“I understand, teacher.” Danzul bowed his head.
He did not want to disrespect Mikael yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that Jaival might’ve been right. The same burning desire for justice that drove Danzul to become a Guardian was the same desire burning in him then, telling him that Jaival needed him on his journey back. Danzul followed the trail of his friend to go gather his own supplies.
Mikael crunched his fists. Am I really the one to save this world yet again?
Alexa buzzed in his face once more. “What are you doing?”
“Come again?” Mikael snapped at her.
Alexa sighed and shook her little head. “You were going to let them handle this one, but you’re actually thinking of joining them. Taking up arms against the darkness again, aren’t you? Might as well. Our reunion will have to wait a little while longer.” The fairy flew off to meet the young men. Mikael stood still by himself. Thunder cracked and rain started pouring.
Who are you exactly? He hadn’t paid much attention to the tiny fairy, despite the familiar vibe she gave off. Now the answer started becoming clear, as he pondered over her words.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A Kingdom in Peril
ARYA GAZED OUTSIDE THE BALCONY WINDOW of her royal bedroom, trying to distract herself from the inevitable confrontation to come. She had taken drastic steps in securing Star World’s future by giving the Starlight Blade to Mikael and company. It was only a matter of time before she’d be held accountable for her actions. She knew it too. Her father was no fool. The current blade that stood in the pedestal in the Temple of Light, which the royal family and their guards thought to be the true Starlight Blade, was nothing more than illusion, created by Arya’s magic.
The entrance doors to the princess’ room cracked open and two guards walked in, led by Cyrus.
“My lady,” Cyrus called to his princess. “It’s time.”
Arya faced him.
Let’s get this over with.
***
The princess was escorted into the Temple of Light inside the secret sanctum of the Starlight Blade where King Týr and a group of royal guards waited rather impatiently. Although not outright confrontational, Arya sensed her father’s displeasure once he saw her.
“Father.” Arya greeted him with respect.
Týr did not respond. Instead, he moved next to his daughter, brushed her hair aside and looked deep into her cyan-blue eyes.
“My child,” Týr held her face in his hand, his eyes heavy. “You have your mother’s eyes. The eyes of an angel.”
“What is it father?” Arya held his hand in her own. In that moment, she became less concerned of her own fate and more worried of her father’s troubles.
“I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?” The King’s voice cracked.
“Of course.” Arya responded.
“Do you love me?”
“With all my heart.”
Týr leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed her forehead.
“Do you love him?” he harshly whispered.
Arya felt her heart skip a beat or two.
“No.” she quickly retorted.
The King leaned back and gazed into her eyes, hoping to find the truth. Arya remained steadfast in her position. She kept her gaze sharp like a hawk. Týr realized she wouldn’t budge, so he clenched his jaw and nodded, then moved toward the pedestal.
“You are good at many things my child. Amazing at some,” Týr said as he unsheathed his sword. “But lying was never your forte.” The King raised his weapon and struck for the illusionary Starlight Blade, cutting the mirage in half. Residual energies coiled around the illusion and seconds later, it dissipated into thin air. The guards whispered uneasily amongst themselves. Arya felt her heart drop when her father looked back at her.
“Arrest her.” he ordered his men.
“Father.” she tried to protest as the guards drew closer, unsure if they should obey The King’s command, Cyrus especially.
“First Baldr, and now you,” Týr shook. “What has happened to my children? What has happened to my bloodline?”
“Please father, you must listen to me!” Arya cried.
“Arrest her!” Týr shouted.
A terrifying roar echoed from above. The ground shook and the roof caved, followed by a blast of fire pouring in. The World Breaker swooped over Eira’s capital, his dreaded wings giving off ethereal flames that worked to set the fortress ablaze.
“What was that?!” Cyrus snapped.
Týr stepped forward, observing the damage done to the temple. It was crumbling. He could hear the screams of women and children, running for their lives and the panic of his soldiers, scrambling to counter the ambush. The King looked back at Arya who hawked him with a silent message saying I told you so.
