by Pedro Urvi
Surprise! Asu said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. My dear friend Adamis, how delightful to find you alive. Are you not happy to see me? He gave a triumphant giggle.
Adamis was assessing the situation in his mind. Absolutely not.
“You bastard!” shouted Kyra. “I’m going to gouge your eyes out!”
Albana unsheathed her black daggers and got ready to attack. Ikai glanced at her, warning her to wait and see how things developed. Adamis seized Kyra by her waist as she hurled herself toward Asu.
As rude as ever, he said. I will make sure you get what you deserve, slave. I have been wanting to do so for a long time, a long, long time (he savored the words as he spoke) and at last my wish is to be granted.
Adamis moved to stand in front of Kyra. You will not lay a finger on her.
Asu grinned and tilted his head in amusement. Shall we come in, or would you rather come out to welcome us?
The ante-chamber and the chamber of hibernation were separated by a long passage. Adamis had no desire to risk either the chamber or the lives of those in it. He gestured to Ikai and Albana to come forward.
We are coming out, he said, and they went as far as the door of the ante-chamber.
What a long time it has been since we met, Asu said, his fiery eyes fixed on Adamis. I see you are still keeping the same bad company that led you to your doom. But wait… you were executed by your Father… you ought to be dead… what a disappointment. You can see how it is always better to deliver justice with your own hands. He was looking at Lord Erre as he said this, and his cousin nodded. You tricked me. That is not good at all, Adamis, not good at all.
What are you doing here? How did you find us?
I was deeply disappointed when I reached the royal chamber in your father’s palace and found it deserted. Well, of the living, at least. Corpses everywhere. My informers had assured me that the survivors of the other houses had taken refuge there. I was going to teach them that no-one can escape from my power. He gave a twisted smile. I came intent on teaching them a final lesson. I was going to skin them and then incinerate them while still alive, all of them … well, not all. I was going to let a couple live so that they would remember the lesson. But somebody robbed me of the satisfaction of my final victory. Now his eyes gleamed with fury.
“You’re a despicable murderer!” Kyra cried.
Slave, nobody addressed you. Hold your tongue and listen to your betters.
“I’m going to cut you open!” she shouted.
Adamis saw that Iradu had taken a step forward and Erre had unsheathed his fiery sword. Stay calm, he said.
As I was saying before the slave interrupted us, Asu said patronizingly, all I found were corpses. Your Father’s was not among them…although my spies assure me that he died. In the end the old man was not as clever as he thought. He laughed.
Adamis tensed and bit his lip in an effort to contain himself.
We also found your Champion’s dead body. He fought well to the end, did he not, Iradu?
With honor to the end, like a true Champion, Iradu agreed solemnly.
Yes, yes… but something did not fit: where were all the refugees? I thought they might have escaped to the mainland, but my Erudites informed me that the city portals were not working. So I searched the palace from top to bottom. And we found the Portal in the chamber of knowledge. What was the name of the Erudite I caused to be killed? Nota… something…
Notaplo, Erre said.
Ah, yes, Notaplo. An intelligent Erudite. A pity he had to die.
Adamis clenched his fists, holding back the rage burning in his stomach. You will pay for all the deaths you have caused.
“Let me kill him,” Kyra pleaded. Her eyes were moist with fury.
Adamis was doing his best to avoid confrontation. Stay calm…
Yes, stay calm, we would not want that nature of yours to catch fire… you know how much I relish burning slaves… As I was saying, we found the Portal. My Erudites examined it and established that it was about to disappear. We had no time to do anything. The three of us crossed a moment before it vanished. Which was a pity. I would rather have made a more triumphant entrance with my whole army behind me, but what could one do? It was not meant to be. Although I really think that even so, it was dramatic enough, was it not? Just when you were thinking you had escaped. His laughter was hollow and mocking.
Your army is trapped in Alantres and will not be able to leave, Adamis said. The Portals do not work. They will all die this evening.
