by Ian Carter
"Thank you, elder, we'll be going now," Kai said as he meagrely stood up and attempted a few stretches.
"I don't think so," Mason rebuffed. "You aren't getting anywhere near that giant again."
"Why not? We can't just let Hayleigh and the City Guard handle it. That giant is going to cause a lot more casualties without our help."
"Your Highness, the City Guard would have been tasked with dealing with it even if you had never come here," Liliana comforted him. "We get a giant in these parts every eighteen to twenty-four months. We have safeguards and rigorous training programs in place for just these situations. The citizens who were hurt by the giant are safely evacuated."
"But this giant regenerates—it's a half-troll," Kai brought up. "Mason said so himself. Have you faced one like this before?"
"I'm afraid not, but our guards and their training should still suffice. You have nothing to worry about." Unmoved by Liliana's words, Kai unsheathed his Blade.
"Invisibility," Kai stated as he moved to go. However, nothing happened. Confused, he looked down to see his Invisibility Stone missing.
"Sorry, but I'm not falling for the same trick twice," Mason lauded over Kai. "You're staying here to recover."
"You don't understand. Before you got there, I made a promise to Hayden, William, and Becket. To myself! I will see this fight through."
"Is that what I'm supposed to tell your father when I lay your corpse at his feet?" Mason pounded his fist on a nearby table that caused a mild cracking noise to emanate from the wood. "You may have made a promise, but you kept that promise by almost dying on that road. Now is not the time to needlessly throw your life away. The City Guards here are trained in anti-giant tactics. They'll take care of it. Hayleigh was practically the City Watchman for Erkau, and she will lead them well. Please, Prince Kai. Rest."
With no logical way to counter the argument, Kai sat back down on his bed and stared off into the distance. He loathed it, but Mason was right. He was no good to the kingdom dead. If he could be kept reasonably safe it might have been a different story, but it wasn't possible. Going off on his own resulted in the deaths of William and Becket. He couldn't bear the thought of that happening again, even though every fiber in his body wanted to fight. Dejectedly, Kai laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes.
"I will be catching up on some sleep, then," Kai said. Nearly 20 minutes later, he finally fell asleep.
◆◆◆
"Elder, they're dead!" The random voice shattered the silence in the near-empty room where Kai slept and woke him up. He raised his head from the pillow and his body instantly reminded him of its state of his body. It must have only been around 40 minutes or so since he had fallen asleep.
"What do you mean?" Liliana questioned.
"The City Guard, elder. The giant has killed seventy percent of them. They're running on fumes, and the Silver Bladeswoman has taken a couple of hits too. I don't believe they will be able to succeed."
"Mason, that settles it. We're going," Kai announced as he swung his feet over the edge of the bed.
"Prince Kai, I told you that you're staying here. I will go and reinforce Hayleigh and the rest of the guard."
"You don't get it," Kai started. "You say our mission to Stura can't succeed without me. Well, the mission can't succeed without you and Hayleigh either. You are my citizens, as are the City Guards who risked their lives, just like Hayden and his men did. I will not allow any more of my people to die needlessly if there is something I can physically do about it."
"Kai, you don't even have an offensive Stone, I'm afraid that you're going to be staying here," Mason reasoned.
"Please," Kai turned to everyone else standing in the room. "Do none of you have a Stone that I could borrow? Or do you wish to see your fellow citizens die needlessly?" A silence hung in the room for a few seconds, but it felt like minutes.
"Those are powerful words, Your Highness," Liliana responded. "Do you think we wish for everyone outside this room to die because we stay here at your side to ensure the prince of our kingdom is safe?"
"No, I don't think that," Kai answered, feeling dejected.
"But, the passion for your kingdom is inspiring, so I don't believe all is lost. Prince Kai, I have a Lightning Stone in my possession from my time in the City Guard. To my knowledge, it is the only one of its kind that exists in the immediate area. As I am far too old to be fighting against that type of beast, I will entrust it to you. Please take it."
Liliana drew her Silver Blade and ejected a bright yellow stone before passing it to Mason. After weighing the pros and cons in his head, he pulled Kai's black Invisibility Stone from his pocket and held out both Stones to Kai. He hurriedly took the Stones and deposited the Invisibility Stone into his breast pocket next to his blue Stone before he clicked the yellow Stone into Initiation. A yellow glow immediately began to emit from it as the flames on Initiation's blade turned to the Stone's color.
"Your Highness. I now speak to you not as an elder, but as Liliana Urquhart, the ex-City Watchman. Give that giant the fight of its life."
◆◆◆
"Hayleigh? Hayleigh, where are you?" Mason yelled into the rain.
It hadn't taken long for Mason and Kai to arrive at the battlefield by horseback through the muddy streets. The buildings of surrounding areas had received minor damage, and bodies of deceased guards had been dragged away from the road that housed the fighting. Blasts of fire from a dozen guards Fire Stones continuously launched towards the giant, though the continued downpour hampered the power of the flames.
