Chapter 30
Melousa strode down the palace hall, her footsteps echoing softly on the marble floor. When the Blood Empress had told her that she wanted her to simply walk into the palace through the front gates, Melousa had thought the empress to be mad. No one, especially somebody her size, could possibly walk into the palace undetected. Nonetheless, here she was, moving within the walls of her greatest enemy’s’ home. The cloak the Blood Empress had put over her was working much better than she had first anticipated, and Melousa found herself wondering how the dark wielder could manage to hold such an ability from such a long distance.
Melousa frowned, pushing her massive body against the wall as three Missean soldiers, clad in brown armor, dashed past her. They were so close that she could smell the human stench that reeked from them. It took all her will power not to reach out and snap their necks.
There was no use in giving away her position just yet. Surprise was an advantage she was not ready to surrender.
She stepped through the grand hall, savoring the kill that now seemed so close. She stayed close to the walls and waited for a moment, making sure to not run into the soldiers who were sprinting up and down. They were no doubt about to take positions around the castle in an attempt to protect the empress during the attack. She smirked at the futility of their plan.
Once the hall had been cleared, she moved toward the throne room, where her enemy would no doubt be.
She climbed the stairs. Her eyes settled on the wide open doors, beckoning her in. Within moments, she crossed the carpet and stood outside the grand hall. It was a large room with green and red plants aligned against the walls. The room itself was nearly empty, save for a number of cushioned chairs that were set up at the center. There was a large balcony that led to the outside. In it stood the woman who had ruined her life all those years ago. The years had definitely been kind to Empress Latiha, which only served to infuriate Melousa even more. Despite being over a century old, she looked to be in her late sixties. The empress stood on her balcony, overlooking the city. She wore a long white robe. Golden earrings hung from her ears. At her side stood two guards. From the pins on their chest, Melousa knew they were Rohads.
The Orian queen reached for the double doors and slammed them shut. Empress Latiha, along with the two Rohads, stared toward the explosion of sound, utterly bewildered.
“I see the Golden Wielder’s protection spell had benefits to yer aging. Too bad he not be here no longer!”
“Melousa,” said Latiha quickly, recognizing the deep voice. “Why do you hide like a thief in the night?”
Thief?
Melousa’s blood boiled. She tapped her arm twice as the Blood Empress had instructed her to do. A second later she was fully visible. “The Queen of the Orians does not be a thief. It was yer who stole from me!”
Latiha took a step forward, her footsteps echoing loudly. “For the last time, Queen Melousa, I did not steal from you. Your sister chose to leave your clan by her own accord.”
“Yer be quiet! Yer stole her from me. Now I will steal yer life as repayment!”
At the sign of the threat, the Rohads took a defensive position before the empress.
The male Rohad turned to his female counterpart. “I’ll go in close range, Lenka. You back me up with your wielding.”
The skinny girl with the void emblem nodded. “Y-yes, Relis.”
The queen felt rejuvenated by the fear in the eyes of the Rohads. She knew that fearful prey was the easiest to squash. This was going to be easier than she had initially thought.
Relis moved in with his sword. From afar, Lenka closed her eyes, concentrating her attacks into blue orbs of water.
The queen recognized the strategy well. It was one that worked well in two against one attacks. One attacker would keep her busy with weapon attacks, while the other attacker would land element attacks from afar. It was a sound strategy but one that was useless against her. Her ancient skin would make sure of that.
Relis brought his curved sword down in an arch. Melousa grabbed the weapon, ignoring the flames that engulfed the weapon.
“Got her!” cheered Lenka. Her celebration died out when the paltry water orb splashed against her muscular ribs without even causing a dent. “What the?”
“Now be my turn!” The Orian warrior moved with a speed honed by years of intense training. Her fist drove into the unsuspecting Relis. Winded, he staggered back a few paces, only to have Melousa snatch the weapon from his hand. With a scream, she ran his own sword through his neck, almost severing his body in two.
Having dispatched one adversary, she turned her attention to the other two.
For a moment, Lenka stood still, body shaking. She took a deep breath, seemingly collecting herself. Her hands smacked together. She then opened her arms. From between her elbows emerged a sword of mud. It left a trail of muck on the floor as Lenka sent it flying forward, tip pointed at her enemy.
