The End of the Fantasy (Book #6 of the Sage Saga)

by Julius St. Clair

  “I could,” Ecio said, running a hand through his hair.

  “Yeah, you could, but you don’t know how much of your life you’ll have to use to put me down. It will be more than you think.”

  “Doesn’t look like it.”

  “Then absorb her. Use her. See what happens.”

  “You know what the alternative is if I don’t, do you?” Bastion closed his eyes. Yes. He knew the alternative all too well, but it was the only way. The moment Ecio ripped her away from him…he knew what had to be done. He should have been a better protector, but Ecio was more experienced than he, and in only a couple of seconds, he had done more damage than he thought possible. He couldn’t drop his guard again. No matter what he felt. No matter what pain Ecio caused.

  “Yeah, I know what happens,” Bastion said. “You kill her.”

  “That’s right,” Ecio said, expressionless. “Because I can’t allow you to have it back.”

  “That’s the thing. Even if you did give her back to me, I couldn’t use her.”

  “That’s a lie.”

  “I can’t,” Bastion said, shaking his head. “Not after all we’ve been through. Not after what I know about her. Disrespecting her like that…it would be worse than death. And I know if the situation was reversed, she would feel the same.”

  “So you’re fine with her dying?”

  “No,” Bastion said as Ecio crushed Lily in the palm of his hands.

  He did it so sudden and casually that Bastion didn’t even react at first. It felt like he had been stabbed. But by something far worse than any blade could manage.

  He felt the loneliness.

  With a simple close of his hand, Ecio had destroyed the only thing that mattered to him. It was settled now. There were no more attachments to the world he now lived in, and the last thing he wanted to do was feel that familiar ache in his chest once more. No…those days were over. And so, he knew that the only way to insure he couldn’t feel it again was to die, and there was no way he was going out without Ecio’s head—severed and at his feet.

  Bastion clenched his fists.

  “I’m sorry,” Ecio scoffed. “Did I hurt your—” Ecio’s taunt was cut short as a blade fired up from the floor, through his right foot, his leg, his torso and out his neck. Ecio grunted as a few more blades began to fly out from underneath him, but he had already dodged them instinctively. And Bastion was right behind him again, slashing at his back with all the strength he could muster behind his Gladius. Ecio groaned and punched Bastion in the face, sending him flying in a spiral to the floor.

  And then an eidolon went flying out of his chest, and he noticed that it had a hook at the end of it. The eidolon came back toward him and tried pulling him down but he was too strong for it. He kept himself upright and reached behind him to grab a fistful of Daisy’s hair. He began yanking it from her scalp when Catherine’s eidolon sliced through it, freeing the young Sage.

  Bastion punched Ecio in the face with his eidolon again, the blade slicing through his cheeks. Ecio screamed and thrust his palm forward, summoning his eidolon to stab him, but Talia got in the way, using her own eidolon to block the attack. Her eidolon shattered on impact, and Bastion narrowly threw her out the way so that Ecio’s sword didn’t take her head off.

  Bastion swiped at Ecio’s neck with his Gladius again but the Emissary dodged the blows easily, backing his head away at the last second each time. The tip of another eidolon smashed into the back of his head and it shattered on impact. Ecio was so furious to learn that he could have been killed that he turned to see the end of Catherine’s eidolon—only the hilt—falling from her hands. Catherine went to punch him in the back of the head and he elbowed her in the face. She cried out and clutched her nose.

  Ecio went to kill her once and for all but Bastion jumped on top of his chest, sending him crashing to the floor. Bastion reached for the sides of his head but he kicked Bastion off of him and into the back wall. He leapt to his feet and Talia slashed at his eyes with her new eidolon. He grabbed its blade and crushed it in his bare hands. This time, she went unconscious instantly, crumpling to the floor.

  He began healing his eyes when Bastion punched him again, scattering his thoughts. Without pause, Bastion continued the assault, punching Ecio with his eidolon over and over in the face, trying to get through to his skull but settling for the pain when each blow failed. Ecio refused to fall. He screamed. He swore. He spat, but he was losing his ability to fight back. The pain was beginning to stack, and his foes were relentless.

