by Rue Volley
I stepped forward and then I saw it. A body, slumped on the floor. I took a deep breath, I had to. The head was gone; I looked to the left and saw it. Lying on the floor . I bit my lip as I approached it and kicked it with my foot and then backed up quickly as I saw the face. That of Johnathan.
“Oh god.” I muttered as Josh stepped up behind and looked down, tilting his head.
“Oh.” He said.
I looked at him and narrowed my eyes.
“Oh?... really? It’s Johnathan!” I said.
I fought back tears as Josh knelt down and picked the head up by the hair and I grimaced and looked away from it. Josh leaned in and smelled it and then dropped it to floor. I looked at him and raised my hands.
“What the hell?” I yelled at him.
“It’s the demon, not the asshole.” He said.
I looked down so relieved. I know that I should have one focus, but as I saw this, this mangled body of my friend, I did feel again. That old pull at my heart. I shook off the thought and nodded.
“Good.” I said.
We ran together up the stairs and the third step cracked under my foot and I almost fell through it, Joshua grabbed me and pulled me toward him and I grinned.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
We pushed on, down the hallway and to our door that sat closed.
Josh opened it up and the room looked as if something had torn through it, the bed was flipped, all clothes thrown on the floor. The walls looked as if black grease had been smeared all over them. It smelled too…of age and decay. I took a breath and stepped in. This was yet another distraction. Probably woven by demons, something to try to dishearten us… but I was not. I looked at Josh and realized that it was never this house that made me feel like home. It was never the things in it, all replaceable, because it would fade in time… but him and how I felt for him is forever.
He started to tear through the closet and dragged out the chest. It was the only thing that looked as I had remembered it. It was something that Josh had built for us, it housed our battle gear and our blades. It also housed two blades that he had built against my will for Gracie. He had said at the time, well… when she was on her way, still cradled in me… that she would need them someday, and now it had come to pass. Our daughter was not here, and I could only guess where she was… no in fact I knew. She was in Valon and that was where we were going, to get her back and restore what was to be, what I always knew would happen.
Josh waved his hand over the chest and it glowed brightly. Symbols lit up one by one. The seal cracked and light started to peek through the opening. He flipped it open and there they were. Two bright white outfits, soft white leather and blades, six of them staring at me. I reached in and grabbed my battle gear, I started to strip and Josh looked at me and smiled.
“No comments?” I asked him.
“Many… but no time.” He said.
I nodded and slipped my pants on. I forgot how well they suited me, the leather soft and giving. This has always been a part of me, this battle gear. It is who I am, even though I fought it for so long and tried to pack it away in the closet. Perhaps if I had embraced me, this all would be different. Perhaps the battle would have already been won, who knows.
I pulled the leather straps tight across my chest and then I stood there as Josh grabbed my blades and handed them to me. I took them and stared at the metal as it sang to me. My song… one that was beautiful to my ears and so missed, I had no idea until this moment that it was not the blades song… it was me. My heart singing, as I felt them. I grinned and symbol after symbol etched into the blade started to glow, lighting up my face and the room. Josh stood there and placed his blades on his back and grinned at me.
“Beautiful.” He said, and for the first time I really felt that way. Beautiful that is… not cute, not pretty… but beautiful.
“We have to find Sam, Theo and Kai.” I said.
Josh nodded and closed his eyes. A white mass of light started to form in his hands and then he pushed it out in a sonic boom. The wind kicked up and blew my hair back and he grinned.
***
Sam sat straight up the cabin and took a deep breath, felt like the first… that breath that you suck in as you are born into the world. She looked at Kai and then at Theo on the bed and flashed to her feet, stretching her hands out and cracking her knuckles. She looked down at Kai and raised her eyebrows. She kicked him in the side and he moaned. She leaned down and looked at his face.
“If you don’t get up, I am going to stab you in the junk.” She said.
Kai opened his eyes and looked at her. Everything started to come back to him and he grinned, she did not. She stood up and ran to Theo, grabbing his arm and jerking him up on the bed.
“Get up.” She said.
Theo took a deep breath too and stared at her, he rubbed his head and looked to Kai, who stood up slowly.”
“Oh shit.” He muttered.
“Yeah… oh shit, how long do you think we were in this spell?” Sam asked as Kai stepped towards her and yawned as he rubbed his hair.
“I am hungry.”
Sam looked at him and laughed.
“Oh shut up.” She said.
Kai raised his eyebrows to her and she ran to the mirror on the bathroom door and stared at it. Theo followed her and Kai stepped up behind them.
“Wait… what the hell is going on?” Kai asked.
Sam and Theo grabbed him by the arms as the mirror started to wave and threw him into it, screaming like a girl.
“How long will it be until they hear you?” I asked him.
“How fast can you get to the mirror in Gracie’s room?” he asked me.
We flashed in there and Josh picked up a broken piece of chalk on the floor and I looked around the room. It was also decayed. I sighed as I looked up at the stars on the ceiling and then the mirror bubbled and Kai came flying through it, he rolled across the floor yelling and Theo stepped through and then Sam. She looked pissed as expected. I opened my mouth up and she raised her hand to me.
