by Matt Moss
Levi stood with sword in hand, the flames from the town burning bright behind him.
“What are you doing, Sarie?” Levi asked, pain and anger thick in his voice.
“I don’t know,” Sarie cried out. “I’m scared.”
“It’s none of your business what she’s doing,” Lucian stated.
Levi pointed the sword at him. “Keep your mouth shut, Lucian. I’ll deal with you in a second.”
Lucian held his hands out and stepped towards him. “Why wait?”
Levi leaned to the side, as if to look around Lucian. “Sarie, why leave with him? Talk to me.”
Sarie bounced the crying baby up and down and spoke softly to sooth the child.
Lucian spoke to Levi. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. How about you just go back, fight alongside your father and the Order, and forget you ever saw us.”
Levi stepped towards them in desperation. “How can I forget?! Sarie is to be my wife. And you, my long-time, best friend, betray me behind my back. Betray the Order. You tell me to forget about all of that?”
Lucian clenched his fists and stepped towards his once-friend. “Me betray you? I was the first to seek Sarie’s hand in marriage, and you knew that. You knew that she loved me, and I confided in you. But you couldn’t let that happen, could you? Couldn’t you, just for once, let me have something over you? For many years, I’ve overlooked your pride and selfishness, content with putting you and the Order first. But I cannot allow that this time. I love Sarie, and I’m going to take her away from all of this.”
As if a dagger threatened to pierce his heart, Levi looked to Sarie for her answer. “I want to hear it from her. Is this true, Sarie? Do you love him enough to leave me?”
Lucian turned to her, wanting to hear the answer as much as Levi.
Tears fell from her eyes as she replied to Levi. “I love him. But I love you, too, equally as much. Don’t ask me to explain my feelings because I can’t quite understand them myself. And for that, I am sorry. It’s not fair to either one of you, and I am truly sorry.”
Both men stood in silence.
Levi’s face began to show the rage that built inside. “I’m not even going to ask who the child belongs to. I wonder if you even know.” He shook his head. “You can’t have us both, Sarie,” he said and held both arms out wide.
“Then let us remove one of the choices from the table,” Lucian said and bent down to pick up a sword that one of the rebels once carried.
“You don’t want to do that,” Levi told Lucian, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword.
Lucian stepped closer to him. “Yes, I do.”
“Stop it! Both of you! If it comes to this, then I choose neither.”
“It’s too late, Sarie,” Lucian replied. “This has been coming for a long time.”
Levi took a firm grip on his sword and held it at ready. “You’re such a jealous fool, Lucian. Always have been. Goodbye, friend.”
“Goodbye.” Lucian soul tapped and lunged towards Levi, his sword arcing down in blinding motion.
Levi brought his blade up to check the strike, and a grin crept upon his face. “You’ll have to do better than that.” He shoved Lucian back and pressed the attack.
Levi was quicker than anyone Lucian had ever fought, and it didn’t take long for him to doubt that he was capable of winning this fight.
As bone-shattering blows came one after another, fear took hold of Lucian and led him to falter. A sloppy block turned into a deflected slash to his forehead that instantly blurred his vision. Blood began to flow from the cut.
“That’s enough!” Sarie cried.
Her plea only made Levi soul tap further, and he began to rain down heavy blows in rapid succession. Lucian defended to the best of his abilities, down on one knee and struggling for balance, until one staggering blow sent the blade flying from Lucian’s hand, over the railing and into the water below. Overwhelmed, and with his head held low, he accepted his fate.
“You’re the better man, Levi. Go on and finish it.”
Levi held the sword ready, poised to strike Lucian down.
“Levi, please!” Sarie pleaded. “Stop! Just stop. Nothing good will come from taking his life.”
Baby Arkin stopped crying and was contently staring at Levi from his mother’s arms.
