The Aether Knight

by E A Hooper

  Reaper looked at the Bay Nation prince. “Now that Direlight is captured, your weaker kingdom doesn’t have a buffer to protect it. The Islanders are sending half their naval forces, backed by Embry’s ships, to your capital. Assuming we can’t take your father alive, you’ll be the Bay Nation’s new king. Either way, you’ll also be assimilated into the republic.”

  The prince stared with a blank expression at Reaper. “I—you—but.”

  “Don’t worry, we don’t have to finalize any pact until one of my dragon couriers brings news of your capital’s capture,” Reaper told him. “I understand if you want to hold your decision for next week.”

  “Hey, what about us?” the Mountain chieftain asked.

  “What about you?” Reaper replied. “Your territories are too insignificant for me to worry about. Besides, you only represent a small part of that region. If you want to join the pact, we can work on bringing new trade routes to your people. Otherwise, you may leave whenever.”

  The chieftain huffed. “I’ll stay for the trade routes.”

  Reaper ignored him and looked at the Wetland representatives. “I don’t need to say anything to you Wetlanders. All you care about is business and trade. Well, it looks like you can either trade with the Great Republic of Ter’al or go bankrupt.”

  The Wetlander’s glanced at each other.

  Reaper turned his eyes to Radu. “What were you saying earlier about me not being in control? That there were too many variables I couldn’t see? How many of those variables were you prepared for, son? I toppled the West and the East. It looks like I really am the one in control. Now, you’ll give me Valx if you don’t want your tiny nation crushed from all sides like an insect.”

  “I won’t,” Radu said.

  Reaper slammed his fists on the table. “You will, or I’ll take him! These tables are now full of my allies. Whether they like it or not. Those armies out there? Those are now my armies. I have you surrounded, son. Give me Valx.”

  “Radu, I told you I’d surrender myself,” Valx said. “Just let it go. Sacrificing me to save your kingdom is the easiest decision you’ll ever make.”

  “It’s not,” Radu said. “It’s not an easy decision.”

  “You’re the only one here who thinks so,” Valx said, sadly. “Even Pyre would hand me over in a heartbeat.”

  Pyre lowered his head. “I don’t know about that. However, maybe we could trade Valx for Bels.”

  “Huh?” Eldsworth said.

  Thelmia looked at Pyre with big eyes.

  “I promised I’d try to free Bels from Eldsworth,” Pyre told Radu. “I don’t want to sacrifice Valx, but if we have to, we might as well save our sister.”

  Radu looked at Bels, and she gazed back with hollow eyes.

  Poor girl. But can I really sacrifice Valx for her? Do I have any other options?

  “Stop over-thinking,” Valx told Radu. “You’re trying to be like your father. Scheming and figuring a way out of a situation. Just let this happen. I appreciate that you tried.”

  “Hey, you can’t do this,” Eldsworth said. “She’s my wife. You can’t take her away.” He looked at Reaper with worried eyes. “They can’t do that, right?”

  “They can’t,” Reaper said. He gazed at Valx, but Radu thought the lord looked conflicted for a moment. “I gave Bels to Eldsworth. They will produce fine heirs—greatborn heirs.”

  “But husband,” Thelmia said. “Perhaps, this would be a good deal for everyone. Just look at our daughter. Look at what he did to her.”

  Reaper slammed his fists on the table again. “I’m the one in control. I’m the one who decides everyone’s fate. Whether it’s Valx’s or my daughter’s. You get no choice, Radu. You’ll give me Valx, or I’ll destroy your pathetic army.”

  “I’m not going back with him,” a tiny voice said.

  Everyone glanced around in confusion before realizing Bels had spoken.

  “I won’t go back to Eldmoon,” she said, feebly.

  “You will,” Reaper demanded.

  Bels’s body trembled, and then she grabbed the dagger from the center of the table. “I won’t!” she screamed. “I won’t go back with him.”

  Bels plunged the dagger into Eldsworth’s heart. A shocked look crossed the lord’s face, and then he fell from his chair. The girl jumped on top him and ran the blade into his chest again and again. “I won’t! I won’t! I won’t!”

  Radu felt his power return as Eldsworth’s life left his body.

