Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) (38 page)

James ripped the eidolons from Dominic’s body right before they hit the water and tried to decapitate him but his rival managed to bat it away with his own. He lunged
with his eidolon towards James’ chest, but James kicked it away and tried to swim up to the surface. Dominic grabbed his pants and pulled him back down as James frowned. There was no way either of them was going to let the other go back up for air.

James swung one of the eidolons at Dominic’s arm, but it just bounced right off as Dominic increased his muscles to inhuman proportions. James dodged a wild punch fr
om one of Dominic’s massive fists and swam further down.

This is his opportunity, James thought. He can reach the surface now. But he’s too pissed off to just let me go. He’ll want to know what I’m doing.

As if following James’ thoughts exactly, Dominic headed right for him, his gigantic arms slowing him down significantly. James let him come close and waited until his rival prepared to throw a punch. Just as Dominic’s right fist was about to connect to James’ face, he dodged it and a metal chain shot up from the floor below and wrapped around the huge arm. James smiled at the shocked look on Dominic’s face and continued manifesting chains from the bottom, wrapping one by one around his rival’s arms, neck, legs and torso, pulling him deeper and deeper down until the soles of his feet were touching the pool floor. Dominic struggled against them but James kept his focus, tightening his grip while he swam upwards for air.

James erupted at the top, took a big gulp of oxygen, and then swam back down where Dominic was, his body beginning to go limp as he swallowed more and more water. Just as Dominic’s eyes began to close, James swam over and squeezed his shoulder.

Instantly, they were on a wooden wharf, overseeing a beautiful sunset and oceanic view. Dominic, unchained and back to normal, saw James squeezing his shoulder and pushed him away.

“GET OFF ME!” he shouted in rage as he ran at him with his fist cocked back. James dodged it, and punched him square in the stomach, sending a wave of nausea through him. Dominic fell to his knees and coughed as James shook his head and stooped next to him.

“Calm down. You can’t really hurt me here.”

“Where are we, freak?” Dominic gasped as he clutched his abdomen.

“Catherine’s place,” James said casually as he walked past Dominic and sat down at the edge of the wharf. “I created this for her…while I was practicing with…well, whatever else I could make besides an eidolon.”

Dominic groaned
, stared at the back of his head and then plopped down beside him, both of them dangling their legs over the edge. He gave James a pained expression and then darted his eyes between the sun, the sand, water and the wooden planks under him.

“Am I dead?” he asked. James laughed.

“No, not yet. Though very close.”

“What’s going on? What are you doing to me, clown?”

“I brought you here,” James said as he watched the sunset. “We’re both still underwater and I got a nice breath of fresh air before I manifested this place. That’s why I’m a lot stronger than you here. You’re about to drown in reality.”

Dominic considered his words.

“How are we still under water? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I did the same thing in Quietus. Catherine and I had to hide in this place for
nearly three days. I’m not exactly sure how it all works, how we’re able to be in two places at once…but I think it has something to do with the Langoran side of things.”

“Langoran?”

“Langorans increase their muscle mass to the point they can become giants. But knowing just how powerful the stones are, it makes sense that we can do the opposite: become really, really small.”

“That’s what’s happening now?”

“I think so,” James replied, facing Dominic. “We’re very small, inside a manifestation, but we’re still underwater, which means we can’t stay here too long or we’ll both drown. Because we’re on a much smaller scale, we don’t need as much oxygen to survive, but we’re still in water. It’s only a matter of time.”

“That’s what you did in Quietus?”

“It’s the only logical explanation - how we could be standing in the middle of the crater while several Quietus were sniffing us out. We were so small that they couldn’t find us with their eyes, but they still knew we were near. Eventually, they did find us, especially when the manifestation was beginning to break.”

“James, why am I here?” Dominic sighed. “Can’t we just end this already?”

“I wanted to give you a chance to rejoin us.”

“Are you out of your mind? Why would you do that? You hate me.”

“I’m offering this to you because Catherine would have wanted it, and you’re wrong. I don’t hate you at all. I hate how you act.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We were exactly alike,” James sighed. “I mean, exactly. Young, stubborn, selfish, easily angered and self-entitled. Our lives could have easily been reversed. You could be the one creating a manifestation and making small talk while I would be in chains, wanting you dead. I realize that you’re not a bad guy, Dominic. You just made bad decisions.”

“How sweet,” Dominic sneered. “But let me ask you this. If we’re so alike, if the situations were reversed, would I let you live?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Exactly. I wouldn’t. I’m still pissed that I killed you twice now and somehow you survived. That’s what I can’t understand. All the rest, I get it. All of it. What you keep on forgetting is that it doesn’t matter how alike we were or are, it’s the choice
s we make that defines us. I weighed the consequences of joining Thorn with crawling back to you and the Sages, and I decided to align with the King of Zen-echelon. Even now, with all your pathetic, mushy talk, all you’re accomplishing is showing me how weak you all are. James, the man brought me back from the brink of death. So if you think killing me will put an end to us, you’re wrong. My soul will just be in Zen-echelon, and when Thorn comes to kill you all, I’ll get to see you again, and then we get to fight again and again, over and over.”

“If Thorn wins,” James replied.

