by Brian Nyaude
42
“Riyo,” a voice called out to me.
Who was calling out to me? I didn’t recognize the voice at all. As I opened my eyes, I saw darkness surrounding me, and a bright golden light in front of me. Why was it so dark around me? Oh! It appeared I was dead seeing as that there was a light in front of me. Had to say, this was not what I expected. I expected a little more than what I was seeing right now. Was this limbo? Looking straight ahead, I had silent whispers within the light.
“Hello,” I replied trying to be friendly. “Do I know you? And is this the next world?”
Strangely, I could no longer feel pain or anything. I was perfectly okay neither hungry nor in pain.
“You can finally hear me,” the voice within the light spoke gently. “I have been with you and I have calling out to you. The time has finally come for you to shine the light into your dark world.”
What is this? Suddenly, I felt fear mixed with anxiety. I had never felt such a great presence before in my life. The energy was pure, warm, and greatly powerful. Whatever this light was it wasn’t human at all. This presence was so great it made Katarina look like a puppy.
“What are you please if I may ask?” I spoke trying to be as friendly and polite as possible.
The light was truly bright and intense. From it, I felt a sense of peace and warmth, stirring softly into my heart.
“I am a messenger sent guide you,” the voice replied me as it appeared to be coming closer.
A messenger from who? I didn’t understand at all what the light was saying. Was it wiser to keep asking more questions?
“Who sent you?” I asked curiously with my eyes widened.
Suddenly I felt like I was hugged by the light. I could feel what looked like hands around me and for an instance I thought I saw wings. Just what was this light? I had never felt anything like it before. The embrace felt gentle, warm, and full of love. Tears slowly dropped down my cheeks as I remembered something. This feeling had been what I had desired all along. It felt like my mother was hugging me. My whole life, I had misbehaved because I had craved attention from my parents. It was not my fault that I was different from the other Rogueans. I lacked the rage and drive which my stepbrother had. Nor was I motivated into my duties as royalty like my other cousins.
“I was sent from above to guide you Riyo, your heart is still lost and in doubt. This darkness around us is the turmoil inside you.” the voice replied. “You already know the answer to your next question.”
No way, I looked up a bit confused. Could this light read thoughts? In a way I did know the answer to my next question so I didn’t bother asking. Not that I will tell you what I wanted to ask.
“You must go back Riyo, finish what you started and protect those close to you and the future,” the voice continued as it gently backed away from me.
Go back? But I couldn’t, seeing as that I was already dead and all. Once someone was dead, I doubted it would be an easy task to return them to the world of the living.
“I can’t,” I replied back looking away into the darkness. “I am dead as you can see. And as you know, I have lost twice to her. I am a coward and no match for her.”
Something that looked like a hand raised my head up high, “you are not dead yet Riyo. Do not give up when the odds are against you. It is not power that accounts for victory, but the heart that fears and cares for others. Courage and strength is not the absence of fear but power to protect and fight for what you think is precious and dear to you”
Yeah right, I doubted that in my case. I was not like the other Rogueans, I did not share their rage and urge to fight. Most likely, it was the reason why I appeared like a coward to others. My father had tried his best to make me like the others, but he had failed on several occasions. In the end, he gave up on me and completely ignored me to focus his attention on the son he wished he had which was James. It was the reason why I drank heavily and caused mayhem around the whole country back in the day. I did everything I could so that I could perhaps get him to notice me and perhaps scorn me like a good parent would. To think now, I had changed and became stronger enough to face the Rainku was truly something of a joke.
“You are strong why can’t you beat her?” I asked the lighter in a serious manner.
There was no response at first, but then it whispered deeply, “that is something that has always been left to you. I cannot interfere with your fate Riyo, but I can guide you out of the darkness.” I didn’t reply, seeing as that I didn’t have a proper question or answer to respond to it at all. Again with this destiny stuff, it was like all my choices had been made for me. How much of my life was mine to control?
“You say that now,” I spoke gently breathing slowly. “But do you know anything about me? I am a liar, a thief, a banished Roguean, and truly the worst scum of this world. How can you say that I can save all those people? Why me and not someone else like Ogana or Suzanne?”
“It’s because you see what others don’t,” the light instantly replied me back. “You kept going even when it was hopeless. The moment you made the choice to stay and fight Katarina Fox you became a beacon of light for the others. They came back because they had faith in you. Believe in yourself a little more and you can do anything your mind is set on.”
Truth be told, I wanted to go back and fight her one more time. My friends would surely suffer if she wasn’t defeated. I owed it to all of them to try my best till the end.
“Alright,” I continued, sighing slowly beneath my breath. “What should I do?”
The light brightened a bit and out of it appeared the golden sphere. I was bit shocked, although not surprised by the sudden turn of events. After all, the golden sphere always emerged whenever I was in trouble and I owed it my life twice.
“Follow your heart and keep doing your best. I give this unto you, my power,” the light responded as it placed the golden sphere into my hands. “It will always guide you from darkness in times of need.”
“I see,” I said looking at the sphere.