It didn’t matter. Melousa took the hit to her chest in stride. Having closed the distance, she drove her knee into the skinny girl’s torso. The sound of cracking ribs was audible as Lenka fell. She rolled on the ground heaving and spitting out blood.
“Weak void wielder be dead!” She brought her fists together and drove down, eager to deliver the finishing blow.
Her moment of triumph was taken by a well-placed blow to her ribs by the empress. Melousa rubbed the place where the attack had landed, surprised the old woman could hit so hard.
“Yer be strong, Latiha.” She beat her chest. “But not as strong as yer used to be!” A hand clutched her around the leg. She looked down at the pathetic sight of Lenka trying to hold her back.
Seeing an opportunity, Latiha threw herself at Melousa with a flurry of punches. They were placed well enough but were slow. The Orian queen dodged the attacks easily. She counterattacked with a single punch that landed on Latiha’s cranium. The empress fell down to one knee.
Tired of wasting time, Melousa wrapped her hand around Lenka’s neck. She applied force, snapping the neck like a twig.
She savored the taste of victory as she thundered toward the downed Empress. “In our last bout yer had that wench, Ishani to save yer. Too bad she not be here anymore!” Melousa kneed Latiha in the face. The empress fell to the floor. Blood poured from her broken nose, soiling her white robe.
Latiha tried to say something, but Melousa brought her elbow down on the empress’s face. The sharp sound of bones breaking and Latiha’s whimper of pain sent shivers of adrenaline surging through Melousa’s veins. She mounted the empress, and with her giant hand, she covered most of Latiha’s face.
“That be right,” hissed Melousa as the empress kicked and flailed her arms in a futile attempt to break free. The Orian queen brought her muscular knees down on Latiha’s arms, effectively pinning her to the floor. Her enemy’s blood gushed between Melousa’s fingertips and her body shivered. The thrill of seeing her mortal enemy so submissive was exhilarating.
She had come close to killing Latiha many years ago. She had held her down in this exact position, except that time, when victory was so close, the Golden Wielder’s woman, Ishani, had come to her friend’s aid. In her many years, Melousa had only tasted defeat that one time. Now, however, the savage queen reveled in the fact that there was no Ishani to hinder her plans.
“Where be yer precious friend now!” Melousa pressed down once more. Latiha moaned one more pained whimper, and then her body went still.
Elated, Melousa removed her hands, staring down at the bloody figure that was once the elegant empress. It was time to make an example of the Missean leader. She laced her fingers around her fallen adversary’s leg, pulling her toward the balcony. There she would hang Latiha for her subjects to see. With their beloved empress dead, the Missean people would surely lose their will to fight.
“Come say hello to yer people,” she said, making sure to break Latiha’s knees as she pulled her. Latiha could feel no more pain, but the sound of snapping bones sounded so good that she did the same to every finger, toe, and arm of her adversary.
Cackling to herself, she tied the rope around Latiha’s neck. It was time to make the Missean army crumble.
Chapter 31
“Let me in,” said Keira. Maru, her polar bear cub, ran beside her, providing the vision she needed to move so quickly. The loud footsteps of her aide, Raji, thundered a step behind her.
The guards who stood on the palace gates apparently recognized her, because they moved aside, letting her dash through the yard, into the palace, up the stairs, and down the hallway.
As a young girl, Keira had thought that being blind was a handicap. After all, many were the playing sessions she couldn’t attend because of her lack of vision. The palace plays put on by the jesters provided no entertainment. How could they when she had no idea what was going on? However, now she knew that having been born blind was actually a blessing. It had allowed her to create a bond with her bears that before would have been unheard of. And having lost the gift of sight had other unforeseen, but beneficial consequences. Her other four senses, taste, sound, touch, and smell, had been enhanced to the point where she had inhuman intuition, an intuition that led her here.
Moments ago, she had been on the frontlines with Aya, ready for the attack, when she sensed a slight disturbance moving beside her. She had looked over at the collection of large rocks that rose and fell unevenly. The feeling that something or someone was moving over them came again. Aya had told her that there was nothing there, and indeed, using the vision provided by her bears, she herself did not see any movement.
“I must be going crazy,” she had told Aya, returning her attention to the Suteckh army that had amassed before the city walls.
However, three minutes ago the feeling had come again. This time it was inside the palace. The cloak seemed to have fallen, revealing a dreadful vengeful spirit.
“I have to go,” Keira had said. “The empress is in danger.”
