Authors: Brian Terenna
My hand whipped out and caught it. It was tiny compared to my mace but was still heavy because of its all steel construction. It felt good to have a hunk of metal in my hands again. I stood straight, raising my chin. Sofia stood next to me, a curved sword in hand. We wouldn’t be victims.
Goldwater looked bored. Why wasn’t he disrupting my talent? It didn’t matter. I focused my mind on a row of daggers hanging on the wall, ready to kill him. Goldwater’s telepathic disruption slammed into my mind, destroying my telekinetic control. The daggers hopped from the wall, then fell harmlessly to the ground. My mind reeled, causing me to wince and stumble. Momentarily stunned, I shook my head and readied my halberd. It would have to get personal.
Goldwater smiled instead of charging, a fiery, black aura flaring around his body. I gasped as my body lurched off the ground in a black glow. He waved his hand. I struck a stone wall, green sparks flying out as the wall cracked. When my feet hit the ground, I stood steady, unharmed by his attack. He grunted. In a blur, I smashed my hands into the wall and ripped out a large chunk of rock. Gritting my teeth, I flung the boulder. Goldwater yawned as he tilted his finger to the side. The boulder instantly reversed directions before speeding toward Sofia. My breath froze. She leapt aside. The boulder smashed into a thousand pieces as it struck the wall.
Before I could react, I flew into the air again. Goldwater twisted his hands, and I rotated horizontally. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Sofia sprint at Goldwater, sword aimed at his chest. He angled his pointer finger. She skidded into a black velvet couch, then flipped over it and crashed onto the ground. Goldwater faced me again. He smiled as he pulled his hands apart.
Instant tension tore at my joints, racking my body with pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, straining to resist his power. My weakened talent fought to hold my body together. If my concentration waned or I fatigued, I’d rip in half. I floated helplessly, until his pull vanished.
Goldwater shrugged. “Hmm, you are powerful, aren’t you? I underestimated you. Killing you will be fun.”
The archduke pulled forth his matching morning stars and smiled. “You’re insects compared to me. If you will not be tamed, then I will crush you.”
Shrugging off his black and gold silk cape, the massive man charged me. He struck powerful blows, jarring my bones as I blocked. His weapon skill and touch telekinesis were unbelievable. Had I made a mistake? Sofia’s talent seared through the air and struck him. The strength of it would have sent a battle hardened solider screaming out of his mind with fear. Goldwater smirked. Sofia spun around me, slashing at his feet while I thrust lighting fast at his throat, chest, stomach, and groin. He stepped over her attack, and his weapon spun around, blocking each of my strikes as if I was moving in slow motion. I growled, thrusting and slashing repeatedly. Anytime my attack waned, Sofia’s began.
He laughed and turned away, using feel alone to block our attacks. Together we struck at every part of his body a hundred times. He blocked everything, his stance unchanged, still not looking. When he turned back, his morning star crashed into me, sending me sprawling to the ground. I slid on my back, watching Sofia and him with horror.
I leapt back up and attacked again, knowing that we couldn’t last. I had to end it quick. I blocked a few more teeth rattling swings, waiting for my chance. There! He swung at Sofia with one morning star and at me with his other. I sidestepped his strike, the spikes of his weapon tearing through my sleeve.
In a radiant blur, I thrust my halberd at his throat. The weapon in his other hand smacked it aside. I stumbled, off balanced from my attack. He punched me in the chest, his gold rings glinting in the light. My ribs cracked before I crashed into the ground. The world swam around me as I struggled to breathe, but I refused to give in. I stood, legs unsteady but vision clearing. Sofia deflected countless crushing blows from the giant, her sweaty shirt plastered to her body. Her defense was slowing, her movements sloppy.
Releasing a surge of talent, I launched myself at the man. I exhaled sharply as Sofia leapt in front of me, her sword knocking my halberd aside. Goldwater’s manipulation talent flowed through her body. She swung at my head, light flashing off her sword. I danced away, but it wasn’t enough. The sword bit into my left shoulder.
Goldwater clapped. “Excellent,” he said.
Sofia dashed at me before striking a flurry of blows, blood lust in her eyes. Her sword whizzed by my head as I dodged at super human speeds. Refusing to strike back, I deflected the next three blows aimed for my throat. How could I stop her without hurting her? Her blade whirred as it cut through the air toward my shin. I stepped back, just avoiding the tip of the blade. After pain lanced up the back of my foot, I knew I’d made my first mistake.
