“Oh dear god,” Andrea’s eyes widened. “How many Knights could you fit into the three towers the enemy took down?”
“Each one could hold around ten thousand easily. Fifteen if they squeeze in.”
“We need eyes in the air,” Andrea said. “I must know where those White Knights from the tower siege are.”
“Wait,” Taylor realized what she was saying. “You think they’re going to come here?”
She nodded, “It makes complete sense. Those towers don’t hold any strategic significance at all. The only reason they would take down those towers would be if they wanted someplace to hold their soldiers before they attacked the Palace of Darkness.”
“And now they’ve reached the opportune moment.”
“Taylor, look,” Q pointed to the end of the room. The White Knights carried in large machines. Metal squares with a circular hole cut into them.
“The exact same weapon they had at the tower,” Taylor’s hands trembled in memory of the machine’s power. Just one blast had taken down Q’s shields. There was no way they’d survive if all of those weapons fired at once.
“Empress!” Commander Reagan called. He helped a man up the stairs.
Taylor instantly recognized him. “Lokai!” she yelled.
He knelt onto the floor, breathless.
“He somehow managed to fight his way to us,” Reagan said.
Chris, who had been silently listening all along, rushed to Lokai, and healed his wounds in an instant.
“Thank you child,” the old man said.
A white hemisphere of light spread out, trapping them all within. Before Taylor could even speak, a blast of red energy hit the shield smack in the center. She saw it crack a bit but it still held on until the blast dissipated.
Q stood at the center, his hands straight up in the air, a white glow around his fingers. He smiled, “Those machines are firing earlier than expected.”
His shield is stronger than before, Taylor noticed. He’s drawing out much more of his life energy.
“We must retreat, your Highness,” Commander Reagan said, “If something happens to you our whole faction will be in jeopardy.”
“You must not run, your Highness,” Lokai said. “We will lose all hope of survival if you do not stand your ground.”
“My mother has often spoken of your strategic prowess, Commander Lokai,” Andrea said. “What type of strategy do you suggest?”
“Hey guys?!” Q yelled out. “You may not have noticed but my shields are taking quite a beating here. Can you just skip the ‘Oh I am a high class noble and must be courteous’ talk and just get to the point?”
Taylor’s lips curled into the faintest of smiles, and she turned to Lokai, “What’s the plan?” she asked.
“Those machines of theirs will be their undoing,” Lokai said. “I had enough time when they invaded the tower to see how those things function. They basically extract raw energy from a source and shoot it right at you. But the balance has to be delicate. If it extracts more than it can handle then it’ll explode easily.”
“So we’re going to-”
Q’s shield shattered into pieces, and a blast of red energy shot above Taylor, blowing a gust of hot wind through her hair.
“Scatter!” she yelled.
Everyone began running.
Everyone but the Empress.
Taylor noticed in a flash and rushed back, “What are you-” she stopped when she saw that Andrea had her eyes closed.
She’s casting a high level Elementa attack, she realized. Damn it. I’ll buy you time.
She unsheathed her sword, eyeing the large machines that were getting ready to fire again. And this time they were all trained right at her.
“Attack!” Andrea yelled. A massive shadow emerged from her. It shaped itself into a dragon and swooped down, plowing through the White Knight army, knocking out hundreds of Knights in a matter of seconds.
But it still wasn’t enough. Not more a tenth of the whole enemy force had been taken down. The machines shrieked as they launched their next rings of attacks right at the speaking grounds.
Taylor held her sword up, ready to strike. Maybe I can cut through the beam, she thought half-heartedly as the beam shot towards her.
“Get out of the way!” Q jumped in front of her, and unleashed a massive beam of lightning right back at the enemy. An explosion shook the hall, causing many of the pillars to destabilize and crumble to the ground.
“You idiot!” Q yelled at her. “You would have died back there!”
