Shaya looked over at the young boy still grasping the wound on his right shoulder. It was a deep cut, he had another on his left arm to match and a nasty bruise on his forehead. He had gone up against a Krarg with nothing but a dagger. Shaya had ended the fight with a swift slice to the lizard’s side, but not before it had bashed Rowan in the head with its spiked shield.
Their eyes met, they didn’t say anything as they carefully walked through the field of shattered crystal spears sticking out of the ground. They didn’t have to say a word, they were both thinking the same thing.
It’s not over yet.
Suddenly the shards began to melt, they quickly became dozens of tiny puddles on the already wet ground. When they were all gone, the aftermath of their battle became visible. Krarg bodies littered the island. In the middle of the wreckage, lay a slim, blue figure, shivering in the cool night breeze.
“Rayne,” shouted Shaya, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. Before they could reach her, a dark figure descended upon on them. Rakmar landed soundlessly and softly on the damp grass. Breathing heavily, he leant against his great blade, his hand clutching his chest where his armour had cracked.
So, he can be hurt. A flicker of hope fluttered inside Shaya’s aching stomach. The feeling didn’t last long, as the fallen God quickly recovered. Ignoring the children, he slowly, calmly walked over to his fallen sister. Now back to her original form, Rayne seemed thinner, frailer. Her once bright glow was gone. Rakmar stood over his vanquished foe. She looked half the size she was next to his hulking frame. Her monstrous brother stuck the tip of his blade in the dirt next to her.
“All this for revenge?” gasped Rayne “How pitiful.”
“You wouldn’t understand. I don’t expect you to,” Rakmar said quietly as he knelt down beside her “You weren’t stranded here. Abandoned. Alone, for five hundred long years. You couldn’t possibly imagine the sorrow, the anger.”
“Yes I could,” she held up a quivering hand and softly brushed her delicate fingers across the shadow’s grey cheek. “I lost a brother.”
Rakmar seemed stunned by this for a moment, his dark eyes widening. His lips twitched as if he had more to say, then clenched his jaw and stood back up, shaking his head as if trying to shake out his sister’s words. He glanced over at his sword sticking out of the ground. The grass around it blackening, the shadows coiled around the dark blade. Rakmar slowly wrapped his fingers around the hilt, he seemed to hesitate before pulling it from the dirt.
“Get away from her,” Shaya yelled, her sword readied, her body poised.
“Go, children,” Rayne whispered, “Flee.”
“This one is brave,” muttered the fallen God.
Shaya saw it in his eyes, a flash of something terrible. She screamed out and ran forward without thinking. The dark blade ripped through Rayne’s chest before Shaya could take more than three steps. The young girl watched in horror as Rayne’s once beautiful face went slack and her sapphire eyes met Shaya’s.
She silently mouthed a single word. Shaya didn’t know what Rayne had said, nor did she understand why her face slipped into a peaceful smile as her brilliant blue eyes grew dark. The ever-shifting water within her suddenly stopped, as if it was her life force, her very soul.
Silence drifted across the small island. Shaya stared, mouth ajar. She wanted to say something, but nothing came. Her eyes slowly raised from Rayne’s body to Rakmar’s scarred face. It was then that she found her voice.
“You monster. You vile, disgusting animal. How could you? Your own sister.”
Rakmar stared down at the lifeless husk for a moment longer before he finally spoke.
“Careful young one, it’s not you I have come for.”
Shaya froze, a shiver crept it’s way up her spine as she turned to see the frightened boy behind her. He let out a long shaky breath and wiped his bloodied nose.
“Prince Rowan of Arrolyn,” said Rakmar in his calm yet threatening voice “You are a hard boy to find.”
“What do you want from me?” asked the prince, trying desperately to stop his voice from quivering.
The hulking beast of a man ignored the prince’s question and took a moment to look at the small boy in front of him. He let out an amused grunt and shook his head as the embers surrounding him disappeared, leaving his usual swirling shadows.
