“Love is a lie!” Jaaro snapped finally, his eyes shimmering with tears. “Even my own son could not love me. You left me to die!”
“You know that’s not true!” Kaiyu replied. “I loved you, looked up to you, and you used that to twist and use me however you pleased!”
Kaiyu looked pleadingly into his father’s eyes.
“You were my hero, Papa, and you still can be. Be the leader you always taught me to be.”
Jaaro gazed at Kaiyu with tear-stained eyes, his expression pained with internal conflict and guilt.
“Is there a problem?” the angel’s voice boomed down from the sky above.
Jaaro glanced at the army of Decrepit behind him, then back at his son and his people.
“Join with me, my son,” Jaaro begged Kaiyu, his voice sincere. “Please, Mikael cannot be stopped. Everyone here will die.”
“I would rather die,” Kaiyu said firmly, wiping the tears from his face. His voice rose to a tremendous shout. “I would rather fall with my people than see them become slaves to the darkness! Because I love them, something you could never do!”
Jaaro stared speechlessly at his son.
Behind Kaiyu, the villagers began to cheer and shout, inspired by his hypnotic, contagious vigor.
“They burned our homes!”
“They murdered our families!”
“What have we left to lose!?”
“ENOUGH!”
A thunderous boom rippled across the sky as Mikael flapped his wings, silencing the people. The angel spoke again, his voice grave and final as he stated his ultimatum.
“I call the heavens and the earth as your witnesses that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
“You’ve already taken so many of our children!” Sable yelled, walking beside Raiden with the baby in her arms.
As the villagers protested angrily, Ferrus whispered something into Mara’s ear, and her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Kaiyu, please,” Jaaro started to plead again. “He won’t ask twic-”
Before the priest could finish, he cried out in pain as an arrow dug its way into his shoulder. Kaiyu looked back in surprise.
Mara stepped forward, a second arrow already strung against her bow. Ferrus stood beside her, wielding her giant, glistening blade.
“Move aside, you pathetic old man. We have an angel to kill.”
“Mara, what did you do!?” Raiden ran to her, whispering urgently. “I need to turn myself in. We don’t stand a chance!”
“Trust me, I will explain later,” she answered quickly. “Meanwhile, we must somehow keep the angel away from the villagers.”
A deathly, shrilling sound filled the sky as hordes of Decrepit descended from the heaven, shrieking wildly with hunger as they extended their black, steely claws.
Raiden’s amulet began to glow.
“Attack!” he cried, and he charged down the charred fields with Mara and Ferrus towards the angel.
Flames and lightning poured upwards from the villagers as they fired desperately at the approaching enemy. The Decrepit rained down upon the villagers, slashing and clawing with no differentiation between man, woman, and child.
“What the hell is your plan!?” Raiden yelled as he dove beneath a Decrepit’s blade, rolling back into his sprint. “How do we kill the angel!?”
Mara glanced beside her at Ferrus as they charged up the hill towards Mikael.
“They will come,” Ferrus said with masked uncertainty.
Just then, the low-pitched, bellowing of ram horns rose above the chaotic sounds of battle. Raiden turned around to see a stampede of one-hundred saddled dinosaurs pouring down from a hill behind the villagers, each one hosting a glistening, white knight on its back. The beasts resembled the raptors he’d seen in movies back on Earth, only they were twice the size and bulk with razor-sharp claws and a mouthful of blood-stained, deadly teeth. A majestic mane of red feathers stuck out from their blue, scaly hides, running down their back to their tails.
“Just when I thought things couldn’t get any crazier,” Raiden muttered in awe.
“My internal sensors picked up their broadcasts,” Ferrus said. “They are the King’s legendary White Riders. They want that angel dead.”
One of the knights rode ahead of the herd, his battle-hungry raptor screeching with excitement. He drew a shimmering, neon saberblade in his hand, and the rest of the knights followed suit, creating a beautiful array of light. They crashed down on the battlefield like a mighty wave, their blades tearing through the Decrepit as the villagers broke out in cheers.
