Sapphire (15 page)

I have a sword I can’t use and some rocks.

Karuna’s front hooves slammed into the earth,
knocking everyone except Antares off their feet. Mira neighed and
scrambled upright again.

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Orin suddenly said
next to her, nocking an arrow to his bowstring. “But you’re
completely insane.” He smiled.

“Look out!” Mira reared, horn ablaze.

Karuna launched her massive self over their heads,
flying a hundred feet, two hundred feet, her legs seeming to slowly
stretch out as she readied to land far on the other side of them.
It felt like time was crawling as Shawna craned her neck to watch
the ribs, spine, and few strands of hide hanging off Karuna’s
skeleton sail overhead like gruesome banners. The last of the sky
began ripping apart as if being torn by invisible claws. Even Mira
steadied herself, disoriented by nothing but deep space now
suddenly appearing above them. The light quickly faded from dusk to
nearly dark. But It was not as if night had fallen. Instead,
billions of stars, swirling nebulas, and galaxies emerged far too
close for comfort. It might have been incredible if it didn’t feel
like they would all be torn apart along with everything else. Orin
aimed an arrow as Karuna readied to land.

“Weapons are useless,” said Mira.

He loosed it anyway and it caught in a strip of
flesh like a harmless bur. Karuna landed, sending a dust cloud over
everyone. She turned around to face them and took two long steps
before the arrow exploded in fire. Antares and Mira leapt forward
at this distraction and pushed her backwards with flashes of
lightning and whirling white flame. Whips of energy shot from
Antares’ claws and wrapped around Karuna’s front legs. Mira reared,
and when she slammed her hooves into the ground fire erupted and
raced towards Karuna, climbing up her legs and torso. Karuna gave
an awful tortured scream as her ribs began to crack. The
disintegrating sky had almost touched the horizon, a last strip of
light separated the void of space from solid ground.

“
Wait,
” Shawna said, but no one heeded
her.

She felt Orin’s hand around her arm and she barely
noticed it. She didn’t know what would happen when space met earth,
but she had a feeling that it would mean any chance of escape was
over.

“The sapphire,” she said quietly. It seemed
pointless to try and use it, but she hated feeling useless.

Orin heard her. “You can’t. It’s too late!” He
gestured towards the crumbling frame of Karuna.

Tiny fragments of bone were fracturing and falling
like sharp hail as Antares and Mira continued to use all their
force against her.

“We can’t destroy her,” said Shawna. “We have to
help
her.”

“We…we what?” Orin blinked.

“
I
have to help her,” she repeated.

“Okay, now you
are
crazy,” he said, digging
his fingers into her arm. “You
can’t
do this.”

“Don’t tell me I
can’t,
” she hissed, twisting
her arm free and glaring at him.

He raised his hands and backed away from her.

The necklace was suspended in mid air, defying
gravity. It glowed intensely, the one sapphire glowing brightest.
At first it surprised her, and she didn’t move, then she slowly
clutched the sapphire in her fist. It felt warm but not burning
this time. It glowed brighter and brighter, then the sapphire
flared like a tiny sun. She tried not to shut her eyes. No one but
Orin saw what happened. Shawna’s hand glowed red from the intense
light, silhouetting her own skeleton within. A part of her felt
like she should be panicking, but a strong wave of calmness washed
over her.

This will work,
she chanted silently.
This
will work
.
It has to.
Her heart raced furiously again,
but not from what she was witnessing. It felt like electric coils
of energy were erupting through every vein in her body. She let go
of the sapphire and raised her hand. A single thin beam of light
shot through her palm at Karuna, disrupting the magic from Antares
and Mira. They both spun around, shocked at what was unfolding.
Shawna and Karuna were connected by ropes of light, enwrapping
them, and throwing everything into sharp relief. Karuna continued
to howl that horrible scream, neck arched back, eye sockets pointed
star-wards. The light grew more and more intense. Everyone averted
their eyes, except Shawna. She let the brightness blind her.