  Bastion kept hitting him.

  Even after Ecio took out his violet sword eidolon and began slashing at Bastion’s midsection. Over and over. Cutting the same spot. Taking out his heart. To the point that he was cutting faster than it could heal. He only needed one more. And one more. And just one more. Surely the next one would sever the last vein. The last artery. Just keep cutting. Ignore the eidolons slashing at his back. Hacking at the legs. Ignore them as they begin whacking at the back of your head. They won’t break through. They won’t break through. Just keep cutting. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. DAMN IT WHY WONT HE FALL!

  “BECAUSE YOU’RE STILL BREATHING!” Bastion screamed in his face. Ecio blinked and it was the moment the young Sage was looking for. He reached in, with no regard to his own life, and grabbed the sides of Ecio’s head. As Ecio plunged his eidolon straight through Bastion’s heart and the tip of the blade exploded out of the young Sage’s back, Bastion summoned two eidolons, one from each palm—to drive out from his hands and right into Ecio’s temples.

  The blades criss-crossed.

  And Ecio’s body shut down.

  Bastion sighed in relief, but then a moment of rage flashed across him, and he swiped his hand one last time toward Ecio, severing the Emissary’s head. Bastion’s eyelids began to fall as he glanced over at Catherine for a moment.

  “Burn us both,” he said.

  And then he didn’t feel the ache in his heart anymore.

  Chapter 20 – Quiet

  There was only the roaring of the fire as they burned what was left of the Yama Headquarters to the ground. The flames were so big that the smoke touched the clouds. Someone surely would have noticed, but if anyone investigated, Catherine and her Sages didn’t stick around to find out.

  The ride home was quiet. Somber. Complete. No one spoke, but all were deep in thought.

  Marie had questions, but for once, she decided to wait for the answers. They would come. All she knew was that it was all over. Whatever that meant. Catherine told her in the same breath that they had won and that it was the end of the world. She figured that Bastion must have succeeded, and though she was happy that he had finally found peace, she wondered how much time she had left to enjoy what was her world.

  Catherine sighed as they landed near Old Prattle.

  Things were different now. Every speck of dirt. Every bird flying across the ocean. Every blade of grass and falling leaf…it all had meaning now. It all had an expiration date now. And she supposed that they always had one, but now it was a surety. There was no promise of rebirth or a continuous cycle. It was just death and an uncertain future in a world they knew nothing about. Those she had lost would be there.

  She hoped.

  But there was no guarantee.

  So much was about to change, and so drastically, what could she put her faith in now? What was her purpose? Her cause? What should she fight for?

  She felt cold.

  “Shouldn’t we check out the other Kingdoms?” Daisy asked, rubbing her shoulder. Though it had healed, it still didn’t feel right. Little did.

  “We’re enemies of them all,” Catherine replied, stepping off of Talia’s bird and onto the snow. The crunch was so loud that it irritated her. She sucked her teeth.

  “That was before the Yama attacked,” Daisy said. “We might not be anymore. We might be able to…to go home.”

  “Even if we did, for how long?” Catherine asked, casting her eyes to
the snow, white as lilies and pure as innocence. Untainted. Untouched. What beauty would be loss once the worlds fully converged?

  “What’s truly changed?” Marie asked, still not privy to all that had transpired. “This world will soon be like the other two. That means we’ll still be able to enjoy the homes we’ve established here. There just might be a delay in when.”

  “You mean when things have settled,” Catherine said, looking directly at her. “But even then, what in nature will we lose? What part of ourselves will we lose?”

  “I thought Paradise was supposed to be a better place to you people,” Marie chuckled. “If our world is about merge with it, is that so bad?”

  “There will be things lost.”