  Before anyone could react, Queen Silvina screamed. Her entire body spasmed, and Thod cradled her in his arms. “My love!” he shouted, fearfully. “What do you see?”

  The queen’s body went limp in his arms. “I love you,” she replied, weakly.

  “Oh,” Thod said, tears running down his face. “I love you too.”

  The other Westerners jumped to their feet, and the Easterners imitated. Someone screamed to alert their soldiers.

  Radu watched his father as Reaper realized he had lost control over the situation. His face, which had been so full of anger and sadness, showed shock and confusion. He tightened his fists, and green light exploded from his body. In an instant, Reaper’s body had encased itself in a wall of aether vines.

  Several dozen vines stabbed across the five tables. He pierced nearly a dozen people at once, and everyone fell backward, either dead or in self-defense. The vines hadn’t targeted Pyre or Radu, but they both fell from their chairs in shock.

  Grenfei had tackled Lullum to the ground during the flash, so they avoided the vines. Vastalt had dove out of the way just in time. However, Beldivare and Gelmont had both been stabbed through the chest.

  Yahn had generated a ripple in front of himself, knocking away the vine that had targeted him. However, his king and queen, who had been seated directly across from Reaper, were impaled by numerous vines. The surviving Westerners screamed in horror and anger as Thod and Silvina’s bodies crumpled to the ground.

  Radu looked at Valx and saw one of the vines had pierced his stomach. The white-haired man barely reacted before another flash of light came from his body. Valx stood, encased in crystalline aether armor. He snapped his chains to pieces and tore away the vine that had impaled him in half. A white blade formed in his hands, and he dove over the table at Reaper.

  The young king didn’t watch the ensuing battle. He jumped toward Lullum and Grenfei and dropped his shadow below their feet. They fell into the darkness, and he looked for his brother.

  Lord Cyril jumped over the table and glided over cowering people toward Radu. “Where are you fleeing to, little Reaper? Was this a scheme of yours?”

  Radu felt his strength weaken, and everyone but Cyril wobbled and struggled to stay on their feet.

  The white-faced wyrgen stomped on Radu’s shadow, and the young king felt frozen in place. “You brought Valx to attack us, didn’t you? You schemed with your brother to cause this chaos.”

  An arm wrapped around Cyril’s throat. “This is for Lorrick,” Pyre said. His muscles bulged, and he twisted Cyril’s head around, snapping the lord’s neck.

  Without Cyril to drain his power, Radu dropped Pyre into his shadow.

  “Get Bels!” Pyre shouted, disappearing into the darkness.

  Radu dropped into his shadow and zipped over to his sister. Thelmia had grabbed her to stop the girl from repeatedly stabbing Eldsworth’s body, and Tachios stood by them, trembling in fear. The mother cradled her daughter in her arms and cried, and Radu dropped them and Tachios into his shadow.

  Radu could see Northern soldiers running from the fort. Most of them stopped to awe at the thrashing, glowing monsters as they sliced, stabbed, and tossed around one another. Even Radu gaped for a moment as Reaper used his vines to slam Valx against the wall of the fort. Valx slashed through the vines, launched himself at Reaper, and slashed through more vines. Reaper circled around, crawling like a long-legged spider, and stabbed at Valx’s armor with no effect.

  I need to get everyone out
of here, Radu realized, pulling Vastalt into his shadow next.

  His shadow darted back and forth. Within seconds, he grabbed everyone from the West, Bay Nation, East, Wetlands, and the Mountain Territories. He even grabbed the bodies of people Reaper had slain.

  “All of you stay still,” he called into his eternal void. “If you struggle, I might drop you all. I’m taking you to safety.”

  He raced back to his army and spread his shadow to release multiple people at a time. He dumped everyone into the grass to the surprise of his army.

  “What’s happening?” one soldier said. “Do we need to attack?”

  “Wait until Reaper’s metamorphosis is over,” Radu said. “Then we’ll attack them at once. You survivors of other nations, go tell your people what happened.”

  He looked at Lunori as the vassal collapsed to his knees beside his dead brother. “Beldivare,” he cried. “Brother, no.” He fell silent, and tears streamed down his cheeks. His men asked him what to do, but he didn’t respond. Finally, one of his men told the others to ready their army for battle.