Karuna’s skeleton began to twist and rear up, pawing
at the light, fingers curled, clawing at her own skull. She began
to disintegrate. Her bones shattered, turned to dust, a last howl
echoing long after she became a swirling cloud of ash.

“No!” Shawna screamed out loud in disbelief, but no
one could hear her.

She could see nothing within the pure white blinding
light. The connection broke, and she slumped to the ground as the
light dispersed like a shockwave.

“Shawna.” Orin’s voice sounded so far away.

She felt the familiar barbs of fear sinking in, the
peaceful power of the light fading. She jerked her head up to see
what everyone was neighing, roaring, and yelling about. Wasn’t
Karuna okay? Wasn’t it over? Hadn’t she done the right thing?

I was wrong.
She dug her fingers into the
earth.
I’ve killed us.

The bright glow she had released was stretching,
bending, and wrapping around the edges of the horizon like a
tsunami of sunlight rushing away then back towards them from all
directions. The earth shook violently and threw everyone, even
nimble-pawed Antares, to the ground. Shawna clutched at the
sapphire in hopes of whatever power she had possessed would return.
It remained cool and dull. The earthquake lessened to a steady
rumbling roll, vibrating beneath their unsteady feet.

“Run!” Mira screamed, prancing and rearing in
fear.

Orin leapt onto her back, pulling Shawna up behind
him. The earth quaked while little fissures of light started to run
like veins over the ground as they galloped for their lives.

“Lulaaaaa!” yelled Shawna, searching for her
friend.

Lula’s dead.
She was consumed by panic.
No. No, she’s here somewhere.

She continued to yell for Lula, but there was no
sign of her or Sparkle. The horizon was a solid sheet of
golden-white light swirling with darker specks while nebulas and
galaxies hung overhead. The power she had released was consuming
the land itself and starting to arc towards the darkness above
them. Soon it would encase them entirely, a shining dome of light,
and cremate them along with everything else.

What have I done?
She felt her eyes sting and
closed them tight.

“There!”

She looked to where Orin was pointing his chin; the
twin columns they had entered through. They would make it but Lula
wouldn’t, Sparkle wouldn’t. They were leaving them behind. How
could they do this? Just run away from them? Her mind raced with
thoughts, trying to latch onto a solution.

There has to be something I can do. I can’t just
leave them here. But —
said another voice in her head —
none
of this would have happened if you hadn’t pretended to be brave.
Now your friends will die because of you.
She shook her head.
No, not true. She couldn’t think that.

The columns were rushing nearer. She didn’t know
what to do. She looked around desperately, hoping to see Lula and
Sparkle flying towards them. With a massive lurch, the earth was
pulled out from under their feet again and Mira fell, sending
everyone flying through the air. Shawna felt the ground impact with
her hip then the back of her head until she rolled to a stop. She
was dazed but conscious enough to see the earth and the last
remaining Kayi-Elk engulfed by the light in the distance. She
scrambled backwards, running into someone else. Orin was on the
ground as well, frozen in place.

“What’ve I done?” she whispered, not turning her
head.

“
You
didn’t do anything,” she heard him
reply. “Gavan cursed Karuna, not you.”

She turned to look at him. His gaze remained fixed
on the horizon. Mira and Antares stumbled over to them, their legs
braced against the shaking.

“Get up,” commanded Antares.

“We’re almost there,” said Mira, turning towards the
columns.

Shawna was amazed the columns were still standing as
almost everything she could see was crumbling along with the
ground. They stumbled and crawled as best they could to their only
escape as the world around them collapsed. They were going to make
it, only a little further. She glanced around again, hoping against
hope their companions would appear, but they did not. Antares had
reached the columns. He turned to urge them on then disappeared
through the barrier as the rest of them reached the doorway.

“
Go,
” Mira said, her head low to keep her
balance.

Shawna turned one last time to search for her
friends.

“They’re gone. Get through the doorway.” Orin made
to grab her and heave her through the barrier, but she shoved him
back and gasped.

“Lula!”

He whipped his head around to see Lula and Sparkle
flying with all their might towards them. His eyes widened.

“No,”
he said under his breath.

