Water Shaper (World Aflame)

by Messenger, Jon

  “You have nothing to say?” Sammy goaded. “I look forward to him wiping the floor with you.”

  “I grow tired of this conversation. General Abraxas won’t fail me, and I’ll make sure you see your lover’s head mounted on my wall before I find a way to destroy you, too.”

  Before Sammy could reply, the dragon leapt from the rooftop and swooped back toward the fighting in the streets below.

  Wilkes took Tamara’s hand as they paused before the apartment building’s main door, turning her toward him.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  Tamara nodded. “Of course.” She looked toward the other three, all of whom seemed nervous with the conversation. “What’s going on, Bernard?”

  Wilkes cleared his throat. “Xander’s going to get us all out of here, love, but we’re not taking a car, a plane, the tube, or a boat.”

  His wife furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about? You’re starting to scare me.”

  “Xander has powers, like the men out on the street… but different. It’s going to freak you out just a bit when it starts but, trust me, he’s one of the good guys.”

  Tamara looked skeptically toward the Wind Warrior, who tried his best to smile disarmingly. She quickly turned back to her husband.

  “If you trust him,” she said, “then so do I.”

  Wilkes looked to Xander and nodded. Xander led the way out of the apartment, easily pushing through the door Sean had broken during their grand entrance. His heart raced as the door swung open with a faint creak. He figured this would be the time the Fire Warriors would spring their trap. They had been left alone long enough for his group to begin to hope there was a chance for escape. If it were up to him—and he were far more twisted and malicious than he really was—he would have surrounded the apartment building with their army of warriors.

  When the door swung open, Xander stared out onto the same empty street they’d seen when they first arrived. He let out the breath he’d been holding nervously.

  They rushed down the few stairs that led to the sidewalk. Xander slipped between two parked cars and stepped into the middle of the abandoned street. The others crowded nearby with Wilkes pulling his family in closely.

  Xander turned and looked at his group. Even if there were Fire Warriors waiting to ambush them, it wouldn’t matter soon. They would soon be airborne and since the Fire Caste couldn’t fly, they’d soon be out of their reach forever.

  He caught sight of Brandon’s nervous expression as he stared at the odd collection of Americans. Xander knelt down beside Brandon and smiled. A faint breeze trickled around them, tugging at their jackets.

  “Hi, Brandon. My name is Xander. Have you ever been on an airplane before?”

  The boy looked to his mother, who nodded that it was okay to answer. Brandon looked back to Xander and nodded.

  “Great. Did you enjoy flying?”

  Brandon nodded again.

  “Do you want to do it again?”

  The boy stared and Xander, wide-eyed with curiosity. Xander rolled his fingers toward him and pulled more of the wind around their group. It coalesced beneath the British family, buoying them like a pillow slipped beneath their feet.

  Tamara let out a stifled yelp of surprise as their feet left the ground. They hovered only a few inches from the asphalt but both mother and son pinwheeled their arms for stability as though they might pitch backward.

  “Bernard?” Tamara asked. Brandon, in contrast, smiled broadly and laughed to himself.

  “It’s okay,” Wilkes said. “He’s a good man. This is how he’s going to get us out of the city.”

  Xander stood and ran his hand across Brandon’s head before turning back to the others. He summoned more of the wind, which sighed as it poured through the empty street. Soon the whole group was levitating in the air a foot off the ground.

  “Do I need to hold onto you or something?” Tamara asked as she clutched to her son and husband like a lifeline.

  “No,” Xander said. “I’ll do all the work. You all just need to enjoy the ride.”

  He turned around, and his smile faded. Despite his bravado, he knew they needed to hurry. Even if they had miraculously eluded the Fire Warriors earlier, using his powers would be like lighting a torch in a cave. It would draw a lot of unwanted attention.

  Xander kicked off the ground, and they began rising quickly into the air. He had to get out of between the tall buildings before he’d be able to maneuver and pick up any speed. Once he cleared the rooftops, he knew they’d be able to hit supersonic speeds and leave London—and all of England—far behind.

