by S. E. Smith
Let’s hope I get a chance to do it, he thought as he climbed.
Nali swung the sword at the alien, slicing several deep cuts into its flesh. Despite the creature’s claim that they couldn’t destroy it, the magic in the sword was inflicting damage. Now, if she could only get close enough to do some lethal damage without becoming a morning snack!
She ducked and gritted her teeth when the serpent rammed the tree near her. The crack of snapping wood alerted her to the added danger she faced. She barely dodged a large branch that fell to her right. Quickly, she flew upward, threading her way through the maze of limbs falling around her. Her left wing collided with a branch, and she winced when the force of the impact sent her spinning out of control. She rolled, trying to miss a clump of branches, and bounced off a tree trunk.
She tucked her wings in, rolled in the opposite direction of the tree as it fell, and planted her feet on the trunk. With a tight grip on the sword’s hilt, she ran up the falling tree, jumping over limbs. In her peripheral vision, she could see Asahi climbing the serpent’s back near its head. She smiled.
“We know what you are. You are nothing but a parasite,” she shouted, jumping the last few feet and taking to the air again once she was clear of the tree.
“No longer,” the alien replied before breathing deeply. “You think I cannot sense the Goddess’s power in you? I know. It will not save you or your world,” the alien goaded.
“Yet, you are fearful. We stopped the others of your kind. You are the one who is powerless. You will fail just as the others failed—parasite,” Nali retorted in a condescending tone.
While she antagonized the alien, the sun appeared over the horizon, and Asahi reached the base of the serpent’s head. Nali called forth the Goddess’s Mirror and lifted it into the air. The sun caught the polished surface, and she directed the blinding rays at the serpent.
The creature screeched in rage when an intensely bright beam of sunlight struck its eyes. Nali threw the enchanted sword to Asahi and held her breath. This might be their only chance to defeat the creature.
She was so focused on Asahi and the sword that the serpent’s strike caught her off-guard. She cried out when it closed its powerful jaws around her. The mirror tumbled to the ground, disappearing beneath the branches of the fallen tree.
She braced her hands between the serpent’s fangs and pressed her booted feet into the soft tissue of its jaw. She groaned when the serpent exerted pressure. Tiny fissures appeared along her skin, and her knees bent as she fought to keep from being crushed. Pain slashed through her when the serpent slammed its forked tongue into her stomach.
The alien’s menacing laughter nearly deafened her. She winced as its fiery breath surrounded her. It was impossible to turn into another creature without making herself even more vulnerable.
“Asahi, if you are ready, now would be an excellent time,” she muttered between gritted teeth.
“He’s working on it. In the meantime, I have an idea, Empress,” Mr. Gryphon cheerfully responded as he sailed into the serpent’s right nostril.
Nali blinked in surprise. The alien shook its head, trying to dislodge the sudden irritation. It flexed its jaws, moving like a wave rolling to shore. It took her a second to realize that the serpent was about to sneeze.
She muttered a curse when Mr. Gryphon reappeared out of the serpent’s left nostril, grabbed the back of her collar, and yanked her out of the creature’s mouth with surprising strength. She shouted in alarm and rolled aside when the serpent opened its mouth wide and moved its head in her direction.
The serpent’s head brushed the tip of her left wing as she turned and faced it again. In that instant, she realized that the alien’s head was continuing to the ground while the rest of its body collapsed.
Plumes of black ash rose from the fallen creature, transforming into white mist as the magic sword did its work. Nali’s heart pounded as she searched for Asahi. She laughed in relief when she saw him clinging to a branch.
“We did it!” she breathed, lifting a shaky hand to her cheek.
“I hope he remembered to retrieve my dagger,” Mr. Gryphon commented, fluttering next to her ear.
Nali absently nodded, her rapt gaze never leaving Asahi’s face. He was staring down at the ground. The branch he was clinging to was drooping dangerously. She quickly flew to him.
“Would you like a lift?” she teased.
