Sandqueen (Rise To Omniscience Book 7)

by Aaron Oster

  She glared at Lumia, daring her to argue or try and make up excuses, but, surprisingly enough, the drake did neither. Instead, she changed, her form growing and shifting as she took on her hybrid form.

  “It is not my place to tell you,” she said, now towering over her, but Grace would not be cowed.

  “Then whose place is it?” she demanded. “Who has the ‘right’ to tell me, because I feel like I have the right to know! Especially seeing as I’m forced to stay behind while he risks his life!”

  Lumia hesitated for a moment, then let out a low growl and shook her head.

  “You were not there the last time. So, you cannot understand what it was like for him. Having to face that Pinnacle King and being the only survivor. It…changed him. He became a different man after that day.”

  “So, he lost a few friends,” Grace said. “People lose friends all the time. It’s hardly an excuse to go into a situation like that alone, especially when there is so much at stake! He’s not the type to take such a reckless course of action.”

  “On the contrary. Morgan is exactly the type to do just that.”

  Grace whirled as the familiar voice of Katherine sounded at her door. She looked tired, and lines of worry clearly showed beneath her eyes. However, her expression was stoic. Her shoulders were squared, and her chin was held high. Katherine continued before Grace could even ask her to explain.

  “The Morgan you know today, the mild, even-tempered and cautious man who’s been training you. The one who urges thought before action and values life above all else is the result of his fight with the last Pinnacle King. Before then, he was, well, reckless. Battle crazed. Someone who would go looking for a fight, simply for the sake of fighting. Just to test his strength against that of a greater foe and see who would come out on top.”

  “That doesn’t sound like him,” Grace said with just a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “Are you sure?”

  “Oh, quite sure,” Katherine replied. “I’ve seen him bloodied and on the verge of death more times than you can count, and, in every instance, there would be this almost manic glee in his eyes. He would throw himself in headfirst, heedless of danger or whether or not he could win.”

  “What changed?” Grace asked, having a hard time imagining that her teacher, who had always been so cautious and mild-mannered, was the same person Katherine was talking about now.

  Morgan, reckless? That was something she’d never seen him in him. Sure, he’d gone into dangerous fights, like the one against that goddess, but he’d gone into them with carefully constructed plans, using his mind where his fists wouldn’t work.

  “Sarah,” Katherine said, earning her a hiss from Lumia. “Oh, don’t give me that,” the queen said with a roll of her eyes. “Everyone knows about her, so what’s wrong with Grace finding out?”

  “Who’s Sarah?” Grace asked, looking between Lumia and Katherine.

  So much of Morgan’s past was a mystery to her, and if someone was freely offering her some insight, she was going to take it.

  “Sarah,” Katherine continued, “was Morgan’s whole world. They grew up together, traveled together and eventually fell in love.”

  “So. What happened to her?” she asked.

  It was clear from the tone in the room that something bad had happened. There was also that fact that Morgan had never even mentioned her, nor had anyone else.

  “She died,” Lumia said, her voice heavy with regret. “She was part of the group that went along to fight against the last Pinnacle King.”

  Grace nodded slowly, finally understanding. She’d been missing pieces until now, but now that she had them all, a lot of things were beginning to make sense. She understood why Morgan often seemed so far away, as though he were looking off into another world. It also must have been why he taught her that running wasn’t something to be ashamed of, and if a fight seemed unwinnable, she should flee to fight another day.

  She’d thought these lessons to be contradictory of what should have been. After all, warriors always had to stand their ground. But, if he’d lost someone that important to him because of a fight they couldn’t win, she could understand his reasoning.

  She also understood why he always seemed so sober and rarely ever smiled, but it had been over two years ago by now. Shouldn’t the pain have at least lessened somewhat? When she posed this question, Katherine simply shook her head.

  “You cannot truly understand his level of loss until you know how he felt about her. They were inseparable. No matter where he went, what he did, or what choices he made, she always stuck with him. She was his oldest friend, and she was the only person who really understood him. She knew him inside and out. She loved him for everything he was, and despite everything, he wasn’t.