  The pain that slammed into his gut shouldn’t have been unexpected, but it made him flinch. Their ascent faltered, and the whole group hovered just a little more than a story off the ground.

  “Xander?” Jessica asked.

  “He’s here,” Xander said in a panic. “Abraxas is here.”

  The group turned their eyes skyward just as the flaming wings emerged from over the nearest rooftop. Abraxas swooped down, impossibly fast, and slammed his feet into Xander’s back. The force of the impact drove the air from Xander’s lungs and broke his concentration. The pocket of air keeping them aloft dissipated, and they dropped toward the asphalt road below. At the last moment, Xander summoned a cushion of air that padded their fall. They struck the pressurized air but it only slowed their descent. The landing on the road was still far rougher than he would have liked, and his shoulder ached as he quickly climbed to his feet.

  He launched back into the air immediately, leaving the others on the ground. Without the others, Xander was far quicker. Even so, he only made it level with the roofs of the nearby buildings before Abraxas reemerged. He came at Xander from a different angle this time. The Wind Warrior tried to defend himself, but the General broke through his meager wind wall as though it didn’t exist. The bald man’s fist caught Xander in the chin as he flew past, and his fiery wings ran dangerously close to his arms.

  Lights danced in Xander’s vision from the strike, and he rocked backward. His body arched in the air, and he began falling back to the ground headfirst. He shook his head, and the wind whipped around him again. Striking the ground hard, his hip dragged along the ground as he tumbled sideways. He came to a rest a couple feet away from his impact, resting face down on the asphalt.

  For a long moment he just stayed down, letting the aches and pains settle over his body. He could hear Brandon crying, and Tamara eagerly trying to soothe him. Xander cursed himself for being so naïve. Abraxas let them get to the flat, knowing he’d have the upper hand. Without the extra people with him, the Fire Warrior was far quicker and more maneuverable. Coupled with the tall buildings, Xander had little chance to clear the buildings before the General attacked him again.

  “Xander,” Jessica and Sean cried together as they rushed over to his side.

  Before they could reach him, he pushed himself off the ground and sat back on his knees. He had to run a hand over his face to push his dark hair aside. Running a frustrated hand over his face, he felt the days of beard growth on his cheeks.

  “Are you okay?” Sean asked.

  “Physically? Yes. Mentally? No. I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

  Jessica slipped her hands under his arms and tried pulling him to his feet. “Come on. Get up. We need to get in the air and get out of here.”

  Xander stood but shook his head. “We can’t fly. It’s what Abraxas wants. He’ll just keep knocking us down until he gets tired of playing this cat and mouse game.”

  “I can shoot him,” Wilkes said. “I’ve done it before.”

  “I appreciate it, Wilkes, but with all due respect, that’s a terrible idea. Something’s very different about Abraxas this time around. His power is much more than anything I’ve seen. It’s like he’s channeling the Fire Elemental directly. The only reason we’re still alive is because he sees this as some game. The second you shoot at him or—God forbid—actually shoot him, he’ll burn ever
y one of us to death.”

  “Then what do we do?” the Brit asked, clearly displeased with Xander’s answer.

  “We need to get away from the buildings. We need to get somewhere more open where I can actually turn and pick up speed. I’m slower than he is with all of you with me. If we’re going to survive, I’m going to have to out fly him instead of just outrunning him. And I can’t do that with all these buildings around.”

  “The pier,” Tamara said.

  Xander turned toward the woman, who self-consciously ran a hand through her mussed hair, as everyone else looked her direction as well.

  “Would the pier work?” she asked. “It’s not far from here and would let you out over the Thames.”

  “The pier,” Sean said. “Of course. We saw it when we were trying to get here in the first place. It was near the hospital.”

  Xander nodded excitedly. “That could work, but we’re going to have to hurry. As soon as Abraxas figures out what we’re up to, he’ll kill us.”

  Wilkes started toward the alleyway from which they had emerged, but Xander shook his head. “He already knows where we are. We’re better off running on the main roads. It’s quicker.”