“Not now.” She said as she glanced at Kai, he grinned and she placed her hands on her hips.
“Shut up… before you even think about talking to me.” She said.
“It wasn’t me.” He said and she walked out of the room.
Kai looked up at me and tears filled his eyes.
I nodded and followed her as did everyone else.
We stood outside, staring at the forest. Theo closed his eyes and lowered to the ground. He placed his hands to the cold earth and started to chant. Josh lowered to the ground too and so did Sam. Suddenly a trail opened up, bright and shining road to lead us home… the one road that I always feared but now that I stood there I felt nothing… no fear, just determination. The kind that told me that no matter what, things would be okay. One way or another. It had to be.
I looked at Theo and then at each one of them. This was the moment, the moment that I had probably been dreading all of my life. All the monsters in the closet, all the insecurity, all the awkwardness… but as I looked into their eyes I knew, I knew that none of that mattered, it never did. This was my family, my heart. We formed a circle… one that was never broken and took each other’s hands and for one rare moment there was silence. No smart ass remarks… no jabbing. We just stood there and I looked up and saw the gray clouds swirling. I knew Valon felt us, I knew that they knew that we were coming… I myself could feel it. Then there it was, the heartbeat that I had felt inside of me. It was slow and steady.
“For Grace.” I whispered and we all started to flash into the forest… moving like light passes through space and hits the earth, bringing life to it.
We flashed out of the forest and into an open hillside and then the first wave hit us. Rogues. I pulled my blades as I watched everyone pull theirs. We hit the line of rogues like a tide crashes upon the shore. I lifted my blade and sliced it through the air, cutting a boy in half with little to no effort. A battle is strange with rogues. Th
ey do not cry out, it was silent except for the clanking of metal and the cutting of flesh. I had ten dead around me before I even realized it. Blood splattered on my face and across my white battle gear. I stopped and looked to my right as Joshua raised both of his blades and dropped the last of what surrounded him and as I looked around, Kai, Sam and Theo had dispatched of their designated zones also. We all stood there amongst the bodies and took one single deep breath before we started out again… we must keep going, through all obstacles and that we will, no doubt.
We broke into another forest and I watched as the trees moved past me in a blur. I remembered the first time I had flashed… on a bright sunny day, blue sky… feeling the forest alive in me for the first time. The forest was silent now, no life… as if the animals knew of the impending doom. They had abandoned it, and so had the sunlight. I glanced upward and the clouds swirled… all traveling in one direction… the way we are headed.
We broke free of the forest and across a field… tall yellow grass and I knew this place. This is where Josh had killed in front of me the first time. When Jonah and Lily still served as enemies and not friends. My heart was heavy knowing that they are now gone… our friends. I did not see them perish, but they had on the water ship. I knew it to be true. I shook that away from me… no time for grief, none now. Only focus and purpose drove me now.
We reached the top of the hill and stopped, one by one. I blinked as I looked across the land and saw it. Valon. White and shining. The light spread out across the land and lit up what you expect to be a beautiful scene, long grass… a crystal clear
Lake, but no. The grass was yellowing and the earth stunk of decay.
“And the plan is?” Kai asked as he stepped up and pulled his blades too.
“We fight until we fall.” Sam said.
“Rue and Josh need to break the barrier and make it into Valon… we serve as a distraction.” Theo added.
“Well that sounds like fun.” Kai said as he looked out across the landscape and stared at his fate.
Josh looked at him and laughed.
“We need to reach Gracie.”
“I know… I mean you are sure that she is in there?” Kai asked.
We all looked at him and shook our heads.
“Seriously… you feel that, don’t you?” Sam asked him.
“I feel hungry.” Kai said.
“For fucks sake.” Josh muttered as he looked out across the land.
“Well, the ending is not written yet.” Theo said as he glanced at me and smiled.
I nodded and stared out across the land. Did I do this? Did I make this happen? I shook my head and let the weight of it go. I can’t focus on that, I cannot live in what was… I have to focus on now and what will be.
We all turned as we heard running behind us. I had to smile. Had to. Johnathan flashed up to us, holding a small boy. That of Elijah. I stepped back as did everyone in the line and Johnathan stopped as Brooke flashed up next to him and smiled. I took a breath and ran to her, giving her a long overdue hug. Relieved to see her alive. She felt strange to me though, so I backed up and tilted my head. She lifted her wrist and I looked at it, a small bite mark looked back up at me. My eyes narrowed and I leaned in.
“So you?” I asked.
She grinned. I had to be happy for her. I mean why would I not be? If she wanted it, then she should have it.
“Brooke!” Theo called out as he ran to her and hugged her. She grinned as he held her and then he backed up from her too.
“Oh my… seems you have been busy.” He said as he ran his fingers across her bite and then looked at Elijah.
“Long story.” She said.
“There will be time.” Theo said as he placed his hand on her face and turned back to stare at Valon.
“Here.” Brooke said as she handed me a bag.
I looked in it. All the books stared back up at me.
“Thank you.” I said as I placed the bag across me and adjusted it on my chest.