Raiden smiled with relief, but it was short-lived.
The valley-encompassing shadow began to move as Mikael dropped down from the sky, landing only meters from where Raiden, Mara, and Ferrus stood. His tremendous wings tucked themselves inwards behind his shoulder blades, supernaturally reducing in size.
Raiden’s eyes widened in awe as he gazed upon the celestial being. Never had he seen anything so beautiful, so powerful…so terrifying.
“The King was a fool to turn against me,” Mikael said, his voice deep and monotonous. “He shall perish for his sins. But his efforts are in vain. It is not those villagers that I need. It is that amulet.”
“What do you want with it?” Raiden asked, his voice shaking.
“My master’s final request. With it, he shall restore order to our galaxy. A shame you shall not live to witness it.”
Suddenly, Mara gasped desperately for air, her face flushed red. Raiden and Ferrus turned urgently towards her as she dropped her bow and tumbled to the ground, unable to breathe.
“No!” Ferrus cried, and she charged at Mikael. However, before she could advance more than a couple of steps, she froze in place, unable to move or even speak.
“Leave them!” Raiden begged. “It’s me you want!”
“Hand over the amulet, and your friends shall live,” Mikael said calmly.
“Don’t,” Mara rasped as she shook her head, her skin turning blue.
Behind them, the ground rumbled as the leader of the white riders approached their position, accompanied by seven others. Raiden looked at his incapacitated allies, then back at his enemy. Heart racing, he focused himself, and his expression turned quickly from fear and panic to anger and resolve. His hands curled into fists.
“You know, back on Earth, people thought angels were our holy protectors. Turns out, you’re just an arrogant prick.”
As Mara fell unconscious, Raiden grabbed a dagger from her belt and charged at Mikael, a battle-cry erupting from his lips. His amulet glowed brighter and brighter as he approached.
“Fool,” Mikael muttered, and he lifted his muscular arm in Raiden’s direction.
Raiden felt an invisible force wrap itself around his legs and entangle his mind in a suffocating net of commanding thoughts. A sharp ache jolted behind his eyes as the invasive thoughts compressed his own, pressuring his mind to obey. He cried out in pain but somehow managed to continue his advance.
Mikael’s eyebrows rose in surprise at Raiden’s resistance, and he pushed even harder. Raiden pictured the faces of those he cared about and focused on them—Kiara, Maximus, Sarah, his parents. His amulet glowed brighter and brighter as Mikael’s force over him weakened, and he picked up speed.
“You cannot hurt me, mortal,” Mikael said.
He lifted his second arm and released his hold over Mara and Ferrus, pitting all his power against Raiden. Raiden screamed out in pain, but he did not stop. He pushed with every last bit of strength and lunged at the towering angel, ramming against his stomach and slashing the dagger.
As Raiden staggered back before Mikael, the leader of the white knights gasped.
Mikael lowered a hand slowly to his stomach, then lifted it before his astonished eyes, tainted with bright, golden blood.
“He has drawn the blood of angel,” one of the knights muttered in awe.
Mikael
gazed deep into Raiden’s eyes, studying them.
“A human as powerful as he,” Mikael muttered. “That is what I need. What I need from you. Bring him to me. We shall join as one.”
Raiden stared at the angel, heaving for breath, his head searing with pain. The angel’s familiar words rang through his memory, bringing him back to the day he’d first heard them in a vision.
“It was here,” Raiden stammered with realization. “The orange skies, the green hills…”
He looked up at the angel, meeting the intensity of his glare.
“What do you want from me?”
Mikael held his silent gaze for another moment, then extended his enormous wings and leaped up into the sky, leaving a small crater in his wake. The air filled with the shrill cries of the Decrepit as they took off after their leader, and the villagers broke out into cheers.
Raiden watched Mikael as he disappeared above the clouds, and the light was restored from above, returning the fields to their previous calm.
“That was impressive,” a voice called from behind him.
