by Jarod Meyer
***
William’s head split open with pain. He knelt on the top balcony of Vanity’s fortress. He looked at Vanity’s lifeless corpse sprawled out on the deck and tried to figure out the last thing that he remembered.
Voices. Voices in my head.
He shuddered, his thoughts still plagued by strange whispers and cries. He tried to remember the last thing he did. Took a bite of that heart… He tried to reconstruct things in his mind, but everything was jumbled.
“William, can you move?”
“Just show me how to find him,” he replied.
He was still determined to find the man that wrought havoc on his brothers at Mount Olympus. William stood, trembling. His strength and speed jumped so fast that he wasn’t used to it. He clenched his fist, and flexed feeling the raw power coursing through each chord of muscle. He didn’t know what he had become, but Tamara seemed to recognize him so evidently his face hadn’t changed.
“We must find the Oculus,” she said, trying to help him up. But he didn’t need help. He stood, nearly knocking her over. He noticed that she was in terrible shape.
“I know where it is,” William responded, simply.
He walked downward through the destruction that was now Vanity’s fortress. Body parts and mangled corpses littered the corridors. William hadn’t even remembered killing half of them. Some were still crying in agony, but he didn’t let it move him, nor did he relieve their suffering.
Into the depths of the castle they walked. Anyone left alive bowed to William and Tamara, and fled shortly after.
Tamara fell against the wall. “William, I can’t go on. Can you heal me?” she asked desperately.
This annoyed him so he grabbed her by the throat. Rip, tear, smash. His vision blurred but cleared quickly. Energy passed over her, burnt flesh falling away and being replaced by healthy, smooth skin. She shuddered then slid down the wall, her eyes closed.
She took in a few deep breathes, and then got up.
“Where is it?” Tamara asked.
“His vault.”
They found the vault in the shadowy bowels of the fort. William had to clear quite a bit of debris from the corridors but managed it with ease. He approached the four creatures guarding the vault.
“Open the fucking door!” he growled.
The floating bodies looked to each other with hollow eyes, and then back to William before retreating through the vault door as if made from gas.
“Stand back!” William shouted angrily, not giving her much time to react. She just barely managed to duck behind a large boulder as William flew into the vault door in a blur of grey, his energy pulsing into his fist. The metal caved in, rending and tearing like it was made of foil. The mighty bolts and coils of the mechanism within the door screeched and cracked as the metal settled into its new shape.
A William-sized hole now sat in the center. He skidded through the golden coins and gemstones heaped upon the floor coming to a stop and ignored the ghostlike creatures. He heard them screech as Tamara cut them down one by one, but his focus was on finding the oculus.
He imagined it to be some sort of crystal ball or mirror, but soon realized that it must be the glasses that he saw earlier. It had to be. He approached the pedestals, finding that two of the three were destroyed by falling debris. Luckily the glasses sat in the light, untouched. The ruby gems fitted where the lenses should have been sparkled invitingly in the light.
William picked them up and without any hesitation slid them on his face. Nothing extraordinary happened right away, save for the gemstones refracting his sight. He turned slowly and the red glow disappeared. He was now facing Angelica, her smooth and supple skin shimmering in the room’s pale light.
He trembled, the voices beginning to come back.
Rip. Tear. Smash.
William shouted, and looked away from her beautiful face. He breathed heavily. He didn’t want to be here in Dichonia, he wanted to be home with Angelica. That is why she appeared in the glasses. He closed his eyes for a moment, but his heart told him the truth. He would never be able to see Luxor or anyone else through the oculus. Not while he longed for Angelica, and she was so far away.
“What do you see?” Tamara asked after a moment. William slid the glasses off and tossed them to her.
“I don’t see Luxor. Let’s see if you can find him,” he said, still thinking of the face that he saw. His dark skinned companion looked at him in confusion, but didn’t question it.
She slowly slid the glasses over her face and gasped. “I see a city of white and gold. There are people everywhere, and they are all smiling and laughing.”
She continued describing it, but William knew exactly what she was seeing.
“Archonia,” he murmured.
She shook her head in wonder. “It is more beautiful than I could have imagined,” she exclaimed, a tear dripping down past the glasses.
“I will get you there, but you must help me find the Basileus. Otherwise there may not be an Archonia for much longer. I can barely control my own thoughts right now much less command a demonic artifact. You have to do this,” William said fiercely.
“All I can see is Archonia, William. That is what I have dreamt of since Achilles first came to us. He promised this world and a better life if we helped him,” she replied, tears streaming down her face.
“This nightmare will end, but in order to get to Archonia you have to help me find Luxor. If we find him, then we can go home. So the thing you want most would be,” but Tamara gasped, cutting him off.
“Jahannam!”
“Is that a place?” William asked, impatiently. Tamara nodded.
“Then let’s get out of here,” William said, but he felt something pulling at him. He looked back into the darkness of the treasure horde and felt something. It could have been an aura. The energy hummed as he approached a boulder that had crushed the pedestal next to the oculus. The boulder flew against the far wall with only a flick of his wrist, exposing the shimmering hilt of a blade.
The Archon Lucifer’s dagger.
