Argos recovered first and Chase shortly after. Argos engulfed his body in red energy and healed his wounds.
“This thing has an incredible number of tricks up its sleeves,” muttered Chase.
“What do your friends think they’re doing?”
“What? Where?”
Argos pointed towards the ground where Tar’Lock ran so fast he was leaving a trail of sand behind him.
“Dammit! He’s gonna get crushed.”
“Whatever. We don’t need him.”
“Don’t be so fast with your assumptions. My friends are very resourceful, and last I checked we were still getting our asses handed to us.”
“I’m not losing time protecting these pathetic insect friends of yours.”
“Enough with your pride! Now is not the time. They must have a plan, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. I haven’t heard from Aphroditis, so I’m thinking something must be blocking our communications.”
“What are you hiding from me, brother?”
“Nothing. She just gave me a pendant that allows us to communicate, but I haven’t heard from her, so something must be wrong.”
“This entire arena is shielded.”
“Then you can be sure Tar’Lock is going to try to disable that shield.”
“I’m not sure what good that would do.”
“Nevertheless, treat my friends as you would me in this battle. That’s not a suggestion.”
Argos growled but was resigned. “Very well, but don’t expect me to risk my life for theirs. They mean nothing to me.”
“You’ve made that perfectly clear. Now let’s provide Tar’Lock with some cover.”
Argos made a throaty noise. “Understood.”
As Tar’Lock approached the Titan, he tried increasing his speed. His heart beat more strongly in his chest when he caught the Titan looking in his direction.
Uh-oh, not good.
The Titan slammed a foot towards the ground and the shockwave it released hit Tar’Lock with full force. He was knocked from his trajectory and crashed onto his back, emitting painful clicking sounds as a result.
When he looked up he saw a gigantic palm, open and targeting his position. A flaming red fireball grew.
I’m toast.
The Titan fired his attack at Tar’Lock, who felt his blood freeze, too afraid to move a single muscle. But then, when it was nearly upon him, a smaller blue fireball impacted with it and deflected it just enough so the attack exploded a hundred yards away from him. Nevertheless, Tar’Lock was thrown into the air by the impact, arms and legs flailing uncontrollably.
Then something grabbed hold of him.
“Need a lift, my friend?” said Chase, a big smile on his face.
“Hey! Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime. Where do you need to go?”
“Over there.” Tar’Lock pointed at the gate through which the Titan had stepped earlier. He looked behind and saw that the Titan had turned in pursuit. “I don’t suppose you can fly any faster?”
“We’re almost there.”
“Its eyes are glowing strongly. Is that normal?”
“It’s about to fire its lasers, then.”
“Oh dear.”
Chase spun around to get a good look while still flying blindly towards their destination.
But when the Titan was about to fire again a major explosion occurred behind it and it turned its attention back towards Argos. It slammed a palm towards Argos who failed to dodge it and was sent crashing into the nearest wall.
“I need to help him. Hang on and trust me, okay?” said Chase.
But before Tar’Lock could answer Chase had thrown his body as fast as he could. Tar’Lock’s eyes widened at the sight of the fast-approaching ground. He shouted at the top of his lungs, but when he was about to hit the ground he stopped short and was lowered gently.
“Told you to trust me,” said Chase, directly in his mind.
“Go see Ryonna at once,” shouted Tar’Lock, hoping Chase would hear him.
Chase flashed him a quick thumbs up while flying back towards the Titan.
Tar’Lock exhaled in relief and smiled. But there was no time to lose. He checked his portable device and resumed running towards the energy signature provided by Aphroditis.
Argos impacted the nearest wall and was literally embedded in it. “Ouch.”
He saw Chase arrive behind the Titan and deliver a powerful, telekinetically enhanced kick that threw the Titan to the ground face first, with a growl of disapproval.
Argos released himself from his current, stony cast and powered a strong fireball that he threw at its neck.
Chase flew past him at top speed.
“Where the fuck are you going?”
“I’ll be right back. Keep it occupied.”
Argos growled, clearly annoyed by the distraction his brother’s friends added to an already chaotic situation. But then he smiled to himself. Perhaps if one of his friends were to meet their demise it would awaken Chase’s ultimate power.
Something to keep in mind, he decided, as he dodged the latest fist attack from the Titan, who created a crater-sized hole in the wall where Argos stood a second before.
Argos flew down and launched himself towards one of the Titan’s knees. He kicked it with all his force, adding telekinetic energy to his momentum. It brought the Titan down to one knee, but then it smashed one fist into the ground and a column of red energy shot vertically from under Argos’ position into the air, engulfing him in an instant.
When the column of energy dissipated, Argos’ arms were crossed in front of his face, his skin fuming from the power of the blast. Blood showed between his clenched teeth and in his bloodshot eyes.
“You’re gonna pay for this, you steaming hunk of smelly stones.”
Argos joined his hands together and released a series of telekinetic shockwaves towards the Titan. With each impact some of the stony, surface skin of the beast exploded in small, rocky chunks but immediately resumed cohesion.
