Instantly Shaya’s eyes snapped open, and her head spun around and looked at Rowan. Her eyes were white, her pupils had disappeared.
“Rowan,” she said, her voice sounded different as if two voices were speaking at once “Run.”
Rowan tried to speak again, nothing but a wordless rasp escaped his lips. His gaze was quickly pulled from the floating young girl when he heard the rumble of a monstrous laugh. Rakmar stood chuckling to himself staring up at Shaya’s golden form.
“Finally,” he said with gleeful relief “After all these long years, you have come to face me, mother.”
“I am not your mother, monster,” Shaya’s voice reverberated off the rocks around them.
“Then where is she?”
“You want her, you will have to go through me.”
“Child, don’t make me laugh. I’ve already killed you once.”
“Then come, try again.”
“With pleasure,” the dark shadow leapt into the air, both humongous swords above his head, ready to carve the girl in two. Shaya lifted her hand in front of her. Rakmar brought his blades down, and there was a blinding flash that made Rowan shield his eyes. When Rowan looked again, he saw them both frozen in mid-air, Rakmar’s swords inches from Shaya’s face. In the girl’s hand, a long golden beam of light had appeared, when Rowan looked closer, he saw that it was a long thin sword, made of what looked like pure sunlight. In an instant, Shaya pushed the fallen God back and swiped her glowing blade so quickly Rowan’s eyes nearly didn’t catch it. Rakmar blocked it, but the force sent him flying into the sky. Shaya’s beautiful gold and silver wings flapped once. She launched herself upwards, and Rowan stumbled back from the strength of those mighty wings. She looked like an angel, Rowan thought as he watched her disappear into the dark clouds above. Suddenly the rain began to fall again. A violent downpour cascaded all around, and the floating rocks came crashing down to the ground. Rowan ran for cover as flashes of golden light blasted through the clouds above him.
♦ ♦ ♦
The power was unbelievable, terrifying yet incredible at the same time. A warm, rushing tingling sensation ran through Shaya’s entire body, from the tips of her toes to the strands of her long blonde hair. She could feel it all. She could feel the force of twenty Boaruss warriors behind every swing of her shimmering blade. She felt as if she could lift a house with one hand. She was flying, soaring through the sky high above the ground, and she was not afraid.
With another slash with her sword of light, she sent Rakmar tumbling through the clouds.
It felt good.
She didn’t remember much, she remembered the pain and then darkness. Then words echoing through the black. A soft, friendly voice, a woman’s voice.
“Not yet my child,” the voice had said, “It is not your time yet.”
All the black, all the emptiness, the eternal nothingness had been ripped apart by a blinding flash of white, and she had returned.
Now, before her Rakmar roared in anger, a fresh, glowing white scar across his chest. His ember filled shadows burst into a raging inferno, the blades in his hands erupted into swords of burning lava, and his eyes smouldered and seared a deep red. A bolt of lightning exploded from somewhere above, blasting between the two warriors. The storm roared worse than ever, the wind was like a wailing monster, the rain pelted Shaya as she squinted into the darkness, waiting for Rakmar’s next assault. He rocketed towards her like a flaming comet and smashed his swords into hers. They tumbled through the air, blow after devastating blow, their battle lit up the skies just like the lightning storm. Shards of gold and flame danced across the grey clouds. The sounds of their otherworldly weapons clashing were like the sound of mountains crumbling.
“This power. How do you wield it?” Rakmar bellowed. Their blades
collided once again, the flames from Rakmar’s swords licked at Shaya’s face.
“You have no right,” barked the blazing shadow.
“Nor do you, you are no God. You are nothing more than a beast,” Shaya shouted back at him. With all her new-found strength, she tried to push him back. His hatred, his fury made him strong. She could feel his malice radiating from his every pore, enveloping her. She flapped her great wings as hard as she could. The force sent Rakmar sprawling.
“How dare you. You are but an insect to me.” Rakmar swung his blades at her head furiously, “I am a child of the Goddess,” he shouted proudly.