William stared at it in wonder. He could feel a connection to the blade, similar to the one that he had with Gungnir. He killed its former master. Perhaps its allegiance had changed. As if it had its own mind.
He slid the weapon from its resting place, the blade slicing into the rocks and gems as it pulled free. He stood, cradling the weapon as if it was delicate and might break, then with a flick of his wrist he sent it flying across the room, where is sunk straight into the rock wall. Then he summoned it with his mind, just like his sword.
He felt the dagger materialize on the back of his thick, leather belt. He flipped up his cape and grabbed the weapon with his right hand, pulling it from it from a brand new sheath.
William felt Tamara’s eyes on him. “A new toy?” she asked. “Now we can leave,” he responded, offering her his hand.
She took it as William wrapped her in his energy. Tamara yelped in fear as he shot straight into the air, plunging through the vault’s sheer rock ceiling.
Picking up speed, they burst through the stone, then a ceiling above that, then another. Soon they were far above the fortress. They looked down upon the wreckage, but to William it would never be enough. This place was one of pain, and torture. He extended a hand and pushed with all his might. Bluish grey energy balls erupted from his palm, and descended on the fortress like glowing water drops, cleansing it of evil. Energy exploded, echoing through the night, and William and Tamara watched as the fortress burned and crumbled.
The blinding rage subsided, but William felt a lasting change. Yes, he was faster, stronger, and his mind felt clearer. But all of the muscle memories and experiences of Karma’s souls were now melded with his own mind. Energy surged through his veins like an electric current. He’d felt this way only once before, on the peak at Mount Olympus, when his power peaked from forging his armor.
The two descended to the ground. Shou and Leopoldo were waiting for them, just as William had inst
ructed. They stood in awe at William and Tamara. Or perhaps it was the burning wreckage of Vanity’s fortress, smoldering behind them.
“Unbelievable,” Leo said.
“Thanks for coming to my rescue, you worthless idiots,” Tamara scoffed.
“Easy, Tamara, these two helped me more than you know,” William chided.
“What happened to you?” Shou asked, with fear in his eyes.
William furrowed his brow in confusion, and then looked himself over, only now noticing the change. His armor was different.
William studied it, the change definitely noticeable. The metal was darker, the shapes seemed more rigid, and edged. It looked much like the armor of the fallen Archonians’. His heart froze. Had his fears come true? Somewhere along this journey he changed. It all started with his training. Then again when he let his rage take over. He remembered back to the first time that he spoke with Achilles in the Garden of Medina. Achilles warned him not to let his rage control him.
William gritted his teeth. “Nothing happened to me, I’m fine. Now, Tamara, take me to this place so that I may destroy Luxor,” William said, fiercely. He may be too far gone to save, but he wouldn’t abandon his friends or his quest.
“You still plan to kill the Basileus? Where is he, Tamara?” Leo asked concerned.
Tamara was hesitant, but she answered.
“Jahannam,” she said, looking down. Shou let out a gasp, and Leo hung his head.
William was annoyed. “Let me guess this place is impossible to get to, and there is no way we will be able to get there,” he added, sarcastically. None of his companions responded.
“I believe this was your response when I told you I was going after Karma,” William said.
“It is not a matter of strength, William. We simply cannot go with you,” Tamara said, sadly.
“Are you giving up on me now, after all of this?” William asked, incredulously.
“No. We cannot get there because we cannot fly,” Shou added, flatly.
“Is that all? I can carry you,” William said with a dry chuckle.
“That is not all,” Tamara responded. “Jahannam is a place that was built by the fallen Archonians. Only they can reach it, and only they are allowed to dwell there.”
“They live there like gods. They make Vanity’s lifestyle look like vagrancy,” Leopoldo added.
“So what you are saying is that I must go alone?” William asked.
“What we are saying is that you are the only one who can go. The rest of us would be killed on sight. Not only would we blow your cover, but we would throw our lives away in the blink of an eye. You, however,” Tamara said, indicating his transformed armor.
William turned away from the group to look upon the burning pile of rubble that was Vanity’s palace. He looked at his armor, and then it dawned on him. Achilles may have always known where Luxor would be. Perhaps Meredox had also. He guessed that what they refused to tell him was that he would have to change to get there. They said that he would have to act, but also that he would have to become something different. That he would have to embrace a darker side of himself for the deception to succeed. William spat on the ashen soil.
“Well, they got what they wanted,” he whispered to himself.
“Tell me where I can find this place. Then I want all of you to seek refuge at Tamara’s village. I will be able to find my way back. Once I have tricked the Basileus into attacking Archonia I will find you. Then, perhaps, I can get you into Archonia,” William finished, grim-faced.
There was no doubt about it. Though these three were rough, and had done many bad things, they weren’t bad people. He could see goodness in them. They spent so much time in the company of evil that some of it was innate. Either way he came to care for them in a small way. As do all people who are comrades in arms.
William produced his raggedy map. Much of it was still blank, but he tossed it at Tamara. “Mark it on my map, then go,” he said, sitting down on a stone nearby.
He had been through so much already, and hadn’t had much rest, but the energy from Karma’s heart made it feel like his own was beating out of his chest. He wasn’t fatigued, only driven more than ever.
