Sandqueen (Rise To Omniscience Book 7)

by Aaron Oster

  Without her, Octagon the Bitter would never have lost, and the world would now be his. Every day that Morgan went on, blaming himself instead of praising her, was a stain on her memory.

  “What can I do, though?” he asked, his voice sounding far weaker than he’d have liked.

  Sarah crouched beside him. When she reached out, her hand didn’t come into contact with his face but went past him instead. When she drew her arm back, she was clutching the brilliant silver spear, which seemed far brighter now than it had any right to be. Power radiated off its surface, the silvery-blue light nearly blinding him as he gazed upon it.

  More mist drifted up around them as she shoved the spear into his chest, grabbing his hand and placing it on the weapon’s haft.

  “Have you already forgotten about me? I’m always with you. Use what you have, and go save that little girl!”

  ***

  Morgan’s mind snapped back into focus, and he found himself clutching the silver spear in a near-death-grip. The scene that had just transpired stood out to him as clear as day, yet it felt so surreal. The weapon hummed in his grasp as though it was eager to be unleashed and used like it was always supposed to be. He had no idea if what had happened was real or not, but no time seemed to have passed since his hallucination began.

  Pentagon had just reached the surface, and the mass of power that represented her core was streaking towards Grace. Pain still forced his body into inaction, but he could now do something, thanks to the spear clutched in his hands.

  Morgan concentrated and a violet gauntlet formed around the haft of the weapon. With an enormous effort of will, he sent it off, the construct and spear vanishing off into the distance as a streak of silver and purple light trailed behind it. He fell back then, gasping for air as he tried to fight off the effects of the skill. Half a minute, that was all he needed, and if his attack worked, Grace should be able to survive that long. He just hoped that he wasn’t too late.

  ***

  The world stood still, frozen in that single moment, as the massive beast brought its claws down. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lumia, her wings half-spread and one arm outstretched, likely in an attempt to save her. She was only five feet away, but at the speed this attack was taking place, it may as well have been a mile. Unlike what most people said, Grace’s life did not flash before her eyes. All she saw was the looming threat of death and the inevitability of it happening.

  The claws descended, slicing through the air in slow-motion, Grace watching their descent as her body reacted reflexively, trying to move back. She was far too slow. In her mind, she already knew that and had accepted it. But the human instinct to live, to survive at all costs, was one that she simply could not fight. The gleaming claws were now inches from her face, and she could already tell that this would not be a pretty end at all. Those claws would shear her head wide open and leave a horrific mess in the aftermath.

  Oddly enough, Grace found that she was annoyed by the prospect. She worked hard to make herself look presentable, and this asshole was about to undo all of it in the matter of a couple of seconds.

  However, things did not unfold the way she imagined. The world sped up suddenly as the strange spell broke, and she stumbled back as a searing line of white-hot pain flared across her face. She fell, hitting the ground hard, even as chunks of stone rained down around her. Her hand flew to her face, and she cried out in agony, clutching at the burning area that traveled down her brow, over her left eye and down to her cheekbone.

  Then, a massive shadow loomed over her, and Lumia was there, standing over her, her body expanding to its full size and covering her completely.

  “Stay down!” Lumia yelled, her voice thundering in the odd stillness.

  Grace had no idea how she was still alive, nor did she know what was happening. All she knew was that her face felt like it was on fire, her hand was slick with blood and her vison was tinted red. Somehow, Lumia had gotten in the way on time, though she must have been injured in the process. She knew for certain that she was still alive, and the shock and pain of the injury was the only thing keeping her from completely breaking down.

  A massive roar shook the air, rumbling out of Lumia’s chest. It was clearly a challenge, one that the other beast, the Pinnacle King, returned in kind. In an ordinary fight between the two of them, Grace knew who the victor would be. Now, though, the beast was injured, while Lumia was fresh. The only question now was where Morgan was.

  The injuries she’d seen on that terrifying beast hadn’t been self-inflicted, which meant that Morgan was still alive. But where was he, and why wasn’t he coming for her? The first thought that flitted into her mind was that he was dead. She forced herself to banish those thoughts and snapped her fingers, angling them down into the ground. There seemed to be some sort of underground chamber below them, and if Morgan were down there, her Echolocation would pick it up.

  However, as the waves of sound came echoing back to her, she discovered something surprising. There wasn’t just a single room down there. There were more. How many more, she had no idea, as her skill would only travel so far. She’d seen all of the first and a part of the second, but judging by the fact that Morgan was nowhere to be found, it either had to run far deeper or…

  Or nothing! she snapped to herself, forcing her mind away from any morbid thoughts involving her teacher.

  Morgan was still alive, and he’d be coming for them. He had injured the beast, and so long as he came back to finish the job, everything would be okay. The air above her cracked, making her clamp her hands over her ears, wincing at the volume. A bright flash of crimson illuminated the air, followed by a howling wind. Lumia’s underbelly, which hovered a couple of feet above her, buckled slightly, signaling that the drake was under attack. However, she did not fall, roaring her defiance at the beast flying above them.

