The Last War (Book #9 of the Sage Saga) (16 page)

Before James could tell Catherine to stop, her Sage robe was already falling upon her and her eidolon was already safely secured in her right hand. She rushed the blue light with abandonment, caring little for her own safety. When the fog cleared enough that they were able to see that it was Jessica, a burst of speed propelled Catherine forward. She ducked down low and swiped at Jessica’s legs, severing them on contact. She shrieked and fell face first onto the ground. It wasn’t at all what they were expecting.

“Um,” James said, coming to a halt. Red, Violet and Scarlet stayed right behind him as Catherine circled around the supposed Sorcerer.

“You’re stronger than that,” Catherine shouted. “Get up!”

“She may not be a Sorcerer,” Violet said, but Catherine wasn’t convinced.

“That kind of power could only come from a Sorcerer,” she said.

“No, not always,” a voice said through the fog. James couldn’t place it, but he knew that voice was familiar. Where had he heard it before?

“Who’s there?” Catherine demanded.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten about me already,” the voice said, stepping into view. Catherine’s face scrunched up in anger and she pointed her eidolon toward the man’s neck. “Thorn. Why am I not surprised?”

“None of you should be,” Thorn said, looking at James. His body was still as unintimidating as before, but his presence screamed danger. He was confident in his demeanor and it put them all in a state of anxiety, even if it was probably all a façade. Thorn was a master of deception.

“Why show your face now?” James shouted, unsheathing his eidolon. “You might as well answer our questions. It will buy you a few more seconds of life.”

“Hello, Scarlet,” he said with a nod toward her. Scarlet spat on the ground at his feet.

“Start talking!” Catherine yelled. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to see how the demolition and construction crew were doing.”

“This was you?” Catherine said with a pained expression on her face. The eidolon in her hand was shaking. “All of this?”

“No, no, goodness, don’t give me so much credit. This is still the handiwork of the Sorcerers, through and through. I’m merely a humble servant, happy to eat the scraps off my master’s table.”

“You would never be satisfied with that.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. If I’m treated fairly, and I have all that I desire, why not submit myself? I wanted control, not absolute power.”

“Right now, you have neither,” James spat.

“So bitter, you two. You act like I single-handedly orchestrated each and every pain and woe in your life. We haven’t even seen each other in decades, and this is the greeting I get. My, and I was going to vouch for you in the end. Preserve your bodies and put them on display like trophies. Now I find the idea distasteful…like rust on my tongue.”

“Get to the point, Thorn.”

“Allay is mine now. To do with what I like. Also…Languor, Prattle, Quietus, my old cliff where I once had my mansion. I get them all. I will rebuild the five Kingdoms, and I will rule them as I see fit.”

“What about the Sorcerers?” Catherine asked. “What will they do?”

“They plan on leaving the three worlds for their homeland. I will be left alone to rule these worlds, and all because I’m helping them retrieve theirs.”

“You’re wrong,” Catherine said. She glanced over at Red and Violet for permission to speak further, but they weren’t sure what her raised eyebrows were insinuating. She proceeded forward. “They want to use the technology that the Knights possess.”

“You mean the time machine?” Thorn laughed. He put the back of his hand to his lips and snickered. “That silly thing? I’ve seen it myself. They’re not even close to completion. Entire armies trying to protect a piece of junk. The Sorcerers can wipe your entire species off this planet and retrieve it whenever they please, but it’s not even worth their time. They’re keeping watch, in case the Knights achieve a last minute miracle, but they’re not worried. What they truly want, is to get out of here. With the Great Collision, the worlds are off balance, and they are dying. The end is upon us if we would just stop and observe. Haven’t you noticed the dying forests? The downpours? The changes in the air?”

“If this is true, then why would you want to rule here?”

“Because the barriers will be restored, and the worlds will right themselves over time. I want to be there to usher in the era of new hope.”

“If all could be fixed, why would the Sorcerers leave?”

“The people know of their existence now. Why would they stay here?”

“Something doesn’t add up,” Catherine replied. “Why would the Sorcerers reveal themselves if they didn’t have to?”

“Oh, my dear Princess,” Thorn chuckled. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head over it. After their plans have come to fruition, it won’t matter. You will all be dead, after all.”

“Or you’ll be,” James said. “Or haven’t you heard of my recent changes?”

