by Aaron Oster
“Who was that Loquin woman with Samuel, and what does she have to do with all this?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure that out in time.”
Morgan felt his frown deepen as his agitation with the man grew.
“Why do you hate Samuel so much?”
For once, Gold’s smile faltered slightly, and a long, faraway look of sadness overcame him. But to Morgan’s surprise, he actually gave him an answer, though it was far from specific.
“He took something from me many years ago. Something very precious to me.”
Just as fast as it had appeared, the expression of sadness vanished, to be replaced by his usual easy smile.
“So I swore undying vengeance against him and vowed to sabotage him at every turn. Death and destruction, you know how it is.”
Morgan didn’t, but he nodded along anyways. Seeing as the man had somewhat answered one question, he figured he may as well try for another.
“What exactly does Samuel want with me? If he locked me away because he couldn’t control me, why has he been trying to do so now, instead of immediately locking me up again?”
“Well, I would tell you, if only just to spite him but… Those pesky rules prevent me from telling you anything.”
Morgan could feel his left eye beginning to twitch as he was deflected once again.
“What the hell are these damn rules everyone keeps going on about?” he practically exploded, having to exert an enormous effort of will not to fly into a rage.
This emotional crap was hard! Now that he had them, he just wanted them to go away.
“I can tell you if you want,” Gold replied, surprising Morgan with his answer. “But there is a catch. If you know, you will garner the Author’s attention. Once you do, he will bind you just like the rest of us, so you have to decide if the knowledge is worth the price you will have to pay.”
“How exactly would I be bound by these rules, and who is this Author who has the power to bind even gods?”
“I can’t tell you how you would be bound, as that would be enough to bind you,” Gold replied, his grin growing a bit more devious. “But what gave you the impression that we were gods?”
Morgan’s eyes widened and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
“You’re…not gods?”
“I’m sure Samuel fancies himself a god, but there is only one truly all-powerful being in the multiverse, and that would be the Author himself. Aside from him, anyone else is vulnerable to being killed, though you might find some easier to kill that others.”
“So. What does this mean for me?” Morgan asked, feeling his heart rate increasing as new ideas and possibilities began forming in his mind.
“Mean? Why would it have to mean anything?” Gold replied with a shrug. “I’d say you just go on as you did before. Knowing who and what you are doesn’t change anything.”
Morgan gave the man a suspicious look.
“You know, you still haven’t told me what you want with me. If I’m to believe what you say, then I’ll have my memories back soon, and I’ll know what Samuel wants from me. But you’re still a complete mystery.”
Gold started at him for a few seconds, as though contemplating whether to tell him or not, then the man shrugged. The shadows around his eyes seemed to darken, lending his face a sinister cast, and a wide, almost sadistic smile spread across his face.
“The answer is quite simple really,” he said, leaning in a bit, as though to tell Morgan a secret.
“I just want to see this world burn!”
Epilogue
Loquin looked down on Sarah as she stood from her father’s corpse and began heading in Morgan’s direction. The fight had been somewhat of a disappointment. She’d been hoping that Sarah would have the strength to overpower her father on her own, but it seemed that asking a minnow to kill a shark was too much to ask for.
She could see that Samuel had already left, likely in a huff and throwing dire threats as he did so. Checking the time, she could see that it was already well past five in the morning. From up here, she could already see the sun cresting over the horizon, even as the sky began to lighten around her. She had a meeting at eight with the head of the Guild, as well as one with the Queen of the South at nine.
Neither of them would be happy that Arnold had lost, but she’d already set him up to take the blame for that one. He’d surrendered, so she’d exiled him in disgrace, kicking him from the organization and leaving him to drift off on his own. If her predictions held right, the shame of what he’d done in the tournament would drive him to suicide within the week.
There was still one more meeting for her to attend, and she was likely already expected there. With a sigh, she turned away from the destroyed camp below. Sarah was still too far away from Morgan and if she delayed any longer, her guest would grow annoyed with her. Still, she was quite upset about not having the chance to see the two of them reunited. After all, she’d taken great pains to ensure Morgan would win the Skyflare and regain his emotions, and she wanted to see the outcome.
Letting out another sigh, she vanished from the war camp, reappearing in a pocket world several dimensions over. Samuel was already waiting for her and not looking too pleased.
“What took you so long?” he demanded.
“Oh don’t give me that, Sam!” Loquin said, conjuring a chair and taking a seat. “I wanted to see my efforts pay off, and besides, he would have thought it suspicious if we left at the same time.”
Samuel took a few deep breaths, calming himself before taking a seat of his own.
“I’m sorry,” he said, allowing his tone to soften. “It just aggravates me when things don’t go to plan.”
“You can’t predict how someone will act, and you can’t allow them to see you so angry. How many times have I told you to use the helpful approach?”
“I already tried that with him, and it didn’t work!” he answered, rubbing his forehead. “Now we’ve got a Pinnacle King rising, and a failed experiment on the loose and taking advice from Gold. I honestly can’t imagine how this could get any worse!”
