Presence- The Marked

by L J Branch

  “Get down!”Alice said as she quickly held Faith to protect her from the debris. When she realized she didn’t feel any pain, Alice looked up to find the that the Lady had shielded them with her body.

  “Hey, you okay!?” Alice asked as she caught the Lady. Alice grimaced when she saw the shards of glass and stone that stuck out from the Goddess’ back.

  “Do not worry about me. I am a Goddess, a patron of humanity,” the Lady said weakly. “If I couldn’t do this much, I would be undeserving of my rank.”

  “Just what the hell am I lookin’ at?” Alice asked, her hands trembled a bit after she saw one of the tallest buildings in the country wiped from existence before her very eyes. When Alice looked down she was relieved to see that Band 13 and the mages had climbed to their feet. They all looked ready to keel over, but at least they were alive. “Why is my sister a fuckin’ sword!?”

  “So you’re her sister,” the Lady mused. “You know she never lost faith that you would come for her.”

  “Well it was an accident.”

  “Or was it?”the Lady asked omniously. “Fate works in mysterious ways, the bond between siblings is more sacred than you know.”

  “She’s right, I mean my brothers are at war and Xavier and Lilia never got along yet here all three of them are, together,” Faith added. Alice frowned but she decided not to think about it at the moment.

  “Regardless, it’s over right? That should have killed him.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of, as much as I detest him he does have Pendragon blood in his veins. I make all of my blades with a jewel, a focus, to allow my knights to channel light directly from the sun and moon. Like the treasures of the thieves each focus has a unique power depending on what it was forged from,” the Lady explained. “Excalibur’s was forged from dragon blood that only reacts when in contact with Pendragon’s bloodline. Excalibur has had many wielders in the Order but no one since Arthur himself could bring out its full potential. With that blade in his hands he can survive death and keep fighting,” the Lady said as a crimson energy engulfed August’s corpse. A chill went down Alice’s spine at the sight. “In this state, he’ll become unstoppable,” the Lady said as August stood up, there was no life in his eyes as the crimson light stitched his body back together. “The real fight has only just started.”

  “Seriously!?” Kat asked, shadow synch broken, as she watched the man stand up. She grimaced as she tried to resume the fight but found herself unable to move as her body completely overheated. “Son of a bitch!”

  “I’m running low, how much longer do you need?” Xavier asked Diamond tiredly while Lilia seemed to struggle to maintain consciousness.

  “Just two minutes,” Diamond said as she thrust her rifle into the ground to support herself. “How is he still standing?”

  “Dragon blood. Make no mistake he is far deadlier now,” Lilia said as Eve dug herself out of the rubble completely exhausted, her body heavily damaged from her last attack.

  “M...Master, win,” Eve whispered before her body suddenly vanished, no longer able to stay in the battle as her magic returned to Xavier.

  “Thank you, Eve,” Xavier whispered before he glared at August.

  “I will destroy all of you!” August boomed and his power nearly forced them to their knees. However, it was not just the overwhelming energy that flowed from him, but the sheer bloodlust that made them tremble. It was as if they truly stood before a dragon.

  “Focus on Dominion, I’ll buy you time,” Jack told Diamond before he faced Lilia and held out his gauntlet. “Give me everything you have, Lilia. If it’s a couple of minutes, I can hold on for at least that long,” Jack said. Lilia nodded when she saw his resolve and grabbed his armored hand. Lilia shuddered when she felt Arondight steal away the rest of her magic. Jack’s body trembled as the fourth circle was filled with presence. The color of Jack’s presence changed from blue to violet as his eyes did the same. Jack shivered as his hair turned silver in color while his heart froze. The black ice of his gauntlet seemed to spread as his left arm, legs, and chest were covered by it. Even as the ice slowly but surely began to spread across his body, Jack was pleased to feel his power grow. Jack cracked his neck as he stood next to Xavier who was also prepared to continue the fight.