“So is she.”
The woman’s voice came from nowhere. The word’s echoed around them. Shaya froze for a moment, a white-hot feeling poured through her veins.
“What?” she whispered.
A million questions exploded within her brain. Her heart jolted and then began to pump faster. Rakmar’s face went slack, his mouth fell open, his black eyes widened. Shaya saw her own shock reflected in the demon’s eyes and tore herself away from her sudden astonishment.
She took her chance. With a thrust of her gilded sword, she struck the fallen God in the chest. It slid through his armour effortlessly and cut deep. He grunted in pain, the flames that surrounded him went out as if a bucket of water had been poured over an open fire. He began to fall. His blades slipped from his fingers. With one last desperate flail of his arms, he managed to grab one of Shaya’s wings and began to drag her down towards the island.
With his other hand, he grabbed her by the throat.
“Liar,” he yelled loudly as they fell. Shaya couldn’t control her flight, he was crushing her wing in his gauntlet. “This child is nothing,” the shadow squeezed tighter. “Where is she?” he bellowed in the Shaya’s face.
“I have a feeling you’ll see her soon,” Shaya swiped at Rakmar, catching him in the stomach. He let go, just in time for Shaya to regain control only a few feet from the ground. Rakmar smashed into the island with a mighty crash. Shattered black glass sprayed into the air and rained down in razor sharp shards. Rakmar Balrok lay in a devastated crater. The cloud of black dust blew away as Shaya descended slowly. She reached down with a tentative toe, felt the hard ground beneath her foot and landed gently.
Rowan was stood, holding the wound on his stomach. He must have been in a lot of pain, but his face didn’t show it. He stood staring at Shaya with tearful eyes, mouth ajar. Shaya looked over at him and nodded with a faint smile. Before Shaya could say a word, Rakmar stirred. He pushed himself up from the floor with shaking arms. He sat up on his knees and spat a mouthful of dark blood on the floor, which was quickly washed away in the rain.
“I won’t stop, child. You know I won’t,” he said, his once-booming voice now a quiet gravelly tone.
“I know,” Shaya put the tip of her long shining sword to Rakmar’s throat.
“Then do it, if you can.”
There was silence for a moment, the sound of the rain seemed to slip away. Shaya’s grip tightened around her sword’s hilt.
“Wait a moment child,” said a woman’s voice as if from somewhere unseen.
“Mother?” Rakmar’s voice seemed to quiver slightly.
Just like before, the rain stopped and hung in mid-air. If it weren’t for the wind, Shaya would have thought that time itself had stopped. She suddenly felt a coldness smother her as if a cool breeze had slid under her skin. The golden glow that covered her seemed to slip off her like silk. She felt a hand gently take the sword from her grasp. Taking a step back Shaya watched the golden light begin to form a figure. A tall, slender figure with long golden hair emerged. She wore a billowing white dress that flapped in the wind. Her pale skin was flawless, her bright blue eyes kind and gentle. Two huge shimmering wings appeared on her back. It was at that moment that Shaya realised her own wings had suddenly disappeared. She had returned to normal.
The Goddess had returned.
“My poor boy,” if it was possible for a voice to be beautiful, hers was “Look at what you have become.”
The Goddess looked at her son. His grey skin covered in scars, his dark dead eyes staring back at her. The black and silv
er armour still stained with the innocent blood of Bastion. Shaya could see it in the deities eyes, the sorrow, the shame.
“Where have you been?” Rakmar stared up at her, the blade still as his throat.
“Trapped,” she said, “These two young ones freed me from my mortal prison”.
“With the light of a heart,” Rakmar sneered coughing more bloody bile “You were always one for sentiment.”
“You brought me to the brink of death five hundred years ago. Fighting you, shattering the moon, sending you here. It was too much. My power was almost gone. I had no choice but to transfer what was left of my essence to a mortal form. There it lay dormant, until today.”
“And she?” Rakmar looked over at the young girl.
