“Why didn’t you bring him?” Chloe asked.
Kyran was snapped out of his daze. “Who?”
“Gideon. Why didn’t you bring him? I thought he was going to help us.”
“I wanted this trek to be just the two of us.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“I thought about what you said, and I realized that I had been…insensitive.”
“I’m just being overdramatic. I should know better. Emotions should not dictate the actions of a soldier.”
“We’re not supposed to be soldiers anymore. We’re Delilah now.”
“The last of them by the looks of it. How many of the troops do you think survived out here?”
“They are resourceful, and their weapons are unlike anything we’ve seen before. Don’t underestimate them.”
“What’s Gideon doing now?”
“He’s in Delilah, helping the survivors you found.”
“A man of his caliber is going to babysit a couple dozen people? Instead of using his talents in battle?”
“I would still prefer you by my side than him.”
“Why, Kyran,” Chloe’s eyes lit up. “That may be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“You’re stronger than he is when you’re angry.”
“And the moment’s gone,” she muttered.
“We should pick up the pace. I’m disturbed by the lack of presence here. There should be more battles. More people in the vicinity, especially around Allay.”
“You’re troubled that there’s not more fighting going on?”
“Allay should be the primary focus of everyone on Terra. Take Allay, and you not only have a base of operations, but also access to a growing army. There aren’t many humans left that can reproduce. We are all facing extinction with this pointless war.”
“At least we’ll see each other on the other side.”
Kyran squinted at her from the corner of his eye. “There is probably nothing after death now.”
“Why? I was the right the first time, wasn’t I?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t exactly what anyone imagined.”
“There was still an afterlife.”
“And is there an after-afterlife now?”
“Could be.”
“It’s commonly accepted that there isn’t.”
“That’s just people’s disappointment talking, and the majority believing one thing doesn’t make it true.”
“So what’s the criteria for this new afterlife, according to you?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” she beamed.
“Yes, because you are the one to decide.”
“Don’t be such a anal wart. You know you were ecstatic to see me after you died.”
“It’s because I made it to Paragon. If you were there, then I must have made it to the good place.”
“Don’t be mean. You were happy to see me.”
“If you say so.”
“Stop playing. You are playing, right?”
“Of course,” he turned his head and winked. “I live to please you.”
“I don’t know if you’re joking or not.”
“I’m…stop!” he whispered loudly. He grabbed the collar of her green Sage robe and pulled her down to her knees with a surprising burst of strength. Chloe scowled at him and then scanned the area ahead, determining to uncover the focus of his anxiety.
There was a woman of about forty years old, naked except for an old, dirty rug draped over her shoulders. She was on her knees in the snow, breathing heavily. Her breath made tufts of vapor that rhythmically puffed in and out from her lips. Her hair was frozen over from the cold, and her back was hunched as it rose and fell with her hyperventilating. Her hands were black and frostbitten, and her frozen black hair covered her eyes and most of her face.
As Kyran and Chloe examined her from afar, her breathing became more rapid, and she began to let out a low groan and hum. Her breathing would cease for a few seconds to let out the haunting tune, and then she would begin breathing heavily again.
“Who is that?” Chloe whispered. “What’s wrong with her?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kyran said. “What is she doing out here all alone? We’re still about twenty miles from Allay, so I doubt she came from there unless she ran away.”
“It might have been a Langoran squad, leaving her here to die after they’ve taken her goods.”
“Or it’s a trap,” Kyran said darkly. “The more likely case.”
“Look at her hands. Does that look like a trap to you?”
“No,” he said. He had to admit that it didn’t, but then why was he getting a headache from all the alarms going off in his head? Why was the pressure building within him? Why was heart beating faster?
“Do you want me to go first?” Chloe asked.
“No, I’ll—” he was interrupted as the woman suddenly lifted her head to the sky and shrieked. Her neck stretched so long, Kyran was afraid that it would snap. She screamed and screamed until Chloe grabbed her husband’s arm.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said. “I don’t like this.”
“Yes,” he agreed, and they both started running away from the woman, back to where they had come from. They were using their Sage energy so they were able to run quite fast, and in seconds, they had gained a considerable distance, but that didn’t stop them from shaking in fear once they heard a booming sound behind them. Kyran took a peek and saw a rolling wave of fire and blue energy coming toward them while decimating all in its path. There was no way they could outrun it based on its speed, and there was no one there to save them.
“Up!” Kyran shouted at Chloe and she leapt up onto one of the dying trees. She used the momentum of her speed to continue running and Kyran followed suit. Even as they ran, Kyran knew that the wave was still too big. They continued to run until they reached the top of the forest’s canopy and then they both leapt as high as they could into the air.
The destructive wave of energy and flame consumed the forest beneath their feet, but it hadn’t been completely swept away. As if the woman had been constantly feeding it, the wave continued to plow through the land, and Kyran and Chloe knew that they couldn’t fly. It was inevitable that they were going to fall into the carnage below.
