Book One: Fate
______________________________________________________________________
Chapter Seventeen: Revenge
The room Tylor awoke in was the one under Noctern’s church but it looked different. It was pale green, illuminated by a light below him. He lay in the center of the room, back to the floor, with Karen lying next to him. Her eyes were tightly shut. His armor and gauntlet were near; sitting in a heap against one of the walls. His shirt was torn and dirty with dust from the floor and one of his boots lay strewn across the room. Tylor had no recollection of how they got there.
Sitting up slowly, he looked around him at the green light. On top of where he and Karen lay was a huge emerald like crystal, brightening the entire room with its calming glow. It had not been there when they first entered the room, however it definitely was the same room. On the far wall was the metal barred door which would lead to the staircase up to the main area of the church where Joel and Leon were waiting. He lay back down and looked at the ceiling, gathering together the pieces of information that he had learned.
Karen stirred and moaned to herself as she opened her eyes. Without trying to move, she looked at Tylor and sighed.
“I met my father,” he said, emotionlessly.
She nodded slowly and confirmed that she had met her father also and had no doubt learned the same things that Tylor had about Yggdrasil, Kain, and Seka. Karen’s armor was also no longer on her body, she was clad just in her under shirt. Her breast plate and mesh was lying at the opposite side from Tylor’s across the floor. She got up and began putting them on without a word. He did the same.
“Did you get the answers you wanted?” she asked eventually, while fastening connections on the plate armor.
“…No,” he replied.
She turned and looked at him, a weak smile gracing her lips. Karen then looked at the glowing green crystal they had been lying on and tapped it with the tip of her foot. It clunked dully, but nothing happened.
“This must be how we saw our fathers. Seka’s influence in a Katerano church is greater than any other place,” she stated. “So, Tylor, what will you do now?”
“What can I do? If I don’t do as instructed it will only lead to death… my own and of others. I was told there was a choice, but really there isn’t…is there? No one could turn their back on so many people, no one.”
There was no answer for him. Karen only watched him and sighed again. She walked to the door and tapped on it, seemingly trying to find a way to open it. As her hand graced one of the cold bars, suddenly all of them began to reseed, exposing the simple wooden door behind. Her hand reached for the handle and was just about to pull it when Tylor stopped her.
“Karen, did you find out why you… well you… I was told that the Destined are male,” he said hesitantly.
“My father had no real answer for me, only a theory. As more generations of Destined are born, the seed that gives us power is growing weaker, because of that the hold on the baby that determines that it will also be male may have weakened, but that is just a theory nothing more. Joel and Leon will be waiting, we should go out. …I never thought that kid was one of us, Seka never told me to bring him from the island…”
With that, she pulled the door open and began walking up the stairs. Tylor followed after her, taking one last glance into the room. The door slammed behind them once they were both out, heavy metal bars revealing themselves once again to block up the door.
Up stairs in the main area of the church they found Leon and Joel sitting on pews around a warm fire, they rose to their feet when they noticed Tylor and Karen, greeting them with a strange sense of relief.
“Things are not well out here,” Leon said as they sat around the fire. “Andros is here, somewhere, and has brought with him his puppet knights and two Wraiths. The Wraiths and he cannot enter this holy place, but the puppets can. We have been fighting waves of them off for the past few hours that you have been gone.”
Tylor was confused. After taking a quick glance around the destroyed church, he was sure that there were no bodies of knights lying anywhere in view. He asked where they were and Joel answered him. It seemed that once felled, the puppet’s bodies turned to dust. Joel pointed at a few piles of dust sitting around the circle of pews. As his young friend pointed, Tylor noticed that he was holding a small crossbow in one hand and in his other he was fidgeting with four small metal darts. Karen asked Leon where Andros was as she walked close to the front door of the church to check outside.
“We have not seen him in some time, only the waves of puppets that he sends after us. The two Wraiths have also not made another appearance. No doubt he awaits us and will strike when we leave the church, so we should plan our next move carefully. There are two ways out as far as I can see - the main door and the broken windows on the far wall. If we pile pews up we should be able to….”
Karen cut him off by telling them all to shut up and listen. She returned to the fire and pulled Tylor next to her, saying that they had to talk about the things that they had experienced in the hidden room. Leon stopped without complaint (albeit it with a disgruntled look on his face), and Joel listened patiently.
And so, Karen and Tylor explained the things that they had learned inside the strange room. They had no qualms about talking about it in front of Leon anymore; he already knew enough and could be trusted. Leon seemed to get overly confused when they finally revealed that King Nega was supposedly a Destined and possibly did not know it. He asked the same question over four times, making sure they were absolutely sure it was true. Tylor had not seen Leon so openly concerned before, it was very disconcerting. Joel sat in silence, even after he heard that his father had been a Destined. It was not the reaction Tylor had thought the kid would have had.