Losing my balance, my arms flailed, and I fell to the ground. I grunted as my head hit Goldwater’s fireplace hearth. My halberd rattled to the ground next to me.
From behind Sofia, I heard Goldwater laughing. “Perhaps
I
can help you with your lover’s quarrel.”
Goldwater released a stronger wave of talent aimed at Sofia. She stepped up to me, lifting her sword in both hands above her head. Still dazed, I struggled to rise, to flee.
“There’s no quarrel if there’s only one of you,” Goldwater said.
Sofia stood stiffly above me, her muscles straining. “I can’t hold him off,” she said through clenched teeth.
He laughed again. “That’s right, because you’re my puppet. Just like everyone is my puppet.”
He assailed her with another burst of talent. Sofia’s entire body tensed as her sword sprung to life slicing through the air toward my chest. With a gasp, I rolled off his hearth onto the marble floors.
Sofia’s sword collided with the ground a foot from my body. A stone chip struck my hand, slicing it open before landing on my chest. I blinked at the stone, then smiled. I grabbed it and spun it at Goldwater’s head.
His talent control flickered. Sofia instantly turned and charged Goldwater. She slashed relentlessly at his head, screaming furiously. Feeling my mind clear, I sat up. I touched my head and grimaced. The bump was huge, but there was no time to relax. With a growl, I flung myself to my feet, a green trail flowing behind me. My glowing halberd shot into my hand.
When I was but two steps from him, he swung at Sofia. The spiked iron ball of his weapon struck her in the torso. Her chest constricted with a sickening crunch, and she collapsed to the ground. Our eyes met for a moment, her expression a stark grimace.
She mouthed the words, “I love you,” but then fell limp, her eyes closing.
I staggered, feeling the strength leave my legs. The world spun around me, dizzying me. We would both die; Goldwater couldn’t be killed. Palms sweaty, I focused on Sofia, sensing for talent. If I could feel it, it meant she was still alive. I bit my lip, my stomach fluttering until I felt a faint glimmer of talent. There was hope.
Goldwater held his hands out to his sides. “Want more?”
I readied my weapon and locked his eyes. “Yes.”
My mouth was dry, my muscles wearied. I wiped the dripping sweat from my brow. My eyes drilled into his, but his gaze didn’t waver. He smiled mirthlessly and breathed easily. His chin was raised; his body was rooted to the ground. His calm demeanor hadn't changed since I first broke my chains, and his hair was still perfectly in place. I refused to believe that I was that far beneath him, that I was no threat. Leaping toward him, I jabbed countless times so fast that a normal man would have been filled with half a hundred holes in a heartbeat. Goldwater was no normal man.
Not one of my attacks landed. He easily stepped away from each, not even raising his weapon. In an eye-blink, his weapon crashed into me, and I was on the ground, dazed and raggedly breathing. When I tried to stand, my legs wobbled like jelly. I collapsed again.
The tyrant stood over me, his face chiseled stone. “Wouldn't you rather join me than be pummeled? We could take turns with Sofia.”
“You are everything I hate.”
He shook his head. “That’s rough. We’re more alike than you think. I created you after all.”
“I’ve transcended my despicable origin. You’re still the same.”
Refusing to give in, I steadied my muscles, then stood. I had to save Sofia. He blurred forward. His morning star whipped down, black streaks training behind it. I jerked my head and body back but was too slow. Two of the spikes on his weapon ripped long bloody trails in my shirt and chest. I stumbled backward, my body twisting. My one foot landed on a throw rug with naked women depicted on it. It slid back, tossing me to the ground. My body depressed as it smacked into the floor, my breath gushing out of me. I reflexively gasped to draw in air but was unable. After a few racking coughs, I managed to suck in a breath.
My talent glowed, but I felt drained. I had to push myself to the limit to survive. He looked calm, his eyes slightly shut as if he could doze off at any minute. I put a shaky hand on the ground and slowly pushed myself up, my legs and knees trembling. I raised my halberd again. He stroked his clean shaved jaw, and a smirk sat under his thick nose. His massive back was straight, and his morning stars rested at the end of lowered arms.
