Atticus & The Blade King

by M K Drake

  “You have far too much to learn, Atticus. I can hear your heart beating faster,” Alfatun says, without turning around. He continues to work on whatever he is carving. “The Remnant told me it has been trying to connect with you. Is this true?”

  “The voices? Is that who has been whispering to me?”

  Alfatun pauses for a moment, tilting his head to the side to briefly peer behind him at Atticus. “So it is true. Kazmagus stopped using the Remnant for white magic because of what it involved. Although a friend to the Majjai, the Remnant is also its enemy, if not contained properly. It has its own thirst for existence, and will, at times, focus on a powerful entity to bond with.”

  “And you think it wants me?” Atticus asks, as he decides to sit next to Alfatun.

  “Yes. But you are not like Kazmagus. After he rejected the Remnant, another plan was hatched. To create a vessel. You, Atticus, you are that vessel. Kazmagus found a way to utilise the power of white magic outside of the influence of its source. He managed to contain it within him.”

  “How?”

  Alfatun chuckles. “Well, that’s the thing. Only he knows. And when I finally reunite with my brother, I will ask again, but he will not tell me… again.”

  “Wait. Why would anyone want to create a vessel?”

  “Now that is a very good question. But whoever influenced your creation is powerful enough to mask themselves. From me, from the Staff of Mages, even from Kazmagus and Myrddin.”

  Atticus flinches as another crack of lightning bursts across the sky, he finally notices the alkaline taste in the air. He knows he is no longer in his realm, he is somewhere else entirely. “Where have you brought me?”

  Alfatun stands, placing his carving on the rock next to him. He is an imposing figure, standing high over Atticus. He looks up and around himself with a raised eyebrow before looking back towards the young Majjai.

  “We are in a place that is in between worlds. There is no Skarvak or Earth here. There is no such thing as time. This is oblivion. It is my own creation. A plane of existence that I come to, so I can think. But right now, the reason I have brought you here should be obvious.” Alfatun pokes Atticus hard. “You are not ready Atticus. You are weak. You cannot afford to be weak. We cannot afford for you to be weak. Razakel will destroy you in a moment, if you are not ready. I have seen what comes to pass, and it cannot be allowed.”

  Atticus flinches again as another loud lighting strike blasts the sky. He takes a glance downwards and catches sight of what Alfatun has been carving. It looks like a small sword, but carved out of bone. He looks back towards the Blade King. “What is that?”

  “It is my testimony. My penance. My own reminder of my pains. It is not your concern,” Alfatun says, pausing for moment to take in his own words. “Atticus, there is great power within you. I can sense it, but this is what will happen if you do not learn to control it.”

  Atticus steps back, trying to avoid Alfatun’s hand, but he is not fast enough. The Blade King places his large palm onto Atticus’s forehead and in an instant, everything changes.

  Atticus looks around, he is in a battle, demons scattered around him. He dodges an attack from a giant Graigon, smashing its club to the ground next to him.

  “This can’t be real,” Atticus thinks to himself. He decides to stand his ground as the Graigon punches him hard. Atticus is catapulted across the ground, he drops to the floor and shakes his head. “Okay, that definitely felt real.”

  Atticus tries to see if the Blade King is on this battlefield, but he is unable to locate him anywhere. But he spots Khan in the distance, and Safaya, fighting side by side against a group of Screamers and Dragoyles. Beyond them he spies Pali, Ju Long, and Professor Sprocking fighting against Draconus. Atticus gets up quickly, just before the Graigon he was just struck by runs towards him, causing quakes to ripple through the earth with its massive, Orc-like frame.

  Atticus charges a fireball and launches it towards the massive monster, knocking it to the ground. He launches himself high into the air and thrusts his sword downwards, killing the demon. He has no time to rest as he senses another attack behind him—a group of Screamers about to send a collective sonic blast towards him. But before they are able, Olof throws Mjolnir and obliterates them.

  Olof runs towards Atticus. “Where have you been?”

  Atticus is confused, for just now, he was with Alfatun, but now he is here, in this war zone. “I don’t know. I was with the Blade King, and now...”

