by M. R. Polish
“I don’t know,” she cried about the gale-force winds moving them about.
Soon, the funnel sucked in close to all those inside, cutting out any additional air. Twisting to the side, they were pressed through a small space before the wind died down. Ever so gracefully, each of them was set down gently on the ground.
Brady held his arms out, shielding Karis. There were on the edge of the city, near the gates. Karis could see the flip of a tail, and wild splashing in the murky water beyond the drawbridge. Running to the gate, she looked out, hoping for a glimpse of the Syrenae.
Poseidon came half out of the water. “Karis, stay away from the water! The creatures here are no match for a trained Syrenae, but your tail would not be strong enough to defend yourself.” He dived back under the inky surface.
Brady caught her hand and tugged her back. “His fight is in the water, ours is on land.”
Karis froze as she turned to the scene unfolding around her. The clanging of metal against metal echoed off the walls as the struggle for victory began. Blasts of light filled the dark sky as powers were unleashed upon enemies.
“Karis, over here!” A woman hollered from somewhere in the madness.
Brady tensed when Diana came into view.
Karis brushed past Brady’s arm, and darted straight for Diana. “How dare you cry for me when the fighting starts. After what you did to not only Brady, but to the others as well. Your own sister!”
Cowering behind her hands, Diana leaned back. “I know. I’m not asking for your help. And this is the last time you’ll see me, I promise. But there is something you must see. Please believe me.”
Karis wished Azul were there with them to read minds. Her heart wanted her to listen but her mind told her to ignore Diana’s pleas.
Diana lowered her hands so she could see Karis. “Please, if you go that way, you’ll come to a split in the tower. It’s not huge, but you’ll see it. On the other side is a part of the city you’ll never see if you don’t listen, and trust me, there is someone you must see in there. I want to tell you but I can’t. I have a block on me.”
“I have no reason to believe you.” Karis turned to leave.
“Wait,” Diana said, her voice raspy. “I’ll be dead within the hour. I’ve already taken enough Grazier to kill everyone here. I have nothing to gain by lying to you.”
Karis recalled the blisters that covered Brady’s torso form the poison. “Why would you do that?”
“I have nothing left. Marin has this strange hold on me and I can’t leave. I’ve betrayed my friends and family.” She dropped to the ground, her arms wrapped around her middle. “Please, I swear. Don’t leave without going where I told you.”
Karis rushed to her. “I can try to heal you.”
“No! Just go.” She cried out against the pain.
Brady placed a hand on Karis’s shoulder. “Karis, there’s no time. We have to leave. We aren’t safe out in the open.”
Karis hated leaving Diana lying on the ground, in her last moments with no one to comfort her. Every maternal instinct she had screamed at her to turn back around, but Brady pushed her forward through the throng of metal and bodies.
Everywhere she looked someone was fighting. She caught the sight of a high chestnut ponytail as Atty swung her sword around, hitting her opponent.
A cloaked figure came up behind Atty, knotted hands slid out of the sleeves and red haze oozed to the ground.
“Atty, no!” Karis screamed as the red hit her friend’s feet. Without thinking, she held her hands up and let all her fear and anger expel through her palms. A shield thrust out of her and wrapped around Atty, propelling the hooded attacker back. His body slammed into the side of the tower, taking his lethal fog with him.
Atty took one more swing at the other man then spun to look at Karis. “What was that?”
Karis shook her head. “A poison of some sort. I could feel death pulsate in its energy.”
Up ahead, there was a crack in the wall, just like Diana said there would be. Brady grabbed her hand. “Are you sure about this?”
Karis turned to look at him. “No. But we don’t have time to discuss it.”
“Alright, but let me go first.” He let go of her and slid into the crack.
Karis followed closely behind, with Atty close on her heels. The dark space in between the walls was so black light could not exist. Karis used her hands to guide her along, searching for the way out of the crammed space. Red glaze lit up the fractures in the rock, making the wall look as if it was bleeding. Karis dropped her hand, not wanting to touch whatever evil was laced with the odd luminous energy.
