Bacorium Legacy (86 page)

Just then, an idea clicked in Luca's mind. He considered it, wondering if such a thing would work. He'd never used the spell in such a way, but it was possible. It would use up a lot of mana, however. If it failed...

Well, this would be his last chance, then.

Luca drew himself up to his full height, and sheathed his sword. He focused, gathering a considerable amount of mana in each of his hands. He started off, running down the hall towards the throne. Zinoro flourished his sword and assumed a battle stance in anticipation.

Warping, Luca closed the distance between them. Zinoro did not take the chance to strike, instead waiting cautiously to see how Luca would attack. There was a flash of light, and Zinoro turned away to avoid losing his vision.

Luca warped again, again appearing in front of Zinoro. Still, no attack came. Luca lingered for only the briefest of moments, before producing yet another flash of light and warping away once more.

This process repeated a third time, and when Luca appeared after that, this time Zinoro closed in to attack. Luca was ready. Before Zinoro could get close enough to reach him, a handful of magick needles were thrown and Zinoro dodged to the side, not losing a second of momentum.

Zinoro swung his sword, and Luca warped away again.

A bit of light caught Zinoro's attention. He turned, and saw a ball of light floating in the air near where Luca had been. An illuminating orb.

Whether or not Zinoro knew what was about to happen, Luca did not know. But even so, the Acarian king seemed to understand an attack was coming, so he jumped away from the orb. Before he could get very far away, the orb exploded, releasing a hundred magick needles flying in every direction.

Luca appeared, and threw more needles at Zinoro. He dodged, only to find Luca appeared a moment later, this time with his sword drawn. If Zinoro continued in the direction he was going, he would have no way to avoid being stabbed, so he kicked against the ground and forced himself away.

Only then did he see the second illuminating orb Luca had placed, and that he was headed right towards it.

Luca sent out the mana signal, and Zinoro landed on the floor, the orb right in his face. For the briefest of moments, he needed to stop completely before he could move again, and that gave Luca a very brief window of opportunity. Within the span of the brief second after Luca sent the mana signal, and the orb burst open, Zinoro jumped away.

It was enough.

Though Zinoro was fast enough to escape the explosion, he was not fast enough to escape the shrapnel. The needles scattered, and Zinoro flew through the air and landed some distance away. As he landed, Luca saw at least two or three needles stuck in his legs.

That was it. Within a few seconds, the magick would kick in and Zinoro would lose the use of his legs.

Luca warped to Zinoro's side, and swung his blade. Of course, Zinoro was fast enough to block the attack, and he took a step back as Luca pressed forward. Zinoro blocked the second stroke just as well, but as he tried to step back, his legs were stiff and unresponsive.

For the first time, Luca saw glimpse of frustration in Zinoro's face.

Zinoro then jumped away, putting distance between them both. Though his legs were growing numb, he was still capable of moving and standing, though his gait was shaky and sluggish.

Luca, however, wasn't done. Zinoro knew this, because he spotted a third orb hovering very close by.

Luca started to run towards Zinoro, a set of needles in his hands, ready to throw. Zinoro jumped away as Luca swung his arm. However, it was a feign. Luca then warped once more, and the needles were still in his hands when he reappeared.

This time, he did throw them.

Zinoro landed and found his back was up against one of the pillars. With only a second to think before the flying needles hit him, he jumped. His numbing legs did not carry him as high as before, but it was enough for him to avoid the needles.

He did not even see the fourth orb, hovering just around the corner of the pillar, until he was right beside it.

There was a brilliant flash.

When Zinoro hit the ground, his entire right side was covered in magick needles. Luca, who stood in the centre of the hall some distance away, watched, as Zinoro began to shake.

“You thought that those flashes of light were me creating those traps?” Luca asked from across the hall. “Really, that's exactly what I wanted you to think.”

“You figured out the loophole...”

“Loophole?”

“I couldn't foresee those orbs you made, because they were not direct attacks,” Zinoro did not seem amused. He stared at the needles in his arms and legs, as his shakiness grew.