“Ah, yes. Your eclipse. I’ve watched your descent into madness with much interest.”

“There is no madness. It is a means to an end.”

“That is how madness is born, my friend. But to address your idle threat, I must say…you have no idea what I’ve been through in the past few decades. What sacrifices I’ve made and changes I’ve enacted. Make no mistake. The Sorcerers came to me, not the other way around. Though I can’t match them in power, they admired and respected my wit and cunning. What I’m saying is…our next showdown will not end in your favor. It is up to you when we will have it, but have it, we will.”

“You’re not here to fight us?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I am here to help you.”

“Who is this guy?” Red asked in exasperation. “He acts like we’re his toys and he’s just playing with us.”

“Aren’t you?” Thorn laughed. “But in all seriousness, let’s get to the heart of the matter. James and Catherine know me too well. In truth, I am not…completely satisfied. I don’t like knowing that some powerful forces greater than myself are out there, and able to change their minds on a whim. They could take away everything I’ve built, and I don’t want to take the chance. I want them gone.”

“You want us to defeat the Sorcerers?” Catherine asked.

“I can’t do much as I’m technically still aligned with them. But I would like to help the best way I can. Ditch the time machine angle. Hit them in the gut. Find that Remi girl and learn more about their origins. See this girl right here?” he stopped to point to Jessica. “She’s one of the Sorcerer’s weapons, not one of the Sorcerers themselves. She’s under their control and being used to…till the land.”

“You’re not afraid that she’s going to attack us?”

“She has her orders. She’ll recover from your wounds and move forward. Next stop: Cimmerian.”

“Because of the time machine?”

“Because that’s where everyone else is.”

“How do we go about finding Remi?” James asked.

Catherine grabbed his arm. “You’re not seriously thinking of trusting him, are you? His information is so spotty and sporadic that I’m starting to mistrust my own judgment.”

“I just want to hear what he has to say. I’ll sort through the lies later.” He turned back to Thorn. “Where can we find her?”

“I’m not sure, but I suspect that she’ll be in Cimmerian for the final battle.”

“Fine,” James said. He turned to Red and the others. “Let’s head out.”

“We’re going to leave them here?” Scarlet couldn’t believe her ears. “Alive and well?”

“We don’t have the time to fight him,” James said, glaring at Thorn. “And I’m not going to kill this girl, especially if she really is a weapon. Still…” James cut off Jessica’s arms and kicked her onto her back. She didn’t scream, but a low moan escaped her lips. “I’m not going to give her a chance to decimate my friends. She can take her time getting to Cimmerian until we figure out how to free her mind.”

“I could care less,” Thorn smiled. “I’ll be here, coming up with sketches of what I want built. If you’ll excuse me, you can go have fun saving the world.”

“We’ll deal with you later,” James said as they began heading out.

Thorn chuckled to himself as he watched Jessica wriggle on the ground. “I doubt it.”

James forced himself to walk forward, though every ounce of him was telling him to flee. No matter who they came across, the common denominator was Cimmerian. From the sounds of it, the entire world was there, waiting for Armageddon with open arms. The cabin felt like an eternity away now, and he couldn’t dwell on the children there. They might not even be alive.

Who was alive anymore?

Weren’t they all just pawns, marching to the Sorcerers’ beat? It didn’t seem like they would come out ahead. Defeat the Sorcerers? World peace between all? Defeat Thorn? What were the odds? The time machine could be the answer, but he hadn’t seen it yet. As of that moment, it was only rumors and hearsay, and if Thorn was right—it didn’t actually work…then what was their plan?

And finding Remi to help them devise a plan against the Sorcerers? It could be a deception on Thorn’s part, but didn’t he have a lot to lose too? Should he trust one of his greatest enemies?

“Should we go to Cimmerian?” James asked the group. They all came to a halt.

“Where else would we go?” Violet asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “But I feel like by going to Cimmerian…we’re doing exactly what everyone wants us to do. It’s like the journey of the stones of power. We’re carrying out someone else’s plans when we should be looking more into who’s pulling the strings.”

“Where would we begin?”

“Again, I don’t know,” James sighed. He turned to Catherine. “What do you think?”