“A descendant,” she said simply.
Shaya felt her heart nearly jump out of her chest. It was true, she didn’t know how, but it was true. Her world had just been flipped upside down, but somehow, she stayed upright. Sudden feelings of tranquillity and terror fought inside her, sending her skin fluttering like butterfly wings. Her mind faltered and raced and faltered again, not knowing how to feel. She wanted, needed to ask the Goddess every question that forced its way into her thoughts. There were so many, she couldn’t pick just one. Instead, she silently gawped at the two deities in front of her.
“I don’t understand,” Rakmar breathed.
“I ceased to be, all those years ago, I ended,” she looked heartbroken, her voice grew softer. “But a glimmer of my power remained,” she looked over at Shaya. The Goddess smiled at her, with a tear in her eye “And through that glimmer, I knew I would be reborn, someday,” she turned back to her fallen son “In the same way that we first came into being. Through darkness and light.”
“I’ve been searching for you for so long mother,” Rakmar’s voice almost seemed to crack.
“I know my child, I know.”
“Five long centuries, I have been alone.”
“The things you planned to do. I couldn’t let you go through with them. I wish I had known what to say, what to do to make you see the error of your ways, but my words failed me, and I failed you.”
Rakmar’s face twitched and twisted in pain as he tried to move. Shaya took another step back as she feared he would suddenly lunge at one of them. With a dull splutter, bloody drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t going anywhere.
“Everyday I thought about what I would say to you once I finally found you. I recited it in my mind like bad poetry. Now, looking into your eyes, I can’t remember any of it.”
“I would have come sooner if I could. Again I am too late. Again I have failed you. I’m sorry, child.”
“Don’t pity me,” the look on Rakmar’s face suddenly warped into one of pure hatred and pain. His voice grew dark again, reflecting the malice in his hollow eyes. “All these years, I wanted revenge for what you did to me. You abandoned me here. You took from me my power. But you took from me something so much more.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“It was not my intent. I tried to take your memory from you. I hoped if you didn’t remember what you were, you wouldn’t hurt anyone, but you were too strong.”
“You took my name.”
“Yes,” regret echoed in her voice.
“You took from me, who I am. I can not forgive that.”
“I don’t expect you to.”
“If you let me go, I will have my vengeance upon you.”
“Perhaps you would be right to do so.”
“And once I have it, I can finally finish what I started with this world we built together. I’ll burn it to ashes, cleanse it of these parasites,” Rakmar gestured to Shaya and Rowan who stood close by watching silently, “Then, with a fresh new world started anew, then I can finally make this star what it always should have been.”
“Five hundred years, and you have not changed, child.”
“Nor will I.”
“And that is why-,” The Goddess pressed the blade against Rakmar’s chest “I can not let you go.”
“Then finish it.” Rakmar’s voice dropped to a grumbling whisper.
“You have been alone so long. I hope you find peace.”
“Do it, damn you. Do what you should have done all those years ago,” Rakmar glared up at the glowing figure standing over him.
The Goddess hesitated in a moment of silent remorse, her fingers gripping her shimmering sword tightly.
“Do it.”
“Goodbye my son,” she said as her glistening tears fell.
With that, the Goddess slid her sword into Rakmar’s heart until the blade tore through his back. The hulking beast groaned through clenched teeth. His eyes blazed red as he glared up at his mother. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and pulled himself towards her, pushing the blade deeper.
“One last thing. My name.”
The Goddess smiled faintly through her tears and bent down, pushing the blade in further, until the handle was almost buried. She leant in close and whispered something Shaya couldn’t make out. She planted a gentle kiss on her son’s forehead and stood back up. Rakmar’s hands dropped to his sides.
“Thank you,” he whispered, and his eyes closed.
Rakmar’s hulking body shone with a shimmering glow and slowly began to break away. His skin cracked and peeled and crumbled like white sand. Shaya and Rowan watched in stunned silence as what was once Rakmar Balrok wafted away in the breeze. The Goddess was left standing, staring at the floor where her son had sat moments before. Sword in hand, she remained wordless as tears ran down her pale cheeks.