“Deal with you later.” Týr said to his daughter, ready to command his forces outside until another lingering presence caught his attention. There, inside the sanctum, dark forces began manifesting in every corner. Týr held his blade out, poised to strike. Cyrus and the guards followed suit. They surrounded the unarmed princess protectively.
“Sire?” Cyrus awaited orders.
A venomous blade struck from the darkness, followed by another, and then, another. Soon, the King and his men found themselves fighting a brigade of shadowy demons. Arya joined in the fight. She used her powers to lift and restrain some of the brutes while Týr relied on his expertise with a blade and his past experience of war. Cyrus called upon the power of Mordjün to best their foes.
Though they were losing men, Týr, Arya and Cyrus were managing to drive back the demons through sheer will and love for their kingdom. Just as the King was ready to celebrate the small victory and move on to bolstering his forces outside, Cyrus was knocked aside by a sudden force, and the King was stabbed by an ancient blade.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” Arya wailed.
A familiar presence stepped out of the shadows and glared Týr in the eyes.
“Baldr?” a tear rolled down Týr’s eye. “What are you doing?”
The exiled prince stepped closer and pulled the blade from his father’s stomach.
Blood dripped on the floor.
“Succeeding you.” Baldr hissed.
Týr backpedaled and fell on his behind, gazing up at his son with both wonder and horror.
“My child.” Týr deliriously whispered.
Arya sprinted to the king’s side, screaming while tears flowed out of her eyes uncontrollably.
Baldr sheathed his Void-Star Blade, turned around and peered at the pedestal in silence.
“Father! I’m here. It’s going to be okay. Look at me, I’m here!” Arya held Týr close.
Týr’s eyes moved from his son to his daughter.
“My child,” he caressed her face. “You are so beautiful. Just like your mother.”
Arya squeezed his hand.
“Stay with me.” she begged.
“Arya,” Týr struggled to speak as he looked at her with swollen eyes. “Forgive me. Forgive us. You were right. You were always right.”
Arya shook her head. “No, no, no – forget about that!”
“Right where we have gone wrong.” Týr whispered his last words. He stared blankly forward and life left his body. Arya remained still looking at him, unable to come to terms with reality. A loud wail left her lips. She nuzzled her head into her father’s and hugged him close, squeezing him, begging him to come back, over, and over. Nothing could prepare her for such pain and nothing could express how much she truly cared for her him. She lost concern for everything happening around her in that moment. Childhood memories began coming back where she saw herself and her father. Týr was always a loving parent. It’s why Arya held onto him for so long despite his depression. No depression could change a daughter’s love for her father. Arya cried. She cried and cried until her eyes were dried and her heart could cry no more.
“Where is the blade?’ Baldr finally spoke.
> A violent wave of energy surged behind him. He turned around, shocked by the sudden power. Arya stood tall with her father’s sword pointed at Baldr. Pure energy coiled around her body, turning her into an Avatar of Light.
“You dare raise that weapon at me, sister?” Baldr warned.
“I am not your sister!” Arya shouted. “For the crimes you have done and the horrors you’ve committed against mankind, you are no brother of mine! You are no son of my father. And you are no hero of these lands!”
For some reason, Baldr’s heart sank when Arya disowned him.
The only thing he could do was draw his sword.
“So be it.” he said.
***
Jaival and Danzul arrived atop a hillside just outside the kingdom and peered over the horizon.
“What in stars’ name?” Danzul muttered. Eira Citadel was a warzone, set ablaze while smoke coiled into the sky. Statues and monuments were desecrated, and innocents – slaughtered. The Order of the Void rampaged with their war machines. There were legions of summoned demons under the leadership of Magnus, reigning terror upon the kingdom. Phoenix Knights, soldiers and guards were out in the streets, battling the invaders while suffering terrible casualties.
Danzul grew discouraged, unable to come to terms with the reality of the situation. Jaival noticed his friend’s failing confidence. A great terror swooped over their heads, shooting blasts of fire from its draconic fangs.