  “As it is with every passing generation,” Marie said with a smile. She reached out and embraced Catherine, hugging her tight. “For the world to survive, it must change. The seasons pass. The old die so that the new can be born. This is not the end for us, Catherine. This is the beginning of a new adventure.” Catherine pulled away from her and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

  “You may think you didn’t do much,” Talia said, giving Catherine a smile. “But being there for Bastion…we were where we needed to be. It might not have gone in our favor otherwise.”

  “You’re right,” Catherine said, feeling better. “And I’m sorry for doubting myself and all we’ve done. It’s been hard knowing what the proper path is.”

  “All you have to do is live right now and enjoy the moment,” Talia said. “Deciding the proper path…that was Bastion’s burden.”

  “Yes,” she said, picking up a ball of snow. “I think we should make a toast, to the Sage who saved us all.”

  “A toast,” Talia laughed, picking up some snow. Daisy smiled and did the same. They all looked to Marie, who rolled her eyes.

  “If we’re going to live out here, we really need some necessities. You know, like water?”

  “Just grab a handful of snow,” Talia moaned. Marie reluctantly scooped some up in her hand and they raised their balls of snow to the sky.

  “To Bastion,” they said in unison, and then they each took a bite.

  “Ugh!” Daisy spat it out. “There’s more in this than just snow.”

  “Okay, that’s it,” Marie gagged. “We’re going home. Talia, get that bird of yours out here.”

  “But we might be—” Catherine began, and Marie stomped her foot down.

  “I don’t want to hear it!” she screamed, pointing a finger in Catherine’s face. “We’re going to Prattle where it’s warm and they have food and that’s that! I’m tired of giving all this advice and not being the one making the decisions around here!”

  “Okay,” Catherine giggled.

  “Okay?” Marie asked, more surprised than inquisitive.

  “Okay,” Catherine confirmed.

  “Get the bird,” Marie muttered to Talia. Everyone laughed.

  * * *

  “There is no one there,” Marie whispered in horror as they flew over the Prattlian Kingdom. “I don’t believe it…I…the Yama must have killed them all.”

  “Who’s left?” Daisy asked, trying not to cry. “Do you think Allay is okay?”

  “Let’s head there,” Catherine said. “At the very least we should assess the damage.”

  Talia didn’t reply, she just mentally told the bird what to do. It only took a few more minutes before they began to see the Allayan borders. Catherine’s eyes lit up, and it wasn’t because of the nostalgia.

  “There are lights on!” she exclaimed. “Lights on everywhere!”

  “Of course Allay survived,” Marie sighed bitterly. “Seeker was aligned with the Yama.”

  “We don’t know what’s happened in our absence,” Catherine said, giving Marie’s arm a squeeze. “We’ll get the answers we need below.”

  “What about Seeker?” Talia asked. “What if he’s still in charge?”

  “Then we’ll leave. But we should at least see what’s going on.”

  Talia decided to take them down in the meadow, where it was lit up the most. Candlesticks were lit by the thousands and there was a great deal of villagers in attendance. From the soft music playing from below, Catherine thought it would be strange if the villagers were partying with the Yama. Regardless of who Seeker allied with, the villagers would never get comfortable with the very race that was supposed to invade them. They weren’t even tolerant of the Quietus yet.

  As they descended, Marie began clapping in joy, pointing out several Prattlians in the crowd. Catherine looked even closer and saw the Quietus hiding in the trees. But they weren’t sitting in the shadows as if they were about to hunt. They were merely watching. She didn’t see any Langorans, but she hoped, no, she was sure there had to be some. Her heart skipped a beat when she did identify a few, walking side by side with an old friend of hers.

  Tyuin came to greet them as they landed in the midst of the meadow, bringing on a wave of murmurs and whispers.

  “Hello,” he said in a serious tone, but then he couldn’t help but smile in the end. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep a straight face.”

  “Hello, Tyuin,” Catherine replied, jumping off the bird. As soon as they all did, the manifestation vanished like vapor into the air. Tyuin glanced at each of them one by one.

  “I hope your journey, whatever it was…was fruitful.”

  “As always, there is a lot to discuss.”

