Fate and Dreams

by Erik Weir

  The Keeper tried to get up, her senses touching on Victor aboard one of the ships. She heard what he heard and felt his concern as two war wolves stalked closer, ready to tear him to pieces. The words “Prepare all cannons to fire on the temple” floated through her mind and she snapped back into her body.

  “No!” Cassandra shouted as she stumbled.

  Outside and high above, main plasma cannons came to bear on Vala’s temple. Energy pulsed as all three dreadnoughts aimed and locked on target. A glow appeared at the mouth of each cannon as the fighting all around grew to a fevered pitch.

  “I am Vala’s Keeper!” Cassandra screamed as she fell to her knees and crossed her arms.

  Cannons roared to life as plasma bolts filled the sky. Streaking down, they raced towards their targets when they exploded before they hit temple. Xix looked to scans, mouthing a curse as the dreadnought’s sensors detected a barrier around the temple.

  Cassandra’s eyes shot open and pain stabbed at her body. Streams of invisible energy shot out in all directions. The light engulfed her soul as she gave a small smile. A second barrage of plasma fire came down and another. The barrier took the strikes, flickering under the incoming enemy fire.

  Pain stabbed again at her heart. Cassandra let out a small moan as plasma fire battered her barrier. Gritting her teeth, she held fast, faith guiding her power. Thoughts flowed to Lily and Victor before they settled on Vala. Heart swelling, she would not fail her goddess, even if it meant her life.

  Plasma bolts hit the barrier and exploded. Pain stabbed at Cassandra once again, but it surged up her neck and she coughed up blood. The Keeper stayed on her knees; arms crossed as her energy began to weaken.

  “Vala…I love you,” Cassandra said before pain surged and she coughed up another mouthful of blood.

  Body sinking lower on her knees, the Keeper could barely stay upright. Blood dripped from her chin as phantom stabs struck her soul, pulled out and stabbed again.

  Vala watched, feeling Cassandra’s pain as power slowly returned, helpless to aid her loyal Keeper in that moment. The goddess tried to stand up, legs shaking like a newborn fawn. Pain stabbed at her just as it stabbed at Cassandra. Rhass, a slyth in battle, let out a grunt as claws stabbed at her chest. Fingers wrapped around a heart and pulled. Vala felt the candle of Rhass’s soul wink out and she was gone.

  Umus eyed the Elder before him with a sardonic grin. “Time to end this misadventure.”

  The God of Light lifted his spiked mace as Thulu stood without a hint of emotion. The mace came down and slammed into the Thulu’s head. Umus’s smile faded as the spike on his mace didn’t even penetrate the Elder Thing’s hair.

  “You are strong, God of Light, but as you can see, your power is beneath me,” Thulu said as he flicked one finger against Umus’s armored chest.

  The shockwave blew out stained glass and cracked the very foundation of the temple. Umus was thrown back, hitting a pillar and shattering it, his armored body hitting the floor and sliding to a halt.

  Xull clanked forward, plasma cannons firing in rapid succession at the Elder Thing. Thulu stood his ground, not even wincing as plasma bolts flashed and fizzed with ever strike.

  Nephy held up two of her hands, green energy balling before her palms and blasting out. The two streams hit the Elder Thing and Thulu winced. Nephy took a step forward, pouring on her power as Thulu lifted an arm to block her streams.

  “The tenacity of life,” Thulu growled before black lightning surged in his hand.

  Nephy’s eyes drank in the monster’s actions as he pointed a finger and thick lightning blasted out. The Goddess of Life spun like a ballerina in a gunfight. Black lightning shattered everything it touched, but the goddess moved with liquid grace through the storm.

  Umus sat up, a blast mark across his chest and slowly made his way to his feet. “Life and light to kill this monster!”

  Umus left his mace on the ground as he pointed both of his hands and bright light blasted out. Thulu’s body stumbled as two beams of healing life slammed into him. The Elder Thing growled as streams of light and life struck him with uncompromising force.

  “He’s resisting,” Umus bellowed as he poured all his energy into the streams.