Yes. That, to be precise, is the other matter that has brought me here. The arrogant, mocking expression vanished, giving way to one of rage and frustration. The toxic cloud which has enveloped the whole Eternal City… which has covered us all… my Erudites say it is poisonous, that we are all infected and will die before nightfall. Even that lunatic Moltus confirms it, he says the voices have told him the end of days has come for the Golden and that all we can do is wait and die. The fool used poison to end his life so as not to suffer what is coming. As you can imagine, that is something I cannot allow to happen. And from what I was able to hear, you have already found the solution to that very pressing problem…
Did you hear it all?
Enough of it. So this is the chamber where the old fools developed their technology of hibernation? My dear father did not tell me his secrets before I killed him. He gave a grimace of pretended sorrow. I imagine yours, on the other hand, told you before he died, which benefits all of us.
What do you want?
Simply: this chamber.
We do not need to fight for it, Adamis said. He was still trying to avoid bloodshed. We can share it.
Asu gave an abandoned laugh. Share? I do not share anything. The chamber is mine now.
You can hibernate with the others.
Do you really think I am going to trust you? That I am going to trust these slaves to keep the secret of my rest? If you really believe that, you must be out of your mind.
“We will keep your bodies like those of the others,” Ikai said in support of Adamis. “You have nothing to fear as long as you’re in hibernation. You have my word.”
Asu laughed again. His word, the slave says. Your word has no value for me, any more than your life does.
“Don’t waste time,” Albana put in. “He has no intention of leaving us alive.”
You are a Shadow, I remember you. Oskas’ disciple, are you not?
“You let my mother die, and you’ll pay for it,” she said. “I swore revenge, and I’m going to have it.”
Asu laughed. Ah yes, I seem to remember you dared to ask me to save her… that you, a vulgar slave, should dare ask me!
Think about it, Asu, Adamis said. The toxin is spreading through your body. You are going to die. We are going to die. There is no need to fight. We can still save ourselves. We only have to go into the chamber and go into hibernation, all of us.
There was a tense silence. Asu’s eyes were fixed on Adamis. After a moment he straightened, then spread his arms wide, palms open.
It is all mine. The Golden are mine. This world is mine. It has taken me time and effort, but today I have achieved it. At last I have conquered all the Houses. It is all mine! The Eternal City, this continent, Golden, slaves: everything! I am not going to give it up now that it is within my reach. His eyes shone with greed, and his mouth was twisted in a dark smile. And in any case, killing you is the cherry on the cake. Nothing could give me greater satisfaction before the long journey than to kill you with my own hands. Especially you two: the arrogant prince of ether and his insubordinate slave. I will hibernate with your heads under my arm!
Adamis raised his protective sphere. He was the quickest to do so. An instant later Asu sent a ball of fire at him. Adamis’s sphere protected Kyra, who was still raising her own.
“I’ll kill you!” she cried in fury.
Iradu activated his silver spear and bracelet-shield in a single movement by shaking both arms. With an explosion of fire
he leapt onto Ikai, covering the distance that separated them in a heartbeat. Ikai rolled to one side to avoid being impaled by the silver spear, which was now flaming.
Erre lit his sword of fire, and with his other hand he hurled a fiery missile in the form of a spear at Albana. She used her Power and vanished into the shadows of the ante-chamber. The fiery spear went through the dark mist she left behind her without reaching her.
I will reduce you to ashes! Asu shouted. He attacked with unusual rage and aggressiveness, products of the intense hatred he felt towards his rivals and the fury which was devouring him. He hurled great fireballs against Adamis and Kyra which struck their defensive spheres one after the other and burst into sheets of flame. The explosions were so powerful that they weakened the defensive spheres and violently shook their bodies.
Adamis and Kyra were standing up to the attack, their minds focused on sending Power to the spheres to prevent them collapsing. Adamis tried to counterattack, but the rough treatment his body was receiving would not let him use his Power as he wished. Meantime Asu attacked, using vast quantities of Power like a madman, striking like a maniac.
I will roast you alive! You will die writhing in pain in my flames!
Kyra dug her feet in firmly and clenched her jaw. Taking hold of her disc, she hurled an ethereal spear against Asu. The brightness of the white light of the disc in her hand alerted him, giving him time to raise a protective sphere of solid lava. The spear struck this, knocking flakes off it, but failed to penetrate it.