  “Why don’t we use your old discussion chambers in the castle?”

  “What happened to Seeker?”

  “Haven’t you heard,” he said with a gleam in his eye. “He has been dethroned. As soon as the Yama left, the Prattlians, with the help of the Langorans, took control of Allay.”

  “Then who’s in charge at the moment?”

  “I am,” he said, and all she could do was nod.

  “A Prattlian?” Talia said aloud with amusement in her voice. “King of Allay?”

  “Better than a tyrant,” he replied. “And it’s only until I can find a suitable replacement…but you never know. Being King of two lands may grow on me.”

  “I must ask…” Catherine said. “Are we okay?”

  “It’s a time of celebration,” he said. “So for now. Yes. We are okay. Let’s just say that I’m letting you off with a warning. How’s that?”

  “I can live with that,” she said, giving him a hug. It caught him by surprise and the Langorans at his side wondered if they should intervene, but the King didn’t push her away. On the contrary, he hugged her back.

  “Welcome back, Catherine,” he whispered in her ear.

  * * *

  “And so we have no idea what this merger will do to our world,” Tyuin replied, leaning back in the large throne chair at the head of the rectangular table. Catherine yawned and leaned back as well, but in one of the smaller wooden chairs.

  “It will probably take years,” Talia said. “But there’s no way to know for sure.”

  “At least the Yama threat is over for now. I’m sure they’ll be preparing for whatever Oblivion may bring at this point.”

  “And aren’t we going to do the same?”

  “I think that would be best,” Tyuin replied. “For once, we’ll be able to prepare for what’s to come. But even so, any conflict on the horizon may not even happen in our lifetime. With this threat of being erased from existence upon death…there will be a lot more planning and far less action.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Catherine replied, pushing back from the table.

  “Where are you going?” Tyuin asked, puzzled. Catherine looked around at all the races in attendance—representatives of all four Kingdoms. She nodded and gave out a great big sigh of satisfaction.

  “My job here is done,” she said finally. Tyuin raised his eyebrows.

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “I don’t see a need to stay here in Allay. With the Kingdoms working together, that’s more than I can ever ask for, and I know my people are in good hands.”


  “So what are you going to do instead of staying here? You don’t have to live out in the cold.”

  “I’m thinking that I’ll travel and train. Appreciate the beauty around me before it changes. Train for the battles to come in the distant future, and see what new things I can learn.”

  “Yeah, right,” Daisy said. “We all know where she’s really going.” She waved her hands in the air so everyone could say it at once.

  “James,” they all said in unison. Catherine blushed.

  “Well, him too,” she laughed.

  “You’ll need a bodyguard,” Talia said from a few seats away. “If you’ll have me.”

  “And a protégé to carry on your principles,” Daisy said.

  “Of course,” Catherine said to them, and then she looked to Marie, who pretended like she wasn’t listening. When Catherine wouldn’t avert her gaze, Marie sighed and slapped a fist on the wooden table.

  “Oh fine, I’ll go too,” she groaned.

  “Yay!” Catherine giggled.

  “You do know that it might be a long time before you’re able to travel directly to Paradise, right?” Tyuin asked her.

  “I know,” Catherine said. “But knowing that he’ll be there…knowing that he’s waiting…I can’t sit here. I have to go.”

  “Then know that you are always welcome here. I will do my best by your people.”

  “I know you will,” she said. “And what will you do while you wait?”

  “I have a few visions for us all. In particular, one that will work on the weaknesses of each culture. I hope to integrate the Quietus fully into our society. I want the Prattlians to learn how to fight. The Allayans will be taught to be more intellectual and less afraid, and lastly, we will help the Langorans rebuild and learn the values of hard work and not just play.”

  “Not an easy feat.”

  “Neither is this,” he said, waving his hands across the table, pointing out how all the cultures were sitting together peacefully. “Yet…here we are.”

  “I would love to see that dream fulfilled someday. As long as we keep working on ourselves and helping each other, we’ll reach the stars.”