He looked at her and smiled. “That would be nice. I appear to have developed a distressing habit of getting stuck in trees since I arrived—or at least since I met you,” he confessed.
“Thank you for sending Mr. Gryphon to help me,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and lifting him off the branch.
He held onto her and kissed her lips softly. She parted them and returned his kiss with a passion born from the fear of losing him and her love. A persistent and irritating noise next to her ear brought her back to the present.
“Can you two do that later? I’d like to find my dagger,” Mr. Gryphon growled.
Asahi sighed. “I dropped it along with the sword when the serpent evaporated underneath me,” he admitted.
“You dropped it! ‘Go save the Empress. I’ll protect the dagger’ you said,” Mr. Gryphon complained. “I’ll be having nightmares for the next century of being inside that monster’s nose. No offense, Empress,” he quickly tacked on. “Of course your life was worth it.”
“None taken, my dear, brave Golden Dagger,” Nali replied with a smile.
She fought to keep from laughing when the tiny lion puffed out his chest, fluttered his wings, shook out his mane, and snapped his tail with delight at her compliment. Asahi’s exasperated groan made her joyous laughter burst forth. Her relief and joy was too much to be contained.
“Mr. Gryphon, can you go search for your dagger?” Nali asked sweetly. “We’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“I save the day, he loses my dagger, and he’s the one getting kissed,” Mr. Gryphon grumbled as he disappeared through the branches below.
Nali ignored the lion’s grumbling. Her attention was all on Asahi. She tilted her head, leaned in, and kissed him again.
“Do you have a license to fly and kiss?” he seductively murmured when she paused a breath away from his lips.
“I’m the Empress of the Monsters. Trust me when I say I can do a lot more,” she breathed.
Their lips met again with fervent relief. They molded their bodies together as she softly landed. The second their feet touched the ground, she pulled away and began placing tiny kisses along his jaw.
“I… was… so afraid,” she confessed, peppering his lips with brief kisses between her words.
He captured her face between his hands. “How do you think I felt when I saw you disappear into that snake’s mouth?” he retorted.
He covered her lips with his again. She tasted his fear in that kiss. Their tongues tangled and their breathing grew heavy. She ran her hands across his back, trying to pull him closer.
“Hey, love birds, you need to see this!” Mr. Gryphon shouted.
Nali groaned when Asahi reluctantly pulled away. She rested her forehead against his and pulled deep, calming breaths into her lungs. A giggle escaped her when she saw the expression on Asahi’s face.
“I hope he found his dagger because I’m ready to shove him back in his sheath,” he stated.
“I know what you mean,” Nali laughed.
“Nali! Asahi! You really need to come here,” Mr. Gryphon insisted.
Asahi shook his head and looked at her with amusement. “We better go, or he’ll never shut up,” he said.
“If it helps, I know about this amazing little cottage nearby,” she said with a suggestive gleam in her eyes as she turned away.
“I look forward to visiting it—with you,” he murmured, wrapping his arm around her waist.
Chapter 29
Asahi held a branch aside so Nali could pass through. Mr. Gryphon’s tone was becoming more animated wit
h each passing minute. On a positive note, the lion didn’t sound upset.
As long as it isn’t more of the alien, he thought.
He tried to ignore the nagging feeling in his gut when he remembered his vision of the flaming entity. He must have misinterpreted the image. It seemed impossible that any piece of the alien could have survived. From his vantage point at the top of the branches, Asahi had an unobstructed view of what had happened to the alien.
He replayed the scene in his mind, searching for any pertinent detail that he might have missed. Nali had thrown Ashure’s sword to him, and he had plunged it into the serpent’s neck at the base of its head. A brilliant white light had burst from the sword, searing through the creature’s body like spikes of lightning, creating a ring around its neck. The magic had spread, growing brighter and hotter as it ate away the alien’s flesh until nothing remained but glowing embers. Even those dissipated when they hit the ground. There had been nothing left but ash. He was sure of it.