“I must admit,” he finally spoke “When my mother told us of the great evil that would one day swallow this land, I didn’t realise at the time, that she was talking about me. I assume she didn’t either, or maybe she did. She did love her secrets. When it dawned on me, I remembered what else she told us. That a boy of noble birth would come to banish the dark. I envisioned the prince that would be responsible for my demise,” he sniggered at the word “I expected him to be a gallant man on horseback, with a gleaming suit of armour, wielding a broadsword. With an army of soldiers at his back. A man worthy of the Goddess’s power that would somehow vanquish me.”
Rakmar began to walk towards Rowan, dragging his great sword behind him. Slowly he strode as if every purposeful step was a threat.
“And here stands a child, holding a blunt dagger, in a tattered tunic, with a girl and a sprite for an army.”
“Stay back,” Rowan’s hand shook as he held up the dagger in a fighting stance.
“I expected more,” Rakmar sighed “So disappointing.”
“Get away from him,” Shaya shouted as she ran up to Rowan’s side. She readied her weapon, she was not nearly as scared of the fallen God as she should have been, but that didn’t stop her legs from feeling weak, and stomach churning.
“No soldiers at your back, dead prince, but this one has the courage of ten men.” Rakmar stopped, he seemed almost impressed. “Now”, his voice lowered, and his eyes narrowed “I will say this only once, girl. Go.”
Shaya looked surprised, her heart skipped, it was probably the last thing she expected the shadow to say.
“Leave now,” he continued “I don’t kill children,” he glanced over at Rowan “Unless I have to.”
Shaya and Rowan looked at each other. She’d be lying if she said that her mind didn’t scream, Yes go, now, run for your life.
She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Shaya didn’t want to die, but she couldn’t leave him, she couldn’t leave her friend. This monster was capable of killing children, he had no doubt done so in the past, he was beyond sickening. Shaya could hardly believe this was happening, and that someone could be so cruel.
“What are you?” she muttered, her expression twisting into one of disgust as if she had suddenly smelt something foul.
“Weren’t you listening? I am the evil in my mother’s story. She labelled me, her own child, a disease to be eradicated. She stole my name from me, and in return, you creatures gave me others. The Banished One, the Nameless, the Fallen. In turn, I gave myself a new name. Rakmar Balrok. In your eyes, I became a nightmare, a tale to frighten children with. A being of evil, of darkness, so that is what I became.”
“And what do you plan to do to this land?” Rowan spoke up “My kingdom?”
“I don’t care about your kingdom boy. You and yours mean nothing to me.”
“So, you plan to destroy it?”
“That was never my intention. Destroy the world I helped create? No. But if it must be burnt to the ground for me to achieve my goal, then so be it.”
“What is it you want?” The prince took a step forward.
“I want you to fulfil your destiny, young prince. I want you to bring forth the light.”
Rowan’s face contorted into a confused expression, his eyes snapped to Shaya who was trying to figure out the shadow’s words. Why would he want Rowan to use the power that is said to destroy him? It didn’t make any sense.
“Come, boy,” Rakmar beckoned “Strike me down,” he slammed his bear-like hand against his own ironclad chest.
“Do it,” shouted Jinx. Both Shaya and Rowan looked over at the sprite hovering in the air.
>
“I don’t know how,” Rowan breathed.
“Try.”
“But that’s what he wants,” said Rowan, still confused.
“Do you really think you can fight him without the Goddess’s power?”
“The little one speaks the truth boy,” Rakmar started his steady walk towards them once again “You have no choice. If you want to live.”
Rowan’s pleading eyes looked to Shaya, she could tell what he was asking.
What should I do?
She hesitated, none of it made any sense, what if Rowan unleashed the power and it somehow made Rakmar even stronger? But what if he did nothing? They would all be dead, and Rakmar would still be a potent threat. He had to try. Clenching her jaw and with a hard gulp, she nodded.
The young prince’s gaze went from Shaya to Rakmar and back. He angrily threw his useless dagger away and clenched his fists as tight as he could. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
The Banished One stopped and looked around, waiting. His face was one of anxious excitement. Shaya watched him as his dark eyes gazed up at the sky. The beginning of dawn crept over the distant mountains turning the black void, into a faint blue haze.