  “The Blade King?” Olof shouts. “That traitor? He kidnapped you—we have been searching for you for months! Razakel has the scrolls, has forced Loki’s hand, and is about to teleport here! I hope you have something up your sleeves, brother, or we are all doomed!”

  “I can only fight with what I know. Where is Joyce?” Atticus asks, realising he has not seen her on the battlefield.

  Olof places a hand on Atticus’s shoulder. “I’m sorry Atticus, she is gone. She went to look for you alone, without any of us. Loki took her to Razakel.”

  “No!” Atticus screams. “This cannot be happening! I was just with you all only minutes ago!” Atticus places his hands on his head, the pressure is daunting now, the fear even more real. Everything around him is loud, but silent at the same time. He has to fight, but he has just lost his heart, his very reason to go beyond anything and everything to save this realm. “Why didn’t you stop her?”

  “We tried Atticus. But she was too fast. Razakel used her as a bargaining chip. He wanted to exchange her for you. He didn’t believe that you had been taken by Alfatun. We retrieved her body and buried her next to Mage Callan and your mother.”

  Atticus drops to his knees, he has failed. Joyce is gone, they failed to save Mage Callan, and for what... to lose? For nothing?

  “Atticus, I’m sorry,” Olof says. “But we do not have time to grieve. Razakel is coming. Elric has fallen. Kazmagus has not come to our aid. Now only you stand in his way. You must get up and fight. Fight for her, fight for Mage Callan, fight for us all!”

  Atticus wipes away his tears and tries to stand, but his legs feel weak, the shock has felled him. He takes a deep breath, and with the help of his Norse friend he finds the strength to get to his feet. He grabs his sword. “Let’s finish this!”

  Atticus turns in time to see a giant portal form ahead of him. Through it he sees the serpent demon, Herensugue, slither out ahead of his master, Razakel. The demon king is immense in his size. Much bigger than Atticus has ever seen him before. He cranks his neck high, trying to take in what he now sees. “Razakel!”

  The demon king looks down and laughs, as if barely acknowledging Atticus’s existence. “So, boy. Now you come? Now you are here? At the end? You come to die so easily?”

  “I’m not here to die. We are not here to die,” Atticus says, pointing to Olof and the other Majjai who are still valiantly fighting on.

  “Fool!” Razakel replies nonchalantly. “Look again!” He says, pointing towards Draconus.

  Atticus looks on in horror as Draconus rises high above the ground and kills Ju Long before he can change into his dragon form. With a shake of his head, the demonic beast then kills Professor Sprocking and Pali with a massive blast of fire.

  Khan and Safaya try to rush to their aid, but are caught by Shadow Wolf, Scourge, and Alvarez, who show no mercy.

  “No!” Atticus screams. “I will destroy you!”

  Olof throws Mjolnir with all his might towards Razakel. The demon king is knocked back momentarily, wincing from the blow.

  But before Olof can retrieve the Norse hammer, Herensugue strikes, injecting enough venom to kill him instantly.

  Atticus, angered even more takes the Sword of Ages and flies hard and fast towards Razakel, sending strike upon strike towards the demon king. He connects with combinations of blows with his blade and fireballs in a massive fury. He spins and kicks and slices.

  As he fights, he begins to feel something strange within him. He recognizes this presence—it
is the Remnant. And then, in a moment of clarity, he taps into the power of the white energy. He can visualise it, he can taste it, he can savour it. He starts to concentrate, allowing the Sword of Ages to guide his movements while he tries to channel this new attack.

  Atticus charges a giant fireball with his free hand. The white light is blinding and reveals the full horror of the battle beneath him. Before he can launch the ball of energy, he pauses. So much death. So much loss. He sees his friends, his family, General Crawford, and Professor Morgan. Other Majjai students from Wysardian Manor, Mage Avipaul and others from the Bhandari Clan, Mage Kayban... all dead. All gone.

  The energy Atticus tapped into fades, as his own hope dissipates. He looks back towards Razakel, his face solemn, lost, sullied, and asks a simple question. “Why?”