  “Imagine growing up with almost no memory of who you are. He was all alone on the streets of a city he didn’t recognize. Morgan didn’t have an easy childhood, but when Sarah came along, things started changing for the better. To put it plainly, she was his entire world. When she died, he no longer wanted any part of it…”

  Katherine trailed off here, her voice catching slightly, so Lumia continued the story.

  “He was convinced to keep going by someone who knew what was coming. They told him about the inevitable war with Faeland. The old Morgan would never have agreed to marry the Elf Queen to end the war. Even if Sarah had not been there, he’d have refused, simply because of the challenge it would pose. Because of how much power he could potentially gain from a war between the Five Kingdoms and Faeland.

  “Morgan didn’t have much sympathy for people in general and placed no value on life. He did what he had to do to survive, and to him, that always meant being the strongest around. His perspective has changed over time, though. Now, after seeing the devastation of a war with a Pinnacle King, he understands the true damage it could do. Not only to the world at large, but to all the individuals living within.”

  “Is that why he refused to let anyone come with him to fight the Pinnacle King?” Grace asked in a quiet voice.

  “He didn’t allow anyone else to go, because he doesn’t want to see anyone else he cares about die needlessly,” Katherine replied, her voice sober.

  “But…Can he win?”

  Neither Lumia nor Katherine answered immediately, which made Grace feel distinctly uncomfortable and more than a little scared.

  “I’m sure he can,” Katherine finally said, breaking the deafening silence. “He has to.”

  The Queen of the North then nodded to the two of them and excused herself from the room, leaving Grace feeling both afraid and angry. The fear was understandable, as Morgan was out there fighting a beast that not even his closest friends thought he could beat. Katherine’s false optimism hadn’t fooled her. The anger was what surprised her.

  However, when she took a closer look, she realized that she wasn’t angry at him, but rather, at what he’d done. Morgan had gone off to fight a beast that could potentially kill him, risking the alliance he’d so tenuously built, and all because he’d been too stubborn to ask for help. After hearing the story, she knew why he’d gone off on his own, and it hadn’t only been to stop others from potentially being hurt or killed.

  Morgan had gone on his own because he wanted to kill the Pinnacle King himself. He wanted revenge for what had happened to Sarah and had to make sure that no one got in his way. Well, she wasn’t going to allow him to face a monster like that on his own. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t strong enough to make any difference. So long as she showed up, he would know she was there for him.

  She knew that Lumia wouldn’t let her go and would probably try to stop her if she tried. She wracked her brain, and an idea came to her rather quickly.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea?” she asked, turning to the drake.

  “That what is a good idea?” Lumia asked.

  “For Morgan to be out there on his own.”

  “He made his choice.”

  “But are you happy with
it?” she asked, making sure to meet the drake’s eye. “You can’t seriously tell me that you aren’t worried about him.”

  “We are not going after him,” Lumia said. “I see what you’re trying to do, and I will not put either of us in that kind of danger.”

  “I never said we have to go fight,” Grace said. “But would it really hurt to go check? Morgan needs us, even if he doesn’t know it. Even if we can’t do anything to help physically. We have to go.”

  “No,” Lumia replied, practically glaring at her now. “We’re not going, and that’s final!”

  There was a long moment of silence where the two of them just stared at one another.

  “So, should I pack a bag, or…?” Grace asked, giving her a questioning look.

  Lumia let out a long huff. An annoyed expression was written on her face, but she resignedly answered a few seconds later.

  “You don’t need a bag, but at least make sure you’re wearing proper armor.”

  Grace practically beamed at her, then dashed off to get changed. She knew she’d be able to convince Lumia to take her to check on Morgan. And, once they were there, she’d be unable to resist helping. This way, even if she couldn’t do anything personally, at least he would have a little help. He didn’t need to be all alone, and she was going to make sure that he knew that.

