The End of Days (The Soul Stone Trilogy Book 3)

by Matt Moss

  The man in black approached Arkin and Torin.

  “Arkin, come with me,” Lucian said. “He’s too powerful to take on alone.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned. I’ve heard everything now—Lucian admitting that he can’t best someone in a fight. And a priest at that, ha!” Torin jeered.

  Lucian ignored the comment and looked to Arkin. “His power is at full potential and unlike anything this world has ever seen. Surely you can sense that.”

  Arkin felt the power exuding from Victor and knew Lucian was right. No way that they could take him on one at a time. But maybe together…

  “What’s the plan?” Arkin asked.

  Lucian shrugged. “Never been much for plans, Arkin. Let’s just go in together and see what happens.” He held his hand out to Arkin.

  “Together,” Arkin said and shook Lucian’s hand. They left Torin standing with stone in hand.

  The big man looked at the stone, then up to them and spoke to their backs. “What do you want me to do with this?” His words fell upon deaf ears.

  The high priest smiled as Arkin and Lucian approached. “Come to kill a priest, have you? Don’t you know that’s a SIN!” Bolts of lightning surged from his fingertips and struck. Arkin used his power to form a shield wall of energy to stop the attack, but Lucian took it head on, barely flinching from the shock, his steps driving up the hill towards Victor. Again the high priest struck, but Lucian could not be stopped.

  “You’re finished,” Lucian growled, his sword shining bright as arcs of electricity danced around him. The bolts dissipated and Victor stood still, seething. His hand went towards Sarie and, in response, she flew through the air and stopped in front of him. Victor walked around her and put a hand to her chest. “Do you know what happens to a heart when it’s hit with a bolt of lightning?”

  Arkin’s pulse quickened at the threat and he felt the urge to strike.

  “Don’t,” Lucian told Arkin, as if he sensed his thoughts. “You’re attempt will only put her in more danger.”

  “We have to do something,” Arkin said.

  Lucian held his arms out and spoke to the high priest. “With all of your strength and power, you resort to threatening women over fighting your own apprentice. That’s not power. That’s cowardice.”

  The words made Victor grin as his fingers clawed into Sarie’s skin in spite. She cringed through the pain, her eyes filled with tears as she looked upon her son.

  “Weak. Pathetic,” Lucian said, goading him into a fight. “Afraid that you’ll lose to me.”

  “Let her go,” Arkin told Victor.

  Victor looked at Sarie and drew his face close, inhaling her one last time. “I loved you once...” He cast her aside and she rolled on the ground a safe distance away from them, unconscious but alive. Victor held his staff at ready. His energy popped and crackled all around him. “Come, then, and see true power for yourselves.” He glared at Lucian. “This will be your final lesson.”

  Lucian cocked his head. “I never was a fast learner.” Simultaneously, Arkin and Lucian attacked.

  The high priest was faster than Arkin would have thought. His blade only caught wind as Victor spun and dodged, his staff checked every blow that came close. Even Lucian couldn’t touch him. Between the staff and Victor’s electric blasts, Arkin had to keep on his toes to defend himself. It made him more cautious, keeping his aggression at bay. Lucian, on the other hand, pressed on relentlessly, unfazed by Victor’s power. His sword flashed and cut through Victor’s white robe along the midsection, and red began to stain the priest’s clothes. Victor spat and lunged with the staff, cracking Lucian in the nose. The blow dazed him, and Victor extended his hand, the force sending Lucian flying backwards.

  Arkin clenched his jaw and attacked. Victor spoke as he dodged each strike. “Impressive. But it’s not enough. Your power is weak.” His hand stretched towards the ground and a piece of earth jetted up from beneath Arkin’s feet, causing him to trip and fall. The staff cracked across his back and Victor kicked him in the side, the impact driving him across the field to roll beside Lucian.

  Victor’s eyes turned back to normal and he beamed with pride. “Both of you are weak. Untrained in the ways of the soul,” he said to them as they found their feet. “Now I must finish…” his words cut out as he sensed another source of power nearby.

  “Hey, you—sumbitch. Go to hell.” Torin extended his hand towards the priest.