Tamara spoke aloud as she marked his map. “Jahannam is not difficult to find. It floats alone in the great abyss,” she said, handing the map back. A large black mark sat smack in the center of Dichonia. Her sketch, it turned out, was extremely detailed. In the center of the black mark was what looked to be a floating city.
“The great Abyss formed when The Archon’s Othin and Kronos fought and destroyed one another. It split this land in two, like a scar. One of the oldest fallen Archonian’s, Hades Brother of Zeus, began construction of Jahannam,” she said.
William studied the War of souls thoroughly, and had never heard this tale. Nor was this place marked on any of Meredox’s maps. William didn’t waste time with further questions though. He folded the map, and turned west towards the great crack, as Tamara labeled it. His companions bid him farewell, but he didn’t respond. Anger still filled him.
Kill her. KILL!
Gabriel saw this coming. He hand-picked William, because he was a killer. From the moment Gabriel first saw him he killed, and killed again. Gabriel knew about Luxor, and Meredox, and there attack on Archonia. He used William to rouse suspicions, and bring it to light. Perhaps he hadn’t planned on William surviving, so he found another use for him. He had been guiding William all along, making sure he was doing his job.
Am I just a tool? A weapon for Archonia’s retaliation?
William took off into the sky with incredible force, leaving a crater behind in the desolate ground. His speed was great, but his anger greater. They all succeeded. He was now a powerful weapon, and he was pointed directly at the enemy. They would answer for their deceit, but he would still protect the ones he loved in Archonia. As he pushed forth the landscape below him was a blur. He saw the great demons and creatures below him like they were ants. He could crush them all if he wanted to.
For the next few hours he travelled, not finding the least bit of resistance. William wondered if there were any creatures in this land that could stand before him now. He wondered if he was powerful enough that he could simply destroy Luxor without all the hassle of setting a trap, but he decided that a city full of angry fallen Archonian’s wouldn’t be anything to trifle with. With the power struggle in this world he didn’t want to have a target stamped on his back.
The surging energy still bounced around inside of him, and he pushed himself to the limit to try to relieve the pressure. He passed over the edge almost without even realizing it. When he looked below there was nothing but darkness. William considered that the crevice in the ground was so deep that no light could reach down into its depths. His eyes scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of the floating city. He flew for many minutes, not seeing anything, when finally his keen eyes caught sight of a spec in the distance to the south. He corrected his trajectory, and maintained his velocity. The great abyss was an understatement. This hole was more colossal than the largest ocean.
As the city grew closer shapes began to take form, and William could make out structures. It felt oddly familiar, and the closer he got the more it looked like Helios, The capitol city of Archonia, only infinitely darker.
More minutes passed by, and William gazed upon an astounding sight. Here in the middle of this ruined wasteland stood a magnificent city. The buildings were rich and detailed, like in Archonia. Here however they looked much more modern. It floated on an upside down mountain, which reflected its skyline like two matching peaks. William quickly pondered how they suspended the city in the wide abyss, but then waved the thought aside. With all he’d seen, he just had to start accepting the possibilities.
His wonder was cut short as ten dark figures descended from the sky, coming up behind him, surrounding him on all sides. Their armor was black steel and adorned with spikes, like most Dichonians. Demonic looking helmets with curved horn
s covered their faces.
The one at the head of the group pointed at William, and then pointed at himself, indicating that he should follow. For once in his life William didn’t try to be defiant. He didn’t want to cause trouble and risk his facade. Besides, with his newfound power he could crush these black knights like insects.
He followed the leader of the group for a few minutes. They passed over the threshold of the city, the boundaries rimmed with tall, stone walls. As if a wall would stop anything that could reach this place. They came to a stop on the pinnacle of a tall tower, barely a mile into the city. It looked like a guard post. The top was completely flat, a single staircase spiraling down into the tower. William hit the surface a second after the leader, the other guards landing around him in a circle.
There wasn’t much tension despite William’s fierce appearance. The group of guards did have their weapons pointed at William, but it felt like a formality. The leader took off his helmet to reveal a fiercely handsome face, short dark hair, and a scar running from his cheek up through his left eye. The rest of the group removed their helms as well. They all looked like normal men and women, nothing pale or sinister about them
“My name is Haraldr. I apologize for the armed response. Standard procedure,” the man said in a peculiar accent. “Please state your name and your business here, sir,” he added calmly.
“My name is William. I’m here to see the Basileus,” he responded. So far whenever he mentioned this he was met with hostility, so he was prepared for the worst.
“So you must be the exile. The master told us to expect you,” the man said, motioning for his companions to stand down. They all sheathed their weapons.
“I am afraid, however, that the master is a very busy man. He will not be able to see you until tomorrow,” Haraldr stated.
William, still struggling through the shock that not only was he expected, but that it was going to be a lot easier to find Luxor, that he didn’t respond right away.
“Okay. What should I do until then?” William asked, finally.
“I will have one of my men take you on a tour of the city. We will find you a place to rest. We do ask that you relinquish your weapon,” Haraldr said, pointing at Gungnir.
