The Willbreaker (Book 1) (50 page)

Brandon noticed trees and men outside the city, caught in her power, fighting for balance as they floated upward past the city walls. Water from the moat flew haphazardly towards the sky.

This would be the end. This would end all life.

Brandon blocked out the chaos around him. He shut out all the screams, the loud cracking and breaking of marble, and the trembling of the world. He entered the Sanctuary of his own mind and found his peace. He had one chance and one option. He knew what he had to do.

Brandon withdrew the dual swords of the Bauth’Dok Blademaster, their glowing red blades saturated with power. He pulled on that power and absorbed it. Looking at Aurora, he started to concentrate. He funneled the expansive power of the trexalite swords through his veins, his muscles, and his mind. The world shook and destroyed itself around her. Orlimay broke apart and floated up towards the clouds. The entire city and everything around them, caught in her destructive power, broke into pieces.

The power of the trexalite blades complimented his already immense power, expanding and amplifying every aspect of its might. The power of the Willbreaker would not be contained. His power could not be overtaken or stopped. Aurora’s power now paled in comparison. Effortlessly, Brandon unleashed his raw power.

I’m sorry, mother.

He had made it; the only choice, his only option.

Aurora’s scream cut off as her lifeless body fell to the ground.

Everything that floated upward came crashing down. Buildings crumpled upon impact with the ground, shooting out wafts of dirt and smoke and throwing jagged pieces of rock and rubble outward. The noise of the falling buildings overtook all else. Brandon, Jasmine, and Edward were swallowed up in the cloud.

Aurora Arclight, Empress and Queen of Cloudkeep Kingdom, was dead.

Reinhold watched as the Avatar of War ascended the hill into the woods. He still gripped the Heart of the King in his right hand. As Bram neared the tree line, he turned to look back at Cedric. Both men suffered a beating from the Guardians, but they lived, and they triumphed. Janga walked up next to Reinhold and shook his head.

Reinhold simply smiled as Bram looked at him from across the way. Bram nodded to him, signaling his respect. Reinhold tipped his head. Reinhold held his own against the Guardians, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Avatar; a feat no other man had ever done. Bram turned and disappeared into the woods.

Aurora’s armies were destroyed. Her city sat in ruins and even though Reinhold had no real explanation for levitating into the air, he knew they won the war. Reinhold’s men gathered and aided the survivors.

Brandon sat on the back of one of the supply wagons. Edward stood over by Jasmine while the healers attended to her. Through the death and tragedy, Brandon listened to the passing soldiers.

“I cannot believe that she is dead. Has it been verified, I mean, has someone actually
seen
her body?” the elven soldier asked.

“Yeah, I hear that her body was given to Lord Reinhold in exchange for a proper burial,” replied one of Reinhold’s men.

“Is that the truth? By who? Who killed her? It was the Ice Lancers, wasn’t it?”

“No, after detonating the bombs in the city, the Ice Lancers returned to aid Lord Reinhold.”

“Maybe one of the bombs killed her…”

As the men walked out of ear shot, Brandon’s eyes drifted to the ground as he recollected the incident...

Brandon stood and approached his mother’s body. He looked at her, lost in thought as Edward and Jasmine approached from behind. Jasmine draped her arm around Edward’s neck. Brandon found it difficult to fully comprehend his relationship with Aurora. His mother, his enemy, the one person in world who shared his blood, happened to be the most powerful magic user the world has ever seen and also happened to leader of an army that ended more lives than any other.
Was is really her fault? She didn’t have the opportunity to live a normal life. Her innocence was stolen from her as a child. Would I have been any different if something as horrible and tragic happened to me?
He looked at her face, lifeless yet still beautiful. He ended her life. He focused his power on the single strand that pulsed with her life energy. His dominating power engulfed and eliminated the energy of it, instantly extinguishing the myriad of brilliant lights and pulses and covered her mind in darkness. In doing so, he snuffed out her talent, her genius, and all hopes of ever changing her.

Brandon felt a hand on his shoulder. Edward withdrew his hand when Brandon turned to look at him. With a twist of his head, Edward indicated the dead Guardian in the road. Blue had plummeted from the top of the tower and landed in the street. He lay still in the concave impression in the road where he hit, face down.

