by Pedro Urvi
Asu also pronounced words of Power, and beneath his feet Adamis saw the glyph of the volcano form. The ground began to shake, and he was only able to keep his balance with an effort. Suddenly the earth split open with a blast, and a volcano began to surge from it. Adamis cursed. If he lost his balance and the control of his sphere, he would be consumed by the flames. The volcano rose sixty feet above the ground and began spewing fire and lava onto the beach. Adamis struggled with all his might not to unbalance, with everything around him a fiery nightmare. The heat was so suffocating that he had to draw on more of his reserve of Power, so that the flames would not penetrate his barrier and finish him off: asphyxia was as dangerous as fire. He dug in his feet, flexed them and spread out his hands, controlling the sphere. At the same time he saw Asu’s eyes gleam with pleasure. The whole beach was a chaos of flames and burning coals, the shallows of the sea were burning, and the lava was solidifying as it entered the water. Adamis was sweating. He was in a desperately tight spot; his rival was unleashing all he had against him, and this time the icy hand of fear closed on his heart.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lord Woz retreat inside the thicket to avoid the flames. In the distance he saw the group running towards the portal. He had to give them time, he had to get Asu to focus all his power of destruction on him, or the flames would catch up with them. Notaplo was running too slowly, and the destruction Asu had unleashed was increasing.
Is that all the Prince of Fire can do? Adamis taunted him.
Asu clenched his fiery fists and glared furiously at him.
I will kill you! By the heavens, I will kill you, you accursed vain weakling! I will tear your heart from your charred body and spit on it!
Adamis smiled. He had achieved what he wanted. Seeing him smile, Asu turned mad with rage. He began to hurl tremendous balls of fire against Adamis, one after the other. They exploded with such intensity that Adamis was forced to retreat towards the sea. He was keeping all his concentration and Power on making his protective barrier hold. He knew Asu was using huge amounts of Power against him, and sooner or later his reserve would run out, no matter how large it might be.
Rotec traced a rune on the ground with his sword, silently muttering the word of Power at the same time. The rune broke, and from it issued an ethereal spirit which lifted him high at great speed. Iradu cauterized his wound with his own sword of fire in midair and roared with pain. Rotec attacked and threw an ethereal spear, but this time his rival saw it and took cover behind his shield. The spear managed to pierce the shield of fire, and lodged in it. The point grazed Iradu’s forehead, opening a cut. He roared. As he fell to the ground he created a powerful ball of fire and sent it rolling through the air. Rotec protected himself with his shield, but the impact produced an explosion of fire so brutal that he was hurled backwards towards the ground.
Iradu saw that Rotec was trying to keep his balance as he fell at great speed. He seized his opportunity. He conjured and threw a fiery meteorite, consuming a great part of his reserve of Power in this risky maneuver. Rotec managed to break his fall by conjuring a new spirit to hold him, avoiding the impact against the ground. He looked up at Iradu and saw the flaming meteorite falling dizzyingly towards him. With the greatest urgency he managed to create a protective prism of ether an instant before he was hit. The tremendous impact of the meteorite and the ensuing explosion propelled him to the ground at high velocity. He hit the sand with a terrific impact and ended up half-buried.
Breaking his fall with a couple of fiery missiles against the ground, Iradu descended with his eyes fixed on Rotec. A couple of feet from the ground he let himself drop. He tensed and headed for his opponent, skating on fire. As he gained momentum the fire surrounded him, turning his body into a huge fiery ball. Rotec stood up unsteadily. The protective prism around him had saved him from the explosion, but not from the terrible impact against the ground. His ears and mouth were bleeding. Stunned, he tried to defend himself, and raised his shield. Iradu crashed into him with all the force of his flaming body and the momentum of the fire. Rotec was thrown backwards amid flames after the vicious blow, and was left lying on the sand. He did not get up.
