“I think we’re both good… thank you,” Lex said, trying to smile back at her. Ignoring her, Kyle went back over to his bed and lay on his back. She closed the door behind her with a sigh, combing the dim room with her eyes. She slowly walked down the aisle past the others. She climbed upon one of the beds furthest from the door.
“Good night…”
“Good night,” Lex answered.
Kyle just stared up at the roof as Blade used to.
Morning didn’t come fast enough to have the chance of waking Kyle. He was restless. He jumped down from his bed with sudden urgency, quickly walking over to Blade’s sword. He took it up and left the room. As sunrise drew nigh, with sweat and will power, he practised for hours the moves Blade had taught him, this time with the Master Sword. He still felt like he was merely borrowing the sword, though Blade had given in to him wholeheartedly. He felt his muscles pull and tear as he slowly got used to the sword’s weight. He went on and on, swinging at and evading the swift attacks of his imaginary enemies. Finally, after a river of sweat was shed, the boy could go no further. He pushed himself like something was forcing him, but the heavy sword escaped his grip and landed down into the soil, nearly amputating his foot. He staggered back until he hit the back side of the house. He breathed heavily as he lowered himself to sit, bowing his head in forced rest.
He dozed off, sleeping for maybe a half hour or so, then he woke with great suddenness and fright. He gasped and gulped, looking up at a stern, killer-looking face. The soldier’s fist grabbed Kyle’s shirt tightly. He pulled Kyle up roughly to stand. Kyle saw two more soldiers behind him. One of them was holding and inspecting Blade’s sword in his hands, no doubt admiring it. “Real nice blade you got here, kid!” the man said, his tone heavily suggesting thievery. Kyle clenched his teeth, his eyes still wide. There was a brutal slam and a blood-curling crick. The big-bodied soldier slammed a heavy punch at Kyle’s left cheek. His neck ached sharply.
“Where’s the Icemaker? Is he inside?” the man asked in a somewhat quiet voice, like he didn’t want to wake whoever was sleeping within the house. The solder drew his sword and held it against Kyle’s neck.
“Do you seriously think you three idiots can capture or kill the Icemaker?” Kyle asked back, gripping the man who had the sword at his neck. The soldier pulled back his sword crossly to stab Kyle in his throat. Kyle pushed off the soldier’s left hand firmly, and quickly shifted his head, narrowly escaping death. The sword plunged into the board wall. The soldier had grasped Kyle’s shirt so hard that he was still clenching a piece of it.
Kyle wasn’t about to let Blade’s teachings go to waste and be for nothing. Two swift and heavy punches and a perfectly-timed jump-kick put some distance between Kyle and the Magmalian officer. The soldier looked shocked out of his wits. The other two rushed by his left and right with drawn swords. The one that had Blade’s sword dropped it to assist his fellowman.
“Foolish boy! You haven’t even a weapon and you consider fighting me?! You die for nothing. You cannot defend the Icemaker. A company of soldiers are closing in on this house from every direction as I speak.”
The soldier rushed at Kyle. Kyle, with less effort than even he had anticipated, dodged the man’s sword and grabbed hold of his wrist, twisting it with harsh force. The man made a painful cry and his sword fell from him. Kyle delivered a crushing elbow to the face of the bending man. The soldier collapsed immediately. The other two soldiers rushed on simultaneously. For a few seconds, there was continued swinging and dodging. Kyle skilfully managed to evade the attacks of the trained soldiers. Still, his back was against the wall.
JAB! Kyle ducked as a sword bored through the board. The other soldier had his blade pulled back to strike Kyle. Kyle shifted himself a little, then made a sudden jump, slamming his soles against the wall behind. He pushed himself off, leaping at the other soldier hands-first, already evading the other’s attack. Kyle grabbed the man firmly, landing on top of him, forcefully slamming his elbow down on the man’s throat, crushing his Adam’s apple. Kyle covered his face as blood gushed out from the man’s mouth with immense force. Kyle then speedily rolled off the man and got on his feet, facing the last of the three attackers, who was by now shivering in fear. Kyle watched as the soldier slowly sidestepped, his back brushing against the wall. Kyle glanced down at the man’s crotch, noticing that he was wetting himself.