  “Let’s end this,” Xavier said as his shield finally broke and returned the magic to his body. Xavier glared at August as he aimed his staff at him. His magic transformed the staff into an all too familiar spear of silver light that made August glower. Together the sons of Romero stood, one covered in a blinding light while the other was slowly encroached by his own darkness. For the first time, the two finally found common ground. “Now Jack,” Xavier said as Jack formed a two-handed sword, as August charged them. Like his frozen armor, the ice that covered the blade was black in color and appeared to be cracked. However, within each crack, violet presence could be seen crackling within. August laughed as he saw Jack prepare to parry his strike.

  “Idiot boy, this sword cuts through anything! I’ll cleave you in two!” August shouted as the two blades met. However, to August’s confusion, Excalibur went straight through the black blade as if it were intangible. At the last moment, Jack ducked and was barely able to avoid being beheaded by Excalibur before his blade cut through August’s chest. Jack then aimed his gauntlet at August before it shot from his body. August stabbed the blade into the ground to block it, but the gauntlet simply phased through the blade and tore through August’s side. “What!?”

  “A little something I stumbled across in my training, I like to call it black ice,” Jack said as the gauntlet reformed around his stub. Jack raised his gauntlet and a massive spike of black ice that nearly shot up from the ground ran through August’s chest. August grit his teeth in frustration as he realized that even though he couldn’t touch the strange new ice it could very well touch him. It was then August was forced to dodge a strike from Xavier who attempted to skewer him with his spear. August raised his blade back to attack Xavier only to leap back when black spikes of ice exploded from the ground beneath them.

  “Thank you,” Xavier said before two more spears of light appeared above the young mage. “Bombardare,” Xavier said as he snapped his fingers. The spears shot toward August and exploded upon impact which made him scream in pain before Jack slammed his left black ice-covered fist into the man’s jaw. The stockpiled power once more released and knocked August back into a broken-down wall. As one, both Jack and Xavier rushed him down and stabbed him in the chest with their respective weapons.

  “Yield already! You can’t win against us!” Xavier said as August found himself slowly being encased in ice while the two men pushed and twisted their weapons deeper into his chest. “The sword is powerful on its own, yes, but think! All of its previous wielders were masters of their craft! They spent years mastering their skills! They earned their power, you don’t honestly think you can be just as powerful as them just by picking up the blade do you!?”

  “Though you were granted their power, you still have to master it,” Jack said as he recalled Vivi’s words.

  “Silence! I will not be lectured by someone who was born into great power! You have no idea how it feels to be powerless. To be born with nothing!” August sneered. “You’re just like that fool Romero, claiming he understood my pain while taking everything I ever dreamed of having!” August shouted as the red energy exploded from his body and forced both Jack and Xavier back. August ripped Xavier’s staff from his torso and threw it to the side as Jack’s blade simply vanished. “The fame, the power, the respect, he even took the woman I loved and you sit there, his sons who inherited everything he owned and try to lecture me!?” August said before he raised the blade. “With this sword, I am immortal! Pain only serves to make me stronger! I will use this sword to destroy everything Romero once loved. Starting with his precious children!”

  “Enough, father! This is madness!” Lilia shouted as she stood in front of her brothers. “You may have alwa
ys hated Romero, but he genuinely saw you as his brother, his best friend. Does that mean nothing to you!? Can you really destroy his legacy!?” Lilia questioned as August glared at her. “What about me? Yes, he took the woman you loved, but I am your daughter by blood and Romero’s by name. To destroy his legacy, you must destroy me too, can you really do that? Do I truly matter that little to you!?” Lilia questioned as tears ran down her face while August schooled his expression.

  “You remind me so much of her, of my Regina,” August said quietly before a grim expression crossed his face. “And just like her you chose to be a whore of House Magnus,” August said before he brought his blade down. A powerful wave of energy rushed at her as it prepared to blow through both her and her brothers. She watched heart-broken as the light raced toward her but before it could connect, she was suddenly pushed to the side by Jack who raised his hand to absorb the energy. He gritted his teeth as he felt his body become covered with black ice.