Sounds of the battle echoed in the back of the crevice. Karis hoped that no one fighting for their cause was seriously hurt. A red hue showed the way to the end of the crack. Finally. She picked up her pace ready to be out of the small area.
Brady reached in to help her out. Stepping into the open felt like freedom.
Atty gasped. “Azul!” She raced toward the rocky cliff facing cut out of the side of the mountain behind the tower they just crawled through.
Brady went to grab her, but was too late. Guards came out of the rocks like camouflaged pieces of Baratrum, circling them.
“Did you really think I’d let you win? You are no match for me.” Marin ambled out from behind a slab of limestone.
Brady held his arms out, pivoting on his heels, watching all around, but Karis couldn’t take her eyes off Marin. The long black coat he wore trailed the ground behind him.
Zeus stepped through the crevice, cautiously taking in the scene. “Having a party without me?”
Brady glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, you know, we thought we’d let you old people rest.”
Atty pulled her sword from its sheath. “At this point, I don’t care who else comes through that crack in the wall as long as they’re on our side.”
“He always has to have a sense of humor doesn’t he?” Zeus said, taking his place next to his daughter.
Three at a time, the guards attacked. Zeus plowed forward, attacking the first cloaked man he came to.
Marin laughed and walked slowly through the fighting toward Karis. “I keep getting rid of you but you just don’t take the hint and come right back.”
“You can never get rid of me.” Karis felt the energy flow through her as it did when she saved Atty. Flinging her hand up, a blue streak shot out across to Marin, but he dodged it, barely missing the harmful flash.
Grunts and zaps of electricity zinged through the air behind her as the others fought the guards. Zeus had an almost white glow with each charge of electricity he attacked with.
Holding up her shield, she blocked Marin’s attacks, but she couldn’t fight back at the same time. A horrible stench filled the air as all of the standing guards leaked red energy from their boney fingers. Karis’s throat constricted. Even with their vests, the poison could kill them as they only covered their torsos.
She had to help them, but doing so would leave her even more vulnerable to Marin. The red haze covered the ground, spreading like fire. Atty cried out as the vapors reached her legs. Dropping to the ground, her hands fell into the cloud. Her screams of pain made the decision for Karis. Pushing her power out, a blast of wind swept the crimson poison away. Euphoric colors shimmered in the darkness as her shield went up, surrounding Brady, Atty, and Zeus.
Relieved of the red gas, Atty took in a few short gasps of air, but she had no time to recover as the guard she fought loomed over her head with a silver club. She rolled out of the way then shot up, quick on her feet, swinging her sword.
The scarlet fog rolled back in, seeking a body to kill. Karis held strong to her shield. She couldn’t protect them from the physical fight, but at least she could save them from the toxic mist now swarming around their ankles.
Marin smirked. “You can’t hold that shield forever.”
The strain on keeping such a large cover while they fought was taxing on Karis. “Brady, I don’t
know if I can do this.”
“You can. If anyone can it’s you.” Even in her mind his breathing was labored as he battled his opponent.
She felt her shield slipping with each step they took farther away from her.
Marin came closer. “So you can protect them, put for how long? I know with your shield my powers won’t get through, so I’ll just wait and conserve my energy. But, I wonder if you’re strong enough to block me entirely.”
Sweat broke out over forehead. The strain of holding the only protection for the ones she loved against the guards and the poison became extremely heavy, making her arms shake. She watched as the poison filled the space beyond the shield, growing higher. Karis’s throat constricted and her mouth went dry.
Marin chuckled. “Once you drop that shield your friends will be dead. You’re only buying time. You can’t stop the inevitable. But I’m a patient man, as I’ve proven over the years. I can wait.”