  Victor turned in time to find a pillar of flames crashing towards him. He tapped just in time and blocked the soul stone’s power with his own. Lightning cracked and sparked around the point of impact, the flames licking around his arms as Victor fought the power of the stone. The wave of flame drove him backwards, his feet carving a path through the earth until they found a stone buried deep to claim purchase on. He channeled deep within himself and his energy surged, eyes solid white and glowing brighter. Slowly, he repressed the stone and pushed the wave back with his force, the electricity growing and arcing around the flames.

  Arkin watched in wonder and felt around his person for a stone to add to the attack. He cursed himself for only carrying one and losing it somewhere during the fight.

  Torin growled and tapped further, driving the stone’s power harder into the priest.

  Lucian soul tapped and, from the soul stone in his hand, a blue light shot into sky. A grin appeared upon his face as he extended his hand towards Victor. The soul stone blasted towards the high priest, combining a swirling wind with that of Torin’s fire.

  Victor stretched his hand out to counter Lucian’s attack, the power driving him to his knees as he fought both stones with outstretched hands. “NO!” he shouted out, his voice rising above the deafening sound of the stones’ power, the sheer energy exuding from the point of impact turning his hair white and ripping his robe. In moments, his top clothing melted away, leaving his torso naked and rippled with muscle—his body straining and fighting for its life. The flames crept towards him, breaking his will. A look of fear appeared in his eyes as the stones overtook his power, cresting ever closer to breaking through his defenses. He marveled at the power of these stones as it slowly approached his hands, relentless, hungry to overtake him.

  Karn slammed into Torin and sent him crashing—the flame pillar blasting up towards the sky. It dissipated as the stone grew dim.

  Riding by, Maximus knocked the stone from Lucian’s hand—the whirlwind power of the stone spinning it into oblivion. Atop a horse and riding fast, the governor hauled Sarie up with one arm and rode hard in the direction of the mountains. Sarie screamed.

  Lucian soul tapped and charged for the horse, but Karn dashed into him and sent him flying. He glared at Arkin, daring him to attack.

  Arkin clenched his jaw, ready to blast through Karn and catch up to his mother. With everything in him, he wanted to rip Maximus apart for betraying them. In that moment, he wished he would have listened to Rico and killed the beast when he had the chance.

  Then he saw Victor healing himself from the nearly broken condition his body was in. Almost instantaneously, the high priest was fully restored. Lucian stood beside Arkin, ready to attack again, but Arkin knew that he’d used much of his tap in wielding the stone. And Victor would be even more powerful than before. Attacking would be useless.

  Victor smiled at them and clicked his teeth. “I tire of these… games.” He looked to the west and nodded. Slowly, he looked back to Arkin as Karn brought his horse. “The game’s over,” Victor said and mounted his steed. Karn jumped atop a horse and they rode after Maximus, heading west towards the mountain pass.

  They rode for The Crossing.

  FORTY

  “Arkin, wait.” Torin said, catching his breath. “What are you going to do? Ride after them alone? Hold up.”

  Arkin mounted a mare that he caught from the group of horses Karn had brought. “We don’t have time to waste. They have my mother.”

  Lucian dusted himself off and met them. “Let’s get going the
n.”

  “Wait,” Rico said, bringing up three more mounts, his hand gripping the reigns. “We’re coming with you.” Lucian took one of the steeds.

  “This isn’t your fight,” Arkin protested.

  “That’s got to be the dumbest shit you’ve ever said,” Torin replied, and checked that both axes were still strapped on his side “I’m going to pretend I never heard that.” He looked to Rico. “You good to fight?”

  Rico handed the reigns to him. “Never better.”

  “I’m coming, too,” Hobba said, running up with bow in hand.

  Arkin’s emotions rose high as he saw his friends unite together to help him.

  “So what are we all standing around here talking for? Let’s go,” Lucian said and mounted up. Torin and Rico did the same.

  Hobba frowned. “There’s not enough horses for all of us.”

  Torin extended a hand to King Hobba. “Aww, c’mon. There’s room on mine.” Hobba grimaced at the thought. Reluctantly, he took Torin’s hand and jumped onto the saddle behind him.