  A Westerner, one Radu thought to be a lieutenant general, crouched and cried over the body of a wyrgen that had been with her group. “Ashworth,” she said. “Oh gods, why?”

  Two Highguardsmen crouched over the body of their king and queen. “These Northerners will pay!” a man with a torn cape screamed.

  The other Westerners hurried back to their forces, screaming at their men to get ready for the battle of their lives.

  Yahn remained behind, crying beside his fallen friend. He turned to Radu and shouted, “Hey, Snake King. Valx got stabbed by Reaper.”

  “I saw,” Radu said.

  “He won’t be able to hold his metamorphosis for long,” Yahn told him. “Not with such an injury. Can you go back and save him?”

  Radu nodded. “Orphilm, you hear me?”

  “Barely,” the young man replied. “There’s so much noise.”

  “Tell the other armies to be ready to attack when Reaper’s metamorphosis is over.”

  “You got it.”

  Radu dropped into his shadow once more and rushed to the battle at the fort. The two monstrous men had destroyed the tents and damaged the walls of the fort. It looked as though Valx had sliced away many of Reaper’s vines, but the man in white armor had slowed to a stop. His body was hunched, and Radu heard pained gasps as he approached.

  Reaper’s vines regrew and intertwined around him. Even his soldiers crept toward their battle, ready for the moment Valx’s metamorphosis ran out of time.

  “This is the end,” Reaper said from within his cocoon of aether vines. “All you had to do was die, but instead, you made things difficult. Now, my men will have to destroy those armies out there. You think we can’t? We have more greatborn than all of them combined. The moment that armor of yours vanishes, I’ll destroy you. Then I’ll focus on them. I won’t leave any survivors, not even my traitor sons, and it’s all your fault, Valx. This is all because of you.”

  Valx’s armor cracked and fell to pieces. He fell to his knees and didn’t say a word.

  All of Reaper’s vines lurched toward Valx, but Radu pulled the white-haired man into his shadow just in time. Radu could hear Reaper screaming in anger as the shadow retreated.

  “Orphilm, I take it back,” Radu said. “Tell them not to attack. Reaper has too many greatborn for us to defeat. Our forces need to be ready to fall back together.”

  “Oh, okay,” Orphilm said. “I’m also talking to a woman here. She’s asking me where Valx is.”

  “A woman?” Valx asked.

  “She can meet us at our camp,” Radu said.

  “Who is it?” Valx shouted.

  Orphilm went silent for a few seconds and then replied. “She says her name is Roz.”

  Chapter 32

  Valx fell from Radu’s shadow and onto the grass. He gripped his stomach where Reaper had stabbed him with an aether vine—the same spot where Wyvern had injured him over a year ago. He pressed down on the injury, trying to hold back the blood.

  All around him, people from different nations stared at him. Some in worry of his injury, some in fear of him, and others in awe.

  He looked at the bodies of Thod and Silvina, and then his eyes wandered to Ashworth’s corpse. He glanced at Ilona, Nevin, and Odestrog. The three Highguardsmen had come out unscathed, but they looked horrified that they had failed their king. Valx recalled Nevin throwing his cape over he and Ilona and tackling her to the ground as Reaper struck. The aether vine had torn through his cape, but at least they’d survived. Odestrog covered his bloody arm, and Valx guessed he’d been grazed.

  “Orphilm, ask the Westerners to send their medical guildsmen over here,” Radu said.

  “Got it,” Orphilm replied.

  Radu tore down one of his own banners and brought it to Valx to stop the bleeding. “Stay still, Valx. Help is on the way.”

  “Roz,” Valx muttered. “Where is she?”

  “I see her,” Yahn said, standing on his toes to look over the crowd of soldiers. “Make room, everyone. Let those people through.”

  A horse trotted toward them, and Valx gazed at Roz’s worried face. “You shouldn’t have come,” he said, staring at her injuries.

  “Oh, gods,” Roz said when she stared at his wound. “Not again, Valx. Not again.”

  “It’s okay,” Valx told her. “It barely hurts this time.”

