by Adam Lynch
Suddenly, the purple viper slivers past me so fast I shudder and gasp. I spin towards it and sight an arrow pierce his head and to the ground. I stop breathing as I witness the instant death of my friend. The scroll he was carrying in his mouth slips out and Judan walks over to pick it up. I gasp, and my heart pounds. Huh? Huh?!
No this… this can’t be happening.
“Good shot,” he shouts to the archer. “We finally got him.” Wearing gloves to protect his skin from the venom, he unfolds the scroll. “Now then... why were you carrying around that soldier’s scroll?”
I spin my head towards Yuuto and Kagami who appear as surprised and terrified as I feel.
No, no, no. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. What do I do? What do I do? How do I stop him? He’s going to learn everything. The whole plan will be ruined.
“Huh?! What?!” His volume alarms everyone around him. He spins his head towards Yuuto, and then towards me. His face flushes like he’s seeing a ghost—a look that appears almost more terrified than mine. In the past, it always looked like Judan was staring through me, but now, he actually is… and this is his reaction...
“Fraisha! Fraisha!” Fraisha and everyone in the courtyard spins towards Judan.“Yuuto is the mind-reader, and Taiyo is a power holder as well! Watch out. He can command animals and everything in the earth and skies.”
Flushing pale, Fraisha, Talden, and Valida spin towards Yuuto, and then at me. All stunned at first, Fraisha suddenly curves a smile, sending chills down my spine.
“Taiyo!” Screams Yuuto. “Call the birds! Tell the animals to charge!”
I look up at the sun and shout the orders from the top of my voice.
Suddenly, a storm of a thousand birds mask the sun and circle the sky. Fraisha and I face each other, mirroring terror as the birds dive on every Darkane’s head, picking flesh. Soldiers scream and flail while Leferians gawk and tremble.
“I found out where the keys to the cells and to the kitsune’s chains are!” I hear Yuuto shout to Kagami. He points to a soldier. “That soldier has the key to the cells. Get it, Kagami. I’ll go free the kitsune.”
Overwhelmed, she hesitates at first, but then gathers herself, nods, and gets on it.
“Yuuto?! What do I do?!” I shout.
“Open the gate!” He runs for the key and flees Judan who chases after him despite being attacked by the birds.
My mind racing, I look left and right of the gate. The wheel! It controls the gate. I have to get to it.
My heart beating out of my chest, I pant heavily as I sprint for the wheel. I pass Fraisha and the soldiers who are distracted by the army of flesh-picking birds. But I hear the birds squeal as Fraisha fries them to death. I stop myself, balling my fists, shutting my eyes, and grinding my teeth. I’m killing them. I’m killing them. No… I… I have to keep going. I have to get the gate open.
I ram the guard at the wheel. He crashes against the wall and then curls into a ball to hide his head from the flesh-nipping birds. My rag-covered body is hurt from tackling a man in armor, so I take a few seconds to recover and catch my breath.
Valida and everyone near her scream as they fight off the birds. Terrified and confused Leferians look left and right, huddling close to each other. The kitsune growls and yanks her chain like a rapid dog. Yuuto races towards the kitsune—did he get the key? Birds continue nipping Judan, but he keeps on Yuuto’s trail. I search the courtyard for Kagami, but don’t see her anywhere—hopefully, this is because she’s in the halls freeing Yumi and the others.
Fraisha torches every bird that comes after him, a seemingly endless army—but it’s so easy for him that he torches all of Talden’s birds as well, and every soldier near him. No! He’s killing them—he’s killing them all. How many have died because of me? I have to stop this. No more. “Stop!” I shout at the birds. “Get away from that man. He’s too dangerous. Don’t get near him.”
They watch with amazement as the birds listen to me on cue. Then, Talden and Fraisha turn to look at me. “Incredible,” says Fraisha.
His body sparking mildly, he approaches me, fixated.
My heart is pounding. I’m breathing heavier. The wheel. I have to open the gate. Wait, how do I work it? Do I turn it?
I try it. At first, it won’t budge. I’m too weak.
I take a deep breath and try again. It budges a little. Yes, this is it.