  Dorian eyed the Elder Thing, picking his targets. Hand moving in a blur, it seemed like he only fired once but his finger and power was so quick, five mana-bullets shot out. All five, joined by the sixth circling the temple came together in formation and in a blink, slammed into the Elder Thing.

  Dorian let out a grunt as he controlled the power of the bullets. Each bullet hit the Elder but bounced off and came at the monster again. All three continued to pour it on as Vala watched, her power slowly growing.

  Dorian flipped out the pistol chamber and pulled six mana-bullets from his belt. “I never had to reload during a fight before,” the First Slinger whispered as he reloaded.

  Thulu’s face returned to a calm mask, but he took a step back. The energies hitting him burned at his darkness and he redoubled his efforts. The mask began to bleed away as edges of madness began to show.

  “He’s allowing himself to have more power,” Vala said as she took a shaky step to the dais edge.

  “If he goes mad…” Umus grunted as he continued to pour on the light.

  “He will destroy this realm,” Vala said with a breathy tone.

  Xull looked to the Elder Thing, halting her attacks and letting her cannons return back to normal hands before turning her attention to Cassandra on her knees. The artificial drone turned and raced toward the Keeper as blood dripped from her mouth, eyes dazed in pain. Feet clanked across the stone floor before she moved behind the Keeper and put her hands on Cassandra’s shoulders.

  “I shall upgrade your defenses and initiate our counter attack,” Xull said plainly as metal forearms opened and cables snaked out and connected to Cassandra.

  The Keeper’s eyes took on new life as energy pumped from Xull and flowed into Cassandra. Two rods, one on each shoulder of Xull, emerged. When they fully extended upwards, power hummed.

  “Initiate counter measures,” Xull said as her portable fusion core glowed against her stomach.

  Cassandra’s back straightened as new power surged into her body. The shield outside took on hexagon shapes, connecting to each other as plasma bolts rained from the sky. It did not flicker, but held like a brand-new shield, ready for war.

  Aboard the Talon, Xix looked to the viewscreen and slammed his hand on the armrest of his seat. “How!” He shouted as he commanded the drones to use every last bit of power.

  Victor stood with Flint to one side and Luis at the other. The Champion wasn’t sure what was going on outside, but it seemed that the good guys gained a reprieve for a short while. Turning his attention to Luis, the Champion lowered his sword.

  “Luis, don’t do this. I know it’s tempting to want to hurt me for whatever I did, but it's not worth it with so many lives at stake.”

  Luis hefted his hammer covered in frosty spikes. “Always the good guy. There is no going back for me. This is the end of you and Vala.”

  Luis lifted his hammer and charged. Flint growled as he launched at Victor, spear in hand. The two sped toward the Blade, weapons closing in for the kill.

  Victor spent a point of Will and time slowed down. Flint and Luis moved a little faster than the world around them, but Xix and the drones piloting the ship moved at a snail’s pace. The clock ticked in his vision as he knew he had to make it quick. Body shifting as Flint’s spear point was nearly on him, Victor sliced hard across Flint’s side, spun away and stood by the Bridge entrance.

  Time snapped back to normal, Flint grunting as he fell to his knees and Luis’s hammer nearly striking the older Champion. Luis glanced down at Flint and turned his attention to Victor.

  “You don’t have enough influence to fight forever,” Luis growled.

  Victor looked to his cousin with kind eyes. “Luis, whatever happened between us, let’s just talk about it and
end it?”

  Luis stalked forward, “There is nothing to discuss! You’re dead!”

  Victor brought his sword up, parrying the incoming hammer and sparks flying. Victor moved like a skilled fighter, no emotion in his moves as Luis’s rage grew into a storm. Hammer and sword clashed and clashed again. Movement’s turned into a blur as Victor stayed on the defensive while Luis pressed his attack. The battle outside seemed to fall to the background as Victor kept his cousin at bay. When sword and hammer clashed again, Luis raged.

  “You fucking asshole! Your father should have killed you!” Luis screamed.

  The words slid off Victor like summer rain. Warmth caressed his heart as he let the Cursed Blade slide into his left hand.

  “Luis…this fight is over. Surrender and we can talk about it,” Victor said with a serene tone.