  The wound felt numb, but below it, he could feel a calm sea of power begging him to be released. This is different from last time, he realized.

  Reaper’s son, the blind one, gaped at Valx. “All that power,” he muttered. “Incredible. Simply incredible.”

  Valx forced himself to stand as Myamere helped Roz off her horse.

  “Myamere,” Odestrog called. “Oh gods, Reaper killed the king.”

  A solemn expression fell over the Godblade’s face. “Are we going to fight?”

  “Of course,” Odestrog growled. “We’ll fight until one side is completely destroyed.”

  “We can’t fight them,” Radu shouted. “They have too many greatborn. Reaper was confident they’d win. They’re no doubt preparing to attack as we speak. Everyone, get ready to fall back.”

  “No,” Valx said, calmly. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Everyone gaped at him.

  “I’ll end this war,” he told them. “It’s the least I can do. I owe it to all of you for everything I’ve done.”

  “Valx,” Radu said, trembling. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “Brother,” Pyre said. While everyone else shook with shock and fear, the shaggy-haired twin looked calm and collected. “If he can end this war, then maybe we should let him.” He looked at Valx and struggled not to cry. “Despite everything you’ve done, part of me still considers you my friend. I just want you to know that.”

  Valx nodded. “I know it changes nothing, but I’m sorry, Pyre.”

  “Valx,” Roz said, crying. “I told myself I was coming here to stop you from doing something stupid, but I think deep down, I knew I was only coming to tell you goodbye.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him for the longest seconds of Valx’s life.

  “Myamere, take good care of her,” Valx said.

  The Godblade nodded with tears in his eyes. “I will.”

  “And Roz,” Valx whispered. “I know I have no right to ask you this favor after all the times I’ve wronged you. But please, try to find Lilan. Bastion says she’ll die sometime after giving birth. I don’t want my child to fall into the wrong hands. To be brainwashed like Reaper’s children or Wyvern. Or to be shaped into a broken, terrible person like me. I want that kid to have a good life.”

  “I’ll make sure that happens,” Roz replied. “I won’t let you down. Valx, you’re my last friend from Tunra. I want you to know I love you dearly.”

  “I love you too,” Valx said. “Thanks for believing in me no matter how many times I let you down. Goodbye, Roz.”

>   “Goodbye, Valx,” she cried.

  Valx pulled away from Roz and turned to Radu. “Take me to the fort. Take me to Reaper.”

  Radu hesitated to drop his shadow beneath his friend’s feet.

  “Thanks for everything,” Valx told the crowd as he fell into the shadow.

  Seconds passed, and Valx stepped out of the shadow, finding himself in the great hall of the fort. He saw soldiers in lines, preparing for battle. Embry and Reaper stood at the center of the hall, surrounded by their remaining generals and closest followers.

  Valx’s body flashed white with aether, and everyone in the hall gaped at him.

  Embry screamed for his men to attack, but Reaper remained still and quiet. His eyes filled with hate, then sadness, and then his arms fell to his side.

  He’s finally realized he can’t control fate, Valx noted.

  A soldier had snuck behind Valx, and his sword shattered against the back of his glowing neck. The pieces of sword ignited with white aether that spread to the man, vaporizing him in seconds. Other soldiers released arrows, which all vanished into dust before reaching Valx.

  All the greatborn in the crowd activated their abilities. Some created flashes of light as they started, others shook the great hall with their power, but some had subtler powers. The men that first approached Valx exploded into aether, and then the rows of men nearest to them burned too. Anyone who launched an airborne attack, like a shock wave or elemental blast, found Valx’s white aether reacting instantly. His power blasted away the lesser attacks and sparked toward them, incinerating multiple greatborn in seconds.

  Embry shook Reaper and shouted, “Do something! Stop him!”

  Reaper’s cold face softened into a more human expression. His solemn eyes stayed on Valx as men died around them. “Just end it already.”

  Valx replied with a calm nod, and then he reached deep inside himself for that sea of power.

  Chapter 33

  Roz and Myamere held hands and watched the fort in silence. People of various nations stood around them, watching and waiting. Most gazed with worried eyes, unsure of whether they should be preparing for battle. However, Roz remained calm.