In that moment, a spark ignited inside Taylor’s mind. She put her hand on Q’s shoulder, “Q,” she said, her voice turning ice cold. “Shield all the Dark Knights.”
“What?”
“Just do it.”
He looked at her for a moment and then nodded. He cast his Elementa of Light, creating spherical mini-shields around the Dark Knights. The White Knights were unable to attack them anymore and so they all turned to the speaking grounds, to see what had caused the interruption.
“Perfect,” Taylor said. “Shield yourself and the Empress as well.”
“Taylor, what are you going to do?” Andrea asked.
Taylor glanced at Q, “Are you going to do it or not?” she asked.
He thrust his hand up and two shields emerged around him and Andrea.
Meanwhile the enemy had started up their attack again, only this time they were all heading towards the speaking grounds, heading towards her, the only unarmed soldier in the hall.
She thrust her hands out, stretching them wide, and closed her eyes.
Do not fail me this time, she thought. She focused on her life energy. She felt it swirl inside of her, waiting to be released. But this wasn’t the energy she wanted, this wasn’t the energy that could help her. She forced herself to look deeper, to delve into her very being, her very consciousness.
She felt a presence deep within herself - a tiny, black point.
There you are, she smiled. She forced her consciousness into it. A blast of energy exploded into her, surging through her body and mind.
She opened her eyes. The enemy was coming up the staircase now. It was now or never. Her whole body felt like it was melting, her brain felt like it was being electrocuted, and yet she could stand up, she could think of exactly what she wanted to do.
Taylor turned to the hall, her lightning blue eyes looking as though they actually had electricity coursing through them.
She thrust her hands up into the air. “BEGONE!” she bellowed.
A storm of darkness exploded out of her, flooding the entire room. Terrifying screams escaped into the air as waves of darkness consumed every last White Knight, trapping them within their terrifying grasp.
Just seconds later, the darkness disappeared.
And so had every White Knight.
The shields around the Dark Knights cracked and broke down. Q’s eyes turned bloodshot and he dropped flat onto the floor.
Taylor ran to his side. Q lay on the floor, his body breathless, but unharmed nonetheless.
“Thank god you’re okay,” she sighed.
An amused smile curled onto Q’s lips, “You lied to me, Taylor,” he said.
Her eyes widened. Of course he’d find out, her mind said.
But she didn’t want to him know. She had never wanted him to know. This was the one thing she didn’t ever want him to find out. It was the one thing that she wanted to bury in darkness and forget for all eternity.
“It’s fine, Taylor,” he held her hand. “I’m not mad at you.”
Taylor’s body trembled, and sorrow exploded into her mind. “I’m sorry,” her voice turned shaky. “I should have told you before. I shouldn’t have hidden it from you. I’m sorry,” her fingers gripped his hand even tighter. “I’m sorry.”
Q grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to the floor. She fell right beside him, her head on his outstretched arm, her face just a warm breath away from his.
“This isn’
t the time to be sad, silly,” Q kissed her forehead. “This a moment for you to cherish. You’ve finally revealed who you really are,” he smiled. “Not a warrior. Not a mage. Not a druid,” he looked into her eyes, at the undeniable power that radiated from them.
“You’re a sorcerer.”
***
4-1
Chris’ mind went into confusion as a shield of white light covered her. She looked to the side and saw that Commander Reagan and Lokai had been shielded as well.
Q, she realized. It was obvious the Wielder of Light had shielded them, but she wasn’t sure why he had done so. The more people Q shielded at once, the weaker each shield became, which meant there was no way he could protect all of them at once.
Just what is he planning on doing? she wondered.
A wave of darkness caught her eye. And before she could even react, it surrounded her, shrouding her within. She braced for impact, fully expecting the shield to be broken. The darkness though, never touched the shield, and surged around her instead. Screams of terror ran through the air, lasting for but a second, and then the darkness was gone.
And so were the White Knights.