“Ah, Blue,” Brandon said, sadly. Extending one of his hands towards the giant beast, Brandon released the energizing light of his power. The strand of vibrant light wrapped around Blue, absorbing into his flesh. The healing waves of his power pulsed like lightning, healing and rejuvenating the beast with godly precision. Blue’s body twitched slightly and then the Guardian jumped to his feet, fists clenched as if surprised and ready to attack. Blue’s head rose skyward as he boomed a chest-filled roar. He looked around and spotted his human friends. He charged over and scooped them all up in his arms, happily.

Blue carried Aurora in his arms towards the toppled city walls; Brandon, Edward, and Jasmine following close behind.  At the wall, they encountered a small brigade of Highren’Dol that looked for survivors. At that point, Brandon spoke to their commander and told him he would surrender her body, but only if they met his conditions.

At the same time, Lord Cedric Reinhold, wielding the Heart of the King, and Bram dispatched the remaining Kella’Dune Guardians. Reinhold fell to a knee as complete exhaustion set in, resting his arm on his sword that stuck in the ground. Bram approached him, covered in blood, his twin blades still in his dripping hands. Reinhold’s head rose, looking up to catch his gaze.

“I’m done here. It’s been fun. You did alright for a human, but I’m leaving. Perhaps we will meet another day.” Bram hung his swords on his hips and turned towards the forest.

Moments before, everything in the battlefield; bodies, weapons, armor, and fallen beasts, all lifted from the ground. The earth bore a tremendous anger, as it violently shook and trembled. The walls around Orlimay crumpled under the force and the taller buildings toppled into puffs of smoke. Trees on the forest’s edge shook loose from their rooted bindings, tearing and shredding the earth as they rose into the air. Higher and higher they went until suddenly, everything came crashing down. Wagons burst into pieces as their weight met the earth, and men and women screamed as they unexpectedly dropped. The sudden drop gave Cedric and Bram the final advantage against the toppled beasts.

After being informed of Aurora’s body, Cedric and Janga, along with a few other soldiers, approached Brandon as they walked from the remains of Orlimay. Janga seemed on edge as they neared the Guardian. Brandon kept his eyes on the King as he discussed the surrender of her body.

“Greetings, King Reinhold, I am Brandon Pike.” Brandon tipped his head in a respective nod.

Cedric eyed him cautiously, trying to figure out what had happened here.

“I have in my possession the body of the Empress. I have ended her reign and taken her life. I am willing to hand her body over to you if you can promise to meet my conditions.”

Cedric stared at Brandon in amazement. As he looked at him, he noticed the shadow of red on his forehead. “It’s you, isn’t it? You are the one of the prophecies, the one mentioned as the bearer of the Red Star?”

Brandon nodded. “Yes, I am the Willbreaker.”

Brandon’s voice carried with solidity and confidence. They spoke as equals, not as a normal man would speak to a king. The mighty Lord Reinhold and the Willbreaker, talking to each other on a battlefield soaked in the blood of thousands. These men, these heroes, changed the fate of the world. Brandon released Aurora’s body to the King after he promised to have to her buried properly. As their conversation ended, Brandon held out his hand towards Cedric, and the two looked at each other confidently as they shook hands. Edward smiled to himself.

Jasmine walked over towards Brandon. She gently rested a hand on his shoulder. Blue stood close to Brandon, eyeing the passing soldiers who stared without constraint.

“Brandon, it’s over. We won.”

Brandon did not raise his head. He continued to look at the ground.

“We can start anew, build a new world and start our lives over again without the shadow of evil. Everything is right now.”

Brandon spoke up, “Everything is not right. I had to end my mother’s life.” He paused briefly. “You should have waited an hour, like I told you to.”

“You know we couldn’t leave you alone. Would you have left us even if you said you would?”

Brandon sighed. “No.”

“And yes, you ended Aurora’s life, but she was no mother to you. She caused more hurt and pain that anyone in recorded history. You are a hero. We will never know how many lives you saved by ending hers. Reinhold is alive, and now the real work begins.”

As hard as it may have been to admit it, Brandon understood that he did what needed to be done. He also understood, finally, why no one else could have defeated her. He was the Willbreaker and only he could harness the power to end her.

