The Rift War

by Alexandra Moody

  ‘No, your mother was the liar,’ he shot back. ‘I’m just sorry I couldn’t be there when my people killed her. To watch them do it.’

  Sloane froze, the image of her mother’s blood running across the hard floor of her bedroom flashing through her mind. The memory pained her more than her father’s claws or fangs ever could.

  ‘Even if you weren’t there,’ she shouted. ‘You are the reason she died.’ Sloane jumped towards her father again, her anger fuelling her strikes. She growled as she threw extra power into her attacks, but angry tears were building in her eyes as his words repeated over and over in her head.

  Her fury was making her reckless, and as her movements became more frantic, the Captain dodged and deflected them more easily. He ducked under one attack and caught the hilt of her sword in one of his jagged hands before kicking her hard in the stomach. She staggered back but kept her body strong so she could stay on her feet.

  ‘Your mother got herself killed,’ the Captain drawled. ‘She should never have lied to me about the Liftsal. She got what she deserved.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Sloane spluttered.

  ‘She had it all along,’ he snarled. ‘I found the vial on her cold, dead body and there was one last drop.’

  He started to stalk slowly towards her, his eyes flaring with rage and desire as he recalled the memory.

  ‘She had blinded me from my cause, but when I found her secret vial, I saw clearly once again. I could finally drink the sacred water. But it wasn’t enough to turn me, and I knew I needed more.’

  His muscles were pulsating, and his eyes almost seemed to glow with even more blood red fire as he stepped closer and closer to her. She raised her sword again, ready for the next attack.

  ‘And now I have drunk all I need to become a god in this world and the one through the rift. Everyone who inhabits them will kneel or die. I won’t give you or your sister that choice though.’

  The Captain roared and propelled himself at Sloane, his claws outstretched. His strikes suddenly felt quicker and stronger, and they rained down on her relentlessly. She couldn’t seem to move her sword fast enough, and as she desperately tried to stop him, the Captain slashed one of his sharp talons against her arm, and she dropped her sword onto the blackened earth beneath her feet. Before she knew what was happening, the Captain had his hands around Sloane’s throat, and he lifted her clean off the ground.

  ‘I knew you’d come in use to me someday,’ he said, leaning his face in so close to her that she could smell the stench of his breath as she struggled for air.

  ‘And I was right,’ he continued to taunt her. ‘If it weren't for you, the Unfaih never would have taken me alive. You led me straight to the Liftsal. Unlike your treacherous mother.’

  He raised his arm and extended a long jagged claw towards Sloane’s neck as he reached for the Oblivion Stone.

  ‘And now you’ve brought me this little gift as well,’ he taunted, the green glow of the stone reflecting in his red eyes as he stared desperately at it.

  Before he could cut the stone from around Sloane’s neck, the Captain paused as a sharp whistling noise sounded in the air, and then a loud thud rocked his body. He dropped his grip on Sloane, and she crashed to the ground. Looking up, she could see the head of an arrow protruding from his chest. He glanced down at the metal sticking out of his skin in shock before he slowly staggered around to face his new attacker.

  Sloane looked past her father and saw Rowe standing beyond him, another arrow already pulled tight in her bow. She let it loose and it cut through the air and plunged into the Captain’s shoulder. He stumbled back but then started to take laboured steps towards Rowe as she reached for another arrow.

  Sloane saw her opening, and she grabbed her sword and leapt to her feet in one motion. She let out a painful battle cry as she ran towards her father, all the agony she had felt the last few weeks spilling from her.

  The Captain turned to the noise, but before he could lift a hand in defence Sloane drove her sword into his chest. Her father’s eyes opened wide as the blade ran through him and the flames from the weapon began to spread across his scaling skin. She pulled her sword free, and in the space of a breath, he was engulfed in fire. Through the blaze, Sloane could see all awareness flee from his red eyes, and he crumbled to the ground in a lifeless heap.

  Sloane was shaking with anger and agony as she slowly turned away from her father and looked for her sister. Rowe was still standing tall, with an arrow strung to her bow, aimed at the Captain who lay dead on the rocky ground. Sloane could see the determination in Rowe’s eyes, and she knew her sister had heard every word the Captain had said.