With a suddenness that frightened the soldier, Kyle reached up to him in what looked like a single step that covered two meters. He grabbed the man’s throat. The soldier was still shaking. His eyes were damp. He stared into Kyle’s cold-hard eyes.
“Please, young man…” he begged. “I have three children at home, little girls… Let me go…” The man grabbed on to Kyle’s hand, trying to ease it off him, but it was too firmly fixed.
“I have no mercy left in me,” Kyle said coldly. In a horrific moment, Kyle smashed the man’s head against the board, fracturing his skull. Kyle’s eyes reddened as he fed the soldier with stone-hard punches, loosening teeth and cracking ribs. Kyle, still holding up the half-dead man against the bloody wall, stooped and took up a sword. Without thinking twice, Kyle hung the man up against the board by his throat with the sword. He felt in his spirit an unquenchable hatred and a thirst for blood.
The boy walked up to where Blade’s sword was resting and grappled it up. It didn’t feel as heavy as before. He made his way quickly to the front door and kicked it open. He stepped back suddenly. The door nearly hit the frightened Star.
“Kyle!”
“Soldiers are coming! Many!” Kyle warned. “Get the others! We must move!” Star spun around frantically. “Come!” She and Kyle hurried back to the room where their friends slept. “Come, come! Get up!” Kyle rushed over to the black scabbard the prince had given him. He fixed it on his waist and flung Blade’s sword across his back. Lex and Zen woke up in great confusion and panic. Kyle went over to Clover and grabbed her roughly. “Get the hell up!” he blasted, flinging her off the bed with his roughness. She fell and woke in pain.
“What’s happening?!” As she spoke, a smash and a thud were heard.
“Everyone come close!” Star gathered them.
“Damn it!” a soldier blasted on entering the room of clearing blue.
Chapter 31: Mind Games and High Voltage
Star brought the group to a cool settlement of huge trees in Rander. It was a place she visited quite often, so it took very little effort for her to shift to there.
“Where are we? What’s going on?” Clover asked, looking about in utter confusion.
“We’re in Rander,” Star answered.
“Soldiers came at us,” Kyle clarified, “I was outside and encountered a few of them, probably a small recon team.”
Lex yawned sleepily and walked over to a nearby tree and rested his back upon its bark.
“It’s near sunrise,” Star said, “Let’s just rest here until then.”
“Rest?! Haven’t you been resting all night?!”
“It’s not yet morning!” Clover said to Kyle with gestures of annoyance.
“We should be safe here at least ‘til morning,” Star assured.
***
“Hmm… Electron, don’t you smell that?” The Dark Lantern asked, a devious smirk upon his face.
“What is it, master?”
“I suddenly sense a great portion of dark matter. It’s either the Icemaker or the Ionide… One of them just… appeared in the vicinity. Electron, head out and see what you can do. You have failed miserably thus far. Redeem yourself.”
“Hasn’t Hypno failed as well, master? The Ionide too is still alive!”
“But his target is an Ionide. Yours are weaklings. Get that power to me.”
“Please, master. Give him the Ionide and give me the boy and his friends to fight,” Hypno complained.
“No, Electron’s direct attacks are useless against the Ionide. You have a better chance of beating him.” Hypno hissed, annoyed with hav
e to fight the Ionide.
“A stroke of luck had them escape the last time,” Electron said, “I hope that witch is there with them so I can kill her as well.”
***
The sun had barely risen. Flowers opened beautifully in the meadow, but no one saw them. Even Kyle was fast asleep. A rustling noise grew louder and danger more imminent as Electron flew toward them. As the sun warmed Zen a little more, it gave her back her consciousness, and her sleep left her. What? She sat up suddenly, hearing the strange sound. Electron swiftly swooped down to the group, electricity tailing him beautifully. He grabbed on to Lex, who woke suddenly, being jolted by electric shock. He cried out in fright and pain. “Lex!” Zen bellowed. Electron, though, wasn’t planning to stick around for a fight. By the time the others were awake, Lex was already out of sight. Not even the trail of electricity remained.