  A shadow loomed up over Victor. The Champion turned his attention just enough to see Flint flying through the air, spear over his head. The mad War Wolf glared down as thin streams of salvia flowed from his open maw.

  “You’re dead Champion!” Flint roared before Victor spun, the Cursed Blade slicing across the War Wolf’s neck and sending it flying from his body.

  Streams of blood followed the severed head before it crashed into a wall and fell. Victor and Luis looked to the wolf head as it rolled to stop, eyes sliding up and tongue leaking out between its open snout.

  Luis’s eyes bulged in his head as a shoulder rammed into him and sent him to the floor. Victor stood over the fallen Champion of Baaldir and held both swords to Luis’s neck. Luis looked for his hammer but it lay a few feet away, out of reach.

  “We can still talk,” Victor said with a welcoming grin.

  Luis looked to the swords and then back to his cousin. Death stared him in the face and the War Wolf could not hold back any more. Eyes watered before they streaked down his cheeks, lip twisting into defiance.

  “I never understood…how grandmother loved you best!” Luis said through the tears.

  Victor’s eyes widened. “All of this hate is because Grandma loved me?”

  Luis’s hand made a fist and slammed it down on the deck. “She talked about you endlessly with the family. She praised you at every turn. None of us could live up to her expectations because she talked about how every little thing you did was amazing.”

  Victor tried to hide his smirk and failed.

  “This isn’t funny!” Luis shouted.

  Victor nodded. “I know, it’s not funny. But you have to know, she talked to me about everyone else in the family. She was the matriarch for the family while she was alive, but when she was around me, she talked about all of your accomplishments. It’s funny because I thought I could never live up to the rest of the family.”

  Victor lowered his swords an inch. “I know I’m the firstborn of all the grandkids, but I never set out to be a leader in the family. I couldn’t understand why you and so many cousins hated me. Now it all makes sense why my mom, dad, and me were shunned by everyone when grandma died.”

  “The rest of us never had a chance to show her how much we loved her before she died,” Luis sobbed.

  Victor lowered his gaze, “She knew. She always knew.”

  Xix turned his head from his seat as the entire ship shuddered again. “Luis, stop being a fucking child and kill him already!”

  Luis looked up to Victor. The Blade eyed his cousin before pulling back his swords.

  “Run Luis. Run away so we can talk another time,” Victor said as he looked to the red sword in his left hand.

  Luis hesitated, “What…are you going to do?”

  Victor eyed the red sword, “It seems to all make sense now. Love and death are such personal experiences. Power comes from our experiences, even if they are different. Vala, I understand.”

  Luis scrambled back as Victor eyed the Cursed sword.

  The Champion felt the weight of memories press on his being. Images dueled against one another, showing the Blade when he first arrived and how weak he was to now, strong enough to take on an army. Cold memories of defeat fell away like dying leaves in autumn while warm memories floated in his mind’s eye. Advice, love, and power swirled along his soul as he finally began to understand what he should have believed all along.

  “Vala…I understand it all,” Victor shouted before taking his Holy Sword and slicing across the Cursed Sword, shattering it to pieces.

  Seventeen

  Vayne looked to the viewscreen. The dreadnought Malice floating high above the battleground while her cannons fired on the temple below. The warp spawn licked her lips as tentacles writhed along the seats edge. The battle was turning to their favor as thousands of drones and Devil Wolves crawled up the mountain. Lightning, magic, and plasma bolts lit up the mountain as Vala’s few fought for their very lives.

  Vayne checked the status of the Talon and the Spear. The Talon dreadnought was taking heavy damage from a blue dragon while the Spear was barely holding back a green and white dragon. Information played out in the corner of the viewscreen, calculations indicating an eighty eight percent chance of success.

  The warp spawn licked her lips again, enjoying the comfort of her seat high above the battle. Her goddess may have been sent back to their realm, but Vayne would continue the work until every last follower of Vala was dead.

  An alert flashed as a drone turned to face Vayne.

  “A vortex is forming,” the drone stated.

  “Where?” Vayne asked before the very air shifted outside the ship.