Aya, who had learned to trust her unconditionally, nodded and said, “Go then.”
Her black and brown bears, Draiven and Aykori, had wanted to come with her. Keira had ordered them to stay behind, though. They would be needed in the upcoming battle. Besides, she only needed one bear for visibility. It wasn’t as good, but it was better than nothing.
Keira breathed heavily as she ran up the stairs. She had the feeling that she was too late. Her sense of dread intensified when she saw that the doors to the royal palace were closed shut.
“Knock it down, Raji,” ordered Keira, glad she had brought the massive warrior with her.
The ever loyal Raji ducked and drove forward, elbow first. His frame slammed into the thick door, sending it swinging open.
For a long moment Keira stood motionless as she took in the sight before her. She blinked time and time again, trying to make the scene disappear. It didn’t.
A massive woman, matched only in height by Raji, was standing on the balcony. Her legs alone had to be the height of Keira’s entire frame. The woman was holding the mangled corpse of Latiha. Her face had been beaten beyond recognition. Keira only knew it was the empress because the corpse wore a white gown that had been painted in blood. As if she hadn’t caused enough damage, the empress’s killer was now tying a rope around Latiha’s neck, as if to further defile her.
The sight stirred a hate inside Keira she had reserved for her deceased uncle. She clenched her trembling fists. “Let her go!”
Seeing that his master was in obvious pain, Raji moved in to retrieve the corpse.
The woman dropped the body and brought up her hands. Both massive warriors clashed time and time again. Neither tried to dodge or feign an attack. They stood toe to toe, swinging and punching each other into oblivion. Each attack seemed to send shockwaves, and Keira wondered how either warrior was able to take such raw punishment. Both fighters stepped back, breathing heavily.
Keira noticed the corpses of two Rohads lying on the floor, and her anger rose. It was in this adrenaline-filled state that she sensed the same feeling from before.
Oh, no.
Someone else, using the same cloak as before, was leading a small army under the tunnels of Missea. Before she’d met Aya, she would have never been able to make a reading from so far away, but her friend had pushed her to new limits. She was sure there was no mistake.
“Stand down, Raji!” ordered Keira. “I need you to leave and deliver a message for me.”
Raji, who had hardly spoken and had never questioned her orders looked back at her, confused. “Leave? I cannot abandon my empress in such a dire situation.”
“There is no time to argue. I need you to deliver a message to Aya. Tell her that the enemy moves through the underground tunnels. If you don’t, she and the Misseans will surely die.”
The warrior who had not once in his life failed to follow an order found himself struggling to form a bow. “Yes, Empress Keira.” Somber faced, he ran out the door, not once looking back.
The purple-skinned woman smiled, a large grin that only made Keira want to beat her even more. “Yer be an empress. That be good. Today be the day I be cementing my legacy as Melousa, Queen of Orians, and murderer of empresses!”
Melousa rushed forward, grinning widely.
Keira took one last look at Latiha, the woman she had admired her entire life. She hunched in a defensive position. “Come forth!” she screamed fearlessly. “I will teach you what happens to a queen that thinks herself an equal to an empress!”
~~~
Falcon stood beside Aya, Faith, and Albert. He sensed the surge of power once more coming from below. He tried to ignore it, concentrating instead on the army that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They had formed in long set of lines. From this distance, they looked like an indistinguishable mass of black and white.
“What is it?” said Aya, noticing his distracted look.
“Nothing. I thought I sensed movement coming from under us, but it’s probably just my imagination.”
Aya and Albert shared a concerned look.
“Aadi gave you strong energy readings,” said Faith. “If you’re sensing something, it’s worth looking into.” Falcon was about to dismiss Faith’s suggestion, but that changed when Raji showed up and spoke of Keira’s warning.
“This is too much to be a mere coincidence,” said Albert. “Someone has to check it out.”
“I will,” said Aya. “If they’re using cloaks, there’s a chance Selene is with them. I have to see her.”
“I’m coming with you,” said Falcon.
“Me too,” said Faith.
Albert nodded. “Fortune be with you. I will stay here and lead the Missean army.”
“You’re leaving?” asked Laars as Falcon took off after his friends. “The men need their bloody leader.”
“They have a leader,” answered Falcon, not breaking his stride. “The unit is under your command now.”
Laars features stiffened in determination. “I won’t let you down!”