The four of them gathered their things, and walked into the woods as men and elves, wild men and lizard men gathered their dead. Blade Maidens threw down their weapons and surrendered to the alliance forces. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. Blood soaked thick into the soil and the earth’s surface had been forever changed. This place would become the memorial and reminder of the war that changed everything. This place would be the starting point of the legacy of the Willbreaker.

In a distant land, where time had no place and laws and rules govern none, the mysterious dark-cloaked creature stood in front of the black granite well, its white glowing liquid illuminating his eerie and dark-skinned face. Above him, in the rafters, large leathery creatures clawed around, screeching ear-splitting sounds as they battled for position. The Watcher had both his hands held in front of him, held tight in a cup, holding a small white glowing object the size of a shelled peanut. He grinned and mumbled to himself. In his mind, all of his future plans rested on the small object.

He moved over to a small cabinet and rested the little bean on a black pedestal. As he pulled his boney long-nailed hands back, the bean rested in the air, an inch or two above the base, still glowing its heavenly light. The Watcher reached over and placed a glass dome on top of its stand, protecting his prized object.

Rubbing his hands together excitedly, his mind wondered of the potential of the egg. He had already decided to name her Luna. The daughter of the mad Queen, born from her egg and raised by the creature who possessed power not of this world. It made perfect sense to him. He would raise and shape her and she would become his prodigy.

“The world has yet to see what true power is. Luna will rule with an unchallenged hand, and I will guide her from the shadows. This game is only beginning.”

REPLACEMENT PAGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 231 TO END

As he attended his search, rounding a large node of considerable power, Brandon spotted it: the source of her magic. Like a beacon of electric intensity, it pulsed and throbbed, sending out waves of substantial energy. The strand connected to countless other nodes, unique in Brandon’s experience. He sent his power to surround it. It moved like liquid, fluid and smooth. As the blue energy of his will approached the strand, an electric force radiated outward, throwing his power into disarray. He tried again, focusing his attention on it. He pushed and concentrated his full attention on his gift.

His power flowed from him like a tidal wave, immense and unstoppable. The blue light of his power encased her mind, forcing back her resistance and covering everything within.

Aurora looked at Brandon as he shook his head.

“I had hoped that this would end differently, but I can see now that you are not open to any other options.”

Aurora stared at him, surprised that he did not jump at her offer. They could make an unstoppable team, mother and son, and rule the entire world as a family.

Brandon bent his head to identify the sounds of marching feet coming from behind her. His body tensed with anticipation as Gretchen Lomire and a squadron of Blade Maidens quickly entered the open area. Brandon turned his head quickly towards Edward and Jasmine and silently mouthed the word “hide.”

Edward and Jasmine disappeared into the darkness of the doorway.

“Empress, are you okay? We heard the explosions and came as soon as possible.” Gretchen inquired as she approached Aurora and dropped to a knee.

“Yes, Gretchen, I’m fine,” she said, never taking her eyes off of Brandon.

She paused briefly before saying, “This boy here claims that he is my son. He says that we can end this war without any more death.”

Gretchen scoffed. “I’m sure he doesn’t realize how lucky he is to be standing there still.” With a quick nod to the armored women behind her, the Blade Maidens moved in quickly, surrounding Brandon with blades drawn.

Brandon reached up and withdrew his trexalite blades. Fear showed on the women as a few of them stepped away from the intimidating glow of the Blademaster swords. He looked at Aurora and then smiled. His calm look instantly filled her with rage.

“Who are you to march into the middle of my city and tell me to surrender? I am Empress Aurora, fierce and strong, Queen and ruler of Cloudkeep Kingdom, and destroyer of men. My power dwarfs that of my enemies, and there isn’t a force alive that can stop me. Who are you to think you can stand against my wrath?”

As she finished talking, the Maidens took a step forward towards Brandon, decreasing the size of the circle around him.

Still smiling, Brandon answered, “I am the Willbreaker.”

Gretchen spoke calmly, “Kill him.”

Brandon’s eyes drifted over towards Gretchen as her Maidens stood unmoving.

Her voice elevated. “Kill him!” Still, the Maidens surrounding him did not move.

Without hesitation, Gretchen withdrew her weapon from her back, took three quick steps towards Brandon and brought the blade down towards his head. Gretchen’s polearm ricocheted skyward as five of the other Maiden’s countered her attack simultaneously. Brandon could see pure confusion on the faces of Aurora and Gretchen as he bent the wills of the women around him. He emitted his dominate and bearing power through all the women.

