Breaking Away (The Man in the Shadows) (18 page)

Maika and Ethan, at the same time, looked away from Emily in frustration and, will-power taking over, they reluctantly agreed to let the issue drop in the name of saving their friend, and at the same time, rescuing the Empire, and consequently the Earth, from certain doom. Their faces almost matched the level of seriousness that James wore, and Maika said, “Yes, we have a mission.”

“Let’s do it,” Ethan agreed, and the four of them, as a cohesive group, marched towards the door and out into the hallway. No discussion transpired between them, because they all had an unconscious understanding of what was going on with Zareh. They each had their own unique set of powers. Each person was expected to use their powers for the safety of the others, and the requisition of Lamin.

As Maika walked along, her brain kept telling her,
This is going to be a disaster. What powers do you have other than talking to spirits?

James thought, holding in a grumble,
What good are you, leading another ‘troop’ to their imminent deaths? Smart idea, asshole! And for what? To save your own ass again!

Ethan’s mind raced as well, and with each step that they gained more ground to Zareh’s locale, he thought,
How can you do anything without the Père? You’re worthless alone! It would have been nice to think this through a little...

Emily marched along confidently. She thought,
My life’s purpose is finally realized. I’ve never felt so alive, so
myself,
in my life. I guess having my soul recycled wasn’t so bad, after all. And to think you were so scared when you were dumped out of that urn unawares. I get to march into battle again, and avenge my people for all the transgressions of this evil wizard, Jamlamin Tarmikos! Cursed be his name! All the power of all the goodness in the world is with me... Why else would I be the only person to whom the angel guarding the sacred door would talk, to
summon
, to help assist in this all important battle between dark and light?

Her mind sucked her into itself, and suddenly it was just like she was reliving that battle all those years ago once again. When she closed her eyes she thought she could even feel the snowflakes hitting her cheeks and eyelashes as she and her battalion awaited the call to charge, to run and scream the name of the Empire, to slash and bludgeon her way through rows upon rows of orcs, to rid the world of evil one swath of land in the mountains at a time.

Emily and her fellow soldiers were as quiet as death in that moment perched high on the hill, their weapons throbbing in their hands with anticipation. They could almost taste the blood on their tongues as the moon flowed like a firefly in the dark sky. They awaited the call, their beloved commander’s voice, and the low booming of the battle horn. Blood rushed through her veins, her feet barely held still as she waited, like a little girl that can barely contain herself when presented with her birthday gift; it was like the longest foreplay she’d ever endured, just thinking about it made her ache for battle, she lived to scream at the top of her lungs, “Viva Monde de Lumière!” She lived for the whiz of her shining, sharp and impatient blade swinging through the air, through throats, through hearts; she lived to see enemy blood fly up into the air like brilliant fireworks, to see the bright red splatter decorate the grass and trees like Christmas ornaments, for orcs to beg for the lives, for one last chance, for the mercy of the gods...

As her heart beat hard and impatiently through all of her extremities, the anticipation made her even more excited that her captain, Oh Captain, My Captain, had found a way to attack the orcs that was
guaranteed
success after weeks of failed plans and blundered attempts. The lead he was given had been clear and reliable, and it was the break for which they all had been waiting.

High General Berg and his band of 200 soldiers had been in the mountains, freezing and nearly starving, for the better part of a month, with the sole mission to defeat the orcs in this sector, so that they could move on to the coveted section of mountain that no Luminite had ever explored before. This section was referred to as the Unknown World, although it was far from another world, but it might as well have been to them, since they have never even heard about what it’s like there. If they could advance, it would be the first time in generations that their Empire could expand. The ‘dark parts’ of the world would then be that much closer to being wiped clean like a chalk board.

That’s all they were ever told. That the dark creatures that embodied all evil lived in the Unknown World. They were fighting the good fight, the fight against evil.

James saw it, too. So vividly that he stopped his march, and lightly grabbed Emily by the shoulders and spun her around so that he could look at her. He saw the battle again, he heard his own voice call out the order, the smile that crossed his face before his troops epic descent down the ridge, and the backward glance of one of his best friends. Her name was...