Shaking with rage, Levi met the baby’s gaze and fought to control his senses. His body moved to deliver the final blow, but he held it from doing so and resisted the urge with everything in him. A growl emerged from deep within and he tossed the sword upon the deck of the bridge, next to Lucian.
“I’m not going to kill you, Lucian. But I don’t ever want to see you again. Come on, Sarie,” he said and extended his hand towards her.
Defeated, and down on one knee, Lucian looked up.
Sarie took Levi’s hand but kept her eyes on him, and everything about her stare told Lucian that she didn’t want to go.
She wants to be with me. She doesn’t want you!
As if possessed and unable to control his arm, Lucian found himself reaching for the sword.
Levi turned around and saw as Lucian lunged. He pushed Sarie to the side and stepped back, arms held out, dodging as Lucian slashed without abandon.
“Lucian stop!” Sarie shouted.
In his blood-rage, Lucian didn’t hear her. He only saw rage and the man standing in front of him that had been doing such his whole life. He was tired of following in Levi’s shadow; sick of going along with any decision he ever made.
The man who always had everything.
Who can never lose.
Whose pride knows no bounds.
The sword continued to slash and stab despite Sarie’s constant cries to stop. And Lucian saw the fear in Levi’s eyes.
The tip of the blade sliced into flesh and Levi howled in pain, clutching at the deep gash in his leg. He fell to the ground and blood began to flow.
Seething in a cold sweat, Lucian drew the sword back, preparing to deliver the final strike.
Through ringing ears and a pounding pulse, he faintly heard Sarie scream at him.
He would have turned to her, but Levi spat and hobbled back to his feet, glaring at Lucian with cold, hateful eyes. That look invoked a thousand memories, and burned hotter than any words could have.
Lucian stepped into the swing, throwing all his emotions into the slash, aiming to take Levi’s head off.
“Stop, Lucian!” Sarie screamed as she rammed into Levi, knocking him to the ground.
As Lucian finished the rotation of his body, the sword fell from his hands as a feeling like never before gripped his entire being. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak as he stared into the darkness, shocked and in disbelief at what he just did.
He forced himself to look at Sarie.
Sarie’s eyes were wide and her face was in shock as she stood in front of Lucian. The thin, red line across her neck began to weep.
Lucian reached for her as she began to fall, her arms holding on tight to the babe to protect him from the hard, wooden surface of the bridge.
Levi screamed a cry of pure anguish and crawled on hands and knees to reach her.
She handed him the child. Her eyes were wild and she couldn’t speak, but in her last moments, it was made clear that she wanted Levi to take Arkin and raise him up without her.
Levi cradled the babe tight and leaned close to Sarie, brushing the matted, red locks from her face.
“Oh, God no. I’m sorry, Sarie. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Don’t leave me… Please...” Levi begged.
Sarie reached up and touched his face. She focused her eyes back to Lucian as her body convulsed, her lungs choking on blood.
Tears streamed down Lucian’s face and he knelt beside her, gently taking her hand. A million words ran through his head, but he couldn’t find his tongue for even one of them. He loved her with all of his heart. But at that moment, he hated himself even more.
The recent words of Moses struck hi
m.
One moment… One action.
Almighty above, what have I done…
Before Sarie gave into death’s embrace, she met Lucian’s gaze one last time, and Lucian found her eyes strangely odd. Even though her body was fighting for survival, she still held onto her senses, and her eyes showed no hint of love, hate, or any signs of pity or remorse. They were numb. Like the coldest, stillest water reflecting the mirror of her soul, no emotion could be found.
Her right hand squeezed his tightly, and her left hand held onto Levi’s as she looked up into the night sky. One last convulsion, and both men saw the light fade from her eyes.
A large group of rebels came at them from the town.
Both Lucian and Levi stood.
Levi glared at Lucian through anguished, tear-filled eyes--a look of vengeance that said the war between them wasn’t over, and that he would see justice served for Sarie. With no want or time for words, Levi soul tapped with everything in him and ran away into the safety of the night, cradling baby Arkin and overcoming his injured leg.