“I think that everyone we know are making choices like we are right now. They’re wondering if the decision they are about to invest in will mean the end of humanity, or the beginning of a new era. It’s a notion that we faced before, and now, we must rely on the tactics that have gotten us this far.”

“Which is?” Red asked.

“We make the best decision based on the information we have. Look at the five of us. Scarlet and myself are average fighters but we have the determination. There are two Ancient Knights that have shown impressive speed and I assume, they have the brute strength to match, and last, we have a Quietus-Allayan hybrid that has the ability to absorb others. Where are our talents best used? As strategists or on the battlefield?”

“The battlefield,” James said.

“I think so too,” Catherine replied. “If Thorn is right, and Remi does have information on the Sorcerers, then I’m going to trust in her judgment. She was born contemplating the world and the matter of things. We were designed to be soldiers, so I think it’s time we do our job.”

“To Cimmerian?” Scarlet asked.

“To Cimmerian we go,” Catherine said with a smile. “It may be rough, but at least we’ll fighting side by side with the ones we love most.”

James grinned. “I can get behind that.”

“Care if a couple of strays tag along?” Kyran asked as he and Chloe appeared.

“Depends on why you’re here,” James said suspiciously. “We don’t have time for this.”

“I’m not here to kill you,” Kyran said.

“What happened?’ Catherine asked in concern. She noticed the weariness in their eyes and the limp in their walk. Their Sage robes were brand new, but that didn’t indicate the kind of danger they were in.

“I’ll tell you everything on the way.”

“Headed to Cimmerian as well?”

“If you’ll have us.”

“Of course,” Catherine said. “The more the merrier.”

*              *              *

It was not a war.

It was the end of the world.

Before they reached the bridge that connected Terra to Cimmerian, they could hear the battle ensuing. Explosions, flashes of light streaking across the sky. Sandstorms. People screaming. The blood stained walls and the scars along the ground where sword strikes missed. Corpses awaited at their feet when a strike didn’t.

There was silence among the Sages and Knights as they walked across the bridge. Though Catherine felt the urge to rush forward and save just one more soul, she realized that there was no reason to hurry. They were all walking to their execution. It couldn’t be helped.

They knew next to nothing about the Sorcerers, and they couldn’t take Thorn’s advice to look for Remi. The war could be over by the time they found her, and besides, she was likely to be on the frontlines anyways.

“James,” Catherine said to her husband as they walked past the crumbling arches and gates leading to the desert. As their feet touched upon sand, Catherine could only think of how it was like she was looking down at an analogy of her life. No matter how hard she tried to gain her footing, she would never have full control—she could only travel on sand.

“What is it?” James whispered. She could tell that he had been in deep thought as well.

“I just wanted to say that I loved you. If there was anything I could count on in this life, it was you.”

“We’ll see if you say that after this battle today.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We all seem to think that we’re going to die. I don’t agree.”

“Why? What are you…James, you can’t.”

“What does it matter? We’re to die anyways.”

“You’ll lose yourself,” she said, grasping his shirt sleeve. “You can’t absorb them all, and even if you did, I couldn’t live by your side, knowing what you did.”

“You don’t know that,” he said, looking up at Kyran. The entire group was listening to their conversation, but no one said a word. They didn’t want James to give in to the instincts that whispered darkly to his heart, but it would also mean self-preservation. If they had a chance to live another day, especially believing that there was no afterlife…shouldn’t they take it?

“I know enough,” she pleaded with him. “James, you can’t.”

“That’s up to me to decide,” he said, pulling his sleeve out of her grip. “And you won’t stop me.”

“What are you saying?” she shouted. “That you’re going to throw us away?”

“No,” he said, staring into her eyes. “Just me.”  Before she could say another word, he pivoted and ran toward the distant chaos. Catherine screamed his name with all her might, but the sandstorm was already beginning to pick up in intensity. She ran after him and the rest of the group followed.

James didn’t look back. He kept his focus clear and sure. The time machine was surely nearby, and wherever the bulk of the Ancient Knights were, that’s where it would be located. He had long recognized the difference between Paragon and Cimmerian, so that would be easy. The Delilah often wore blue goggles so that acted as identification. It shouldn’t be too hard to locate them. He was sure the Sorcerers would also be close by, and they were the main target—lone warriors that would be massacring groups by the second.