  Grace had never been more grateful in her life to have a friend like her and silently promised to do something to pay her back once this was all over with. In her mind, dying was not an option, not anymore. She had accepted death once today, and now that she’d managed to survive, albeit just barely, she didn’t quite feel like giving up so easily again.

  Her left eye slowly flickered open. It was still tinged with red but was clearly functional. It seemed that the object that had cut her, whatever it had been, had missed the eye entirely, her browbone having deflected it. She swiped at the eye once more, wincing at the pain, but secure in the knowledge that she hadn’t lost her sight.

  Lumia buckled once more as something massive slammed into her. The ground all around them was now littered with burning hot embers, and the sands were blackened and charred. Though she desperately wanted to know what was happening, Grace dared not leave the safety of Lumia’s shadow. She knew that it had been a mistake that they’d come. All she could do now was cower down here and hope that someone would save her.

  She hated feeling so weak, so helpless, and silently swore that if they all survived this, she would rededicate herself to her training. Being weak was not a crime, but staying weak, when the option of strength presented itself, would be the most horrible thing she could possibly do to herself.

  51

  Unlike Grace, Lumia had seen what had happened. She had become aware of the Pinnacle King as soon as they’d entered the city. Her keen senses had picked her out, fighting Morgan deep underground. That was why she’d felt relatively safe, landing all the way up here on the surface, instead of remaining on the other side of the walls. If Morgan was engaged and continued to throw off the massive-scale attacks that he was managing, chances were that he would be able to hold off the beast on his own.

  However, as soon as they’d touched down, something had gone wrong, and in the span of a couple of heartbeats, the Pinnacle King was on the surface. She looked as though she’d taken a fair bit of damage, and Lumia could sense that the energy of the world no longer sat within her core. Still, her speed was undeniable, and the way she’d immedia
tely gone for Grace told her that the Pinnacle King had sensed her core.

  Any supermage would be an immediate target for a beast like this, as they truly knew the danger that a supermage could pose if given enough time to grow. She’d tried to intervene, to move between the beast and the girl, but the Pinnacle King’s speed was something she could not have hoped to match, even in her weakened state. She’d made it to Grace in the span of a second, even as Lumia tried to move to stop her.

  The fear and terror that gripped her when she saw the claws descending and the resignation in Grace’s eyes as she accepted death was one of the most horrific things she’d ever experienced. Having spent more time with Grace than most since she’d started learning from Morgan, Lumia had grown close to the girl and had begun to view her as one of them. She was young, impulsive and more than a little reckless at times, but Lumia cared for her all the same.

  She reminded her for a younger Morgan, the one she’d met back before he’d gone to take on the Pinnacle King, Octagon. But Grace had an innate kindness, one that came from being raised by a loving parent. Sure, things hadn’t always been easy on her, but she had a family. She had someone who loved her unconditionally, and because of that, she had had a much different upbringing.

  The knowledge that Grace was about to die, and right before her very eyes, was bad enough. But knowing that she would not be able to save her made the situation all the more horrible. Worse still, she could sense Morgan. He was still far below ground and would not be fast enough to save her either. And, just like the last time he’d lost someone close to him, this would destroy him. It would undo all the good Grace had done by simply being around, and worse, it would probably destroy what little humanity Morgan had left.

  The Beast that lived inside of him would break free, and he might even turn into a monster that made the Pinnacle Kings seem paltry in comparison. That was why, when the shining silver spear tore through the ground, clutched in the massive purple gauntlet, Lumia experienced the single greatest sense of relief she had ever felt.

  Grace had not escaped unharmed, but thanks to the spear, she was still alive. As the Pinnacle King brought her claws down on Grace’s head, the spear had torn through her right wing at an angle, throwing her back. The claws, instead of crushing the girl’s skull, had merely left bloody scratches in their stead – though Lumia wouldn’t be surprised if they left permanent scars.

  The Pinnacle King was hurled backward, the gauntlet locking the spear into place and carrying the beast back far enough that Lumia could move to protect her. The beast tore the spear from her wing after just a few seconds and had lost a hand in the process. As she came flapping back, her body partially lopsided because of the injured wing, her left hand resembled nothing more than a bloodied mess of pulped flesh and bone.

  Lumia roared her challenge, her eyes narrowing as the beast approached, its own power flaring to levels she could not have hoped to match. Still, with the collection of injuries the Pinnacle King had amassed, Lumia was confident that she’d be able to hold her off or perhaps even win.

  “Get out of my way, drake!”

  The Pinnacle King’s voice, laced with pain and hate, echoed in her mind.

  “Make me,” Lumia replied, opening her mouth wide.

  Crimsonfire erupted from between her jaws, painting the world in an unnatural shade of red as it engulfed the Pinnacle King. There was a roar of anger from within the conflagration, and a massive hammer made of sand came crashing down onto her back. Lumia’s legs buckled slightly at the force of the impact, but her hide was tougher than even the strongest armor. Now that she was fighting to protect the girl cowering beneath her, she was not about to go down.