  Sloane wanted to comfort her, but they didn’t have time to waste. Beyond where Rowe was standing, she could see Rhyn was cutting through a final couple of Braky soldiers and approaching the Original Braky.

  The rest of the monster’s minions were lying motionless on the ground. Some had arrows sticking from their black bodies while others had been decapitated. Rhyn roared as he met the Original and swung his sword at the beast.

  They fought in a blur of metal and claws, and Sloane was shocked by the Original’s speed. Even Rhyn was finding it difficult to keep up, and she noticed the piece of Oblivion Stone flared on the Braky’s chest each time Rhyn landed a blow. The stone wasn’t nearly as bright as the one around Sloane’s neck was after her fight with the Captain, and the Original’s fragment was far smaller. She hoped that meant it was also less powerful than the two pieces she held, but given the way that Rhyn was struggling, she didn’t think they were going to be that lucky.

  She quickly scanned the rest of the group to see if everyone was okay. Esther was leaning over Jack who lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling slowly, and Kai and Lorian were still approaching the battle from across the plain. They weren’t far off, but Sloane wasn’t sure if anyone would be able to help Rhyn defeat the Original except for her.

  She wiped the palm of her hand against her face, clearing the tears that had escaped her eyes and stained her cheeks. With great effort, she pushed down every painful feeling that ached within her heart until she could no longer feel anything at all, and she started sprinting towards Rhyn.

  Rowe turned as Sloane ran past and started firing her arrows at the Original Braky. The Oblivion Stone on its chest flared with each hit, and the arrows didn’t appear to be piercing its skin. Instead, they fell lifelessly to the ground. Sloane wasn’t sure if the Braky could control the stone the way she could, but it was definitely helping to protect the Original from being injured.

  It wasn’t the only one with a piece of the stone though, and the Original Braky was about to meet its match. Its red eyes flicked in Sloane’s direction as she bore down on it, her flaming sword raised in front of her.

  The creature smiled darkly at her, and its eyes fell to the glowing stone around her neck. A foul grin spread across its lips, and its eyes blazed as it locked onto the Oblivion Stone. In a blindingly fast movement, the Original Braky ducked under another attack from Rhyn and darted back away from the Unfaih prince. The Original turned and dived through the rift behind it and disappeared once more into Aeris.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sloane didn’t hesitate as she continued to race after the Braky. It may have retreated to another world, but she wasn’t going to let it go easily. Rhyn was still standing by the rift, staring after the Original. He must have heard Sloane coming because he glanced over his shoulder in her direction as she ran towards him. The anger in his eyes softened for the briefest second, as he looked her up and down.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he asked as she drew closer.

  ‘Fine,’ she said, slowing as she came to stand at his side. ‘My father is dead.’ There was little emotion in her voice. She wasn’t prepared to face the reality of what she and Rowe had just done. But there would be plenty of time for them to process it after the battle was over. If they survived, that was.

  ‘Then let’s f
inish this together,’ Rhyn replied.

  The two of them leapt through the rift after the Original Braky, and the warm air of Aeris hit them as they arrived in the green world. So too did the full volume of the screams and roars of battle.

  The World of the Woods was chaos, with Brakys, Unfaih and humans fighting in a gory, bloody conflict. It was impossible to tell which side was winning and who was losing in all the confusion. Brakys clawed and snapped at their enemies while Unfaih warriors were crashing their swords down upon the creatures. Gunshots were ringing out again and again as the humans unloaded bullets at the monsters, but there seemed to be endless hoards of the beasts streaming through the trees.

  Sloane wasn’t focused on the war surrounding them though, and neither was Rhyn. They only had one objective, and that was to destroy the Original Braky. But the creature had already started making its way through the mêlée. It was almost strolling as it walked confidently through the chaos, and any human or Unfaih that came at it was swatted away as if they were no more bother than a fly. The Original glanced over its shoulder at Sloane and Rhyn, almost as if it were inviting them to chase after it, before it turned and disappeared through the trees.