“I thought maybe we would need them… I don’t know.” She said.
I nodded and looked at Josh.
“Alright… everyone in a circle now.” Josh said.
We all formed it and looked at each other.
“Hold hands already… it is time to share all memory, so that we all know everything there is to know.” He said.
We once again stood there… holding hands. Josh closed his eyes and whispered… Latin again. Each hand started to glow, one by one as we linked them and we all sucked in our breath as the memory flooded… all memory, everything that had happened to me, to Sam, Kai and Theo… I saw Gracie through their eyes, growing to be a beautiful girl in front of me. I saw Cali, Von, and Erik… and then I saw Caine fall at the hands of Alandra and I felt a huge relief not only for myself but for Johnathan. I watched as Johnathan killed his demon, the worst part of himself. I also heard his words… that of “I love you and I am dying.” We all stumbled back from each other and leaned over. Josh looked up and stared at Johnathan.
“You think that I am a great warrior, huh?” He said.
“Shut up.” Johnathan said, and time was short… but we all laughed, might be the last time together…that is not known to me. I stood up straight and straightened my shoulders.
“Angels huh?” I said as I looked towards Valon.
I looked at Josh and he swallowed hard.
“Yes.” He said.
“We don’t have time.” Sam said as we all looked towards the gates of Valon and it looked like locust at first, a wave of shadows pouring out of it. Rogues… thousands of them. With one intention… to stop us.
“Show time.” Josh said and he flashed from us. I cried out and pulled my blades up and started to follow him as did everyone behind us. Johnathan stood there, with Brooke by his side.
“Please stay here… stay with Elijah.”
Brooke looked at him and tears filled her eyes as she took Elijah’s hand.
“Return to me.” She whispered and he kissed her quickly and followed us to battle.
Battle and war. Ugly and unnecessary… I hated reading about it in books but to live it is a whole other thing. Josh reached the wave of nasty barreling towards us first and I saw him duck and then as he rose up, bodies flew away from him… blood splattering the yellowing field and already mounded flesh piles surrounding us. I could hear my breathing… and really that was it. I heard the cracking of metal, no cries… no fear really. Just the sound of it, and nothing else. I looked up and a girl charged me and I stomped my foot into the muddy ground and she jumped… bad choice really. I sliced my blades and the upper part of her flew to the left and her bottom half flew to the right. I twisted my blade and another rogue jumped at me, and once again I lifted my blades and with no hesitation brought them both up and sliced through him like I had done it my entire life. My muscles worked from memory, like something had unlocked in me. Training, from so long ago it seemed to be second nature.
I looked to my right and Kai lifted his blades and sliced through flesh, blood covering him head to toe. I yelled out to him and he nodded at me… his teeth whiter now against his red stained face. He was fine… more so than I kind of expected. I guess our parents had trained us well… maybe for this day, who knows. I didn’t even think about Johnathan until I heard him cry out behind me. I looked just as a rogue… a girl who looked maybe all of 13 knocked him down and lifted her blades. Josh suddenly appeared behind her and stabbed her through the back with both blades and twisted them. She didn’t make a sound, she just fell… quiet as if sleeping. Strange that they would give so easily… these rogues, as if life was nothing but a chore and not something to truly fight for with everything you had in you. Josh reached down and grabbed Jonathan’s hand and as he did I watched a boy flash up behind him and stab… I sucked in my breath as Johnathan jerked Josh out of the way and took it in the side. He hissed and Josh spun on his foot and cut the boys arm off, jerking the blade out of Johnathan and then with blades crossed Josh
cut the boys head off and the body fell. Johnathan grabbed his side and moaned as he started to fall to one knee. I flashed to him and he looked up at me… the real Johnathan… the one who I had loved and would love forever. Josh grabbed his hand and jerked him up.
“Good?” he asked him.
“Good.” Johnathan said as he lifted his blades and ignored the blood flowing from his side.
“Heal him.” I said to Josh.
Josh looked at his side and then back at me.
“I can’t.” he said.
“Why?” I said.
“The blade is poisoned… it will only poison me too.” He said.
Johnathan looked at me and grinned. I knew what that meant. I really did. Suddenly Johnathan pushed me down and stabbed his blade forward, twisting it and making a crunching noise as he did. I would assume that he just snapped a spine, and my guess was right as a boy fell and flailed on the ground next to me like a fish out of water. Josh stepped over the boy and slammed his blades into his head and the movement stopped. I looked away on that one… regardless of focus that one was crazy. Josh pulled his blade out and with one fluid motion, licked the blade from middle to tip. He shuddered and stared at me.
“I would suggest that you drink, it will make you stronger.” He said.
I nodded and stood up, running towards the battle and not allowing it to come to me. I rolled on my side and then up onto my feet as I stabbed my blades deep into the chest of a girl, she stood there… kind of shocked that I came out of nowhere and then I jerked the blades out and spun, killing two more at my sides. I stood there, blood all over me and looked at my blades dripping wet. I lifted it and before I could tell myself to not do it… I did. I licked it, cutting my lip slightly as I did.