Asu raised his arms to the sky and spoke a long utterance of Power. The sky above Adamis turned a reddish-black inferno. There came a deafening blast, as if a hundred thunderbolts had struck at once, and fire began to rain down on him. Everything was now burning in devastating flames: sand, sea, sky. Worry began to take its toll on the prince of Ether; the barrier was being severely battered, and under this constant rain of heavy fire it would not hold. He had no choice but to counterattack. He concentrated, calculated how much Power he would need and how much he would have left, and slowly pronounced the words.
There came a tremendous explosion of ethereal energy of blinding purity which expanded from Adamis, its center, to the sky, covering the beach, the sea and the sky itself. The ethereal energy made contact with the fire and gradually destroyed it, drowning its voracious essence, until it disappeared.
Asu yelled with rage.
At the other end of the beach, Notaplo ran limping towards the arcane building. Panting, he urged the others: “Come on, quickly, to the portal!”
Urda, Yosane and Idana ran ahead. Kyra and Ikai brought up the rear, helping Notaplo. They were running in desperation, watching the sky and sand behind them, where the devastating combat between the Gods was taking place.
“Come on, we have to get out of here!” Ikai urged them.
Urda, Yosane and Idana reached the Portal. They turned, encouraging Kyra and Ikai, who were now carrying Notaplo by the arms, with his feet off the ground.
“Hurry!” Yosane called. “You’re nearly there!”
Ikai and Kyra arrived, panting, and let Notaplo down. He fell to his knees on the sand, and Idana helped him to his feet.
Kyra looked at the building in front of her. They had made it! But she noticed something odd by the door, a movement in the blackness of the wall itself. She wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. And from the blackness surged a shadow, as if it had left the black marble and come to life. From it came Oskas.
“Careful!” Kyra cried in warning.
Oskas threw himself on Notaplo in a flash, with both dark daggers in his hands, searching for the Erudite’s neck. Notaplo, wide-eyed, murmured a word. The daggers struck at neck level but found the protective shield, and the Erudite fell backwards.
“Damn barrier!” whispered Oskas under his Helmet of Void. “But it won’t save you again!”
He lunged at Notaplo at an inhuman speed and struck his chest again and again. Notaplo cried out in pain; his barrier had fallen and he was wounded. Kyra and Ikai jumped on Oskas in defense of the old God. The three of them rolled on the ground. Ikai attacked with his throwing knife, but Oskas’ daggers easily deflected his attack. Kyra grabbed at the Master-Spy’s legs to bring him down, but she was hit hard by a knee in her face, which left her lying stunned on the sand. Ikai attacked again, but this time he took a lightning cut in his forearm and lost his knife, which fell to the ground. He was left defenseless. His rival was a much better fighter than he was himself, better than anyone in fact, a true master of combat. Oskas came forward to finish him off. Ikai waited for the coup de grâce, with his eyes fixed on the deathly daggers. But Urda appeared behind Oskas and held him in a strong bear-hug. Oskas tried to writhe free, but Urda’s strength held him fast. Ikai gave a kick, and one dagger flew out of his hands. The Master-Spy thrust his head back and broke Urda’s nose. Then he kicked her right shin with his heel, so that the pain made her slacken her pressure. Oskas freed one arm and brought her down with a blow to her temple with his elbow.
Ikai threw himself at Oskas and grabbed his wrist in an attempt to take his other dagger. With a devilish move Oskas held his arm, brought his hip round and sent him flying over his body. He fell at the Master-Spy’s feet. His back hit the ground hard, and he was left helpless. Oskas put his knee on his chest, pressing so that he could no
t breathe, and slowly placed the dagger on his neck.
Death was coming early to claim Ikai. He looked at himself in the Helmet of Void, but his face was not reflected on the polished mirror surface.
“Time to die, slave,” came Oskas’ distant voice from under the helmet. “You should never have meddled in my Lord and Master’s business. I must kill the Erudite, and so I will, because I am a loyal servant of my Lord’s.”
Ikai was not afraid. He had done what he had to. He took his last breath of air and looked at the visor.
“We serve the House of Aureb,” said Oskas, reciting his sinister creed. “We serve in secret.”
“Ikai, no! No!” Kyra shouted in desperation, with all the power of her lungs.
Oskas saw Ikai’s strange eyes and hesitated.