  Sloane and Rhyn didn’t pause as they followed it, but they barely made it beyond the rift before Brakys moved to block their path. Keeping close beside one another, Sloane and Rhyn battled their way through the creatures, their swords blurring as they flowed from one attack to another.

  Gunshots continued to reverberate loudly as Sloane fought, and she could hear the deep, heaving breaths of Brakys and the occasional howl rising up through the air. There seemed to be just as many creatures on Aeris as there had been in Ellysia, and Sloane felt like they were outnumbered once again. But the thing that surprised her most was the way the humans and Unfaih were working together.

  Several groups made up of fighters from both peoples were moving through the woods as strong units, taking down Brakys as they went. The Unfaih were using their swords and their bows and arrows, while the humans were mostly using guns. Their fighting styles were worlds apart, and yet they somehow seemed to have come together as a fearsome force.

  As Sloane hacked through the final Braky that stood in her way, she spotted a clearing that lay up ahead. Through the fighting that was raging around her, Sloane could see the Original Braky standing there alone. It was watching her closely, almost as if it was waiting for her.

  She went to call out to Rhyn, but her voice was cut off as a hand grabbed her and pulled her backwards. As she staggered back, a Braky slashed its claws across the empty space where she had been standing. At the same moment, a sword struck the creature in the chest, crumpling it in one blow. Sloane looked to her side, shock widening her eyes when she found it was Ash who had helped her.

  She glanced back quickly in the direction of the Original, but the creature had disappeared from sight again. Sloane turned to her brother, and despite the fact he had just saved her from a Braky, all she could focus on was the sword in his hand.

  ‘Who let you have a weapon?’ she demanded, her eyes still wide from the shock of seeing her brother come to her aid.

  Ash shrugged at her, but his gaze was serious. ‘I was directing a scouting party to the rift, but when we were about halfway there, I began to feel stabbing pains across my body where the Brakys had scratched me.’

  He looked down at his chest and stomach, and lightly touched the areas as if he was still trying to understand what had happened to him. ‘Somehow I could sense that the creatures were coming.’ His voice had turned quiet. ‘We radioed back to the camp and brought our full force to meet them here.’

  ‘You feel pain when they’re near?’ Sloane asked. ‘I guess I should have predicted that.’

  She looked at her brother with renewed admiration. With so many of the Brakys surrounding them, she didn’t know how Ash was still standing, let alone fighting.

  ‘Can you still feel the pain?’ she asked, her gaze moving from Ash as another Braky attacked her. She swiftly disposed of the creature before focusing on her brother again.

  ‘Yeah, I can still feel it.’ He almost seemed nervous to admit it to her out loud, and Sloane saddened at his words. She knew how unbearable the pain was, and she imagined it would be far worse than she had ever endured. His whole torso had been covered in Braky scratches. It was a miracle he had hadn’t passed out from the pain.

  She hated that even now, as they fought side by side, Ash was hesitant to admit the weakness to her. The Captain had so thoroughly destroyed their relationship that Ash spoke to her as if she were a stranger.

  Sloane paused for the briefest of seconds and looked at her brother. She could see her own sadness reflected in his eyes and knew that he too felt the distance that stretched between them. She could also see that he was trying though. He had defended her before and was fighting against the Brakys even though he was suffering from so much pain. He was striving to make up for his past wrong-doings, and for the first time, she started to believe that he deserved a second chance.

  ‘I know it’s been a long time since we’ve been close, but maybe we can start over if we get out of this alive,’ she said.

  ‘Yeah,’ he replied, a shy ghost of a smile on his lips. ‘I think I’d like that.’

  She nodded and gave him a small smile in return. ‘Well, until then, let’s destroy some Brakys.’

  The two of them continued deeper into the fighting, joining Rhyn who hadn’t stopped battling the creatures even for a moment to catch his breath. There were still so many of the monsters though, and it felt like they were multiplying right in front of Sloane’s eyes as she fought. Every time she knocked one down, two appeared in its place.