Zap! A string of lightning hits the wheel and knocks me back. Suddenly, the wheel feels like I had gripped lighting itself. I’m too shocked to feel the fall. I spring back to my feet, eyeing him and breathing heavily. His finger is pointed at me as he continues approaching, intensely fixated. “What are you up to, Taiyo? Why are trying to get that gate open?”
Bang, bang, bang! Suddenly, crashes sound from the other side of the gate. I hear loud roars, growls, and howls.
The animals. They’ve come.
Fraisha’s attention reeled at the gate, he aims back at me, suddenly pale. “No way… you…”
He goes to aim his hand at me when suddenly Yuuto shouts, “The kitsune is free, Taiyo. Tell it to attack the Darkane.” Fraisha spins towards Yuuto who stands next to the freed kitsune. She’s never released fixation on me. Up until now, she’s been waiting for me to give the order.
“Pin Fraisha to the ground!”
Growling viciously with bulging eyes, she charges him. Terrified, he spins himself towards her and thrusts a clap of thunder at her. Kaboom! The thunder roars, knocking the kitsune back, and quaking the ground. The kitsune springs back on her feet. He shoots again, but she dodges and closes in…
“Taiyo,” a voice on the ground says to me suddenly. “Incoming on you right.”
I gasp, spotting Talden charging me. I tense up my body and protect myself. Suddenly, Katsu slides in and kicks the back of Talden’s knee, forcing him to stumble. He grunts and looks back, and is met with Sadao’s ax knob. Bash! Then Yumi charges with a spear to finish him off, but Talden catches it and throws her to the side.
He stands back up, scanning his surroundings. “You three again? Well come on then!”
I look back at Yuuto and find Judan forcing him on the run again. I still don’t see Kagami anywhere. Is she okay?
“Taiyo, get that gate open!” shouts Yumi. Talden knocks them all to the ground and then faces me.
“So, that’s the plan, is it?” he asks, charging me again.
Katsu throws a knife at his heel, stunning him, but before Yumi and Sadao can follow up, he spins around and counters them both.
I do my part and turn the wheel as fast as I can. It’s so heavy I barely make progress. But I’m encouraged when I spot the stone gate lifting off the ground—I can hear the voices of all the animals sounding from underneath. Glancing over, I watch as they dig frantically to crawl under it.
“Ah!” screams Yumi when she is cut by Talden’s one-handed ax.
“Yumi!” shouts Sadao.
“Pay attention,” says Talden, bashing Sadao with his shield.
`He falls to the ground and Talden follows up with an ax blunt. “Or you’ll die!”
Katsu cuts Talden’s elbow before he finishes the attack. Talden grunts as his arm weakens, and Katsu bashes Talden’s chin with his katana’s hilt. Bang. His head flings back and Katsu steps back.
Talden feels the blood on his face and laughs. “Without a doubt, you are Fujian Village’s champion.”
Loud cries sound from the kitsune as she crashes into the wall from a thrust of lightning. Kaboom! Fraisha analyzes her as she whimpers, but she doesn’t get back up. Oh no. Has she been defeated?
Fraisha turns to face me, his face grave. Suddenly, I feel chills down my spine.
Then, I hear loud grunting from Katsu as Talden stomps on him. Yumi and Sadao lie wounded on the ground. “Two times you’ve betrayed us now, but there won’t be a third.” He raises his ax over his shoulder as if to…
No! I can’t let this happen. I won’t.
Sudde
nly, thunder sounds from above. I lift my eyes to the sky and behold: the storm—it has arrived. Black clouds mask the sun—I feel trickles of rain hitting my skin.
I smile. This is it. Our salvation. “Strike lightning on Fraisha and Talden!”
It hails down both of them simultaneously. The thunder’s voice amplifies so powerfully that the ground and walls shake.
The lightning hits Fraisha directly, but it doesn’t injure him in the slightest. In fact, it might have even made him stronger. Oh no—I forgot that he is lightning now...
But Talden, who heard me shout the command, raises up his shield before the lightning hits. He’s spared from death, but not from significant damage.
Seizing this opportunity, Katsu slices Talden’s elbows and knees, and Sadao bashes him to the ground with his ax’s knob. Sadao immediately hovers over him. “We got you.”