Ikai noticed that something strange was happening. He was not being killed.
“Ikai!” Kyra shouted again. She found her brother’s knife in the sand and threw it against Oskas, with all her heart.
The knife caught him in the side of his neck.
The Master-Spy put his hand to the wound. He murmured several words, and a black mist enveloped him. With a breath of sea breeze the mist vanished, and with it so did Oskas.
Ikai blew out air and got slowly to his feet. He looked at his sister and smiled gratefully. He sighed. He had done the impossible to save her, and in the end she had been the one who had saved him. Life was full of surprises and lessons, and this was one he would remember forever. He turned to watch the ongoing battle between the two Gods in the middle of the beach.
Iradu was on top of Rotec. Adamis’ Champion, beaten, was dying. Iradu raised his fiery sword to kill him. Rotec saluted him. He had been defeated and would die with honor. Iradu returned the salute.
You fought with honor and you die with honor. May Mother Nature take you into her womb, Champion of the House of Eret, he said, and severed his head with a swift stroke.
Adamis felt something was wrong and looked towards his Champion. His heart broke at seeing Rotec die; his friend and protector.
Asu cried out in triumph. You fill me with pride, Iradu, you fill the House of Aureb with pride!
Iradu saluted his Lord with a nod.
Overcome with pride and feeling himself to be invincible, Asu turned towards the slaves beside the portal.
That slave is mine! Mine! By right! he yelled in fury. In a frenzy he attacked Adamis, unleashing a storm of fiery meteorites on him.
Adamis guarded himself and reinforced his protective sphere. He was very much weakened by the tremendous punishment he had received, and barely had Power left in his reserve. He bore the first physical impacts of the meteorites, followed by the deafening fiery blasts, but the punishment was too much ̶ the whole beach was devastated by the explosions ̶ and fell wounded, unable to rise.
Asu raised his fist to the sky in triumph, then turned to Yosane. Slave! You are mine! You belong to me! Come back to me, or else you will pay!
Yosane glared at him undaunted, with courage in her heart. She clenched her fists and answered: “Never! Never again!”
Possessed by his own wrath, Asu lost control of himself. He wanted to use his Power, but he had used it all up in his furious attack against Adamis. Drawing Power from his weakened protective sphere, he launched an arrow of lava at Yosane.
The fiery missile sent by Asu crossed the sky at lightning speed, as if he had fired it from a giant bow, and searched for Yosane’s chest.
“Look out!” cried Kyra, waving her arm at the missile.
Idana saw it and ran in front of Yosane, to protect her with her own body.
Ikai too threw himself on Yosane.
The fiery missile caught Idana in the shoulder and went through her. Yosane received it in her chest an instant before Ikai knocked her forward. The three of them rolled on the sand.
Kyra hurried to them and saw Idana writhing with pain from the burning wound in her shoulder. And then she saw the wound in Yosane’s chest. The fiery arrow had pierced her through and buried itself in the sand.
“Noooooooo!” Kyra cried in despair.
Beside herself, she tried to bring her back, but Yosane had died on impact. Her small body had been run through by the lethal arrow of fire. Kyra turned desperately to Ikai. Her brother bent his head.
“Notaplo, save her!”
The God-Erudite, shook his head slowly.
She is gone. There is nothing I can do. I am deeply sorry.
Kyra, kneeling, held her friend’s head on her lap.
“Don’t leave, don’t!” she pleaded. Her soul was drowning in a sea of pain and sorrow. “Survive and escape…” she whispered, bathing her friend’s gentle face with the tears her soul was weeping.
Ikai went to Idana and helped her. He improvised a bandage by tearing a piece off his tunic. Idana was crying with sorrow and pain.
“To hell with you! You damn soulless Gods! You’ll pay for this! I swear by Mother Sea I won’t rest until I see you all on your knees!” Kyra cried to the heavens, her heart unable to bear such injustice.