“When he wins,” Dominic snickered. “You all aren’t strong enough, even with this newfound knowledge about the stones. You just don’t have the time. So you get there and join the fight. Then what? You explain everything in the midst of battle? I don’t think so. You’re all dead. You just don’t know it yet.”

“So that’s it, huh?” James sighed. “You’ve made your decision?”

“Yeah, now get me out of this romantic getaway and back to the part where I break free and kill you for the third time.”

“Fine,” James said. Dominic blinked, and suddenly they were back in the water again. James was swimming to the surface as Dominic concentrated his energy and unleashed an explosion
, shattering the chains binding him. He swam upwards as quickly as he could and leapt out the water. James and Arimus were waiting by the exit to the Academy, anticipating his return. Dominic landed on the platform and approached them with his red eidolon in hand, but neither of the Sages were impressed. They just waited for him to get close.

“Oh, so you’re all powerful now, huh?” Dominic spat at them. “You have all the answers now, don’t you? Let me tell you, nothing’s changed! Nothing!”

“You’re wrong,” James replied. “Everything has. We now know that we have many abilities at our disposal, even beyond that of a Sage. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”

“Oh yeah, like what?”

“Like the fact that we can absorb you if we so choose.”

“What?” Dominic froze in fear as James suddenly appeared behind him, his eidolon at the tail end of a swinging motion. A second later, Dominic’s body fell down in a lump as his head rolled away. Arimus shook his head in amusement.

“That’s cold, James. Using Thorn’s fear tactics against him?”

“We don’t have time to play around,” James said as Arimus set Dominic’s body on fire. “Thorn could be at Allay any second.”

“With what we’ve discovered, we can get there in record time.”

“Yep. We’ll definitely turn…the tide…of…
um, what is that?”

Arimus followed James’ finger to see hundreds of small red creatures beginning to pour into the chamber from up above.

“It appears we’ll be a little late,” Arimus sighed as he drew his eidolon forth. The red creatures laughed as they ran toward the Sages, and began to systematically explode.

*              *              *              *              *

“There is no point sugarcoating it,” Catherine shouted out. “We are at war with Zen-echelon, made up of just one man. His name is Thorn and his goal is to kill us all. He’s headed this way to finish the job and we must work as one if we have any chance of success. He has the ability to manifest creatures of great destructive power, but I have to ask that you ignore them as much as possible. You must protect one another, but realize that all the energy we waste into killing his manifestations are for nothing. We must focus on Thorn, and taking him down. Only then is the battle won.

“The Sages, old and new will be dispersed in locations throughout the entire Kingdom holding back threats
, but as soon as Thorn is identified, I ask that all of them leave their posts and converge on him. He won’t be an easy target. Each Sage will also have a team of Langorans with them that will assist in the fight. Once the Sages leave, the Langorans’ job is to weed out the manifestations and protect the ones that are unable to defend themselves. Do not worry about the structures. It’s the lives that matter, and the lives that Thorn wants.

“All Prattlians will be divided between the underground, the castle, meadow, and village. They are to report back to Tyuin the changes on the battlefield and devise ways to best deflect Thorn’s attacks. As they come u
p with new strategies, their contribution is to get the messages across to us all. We are to obey their word in full as it comes.”

“What about you and King Zain?” a Langoran asked.

“We’ll be fighting Thorn head on,” Zain said with a smile. “And taking out the big threats with the power of the stone. If we die, Tyuin is in charge. And don’t give a last ditch effort or anything. If he says it’s best to retreat, then you retreat. Head to the wilderness beyond Allay.”

“We’re going to give our all,” Catherine said. “And don’t try to convince us otherwise. If you would like to see us live well into our old age, then the best you can do is strike Thorn down as soon as he’s spotted. Everyone got it?”

The crowd nodded as Catherine began to focus and call the purple armor forth, each piece appearing as if it was under her skin all along.

“If we all have our tasks, then let’s get to it! Disperse!”

The crowd began separating and setting up as the Prattlians handed out location assignments based on Tyuin’s suggestions. Zain began stretching his arms and increasing his muscle mass slowly.

“We have to get Thorn back for how he handled us earlier,” Zain said as Catherine giggled.

“I’m not too fond of revenge.” Catherine winked.

“Not too fond of….oh, I get it,” Zain laughed. “Can you bel
ieve I’ve forgotten all about that already?”

“That’s good,” Catherine laughed. “Now forget it again.”

A rumble sounded off in the distance as Catherine clenched her fists tight.

“This is it,” Catherine said. “He’s coming. Get ready.”

“I’m already here,” Thorn said from behind them. Catherine and Zain turned quickly to face him while several straggling Langorans slowly advanced from behind.

“You do have to tell me how you do that,” Catherine said as Thorn kept a straight face.

“Don’t try to soften me up, Princess. This is the end now.”

“That’s Queen to you,” Zain snapped as Thorn’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“My…a promotion? For what? Getting your people and others killed? If that’s all it takes, I should be a god by now.”

“You look tired,” Catherine pointed out. “Maybe you should come back another day.”

“Genocide is exhausting,” Thorn nodded. “But honestly, I’m just ready to finish this. It’s taken a lot of energy destroying Kingdoms one by one.”