  45

  Pentagon’s wings snapped out, the massive, feathery appendages reflecting the light of the dying fires behind her. Then, she flapped down, launching herself off the ground and directly at him. She sped across the gap between them in the span of a few heartbeats, giving Morgan just enough time to prepare another shield before she slammed into him.

  Morgan felt the power behind the blow as it connected, the Pinnacle King slamming her powerful arm directly into the center of his shield. He was driven back through the air, his arms straining despite the enhancement of his skill. Worse, cracks were already forming over the shield’s surface from the power of her punch.

  He struck back, using Compression to shoot a bolt of air right into her chest. Pentagon was thrown back, letting out a roar of annoyance as he followed, the shield morphing into a gauntlet once more as he neared. She gingerly dodged to one side, her wings flapping powerfully as he passed. Having expected this, Morgan twisted, the construct traveling down his body and encasing his foot.

  His leg slammed into her upraised forearm, and the massive violet spike managed to do what his previous attacks had failed to accomplish, opening a shallow gash along her wrist.

  Pentagon hissed as crimson beads appeared along the line, but Morgan wasn’t done yet. He followed his momentum and teleported behind her, slamming a fist into her lower back in an attempt to shatter her spine. Her tail whipped out as his fist made contact, forcing him to abandon the attack halfway through and teleport to attack a different part of her body.

  He went for her left wing this time, thinking he’d damage the feathery limb enough to force her to the ground. However, as he appeared, a pillar of sand blasted up from the ground, catching him in the gut and throwing him skyward. He breathed out explosively to avoid getting winded but was still thrown off his course. Pentagon followed, her gleaming claws leaving a trail of light in the air as she aimed for his neck.

  Growling, he bent back, narrowly avoiding the strike. He lashed out with a kick aimed at her neck, but her arm came up once more, deflecting the blow. This was how they continued. They traded ever-stronger attacks as they rose higher and higher in the air, neither managing to land a single telling blow.

  Morgan’s constructs and shield were beginning to show signs of wear, although Pentagon seemed to be increasing in her power and speed. His skill’s timer was almost up, so he did the smart thing. He opted to retreat instead of continuing to attack. Morgan teleported backward, appearing near the opposite side of the cavern.

  That was a big mistake, and Morgan regretted the decision almost immediately when a roaring cyclone of burning sand came tearing up at him, catching him completely by surprise. All he could do was throw his hands up and shield his face before he was driven bodily into the ceiling, smashing through the stalactites hanging there. Sand tore at his constructed armor, ripping it to pieces before starting on his shield.

  The heat was so intense that Morgan was having a hard time breathing, the superheated air burning his lungs as he inhaled. The attack didn’t last too long, but as the cyclone of sand faded, he realized that he’d lost sight of the Pinnacle King. His Aura Sense flared outward, right on time to feel a mass of power coming at him from behind. He whirled, throwing up a Stormforged shield just as a pair of claws, which were made of glowing red-hot sand, slammed into him.

  His back impacted with the ceiling once more, his muscles straining to hold back the burning claws of the Pinnacle King. She pushed back. The oversized paw made entirely of sandstone burned hotter as she poured more of her energy into it. Sand cloaked her form, swirling around her body. It covered her limbs and formed a pseudo-armor, much like his own. However, unlike his, her armor was simultaneously giving off a burning heat and was also slowly sanding down his.

  She growled, her enlarged canines reflecting the light from the cherry-red sandstone claws that were slicing through the last of his defenses. Teleporting now would do him no good, as she’d just come with him. Seeing as they were so close, there was no way for Pentagon to avoid attacks, either.

  He knew that he should probably use his new skill, Soulstream, but right now, he didn’t have enough RP to unleash the attack. He needed to regenerate just a bit more, but at the rate she was burning through his defenses, he wouldn’t last long enough to do so. So, having little choice, Morgan used a different attack, one that he hadn’t used in quite some time.