You stupid slave! You think yourself a rival for a God? You are slow and clumsy!
“You’re no God! You’re just a despicable golden! I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
Asu gave a sneering laugh. For you, you filthy slave, and for all your people, I will always be a God! The Highest God!
The Lord of Fire pronounced words of Power, and a form began to take shape behind him. Adamis and Kyra took advantage of the moment to attack: Adamis with an intense beam of ether which he kept above a point in the lava sphere, trying to drill through it, and Kyra creating a ball of ether, like those of fire, and hurling it at Asu. The ball burst on contact, producing an explosion of energy. But it did not succeed in destabilizing Asu, who had by now finished creating the fiery form. This took the shape of an immense bird in flames. It rose, shook its wings and glided above Adamis and Kyra. With a fiery croak it opened its beak. Instantly a long flame issued from the beak, part fire, part lava, and fell on the couple. The bird turned and passed over them again, scattering everything in its path with burning lava.
Adamis interrupted Kyra’s attack on Asu. Strengthen the sphere! he warned her, He attacked the great bird, and she followed his example.
Ikai got to his feet with Adamis’s disc in his left hand. With his right he unsheathed his sword. Iradu charged at him with breathtaking speed and force, sliding his feet over a cloak of lava that formed as he passed, as if he were sliding on ice. Ikai saw the gigantic golden warrior hurling himself at him, and for a moment his blood ran cold. But he recovered, using the disc to surround himself with a sphere. It could not protect him completely from the impact; he felt a massive and painful shock and the next moment he was thrown against the rock wall of the chamber. With the impact he felt another shock, together with a stabbing pain throughout his body.
That sphere is effective against a Lord, Iradu said, as if he were teaching one of his beginner Warriors a lesson, but it will not protect you from a Warrior in a hand to hand fight. He took a great leap, and with a movement of his spear in mid-flight he hurled a trident of fire, which buried itself in the sphere. Ikai suffered another abrupt shock, which nearly brought him to his knees.
The massive Warrior raised his spear, ready to strike again. Ikai rolled to one side and the spear hit the wall. Immediately Iradu struck backwards with his shield, catching Ikai’s sphere as he rolled. The strength of the blow drove him with an impact against the wall. He was left stunned.
Iradu aimed his fiery silver spear at him. You are agile, and I see you can fight. But you will not be able to avoid me for much longer.
Ikai took advantage of the moment and used the disc’s Power. He was afraid he would not be able to in that state, but he summoned a Spirit of Agony. He gasped as he saw his nightmare creation materialize. Translucent gray, in a ragged robe and lacking any flesh, it looked at Iradu with a twisted face of horror. The Champion readied himself, and Ikai gave the order: “Attack!” The spirit gave a hollow moan and fell on Iradu.
The giant thrust his shield in front of the Spirit of Agony to protect himself. With his fiery spear he began to attack the ghost, which cried out at contact with the fire in its attempt to reach the Champion’s flesh.
With a shadowy slither, Albana emerged from the half-darkness behind Erre. She used her Power to strengthen the blow she was getting ready to strike. A black flash appeared and covered her arms. Erre felt Power being used behind him and began to turn. With both daggers she struck the lava sphere which protected him. On their impact, fragments of the sphere flew into the air. Two marks were clearly visible where she had struck.
Erre had turned fully by now. Treachery! he shouted angrily, and with an undulating movement of his arm he sent a wave of flames toward Albana. She retreated with a pirouette, somersaulting backwards with amazing flexibility. When she had completed her move she saw the wave of lava sweeping the floor in her direction. It moved as though it were a wave of the sea six feet high, with the horrible difference that it was made of flames and was burning everything in its path.
A moment before the wave would reach her she used her Power to leap up to the ceiling, then hurled two daggers of power at Erre. Seeing this, he hurled a fireball at her. Daggers and fireball crossed in midair. The impact of the daggers reached Erre in his protective sphere, and he cursed as a whole layer of protection bounced. But his confidence was unchanged, and he watched to see the ball of fire finish her. The sphere flew towards her in the dome. A blackness enveloped her, and the fiery sphere passed through where she had been. It struck the ceiling and burst into flames.