  The Pinnacle King’s body came into view as her attack came to an end, revealing that her body was partially cloaked in shining sandy armor. Lumia’s attack had been hot enough to warp the armor, turning whatever remained to glass and entrapping the powerful beast, causing her movements to be slowed. The beast roared, diving straight for her, a funnel cloud

  of sand collecting around her lower waist as she did.

  Lumia reached within herself and pulled on an even stronger source of fire. Violet flames exploded from between her jaws, flowing out less in a concentrated stream, and more like a cloud of destruction. The Pinnacle King, heading straight for her, could not avoid the attack with her now-injured wing slowing her down.

  A roar sounded from the beast’s maw, just before the flames engulfed her once more. A half-second later, she burst through, small fires clinging to her body. She slammed into Lumia’s chest, using the force of the sand funnel behind her. The attack flowed past the Pinnacle King, piercing into her scales as it tried to drill its way to the flesh beneath.

  At the same time, the Pinnacle King slammed her tail into the chinks in her armor, attempting to weaken her enough to force her to back down. Lumia growled as she felt the venom pouring into her body and brought her front leg up to swipe at the beast who was tearing away her scales. The lioness roared, trying to block the strike, but large as her paws were, the Pinnacle King found herself unable to.

  Lumia followed the attack by painting the air with even more fire, burning away at the last of the lioness’s armor as she was sent careening back through the air. She could feel the effects of the poison beginning to take hold, and her vision began to go blurry. There was no danger of death from that amount of venom for a beast of her size, but Lumia knew that her ability to protect Grace would be compromised within just a few more seconds.

  She could feel her focus slipping and her muscles beginning to relax. As soon as that happened, she’d have to shrink back down, in order not to fall on Grace and accidentally crush her. As the Pinnacle King – whose fur had been further blackened by her attack – got up, Lumia unleashed one of her most powerful skills. A mass of blue and black fire began to build up in a ball before her open maw. Just as her legs began to buckle and her vision grew hazy, she unleashed it, firing a powerful beam of condensed liquid flames right at the Pinnacle King.

  Lumia fell then, her body shrinking down to the size of a cat, and she landed on Grace’s head.

  ***

  “What happened?” Grace asked as Lumia suddenly shrank down, her body falling limply atop her head.

  “Sleepy,” Lumia muttered, then her body went limp.

  For several seconds, Grace panicked and thought that her friend was dead. When she pulled the small drake from her head, she found that Lumia was fast asleep, her back rising and falling slowly in a way that told Grace that she’d be fine.

  She was now alone, with Lumia out of the fight. Morgan was still nowhere to be seen. Alone, with an enraged Pinnacle King, who had just torn itself from the condensed beam of fire and whose eyes were now squarely locked on her. As the beast roared in rage and came flying back to her, Grace couldn’t help but notice the distinct lack of the same explosive speed she’d had before.

  The lioness was flying in a very jerky and lopsided manner. One of her wings was bleeding badly and looked to have been caught in Lumia’s last attack. Her tail hung limply behind her, looking charred and damaged in a way that spoke of a break or fracture. One of her hands was completely missing, and nearly all of the fur on her body had been burned away. In truth, Grace was shocked that this beast was even still alive.

  “There is no one left to save you, little human. Give up now and accept your fate!”

  Grace shuddered as the beast’s voice, growling and filled with rage, entered her mind, seeking to lock her in place with fear and stop her from resisting. However, unlike earlier, the beast seemed to be lacking authority. The same power that had paralyzed her before now only made her cringe. It had been weakened to the point that she, a rank 10 supermage, could resist.

  “No!” Grace yelled, balling her hands into fists and glaring at the approaching beast. “How about you give up?”

  Okay, so not the best comeback, she thought, raising her hands to guard her face as Morgan had taught her, but b
etter than nothing.

  The lioness growled, then slashed her claws downward. The sand to Grace’s left surged, extending into similar blade-like claws. They then flew up, rushing toward her. But, as she’d expected, the attack was slow enough for her to follow. She whirled, punching out and using her Siren Scream. The soundwaves blasted out of her fist, her muscles vibrating as it did, and impacted with the approaching sand blades.

  For just a moment, her soundwaves seemed to hold the attack back, and Grace felt a small thrill of excitement. Then, the blades continued on, tearing through her skill and moving to cut her in half as well. She used Body Shift, lightening her form as much as she could, and threw herself to one side. She managed to avoid the worst of the attack but still felt a flare of pain as the back of her calf was caught in the tail-end of the attack.

  She winced as she felt the hot blood flowing down the leg, but did her best to ignore it, just as she was trying to ignore the pain in her face. The Pinnacle King was nearly upon her, and she could not allow the beast to kill her, not after surviving her initial attack. Once, she’d accepted death as inevitable, but never again.

  Grace glared at the beast as she came near, her claws outstretched as though to tear her throat out.

  “Go to hell!” she screamed.

  She then used her most powerful attack. Both of her hands ballooned out to over three times their original size. She slammed them together, unleashing her Wail Wall. The blast of sound, followed by the horrible scream, slammed into the Pinnacle King as she reached for her, blasting the beast back through the air, tearing at her body and eardrums. Grace watched, feeling a distinct sense of satisfaction as she drove a Pinnacle King back with her attack.