Argos unleashed a shout of frustration as he watched the Titan rise to its feet and turn towards him.
Argos waved his hand, inviting the Titan. “Come and get me.”
Chase landed near Ryonna.
“Hey, you. You guys shouldn’t have come, but I’m really glad to see you.”
She smiled.
“Tar’Lock said you have a message for me?”
“Yes, you need to use the altars. Aphroditis is certain it’s your only hope.”
“I wanted to, but Argos kept blowing me off when I proposed it.”
“I don’t think just the two of you can manage anyway.”
“Why?”
“There are four altars. My guess is it will take four people to make this work.”
“Which means you’ll have to take a serious risk when the time comes. Where’s Daniel?”
“He and Fillio are waiting on board their respective StarFuries for Tar’Lock to blow the shield generator. So they can provide cover.”
“That will take some pretty fancy flying, but if anyone can do it, it’s those two. Don’t try anything until the shield is down and the Titan is under fire from multiple targets, Ryonna. I mean it! This thing is too fast. It would crush you in an instant.”
Ryonna nodded reluctantly.
“I need to get back to this fight. Stay safe.”
“You too, Chase.”
But he was already gone, flying towards the Titan at full speed.
Tar’Lock entered the gigantic room from which the Titan must have come. He ran towards the energy signature and soon arrived at a smaller corridor. But when he reached the end he collided with an invisible force field that threw him backwards and to the ground.
“That wasn’t fun,” he said to himself, as he got up and dusted himself off. He took a closer look at the force field, but there didn’t seem to be a way through.
“Dammit!” He punched the force field in frustration. It blinked just for second whe
n he did. “Hmmm . . .”
An idea formed in his mind. He doubled back and found a fist-sized stone on the ground. He threw the stone at the force field and ran after it as fast as he could.
When the stone hit the force field, it blinked for just a millisecond, as it did when he had punched it. Just enough for him to see an opening and run through it. Or so he thought.
He arrived on the other side of the force field but was immediately rewarded with a tremendous jolt of pain. When he looked at his left hand, he was horrified to see it wasn’t there anymore.
The throbbing pain almost made him lose consciousness but he fought through it. Now was not the time to pass out.
The room in which he stood contained a console, and behind glass he saw the generator. He approached the console, trying to figure out how it worked, but it was all runes and symbols that were alien to him. He pressed a few controls randomly but all he got back were negative-sounding beeps and red-blinking lights. He punched the console in frustration. He took one of the grenades from his belt, activated it and sent it towards the glass, immediately crouching under the console.
When the dust and smoke settled, Tar’Lock could see that the glass protecting the shield generator was unscathed. Not even a crack.
“I don’t have time for this shit!” he swore.
His mind raced, trying to find a solution to his current predicament, as he heard the sounds from the battle in the arena and felt the ground shaking.
He tried calling Aphroditis on the Iron Fire but there was no answer. He was not really surprised. His presence so near the generator probably made it impossible for his equipment to send a signal.
“We’re screwed!”
“Not necessarily,” he heard behind him.
He spun, startled by the voice. What he saw made no sense to him. There stood the shape of a humanoid, but it was made of bright, shining, golden energy, casting a warm, yellow light around the room.
“Who . . . What are you?”
“Not really a good time for introductions, but I’m Ares.”
“Oh, Chase’s mentor.”
“Former, yes. I need you to trust me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I need to take control of your body, if you’ll let me.”
Tar’Lock felt uneasy at the thought but finally shrugged. “If it will help.”
“Whatever you do, don’t resist. If you do, I can’t guarantee you’ll survive the experience.”
“This plan sounds less and less to my liking.”
“Just don’t resist. It may sting a little.”
Ares approached Tar’Lock and grabbed him by the shoulders. “You’re tense. Try to relax.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Right, just close your eyes and whatever you feel, ignore it.”
Tar’Lock closed his eyes and felt a stinging sensation invade every part of his body, followed by a strong warmth. Soon he lost the ability to think of anything. It felt as though his mind was swallowed into a black hole and his consciousness disappeared into nothingness.
Ares was now fully in control of Tar’Lock’s body and mind.
When he opened Tar’Lock’s eyes, they shone gold. He turned back to the console and entered commands with one hand at lightning speed. The force field behind turned off. In the blink of an eye he grabbed Tar’Lock’s severed limb, brought it near the cut and a golden energy linked it back to his arm.
I will need both your arms for this next part.
He then took the grenade belt off and threw the grenades and the belt towards the glass. In the following instant he created a golden fireball in each hand and threw them forward. They impacted the grenades and the resulting explosion shattered the glass, but the shockwave of the explosion catapulted him towards the nearest wall, a stray piece of glass impaling his right shoulder.
Losing no time he jumped into the next room. The explosion had not disabled the shield generator. He approached the nearest paneling and ripped it off the wall.
This next part won’t be fun, I’m afraid.