"What are you doing here, Your Highness?" Kai wheeled around to see Hayleigh leaned up against a half-destroyed home with several of the City Guards huddled around her. She was missing a piece of armor from her shoulder that exposed some skin that appeared sliced up and cauterized. Nearby, the remainder of the City Guard lined a few alleys to take refuge from the severe rain. They were exhausted and were either eating what little food that could be ferried to them or attempting to sleep. Hayleigh muttered something with the guards before she headed over to Kai and Mason. "What are you doing back here!?"
"We heard how bad it was, and Prince Kai couldn't take that laying down," Mason sighed. "Thankfully, Elder Liliana gave him a Lightning Stone so he will be able to do some real damage. How is the situation? Have you gotten close to killing it?"
"Define close," Hayleigh said, clearly frazzled. "It's impossible to get close to its head, so we can't destroy its brain. It either blocks whatever we throw at it or regenerates what we cut off. The troll regeneration it has is a real bastard. We've also tried every possible Elemental and Utility Stone that we have access to. It's going to take something radically different ... Wait, did you say Prince Kai has a Lightning Stone earlier? With the downpour, the lightning may buff the Stones power enough to take out the giant."
"I haven't used it yet, so I don't know how strong it will be in my Blade. My father did say that Initiation powers up any Stone I insert into it, so that might give us a chance."
"But that means you would need to get up close, and that's a no go," Hayleigh denied the idea before it could get off the ground. "If someone has to get up close, you're going to have to give Initiation to someone else to use.
"Initiation is staying with me," Kai rejected. "My father said this Blade has my blood in it, and that it will only activate by my hand. Only I can bring out its true power."
"His Highness, I swear," Hayleigh said, growing even more aggravated.
"It'll be okay. I can use my Invisibility Stone to get close. Wait!" Kai pointed at a nearby building. "That building's roof is intact. Mason can use his Strength Stone to throw me on top of that building. You guys can get the giant close to the building, and then I can make a surprise attack. If Initiation is as strong as my father said it is, and with the rain, this will work."
"You will not do anything unless you can guarantee you can do it as safely as possible, okay?" Hayleigh pleaded with a worried look in her e
ye that both Kai and Mason hadn't seen before. Kai locked eyes with her, and with a mischievous grin, he gave a nod of agreement. Hayleigh and the others in the meeting confirmed their approval of the plan with nods as well.
"All right, everyone, let's go!" Kai stuck out his fist, which was followed by Hayleigh and Mason, and then the guards. Kai felt a surge of confidence, as he was not just their leader but also their prince. They trusted him with their lives.
Hayleigh broke off in the direction of the giant to regain its attention as Kai and Mason headed off to the base of the building described in their plan. At the foot of the building, Kai donned his Invisibility as Mason summoned his strength. In a single clean movement, Mason heaved Kai up onto what he hoped was the roof successfully. After a breathless few seconds, Kai's familiar voice rang out.
"I'm good, Mason! Go join Hayleigh and get him over here!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" Mason ran off in the direction of the fight 40 meters away from the building on which Kai paused. As Mason joined the melee with Hayleigh and the City Guard, his heart raced at a frenzy. This plan relied solely on his ability not to screw up his job, and the gravity of the situation fell onto him; Regret crept into his mind. Maybe he should have given the Lightning Stone to Hayleigh and taken the chance with her lower power level. She wouldn't miss the strike.
The doubt began to cloud his judgment as he looked up and saw a truly incredible sight. Hayleigh guided the City Guards as they used their Fire Stones in coordinated volleys. They drew the giant closer to Kai's building as Mason used his Strength Stone to bat away any projectiles thrown their way.
Reality dawned on him. Kai couldn't do anything that those brave people were doing, but he could make the final attack. This was his plan, and he would be the one to follow through. Kai resolved himself once more as the lumbering monster came within a few meters. The giant turned to face the City Guard, who had formed a semi-circle around it and angled themselves to keep its back towards Kai. He disabled his Invisibility and quickly inserted the Electricity Stone into Initiation; Yellow flames once again flowed outwards from the dragon's mouth on its metal.
He dispersed one last breath before he began his running start. As he reached the edge of the rooftop, Kai leaped from the roof. He held Initiation above his head, ready to thrust it into the giant's head. Much to his dismay, the giant's hand snatched him out of mid-air and squeezed him tight. It had somehow sensed Kai and knew about the jump.
It brought Kai close to its face as he squirmed as best he could. The giant roared at Kai at an unbelievable volume, which temporarily deafened Kai. The monstrous fingers wrapped around his body began to squeeze tighter; the air and life from Kai's body left him as he struggled to free himself.