Loquin sighed, shaking her head and allowing herself to slump in her chair. She would never allow her posture to slip in front of anyone, but Sam was the exception. The two had known each other for a very long time, and there was no one else she trusted more than him.
“At least you’ve still got some time. Last I checked, the Pinnacle King was still locked up in his dungeon and by the last estimate, we still have about sixty-five days before he can break loose.”
“That isn’t exactly encouraging,” Samuel replied. “Sixty-five days isn’t really a whole lot of time.”
Loquin noticed his shoulders slumping as well, and a look of resignation overcoming him. This wasn’t good. If he gave up now, that would be it. No more Five Kingdoms, and no more Samuel.
“You can’t give up, Sam,” she said in a gentle voice. “We’ve been through tougher spots before and always came out on top. There has to be something we can do.”
Samuel just shook his head however, not willing to meet her gaze.
“Morgan is the only one who can do it, and if he’s under Gold’s influence, then there’s nothing we can do. That’s especially true, now that he’s unlocked his latent ability. With a skill that powerful active, he could become an even bigger threat than the Pinnacle King himself, given enough time. The destructive potential that boy contains is greater than even I could ever have imagined.”
“That is what you wanted, though, wasn’t it, to create a monster so powerful that even we wouldn’t be able to stop it?”
Samuel nodded, remembering back to his failed experiment so many years ago.
“Yes, but just because we wouldn’t have the power to physically stop it, doesn’t mean I wanted something that could destroy all of existence. All we needed him to do was kill one person, but as it seems right now, we might just have to cut our losses, and bow to the inevitable.”
Loquin’s face
flushed in anger at that statement.
“Look at me, Sam!” she demanded, waiting impatiently for him to meet her gaze. “You cannot give up. Not when we’re this close. Do you understand? I’ve completed my end, now all you need to do is finish yours. Yes, there have been some complications, but nothing that can’t be fixed. Now get it together!”
This seemed to be exactly the pep-talk he needed, because Loquin saw his back straighten, and his resolve firm.
“Thank you, I needed that,” he said, standing from his chair. “I still have time left. Even after the Pinnacle King breaks loose, there will still be time. All I need to do now is figure out a new way to go about this…”
He trailed off, beginning to pace as his mind raced over the possibilities.
“There’s no need to worry,” Loquin said, making him halt his pacing to look over at her. “I’ve already set a plan into motion to draw the two of them together. Even if Morgan doesn’t want to fight him, he’ll have no choice.”
Samuel’s eyes narrowed at that, and an annoyed expression overtook the thoughtful one.
“If you already had a plan, then why the hell didn’t you tell me until now?”
“Because I needed you to get your shit together on your own before giving you a handout. Now I think you should go. Any more time together, and he’ll start growing suspicious. It’s been hard, staying away from each other for over a decade, and fighting every time we do meet just to keep a secret. And as much as I’d like to stay and chat some more, we can’t risk him finding out. Not when we’re so close.”
Samuel nodded, allowing a sad smile to curl his lips.
“It’s been good talking to you again like this after so long, but I don’t think we should meet until after the deed is done. He’s been snooping more than usual lately, and we just can’t risk it.”
Loquin returned his smile, and rose from her chair as well. The two of them embraced, sharing a brief moment of intimacy, before breaking away.
“I’ll have a messenger sent to your man on the ground as soon as I’ve got everything in place,” Loquin said, returning to her businesslike tone. “Is she still in the same place as before?”
“Yes,” Samuel replied. “Until then, I’ll begin driving Morgan back towards the North.”
Loquin nodded and Samuel vanished, traveling back to Somerset to begin the next phase in her plans. She could feel her heart beginning to race, even as she felt the Author’s presence brush over her consciousness, and did her best to keep her surface thoughts clear and placid. A moment later, it was gone, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Samuel had definitely been right to suggest they not meet again until this was all over. The smallest misstep would get them both killed at this point, and she wasn’t going to let that happen. Not when they were so close to killing the unkillable!
***
Arnold stared out over the abyss, the vast emptiness of the canyon below stretching down farther than the eye could see. He’d been standing here for over an hour now, unable to take the final step that would end his suffering. Nothing had been going right for him since he’d taken that job from Simon over a year ago, and it had all culminated in his humiliating defeat in front of millions of people.
He knew that the Skyflare tournament wouldn’t only have been shown in the West Kingdom. There were several mages with the necessary skills to project the entire show to the masses who had not made it there. They would, of course, charge a hefty fee, but it was one that most would undoubtedly pay, especially after hearing about it from the few friends who could have afforded to go see it in person.
So now here he stood, on the far end of the North Kingdom, thousands of miles from civilization and staring at the void below. Loquin had called him a disgrace for surrendering, rather than dying as any real warrior would have in his situation. She’d then expelled him from the Guild, and told him never to show his face again, upon pain of death.