Falcon followed Aya, not really sure where they were headed. There was a part of him that felt guilty for leaving the army behind when they needed him the most. The other half knew that this was something he had to do.
“This way,” said Aya, turning the corner into an empty path. The streets were devoid of people. The men were out in the battlefield. The women and children hid in their homes.
They passed countless eerily quiet homes. The usual glowing lights flowing from their windows were absent. The soft tip taps of children’s footsteps as they raced over the creaky wooden panels were gone, replaced by a muffled silence.
“Where are we headed?” he asked, hungry for some sound besides their clattering footsteps over the rocky road.
“The Golden Wielder had a sandworm, remember?” Aya didn’t wait for an answer. “Well, the worm, along with its family, made the land under Missea its home for some time. Many of the tunnels they created are still there. There must be many entrances and exits spread throughout the city, but the books only spoke of one.”
As she finished speaking, the trio exited through the southwestern gate. They ran down a dirt path that circled a pristine blue lake. A pair of ducks floated above, oblivious to the battle that was about to ensue.
Beside the lake was a small green mound, and in its side was a hole. Wordlessly, Aya pointed inside.
A shadow flickered over their heads.
“You!” Falcon spoke with fury, eyeing the chaos wielder who had landed directly before them.
“Who were you expecting?” asked Volcseck. He wore the same dark cloak he always wore, except this time he hadn’t bothered to cover his face. “It is I who is destined to take the holy emblem, and this time there is no one who will get in my way.”
“Falcon,” whispered Aya, “we don’t have time for this. The Suteckh could come out anywhere in the city. If they flank the Misseans in the middle of the fight, they’ll be done for.” Falcon knew what she was going to say before she said it. “I have to go on ahead on my own.” She reached out for his hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “I know you want to come with me, but you’re needed here.”
“But—”
“No buts. You have your duty.” She looked over at the circular entrance. “And I have mine.”
Before Falcon could object, Aya took off in a sprint. As Falcon had suspected, Volcseck made no attempt to stop her. She wasn’t his target, after all.
Falcon’s heart sank as Aya entered the cave. It didn’t take long for her frame to turn into a dark silhouette. An instant later, she had been engulfed by darkness. Heart pounding, Falcon turned to Volcseck. This man had been responsible for so many deaths, and now he was standing between him and Aya. It was time for him to die. The familiar anger rose from within. He closed his eyes and thought of the two people who he cared for the most: Aya and Faith. He didn’t try to choose between them; doing so would only have caused his mind to dwell deeper in uncertainty. Instead he saw them both as two separate entities, each guiding him in different paths of his life. Aya: courage, determination, and loyalty. Faith: compassion, friendship, and kindness. Together, they personified everything he strived to be.
He opened his eyes. Despite the small feeling of holy, the chaos was still bubbling within him. He clutched his chest as both energies struggled for supremacy over him. Gritting his teeth, he fell to one knee.
Volcseck’s laugh was audible over his inner struggle. “Why do you fight the power that is chaos? You have been granted a gift. Instead of accepting it you reject it as if it were a disease. Pathetic.”
“He
has
been granted a gift,” said Faith. She took a few steps toward Volcseck. “It is the same gift you were granted once, but were too weak to accept.”
“Me?
Weak
?” Volcseck smiled slyly. “Chaos has made me all-powerful.”
Faith looked sadly over at Volcseck. “You’ve spent so many years wasted. Searching for something you always had. I pity you, chaos wielder.” She brought up her arm, showing off the holy emblem on her hand. “This is what you always wanted, right? Come take it. I hope it finally gives you the peace you’ve been looking for.”
The only thing that ran through Falcon’s mind as he stared at her was
Faith. What are you doing?
There was the slightest flicker in Volcseck’s arm, and Falcon knew he was about to teleport.
“Watch out, Faith!” He took off after her. A moment later, he bounced back, falling on his back. Too late did Falcon realize that she’d put up a holy bubble around him. From behind the multicolored specter, he watched in horror as Volcseck appeared in front of Faith. Falcon’s face pinched with fear as he noticed the long organic sword in Volcseck’s hands. The sword’s loud beats were only drowned out by Falcon’s own pounding heart.
Faith stood still. Her eyes were closed. Her hands rested by her side. A faint smile spread on her lips.
Volcseck drew his hand back, and with a firm thrust he ran his weapon clear through Faith’s chest.