  The group started running back toward Tooley Street. Wilkes scooped Brandon up in his arms and kept pace amazingly well with everyone else, despite the bulging camping bag on his back and his son cradled in his arms. They reached the main cross street without any interference. Xander didn’t feel any more pains in his abdomen, though he doubted that meant Abraxas was gone. It was far more likely that the General was perched on a rooftop watching their retreat without using his powers.

  Tooley Street was a wreck. They emerged on one of the legs of a Y turn, directly across the street from the triangular building General Abraxas had destroyed during their last encounter. Glass, concrete, and the white, metal cage lay in ruins not only on the building’s foundation but strewn across the street. Spears of metal cage, like the one that had pierced the top of Xander’s ice wall, sat lodged in the buildings across the street.

  The group paused momentarily and absorbed the wanton destruction. They knew intuitively that they had been in the heart of that wreckage, but it seemed impossible to look at the collapsed building and to think they had walked away unscathed.

  Xander led them past the debris, stepping gingerly through and over piles of rubble. He lifted his right leg cautiously with every step, feeling the ache from where he scraped across the ground on his landing. He didn’t want to check the wound, despite it feeling sticky against his jeans and shirt.

  Past the rubble, they reached the side street down which they had run from the pier. Xander turned onto the street but stopped abruptly. Through the din of the smoke and fog, dozens of spots of flame were visible. Fire Warriors were lined up across the street, barring their path.

  Sean stopped beside him and stared slack jawed at the warriors. “They’re blocking the road.”

  “On purpose,” Xander said, confirming his best friend’s suspicions.

  “There was another road a block down that went the same direction,” Jessica offered. “It might be open.”

  Xander knew in his gut that he’d find it blocked as well, but they turned and ran down the main street again.

  They fared no better at the next intersection. Fire Warriors were perched on the street and in windows of the buildings, completely blocking their way ahead.

  “There’s still one more road,” Sean said. “The one that led to the hospital. It’s worth a chance.”

  “No, it’s not,” Xander said. “They’re herding us. They’ll have every path blocked.”

  Xander turned toward Wilkes. “What’s past the hospital?” he asked. They hadn’t gone that direction after emerging from the Underground station, so he was running in the dark.

  Wilkes clucked his tongue as he thought. “This road will end just past the hospital. Left will lead deeper into the city. Right will lead to the London Bridge.”

  Xander frowned at their options. If the roads they had passed were any indication, the bridge would be blocked as well. That only left deeper into the city, which was a death sentence for their entire group. He couldn’t fathom where they were being corralled or why Abraxas hadn’t bothered attacking them already, but he knew the psychotic Fire Warrior had a plan.

  “We can go back to the apartment,” Tamara said.

  “I don’t think that’s an option anymore,” Jessica said, pointing behind them.

  Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Fire Warriors climbing over the rubble of the ruined building. Their way back was blocked.

  “We go forward until I can come up with a plan,” Xander said. “I’m not just going to play Abraxas’ game.”

  The group hurried forward, putting some distance between them and the gathering Fire Warrior army. They passed the hospital, and the road ended abruptly past it in a cross street.

  Xander looked first left, knowing that way would be clear of any obstructions. Dejectedly, he glanced right as well and was stunned to see the way to the bridge was clear. Though he could practically feel the eyes of the Fire Warriors on him, none stood in the road between them and the start of the bridge.

  “It’s a trap,” Wilkes said. “He wants you to take the bait.”

  “We don’t have a choice,” Xander said. “There aren’t any other options. The bridge is our best chance to get out of here, even if we have to fight our way free.”

  Wilkes nodded and handed his son to Tamara. He shouldered his rifle and ejected the magazine, counting the rounds. His frown deepened as he slid the magazine back into its well. His fingers fell to the one other lonely magazine still stuck in his tactical vest. He didn’t need to explain for Xander to know there weren’t nearly enough bullets for all the Fire Warriors they were likely to face.

  “Is everyone ready?” he asked.