She had handed him a portal scroll, and told him he had an hour to gather his possessions and leave the South Kingdom. Then, she’d left, not even bothering to look back at him. At first, he’d contemplated revenge, thinking of all the different ways he’d get back at Loquin for what she’d done to him. But as he packed, the rage had gradually disappeared, to be replaced by shame.
When the time had come for him to leave, he’d picked this location instead of appearing in Loquin’s office.
The wind whipped around him, howling and screaming, but he didn’t so much as shiver. This was no less than he deserved for all the misery he’d caused in his life. Now, it would finally be over. No one could survive that drop, not even someone at rank 50, or at least, that’s what he thought. Letting out one last regretful sigh, Arnold moved one foot out over the edge…then froze as a foreign presence entered his mind.
“Why do you move to kill yourself, human?”
Arnold stumbled, almost falling and managing to catch himself just in time. His head whipped from side to side and he briefly wondered if he was losing his mind, when the voice spoke again.
“Do not be afraid. I seek out the hopeless and destitute, those who the world has abandoned to fate, and those who have given up in kind.”
“Who are you?” Arnold called out, feeling the presence growing stronger by the second.
“Come seek me out. You know where to find me.”
Then, the presence vanished, leaving Arnold alone once more. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, as he stared out over the empty abyss once more. He no longer considered stepping out over the edge. He didn’t know who had called to him, but he could feel a distinct tugging in his chest, pulling him to go further north.
His eyes hardened as he stepped away from the edge, and turned to face the barren, snow-covered wasteland before him. He would not kill himself and let all those who had slighted him walk free. He was never one to give up before, and he wasn’t about to start now.
Arnold would have his revenge!
***
Grub sat alone in the dark, shivering as another gust of wind rocked his small cottage. He’d been sitting here on his own for the past several weeks, slowing freezing to death as the temperature dropped even lower. His rage at those who had abandoned him had long since passed, his mind now numb and lifeless as he stared at the last embers of his dying fire.
He’d long since run out of firewood and had had to resort to burning the furniture. Now that was all gone, as well. His food supply had run out two days ago, and his stomach clenched painfully with that reminder. The wind outside howled, rocking his small shack once again and sending freezing air across his half-frozen body. He didn’t even shiver.
There was only one logical explanation the young man could come to after no one had shown up after two weeks. He’d been abandoned here to die. Loquin had wanted him out of the way ever since he’d shown up alive after the academy had been attacked. With him out of the way, she would assume the role as head of the Guild once his father passed, something he was sure would be happening soon if he’d judged Loquin correctly. All he wished for now, even as his eyes grew heavy, was to see her pay for what she’d done to him. Her, and Morgan.
If there was anyone he hated more than Loquin, it was the boy who’d ruined his life. As he saw it, everything had been going fine until Morgan had shown up. Ever since the day when he’d cheated in that fight, nothing had gone right for him. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like he’d be getting his payback on his hated foe, as he didn’t think he’d make it through the night. The last thing Grub saw before drifting off, were the last embers of his fire, winking out.
“I can sense strength and conviction in your heart, but above all, hatred.”
Grub’s eyes snapped open and he shivered, finding himself once more in the large cavern with the icy throne, and the creature laid out on an altar. He’d been having this same recurring dream for weeks now, so it figured that he’d have it one last time before his body finally gave out on him.
Except, somet
hing felt different about this dream. It almost seemed to be too real. The sensation of the chill air against his face and body, the smell of the cave he was in, and the shifting of the creature on the altar as it strained against the many chains there.
“Can you not hear me speak, human?”
Grub jumped, realizing that the creature on the altar had shifted, and a pair of glowing amber eyes were now fixed on him. This had never happened in the dream before.
“Um, yes?” Grub replied, his answer sounding more like a question.
“Why do you have so much hatred in your heart?”
He felt his heart pounding faster in his chest, as he began to realize that this may very well not be a dream, as one of the chains holding the creature snapped, and a gust of freezing wind whipped about him. And if this wasn’t a dream, then the creature bound before him was very real.
“I…Um…I can not be angry, if that’s what you want,” he said, taking an involuntary step back.
A deep, rumbling chuckle filled the cavern at those words, and Grub felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
“There is no need to give up your anger and hatred. Those are the very things that drive you and give you power.”
Grub swallowed hard and nodded, not daring to argue with the terrifying creature.
“What would you say, if I gave you the opportunity to get back at those who had wronged you? To destroy the ones who left you out here to die?”
Even through his fear, Grub could sense something from the creature. A sort of tugging from his chest, drawing him closer.
“If you join me, I could offer you power beyond your wildest dreams. Enough to crush your enemies and take all of what is rightfully yours.”
Grub continued moving forward, as though in a trance, coming to a stop before the altar, and looking down at the monstrous creature lying below. Power radiated off the monster in waves so potent that he could feel it pickling against his skin.
“You can really give me that power?” Grub asked in a fearful voice.