Raiden turned around to find a menacing raptor towering before him, its predatorial eyes studying his every detail, searching for weakness. A knight dismounted from the creature’s back and stopped before Raiden, extending a gloved hand.
“I am Kain, leader of His Majesty’s White Riders.”
Raiden hesitated, glancing at mask covering the man’s face, the uniform he’d spent the past year hiding from. Finally, he took the man’s hand.
“Raiden,” Raiden said, giving his real name to a knight for the first time. “Thank you for saving our people.”
“I wish I could take credit,” Kain said, “but we were unaware that there were citizens here under attack. We were simply hunting the angel.”
He glanced back at the villagers behind them.
“What are you all doing here?”
“These are the villagers of Ankar, or what’s left of them,” Raiden answered. “We were on our way to Balron to take shelter. Our homes were destroyed by those creatures.”
“I’ve heard your village was not the only one which fell victim to that demon,” Kain sighed. “That is why we set out to put an end to him.”
Kain’s gaze lowered from Raiden’s face to the amulet on his chest.
“I get a feeling you are not from Ankar like the others,” he said. “Perhaps you can leave the villagers and join us. I can send a number of my troops to deliver them safely.”
“Don’t tell him anything!” Mara growled as she limped to where they stood, supported by Ferrus’s bulky mechanical arms. Kain’s raptor hissed at the strangers, sensing their hostility.
“Easy,” Raiden said, trying to calm her. “They are on our side.”
“Like hell they are,” Mara snapped. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s to never trust a knight. They’re all wolves underneath that white, sheep’s armor.”
“Excuse us for a moment,” Raiden said to Kain, and he pulled Ferrus and Mara to the side.
“He’s offered to take the villagers to Balron for us,” Raiden whispered. “That way, we could save time and go straight to the temple for answers.”
“As tempting as it would be to rid ourselves of the villagers,” Mara said, “I cannot trust a man who hides his face behind a mask. Especially not after what they did to us.” She looked up at Ferrus as she spoke, exchanging a shared glance of painful memories.
“I know it’s hard for you, after everything you went through,” Raiden implored, “but the angel found us once, it could find us again. Frankly, I’m not sure we have a choice. By staying with them, we are putting all those innocent villagers at risk. I’m sorry,” he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “We need to do this.”
Mara opened her mouth to protest, but Ferrus spoke first, interrupting her.
“He is right,” she said bluntly.
Mara looked up at her, surprised.
“Ferrus, you cannot-”
“We must put the lives of those hundreds of people before our own,” Ferrus cut her off again. “It is the way you taught me to be. It is right.”
Mara hesitated, gazing at Ferrus’s firm expression, then finally gave in.
“Fine,” she said. “But I won’t take more than five men. And at the first sign of deception, we shall kill them.”
“Deal,” Raiden agreed, and he walked back to Kain, who had been joined by his men.
“We will join with you, but on our own terms,” Raiden said. “We’ve discovered something that may help us destroy the angel. Five of your men may accompany us on the journey if you’d like, but the rest need to take the villagers straight to Ankar.”
“That is absurd,” the knight beside Kain protested.
“Silence, Varrok,” Kain ordered. He turned to Raiden.
“Fifty riders would stand a better chance than five against the angel,” Kain said. “You will not reconsider?”
“No,” Raiden said frankly.
“Then it shall be done.”
“Sir-” Varrok started again.
“Enough,” Kain interrupted him. “Assemble four of our finest, inform them they shall be accompanying me. Find our guests an extra three raptors as well. You shall lead the rest of our troop to Balron, along with the villagers.”
“Yes, sir,” Varrok responded hesitantly.
Kain turned back to Raiden.
“My men and I shall be ready to leave in an hour.”
“Sounds good,” Raiden nodded. “I’m going to go say goodbye to my people.”
Kain nodded back. “Best of luck.”
As Raiden, Ferrus, and Mara headed back down the hill, Sable and Kaiyu ran up to greet them.