  Torin craned his neck around. “Put your hands around me so you don’t fall off.”

  Hobba looked to Arkin. “Speak of this to no one.” Torin laughed out loud.

  Arkin held his hand up, swearing silence.

  Torin nodded at Arkin. “We’re with you. To the end.”

  Arkin looked for Lyla. He couldn’t see her among the wreckage, but he sensed her spirit and knew that she was safe.

  Arkin turned back to Torin and smiled at his friend.

  To the end.

  They rode into The Crossing as the sun broke through the clouds.

  Once in the town, they turned the horses free and walked through main street on foot, side by side. Arkin walked in the center of the group and locked eyes onto Victor who stood in the street by Levi’s shop. A massive green and black stone pulsed with energy on the ground behind the high priest, half the height of a man.

  “I got a bad feeling about this,” Torin said.

  They passed the church and Arkin stopped, recalling the time of his father’s death. He looked to Lucian at his left. The man in black was staring at the scar in the post of the church.

  Beside Victor stood Karn and Maximus. Sarie was restrained behind them by three guards. Fifty more guards filled the streets, armed with sword and shield. Fifty more appeared at the tops of the buildings, armed with crossbows.

  Victor grinned and called out to the group. “So, tell me. Are you ready for death, yet? Can you hear it calling your name?”

  The five of them stopped and sized up the situation. Arkin spoke. “I’ll take Victor. Lucian, you save my mother.” He looked to the other three. “The rest are your all’s.”

  “I got big ’n ugly,” Torin said, referring to Karn.

  “That leaves us with the rest,” Hobba said to Rico, and drew the bow from his back.

  Rico spat and pulled his sword. “I like those odds.”

  “I do not,” Hobba replied with angst and notched an arrow. “It seems unfair to me.”

  “Aye. For them,” Torin noted and pulled his axes.

  Lucian locked eyes on Sarie and stepped into the street, in front of the group. “Let her go,” he called to Victor.

  Victor held a hand up and spoke so everyone could hear. “If she tries to run, kill her,” he told the guards. Their grip tightened around her arms and body. Lucian clenched his fists. Karn stepped in front of the high priest, eager to fight, his long sword held loosely in one hand.

  “People want freedom. Let me show you true freedom! It would be my honor to guide each of you into the afterlife,” Victor said as he soul tapped. Arcs of electricity formed around his body, licking across the ground and nearby shops as the stone behind him began to glow bright. His power surged and he began to float up into the sky, his arms extended at his sides, eyes solid white. His chest and arms bulged with intensity, his muscles seeming to double in size as he tapped further, and the stone shook. With him, it rose into the sky, the sound from it’s power reverberating through the town, echoing across the valley.

  The five looked on in wonder and disbelief.

  “Arkin, you said you got him, right? I’d say now would be a good time to make your move,” Torin said, and ducked his head low, eyes locked on Karn. The giant held his arms out, taunting.

  “He’s in the sky!” Arkin replied. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

  Maximus stepped towards Lucian. “It’s been a long time coming, friend,” he said.

  Lucian pulled his sword.

  Hobba looked to Rico and shrugged. He notched an arrow and let fly at the rooftop. The fifty men in the street charged, and the crossbows from the fifty men on the roof thrummed.

  The bolts flew into the street as Lucian and Torin ran to meet their foes.

  Arkin closed his eyes.

  Breathe.

  He held his hand out and stopped the bolts that would have surely struck him and his friends. Arkin focused further and held his palm straight out in front of him. As the men on top of the roof reloaded, they suddenly stopped and turned towards one another, a strange, crazy look in their eyes. One by one, they jumped from the rooftops, headfirst, and dashed their skulls onto the street.

  Arkin opened his eyes.

  The guards came at him with swords drawn. Rico appeared at his side and rushed to engage them. Behind him, arrows flew from Hobba’s bow in rapid succession and struck true, dropping enemies as they charged. Arkin pulled his sword and joined the fray.