  Sean and Jessica nodded firmly. He was surprised by how strong his friends had become since all this began. Jessica had always seemed far too delicate to be useful during the end of the world. Though he loved Sean with all his heart, his friend wasn’t exactly athletic. To see them side by side—with Jessica’s arms crossed defiantly and Sean shouldering his cricket bat—he couldn’t have been prouder of the pair.

  Tamara hid Brandon’s face in her shoulder, and she glowered at Xander. He felt terrible for the woman. She had survived such hardships in London only to be given a glimmer of hope and just as quickly have that hope crushed.

  Xander frowned. He guessed that was exactly what Abraxas was doing to them. He had given them hope of escape only to take it away. It was sadistic, but he expected nothing different from the General.

  “All right. Let’s go.”

  The group rushed onto the near lip of the bridge. It was a long span across the bridge, but they did not intend to run its full length. As they ran, Xander veered them toward the sidewalk. They could see the flowing water past the pedestrian railing. Its surface was dark and choked with ash and wood from the hundreds of ruined structures around the city. The debris flowed past them before clogging the river a ways down, at the base of the still-smoldering Tower Bridge.

  The wind gusted from on top of the water as they ran, striking the group in the face. They weren’t far from the city buildings yet, but Xander didn’t want to risk running out of time. He would adjust their flight once they were out over the water. He began drawing the wind to him, sculpting it as it flowed invisibly across the bridge. He could feel himself growing weightless as the wind swirled around his ankles.

  “Get us in the air, Xander,” Wilkes said.

  Before he could respond, Xander felt the now-familiar angry burn in his gut.

  “We’re too late,” he said. “He’s already here.”

  Abraxas emerged like a phoenix, burning a line across the sky. He landed heavily on the bridge a few dozen feet behind the group. Xander glanced over his shoulder at the snarling Fire Warrior. He saw the other Fire Warriors emerging behind him, the
ir hands consumed with flames as they aimed at the escaping group.

  Wilkes raised his rifle, but Xander placed his hand on the barrel and pushed it back down.

  “You might get Abraxas but not before the others kill us all. We need to run.”

  Xander stole one more glance at Abraxas before turning away from the warriors and running toward the center of the bridge.

  Abraxas marched calmly behind them, pursuing them as they ran for the zenith of the arched bridge.

  “You can’t escape from me anymore, Xander,” Abraxas said. “I’ll be on you before you make it two feet into the air. Even if you could, you can’t outrun me while dragging all that dead weight behind you. Your friends are slowing you down. They’re a liability. Cut them loose. It’s your only chance of escaping me.”

  “Ignore him,” Xander said. “Keep running.”

  They ran without speaking, knowing words would be pointless in their current situation. When they reached the bridge’s peak, Xander stopped the group and looked out over the river.

  “They’re coming,” Jessica said, pointing toward the far end of the bridge.

  Flaming spots were visible as an army of Fire Warriors advanced, cutting off any chance of moving further along the bridge.

  “Same behind us,” Sean said.

  Fire Warriors crowded either end, trapping the group in its center. Wilkes had been right all along; this had been General Abraxas’ plan. On the bridge, they had even less options for escaping.

  Xander looked toward the far end of the bridge and watched the Fire Warriors advancing, led by a diminutive, leather-clad Fire Warrior who wore a brilliant red cape hung over one shoulder. With both groups combined, Xander counted nearly a hundred warriors surrounding them.

  “If we can’t fly,” Wilkes said, “then we jump into the water and float down the Thames until we’re out of London.”

  Xander shook his head. “There’s too much debris in the water. You’d get crushed by a floating log long before you made it out of the city.”

  Wilkes stared at Xander angrily. “We don’t have a lot of other options. I trusted you to get my family out of the city. I could have just as easily snuck through the city and rescued my family, but I let you join me because I thought you were something special. They wouldn’t have been in danger if you weren’t fighting your God-forsaken feud with the Fire Caste. If you can’t get us into the air, then the water’s our only option.”