Yet, Aminta had been certain that someone would arrive from Valdier to destroy the alien. She had also been pretty certain that Asahi would die, though. Perhaps the fact that he had survived made all the difference. Perhaps something had happened to their fiery savior to keep her from coming to their aid.
Asahi paused when Nali put her hand out. They both stared at the sword embedded in the ground. He walked over and pulled it out. There was a long scorch mark running from the tip to the hilt as if a lightning bolt had struck it.
“This looks like it has seen better days,” he dryly commented, holding it out to Nali.
She grimaced as she took it. “Ashure is sure to have a few choice words for me. He absolutely adores his swords. I’d say he was compensating for something, but unfortunately, I have seen him in the buff, so I know he isn’t,” she said.
“Really?” Asahi inquired with a raised eyebrow.
She scrunched her nose. “Let’s change the subject, shall we? He’s like a brother to me! Let’s just say Ashure has kept the ladies purring with happiness for several centuries, and leave it at that,” she replied with a shudder.
“Hello!” Mr. Gryphon called. “Are you two ever going to…. There you are! What took you so long? Wait, strike that question. If you two were having sex, I don’t want to know,” Mr. Gryphon growled.
“Did you find your dagger?” Asahi politely inquired.
Mr. Gryphon nodded. “Yes, and something else.” He led them farther into the tangled tree limbs.
“Wha…? Oh, my,” Nali breathed, stunned.
Asahi swallowed and gaped in awe at the beautiful woman rising from the ground into a sitting position. Her body was solid gold, like his vision of the aliens in the cave. He stepped forward when she turned and faced them.
“Aminta?” he quietly surmised.
The woman tilted her head, frowned, and looked around before returning her gaze to his face. She bowed her head uncertainly. He reached out and helped her to her feet. She swayed.
“I… Where am I?” she asked in a confused voice.
“You are on the Isle of the Monsters. It is part of the Seven Kingdoms,” Nali replied in a gentle tone.
“The Seven Kingdoms…. I remember the alien creature that held me…,” Aminta murmured, looking around again.
“Gone. Destroyed,” Nali reassured her.
Aminta sagged against him. “Thank you,” she whispered in an unsteady voice.
“You’re welcome,” Mr. Gryphon preened. “I helped with that, by the way,” the Golden Dagger added rather self-importantly.
Nali touched Aminta’s arm and looked at Asahi. “We should have Xyrie check her over to make sure she is alright,” she suggested.
“I’ll carry her,” he said.
“Perhaps you should sheath yourself for a well-deserved rest after all your hard work, Mr. Gryphon,” Nali suggested.
“Don’t mind if I do,” the lion said with a huge yawn. “Saving the universe is quite tiring.”
Asahi shook his head and held his arm away from his side until Mr. Gryphon, clutching the hilt of the dagger, slid the blade into the sheath. Once he secured the dagger, Asahi swept Aminta into his arms. She held onto his neck and laid her head against his shoulder. He was shocked that this beautiful entity had survived, much less could stand, after everything she had been through. It boggled his mind how anyone could have survived after enduring such destructive evil.
“How far is it?” he asked.
Nali glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Not far. I’m glad the alien didn’t realize how close it was to the Gateway. If it had, we might never have been able to stop it,” she confessed.
He silently agreed when they stepped out of the woods into a small clearing no more than a hundred yards from where they had destroyed the alien. In the center of the clearing stood a magnificent willow tree.
He had never seen one this large before. The branches of the giant willow draped to the ground. It stood nearly five stories high and probably measured a half-acre or more in circumference . Brilliant purple flowers, twinkling like fairy lights in the early morning light, were mixed in with the pale green leaves. In front of the willow stood the unicorn from the river.
Nali smiled and rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Xyrie’s neck. A sense of peace swept over him at the sight. He couldn’t imagine being anywhere but here, on this alien world, surrounded by mythical creatures, holding a Goddess, and following the most beautiful woman in all the kingdoms.
“I can stand,” Aminta murmured near his ear.