  Maximus charged at Lucian with a long, curved knife in hand. Lucian swung his sword in a swooping arc in an attempt to finish the fight quick, but Maximus was too fast. He dodged the blow and stung Lucian in the leg with his blade before spinning away. Biting back the pain, Lucian rolled his shoulders and stalked towards Maximus. “You’ve been allowed to live for too long.” His sword blurred as he delivered a ferocious barrage of strikes. With no other defense, Maximus brought his arms up to check the blade, each time, the sword biting into bone but not breaking it. Blood flowed from the gashes in Maximus’s arms. Relentless, Lucian didn’t let up. He drove Maximus to the ground and had him begging for mercy.

  “Please, no more. No more!” the beast cried in its natural form.

  Lucian picked the beast up by the neck of his shirt and helped him stand. He dusted the beast off. Wobbly, the beast looked upon Lucian with thanks and transformed back into Maximus. Lucian cocked his head, took a step back, then drove a fist into his chest. Maximus flew through the air and crashed into a building fifty paces down the street. Lucian glared at the guards that held Sarie. He raised a clenched hand and twisted his wrist. In response, the guards’ necks twisted and snapped, their bodies falling to the ground. Sarie ran into Lucian’s arms. They looked up at the high priest that rose higher into the sky, the stone glowing brighter and rising with him.

  “He’s going to destroy the world,” Sarie cried.

  Amidst the chaos, Lucian looked for Arkin.

  “This time, you die for good, you hear me, sumbitch?” The axes flipped in Torin’s hand. “Or are you too ugly to understand?”

  “We’ve been through much, brother. How many times have we spilled blood together?” Karn replied. His teeth flashed. “Tonight, I’ll be quenching my thirst on yours.” He roared and charged Torin.

  “Bring it on,” Torin growled and extended his axe to the side. Karn came in for a bull rush, as Torin had expected. In the past, it had taken him by surprise twice, and Karn had depended on it working for a third time. Torin knew better. I may be a slow learner. But I learn, nonetheless. He charged back and dove as Karn tucked his shoulder, taking him out at the legs. When the giant crashed, Torin jumped on him. Within seconds, his axes turned Karn into bloody shambles, unrecognizable, not resembling a man. Karn lie motionless, his chest ripped open and broken. Torin raised up in victory, his axes dripping with blood.

  He stood up, breathed in deep, and looked to Arkin. “Arrgh!” he roared with pride, rais
ing his axes up to the sky. Through the fighting, Arkin saw Torin’s victory and raised his sword to Torin. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Karn rise. “Torin!” he cried out.

  The giant drove his sword through Torin’s back, the long blade protruding through his chest. Torin went into shock as he looked down at the bloody steel that ripped through his organs.

  “NO!” Arkin cried, and felt his strength fade upon seeing his friend.

  Wide-eyed and straining, Torin craned his head around to look at Karn. The giant exuded pleasure through his blood-soaked, horrific face as he drove the blade deeper. Torin grunted, his body jolting in a spasm as Karn ripped the sword from his body. An axe fell from Torin’s hand. Karn let go of the sword and spun Torin around to face him. He opened his mouth wide, and his breath fell hot onto Torin’s face.

  In last vestige, Torin’s soul caught fire and he found the strength within. His grip tightened around his remaining axe and he brought it up through one last throe. The axe cleaved into the giant’s skull and buried itself deep. Karn froze, his eyes wide and looking at Torin in shock. Dead at last, he fell to the ground. Torin slowly turned around to Arkin and nearly fell. His lips moved to speak, but couldn’t; his legs wanted to move, but wouldn’t. With his last breath, he met Arkin’s eye as men fought and died all around.

  Torin fell.

  Pain and rage filled Arkin’s heart. He couldn’t control the feeling and his energy surged. The power overwhelmed.

  He closed his eyes tight and the ground began to shake.

  The enemy soldiers dissipated—their bodies evaporating into a mist of blood and bone.

  Hobba and Rico stopped fighting, shocked that they were no longer engaged in a fight, and disturbed by how their enemies were dispatched. They looked at Arkin and the power that coursed all around his body, visible to the eye in blue waves of hot flames. The power raged out of control and The Crossing began to tremble. Buildings started to break and fall to the ground, and those who were still standing were having a hard time doing so.