Lucian knelt back down and moved to kiss Sarie’s head, offering whatever apology he could. But he couldn’t touch her again as an overwhelming feeling of shame and regret took hold and stopped him from doing so. He didn’t want to leave her this way, but he knew that he would end up dead like her if he stayed.
For a second, the thought didn’t seem so bad.
Hate-filled and yearning for vengeance, he glared at the men coming towards him, though not knowing who to blame other than himself.
Survival instincts took over and he ran away, disappearing somewhere into night.
Not far from the bridge, he perched atop a nearby hill behind a row of trees. He turned back and found that his pursuers had given up the chase. On the small bridge, they gathered around Sarie as parts of the town burned behind them.
Questioning their intentions with her, Lucian clenched his fists and stood ready to kill them all.
When Victor emerged from the group and knelt beside her body, Lucian paused.
Inside the town, his eyes found that the Order had won that battle, and were now charging towards what appeared to be the last group of rebels on the bridge, including Victor. Outnumbered, the rebels began to scatter and flee.
No longer able to bear himself, the sight of Sarie, or the Grand Highlands anymore, Lucian turned and left. He knew that Levi would quickly rejoin his brothers in the Order, and that they would see to the burial of Sarie’s body.
The thought almost drove him mad.
He left and traveled over the mountains, seeking nowhere in particular.
The battle had long ended, but for Lucian, the war raged on.
For days on end, he walked and didn’t stop. When sleep would come, it only lasted for what seemed like a moment until he jolted awake in a cold terror, as his dreams and thoughts continually haunted him. His mind was filled with dread and, when he found himself standing over a high cliff three days later, he felt the urge to throw himself over the side.
The fall called out to him, a siren in disguise.
The rocks below would break him apart and he would die in agony, as he believed it should be for him. As fate would see it.
Fate. Piss and shit on you… You’re nothing. You’ve no care or rhyme or reason for anything. Burn the world for all it’s worth, in your infinite wisdom. Nothing matters.
His body teetered over the edge as a strong wind blew against his back.
He laughed. “And here we are, you and I. As there is no rhyme or reason in anything, what shall you have me do, now? What’s that? I can’t hear you. You want me to jump? Surely you must, as you send a wind to push me over the edge.”
So be it.
He stretched out his arms, raised them high to his sides, and closed his eyes.
A rustle from behind drew his attention. He jerked his head to the side and found a deer as it emerged from the brush, munching on clover. Sensing Lucian, it stopped and looked up at him, but it did not startle or run away.
Curious, Lucian turned to the animal and took a step towards it.
Still, it did not run or show fear.
Lucian held his hand out and slowly walked towards it. “Are you here for me? Who are you? Alright, I’m listening.”
The deer cocked its head, but held its ground.
“What is it? What would you like to say?”
Lucian was close now, nearly touching. His fingers reached for its snout.
The animal jerked its head and snorted, leveled its gaze back down, and stared at him.
Lucian froze when he locked eyes with the beast, finding them oddly familiar. “Sarie…” he gasped.
The deer turned and ran away.
Lucian stared at the ground and fell to his knees. He stayed there, hunched over and filled with every emotion imaginable until the sun moved in the sky. Until he found his new purpose.
After running through the gauntlet of his mind, he raised his face to the sky.
Alright. I will see it done.
“Have it your way then, fate. I’ve seen the sign and will heed your call. Tell death we’ll settle up later.”
He walked back to the edge and spat into death’s eye.
Later that night, he cooked a fish that he had caught from the river where he had set up camp. After replenishing his body, he reclined near to the fire and stared into the flames.
I am to blame for this, but I’m not the only one. Her blood is on their hands, and the justice that they deserve will be delivered from mine.
Despite his yearning to die, he found a reason to live. He swore to fulfill a promise before fate would come to call, before he would draw his last breath.
