by Damon Glatz
Falko shook his head.
"I truly overestimated you... Galius overestimated you... No Ohitekah. You’re not seeing the big picture here. Every element of your defense and counterattack has been accounted for and planned against. The Vatnic invasion. The aid from the North. Your friends in the Capital. They are all already defeated. You stand alone, Ohitekah. It’s just you this time."
Ohitekah took a ragged breath.
"You're lying. There's no way."
Sierra.
Falko sliced again with his spear. Ohitekah's dodge was slow, the spear gashed his cheek.
"I need your power, for a greater victory," Falko spoke quietly. "I can't win without it!"
Ohitekah received more cuts to his arms and chest. His body was slowing down.
I couldn't have lost them all. Red. Nicholas. Sierra... All dead... What have I done?
Ohitekah felt his body collapse. He could not find the strength to stand up anymore. The puddles of blood grew at his knees.
There’s no point. Just do it... Just kill me already.
"This could have been easier for you. For that, I'm sorry." Falko lifted his spear to deliver the final pierce to his heart.
I deserve this... I failed.
Ohitekah looked down at the pools of his own blood. Who was he kidding? His men were no match for this army, and he was no match for Falko. This was all a big mistake. Tears began rolling down his face.
He glanced up, there was shouting and a commotion coming from behind Ohitekah. Falko squinted his eyes to see what was happening. The guards in his ring braced themselves and collapsed when attacked by a new force of men.
A group of samurai. They drove a wedge straight through the lines and broke into his combat arena. Ohitekah looked behind him and saw the Order. The Blood Red Spades. Mounted on horseback and fighting Falko's men.
The lead man dismounted and stood between him and Falko. He was in a strange armor that looked as if it was made from bone. He drew a sword that looked the same.
"We will cover your retreat Mythic of Thunder. Go now!"
"No... I..." Ohitekah stammered.
"We have no choice! Flee!"
Falko ran forward and made a stab at the leader of the Blood Red Spades. The Ace whipped around and blocked it with his dragon bone katana. They exchanged blows at an incredible speed.
The ring protecting Ohitekah and Falko from the battle was destroyed. Men fought and died all around him. He struggled to stand up on his own feet, his injuries were taking a while to heal. He glanced behind him. Out of the battle ran a crimson horse. Blaze.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Blaze galloped alongside Ohitekah. Ohitekah used the last of his energy to throw himself onto his back. Without breaking stride, Blaze ran past the battle.
For a fleeting moment, Ohitekah caught eyes with Falko. Ohitekah escaping on the horse of the Sun God. Protected just long enough by the Blood Red Spades. Ohitekah saw the Ace of the Blood Red Spades lay dead at the feet of Falko. A spear standing out of his ribcage.
I will find you.
Ohitekah heard Falko's thoughts echo through his mind.
In that instant, Blaze raced away from the battlefield. The remainder of the tribal army was retreating back into the plains. The Orbis army appeared as large as ever. Hardly a dent was put into it.
Ohitekah closed his eyes and looked away. He couldn't bear to watch anymore. He gripped the long scarlet hair of Red's horse and they tore off into the horizon. Ohitekah didn't care where the horse took him. At this point, it didn't matter. All that was on his mind was to keep a promise. Get away. Run. Survive.
Epilogue
Dusk
The ocean was still, unnaturally still. In the southern coast of the Orbis Empire, in the edge of the Shadow Mountains, the sea was silent. The waves that should be washing debris and the bodies of the fallen Vatnic soldiers ashore was stubbornly keeping it all to itself. The battle that had taken place earlier that day was frozen in time. Half-sunken ships, floating warriors, all stagnate in place in the water that refused to move.
"Do not be like the rest of them, do not fear me." Death waited at the rocky shores, remaining motionless for some time. Not even its cloak moved in the breeze.
"What makes you think I fear you?" A small stream of water moved its way through the gravel of the beach and formed a shape in front of the dark being. The Goddess of the Seas rose into her form, staring intently into the emptiness of Death's hood.