  Razakel grabs Atticus, holding him in the palm of his giant hand. “Why not? This realm owes me a great debt. It has been paid. It is now mine. The universe, it is mine. Existence... it is mine.”

  “Nothing belongs to you. Everything is free to exist. Why do you want to destroy it?”

  Razakel roars. “Because the universe destroyed my world! My life! And now it belongs to me. I hate everything about it, about you and your puny, miniscule existence. Humanity is a blip in the infinite timeline of the cosmos. You mean nothing, but you have been troublesome. And for that, dear Atticus, for that you must die.”

  Atticus takes one more look below him, at all of the lives lost and looks back at Razakel. “You’re too late. I’m already dead.”

  Razakel laughs out loud as Atticus closes his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

  Atticus waits, until he feels it. A single claw piercing his skin. For a moment he welcomes the release, but only for a moment as the pain screams through his mind, through his very being, through his very existence.

  And then nothing, just darkness... and silence.

  Chapter 31

  The Rise of a Leader

  Atticus finds comfort in the silence as the blanket of death begins to envelope him, consume him. And, for what seems like just a moment, he sees the Reaper’s face, smiling at him, taunting him, reminding him that, in the end, he always wins.

  Atticus resigns himself to his fate, holds his arms outwards and falls back, expecting to drop into the abyss that Razakel has prepared for him, but then suddenly, he feels a tug on his cloak, pulling him back hard. And before he can react, another jolt pulls him out of this twisted reality and he finds himself lying on the floor, with Alfatun standing above him, offering a hand to help him up.

  Atticus grabs on and hauls himself to his feet. He looks around, squinting for a second, and wipes the sweat from his forehead. He didn’t realise how tense he had been. It all felt so real. He shakes his head to help regain his composure before turning to the Blade King for answers.

  “What was that?”

  Alfatun smirks. “That was a mere glimpse of what will happen if you are not ready.”

  “So, it wasn’t real?”

  Alfatun pokes Atticus hard in the chest. “Yes it was real, boy! If I hadn’t pulled you back, Death would have your soul. I projected you into a timeline—one that could come about if you do not prepare in time.”

  “Then help me instead of playing games!”

  Alfatun steps away from Atticus to face the barren landscape and looks to the skies. Raising one hand level to his waist, he peers down at it.

  “Do you know, Atticus, what it takes to make a sword—a Majjai’s sword?” Alfatun cocks his head towards Atticus, waiting for an answer.

  “No.”

  “It takes a part of you. You lend the creation your very essence. The soul swords that I will gift to the Majjai will take much from me. It is a sacrifice I must make, even if it means my own demise. Are you willing to make that same sacrifice? Would you be ready to give your life to save existence?”

  Atticus ponders for a moment, wondering if he has not proven this already, he has fought monsters, demons, gods, and never once has he feared not coming home. “I do not fear Death. We have already beaten him. If I need to, I will face him again.”

  Alfatun laughs, and sits on the rock beside his newfound friend. “You know, young boy, whatever your powers, when you go to war with demons you and your friends will meet Death in many forms.”

  Atticus, battle weary from his experience in the alternative timeline, grows more tired of the King’s reluctance to teach him what he needs to know. “Like I said, we have already fought Death, and we won. If we need to, we will do it again.”

  Alfatun smirks again. “Even gods die, Atticus, and who do you think comes to reap their souls? Who do gods fear in their twilight hours? Death is very old. He has existed before time itself—and you think you beat him?”

  Atticus shrugs.

  “Who do you think will be there when you die? You have angered him, and when the balance reaches the tipping point, he will sit on your losing side. So forget about the odds you faced before; from now on, there will be no mercy. Only when you realise the dire straits the universe is in will I allow you to progress. You are too important to fail. Kazmagus and I were both betrayed for not being ready. What do you know of Razakel? Who he is? Where he came from?”

  Atticus shakes his head. “Nothing. I only know I have to destroy him.”

  “Ha! Destroy him! You say it as if it is an easy task. Your arrogance will be your downfall. Temper it. You act very much like Kazmagus. His blood runs through you, this is obvious.”