“Of course. My apologies,” he said, gently placing her feet on the ground.
“No apologies necessary, human. You have done everything I hoped you would,” Aminta said gleefully.
Asahi frowned, looking down at the face so close to his own, and noticed black swirls mixed with Aminta’s golden pupils. He attempted to let her go and move away, but thick golden bands wrapped around his arm.
“Nali!” he shouted in warning.
Nali turned and gasped. Asahi grunted when the golden bands wrapped around his chest and up his neck. He struggled to break free. It felt like he was being eaten alive.
“Release him, alien,” Xyrie’s voice commanded.
Aminta scoffed and shook her head. “Why don’t you show them your natural form, sister. It is time, don’t you think?” she mocked.
Asahi focused on slowing his breathing as the bands moved up to his jaw. He slid his hand down to his side, trying to reach Mr. Gryphon. Pain shot through him when the alien bent him backward.
“I can make this painful, or I can make it excruciating. Either way, I will enjoy it, human,” the alien murmured near his ear.
“Kill it,” he choked out.
“Release him,” Xyrie ordered.
The quick breath Asahi inhaled was knocked out of him when the unicorn suddenly transformed. In its place stood an elegant woman made of gold.
“You cannot harm one of your own kind, Xyrie. It is forbidden,” Aminta smugly replied.
“You are no longer one of us. The alien has contaminated the power that once belonged to you. I can kill it,” Xyrie stated, taking a step closer to them.
Aminta raised an eyebrow. “Yes, you can, but are you willing to kill the human?” she asked.
Asahi felt the alien sinking into his skin. He knew what it was doing—and what it would do, not only to him, but to the worlds. One life or countless billions? There was no choice.
“Destroy it, Nali,” he ordered in a strained voice.
“NO!” Nali pleaded, reaching for him.
He stiffened as a chill seeped over him. Mentally, he fought to retain control, detaching part of his mind behind a protective wall. The real Aminta within—the tiny ember that was left of her—sought to shield him from the pain as he was consumed.
“Stand aside, Xyrie,” the alien ordered.
Asahi internally winced when he heard the words coming from his mouth. The sensation of being disconnected from his body w
as bewildering. Afraid of losing what little remained of himself, he focused on Nali.
“Release him,” Nali ordered, her voice dropping to a growl in her fury.
She raised Ashure’s sword and walked toward him. Tears glistened in her beautiful eyes. Asahi desperately wanted to erase the pain he saw there. For a brief second, he regained control of his body.
“Remember your promise, Nali. If I become a danger to you or your people…,” he reminded her.
“Asahi…,” she choked out in a raw voice.
The sword in her hands dipped, and he desperately wanted to touch her one last time. Instead, he curled his fingers into a fist of frustration. The alien was using his emotions—and Nali’s—to manipulate them.
“I will always love you, Empress, but now it is time for you to save our worlds,” he said in a gentle voice.
Tears coursed down Nali’s cheeks. “I love you, Asahi,” she whispered.
He didn’t look away when she lifted the sword above her head. Her choked sob tore at his heart even as the alien tried to wrest control of his body to stop her from killing it once and for all. He lifted his chin.
The Gateway!
Asahi heard Aminta’s faint voice but didn’t process what she meant until he noticed that an area near the giant willow was beginning to glow. Nali must have felt the energy shift in the air because she paused. Xyrie’s startled reaction to the forming gateway made him think the alien was responsible for what was occurring.
“Nali, kill the alien now!” he harshly ordered. With stark terror, he saw the blackness of space through the portal.
Nali swung the sword at his fierce command. Time slowed, stretching into nanoseconds. The alien howled with fury and desperately attempted to withdraw from his body. Aminta, equally desperate, clung to him.
From the Gateway a brilliant fireball struck his chest and passed through his body. The impact nearly lifted him off of his feet. He stumbled backward, flailing his arms to keep his balance before he sank to his knees. He took a deep gasping breath as he realized the flame that had passed through him had extracted the alien from his body.