"You have experienced fear, a mortal fear, you are no better than them." The voice from the hood spoke slowly, its tone was dark as if the words had been whispered through an empty void. The being turned slightly to acknowledge the Goddess' missing arm. The Goddess glared back and turned her body to conceal her disgrace from its sight.
"I don't understand. What he did was impossible."
"How can I trust you to do your tasks? If your Mythic can not even protect you."
Her eyes shot open. "No. We did our job."
"You are an embarrassment. You are too attached to your Mythic, and it makes you both weak."
She took a step back. "How dare you."
"I will take possession of your Mythic from henceforth. I will offer you the protection of my own Mythic in the times ahead. That is unless... You think yours can better defend you."
"A man? I expected better of you."
"A Mythic is only a power, a power that needs a vessel. Your vessel is old, it needs to adapt."
"We don't need you."
There was a tremble in the earth under them. A chasm opened in the mountains. Through the opening walked a man.
"I beg to differ, your Grace." Falko approached them and stabbed his golden spear into the rocks at his feet. He stared down the Goddess with an intense glare.
"You're the second human to give me that look today." She stared back. With a loud crash, the blue serpent burst out of the ocean to her back. It towered high above them and waited for its next command.
Falko shot a glance up to the Mythic above him, without another thought he turned to face the God of the Underworld.
"The boy escaped, however, the Plains and the Empire remain ours."
"You have failed to acquire another Mythic? May I offer you a consolation?" Death faced the Water Mythic and its Goddess.
"It will suffice for now." Falko lifted his spear from the ground and held it at his side.
"What makes you think it will be that easy?" The Goddess clenched her fist.
"Because you now understand fear..." The dark God raised his skeletal hand toward her and pointed. "Surrender your Mythic to me, or perish like the rest."
The Goddess darted her eyes between the hood and the man at its side. She took a long moment before speaking again.
"Will I get any say in his actions?"
"You will be permitted to observe his conquest, that is all," Death said coldly. "I charge him with my wishes, and he makes it so. Falko is the best of them, the other humans fear him."
Falko let out a smirk.
The Goddess released her tight fist. Her Mythic lowered his head and slithered onto shore in a slow and cautious movement. Falko kept an eye on the beast as it crept around them, never dropping his guard. After a minute or so the beast rested. The eyes of the Goddess began to tremble.
"Sacrifice... Is a great weapon," Death spoke quietly. "Your dedication to our cause is appreciated."
"Yes." Falko lifted his spear into the air. "Much obliged." He turned and paced over to the beast, now laying belly up on the shore to his side. The blue Mythic stared into the eyes of its Goddess and drew a ragged breath.
"After it’s all over? What happens then?" Her voice was becoming timid.
"That is our concern now, your involvement is no longer needed," Death replied without hesitation. The Goddess lifted her hand to defend her child but found herself fighting back the urge. Something that kept her quiet. A feeling she could not describe.
"You swear to protect me?" She as
ked Death before his Mythic had reached his target.
"Of course," He replied. Falko spiked his spear straight into the throat of the Mythic. The beast cried and locked its stare into the eyes of its mother in terror. Its body seized and writhed all the way back into the sea. Falko retrieved his spear and stabbed it again, and again.
"After all," the God of the Underworld continued, watching the Goddess stand in stunned agony. "A God would never break a promise... Would it?"
About the Author
Damon studied Business at Coastal Carolina University and plans to publish the finale, War of Gods next year. Damon is also writing many more adventures during this time; from sci-fi novels, to super-hero webcomics, and detective mystery short stories, so be sure to stay tuned for new releases.
Damon is not just a writer, he’s also an animator, and voice of the YouTube educational writing series “Pen & Sword” where he teaches tips and tricks to upcoming authors.
To reach him professionally, feel free to contact his writing email at: [email protected] for questions or comments. He can be found lurking around Facebook under his author name: Damon Glatz.
About the Publisher
Burning Willow Press is an independent publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, with genres blended into other formats as well. Located in South Carolina, in the US, BWP has published more than one hundred dreams with the interests of the authors at heart since 2015, and that gentle reader will just go higher by the next decade.
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A few of our other titles that you may enjoy in a similar genre:
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