The Maidens unleashed deadly attacks on Gretchen. Even though outnumbered, Gretchen’s polearm zipped through the air like a hummingbird, dropping her sisters to the ground with each bloody counter strike. Brandon stood patiently as the Maidens turned on Gretchen.

Aurora screamed, throwing her arms into air as she grabbed at her power. Brandon could feel her desire for it, the pull she so strongly created as she attempted to consume herself within it. Brandon cleared his thoughts, focusing on the desires and wills he manipulated of those around him. He kept his control balanced on a razor’s edge, riding the line of breaking them or bending their thoughts, like he did with Edward a week before. Slight pulls and influences on someone’s will made them fear consequences for doing or not doing certain engagements, like one’s hesitation to jump off a hundred foot cliff to the rocks below, but much more intense. Brandon became a puppeteer, and those caught in his power became his marionettes.

Brandon kept Aurora’s power at bay, although it took considerable focus. She reached for the ocean of energy at her fingers, but it waned from her grasp. The look of hopelessness washed over Aurora as her confidence shattered. Brandon stared into her eyes as she turned and looked at him in fear. The Maidens pressed aggressively towards Gretchen as she continued to retreat backwards from the horde of attacking women, still striking them down and leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.

Brandon took a step towards Aurora. She looked at him as if he was death reincarnated. Never before had she been stripped of her power; the overwhelming sense of helplessness crippled her. As she retreated, Aurora’s heal caught an uneven stone in the road and she fell backwards. Brandon approached her, glancing over to Gretchen who held her defense with her back to a building.

“This has to be the end, Aurora. You have let your hatred and power overtake the innocent person that you once were. What happened to you was unacceptable and wrong, but that incident did not justify the tyranny and slaughter of innocent life that you so aggressively sought. I feel bad for you; I feel bad that you did not get the opportunity to heal after that tragedy. You have built an amazing place here,” Brandon said, turning his open palm to the city around him.

Aurora stared at him, lip quivering as she desperately grabbed for the power that would not answer her calls. “What… what are you going to do to me?” she asked in fear.

Brandon sighed, obviously caught in the struggle of deciding what to do with her. So many lives had been lost already; he could not bear to add to that total. Aurora had an eye for beautiful creation. She oversaw a very successful kingdom and had many skills and vast insight to offer if given the chance, but would she take it?

Brandon looked back to Gretchen; this needed to end. The women surrounding her attacked relentlessly and with fierce determination. Gretchen thrust her polearm upward, deflecting three blades that lunged towards her. With a downward sweep, she knocked two more polearms out of harm’s way. Gretchen struggled against the endless onslaught of attacks, each incoming attack getting slightly closer to striking her as she defended and prepared for the next series of lunges and sweeps.

Gretchen whirled her polearm in a wide arc in front of her, knocking away the blades of three other Maidens. As she did, she opened up her right flank to the long curved blade that plunged deep in her side. Gretchen screamed out in pain as she curled in towards the wound. The slight hesitation of giving in to the pain allowed another blade to connect, burying it under her left collar bone. Gretchen wailed out in pain again as the strength drained from her muscles, causing her to drop her weapon and fall to her knees. Four polearms went skyward to finish the fight when Brandon interjected.

“Stop!” he screamed. The Maidens turned to look towards him and then lowered their weapons. Gretchen moaned helplessly, held up by the two Maidens that had her run through. “No more death.”

Brandon turned back to the Empress, a terrified shell of the conquering woman she used to be only moments before. “I’m sorry Empress, mother. As long as you hold the power to do as you please, that magnificent and endless source of power, you are a threat to peace and to mankind. Everything that came from that horrifying and unforgettable event was not evil or corrupt. Look at this city, look what you have built. Look at me.” He looked directly into Aurora’s eyes and she stared back at him, seeming to look into each other’s souls.

“I never really knew what I would do if I was ever to be in this position,” Brandon said. “I have thought about this since I discovered who I am and every answer that I came up with never seemed to sit right with me. Now, as we sit here in your burning city and death surrounds us, I finally know what I have to do.” Aurora started shaking her head, slightly at first, then more vehemently as she came to understanding of Brandon’s decision.