The golden sphere was just like the gauntlet, an object that did not belong in this world. I had felt it radiate with amazing power and now I knew why. Clutching it firmly, I felt it vibrate slowly in my left arm, glowing faintly like the light in front of me.
“Go back and save your friends Riyo. Only you alone can accomplish this task.”
“But how? I am nothing and Katarina is so strong, she is invulnerable” I responded quickly without thinking for a second. “I have tried everything and nothing has worked. How can I win against her?”
The light started to fade slowly, moving far away from me.
“Repent and atone,” the voice kept whispering over and over again until the light vanished.
“Seriously! Is that all you are going to tell me?” I yelled into nothing.
Wait! I thought back on those exact it. Ebi had kept saying “repentance” and “atonement” over and over again while we trained. I had thought he was just a troubled old geezer, but now I understood. As I firmly grasped the golden sphere, I smiled to myself, realizing I had unlocked the secret of the fifth blast. A great bright light appeared from the golden sphere and quickly I closed my eyes again with the smile still on my face. Moments later, I opened my eyes again and I was outside in the crater made by Katarina’s heels. Strangely I expected pain, but there wasn’t any at all. Everything seemed to be working perfectly, like I had been reborn.
“Impossible! How are you still alive?” the Fox growled at me looking even angrier than before. “But how? I killed you.”
I smiled looking at her with no sign of hatred in my eyes. Every negative feeling I had felt towards her had suddenly disappeared from my heart. For some reason, I felt calm, unhindered by any of my past troubles.
“You could say I have been enlightened,” I responded as I moved towards her. “Katarina I no longer hate you for every terrible thing you did to my friends. I was once like you, I never care
d for anyone except for myself, but I changed and so can you. I no longer fear you, but pity you with all my heart. Repent and atone for your sins, there is still time to save your soul.”
The vixen witch looked at me and giggled manically. “Repent! What sort of nonsense are you talking about? I am Katarina Fox one of the Rainku. The only thing I will repent is not killing you earlier.”
As I had anticipated, she wasn’t going to listen to me at all. Well at least I had tried and now it was time I finished this fight between us once and for all. This time, I knew I could win.
“I tried to warn you Katarina and you didn’t listen,” I finished speaking and closed my eyes.
I now believed the fifth blast was energy that had always been there with me the whole time. It was energy I couldn’t use before because my heart was in a state of darkness. All the regrets and sadness I held in my heart kept it from being summoned out of me. Looking down, I raised my hands with a new look on life.
“Attack him Anrio,” the fox commanded loudly. “All of you soldiers follow suit.”
I felt them approach me and I didn’t move at all. Despite their formidable power, I kept closing my eyes, completely confident of my new abilities. I finally understood the power of this object. It was neither a weapon for good nor for evil. It did not make heroes or villains. This object had been created to help someone like me change his destiny and forge a new path in life or so I thought. From within me, immense energy flowed out, giving much desired strength I desperately needed. Was this really me? It certainly didn’t feel like it at all. As Anrio got closer, he turned into a fog and circled rapidly around me trying to suck air away from me.
“What are you going to do now?” he laughed from everywhere in the fog. “No one is going to save you like the last time.”
Faintly smiling, I was calm even when the air around me was getting thin. The purple sword lashed out of the mist at me, coming very fast in every direction. Without opening my eyes, I grabbed it with my right hand and completely stopped him. I held it tightly and did not let go from my bare hand.
“Impossible,” he commented as he solidified his body again. “No one should be able to grab the Denken sword with their bare hands.”
“Well I’m not everyone,” I replied and shattered the sword with both hands.
Immense energy poured out of it as it turned into blue light and disappeared into nothing.
“No, you will pay for this,” Anrio growled, lashing furious kicks at me.
With great ease, I dodged every one of them and grabbed the heels of his feet firmly. I jumped into the air and threw him into the ground terribly, making a huge crater in the process. The other guards saw what had happened and jumped in to attack me all at once.
“Sorry Rid do you mind if we step in?” Ogana spoke with a mob of angry people behind him. “You can take care of Katarina Fox. We’ll handle these insects.”
My allies! Their numbers had decreased; however, their fighting spirit was very much still alive. To my right, I spotted Kaya and Glazer, asleep beneath a concrete cradle of dirt. I had never felt so happy in my life. As one force, we were going to face the inevitable and either win or lose together.
“Are you crying Rid?” Dashe said stepping towards to observe my face. “Everyone I think he is crying, come see this.”
What a fool! It was unnecessary thing to say, but then again he was an Iyenkan after all.
“Go towards her,” everyone encouraged me with cheers and smiles.
Looking slightly up, I soared in the air towards Katarina Fox. I had finally found my courage and inspiration, in all of them.
“I leave it up to you my friends.”
Finally, the moment to settle our score was now upon us. Everything I had endured had been leading me to this moment. Once I was close to her, I stopped and descended down onto rubble that was once a tower.
“Such insolence enthusiasm,” the fox mumbled in an angry manner. “I should have killed them when I had the chance.”
“Katarina Fox this s it.”
“You said that a few times already. It will not be different from the last time I defeated you.”
“You are absolutely wrong, this time it will be different. I will show you what I mean right now.”