I will follow the path laid in blood before me.
Anyone who stands in the way of my vengeance will meet a swift and cruel end.
There will be no quarter, no mercy.
I will become death, manifested in the flesh.
None shall overpower me again, as I will become stronger than anyone this world has ever seen.
By my hand, I will see to the destruction of the Order.
And I won’t stop until I do.
The Legend of the Soul Stones Chapters One - Three
Chapter One
The Cross and Anchor was as crowded as any other night. People came there to drink and wash away the toils of the day. It offered the best food in town along with the prettiest serving girls. The warm fireplace and the glow of the lanterns provided a welcome sight for anyone this cold time of year.
"Is the food ready yet?” a gruff voice called from the corner. “Or do ya gotta kill the cow first?" Mad Jack was known to be the loudest mouth in town, especially when he had an audience and a few drinks in him.
A tall, blonde serving girl walked by the table.
"Hey lass, fetch me another whiskey while I wait on the cows to come home." Mad Jack slapped her on the behind as she walked away.
Jack's friends laughed around the table. The sound of people talking, plates clattering, and cooks shouting filled the wooden oasis. The smell of cooked meat and baked bread hung in the air. The townsfolk looked forward to it every night. It provided them an escape from the everyday wake up, go to work, go home and go to bed routine. Fights broke out on occasion, but in a town so small, people learned to make up quick. Everybody knew everybody.
Farmers, artisans, and trade workers comprised the small town of The Crossing. Its location, nestled in a valley between the great mountain range, made it ideal for travelers to stop in. Kingsport, the capital city, sat to the west, while the rest of King George's kingdom lie to the east. To go from one to the other, a traveler had to cross the mountains or charter a boat to ferry across the sea to Stonebridge. The winter months made it treacherous for anyone brave enough to attempt the trip.
Mad Jack emptied his glass and turned back to his companions. "As I was saying..."
The front door slammed open, allowing red and orange sunlight to stream in. The cold b
last of air and the tall figure in black made everyone stop and look. He wore black leather boots, trousers, jerkin, and a black cloak with silver embroidery. The cloak whipped and snapped in the cold wind. Beneath his cowl, a sharp jawline with a clean shaven face could be seen, but his eyes remained covered.
He closed the door behind him.
The stranger made his way to the bar and sat down. The noise and commotion resumed.
"Get you a drink?" the bartender asked, wiping the bar top.
"Warm ale," the stranger said, resting both arms on the bar.
"Don't get that request much." The bartender pulled a glass from the shelf. "Most like it cold. Got the barrels sitting out back."
Mad Jack looked at his companions, disturbed by the intruder. He glared at the stranger.
"Here's your whiskey, Jack," the serving girl said.
Jack stood, shot the drink down, and slammed the glass on the table. Maybe it was the liquor, or maybe it was his friends coaxing him along, but whatever it was, it made him walk over to the stranger. There was something about this man he didn't like. He was going to let him know who Mad Jack was.
"What's your business here in our peaceful town this time of year, stranger?"
"I'm looking for someone,” the stranger answered without looking at Mad Jack.
"Well, I believe you just found him. You see, I'm Mad Jack and this here is my town." Snorts and chuckles came from every table in the room.
"I'm looking for Levi," the stranger said in a calm, cool voice, "but if I was looking for a mush brained maggot of a man, then yes, I have found him."
Jack's face turned to stone and flushed bright red. Three of his friends jumped up from the table upon hearing the insult and surrounded the stranger. The room hushed.
"Here's your food boys," the serving girl said, attempting to call Jack and his friends back to the table as she sat the plates down.
The bartender sat the beer in front of the stranger.
"I came here tonight for a little fun,” Jack said, choking out the words. “But now, I'm gonna have a really good time stomping your ass."
The stranger picked the beer up, emptied the glass, and softly placed it back on the bar. He stood up and met Jack's gaze.