Chloe began dropping first, and right before her feet hit the river of energy, she grit her teeth and tried to pour as much energy into her skin and muscles to boost her defenses. She hit the wave with a splash and disappeared beneath it. Kyran followed right behind her, and when he hit, he felt his skin begin to sear. He fought back the urge to yell as the pain consumed his mind. It was as if he was being boiled alive, and there was nothing to hold onto, nothing to ease the suffering.
And then suddenly, the constant attack was over. Though he still felt his flesh shrieking from the burns, the energy wave had moved on. If they hadn’t jumped, they would have surely died.
Kyran opened one eye and searched for Chloe as he tried to climb to his feet, but he couldn’t even get his head off the ground. Eventually, his vision focused and he saw her a few yards away, also on the ground and crying. From what Kyran could see, nothing had been spared but them. The trees were gone. The soil had been scarred. The ground itself was steaming.
“Allay,” he finally heard her say. He couldn’t figure out what she meant. “Allay,” she muttered again with all her strength, and he finally understood. The next wave might head to Allay, and there were probably no defenses there that could stop such a force. They had to warn the people.
Kyran still couldn’t move, however, and the more he tried, the worse the pain got. Even with attempting to heal his wounds, the process was slow. His body had just gone through a great deal of trauma.
But then he heard the footsteps—soft at first—so soft he wasn’t even sure they were in fact footsteps, but then a pair of bare, mud-caked feet stepped right next to his nose. He couldn’t look up at the owner, but he was sure it was the woma
n they saw earlier. He could hear her wheezing.
She bent down and stared directly into his eyes. Her face was practically glowing. Her black eyes were smiling, and the corner of her mouth tilted up ever so slightly, as if she had been told a humorous joke that warranted acknowledgement but not laughter.
Then she raised her head, and continued walking, this time in the direction of Allay. She walked slowly, as if there was no rush at all, and Kyran tried to yell, to tell her to stop, or to engage in battle with them instead, knowing it was futile, knowing that it would end in their deaths, but he didn’t care. What were their lives compared to a whole Kingdom’s? Allay wouldn’t expect an attack coming from someone like her.
His eyes fell upon Chloe, who had managed to turn her head toward him. They stared at each other in fear, not because of what may happen to their friends, but because there was nothing that they could do.
Chapter 15 – No More
“How are the people?” Catherine asked as Scarlet and the Knights returned to the balcony. “That was awful quick.”
“They know that troubles are ahead,” Red replied. “They’re antsy.”
“Tyuin,” Scarlet sighed. “Do you have any combatants in this place? From the looks of it, even the guards are suspect.”
“You’ve caught me,” he chuckled, throwing up his hands. “I’ve been relying on legacy alone to carry us through. I haven’t trained anyone, and to be frank, there aren’t many here that could take on such a task. We don’t have an army.”
“Legacy alone?” James scoffed. “So even the guards are useless?”
“Against something like what you described, yes, but really, what does that matter in the grand scheme of things.”
“So the fate of Allay all falls on us?” Catherine cried. “We’re not ready for that.”
“And yet, somehow you and seven Sages managed to save the world once. Surely you can do it again.”
“Did you think that Cimmerian or Paragon might show up at your door one day? Weren’t you prepared for that?”
“It’s why I’ve sought to align myself with others. Particularly the Delilah. They should have been more than enough. How could I factor in a force like these Sorcerers?”
“Alright, change of plans,” Catherine sighed. “We’re going to have to send someone to Delilah for reinforcements. There is no way we can take these threats head on.”
“The Knights won’t be able to help, I’m sure,” Violet winced. “I’m sorry, but they have more important matters to attend to.”
“The Knights?” Tyuin asked. James took a deep breath. They had explained everything to the King except for the Knights and the time machine. Tyuin was a friend, but also one that kept his own interests at the forefront. It was better to keep in the dark when it came to such a game-changer.
“It’s the force that these two are a part of,” Catherine explained. “They’re based out of Paragon.”
“I haven’t heard of ‘Knights.’”
“We don’t have time to break down the particulars of Paragon’s army sectors. Our enemy could be here at any moment. All of you, come with me. We’re heading downstairs. Scarlet, I want you to head to Delilah and sound the alarm.”
“You want me to go back to the people that captured and enslaved me?”
“It will make the situation more credible and serious. They wouldn’t believe that you would return unless it was an emergency.”
“And if they don’t react?”
“Then, we’re lost. Paragon is crippled and Cimmerian won’t assist. Delilah is our only shot.”
“Fine, your Majesty,” Scarlet muttered. She leapt off the balcony and started running away.
“What about the rest of us?” James asked.