“What happened? Where’s Lex?!” Clover panicked frantically.
“I heard a strange rustle from above. It came close by, then Lex cried out!” Zen related worriedly.
“Do you know which direction the sound faded into?” Kyle asked.
“Over there!” Zen pointed over to the east.
“It must be Electron,” Kyle said. “Star, can you shift us there?”
“I’m afraid not,” Star answered, shaking her head. “At my level, I can only shift to places that I know. This is the only place I know in Rander. Besides, my mana is barely recovered from yesterday.”
“We must foot it then! Hurry! We have no time to lose!” Kyle asserted.
***
The Lantern and Hypno looked up as Electron and the screaming boy bolted past them, painting the sky beautifully.
“Shouldn’t I go and help him?”
“No. His friends might follow on foot. Stay here. You can have them.”
“But aren’t there witches with them?”
“Their method of teleportation has many limitations. They might just have to travel on foot.”
“If I’m lucky,” Hypno sulked.
Lex continued to scream frightfully as he was dragged down by gravity’s pull. He struck the ground and curled up into a near useless ball, groaning. He watched as Electron landed a few meters away from him.
“Tired already, feeble human?” Electron mocked. He prepared two spheres of rustling power in his hands.
Dammit… I can’t even move…
With a laugh, Electron sent the spheres of electricity at the unmoving Lex. In that very same quarter second, Lex felt his body move suddenly, and felt an even more sudden pain. He landed and rolled on the ground, entangled with a boy made of a strange, legendary metal. Lex gasped as Mike stood over him.
“I’ll deal with this guy,” was Mike’s greeting.
***
“Who’s that up ahead?” Clover asked as they ran.
“Damn. It’s that Hypno guy,” Kyle recognized, and the group drew their brakes.
“You fools finally show up!” Hypno called out to them, sounding excited.
Kyle looked ahead at the strange-looking man. I hope this guy’s not as strong as Electron…
“Oh, I’m even far stronger!” Hypno answered him. Kyle’s eyes widened. Hypno laughed, reaching in within just a couple of meters of them. “You see, I use your own minds as my strongest weapon.”
“What the hell’s this guy talking about?” Kyle whispered.
“Mental warfare,” Zen whispered to herself.
“You should know, though, that I’m not the type to treat my enemies like dogs and slaughter them mercilessly. I like to play around, have some fun! Oh my, a little blind girl!” Hypno just noticed. “Well, then, I think no one should be left out of the fun! Come into my world where I can give you sight!”
“What the hell?” Kyle wondered.
“What’s going on?!” Clover exclaimed, looking about frantically.
The whole place seemed to be morphing away into a different surrounding. The sun was purple. They were in a totally different world.
“I can see!” Zen’s voice rang out. Her face was the brightest they’d ever seen it.
Zen can really see here? Kyle wondered.
“Just what is going on here?” Star asked herself, trying to make sense of all this. There were no trees or rocks or buildings anywhere, just the red-brown ground.
“Zen, you can really see?” Kyle asked.
Hypno laughed. “Of course she can! This is a reality which I have created. Anything I deem possible is possible!”
“This guy’s playing some kind of mind game,” Star said to them, “none of us should panic. All this is just an illusion.” It was obvious, though, that she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.
“Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! Let’s see!” The man, who was now standing quite some distance before them, motioned his hands like he was an Earthshifter or something of the sort. Large chunks of rock obeyed him, and rose from out of the ground. Slowly, the rocks formed themselves into gigantic beasts, still made of rock, and carved in perfect detail to form animated lions and bears and giant insect-looking creatures. Zen tried to emit a mind wave, but nothing happened.
“Seriously?! My powers are gone!” Clover gave out nervously.
“Mine too,” Star said. “I can’t summon up any mana. I guess we’re in his world so we have to play by his rules.”