Mason and Hayleigh immediately broke rank and ran forwards to save Kai as the giant opened its mouth to chomp down on his upper body. His vision started to go black from the pain of being crushed. He used what remaining strength he had in his body to thrust Initiation deep into the giant's mouth and embedded it into the giant's cheek. Though he was deaf from the earlier roar, and couldn't hear himself speak, Kai spoke the word and prayed that God could.
"Lightning!"
In concert with his command, a lightning bolt crashed down upon the giant as if summoned from heaven itself. An ocean of light emanated from the bolt for several seconds that blinded everyone around the strike. The air itself sizzled as a deafening thunderclap radiated outwards and blew away Mason, Hayleigh, and the City Guard forcefully from the point of the lightning impact.
Everyone in the immediate area was disabled from sensory overload. Still, thankfully after a few moments, they were able to regain their senses and evaluate the scene in front of them. They wiped the rain away from their eyes, and the scene revealed itself—the motionless bodies of Kai and the giant laid on the ground with the earth charred to black meters around them.
Chapter Ten
The Things We Left Behind
Pain radiated from every part of his body as Kai regained consciousness. His eyes fluttered open only to see a mess of bright lights and shadows moving around him. Torment and agony greeted his attempts to lift his arms and move his legs. He quickly retired the idea of moving his body and settled for focusing his eyes on the environment. Several shadows were congregated against a far wall as several people cleaned. The aroma of food filled his nostrils and instilled an intense hunger in his stomach.
He moved his head to the side in violation of the painful warnings his neck provided him. He managed to see the shadows where Hayleigh and Mason were speaking with Elder Liliana against the far wall in his room. He shifted his gaze past the open doorway to view Hayden's familiar face standing outside on guard. A wave of thankfulness washed over Kai as he was happy one of the men he had come to admire was still alive.
Kai let out a small dishevelled sigh, which alerted the group against the wall. Almost immediately, a flash of auburn hair came towards him as Hayleigh rushed over to his bedside and took his hand. Her tears immediately began to fall on the blanket and their joined hands. Kai worked hard to suppress his tears in response and managed to succeed as the pressure on his hand was enough to make him wince. The indication of discomfort was enough for Hayleigh to realize what she was doing as she released her grip and laid his hand back onto the blanket. She put both her hands over his as Mason and Elder Liliana walked over, both with relieved smiles.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Your Highness," Liliana welcomed.
"How ... long?" Kai muttered.
"You've been asleep for around 36 hours, Your Highness. I have been applying healing with my Heal Stone every eight hours or so. We were surprised that you still had a heartbeat after the attack that felled the giant, but once we knew we worked very hard to save you. I didn't know if the lightning had damaged your blood and guts, but I'm glad to see you finally away. Can you move your extremities, Your Highness?"
"I think I can. However, I think I will refrain for the time being."
"Smart man, you are. The giant gripped you tight, so you surely have internal injuries. I would recommend that you do nothing but rest for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, it looks like the Lightning Stone did its job and didn't harm you."
"What do you mean, its job?" Mason quizzed. "Is your Lightning Stone special in some way?"
"The Lightning Stone I gave the young prince is a special type of Lightning Stone," Liliana replied. "I got it directly from the Tallec Household in my younger years. It is a special type of Stone that will negate the damage done to its wielder when activated. In the past, this special feature allowed me to take quite a risky line in some of my fights. I admit that when I heard how powerful the attack Prince Kai unleashed was, I was worried if the principle would apply when Initiation increased its power."
"I still have a bone to pick for giving him that Stone in the first place," Hayleigh stated with a tinge of hostility in her voice. "He put himself in danger because you gave him that Stone. That Lightning attack was overkill, and I could have accomplished—"
"I would hold off on your criticisms for the moment." Liliana calmly cut her off. Hayleigh did not reply and instead returned her gaze to Kai's hand. "Speaking of the attack, it seems this Blade you have is unique Your Highness. I do hope you will forgive me, but I borrowed Initiation to perform your healing. You mentioned in passing it could amplify a Stone's effect, so I had hoped to take advantage of it.
"As you all know, normally a Blade can only be utilized by the person it has bonded to during its ritual. However, Initiation is a truly extraordinary Blade. I believed there was a chance that it could still work as long as whoever wielded it did so to help you. By god, this old girl still has a good hunch once in a while." Liliana giggled to herself, satisfied with her compliment.
"Not only did it work, but it also increased my Heal Stone by a small factor. That father of yours surely has some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to making Blades." She took Initiation and glanced it up and down
a few times. "It boosted my abilities slightly, but goodness, in your hands that Blade is on another level of power. If the guards aren't using hyperbole, the bolt of lightning you summoned dwarfed any attack I could have ever hoped to unleash myself, and it was even the first time you used it! Once you gain experience, you will be a troublesome opponent indeed, Prince Kai."
"But how were you able to use it? My father said it was only able to be used by me," Kai reasoned. "That's impossible."