“Nidhogg!” Danzul trembled. After seeing The World Breaker in all his might and all his fearsome glory, Danzul was almost certain of their defeat before their battle had begun.
“Hey!” Jaival snapped at him. “We came this far. Don’t lose your nerve now,” he unsheathed his sword and shield, ready to charge into battle. “The darkest hour is just before the dawn,” Jaival looked straight ahead – “Eira needs us,” Then he looked back at Danzul. “Are you with me?”
Maybe it was Jaival’s boldness or perhaps his sheer stupidity to test fate that sparked the influence, either way, Danzul drew his sword and board.
“For Eira!” The guardian chanted.
Jaival smirked. “For Star World.”
***
Baldr and Arya had taken their duel outside the ruined Temple of Light. Baldr slashed low, Arya parried. Arya slashed high, Baldr dodged. And so, the duel went as an even fight, though Baldr was not on a full-blown intent to kill his sister. They locked blades and Baldr yanked on his sister’s weapon, pulling her close with an amused grin.
“I see the skills I’ve taught you haven’t gone to waste.” he mocked.
Arya gnashed her teeth as light energy coiled around her, giving her the power to shove her brother back a few yards with a scream of righteous rage. Although Arya had received defensive training as a royal family member, she was no Phoenix Knight. What gave Arya the drive was the fury; the outrage sparked by the villainy her own flesh and blood brother had perpetrated to rupture their family. This was not a duel of mastery. It was a righteously enraged strike against evil.
“You demon!” Venom spewed out of her mouth. “Despicable! How can you live with yourself after what you’ve done!”
“You have no idea what I’ve done; what I’ve sacrificed,” Baldr raised his free hand into the air. Void energies curled into his palm and the sky above turned violet. “Our father was weak. He was under the delusion that Helion was the end of Malstrife. Foolish. This world always has, and always will be Malstrife’s. There can never be a hero to end the cycle.”
Arya shook her head. “You are mad.”
“Am I? Or perhaps you have not considered that I have uncovered the truth. Something even a scholar like you would be unable to perceive because it goes outside the box of lies they taught you to blindly swallow!”
Arya couldn’t take his blasphemy anymore. She charged. Baldr waited till she was close, then, using the great power he had accumulated, he held his free hand forward and unleashed a blast of lightning at his sister. The attack caught Arya off guard, forcing her to block using all her pent up Pure magic.
“I should’ve known,” Baldr snarled, taking slow steps closer as he continued firing the lightning. “All these years you hid it so well. In truth, I was never the champion of light. That honor belonged to you, didn’t it? Our reborn Goddess.”
Arya was caving under Baldr’s attack. She couldn’t hold on much longer and Baldr knew it. He wanted her to suffer. In his eyes, he felt betrayed. A presence crept behind the exiled prince and a skip of a heartbeat later, he was forced to stop his lightning barrage and duck an overhead slash from Jaival. The moon elf rolled next to Arya and raised his shield.
“You again!” Baldr hissed. The sight of Jaival next to his sister nearly sent him into a blind rage. He squeezed his fist with magic crackling, preparing to fire another blast until another ambusher rushed him from the side. This time, Danzul. Baldr fended off the flurry of attacks before Danzul retreated to Jaival and Arya’s side.
“What?!” Baldr didn’t understand what was going on. Their numbers were growing.
“You TRAITOR!!” Cyrus bellowed and fired a blast of light energy at Baldr, using his mighty magic warhammer, Mordjün, demanding the prince to do nothing more than block. The attack was far more ferocious than Baldr anticipated.
“Jaival?” Arya couldn’t believe he had returned.
The moon elf looked back at her for a moment while Cyrus kept Baldr at bay.
“You okay?” he asked.
Arya nodded, but then, she noticed his weapon.
“Where is the Starlight blade?!” she hesitated.
Cyrus’ blast dissipated and a shockwave rippled out in all directions from the exiled prince. Smoke cleared from the impact and Baldr stood hunched over, brooding, his body covered with the vile energies of the abyss. His eyes turned red and a terrifying aura surrounded him. He was no longer just Baldr. He became an Avatar of Darkness.