He yanked two of the biggest cables from the wall. Sparks flew, lights blinked and a powerful current ran through him as he was thrown to the ground. Upon impact, he was ejected from Tar’Lock’s body. The generator stopped humming and the lights dimmed.
Ares saw smoke rising from Tar’Lock’s motionless body, and his heart had stopped.
He placed his energy-based hand on Tar’Lock’s ribcage and generated a powerful electric shock, trying to jumpstart his heart.
It didn’t work.
“Don’t you die on me now!”
He shocked Tar’Lock again and again.
The last jolt of electricity did the trick and Tar’Lock gasped for air, his face twisted in pain.
“What the fuck! Why do I ache, like everywhere?”
“Long story.”
“What happened?”
“The shield is down. Thanks for trusting me.”
“I don’t remember anything, but I’m glad you managed.”
Tar’Lock hailed Daniel, surprised to see he had both hands again. He pointed at it. “Your doing?”
“I needed it.”
“So do I, so thanks.”
“Daniel, here. What’s your status, Tar’Lock?”
“The shield is down. You can come in.”
“Great job, thanks!”
“What now?” Tar’Lock asked Ares.
“Now you go help your friends.”
“How?”
“The altars. Use their power to immobilize the Titan.”
“Any chance you know how they work?”
“You’ll have to figure that out with your friends.”
“Alright, thanks, Ares.”
“Go, now!”
“Right.”
When getting to his feet Tar’Lock felt a tremendous pain in his back.
“Sorry about that. You may want to leave the glass there until Chase can heal you. I’m afraid you might bleed out if you take it out now.”
“Swell, alright.”
Tar’Lock ran back towards the arena.
21
Chase and Argos had been attacking the Titan with a series of fireballs when the StarFuries arrived on the scene.
“More of your friends?”
“We clearly need the help.”
“Right. Somehow I doubt their firepower will be enough to bring it down, though.”
“Perhaps not, but they will provide a diversion.”
“For what?”
“We need to use the altars.”
“Again with that?”
“Look, we’ve done things your way up till now and it hasn’t worked. Time for a change of tactics.”
“Do you know how they work?”
“No, but now is the time to try them. Ryonna will take care of the altar near the entrance, Tar’Lock the one behind the giant gate. That leaves one for each of us at the sides.”
“Very well. This better work!”
“Not really like we have a choice here.”
The StarFuries deployed drones and started raining laser fire towards the Titan. It drew the beast’s attention and it frantically waved its arms, trying to bring the starfighters down. When it realized they were too skilled for it to smash them with its bare hands it began shooting lasers from its eyes.
The StarFuries went evasive and dodged the incoming attacks.
Chase landed near the altar and had another vision. Four colors flashed before his eyes in quick succession: yellow, green, blue and red.
He understood immediately what that meant. He reached with his mind and spoke to Ryonna.
“You need to touch the yellow sphere. Do it now!”
Ryonna ran towards the altar, pausing for a split second to look at the chaotic scene created by the StarFuries and Argos attacking the Titan. Then she resumed her run and touched the yellow sphere of energy on top of the altar. A wooden staff with shining runes materialized in
her hand. The tip of the staff contained a similar yellow energy, glowing through the elaborate woodwork containing it.
“What now?”
“I’m not sure. Point it at the Titan and think of firing.”
Ryonna did just that and a stream of yellow energy shot towards the chest of the Titan.
Upon impact, solid brown stone formed around the chest and shoulders of the beast and seemed to immobilize it.
Argos lost no time firing a powerful fireball at its face, but the Titan blew it out of the sky with a shot of his eye lasers. The StarFuries each sent a missile at the beast’s arms. Its arms exploded for a moment, but almost immediately reconstructed themselves.
The Titan shrieked and cracks appeared in the brown, stony prison engulfing its ribcage and shoulders. It finally gave away and rocks flew in every direction. Some of the debris lit up the shields of Daniel’s StarFury upon impact and sent him in a spin towards the nearest wall.
Chase grabbed the ship with his mind and restored a safe trajectory to avoid collision. He then plunged his hand into the red energy sphere and felt fire run through his bloodstream. As a pair of finely crafted gold gloves materialized in his hands, he punched the air in front of him towards the Titan and a powerful wave of flames hit it with full force. It growled from the pain but the flames didn’t last long. Soon smoke arose where the fire had touched the Titan. It screamed and everything shook.
Wrong order. But he needed to know what each altar’s power was to use them efficiently. He reached Tar’Lock telepathically and asked him to use the green energy sphere.
When he put his hand inside the green sphere a trident materialized in his hand, glowing emerald. He pointed it towards the Titan and a watery typhoon shot from the trident into the Titan’s back.
“Argos! Quickly use yours!”
Reluctantly, Argos waved his hand through the blue energy sphere and immediately felt an ice cold current inside his body. His arms shone with blue light and he sent a shockwave towards the distracted Titan. The wave flash froze the water on the Titan’s back forming a thick layer of ice, trapping the beast once more and restricting its movements.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 113