My own life didn’t matter, only Sofia’s did. I sprinted at him before jabbing at his legs. He deflected the tip with his weapon. I spun, flaring my power and whipped around the blazing end of my halberd at his chest. It was a strike that would have cracked a mountain in half. He stepped back, blocking the blow with a grunt. A single strand of his hair fell out of place, and a hint of perspiration lined his brow. He reached up with a grimace, then slid the hair back.
He attacked again at a breakneck speed. His weapon flashed at me in a blur, striking relentlessly. I gasped for breath, giving ground and barely blocking each teeth-rattling strike. My arms ached, jarred from his attacks, but he didn’t break through my defense. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, his defense slipped an inch out of position. Riddled with bruises, broken bones, and blood, I drained the entirety of my talent and lunged for his heart. The strike was perfect, its speed a bolt of lightning, its power an avalanche.
At the last instant the window closed, his morning star deflecting my strike. I gasped, unable to believe it. My blade sliced the top of his shoulder, missing its mark by eight inches. His hand shot up, dropped his weapon, and grabbed mine. He tugged even as I tried to retract it. I lurched forward, refusing to let go. His pull was too strong, his grip too powerful. The weapon ripped from my hands and flew across the room, clattering on the ground. I wobbled forward for a few steps but didn’t fall. I stood five feet from him, bent over and breathing hard, my hands resting on my knees. He laughed, the cut on his shoulder glowing black and then sealing shut.
I glanced toward my weapon that lay across the room. It was too far away, so I raised my fists.
“I haven’t had this much fun in years,” he said with a big grin. He tossed his remaining weapon aside. “Attack me.”
I did, sprinting forward, arms raised. Fists flashing, I jabbed at his face six times in a heartbeat. Each one missed as he turned and leaned away from them, his hands lowered. I growled and rattled off a quick left, right, left combination of hooks. He spun away from the first, twisted to avoid the second, and then bent right to avoid the third. But my third strike was a feint. I hooked my right fist at his face even as he was leaning into it. My punch connected solidly with his jaw. He absorbed the blow easily, unwavering. I staggered back, holding my throbbing hand.
“Not bad. Now it’s my turn.”
Before I could even lift my hands, Goldwater struck three times. A straight punch slammed into my stomach, doubling me over and expelling the air from my lungs. A right hook crashed into my ribs, snapping several with an audible crack. An uppercut collided with my jaw, shattering it and shooting pain throughout my face. White light exploded behind my eyes, dazing me. I flung my fist at him in an off-balanced, weak punch. He caught my hand an inch from his face.
His fingers crunched down on my mine, pulverizing my bones. Before I could register the sure to be blinding pain, he wrenched my arm down over his other one, snapping my elbow and tearing my tendons. I howled, dominated by terrible agony and intense fear and threw a desperate, wild hooking punch at his head, my glow dimming. He swatted it aside, almost disdainfully and rattled off two front kicks to both of my shins. They snapped, my bones punching through the backs of my calves. I collapsed on the ground screaming and writhing.
The next thing I knew, he was sitting on my chest, hailing down punches onto my face. I stared blearily up at him, somehow remaining conscious.
“Having fun?” he asked with a chuckle.
Vision darkening, I desperately tried to re-exert control over my telekinesis, to lash out or deflect his strikes. His telepathy dominated me though, destroying my control. My defeat was absolute. My uncle’s past words repeated in my head.
You are worthless, and you will always be worthless.
It was all over. Sofia would soon die. I had failed her, just like I had failed Lilly, Ben, Liberty’s people, and my dead friends from The Underground. I was worthless and now dead.
While I choked on blood, in the midst of bone cracking punches, my anger and hope faded. I heard Goldwater’s rapid breath; I felt my heart pound against my chest. The smell of blood was thick in my nose. The cold marble floor cooled my back. I took a strained breath, feeling it pass into my lungs and deep into my stomach. If I had to die, I’d do it on my own terms. I’d live my last moment on earth to the fullest as Sofia had taught me. The world slowed as I experienced everything, my focus more intense than ever.
Suddenly everything changed, becoming richer, more real. I heard Sofia’s soft breathing from across the room and smelled her vanilla perfume. I felt her weak heart beating in her crushed chest through the floor. I smelled smoke and garbage in the city streets and Goldwater’s pungent sweat. My vision deepened. The complexity of Goldwater’s face unfolded before me, revealing every wrinkle and imperfection.