“You can see the future?”

“Not quite. Just things that may harm me, and only just before they happen...” he groaned, and his sword fell to the ground, his hand no longer able to continue holding it. A moment later, his legs gave out, and he fell onto his back. Zinoro did not move. His body was unresponsive. He was beaten.

“I did it,” Luca muttered to himself. “I beat him...” He could hardly believe it. As he stood there, taking in his victory, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His mana was growing empty.

He stood up, his breaths heavy. He began to walk over to Zinoro's inert form. As he drew closer, he saw Zinoro's right eye watching him. His claymore rested on his numb right side, and though Luca knew Zinoro could still move his left arm, there was no way he could reach it.

“I've won,” Luca said. He pointed his sword at Zinoro's throat. “This is for my father.”

“You think you've beaten me?!” Zinoro demanded. His single eye stared deep into Luca's own.

Too late, he remembered, and he realised what was about to happen. Zinoro's mana swelled, and Luca felt the pain strike him, every nerve in his body on fire. He blacked out, lost to his senses. Whatever happened next, he didn't know. The few seconds that it lasted seemed to go on for eternity, and when it was finally cut off, by a single sharp pain in his gut, it was a relief beyond words.

His vision returned as he fell out of that world of pain. He saw Zinoro, still collapsed on the ground, staring at him with a strange expression.

Luca's chest hurt.

“This - this is not how I wanted this to happen.”

Luca slowly looked down, seeing that Zinoro was holding a sword - Luca's sword - with his left hand. Luca must have dropped it while he was lost in that pain.

Next, he saw the colour red, flowing down the steel blade in beautiful lines. As the blood flowed down the sword, he followed it to its source with his eyes - the blood was flowing from Luca's own chest.

It took his mind a few moments to put together what had happened. But somehow, he knew, partly from judging by the disappointed look on Zinoro's face, and partly because he might have actually been aware of it in spite of mindless pain from before. He knew that Zinoro hadn't stabbed him. Luca had dropped the sword when the pain took him, Zinoro had picked it up, and then Luca had fallen onto it.

Zinoro let go of the blade like it was on fire, then he stood up slowly. He truly was strong, if Luca's paralysis magick had already worn off. Even still, he stood on shaky legs.

“There is no honour in this. I knew this would end with your death, but this is not the way I would have had it happen.”

Zinoro grew silent for a moment, perhaps considering something. Then, Luca heard him snap his fingers.

Silently, Luca pleaded with him. No, no, no. Please, she's been through enough already. Don't make her watch this.

“Luca?” came the sleepy voice of Emila. “Luc...” She then trailed off.

Zinoro stepped aside, as Luca heard the sound of Emila's footsteps running to his side. “No... No... Please, this can't be happening...”

Gently, she turned him over. Now Luca could see what was happening. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked him over. The sorrow in her expression turned to rage, and she turned away from him. Rising to her feet, she slapped Zinoro across the face.

“You bastard!”

Zinoro said nothing. He turned his gaze away, not looking her in the eyes.

Emila returned to his side, her mana already rising. Luca felt her hands find the wound (when had the sword been removed, he wondered), and the soft glow of healing magick emanated from her.

“Don't bother,” Zinoro told her in a flat voice. “The wound is mortal. I didn't wake you up for-”

“Shut up!” Emila screamed at him. “Shut up! Don't you ever speak to me again, you inhuman monster!”

The glow of Emila's magick faded, and Luca heard her sobbing. “C'mon, please. Not now...” Her voice was quiet and choked, but it was the only sound in the hall. The glow came again, and after a few moments it faded with no change.

“I woke you so you could say your goodbyes,” Zinoro told her. “If this is how he dies, then I can see the prophecy was wrong. He never had any chance to beat me, and I'm not going to waste another minute waiting for fate to change when it is not going to. I'm going to T'Saw. I am ending this entire game right now. I will come back for you when it is over.”

He started to leave, but stopped after taking a few steps. He then added, “Emila. After he is gone - go on upstairs. That is all I ask of you.”