A crack of bones and a grunt made Karis cringe. With Marin only a few feet away, slowly inching closer, she hated to take her eyes off him, but she had to know who was hurt. Whoever it was, wasn’t showing their pain. All three kept struggled with the guards in hand to hand combat. Brady’s knowledge with underground fighting gave him an upper hand, but Atty and Zeus’s years of battles gave them an expertise that most would never have.
Karis refused to believe they had no chance. No. There had to be a way.
Marin was now close enough to strike her. For a fleeting moment, Karis pushed everything extra she had into the shield around her, hoping it was enough.
Reaching out, Marin tested her shield with his fingertip. Flinching, he pulled back. “You are definitely stronger than I expected. I thought you’d have faltered by now.”
“I’m,” Karis started, through clenched teeth. “Stronger than you think.”
He glared at her. “No one is that strong.”
Brady walked up, out of breath. “On the contrary, I believe I’m that strong.” He swung a fist at Marin, hitting him in the face.
Chapter Twenty-Five
With the protection from kinetic forces surrounding Brady, Marin had to fight back with his fists. Brady blocked and jabbed, getting more hits in until Marin realized he wouldn’t win that way. He rammed into Brady forcing him to the ground, using his weight to his advantage.
An easy boxing match for Brady quickly because a full on brawl. Blood seeped out of cuts on both men. Grunts and groans mixed together.
The tip of a blade sliced Brady’s arm, but he pushed Marin off, pitching him through the air. He hit the wall and slid to the ground, a plume of crimson powdered the air around him. He yelled as the poison moved away from him, but not fast enough. He limped as he walked toward Brady.
Karis shook as her strength began to give away. Dropping to her knees, she fought to remain in control. The red plumes were growing and if she let go, everyone would die.
“Karis, get out of here. I’ll finish this.” Brady locked eyes with Marin as they circled each other.
“I won’t leave you,” she barely managed to say. Her arms were so heavy that they hurt to hold up. Slowly, they began to drop. No. She had to stay strong.
A slash of lightning slashed from the sky to the ground. Zeus grabbed the bolt of electricity and held it firmly. Picking it up, he used the force of the sizzling weapon to cut through the shield and knock down his attackers. Letting go, it sped back to the sky. The shield sealed shut as if it never broke open.
“I can’t. You’ll die.” She did a quick once over on Zeus and Atty who were holding their own. But for how much longer? When will their energy fade?
“Karis, listen to me. If you look down, you’ll see that the poison never comes close to Marin. I think he controls it, or at least the guards who produce it. Let me out, I won’t let it touch me.” Brady never took his eyes off Marin. “You need to conserve your energy for you and the baby.”
Karis couldn’t breathe. The decision to let him go consumed her with pain. But each second she held on to all four of them, the harder it got. The temptation of agreeing to his request shred her soul into thousands of pieces, but her body screamed at her to lighten the load.
“You can’t hold us all much longer. I can already feel the shield dropping. Let me go.” He tensed up, ready for her to let the shield crash down around him.
“What are you thinking?” Marin asked, taking a step back, glancing back and forth between them.
“I’m thinking I have to let go to save them all.” She held her breath as she let her protection around Brady fall. Tears fell blinding her sight. Quickly, she sniffed and sucked them back. She could cry later.
Brady lunged at him at full speed, throwing his shoulder into Marin’s middle. Karis watched the haze reach for Brady but move back when it got too close to Marin. Brady was right. It wouldn’t hurt him. As long as he stayed close to the one trying to kill him.
Marin sent short electric pulses out at Brady, chuckling all the while. “You shouldn’t have left her protection. You are no match for me. As I remember you should have died from the poison I gave you.”
Brady cried out in agony as each strike hit him. On her knees, Karis fell to her hip. Even though she tried, she couldn’t force her protection to spread out and cover Brady once again. She was drained.
Taking in a few quick breaths to ready himself, Brady used his speed to barrel into Marin, knocking them both over. “Then I guess I am a match for you because I’m not in the mood to die.” He grunted as he his strength was matched in each move he made.