What in the world? Chris’ eyes widened. She had no clue what had just happened. It was almost as though the darkness had eaten up all the White Knights. The shields of light shattered all at once, and Chris charged to the top of the speaking grounds.
The darkness came from there, she thought as she ran up the stairs. Her first sight though wasn’t very comforting.
Q and Taylor lay right next to each other, with Taylor’s head on his arm, her face embarrassingly close to his. Chris felt breathless from just looking at them. She walked closer anyway, but made sure she didn’t invade their space. Those two seemed to be off in a world of their own.
“You’ve finally shown what you really are,” Q smiled at Taylor. “Not a warrior. Not a mage. Not a druid,” he looked into her eyes. “You’re a sorcerer.”
Chris’ eyes shot open wide, her mind freaked out. Everything snapped into place. The darkness. The White Knights disappearing. Everything.
The only ones who could have used the Elementa of Darkness were Taylor and the Empress. Right now the Empress was standing next to her throne, completely stunned into a dazed state. She was definitely not the one who had cast the darkness.
Taylor, she realized. Taylor had done it all. And there was no doubt about it. Chris could feel the raw power emanate from the Dark Knight, power that only a sorceress could wield.
I need to focus, Chris shook her head. Even though she had heard something completely stunning, she still had work to do. She ran to the Empress, who was slowly pulling out of her daze.
“A sorceress,” Andrea mumbled. “Taylor is a sorceress.”
Chris checked her pulse. Fine. She glanced at her body, searching for any wounds of any kind. None. She was perfectly fine. Physically at least.
“I don’t believe this!” Lokai walked up to them with Commander Reagan behind him. “I knew a powerful being must have created the darkness, but I did not think it was a sorceress, and I certainly did not think it was the little one.”
By now Q and Taylor realized everyone had gathered around them. They quickly scrambled off the floor and stepped away from each other, their faces flushing in a royal red.
“I had first assumed the Wielder of Light had taken control of the Elementa of Darkness,” Lokai said. “But this is a much bigger surprise indeed!”
Commander Reagan rushed to the Empress. “Are you safe your highness?” he asked.
She nodded. Her senses seemed to have returned to her. “We need to reactivate the force field,” she said, her voice weak and shaky.
“I have already done so, your Highness,” Commander Reagan said. “Our Knights have also confirmed reports of a large gathering of White Knights miles outside the city.”
“Ah,” Taylor smiled nervously. “That must have been where I teleported them with my attack.”
“Do not speak as though you have made an error,” the Empress smiled at her. “I still cannot comprehend that you are in fact a sorceress. But as stunning a development as that is, I suggest we save the discussion for a while later and focus on strengthening our defenses at the moment.”
They all nodded, “Agreed.”
“I shall accompany her Highness to her quarters,” Commander Reagan said and took the Empress’ hand, helping her up.
“Lokai, can I trust you to reform our troops?” the Empress said.
The old man nervously glanced at her, “I apologize your highness, but I do not have the authority.”
“My mother was the one who stripped you of your ranking, Lokai, not I,” she said. “As long as I am the Empress, you have the authority you had always possessed.”
A feeling of jubilation came over Lokai, “Thank you, your Highness,” he knelt.
“Umm…” Chris said. “As long as I am not needed elsewhere I would like to go check up on Razy.”
“I’ll come with you,” Taylor said. “There seems to more to his illness than meets the eye,” she glared. “And I intend to find out what.”
***
The glass door to Razy’s containment unit hissed open as Taylor and Chris walked in.
“Hello, Taylor,” a raspy voice said.
Chris’ eyes widened. She rushed to Razy’s bedside. He was no longer in a coma, and his eyes were no longer black. They were open and alive, as though he were normal again.
“Razy,” Taylor spat as she made her way to him. “It’s good thing you’ve got back your sanity.”
“I am not sure how long I will stay in this state, Taylor,” he smiled sorrowfully.
Taylor glared into his eyes, “I’ll ask you this just once,” she said. “What happened between you and Levi?”