“Audra?” Emotion took over his face, his eyes wide and searching for the truth within her soul, his hands shaking slightly. He wet his lips absently and shook his head from side to side, not wanting to believe it. “Is it really you?”

A half smile curved up her mouth that pinched her cheek into her trademark dimple. Tears flooded her eyes and her lips quivered as she answered, “Yes, it’s me, my wonderful friend.”

An uncontrolled gasp drew a short breath in as James realized, horrified, “You were the spirit that got away! How did I?... How did
you?
...” He trailed off and studied her dark brown eyes, remembering her backward glance at him that infamous day in the mountains, the look of pure joy on her face, the quick wink she gave him before she turned around and raised her sword into the air, screaming in the name of the Empire. “You’re the Corner Stone? But...”

She nodded and brought her arms up to his shoulders and gave them each a firm squeeze, to make sure he was real, to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Still nodding, she whispered, “I can explain more later... But I know everything. I don’t know how, but I do.” An unbelieving laugh bubbled out of her, and she squeezed his arms again. “Before we go, I must tell you one thing, though.”

“Anything,” he sighed at once, confidently.

She bit her bottom lip, as if she had been waiting an eternity to report back to him. Simply, she declared, “Thank you.”

Before James could even open his mouth to respond, she had turned away from him and joined Maika and Ethan who had gotten several feet ahead. After years of holding back emotion in the name of duty, for his mission, to hold himself together, for the memory of Annika that he held so dear, he turned away from the trio ahead of him. His head bowed a bit and both of his hands cupped his forehead. Not in a million years did he think he’d see Audra again... who knew that one of the souls that he himself had collected on the battlefield would run away. Jerking back suddenly, he wondered to himself out loud, “If she’s the Corner Stone... then who’s Maika?”

Idly, he turned back towards the three comrades in front of him. He wanted so badly to run to Audra, use all the magic within him to stop time, to freeze it altogether, and ask her what she knows. The gleam in her eyes suggested she knew something that pertained to him, something good, something positive... In the vision James had inadvertently shared with her, Lamin was made out to be not only a bad person, but one of the ‘dark parts’ of the world. Could that be true? Or did he misinterpret the visual signals?

The questions were nagging at his brain, but he had to join the others to save Zareh, whatever role she played in this, and preeminent on the list, they had to take down Lamin.

Lamin... Greta!

Anger searing up from his gut, he once again reigned in his emotions, pushed them down and laid them to rest. Wiping his nose on the back of his hand studiously, he took in a deep breath and held it. He could feel his lungs ache and his throat burn as the time he could no longer hold it drew nigh. He wanted to feel the pain. The ache. The anger. The overwhelming sense of purpose. And the unhindered vexation. He ran after them, red faced and ready to use any means necessary to bring Lamin to his knees.

They were discussing quietly and urgently when James rejoined them. Ethan was saying, “We know where they have Zareh.” He pointed up ahead of them, at the intersection of the hallways. “It’s the last door on the left.”

“Not where I may have guessed,” James said under his breath, and Maika looked back at him. He placed his hands together, fingers straight, one palm on top of the other, and placed them under his cheek, tilting his head to the side: the universal sign for sleep. Lamin’s bed chambers. Her eyes widening, she cocked her head to the side like a bird. He answered with a shrug: I don’t know why.

Surrounding the door like a swarm of bees, James took the lead spot. He proclaimed, “When we burst through the door, I want the first face that Lamin sees to be mine.”

***

Zareh awakened with a splitting headache. Groaning softly, she brought her hand up to her forehead, which throbbed with every beat of her heart. She felt relief when her hand touched her forehead, because it was as cold as the damp wash cloth for which her mind had been yearning. Breathing slowly, she tried to force her eyes open, but the minute amount of light that entered her eyes as her lids opened a slit tore at her retinas with the precision and sharpness of a needle. She turned her head to the side and breathed in again, only this time she stopped short. The smell of the pillow, of the surrounding sheets, was unfamiliar. Now that she thought about it, the sensation of lying there didn’t feel right. She pried her eyes open, dealing with the painful light that poured in, and sat up. Confused, she looked around. Puckering her lips, only one word came to mind.