  ‘Over there,’ Rhyn shouted, drawing Sloane and Ash’s attention. The Original Braky wasn’t far from them now. It was still standing alone in the clearing ahead. Any Unfaih or human who dared to approach it didn’t last long. The creature was huge and towered over anyone it fought. They needed to stop it soon, before it was allowed to cause any more destruction, along with its army of snarling Brakys.

  ‘We’ll surround it,’ Ash suggested, as he watched the creature standing tall in the open clearing waiting for them. ‘That will be the best way to cut it down.’

  Sloane and Rhyn both nodded, and the three of them raced into action. They entered the clearing and spread out in a circle around the Original Braky. It held out its arms as if to welcome them and a smirk began to build on its lips.

  ‘You cannot defeat me,’ it growled. The Original’s voice was dark and deep and filled with the kind of evil rumble only reserved for nightmares.

  Rhyn launched at the creature, but the Braky easily knocked him away with a swing of its muscular scaled arm. Rhyn rolled to his feet, but there was more caution in the Unfaih prince’s gaze as he watched the Original for another opening to attack.

  The Braky spun around to face Sloane and Ash as they moved into position behind it. Its red eyes stared intensely into Sloane's.

  ‘We meet again,’ it snarled. ‘The children of my beautiful Eva.’ The two of them froze as it tilted its head to look at them, a sinister and taunting look on its oily face.

  ‘Your mother would love to have seen us all together like this,’ the Braky said, raising its arms again and looking around at the greenery of Aeris. ‘She would want you to help me. To give me the other piece of the stone so I can finish what I’ve started.’

  Sloane’s body tensed as the Braky’s eyes fell to the stone that was glowing against her chest. They were fighting to stop the Brakys from getting to the human ships and adding to their army, but there was a new danger now. If Sloane was killed and the Original Braky got hold of the final fragment of the Oblivion Stone, there was no telling what powers it would wield. What world it would discover and destroy.

  Rhyn launched himself at the Braky again, while it was focused on Sloane and Ash. But once more the Original struck a hand out, absorbing the blow of Rhyn’s sword before throwin
g a kick into Rhyn’s gut and sending him flying across the clearing.

  ‘It’s lying,’ Ash growled, glancing in Sloane’s direction. ‘Protect the stone.’

  The Original turned its attention to Ash. ‘You can still have a place at my side,’ it hissed. ‘That’s what your father would want.’

  ‘That man is no longer my father!’ Ash shouted, before racing at the Braky, his sword raised high above his head.

  Sloane didn’t falter as she launched into an attack at Ash’s side, and Rhyn didn’t hesitate as he joined them at the same moment. They worked in seamless harmony as they barraged the creature with one blow after another. But the Braky was incredibly fast and powerful. Even with three of them fighting the beast, it didn’t feel like they were strong enough.

  As Ash was batted back by the monster, he pulled a gun from the holster at his side and trained it on the Original Braky. He unloaded an entire clip of bullets at the creature, but even the interitus-covered ammunition had no effect on it. The fragment of the Oblivion Stone that hung around the Braky's neck was absorbing any attack that was made against it, and Ash’s bullets simply bounced off its body, just like Rowe’s arrows had.

  Sloane knew there was only one way they could win the battle—by taking away the Original Braky’s source of protection. They were going to need to get the piece of Oblivion Stone from around its neck.

  Ash’s gaze was also on the stone against the Braky’s chest. He then looked at Sloane, and he nodded like he was thinking the same thing she was. He ditched his gun onto the ground and raced up behind the creature, who had turned to fight off Rhyn. Ash threw himself towards the Braky with his hand reached out towards the brightly glowing green stone. The Original was too fast though. In a blinding movement, it turned from Rhyn and grabbed Ash by the throat before hurling him through the air and into a tree.

  There was a sickening crunch as Ash hit the tree and his head dropped to his side. Sloane screamed out in anguish as her brother’s eyes closed and his body fell limp. Hurt and anger pounded within her skull, and she felt a desperate urge to rush to Ash’s side. But she resisted the pull within her to help her brother. She needed to finish what he had started. She needed to destroy the Original Braky.