Silence, complete and utter silence.
Shaya felt her feet take a step forward, then a second, she was barely aware that she was doing it. The Goddess’ head jolted up, and she slowly spun around. Even with tears rolling down her face, she was beautiful. Her porcelain-like skin was perfect, her piercing blue eyes full of sorrow, yet still kind and tender. Shaya tried to speak, but no words came.
“You have a lot of questions,” smiled the deity.
All Shaya could do was nod as she had momentarily forgotten how to talk. The shimmering blade in the Goddess’ grasp faded; she watched it slip away through her slender fingers.
“My time is short. Just know this, my child. You saved me,” she looked over at an equally stunned Rowan who was still clutching his wounded stomach “You and your king. Thank you.”
Rowan bowed his head slightly. The deity’s gaze returned to Shaya.
“Without the two of you, I would have been lost forever, and my power would have stayed dormant for all time.”
“Are?” Shaya’s voice finally came back “Are you my mother?”
“In a way yes, child. But I suppose, I am a much more distant relation than that.”
“I-, How?” Shaya’s words faltered.
“What little was left of me has slumbered within your family all this time. Unknowingly passed on from generation to generation.”
“Then my parents, do you?”
“I am sorry my dear girl. I do not know what happened to them. All this time my power has been within your family, I have been blind to goings on of the world. It pains me that I have never met any of your kin.”
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“You have had this power inside you since birth, child. Be who you’ve always been. You are capable of great things Shaya, with or without my blood running through your veins. What you do now, is up to you.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll leave this world to those whose world it is. This was never ours, it was yours, all of yours. Something my son never understood. These lands weren’t created for us to rule, they were created for us leave.”
“I won’t see you again?” Shaya suddenly felt tears flood her eyes.
“No,” the Goddess looked at her, sadness in her beautiful eyes “I’m afraid not.”
Suddenly Shaya realised that the Goddess was slowly disappearing, she could see
the rocks behind her through her stomach.
“Don’t go, please.”
“I must. My power dwindles.”
“But I have so many more questions.”
The Goddess reached out and touched Shaya’s now tear-soaked face. Her palm was warm and soft, Shaya closed her eyes.
“I will always be a part of you. You will always be my child Shaya, just know, your mother loves you.”
Shaya felt the warmth of The Goddess’ hand disappear. When the girl finally opened her
eyes, the deity was gone. Shaya didn’t know how to feel. She thought she might fall to the floor at any moment and burst into violent sobs. Or scream until her throat gave out. Perhaps even explode in a volley of crazed laughter for no reason.
Somewhere deep within the endless confusion and disbelief, she felt a bolt of excitement, of joy. She had never known where she had come from, now she did. She had more questions than ever, but now she knew, in the strangest of ways, she had a mother, and for the briefest of moments, she felt what it was like to have a mother who loved her.
She wiped away the tears and let out a soft chuckle. The rain began to fall again, but only lightly. The dark clouds above started to slowly part. A few rays of late afternoon sun pierced the gloom, sending shafts of light shooting down. Yellow sunbeams reflected in the waves below as the ocean began to calm.
Shaya spun around at the sound of footsteps. Her face lit up when she saw Rowan coming towards her. Without thinking she dashed forward and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back so tightly. They both stood there for a moment in a silent embrace.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Rowan stammered into her shoulder.
“For a moment, you did.” Shaya pulled away with a tearful grin “The light, how did you do it?”
Rowan averted his gaze. He stammered a little and hesitated.
“I don’t know. I just focused on the light. How much I needed it. how much it meant to me.”
Their eyes locked. They both held the gaze and smiled at each other.
“Thank you, Rowan.”
“I found this,” Rowan looked down, breaking their eye contact “I believe it belongs to you.”
The Shattered Moon (A Divine Legacy Book 1) Page 36