“Purple.”

Everything was purple, with gold stars and gold trim. She realized then that she was lying in the most colossal bed she had ever seen. The mattress, she reckoned, was about the size of her entire bedroom. She gazed upwards and noticed it had a canopy with shining gold stars sewn in it, like looking up at the sky on a clear night. Looking around like a child in a candy store, she noticed many extravagant garnishments: lush foot stools lined with fine velvet; robes made of hand woven silk; a cage containing a bird whose feathers were every color of the rainbow and glowing as if it was fiberoptic; and a jewelry box that was filled with necklaces, watches and earrings that she thought she’d only be able to see at Buckingham Palace. In her joy, she became aware of one last thing: her memory of this place, arriving to this place, or anything within the last day, was completely gone. Her memory was wiped clean like the dining counter at her favorite eatery on the corner of Saint Peter and West 7th Street.

By some force not her own, she got out of bed and to her feet. It felt strange, like someone was manning the controls from behind a curtain, like the great and powerful Wizard of Oz from the story books, and she began to panic.
Where am I?
her mind screamed, but her mouth was kept shut, as if suspended in jelly.
What is happening to me?
she pleaded, tears coming to her eyes. Before the emotion overtook her, a door closed in her mind, and she was no longer Zareh. Like a robot, she walked towards the entrance door in a jerky manner, like whatever controlled her was an amateur at doing so. A veil of a warrior was draped over her soul, and she growled, lusting for blood, to kill.

To unquestionably murder whoever stood behind those doors.

Placing her feet shoulder width apart, a sneer spread across her face like a snake. Raising her hands in front of her eyes, she slowly cracked each knuckle one by one. Imagining with gaiety that each crack was the snapping of her opponent’s necks, it made her serpent smile widen. She was no longer a model, a compassionate friend, or a talented painter... no, she now only identified with one title: mercenary.

With a kick of a boot, the double doors flew open in Zareh’s direction, and even before she saw the faces of those hidden behind them, she shivered in ecstasy. This was what her transformation was all about. This was what the person who manned the controls wanted most of all. Live or die, this was what she was programmed to do. Battle.

Completely unarmed, she held both of her arms straight in the air as her possessed eyes glowed a deep and menacing red. The doors swooshed open, and each hand-crafted knob hit the adjoining walls with a loud crash. A spell escaped her outstretched fingers, as if she were throwing sparkling ribbons at the speed of light.

The four faces that beheld this were shocked. This was not Lamin at all, like they had expected, but a friend. A dear friend at that, and she was now a monster. Before James knew what was happening, he strained his neck so he could see the ceiling, backing up slightly to shield the three young people behind him. The statues and carvings of souls and soldiers upon the walls and pillars magically came to life and charged towards him with the sole intent of killing all in their path, with James first on their list. James held his arms out to his sides wider, trying to protect those with him. He yelled to no one in particular, “Watch out!”

Maika screamed, “ZAREH!” The urge to run to her friend, to throw herself at her feet, to cup her delicate face in her hands, to ask her if she was okay, was overwhelming. Nonetheless, James cautioned her quickly, “She’s possessed by darkness, stay back!”

With the reflexes of a cat, James retaliated with a spell that made each of the oncoming figures burst into flames and collapsed in on themselves, before any harm could be done, agonized animated screams emanating from the globes of fire.

Ethan stepped out from behind James as this was happening, and focused as hard as he could on what he was doing. He stared at Zareh with the obsession and ferocity of a criminal until she could feel his gaze upon her. Her eyes as hot as burning coals, she looked directly at him like a provoked panther, right into his eyes. Ethan’s heart skipped a beat as he thought,
Gotcha!
and he focused on one thing: pulling. Anything that he could think of, like pulling on a rope, pulling a person up who has fallen overboard, pulling in an anchor, as if he was in a tug-of-war with her eyes. Not her eyes themselves, but something just behind her eyes; he wanted to pull the demon that made her eyes glow that unnatural red come forth and fight like a man, rather than hiding behind the mask of Zareh’s physical body.