“Kaiyu,” Raiden exclaimed with a smile, relieved to see him. They clasped their hands together, then embraced.
“What am I, scralp soup?” Sable teased.
Raiden chuckled, then embraced her as well.
“You were incredible, standing up to your father,” Raiden said to Kaiyu.
“I just wish it were enough,” Kaiyu sighed. “We still lost dozens of villagers.”
“Without you, Jaaro would’ve turned them. They would have all been lost. You gave them the strength to fight back.”
“My father, he survived,” Kaiyu said, wiping a tear from his cheek. “Something tells me we have not seen the last of him.”
“If he comes back, you will be ready,” Raiden said. “I know it.”
“You mean we will be ready,” Sable corrected him.
“Actually,” Raiden started to say, stumbling to find the words. Sable looked at his torn expression, her smile fading.
“Raiden, what is it?”
“We are leaving,” Ferrus said bluntly for him.
“Leaving?” Sable asked, her voice rising. “What do you mean, leaving?”
“The White Riders offered to take the villagers to Balron,” Raiden explained. “The angel wants my amulet. By being here, I’m putting everyone in danger. We are going to join some of the knights to find a way to kill it, and in exchange, they’ve agreed to dispatch ninety-five riders to make sure the villagers get to Balron safely.”
“We fought them off once, we can do it again,” Kaiyu protested desperately. “The people don’t need an escort. They need a leader.”
“They’ve already got one,” Raiden said confidently, placing his hand gently on Kaiyu’s shoulder.
Kaiyu looked up into Raiden’s eyes, his heart pounding, his eyes holding back tears. He read his thoughts and his emotions, understanding it needed to be done.
“Thank you, Raiden Williams,” Kaiyu whispered. “For freeing me.”
He took Raiden’s hand from his shoulder and squeezed it. He wiped the last tear from his cheek and tightened his expression.
“I will get them to safety,” Kaiyu said. “I promise.”
Raiden nodded, his heart swelling with emotion. He turned to Sable.
“Sable, I-”
“No need,” she interrupted
him firmly. “I’m coming with you.”
“The villagers need you,” Raiden said.
“They’ll be fine,” Sable said unwaveringly. “This isn’t a request.”
Raiden hesitated, staring into her fierce expression, then nodded finally in submission.
“Let’s go say our goodbyes, then. We leave in one hour.”
◆◆◆
“Sir,” Varrok called, jogging up to Kain. “I’ve ordered the men as you said. But as your second in command, I feel obliged once again to argue against this decision.”
“Do you think me a fool, Varrok?” Kain growled impatiently. “Of course, I am not going alone, you idiot. After half a day’s journey, you are to break off from the group with twenty men and track us down. Stay a safe distance away, and turn off your radio communications. That cyborg can sense them.”
“The villagers won’t suspect?” Varrok asked.
“Make up an excuse. Be creative.”
Kain looked through the distance where Raiden stood, addressing a group of villagers. He lifted the mask slightly from his face to wipe off a drop of sweat, revealing a jagged, scarred chin.
“That man has the other half of the amulet, and he used it to make Mikael bleed,” Kain muttered malevolently. “I want to know how.”
Chapter Twelve
Creator’s Workshop
5 days before planet’s destruction
Sunlight poured in from between the golden window frames and ceiling as the sun rose in the artificial sky, sparkling upon Suriel’s eyelids. He opened his eyes slowly, rubbing his face with his hands, then looked around the room, admiring its beauty. He felt calm, rested, relaxed. And then, he remembered. Beyond the sanctuary of this bedroom was an army of bloodthirsty Decrepit.
He started to sit up, but looked down to see Kiara sleeping soundly, her head rested against his chest. Suriel sighed as he gazed at her, his expression warm with affection. He ran his hand gently through her hair, wiping some loose strands from her face. His heart fluttered as she shifted and smiled contently in her sleep.
“Raiden,” she whispered longingly.
Suriel’s smile vanished, and his heart broke.
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