“No, no! You can’t! Please! You can’t do this! No!” she pleaded.

Like a surgeon, Brandon released his dominating power into a single ray of focus. “Aurora Arclight, Former Empress and Queen of Cloudkeep Kingdom, I hereby remove you from your status and relieve you of your powers.” Aurora screamed and screamed as Brandon talked. “Without your power, you will no longer be able to control or hurt people. You will be just like everyone else.”

Tears streamed down Aurora’s cheeks as she cried and pleaded for Brandon to stop. She pulled herself to her knees and reached for Brandon with both hands. Gretchen coughed, spitting blood onto the ground in front of her. As Brandon turned to look over at her, Aurora’s sobs turned silent. Although tears welled up in her eyes, she saw the opportunity to end this torture.

Quickly, she withdrew the small blade hidden beneath her sash and lunged towards Brandon. Aurora’s arm stopped in midair, frozen in time as if held by an unseen force. Brandon stepped backward, startled by the blade only inches away from his heart. Aurora struggled to move but could not.

“Not today, Empress,” Edward said, holding out his open hand towards Aurora as he held her tight with his power. Brandon looked at Edward with surprised relief. Jasmine peered from around the back of Edward cautiously.

“Enough,” Brandon said, placing his hand on the top of Aurora’s head. “I’m sorry mother, but you have left me no choice.” Brandon released his power into Aurora. The once brilliant node that pulsed and emitted vibrant light in her mind succumbed to the vast torrent of power. The light shimmered, sealed within a transparent blue cocoon.

“You no longer have the will to use your power. It will be unavailable to you, just out of reach if you ever decide to touch it. You are normal, like everyone else. I am going to spare your life to give you the opportunity for something positive. The remainder of your years will be spent healing, building, and contributing to the advancement of the Kingdom.” Released from Edward’s grip, Aurora collapsed to the ground, sobbing like a small child. 

Brandon felt a hand on his shoulder. Edward withdrew his hand when Brandon turned to look at him. With a twist of his head, Edward indicated the dead Guardian in the road. Blue had plummeted from the top of the tower and landed in the street. He lay still in the concave impression in the road where he hit, face down.

“Ah, Blue,” Brandon said, sadly. Extending one of his hands towards the giant beast, Brandon released the energizing light of his power. The strand of vibrant light wrapped around Blue, absorbing into his flesh. The healing waves of his power pulsed like lightning, healing and rejuvenating the beast with godly precision. Blue’s body twitched slightly and then the Guardian jumped to his feet, fists clenched as if surprised and ready to attack. Blue’s head rose skyward as he boomed a chest-filled roar. He looked around and spotted his human friends. He charged over and scooped them all up in his arms, happily.

Blue carried Aurora in his arms towards the toppled city walls; Brandon, Edward, and Jasmine following close behind.  At the wall, they encountered a small brigade of Highren’Dol that looked for survivors. Brandon approached their commander. After establishing himself as on the side of the Alliance, Brandon summoned his friends forward and revealed the Empress, now stripped of her power. He did not explain how she had been captured, but he told them he would surrender her to Lord Reinhold only if they met his conditions; she would live out the rest of her days in restitution, where and how would be up to the King. She would not be executed or imprisoned in a cell, nor would she be tortured; she would serve the people until she lived no more.

The commander sent off two of his soldiers to get the King. They had steel drawn and eyed the Empress in awe and caution. One of the soldiers stepped forward, anger stricken across his face.

“I’m going to kill her right now. She has destroyed so many lives and ruined so many families. If she is powerless, I will end her,” he said, stepping forward in advancement. Brandon casually looked him.

“If I was able to capture Empress Aurora and relieve her of her power, what do you think I will do to you if you disobey my command and try to hurt my prisoner?” His cold stare made the soldier step back in line. Edward chuckled proudly to himself. Brandon had come into his own; he had grown up and became the man he never thought he could be. Soon, Reinhold would arrive and they would discuss terms for Aurora’s surrender, which the King would agree to. Brandon would turn her over to Reinhold, and so birthed his legend. His name would spread far, and his reputation would spark tales of grandeur, but this would only be the starting point of the legacy of the Willbreaker.