“Not so fast.” From a distance, I spot Valida aiming an arrow at Sadao’s head. What? How did she get rid of the birds? Crap, I forgot about her. “Taiyo?” she asks me. “Since when did you have super powers? Have you been playing us this entire time? Who are you, really?”
“It’s over, Taiyo,” says Fraisha, approaching me as lightning sparks mildly over his body. “You surprised us, but this isn’t our first time dealing with surprises.”
I glance at the gate. The animals continuously bang, roar, growl, and howl. I see them digging vigorously, but it won’t be quick enough.
“That sounds like a lot of animals behind there, Taiyo. How many have you summoned? Hundreds? Thousands?” He smiles. “Honestly, this couldn’t have been better timing. I’m grateful to you. With a power like yours, we might actually have a chance at repelling the small Starlight army heading our way.”
I know I should be scared, but instead I think I’m... angry. I mean he’s… he’s assuming he’s already won. There’s no way this is over. Are you kidding me? After everything we’ve done? After everyone’s sacrifice? No way. I don’t think so.
I can’t stop him with lightning, but what about wind? I bet he can’t stop that.
“Wind! Shove Valida and Fraisha against the walls!”
Instantly, a gust of wind whips them to the walls. Bang! Bang!
“Yumi, come on!” Katsu shouts to her as they run to help me turn the wheel.
When Katsu and I make eye contact, I shudder, seeing a glimpse of his sister for a second—it’s insane how much he reminds me of her. He’s the closest person to her. If I didn’t already admire him so much, this would be the reason I did. “Let’s finish this, Taiyo,” he says.
My eyes widen when I hear his voice up close, then I nod. We don’t waste any more time turning the wheel. With their help, the wheel turns faster, and the voices of the animals are much better received to our ears. The smaller animals dig while the larger ones help lift it. Just a littler more… just a little more…
Zap, zap, zap. Suddenly, lighting shoots at the animals, knocking them away from the gate. Hundreds of audible cries sound… makes me grind my teeth—he’ll pay.
“You’re not going to have your way, Taiyo,” Fraisha shouts, aiming his two fingers at me. “We’ve been through too much to have you come out of nowhere and screw everything up.”
“Wind! Shove Fraisha against the wall harder this time.”
Before he shoots, a gust of wind whips him so hard against the wall it dents it. He groans as he struggles to recover. Meanwhile, the three of us hustle to turn the wheel. Almost there… almost there…
“No!” Valida shouts as wolves, pumas and other animals make it under the gate. They charge Talden, Valida, and all nearby soldiers, tackling them down and pinning them. Sadao backs away from Talden, startled by the wolves.
“No, this… this can’t be happening…” Fraisha says as he tries lifting himself off the ground. “I won’t let it happen.” He fights to point his fingers at me again. I repeat the command to the wind and it does it, Fraisha denting the wall once again with his body. Eating the dirt, he lifts his face. “No! I won’t… I won’t let my family be at the mercy of others again… not again… I am not helpless… I am not helpless. I have power. I can protect. I will protect them!”
But before he is able to gather the strength to try something again, the three of us have opened the gates enough for hundreds of animals to be seen. They show their teeth, claws, and any other means of intimidation they have. They stand still, awaiting my command.
“I’m sorry, Fraisha,” I say as he turns to look at me with tears in his eyes. “But I can’t let you guys win.”
Then, I face the animals. “Finish this.”
Fraisha watches helplessly as hundreds of animals charge him: wolves, pumas, panthers, tigers, bears, and the two tiger-bears, Zara and Cybil. Like a tidal wave, they drown him, stampeding him until Zara and Cybil pin him.
Everyone still distracted by the birds notice the swarming animals and run for their lives—but there’s nowhere to run. They’re trapped inside the prison they’ve forced us to build. It was meant to serve them, but in the end, it served against them.
I look around and watch the chaos unfold. Thousands of birds nip flesh off the soldier’s bodies as feathers litter the courtyard. Hundreds of carnivore animals roar, howl, growl, and hiss as they strike the Darkane, attacking them until they’re severely injured… and then pinning them there. Blood sprays through the air as it then pools the ground. I watch as flesh is torn off bodies, and listen as voices scream. What horrifies me most about watching this is knowing that it’s all happening because of me… because I have commanded it. I’m literally the cause of this… this chaos… this suffering...