Shawna hadn’t heard him. He stared at Sparkle whose
green eyes flashed as they fastened onto Orin’s dark ones. Sparkle
bared his tiny sharp teeth. He knew what Orin was going to do.

“Help them,” said Shawna, grabbing Orin’s
shoulder.

She held the sapphire, but nothing she did or said
made it ignite as her anger and panic rose. All she could do was
watch, feeling helpless, as Lula and Sparkle struggled vainly to
fly towards them while some invisible force sucked them back into
the all-consuming light. They were so close. Orin’s fingers flew to
his belt, and he uncoiled the long black braided rope with silver
encased ends. He took a few pivoting strides away from them,
whirling the rope above his head, then as he turned one last time
he whipped it at Lula and Sparkle. Shawna wasn’t sure how this was
going to work, but soon as the question entered her mind the rope
stretched and unraveled into many smaller threads, creating a web.
It wrapped around Lula, ensnaring her. With a quick downward jerk,
Orin whipped her to the ground and she was released with a small
thud at their feet.

She tried to stand up, hair sticking in every
direction, but wobbled and fell over. Shawna scooped her up,
smiling and crying at the same time.

“Ouch,” was all Lula said, holding her head.

“We can wait no longer!” said Mira, tossing her
mane, and pawing the ground. “There is no time to save the
bat.”

Sparkle was being pulled further and further away.
Orin flung the rope again, but it was immediately ripped from his
hands and disappeared towards the wall of light. He stood watching,
his face as smooth and cold as the stone behind him. Mira shoved
Shawna towards the invisible doorway with her nose as the cyclone
grew.

“We can still try!” But her and Lula’s protests were
unheeded as they were pushed between the columns.

Mira followed, leaving Orin to watch Sparkle’s
distressing disappearance. Just as Orin turned to leap through to
safety, Sparkle began to morph. He was changing rapidly into a
giant bear.

“
Damn you,”
Orin spat, turning to follow the
beast’s descent to the ground, now strong enough to fight against
the tornado-like force.

It slammed into the earth a few hundred feet away,
roaring in rage at Orin’s betrayal. The horizon was a lot closer,
the light rapidly moving towards them, pulverizing everything it
touched. The bear got to its feet and lumbered towards him, fury
emanating from its eyes, from every gouging step, and deafening
roar. Orin leapt between the columns to the other side, knocking
Shawna over when he hurled himself through.

“
Ah!
Orin?!” she yelled as she hit the
grass.

He quickly leapt back to his feet, turned to face
the doorway with sword drawn, and fiercely glowered at nothing. A
bird chirped nearby; a strange sound after all the destruction they
had barely escaped. They were in the safety of the forest. There
was nothing but rustling leaves, bird-song, blue sky, and the two
vine-covered columns. It was if the end of the world had never
happened.

“It’s all right,” Shawna said quietly, dusting
herself off then slowly putting a hand on his shoulder. “You tried.
We know you tried. It’s no one’s fault.”

Except mine.

Everyone else had moved a ways away from the benign
columns, perhaps afraid the destructive light would suddenly suck
them back in. Orin’s shoulders relaxed and he exhaled. He lowered
his sword and turned to look at her.

Suddenly he yelled in agony as he was thrown into
her again, knocking her to the ground beneath him. She screamed at
the slobbering jaws and swiping claws of a massive bear. Orin’s
heavy body was pinning her to the ground. The bear was
materializing through the doorway, tearing up clods of dirt as it
scrabbled at the ground, trying to gain hold. It was half way
through, a disturbing sight since it looked like half of a bear
suspended in mid-air.

It was roaring and swiping at the unconscious Orin
and screaming Shawna. Its paws would be able to kill them both with
one good strike. As It raised long black claws in another attempt,
Mira charged it down, spearing its shoulder with her horn. It
howled and tried to catch her with its deadly paws, but she was too
quick as her horn came away slick with blood. Lula quickly flew
over and blinded it with a puff of golden dust. It roared once
more, then was dragged back into the hurricane of light within.
Long trenches were left in the dark soil from its claws as it
vanished.