thousand Foot Krutch
From the album Exhale
12.
“Take It Away,” by Ashes Remain
From the album What I’ve Become
13.
“Landslide,” by Day Of Fire
From the album Losing All
14.
“All I Need To Be,” by Fireflight
From the album For Those Who Wait
15.
“More Alive,” by Pillar
From the album One Love Revolution
16.
“My Heart Is a Ghost,” by Kutless
From the album Surrender
CLASSICAL
The Planets
Composer = Gustav Holst
Orchestra = Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor = Sir Colin Davis
Label = Philips
Symphony No. 3 in D minor
Composer = Anton Bruckner
Orchestra = Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Conductor = Marek Janowski
Labels = Pentatone
Violin Concerto
Composer = Felix Mendelssohn
Violinist = Maxim Vengerov
Orchestra = Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Conductor = Kurt Masur
Label = Teldec
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Composer = Ludwig van Beethoven
Orchestra = Philadelphia Orchestra
Conductor = Riccardo Muti
Label = EMI
Messa da Requiem
Composer = Giuseppe Verdi
Orchestra = Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Choir = Bulgarian National Choir
Conductor = Emil Tabakov
Label = Capriccio
Te Deum
Composer = Hector Berlioz
Orchestra = European Community Youth Orchestra
Choirs = London Philharmonic Choir, London Symphony Chorus, etc.
Conductor = Claudio Abbado
Label = Deutsche Grammophon
A Pastoral Symphony
Composer = Ralph Vaughan Williams
Orchestra = London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor = André Previn
Label = RCA/Sony
Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony)
Composer = Richard Strauss
Orchestra = Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Conductor = David Zinman
Label = Arte Nova
Requiem
Composer = Maurice Duruflé
Orchestra = Toulouse Capitole Orchestra
Choir = Orfeón Donostiarra
Conductor = Michel Plasson
Label = EMI/Warner
The Firebird
Composer = Igor Stravinsky
Orchestra = Philharmonia Orchestra
Conductor = Eliahu Inbal
Label = Teldec (Ultima)
Pictures at an Exhibition
Composer = Modest Mussorgsky
Orchestra = USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Conductor = Evgeni Svetlanov
Label = Moscow Studio Archives
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle)
Composer = Richard Wagner
Orchestra = Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Singers = Thomas Stewart, Helga Dernesch, Jess Thomas, Zoltán Kelemen, Gerhard Stolze, and Karl Ridderbusch
Conductor = Herbert von Karajan
Labels = Deutsche Grammophon
PLAYLISTS ARE AVAILABLE ON
SPOTIFY AND YOUTUBE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric S. Kim is an American writer of Korean descent. He was born and raised in Southern California, and is currently building a bibliography of books consisting of Science Fiction and Fantasy.