Zinoro walked away, and after a long minute or two, Luca heard the sound of the throne room door opening and closing.

As soon as Zinoro was gone, Emila took Luca's head in her hands and looked right at him. “I won't let you die. I'll save you. I'll reconnect us through the tether, just like before. You'll be alright. I promise - just stay with me, okay?”

He was trying, but he could feel a deep weariness coming over him. Glancing down at the wound, he saw an amount of blood covering himself and the floor that he wouldn't have believed he could hold. Emila's white dress was ruined from it. And out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father's sword.

He had failed him - he had failed to avenge his father.

Emila was gathering her mana. Luca knew what she was about to do, and for some reason, the thought of it worried him. He wanted to tell her to stop, to just let him go, but he choked on the words.

“Just hang in there. Everything will be alright.”

Luca felt Emila's mana filling him. The air began to glow, and a cold breeze ran through the room. Luca hardly noticed the drop in temperature - he was already so cold as it was...

After a minute or so, Luca felt the connection between the two of them, renewed again. It was comforting to feel, like a breath of fresh air after being submerged in water. He felt complete again, being reunited with his other half.

Emila gasped, and smiled. “See? The tether is back. You'll be fine, everything will be...”

She trailed off. Something was wrong. Emila's face was beginning to grow pale.

“No...” she said in a quiet voice. “That can't be - it's not possible.”

A stain of red blood was growing from Emila's stomach.

With a shaking hand, she hesitantly touched the red pool. She gasped and winced as she did so. Her expression fell to complete despair.

“Luca, I - I'm so sorry... I messed it up.”

She was growing paler by the second - far too pale from shock alone. Realisation dawned on Luca, and he felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

Why did she need to do it? Why had she gone and thrown her own life away as well? Why couldn't she have just let him die...?

He understood why. She had wanted to save him. She had always wanted to save him. And if their positions had been reversed, he likely would have done the same.

But now, things were so much worse. The very thing that had saved him so many times over had betrayed him in the worst way. And now, not only was he going to die, but he would have to bear with dragging her down with him in his final moments...

But even now, he could not stand to see her cry. With what little strength he could muster, he reached his hand up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. With that little gesture, he saw the look in her eyes change. She understood that he didn't blame her. A smile appeared, in spite of all the sorrow.

Emila leaned in, and kissed him, long and full of meaning. A thousand unspoken things were said through that kiss. Apologies for mistakes, and regrets that this was the end. But also the fondness of the time they had shared.

When Emila broke the kiss, she no longer had the strength to rise. Her shallow breathing matched his, and her heartbeat was in time with his own. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but he felt a great sleep coming over him, and he didn't think he could hold out much longer. The only think keeping him going now was the knowledge that each moment he kept his head above the current was another he could share with her.

When he saw her, though, her eyes were closed, and her lips were curled in a small, content smile. She looked at peace, possibly more so than he'd ever seen her.

He thought he heard footsteps rushing towards him, but perhaps it was just his imagination. Or more likely, it was Brand and Wiosna and Gordon coming after them. What a thing to stumble across, he thought. The both of them, lying there in a pool of blood, too gone to be saved.

At least Emila was happy in her final moments. Perhaps it was the knowledge that even though he was dying, she would not have to go on without him.

Thinking about it all, he understood what it meant. The connection they had shared. She had once told him the magick would drive them together. Perhaps it had. But even without it, they would have still ended up in the same place. He just knew it. Luca closed his eyes as well, as content as the girl in his arms.

Luca let out a long breath, and did not draw in another. His heartbeat stopped, and he saw nothing more.

Chapter XXVIII

A Sun Sets, A Sun Rises

The front gates of the palace of Acarienthia swung open, and the Acarian king stepped out, garbed in his full black battle armour. The two men guarding the palace bowed to him as he emerged, though he strode past them without so much as a glance. Zinoro descended the steps down into the city, his black cape billowing behind him in the wind. He marched with the look of a man about to commit a grave evil - a man on a path that could not be deterred.