  Atticus, confused at this statement, wonders what the Blade King could mean. He looks at him quizzically, hoping that Alfatun will throw more light on what he just said. “Why would you say that?”

  Alfatun looks to the ground, kicks at a stone away, wallowing in his thoughts again. “Part of him was used to create you. We never knew if the experiment worked. Even Kazmagus was unaware. He thought the whole thing was a waste of time... and yet, here you are. A paradox created by those sworn to protect this realm from things that should not exist.”

  “I’ve fought for my right to exist,” says Atticus. “From not knowing where I’ve come from, from losing the mother who raised me. From losing everything in what you just showed me. I exist. I feel!”

  “And what do you feel Atticus?” Alfatun asks bluntly.

  Atticus pauses, thinking over this question, what does he feel? He doesn’t really know; he has felt so much torment. The battle he just experienced, the sense of loss, it was all too real. The futility in his efforts to combat Razakel who bested him so easily, bested everyone he knows so easily. He knows he could not go through that again. He has lost Sophia, he has lost Mage Callan, and in the vision, he lost everything else. How could he let this happen?

  Then he realises exactly what he is feeling, and it scares him. He turns to Alfatun and looks straight at him to answer his question. “I feel... fear.”

  Alfatun raises an eyebrow and looks Atticus up and down. “So maybe you are not like my brother at all.”

  “Then I am ready?” Atticus asks, hoping that he can finally begin to prepare.

  Alfatun laughs again, but it is a dirty, guttural sound. “My dear boy. You are not ready, not yet... First, you need to defeat that.”

  The Blade King points into the distance, towards a figure walking toward them, a giant mist-like entity, casting its shadow far and wide.

  “What is that?” Atticus asks.

  Alfatun rises from his rocky perch. “That is your darkness Atticus. What you must defeat if you are truly willing to wrestle control of the white magic from the Remnant. And if you want to have the power to defeat Razakel, it is something you must do.”

  “How do I fight it?”

  “First, Atticus, you must ensure you do not die from it.”

  “Die from it?”

  “This is not a game, Atticus!” roars Alfatun. “The fate of the universe lies on your shoulders; nothing will be easy from now onwards.”

  Atticus looks back at the entity coming towards the
m, knowing that the only way back, the only way to truly win and earn the faith of the Blade King, is to defeat this new foe, no matter the cost. He steps forward and begins the long walk. Gradually increasing his speed, he is soon running as fast as he can, straight into the midst of the giant, shadow-like creature. He tries to fight it, tries to punch it, even tries to slice at it with his sword, but he is fighting air, smoke, something he can’t even touch.

  “Stay still and fight, whatever you are!”

  The mist swirls around Atticus, as if hearing his words. It solidifies and punches Atticus hard, then returns to its misty form. It repeats this over and over, not giving the young Majjai a chance to react. Wherever Atticus tries to fight back, he hits nothing but vapour.

  The mist spirals upwards and forms a funnel, with two more mini tornados splitting from the main, feeding themselves into Atticus through his ears and mouth.

  Atticus screams and roars, he can feel whatever this thing is eating away at his insides, invading his mind, projecting images of torture, of memories he cannot remember, visions of death, destruction, of Razakel killing him over and over and over again.

  “Use it Atticus! It is the only way to defeat me!”

  Atticus tenses, he knows the entity must be talking about the white magic, but he wonders why this thing wants him to unleash it. He doesn’t even know how to. The pain flowing through him is unbearable, and he retches. Finally he can’t take it anymore and blacks out from the endless intrusion.

  When Atticus finally comes to, he finds himself on a grassy hill, one he recognises all too well as the grounds behind Wysardian Manor. He stands alone, with only a gentle breeze to keep him company. He sees nothing, the school is empty, there are no birds, no bees, only silence and the wind.

  “Come Atticus!”

  The whisper hisses across the ground and all around him. He tries to pinpoint its origin, and focuses on the main gates. He walks down the hillside, with the voice still taunting him.

  “Find me Atticus. I am your saviour. Join with me and I can show you power as great as that which created the universe you stand in.”