“So you begin to understand!” Hypno said, his puppets readied before him to attack at his command. “Let me hasten to tell you this – no one has ever seen the power of my mind and lived! This is as real a death as any! Stone monsters, attack!” he commanded. Clover screamed as the deadly creatures rushed toward them. Zen forced her fingers against her temples once more in focus.
I’m sorry, Hypno guy, but mind games are just my thing! She was confident that her mental prowess could at least buy her and her friends a slim chance of survival. As the swift beasts reached up on them, Kyle swung his sword at the pouncing lion of stone. Roaring desperately, he shut his eyes as he felt his sword cut through like there was nothing there. He opened his eyes in surprise.
“What the hell?!” Hypno exclaimed. Zen smiled. Beautiful white flowers slowly and elegantly descended upon the four.
“Did those monsters turn into flowers just now?” Star asked.
“Zen, it was you, wasn’t it?” Kyle asked, seeing the smug look on her face.
“What the devil?!” Hypno blasted. “How did—Your mind--”
“That’s right. My mind is strong, too! If you’re going to play mind games with me, don’t expect it to be a walk in the park!” After a little while longer of amazement and shock, Hypno finally laughed.
“What’s the matter, you freak?!” Kyle blasted, “Don’t you see that our team has the ultimate offense and defence against you?!”
Hypno laughed some more. “Pardon me, people, I’m just really psyched about this battle! I wish it could go on and on forever! It’s been decades since I’ve met an opponent who can even dream of standing against my mental power! Today certainly promises to be interesting!”
***
Mike bolted up at Electron and wedged another spiked punch into his chest, damaging his hull immensely. Three more heavy punches and an even heavier jump-kick had Electron hurling backwards. Lex ran up to meet him with a ball of pure ice. The boy slammed the ball into Electron’s back, coating him with ice nearly instantly.
“Alright, Mike! Give it your all, now!” The Ionide stepped back a few meters. His right fist glowed that deadly silver colour. “Hurry, or he’ll soon break free!” Lex warned. As Lex spoke, Electron shattered the prison of ice.
“Ion Blast!!” Mike yelled, and moved toward Electron with powerful speed. The hit was certain. The super-powerful impact was enough to send Lex off his feet as there was a strong pulse of force. Electron, tailed by electricity and the dust he stirred up, zoomed away at a nasty speed, blasting through trees like they weren’t even there. He finally splash-landed into a river a quarter mile away and quickly sunk. Mike power
ed down, certain that his enemy was no more.
“Wow…” Lex marvelled.
“Yeah,” Mike smirked proudly. “He’s done. That attack is unriv--”
“Mike!” Lex barked in a totally different tone, and ran up to him, grabbing his throat. “Why, Mike?! Why did you betray us?! You tried to kill us! We’ve been nothing but good to you, Mike! You turned your back on us when we needed you most! You and your new friends hunted us to kill us like dogs! What the heck’s up with that?!” Lex pushed him off violently, remembering clearly what he did to Clover. The Ionide held his head down in shame and regret.
“I’m sorry Lex… I made a mistake... You don’t understand… When I found out that there were others… like me… I finally felt like I had a real family.”
“We were your family, Mike!” Lex blasted, his eyes red and damp. “You forgot about our friendship altogether!”
“It seemed it took the murder of the rest of my kind to remind me—”
“Mike, look out!” Instantly, just hearing the incoming sound, the Ionide reflexively called upon the Ionide state. Electron grabbed Mike and flew off with him. Mike slammed a heavily-spiked fist into his chest. They both fell from the air and rolled as they landed. They recovered to their feet just as quickly.
Electron held out his right palm toward Mike. The strange alien was heavily damaged all over, but he was far from finished. A thick beam of electricity quickly found Mike’s chest, and powerfully pushed the Ionide away. Lex ran up to the scene, just readying an iceball. Without even looking in Lex’s direction, Electron held out his hand to the Icemaker and sent at him a bolt of electricity. The boy’s eyes flashed black as Maximo forged a black shield around him. The current bored through the shield easily and blasted Lex away.
The Seventh Spirit Page 43