Atty was slowing down, but there were only five guards left. At least on this side of the tower. And, she was dealing with two at the same time. Her sword swung lower with each swing. Karis wished she had more energy to give her, but everything she had was wrapped up in keeping her safe from the poison.
Zeus was already down to one guard. His body slouched as the last one fell. Out of breath, he darted over to help Atty. She was limping badly and holding her middle with one arm. He barely caught her before she fell to the ground.
Even with the cloaked ones gone, the poison remained on the ground. Karis worried she wouldn’t be able to save them after all. There was no way she could hold the shield for much longer.
And then there was Brady. He was bent over, his face twisted in pain. Marin sent one more energy pulse out, knocking Brady to the ground.
Karis screamed. Her shield flickered as her body responded to her mental anguish.
A man jumped from the skywalk, gliding down to where Brady lay. Standing tall, Karis gasped as she recognized Hades.
Marin flinched. “What do I owe this pleasure?”
Hades grinned. “You know exactly why I’m here. Baratrum is mine. This world belongs to me. My father and mother taught me the secrets to all the energies and powers of this world. You stole that from me because my parents sent me to Earth to be safe from the evil in that damn prophecy. I’m here to claim Baratrum.”
Chortling, Marin dusted his arms off. “Your parents were weak. It wasn’t hard to expel of them to use this world. I imagine you wouldn’t be any harder.”
In a clash of power, they began to fight. Hades was stronger, and he walked without fear toward Marin.
Karis tried to stand, but her legs were weak, making it hard to hold her body up. Closing the distance to Brady, who was on all fours, getting up slowly. The deadly fumes rolled over to him, seeking his life.
Another step closer. She was there. Reaching out, he took her hand, sending surges of energy through her, letting the shield spread around him.
“Karis!” A shout ripped through the cries of Hades and Marin.
Karis froze. Somewhere in her mind that voice rang clear as the last time she heard it. No. It was a trick. Marin was playing tricks with her mind. It had to be.
Karis lifted her gaze and searched the cells behind Marin. “Father!” Her scream split the sky, shaking the ground on which they stood.
He wasn’t dead.
How was he not dead? The thought of him being trapped here for more than a hundred years ripped her heart to pieces. She wanted to run to him, but her feet held her place firmly. If she left, then everyone would die. There was no way her shield would stretch that far. She was barely holding it up as it was.
“Atty, Zeus, my father. He’s up there.” Only small words seemed to flow from her dry lips. “Can you make it? I can’t keep the shield up that far away.”
Atty nodded, shrugging her father off her shoulders. “I’ll be fine. We have to save Azul too.”
Brady took Karis by the elbow and walked with her. He winced, but never complained as they climbed to the top cell. Once they were off the ground, Karis dropped her shield, and took in a deep breath. She did it. She kept them alive.
Hades wrapped his hands around Marin’s neck, lifting him from the ground. As if Baratrum recognized its true leader, the fog shifted, receding away from the cells and hillside, and away from Hades. A small trickle snaked its way through the cracks of the wall where Hades held Marin, spilling out onto the ground under him, raising high enough to touch the tips of Marin’s toes, dangling in the air.
His shouts echoed off the towers as the poison crept up his body. Karis had to look away. Brady took her in his arms as she hid her face in his shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s all over now.”
Blocking out his last strangled cries, Karis focused on her breathing.
“Come on,” Brady led her up the tower’s stairs that followed the outside of the structure.
They sprinted as quickly as their tired bodies would go to the cell. Karis grabbed the iron bars that held her father. He was alive.
“Move back,” Zeus said, getting a tight grip on the bars.
The door was easy enough for Zeus to break open. Karis darted into the cell and embraced her father. His arms clung tightly around her shoulders. She forgot how good it felt to have his arms around her.
His blue eyes shined through the years of caked on dirt and grime when he pulled back to look at his daughter. His jet black hair was sprinkled with whites and grays. After a century of being imprisoned, he lost weight, but he still looked fairly healthy. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