At that moment Adamis emerged from the water. He had burns on his shoulder, leg and side. His face betrayed intense pain, and his head was bleeding. He saw his chance and acted immediately. He still had a trace of Power left, and launched an ethereal javelin at Asu’s heart. The Prince of Fire, overwhelmed by a rage which bordered on insanity, did not see the javelin until it penetrated his weakened defense. He reacted. With a swift movement of his fiery sword he deflected the trajectory of the missile an instant too late. The javelin entered his shoulder and lodged there, piercing his body two finger-spans from his neck.
Asu took two steps back, eyes glaring wide. No! It cannot be! he shouted, and fell backwards on to the sand.
My Lord! cried Iradu, and hastened towards his Prince.
From the upper part of the beach there came a shout.
Enough! Everyone stop! came the powerful thought of Lord Woz. There will be no more bloodshed in the domains of my House!
They all turned to him.
Ignore him! Kill Adamis! Lord Asu ordered Iradu, with a trickle of dark blood at the corner of his mouth, before the blackness took him.
Iradu nodded to his Lord and took a step towards Adamis.
Stop right there, I said, or it will be your life! Lord Woz commanded him.
Lord Asu’s Champion turned in defiance towards the hill. He saw that Lord Woz was accompanied not only by his servants but also by twenty or so God-Warriors of the House of Hila.
Iradu’s gaze turned to Adamis. My Lord has ordered me to kill you, and as his Champion it is my obligation. But it will not be today. He looked hard at Lord Woz, then turned to Adamis and saluted him with a nod.
Adamis understood, and nodded in return.
Neither of you is to leave this beach. I will not allow my House to suffer retaliation for this bloodshed. I shall alert your Houses and the Council.
I request a Healer for my Lord, said Iradu, with a wave towards Lord Asu.
You shall have it.
Adamis contemplated the desolate scene beside the portal. Let the slaves leave, he told Lord Woz.
I have no interest in them. The living may leave…
Adamis saluted him and walked to the portal. Notaplo, are you badly hurt?
I will live, my Lord, not much longer but I shall live, the old Erudite said. He was pressing his hand down on his wound.
Kyra was weeping beside Yosane’s body. Adamis knelt at her side and stroked her hair. You must leave, now.
Kyra turned towards the Prince. “Why, Adamis? Why her? She never did anything wrong. She was intelligent, good, the best friend you could have. A gentle soul, who wouldn’t have harmed anyone. Tell me, why did she have to die? To satisfy the egos of a few selfish, ruthless Gods?”
Adamis bent his head. His shame was so obvious there was no way he could hide it. I will never be able to repair the injustices and the terrible suffering which my people have caused, I know. And
believe me, I am truly sorry. But now I beg you to listen. You must leave. Seek safety. They will arrive soon, and then I will not be able to save you.
“He’s right,” Ikai put in. “We must get away while we still have the chance.”
“That’s what Yosane would have wanted,” he said turning to Idana, trying to cheer her up.
Get into the portal, Adamis urged them.
Urda, Idana and Ikai went in.
Finally, Kyra joined them. Adamis came close to her and took her hand. I know that now you hate me even more than before, but I want you to know that all this death and destruction is not me, it is not what I want. Knowing you has changed me, has opened my eyes. You have made me see things as they should be seen, in their true nature. You have turned my world inside out, and for that I thank you, for waking me up from this reverie in which we live, believing ourselves to have rights over other beings, over the world. Rights we do not have, nor should we ever have. Not only that, but you have awakened feelings in me, feelings so strong and beautiful, which I had never felt before. For all this I thank you. It has been an honor to meet you, Kyra of the Senoca. I shall never forget you.
On the palm of her hand he put a crystalline disc with an enormous golden nugget in the center. Kyra stared at it in surprise.
You will need it, he said with a wink. Then he looked at Ikai and went on: I am going to send you to a secret portal on the continent. It is not watched; only a few of my House know about it. From there you will be able to go wherever you wish. It is not too far from your land. Be careful. Take care of your sister, she is someone very special.
Ikai nodded. “Thank you… for everything.”
With a few words of Power Adamis activated the portal, and it began to shine.
Kyra looked at the Prince and reached out her hand. “Will I ever see you again?”