But I can’t tell them all to stop… it has to be done…
But no one will die. I made sure of that.
Does the neutralization have to be this excessive, though? The birds. Do they have to remain here any longer?
“All birds!” I shout, straining my voice. “Stop. Please. You’re done. Leave this horrible place, and be free.”
I wave my hands towards the sky, and they follow—all of them. They gather and tower upwards like a tornado. Once high in the air, they disperse in different directions.
By the time the birds have left, the carnivores have pinned almost every Darkane. I no longer hear hundreds of roars, growls, howls, and screams. Now, I hear moans, groans, whimpers, and grunts. The animals with no assigned soldier to pin, sniff and stroll around the fort, snuffing out any hidden enemies. From the halls, I suddenly hear a soldier scream as barking wolves pounce on him.
Valida whimpers audibly. Talden and Fraisha don’t utter a sound. And Judan is… wait. Where’s Judan? Where’s Judan?
Where’s Yuuto?!
Where’s Kagami?!
“Did we do it?” Yumi asks, looking around the fort. She smiles. “Is that it? Did we win?”
“Where’s Yuuto?” I ask, breathing heavy. “Where’s Kagami?”
“Taiyo, Katsu, Yumi—get over here now,” shouts Sadao from the tunnel opening next to the medical cell.
“What’s wrong?” Yumi asks, but Sadao goes back inside. Many animals and Leferians follow him in.
“Come on,” says Katsu, leading the way as we sprint to the tunnel.
The tunnel is packed with animals and people, everyone gathered around the medical cell. All the animals face it, growling and hissing. Katsu pushes our way through to the front where Sadao is. I peer over everyone to see what is happening inside the cell. We find Judan holding a knife to Yuuto’s throat, both locked inside.
“I knew there was something special about you…” says Judan when we make it to the cell bars. “That you had some sort of power—with all the unexplained phenomenon happening when you’re around, and how you were able to detect me when I was behind you—even though no one else has been able to do that.”
“So desperate for your life that you’d sacrifice the one you’ve been searching for this whole time?” asks Sadao. “Pathetic. You Darkane make me sick.”
“I’m not just doing this for my life, but also for the mind-reader’s.” He glares at me. “I think you know where this is going, Taiyo. Call off your animals and give yourself to Fraisha, then we will spare all of the Leferian’s lives, including the mind-reader’s.”
Sadao scoffs, facing me. “Don’t fall for such an obvious lie, Taiyo. If you give yourself up, and surrender your power to them, we’ll be at their mercy. They’ll take you and Yuuto both, and use ya’ll for whatever they want. They’ll win.”
“The mind-reader knows I’m telling the truth. I’d never dare pull a bluff like this with him present.”
“I-is he telling the truth, Yuuto?” I ask him, everyone silent and facing me suddenly. “Will they spare you and everyone else if I surrender myself?”
“You’re not surrendering yourself, Taiyo,” says Sadao. “Forget it. We’re not going to let you.”
But I ignore Sadao, and keep my eyes locked on Yuuto, studying his eyes carefully for when he answers. Tears roll down his eyes. He looks terrified. What is he thinking? I wish I knew without having to trust what he’s going to say. His lips part, but he hesitates. “No, Taiyo. He’s lying. They plan to take your powers, then mine, and then kill everyone else.” Judan laughs, appearing amused.
“I knew it!” shouts Sadao.
“He may be a mind-reader, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a liar…” warns Judan, pressing his knife closer to his throat. More tears roll down Yuuto’s face. “I’ll give you five seconds to find out which one of us is lying unless you surrender yourself. One of you is going to die, Taiyo. It’s either going to be you, or your friend here—five.” My heart races. “Four.”
“Okay, I’ll do it!”
Shoom. Before anyone can react to my response, an arrow flies past my head and hits Judan’s shoulder. He grunts and loosens his grip on Yuuto enough for him to escape.
We shout his name as he dashes to the bars of the cell door. I grab a hold of him, and he grabs a hold of me. “He locked it, Taiyo, I can’t get out.”
“Maybe we can break it down if we get enough animals to charge,” says Yumi.