“We’re each going to take one of the gates and watch with the guards there. If we see a Sorcerer, we’re not to engage though. We’re to sound the alarm. Scream to the mountaintops. We have to converge on our enemy before they know what’s happening.”
“That’s good and all, but what if there are multiple Sorcerers?”
“We’ll take this one step at a time.”
“You might not have to take any of your plans into account, Princess.”
“First of all, I’m not a Princess anymore, and second, what are you talking about?”
“Look,” Tyuin said, pointing out over the balcony and to the meadow below.
There was a woman standing there, wearing nothing but a grey poncho. Her hands were frostbitten and her face was covered by her long, black, frozen hair. At her feet was an unconscious Scarlet, on her back with her limbs sprawled out in different directions. From where they stood, no one could tell how she had been defeated.
“Who is that?” Violet asked.
“I don’t care,” Catherine said, leaping off the balcony. James tried to grab her arm in mid-air but he missed. She landed in the grass on one knee and then slowly stood to her feet to not alarm the strange woman.
“Hey, I just want to talk,” Catherine said soothingly. The woman’s head twitched to the left as one black eye peeked out from under the frozen hair. Catherine tried not to get rattled. “I don’t know your name. Do you have a name?”
Her lips made a crackling sound as they parted. “Jessica,” she said.
Catherine nodded. “I’m Catherine, nice to meet you.”
“Allay.”
“What about it?” Catherine asked, but the woman didn’t respond. She fell to her knees and stretched her neck up toward the sky. She began rocking back and forth as a blue aura began to creep along her skin like wisps. Catherine watched curiously as the blue aura began to increase and volume and get denser. Soon, it was no longer clear. She couldn’t see the woman’s skin anymore, not even her blackened arms.
Catherine stepped back and stared at the woman one last time, and then she turned and started running, waving up at the balcony. “Everyone back away! Evacuate the city!”
“What’s wrong?” James shouted as he leapt down to be by her side. Together, they ran into the castle’s entrance and into the colossal throne room, held up by pillars and statues of past warriors. The strange woman didn’t chase them, but Catherine was still running like their fate had already been decided.
“She’s emitting an aura similar to when I had the Stone of Allay. She’s about to send out a shockwave or explosion, and it’s going to be a big one.”
“We have to evacuate the city.”
“Not all of us are going to make it,” she said. The words pricked James’ heart. To hear her give up so easily, just how powerful was the woman in the meadow?
“Was it a Sorcerer?” he asked.
“I’m sure,” she declared. There was nothing more to say. As they reached the hallways, they burst through the locked doors and Tyuin’s secret chambers. As they headed toward the dungeons to make their escape, James had to say something.
“Are we leaving them all behind?”
“No,” Catherine said. “Oh, no. They’re coming behind us.”
“Oh, good,” James said in relief. “I thought…well, I thought…”
“You thought that I was just going to look out for ourselves?”
“It crossed my mind.”
“No, I’m not quite a monster, James,” she sighed. They reached the dungeon and they didn’t bother with opening the door. James unsheathed his white eidolon and made his own exit. Catherine took out her multi-colored eidolon and smashed the back wall, allowing a flood of light to enter the room. “No,” she sighed. “What makes me a monster is the fact that I’m leaving all those people behind. I could try, but the way that woman’s power is increasing, we’ll be dead before we hit the village. The best thing we can do, for our best chance and theirs is to try ordering an evacuation from the top of the wall. We’ll be safe and we can get the message across.”
“I’m surprised,” James said as they slammed their eidolons into the northern wall. They began climbing as the conversation continued. “I thought you would t
ry to save the people regardless of the danger.”
“We’re two of a small group of people that know about this time machine. If we die, so does the information. If we live, and others with that information live as well, then we have a greater chance of successfully building and using it, and all their deaths will mean nothing at that point.”
“You sound like me,” James said. “It’s getting a little scary.”
“I can’t afford to let my feelings for the people dictate what I should do. I won’t make that mistake again.”
James was about to ask her what she meant when the wall rumbled. They kept their feet planted on the stone as their hands grasped the hilt of their eidolons firmly.
“It’s been released,” Catherine said. “We must hurry!”
They ripped their eidolons from out of the wall as they leapt upwards, and then jammed it back in, using their weapons as climbing gear. The entire time, they could hear a distance rumble gaining momentum. Catherine had been right. The woman had aimed for the village, not them.
They reached the top of the wall and stood to their feet.
A wave of red and blue energy took down the village, the meadow, and the castle like a giant had swiped his palm across the landscape. In what felt like seconds, Allay was wiped off the map. The red and blue liquid-like energy splashed against the side of the wall but it did not crash through it. All of Allay had been suddenly turned into one gigantic sea.
Catherine scowled and crouched down as she examined the clear liquid, already losing its density by the second and beginning to seep into the soil.
The Last War (Book #9 of the Sage Saga) Page 12