Curse you! You cannot avoid all of my attacks. I am a Lord of the House of Fire. My power is a hundred times greater than yours, Shadow!
Albana said nothing, but appeared behind him and struck in the same spot as before. Pieces of the solid lava sphere flew off it. But Erre was ready to counterattack. He surrounded himself with a sphere of fire, whose flames licked Albana’s hands and arms. With a cry of pain she moved back into the shadows.
One of Asu’s enormous fireballs came rushing along the corridor behind Adamis, but he used his Power to deflect it into the chamber of hibernation. It exploded against one of the walls, creating a sea of flames which reached two of the Erudites, who were burned to death. The Healers could do nothing for them. Seeing that the chamber would soon catch fire and everything would be lost, Adamis summoned the Guardian Priests.
Protect the chamber! Do not let the fire damage it!
The three Priests, who were waiting at the end of the chamber, moved to the entrance at his call. The first carried the Tome of the Moon in one hand and a Staff of Power in the other. The second carried the Tome of the Sun and a similar Staff. The third wore the Medallion of Shadows on his chest. They came to stand side by side, filling the entire width of the door, a couple of steps behind Adamis. They murmured words of Power and created three protective barrier-walls in front of them, blocking the whole entrance from floor to ceiling-dome. The fireballs and combat missiles now crashed against the barriers and failed to reach the chamber of hibernation.
While Iradu fought the Spirit of Agony, Ikai used the Power of the disc to create two more Spirits to protect him. The first was a Spirit of Pain. Similar in appearance to that of Agony, its face showed a terrible pain instead: the same pain it caused its enemies. Ikai pointed to Iradu, who had just destroyed the Spirit of Agony. “Defend me!” he said. The ghost took up position on his right and began to send missiles made up of essence of
pain at the champion. With the first impact Iradu felt a terrible pain and was forced to stop. With the third impact, the pain was so unbearable that his knees bent.
Concentrating hard, Ikai created the second ghost: a Spirit of Death. The ghost moved to his left, floating inside its ragged robe with a grim expression of insatiable hunger. Ikai pointed to the weakened Champion. “Feed!” he ordered. The spirit threw itself on Iradu. With every blow, it robbed him of life while the spirit itself grew more powerful. The Champion roared in pain. He protected himself behind his shield and caused it to burn. The Spirit of Death moved away from it and tried to attack from the side. Iradu moved his shield and thrust his fiery spear at it. This time it was the Spirit of Death which roared as it was hit. But when the shield moved, the Champion left himself open to attack by the Spirit of Agony. Several missiles of essence of pain reached him. He was left weakened, and his knees buckled again. Both Spirits attacked him voraciously.
Ikai felt he had a chance. But at that moment the champion made a movement with his spear and raised a wall of fire in front of him. It caught the Spirit of Death, which was forced to move back. Covering himself from the Spirit of Pain with the shield of fire, Iradu used his spear to kill the Spirit of Death. Ikai’s hopes began to fade. Immediately Iradu created an explosion of fire under his feet. Propelled by the explosion, the champion shot to the ceiling. From there he hurled two fireballs against the Spirit of Pain which was protecting Ikai. The explosions destroyed the spirit and weakened the protective sphere. Ikai’s hopes died completely as he saw the giant warrior falling on him. With a tremendous blow of his shield of fire Iradu sent Ikai against the wall amid flames, so that he was left lying on his back, winded. His head was bleeding, and his whole body hurt as if all his bones were broken.
You use your Power well, Hybrid. Those Spirits have weakened me. But you fight with a Disc, and that limits you. Do you not know how to use your own Power?
Ikai had lost his sphere and was dizzy. He got to his feet, holding Adamis’ disc, and picked up his sword from the floor. At that moment he wished with all his heart that he could use his Power, but he had never managed to do it before and if he tried now he would be left exposed. He let out his breath abruptly. He knew the Champion was about to kill him, and nothing came to his mind which might save him.