  “Jack!” Xavier shouted as he forced himself to his feet as the ice continued to spread and cover Jack. When the light died down, August smirked as he saw Jack once more trapped inside his own ice, unable to move.

  “Once more you bit off more than you could chew, attempting to absorb a power far too great for you,” August declared as he made his way toward Jack. “This time your whore of a mother isn’t here to save you, boy,” August said as he raised his blade to behead Jack only for a bullet to slam into the side of his head. August grimaced before he glanced to the side toward Diamond as the bullet fell from his head while the wound healed.

  “You say you’re immortal with that sword?” Diamond asked as she raised her gloved hand and revealed an orb made of a black glass. Its shape was slightly distorted as it rested in her palm while a golden presence raged within it. The energy thrashed wildly as cracks appeared on the orb’s surface. Soon the raging presence vanished and was replaced by a foggy image of a throne room as the orb continued to crack. “Then I’ll take it from you.”

  “No…impossible! A child like you!?” August shouted, fear in his eyes as she gripped the sphere tightly, making more cracks appear on its surface. “Don’t tell me, this was your plan!?” August shouted as he glanced around at his opponents who all smiled, even Lilia. “You…you were just trying to waste time!? Such treachery!”

  “Like you said, I’m just like mother,” Lilia said with a sneer.

  “This is the end,” Diamond said as she threw the sphere down and shattered it. Soon waves upon waves of a dark energy was released that obscured the visions of all that saw it. They felt a harsh tugging sensation as their bodies were sucked into what appeared to be a rift in the air that was created by the shattered orb.

  “A child like her?” the Lady whispered breathlessly as her vision began to darken. The whites of her eyes turned black along with everyone else’s while a golden presence coursed over their surroundings and trapped them within a dark void. Suddenly, Alice released a scream as she felt her shoulder burn.

  * * *

  “Welcome to my Dominion,” Diamond said as they found themselves in a new realm. The very floor made up of countless gold coins, each with Diamond’s face on them. The coins seemed to shine and release their own light which illuminated the realm that was filled with dozens of gray statues. Each statue depicted a different Bandit King or Queen that had their eyes and right hands forged from gold. At the opposite side of the realm were two statues that stood above the rest. One male, carved from onyx that lacked the gold present in the other statues. The other was female and seemingly carved out of ivory with the exception of her golden eyes and right hand. Both of these statues stood tall next to a massive gate that shook as something thrashed against it.

  “Incredible,” Xavier whispered in a silent awe along with Lilia. It was then they noticed that Jack was missing. When they looked around, they saw that Kat was as well. Even across the realm with the Lady and Faith, they found themselves unable to locate Alice. “Will it be enough?”

  “Dominion is said to be the thieves’ answer to both Excalibur and Merlin’s magic,” Lilia said quietly. “However,” Lilia continued as she narrowed her eyes when she noticed the realm’s appearance flicker slightly as if trying to force itself to stay focused. “This is clearly far from perfect; your guess is as good as mine.”

  “What are you?” August asked as he glared at Diamond.

  “We’ve been over this, I’m the Queen,” Diamond answered before she released a loud whistle and soon the massive gate burst open. August turned around at that moment and watched in a silent horror as a massive black Cerberus landed before him that sent gold coins flying everywhere.

  “A Cerberus,” Lilia said breathlessly as her eyes watered. “Forged from his mistakes…this…this is it,” Lilia said quietly as Xavier looked on at the scene with wide eyes.