“He’s learned to harness the Avatar form.” Arya warned.
Baldr huffed and puffed. Cyrus fired another blast of light magic at him. Baldr simply slapped it away, deflecting the beam’s course with the Void-Star Blade. The attack decimated a nearby building. The betrayer held his star sword forward, charged it with Void energy, and fired at Jaival, Arya and Danzul. The trio parted in three different directions to avoid the cataclysmic attack. As soon as they got to their feet, Baldr was already next to them. Danzul immediately attacked him, but was quickly disarmed and knocked to the side.
Next was Jaival. The moon elf attempted to hold his ground, but despite his best efforts, he too would be bested by the ferocity of Baldr’s empowered state, leaving only Arya standing. Before Baldr could attack her however, Cyrus came from behind, only to have his attack dodged. Baldr then knocked him away by firing a blast of Void magic at him. Arya charged at Baldr once more. The prince slapped the King’s sword out of her hands, then grabbed her by the throat, lifting her in the air.
“Only now you see what has been hidden from us all along.” Baldr hissed, his red eyes peering into his sister’s while he squeezed her throat. Jaival rolled out of his daze. The sight of Arya being strangled to death sent him into an unbridled fury. He got to his feet and charged at Baldr. Baldr dropped Arya aside and engaged the moon elf.
As their swords clashed, one thing became clear. Despite being outmatched, Jaival refused to give in. Baldr’s power, even in the heightened state he was in, did not deter the moon elf from trying. Jaival felt a deep, protective urge kick in inside him when he saw his companions fall, especially Arya. It fueled him to fight. Yet his will might have exceeded his capability.
Baldr was not in the mood to toy with Jaival. He remembered what his Lord had said about the moon elf, so once he found an opening, Baldr turned the tables on Jaival and had the moon elf backed on defense. He disarmed Jaival of his shield and the two locked blades seconds before Baldr surged with power and floored his opponent. Baldr raised his sword high, ready to strike Jaival down for good. A beam of twirling light
and shadow, slammed into the betrayer, forcing him to stumble back a few feet. Jaival looked in the direction where this new power came.
“Alexa!” he cried.
“Come on! Get out of there!” The little fairy remained steadfast in concentrating her energy into holding Baldr back. The power confused Baldr. He’d gain ground, then lose it, gain, and lose again. The magic was of both light and dark, Pure and Void. It was none other than the outlawed Twilight power. Jaival got to his feet and ran toward Arya.
“Arya! Come on, wake up!” he shook her.
Arya slowly opened her eyes. “He cannot be stopped. Not without the Starlight Blade.”
Step by step, Baldr made his way through the twilight stream until he was in arm’s reach of Alexa. He tried swatting the fairy, but luckily, she avoided it and retreated next to Jaival and Arya.
“How fitting,” Baldr cackled. He held his blade out, ready to charge it again. “Now you’ll all die together.”
A distant sonic boom shook the air. The clouds parted and a shadow leapt from the heavens into the fray, leaving an impact tremor as he crashed into the ground. The Starlight Blade shimmered on the shadow’s back. Baldr grew lightheaded. Out of all the people he’d grown disdain for, this one was the one he hated most.
“Master?” Baldr accidentally muttered.
“Teacher?” Jaival said under his breath.
Mikael observed Baldr well.
“Jaival, take Arya and the others and go.” The ancient hero ordered.
“What about you?” Jaival protested.
Mikael squeezed his fists. “This is my fight.”
Jaival helped Arya to his feet while Alexa, Danzul and Cyrus rushed to their side in retreat. Mikael remained as a bastion of defense, barring Baldr from chasing. As powerful as Baldr was, he knew caution here would be wise. Not only was Mikael once the wielder of both Blades and the Hero of the Lands, he was also the one who had trained him. He knew every move Baldr had to offer. Baldr grew infuriated. He couldn’t spare a thought about the others escaping, his attention was too fixated on Mikael.
Xenosaber: Fury of the Stars Page 11