  The warp spawn eyed the darkness clouding the sky before it flashed away, a dreadnought floating barely a hundred feet away. Cannons aimed at the Malice and before Vayne could shout orders to redirect their attack, the other dreadnought opened fired.

  Plasma cannons roared at point-blank range, striking shields with merciless power. The two ships hovered close, the Malice re-targeting its guns on the Avatar and returning fire. The exchange carried on, each side blasting at their shields until Malice’s shields flickered and faded away. Plasma bolts opened up sections of the massive hull before the Avatar’s shields faded. Explosions lit up the sky as each dreadnought struck true, burning through thick hull plates and opening up with flames and debris.

  Avatar’s bay doors opened. Battle suits with animal heads jumped from the open doors, thrusters firing. The battle suits hovered down toward the battlefield, firing plasma rifles at Devil Wolves and enemy drones. Massive black spikes fired from the Avatar and screeched down until they were close to the mountain. The spikes shattered as red-eyed drones fell onto the mountain, firing at blue-eyed drones and Devil Wolves.

  Wynn held onto her seat as the Avatar shuddered. The fox-woman checked the scans and saw the Spear had turned its cannons in their direction and opened fired. The Malice continued to fight at close range, but the added cannon fire from the Spear ripped into the Avatar with streams of plasma death.

  Wynn opened a channel. “Victor, I think this is the third time I had to save your ass. I do believe you owe me dinner.”

  Aboard the Talon, Victor’s body surged with power as parts of the Cursed Sword vanished before they struck the floor. Divine energy filled every pore of his body just like when he used Vala’s power to destroy Draygon. The key difference he noticed was that it was contained and easier to manage.

  Wynn’s words touched his mind and the Champion smirked. “Dinner is fine, but I think it’s time I saved everyone.”

  Xix was up from his seat and glaring at Victor. “You are a Champion to be reckoned with but I will have to end you…” Xix never finished.

  The enemy Champion’s hood fell back as he gagged and coughed up blood. Victor’s arm was through his chest and his hand exited out the back, covered in gore. The gore covered demon looked into Victor’s eyes, body sagging.

  “I…may…have misjudged…you,” the Champion said before he went limp.

  “You did,” Victor said before letting the body slide to the floor.

  Drones stood up
and pulled pistols. Victor stood as his aura glowed. Plasma bolts struck the aura with little to no effect.

  “I’m coming, Vala,” Victor said before he blasted forth like a comet.

  Vindrel flew through the air, blast marks along her thick blue scales and lightning pouring from her mouth. She had managed to take out a number of medium range cannons, but several more aimed and fired at her. The dragon grunted as one struck her tail and she wobbled in the air. Weakness bleeding into her form, a moment of doubt touched her heart until light burst from the Talon Dreadnought and streaked around.

  The comet slammed into the ship and emerged out the other side. On it spiraled, slamming and crashing until the dreadnought began to tilt. Metal groaned as the comet of light continued to hollow out the ship until it turned and began to fall. Vindrel let out a shout before shooting her lightning breath. The ball of light emerged out of the middle of the falling ship, Victor floating like a god.

  “Victor,” Vindrel shouted with glee before blasting towards the Spear Dreadnought.

  On the mountain, acolytes fought on, blood and cuts covering their bodies. Lily slammed her staff into a drone head, arms growing weaker from the extended battle. Wiping away sweat from her brow, she let a smile slip as battle suits landed and fired into the hordes. Buk and Diz landed next to the succubus, shoulder cannons firing into the oncoming horde.

  “Let’s fuck them up,” Buk shouted.

  “Fuck them up,” Diz shouted as well.

  Lily, Avo, Nobo, Buk, and Diz advanced against the incoming enemy troops. Plasma rifles and crossbow bolts ripped and burned bodies as the drones and Devil Wolves continued their upward advance.

  Diz laughed. “We should get some drinks when this is…” a Devil Wolf launched into the air and landed on the ram in the battle suit.

  Buk turned her head just as claws penetrated the armor and pulled out wires, metal, and blood. A wet cough filled the communications as the ram-woman’s vitals flatlined. Buk let out a whimper as Diz fell forward with a crash. Lily was already on the Devil Wolf, slamming her staff into its skull and coming away bloody.