  The explosion of wind around him was deafening as he drove Pentagon through several dozen buildings in less than a second. They smashed through the other side, and Morgan retreated, leaving her buried in a crater some ten feet deep. The Hypersonic part of his Flight skill cost a whopping 2,800 RP to activate, but it was one of the few skills Pentagon would not be fast enough to block. It was duel-purposed, as having her in a crater should also buy him a bit of time.

  Morgan’s eyes narrowed as the Pinnacle King exploded from the wall with a roar of rage. Several dozen cuts marred her form, lines of red visible in her fur. Her muzzle was bunched up, and her glowing purple eyes were narrowed in rage. The violet aura around her body began fluctuating wildly. She was not happy, and that meant a world of pain for Morgan.

  There was an explosion of wind as she flew up, her gleaming claws slashing out at his chest. He flew back but hit the ceiling an instant later.

  “Oh, shit,” Morgan muttered, right before the Pinnacle King slammed into him.

  He ground his teeth as he felt four burning hot needles of pain puncture his skin before driving him through the ceiling and up into the next level. Pentagon ripped her claws free, leaving a trail of crimson in the air, then struck again.

  Morgan threw up an arm, managing to catch the blow, but couldn’t completely avoid her claws. Pentagon looked determined as she scratched a deep line into the side of his scalp. His anger flared and he struck back, unleashing a flurry of punches all aimed at Pentagon’s smug face. There were only so many attacks she could avoid, and more than a few struck their mark. He felt a distinct sense of animalistic glee as he drove her back down, going through the hole in the ceiling and heading back into the ancient city.

  However, as he made it down, several dozen tendrils of sand came whipping up from the ground below, forcing him to disengage. He twisted and whirled through the air as the sand billowed up around him, massive lines cutting through the air and missing by a matter of inches. The ceiling was torn to shreds as they hit, making him all the more wary of the attack.

  Pentagon was suddenly before him, her tail flashing out and catching him in the shoulder. She hit one of the heavy metal plates that protected him. Morgan had been through his fair share of battles and knew how valuable his
limbs were, especially in a prolonged fight. That’s why he’d made sure to line these shoulder plates with a magesteel and adamantite alloy. The plates were heavy and cumbersome, but they now proved their worthiness as the stinger only punched halfway through the plate before being stopped.

  She tried to pull her tail back, but because it was now wedged in his armor, all it did was bring Morgan in faster. He grinned, before clubbing her savagely over the side of the head with a magesteel-covered fist, courtesy of his Nature’s Wrath. The clang of metal reverberated throughout the city, and Morgan had the distinct satisfaction of shattering one of the crownlike protrusions on the Pinnacle King’s head.

  Pentagon roared in rage, unleashing another blast of heat that made Morgan feel like his skin was going to melt. His hand flashed down to the belt at his waist, brushing over the sphere that contained the greenish-gold rock. He felt immediately nauseous, but the explosive power that the stone imparted was more than worth it. A blast of power sent Pentagon tumbling through the air, vivid red welts forming on her fur.

  Morgan followed, already feeling the strain of his skill increasing as time went on. There was only so long he could keep using this before it started to cost him more than he could regenerate, so he had to do this quickly. He needed to have enough RP to use Soulstream before the Beast took control. Even now, he could feel the blinding rage and animalistic hunger trying to overwhelm his senses. It didn’t help that he was so enraged by this point that it was hard for him to even think straight, let alone make wise or well thought out decisions.

  Pentagon recovered, her tail flashing out once more as he approached. Morgan teleported forward, appearing right in front of her and propelling a glowing fist into her stomach. The Pinnacle King’s eyes went wide for a moment. A blast of green energy exploded from her back, showing that it had gone straight through her and left a burning hole in its wake. Pentagon began to fall back, and Morgan felt a momentary thrill of success. That feeling quickly faded when the color seemed to leech from Pinnacle King’s body, leaving it to crumble to dust.