“Come on, come on,” Shaya could hear Rowan muttering desperately to himself. Shaya suddenly had a warm shudder make it’s way around her entire body and a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. It must have been her body’s way of telling her that it wasn’t working.
Rakmar glared at the prince. He was getting impatient as the young boy pleaded with himself. Rowan’s eyes snapped open, wide and wild. Shaya could see the desperation on his face, it said everything. They were dead.
“I can’t,” he said finally “I don’t know how,” his frantic eyes found Shaya “I’m sorry.”
“Useless,” grumbled the shadow “Worthless,” he raised his voice “Insignificant worm,” Rakmar yelled. His eyes flashed a deep red, and just for a moment, embers burst out of his skin once again. “I will have my revenge, one way or another.”
“Revenge?” Rowan asked breathlessly.
“The Goddess’s power is her and her alone. Which means if you were strong enough, or worthy enough to do your duty as the prince of your kingdom she would have returned, and I would have my vengeance as I took her head as my trophy.”
Rowan flinched as if the words had pierced his heart like an arrow.
“The Goddess is gone. Your sister told us herself,” Shaya shouted at the God.
“Don’t be a fool, girl. Mother is all things, she will never disappear completely. Not unless I end her with my own hands.”
Shaya watched as the shadow lifted his sword to the sky.
“You leave me no choice mother,” he spoke to the purple-ing clouds above. “If this boy of so-called noble birth could do what he was destined to do, we could have ended this today. Instead, I shall make it my sole purpose, to slaughter as many people as I can. Burn every city to the ground,” He roared up to the heavens. His voice full of bitter fury.
“I will lay waste to this world of ours. The only way to end my wrath is to come out from your hiding place and face me yourself,” he lowered his voice and looked down at the ground at his feet, “They’ll all die mother, every single one of them. All of your precious children,” his hollow eyes raised to meet the frightened gaze of Shaya and Rowan.
“Starting with them.”
He stretched out his arm and uncurled his gloved fingers. A swirling blackness poured from his hand, and in a flash, a bolt of darkness ripped through the air towards them. Shaya shoved Rowan aside as she dived for cover. The blast missed them by inches and blew a sizeable hole in the ground spraying them with a shower of dirt. Immediately they were both on their feet, Rakmar was nearly on top of them, weapon raised, eyes flaring in anger.
Out of nowhere Jinx appeared right in front of the Fallen God. She tensed up and concentrated as hard as she could, her little pale face turning a bright red. Rakmar went to swipe her away like a bothersome fly, but just as he raised his hand, her whole body began to shine brighter than ever. Rakmar shielded his eyes with an irritated grunt.
“Now,” the sprite shouted.
Shaya immediately ran forward as fast as her aching legs could carry her. Rowan grabbed a dagger from the ground and launched it at the colossus spectre. The knife ricocheted uselessly off the black and silver breastplate that covered Rakmar’s massive chest. Blindly he swatted, just catching Jinx’s arm. She spun around and fell. Her wings flapped as hard as they could as she tried to steady herself. Holding her tiny arm, she plummeted down and landed roughly in the sand.
As the Shadow’s dark eyes blinked and focused once more, Shaya was on top of him. She put all her strength into the swings of her sword, she knew she was fighting for her life. The first one merely grazed the giant man’s armoured chest, the others he deflected with his blade as he smirked down at her mockingly. With a scavenged sword from the battlefield, Rowan launched his attack from the side. Both children slashing and swiping as hard and as fast as they could, knowing if they paused for even a split second, it was all over. Rakmar parried every single blow with inhuman speed, not a single blade touched his hulking frame.
Shaya tried not to think about it, about how they were fighting a losing battle. They had watched a God fall at the hands of this demon, how were two children supposed to defeat him?