He looked at her cluelessly, “What? Levi?” he asked. “Who’s Levi?”
“Stop playing innocent!” she rammed her fist into the wall behind him, punching a mini crater into it.
“I know you do not trust me,” he said. “But I honestly do not know this man called Levi.”
Chris placed her hand on his wrist, feeling his pulse for the irregular beats that occurred when someone wasn’t being completely honest.
“Taylor,” she said. “He isn’t lying.”
Taylor leaned closer, her expression cold and deadly, “Did you take a drug?” she asked.
Razy flinched for a moment, “No, I did not,” he said.
“Umm,” Chris said, her hand still on his wrist. “Your pulse says otherwise.”
“Damn it,” he cursed.
“Now,” Taylor traced her finger along his cheek. “Are you going to tell us what happened? Or do I have to make you?”
“I did take a drug,” he whispered, his voice husky and silent.
“So you do know who Levi is!”
“What? No!”
Taylor looked confused, “Who did you get the drug from then?”
“A few weeks ago I visited one of the outer towers on Drakon,” he said. “This particular tower functioned as a high-tech medical research unit. The lead research group there showed me this drug they were creating, a drug that could artificially increase the life energy of a warrior. They had already conducted preliminary tests on the drug and were searching for someone to field test it for them. They seemed to think I was the perfect candidate and pleaded with me quite a few times until I finally agreed to do it.”
“Just how stupid are you?” Chris asked.
“Are you saying my colleagues were the one who caused all this?!” he asked. “Never. A Dark Knight would never betray another.”
“That whole research group was probably just White Knights in disguise,” Taylor sighed.
“WHAT?” he exclaimed.
A thought suddenly struck Chris, a terrifying thought.
“Taylor?” she asked. “When you used your Elementa of Darkness back at the main hall, how did you know which Knights to teleport and which ones to not?�
�
“I just took out the ones with the white battle armor,” she said.
“So if a White Knight didn’t change his armor’s color yet…”
“...then he’d still be in the Palace,” Taylor’s eyes widened. “The Empress!” she yelled.
She and Chris charged out of the room and headed to the Palace of Darkness. They didn’t waste a single second and rushed into the main corridor.
Commander Reagan walked towards them, “Hello there, where are you both-”
“The Empress is in danger!” Taylor yelled and ran past him. He immediately understood and ran after them.
The royal chambers were at the end of the corridor. Two guards lay outside the door, sprawled on the floor.
Unconscious.
“Andrea!” Taylor yelled as she charged into the room.
The Empress lay in her bed fast asleep. A man stood next to her. A Dark Knight. His hands rose above his head. Something caught the light and reflected it into their eyes. Chris noticed a shiny object in the man’s hands.
A blade, her eyes went wide in horror.
The man glanced at them, a wide smirk on his face. A dull glow emerged around him and the black peeled off his suit, revealing the White Knight battle armor underneath.
Taylor reached for her sword. But it was too late. The White Knight swiftly brought his blade down onto Andrea.
The Empress of the Dark Knights was going to die.
And there was nothing they could do about it.
***
4-2
The moment Chris entered the room, the moment she saw that White Knight, she knew what she had to do. The moment her eyes saw that blade in his hands, her mind instantly reacted.
She felt her life energy burst through her body, seeping into every limb, every muscle, every cell. She watched as the man’s hand came down, his blade aimed right at the sleeping Empress’ heart.
And then everything stopped.
Time stood still.
Chris’ mind breathed a sigh of relief, NOVA power is active, she thought.
She controlled the Elementa of Wind, an Elementa that had a primary focus on speed. When she had transformed into her NOVA form, she discovered that she could accelerate her brain activity to extremely high levels for a short period of time. That meant her conscious was experiencing an accelerated flow of time, so everything around her would temporarily slow down so much that it would almost seem like they had frozen.
The Quest Saga Collection: Books 1 - 5 Page 72