  “Umbra,” Diamond began as she faced the leftmost head that had bright green eyes. “Stone,” Diamond continued when she faced the centermost head that gazed back at her with shining gray eyes. “Frost,” Diamond said as she saw the rightmost head that had cold blue eyes. Diamond noted that the right paw looked exceptionally sinister as its blue talons crackled with presence. The three heads howled in unison as all six eyes of the beast turned golden in color. “Sic ‘em,” Diamond said coldly as the massive beast lunged at a terrified August. It swiped its massive right claw at the man, a wave of ice ripped up from the gold. August cleaved to the ice only to find himself kicked in the side by Diamond. Diamond pulled out her mother’s knife and spun it in her hand for a moment. Diamond tossed it from hand to hand before she gripped it tightly in her right hand and charged forward. August brought his blade down upon her only for her to parry it with her blade which was charged with her presence. Despite the clear difference in both strength and size, Excalibur couldn’t even scratch the smaller blade.

  “How!?”

  “Magic,” Diamond taunted before her image faded. August realized then that she was never really before him. “My world, my rules,” Diamond said as she reappeared behind him, and attempted to stab him only for him to jump away at the last moment. For a small moment, the two found themselves locked in close-quarters combat. Diamond danced around him and dodged his strikes before she sliced him across his chest whenever she got close. August cursed when the Cerberus landed behind him and created a wave of gold that knocked him back as Diamond vanished and reappeared on top of the Cerberus. Its left claw suddenly swiped at him and large black chains sprung from the ground and attempted to crush him. August cut through the chains quickly and rushed forward before he leaped into the air. Excalibur was raised high as August released a large wave of light at the beast which jumped to the side at the last moment to avoid the attack. Taking aim Diamond threw her knife which he barely managed to block with his blade. Diamond formed her sniper rifle in her hands and took aim before she shot him in the chest. The force of the bullet slammed into Excalibur’s light and created an explosion that blew him onto his back. The Cerberus barked loudly before all three-heads released a loud howl that forced the bystanders to cover their ears. The sheer force of it knocked August through three statues. His body destroyed each of them until he hit the fourth one. August looked up in a daze as his ears bled while they rang. August watched as the Cerberus raced toward him, prepared to finish him off. Desperately, August dodged to the side when the central head bit down at him, attempting to end him. August managed to survive, but not without a cost as his right arm was bitten off, sword and all.

  “No…” August screamed as the beast circled back and stalked toward him. “Not like this!” August shouted before his body exploded in a blue light. The realm shattered like glass as the Cerberus tried to land one last attack.

  * * *

  Diamond shouted as she hit the ground as Jack, Kat, and Alice all fell down before her as they once more found themselves in the ruins of the P.I. headquarters.

  “You bitch!” August roared angrily, his staff held tightly in
his left hand, his right arm nowhere to be found.

  “What happened?” Faith asked in confusion as the Lady grimaced.

  “The Equinox, he desperately wished for his magic back and the sudden surge of power was enough to shatter the already unstable illusion,” the Lady answered as she watched August stand tall, his shield was back and it shone brighter than ever.

  “Immortality,” August said with a scoff as he glared at Excalibur which found itself stabbed into the ground. “Worthless excuse for a blade. I was better off as I was. After all, why be immortal when you can be invincible?” August taunted while a blue light covered his stub. Alice groaned weakly as her head pounded. Alice wiped the corner of her mouth in a daze and removed blood she wasn’t sure was hers.

  “Damn it, we were so close!” Lilia forced out as she and Xavier tried to regain their bearings.

  “How does he have his shield back already?” an exhausted Kat wondered as Jack grimaced while rising to his feet.

  “It was never destroyed so the casting penalty never applied, he simply took it off when he got rid of his magic,” Jack explained. His appearance had now returned to normal and his right arm had vanished as he was unable to conjure up the presence needed to keep it in tact. “A desperate move from a desperate man.”

  “Silence boy, my patience has finally reached its limit with you,” August said as his power continued to rise. “I’ll just wait until after I’ve crushed you to reclaim that blade.”

  “Thirty minutes,” Xavier said suddenly as he got their attention after he checked his watch. “That’s when the Equinox ends. If he beats us before then, he wins.”