With a mighty below, Rakmar’s body exploded with black, smouldering smoke. It was like being smashed in the chest with an iron shield. Both Shaya and Rowan were flung backwards and crashed to the ground in painful heaps. The young girl was the first to move, she could feel her ribs aching, she gasped breathlessly as she propped herself up on her elbows. Shaya brushed her damp blonde hair out of her eyes and off her sweat covered brow. She crawled over to her sword through the wet mud. Every movement was an exhausting effort as if her arms and legs were shackled by heavy iron chains. Her weapon lay in a pool of water which used to be a part of Rayne’s monstrous form. Shaya wearily wrapped her battered fingers around the hilt.
“Rowan,” she groaned as she saw him holding his stomach, still laying on the floor.
The prince didn’t say a word, just grunted through gritted teeth. Shaya struggled to her feet, only to be met with the banished God standing over her. It was as if for the first time she really saw how massive he was, as she stood alone, looking up at the scarred grey face, the long black hair, those hollow eyes. It was almost like his chest was as wide as she was tall.
“Stay down girl if you want to live.”
“No,” Shaya stood on shaking feet, defiantly standing between the eight-foot monster and her friend. She thrust her sword as hard as she could. In the blink of an eye, Rakmar swiped down with his massive blade. Shaya’s hope shattered as her sword was smashed into tiny pieces by the power of the God’s mighty weapon. She had barely time to react before the beast slammed her in the chest with the blunt side of his sword. Shaya felt something crack but couldn’t cry out, she hurtled backwards once more. Her back smashed into the wall of the crumbling cave.
The pain felt dull, like it was miles away, far from the battlefield. Her vision blurred. Shaya knew she was hurt, but her mind couldn’t focus. She felt like she was being dragged down, sinking into the damp floor, being consumed by emptiness. She tried to say something. If any words made it passed her lips, she didn’t hear them. Sounds began to muffle like distant thunder as her dazed head spun.
♦ ♦ ♦
Rowan watched in horror as his friend lay on the ground. She wasn’t moving, he couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead. He saw Jinx dizzily make her way over to Shaya’s still body. He could see by the way she was flying; her wing was damaged again. Grabbing Shaya by a pale finger, Jinx shook her and shouted, pleaded for her to get up. The young girl didn’t stir.
A new infusion of fury got the prince to his feet. He grabbed two swords off the ground. They were thick steel, but he didn’t notice the weight. His eyes met Rakmar’s as the beast came
towards him once again. Another violent flurry of blows reaped nothing but another blast of darkness that hit Rowan in his already wounded shoulder. He reeled back but kept his balance. No longer able to lift his left arm, he dropped the weapon he held in his left hand and attacked with his right.
“Pitiful,” spat Rakmar as once again he pushed the prince backwards with no effort at all.
Rowan dropped to one knee. Breathless, exhausted, so tired he could barely even think anymore.
“I thought you would have fought harder dead Prince,” Rakmar snorted in derision “After what I did to your father.”
All other sounds seemed to melt away, all pain ceased. The lake and the cave faded into infinite blackness. Everything disappeared until only one thing remained, one word echoing in the void.
Father.
Rowan’s heavy head rose, his bloodshot eyes burned with a mix of fury and terror. His mouth tried to speak.
What have you done? His mind screamed. Where is my father?
Rowan’s lips quivered, but no sounds came. His face twisted and contorted in utterly confused panic. He didn’t even notice the warm stream of tears running down his face. Rakmar watched the boy, then realisation flashed across his face.
“You don’t know, do you?” Rakmar said in a low voice. Rowan continued to glare silently, still unable to speak. The shadow shifted as it took a single step toward the prince.
“I killed him and burned your castle to the ground.”
It was as if Rakmar and his deep, gravelly voice were the only things that existed in the world, just him and his words.
“He died, screaming,” every syllable uttered shook the young boy to his core. “I displayed his corpse atop the castle, for all to see.”
Long and loud was Rowan’s furious scream as he jumped to his feet, sword clutched in both hands. He hacked again and again with such savagery that it took Rakmar by surprise. The agony in the boy’s shoulder returned, but the prince used it as fuel for his rage. He was faster, no longer tired, his blows hit with the force of sledgehammers. His eyes were red, soaked with his tears.
The Shattered Moon (A Divine Legacy Book 1) Page 23