James squint his eyes through the gusts of wind and sand. Though the storm had picked up for a second, it was now beginning to die down, and as the winds slowly died down, he began to see the bloodshed taking place.

Donovan was there.

Standing on the roof of the one of the clay buildings, he was firing energy beams from his hands that were as clear and blue as water. Anyone that came in contact with them were disintegrated instantly as if it was acid. There was another Sorcerer with red hair punching through people with diamond gauntlets, and there was one that was elderly. He was simply standing next to Donovan with his hands clasped, as if he was praying. He was wearing a vest that was too small for him, and he wore no shirt underneath, revealing his finely tuned body. He wore grey, baggy pants, and his feet were bare. James didn’t know which of the three to target first.

The Cimmerian and Paragon armies waited nearby for the most part. All had surrounded the building together, joined in arms against a greater foe, but only a couple dozen attacked at a time.

“They’re assessing,” Kyran said, appearing by James’ side.

“Is that so?” James asked, surprised to see him there.

“They know that they will be killed if they don’t take a more stealthy or strategic approach. You can tell that their strongest warriors are being kept in reserve for the right moment. Either the Sorcerers will grow weary of the game and attack all, or they will wait until a plan has formulated.”

“I don’t see any Knights around here.”

“Red and Violet said that they are hiding. Catherine, Chloe and Scarlet have gone with them to where a half of the machine is located.”

“It’s not even put together yet?”

“Unlikely. With three Sorcerers here, that would be dangerous for the worlds if they gained the upper hand. I would rather have them take half than all.”

“And why are you here?” James said low. “Why not Catherine?”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you right now,” he said casually. “She’s mad.”

“And you?”

“I’m here to strategize.”

“Not to stop me?”

“I tried to assassinate you because it was my job, not because I’m judging your actions. Coming from someone with a tainted heart, I am hardly one to speak on the matter.”

“Thank you,” James said.

“Just don’t do anything stupid. If you’re going to absorb one of them, wait for your chance. Heroes die quickly in war.”

“Yet they provide for the greater good.”

“Not always,” Kyran said, patting his shoulder. “Wait for your moment.”

“Fine,” James said, slowly transforming his body. He wouldn’t strike right away, but he wanted to be ready when the moment came.

A roar sounded off from the distant left and the two major armies suddenly rushed the building all at once. James’ eyes widened as he watched Paragon and Cimmerian clamor over one another, caring little for each other’s well-being. They only sought to overwhelm and crush the Sorcerers. But why? Why were they moving now?

James looked to Kyran and the assassin pointed skyward. The sky had opened up and what looked like a portal had appeared. Out of it dropped lightly armored men with thin gaunt bodies. They fell like rain, and whenever they reached ground or person, they revealed their intent. Without remorse, hesitation or fear, they slaughtered all that got in their way. Whenever a Cimmerian or Paragon soldier fought against one, they usually lost, and when they succeeded with a stab or a decapitation, the armored men kept on fighting as if they were powered by something beyond themselves.

“It’s the old man,” Kyran said. “It has to be. He’s controlling the makeshift army. The other two Sorcerers haven’t done anything special before or after the armored men appeared. That’s who we should target first, though I’m sure the other two are keeping a good eye on him.”

“I can’t beat any of them one on one, let alone if they team up on me. I want to try something…”

“I’ll look for a way to get to the old man. If you can distract the other two, that will work.”

“I’ll try not to die in the process,” James said, running toward one of the armored men. As he ran, he transformed his body completely into his Quietus form. He bounded forward on all fours and then leapt into the air on the first armored man he came across. He wasted no time trying to kill it with his scythes. Instead, he allowed a small amount of the tar substance on his body to drip onto the man. It expanded rapidly as James fought to keep the armored man stable, and then the act was complete.

James jumped through one of the nearby windows and landed in someone’s house. He scurried low to the floor and ran behind one of the dining tables. He pushed it in front of him and hid as he waited for the armored man’s absorption to take effect. As he waited patiently, he kept his breathing steady and tried not to think of the screams he heard coming from outside.

Then he felt it.

It was small. Almost nothing, really.

But it was there.

Energy. Raw energy. The armored man wasn’t alive at all. There weren’t any memories to filter through or feelings to throw away. Just raw energy. It probably came from the old man himself.

James smiled and dashed out from under the table. He could absorb the armored men without remorse.