“My father was… just like Zan was…” he said, muttering to himself, “…I'm...”
His young friend stopped. He looked as though he was in shock. It was a natural response and Tylor was still stunned at the things his father’s specter had told him. He had not even considered the implications of the powers he was supposed to inherit, like the slow aging. He was two years off getting near immortal life. Tylor was not sure what to think.
“Now,” Karen said, not giving the others time to reflect on the new information, “we need to get out of here. I mean right now.”
“Would it not be best to wait till morning?” Leon asked. “Then we will not be attacked by Andros or his slaves. They cannot venture into the light.”
“We can’t,” Karen said as he voice changed, “…He is near.”
As coldness seemed to stroke his spine, Tylor paused and looked at her steely expression. She was talking about Tai and he was close. He could not feel it as certainly as she seemed to, but something was there. He had a strange feeling of anxiety in his stomach, but nothing that felt like sensing another person. Karen readied her bags, with a slightly confused look when noticing that some of her things were out of place. Leon insisted that they rethink moving now as did Joel.
“Andros may have a whole army of his puppets waiting for us, it would be reckless to leave now,” the Demon Hunter continued to insist.
“If he had an army of puppets he would have sent them to get us by now! I can handle Andros and you can handle the Wraiths, but none of us here can fight Tai! We must go before he gets here!” Karen shouted, suddenly getting angry.
The Hunter was silent for a moment, considering all options available to them. Suddenly there was a hoarse laugh echoing through the lifeless building. Andros was back, standing as close as he could to the broken entrance, still dressed as elegantly as before with his arms crossed across his chest. He hissed with delight when he saw Karen looking directly at him.
“I’ll handle this,” she said, calmly walking towards the ever smiling Andros.
Leon leaped over a pew to where Tylor’s sword lay and picked it up. Asking to borrow it, Tylor nodded. He then went to Karen’s bag and dug out the last two fire sphere’s the group had and placed them in his back pouch. In the time he had done that Karen was in the doorway looking Andros directly in the face.
“I’ll give you this one chance, Andros,” she said. “I beg you to leave. I don’t want to hurt you.”
She bowed her head to him and he laughed, deeper and darker than before, extremely amused at the threat.
“My dear Karen!” he grinned. “Why do you resist? I only want to be with you forever. I have lusted after you ever since we were children!”
She shuddered in response. Without a second thought, she raised her hand to Andros’ chest. Suddenly, the vampire's body was flung backwards out of view and away from the church doorway. Karen ran out after him and out of sight. Leon jumped over another pew and followed quickly behind her. He called back to Joel and Tylor and ordered that they did not leave the church.
Karen found Andros supporting himself against a wall across the decayed street. He was coughing and cursing to himself. He turned and looked at her, complimenting her on her strength. His figure straightened up and he removed his cloak. Flexing his arm to the side, he began walking towards her. By now Leon had run out and joined her, he stood slightly behind and had watched what happened in the church doorway.
“How did you do that?” he whispered to her.
“My power has grown again,” she said slowly. “Watch for the Wraiths, they are coming fast from the south. Leave Andros to me.”
The Hunter nodded and slid away from her, facing the south and armed with Pesmega in one hand and a fire sphere in the other. His rod remained strapped to his back as a backup weapon. Karen stood before Andros once again, but the vampire was more prepared this time and did not stand normally, his hands had formed fists and his teeth were gritted through sheer anger.
Quickly, he lunged forwards with his hand, fingers stretched out and claws sharpened. Karen caught the hand with just a few inches to spare before a nail would have cut her face. She pulled Andros’ hand side ways and kicked him in chest, knocking him back into a building wall again. She reached behind her belt and pulled out her dagger, twirling it in her hand ready for Andros’ next attempt. By this time, Joel and Tylor had gathered together everyone’s belongings at the door to the church and were watching her.
Leon leaped behind a crumbling stone wall. Dust fell from it onto him as a Wraith slammed into the opposite side. He twirled the first fire sphere from his back pouch in his hand. The Hunter then cracked it into the blade of Pesmega and watched as oozing amber liquid began to leak over the blade. Looking forward, he dodged his head just in time as the other Wraith’s claw smashed into and through the rock wall. It had sneaked around from the west while Leon was watching the first one.
Before he had time to move, it was hovering above him. It struck sideways with one of its large Talons and caught the tip of Pesmega. Rearing up in pain, the Wraith backed away suddenly. Pesmega had stuck in it for a few seconds and when it pulled back it took the sword from Leon’s grasp and had thrown it into nearby rubble. The fire sphere that he had been holding lay on the floor next to him, cracked and still leaking liquid. He rolled towards it as the second Wraiths claw struck at him again, smashing into the paving stones. The fire sphere was covered in the liquid that had once been inside, coating Leon’s gauntlet in it as he picked it up. The first Wraith was still recovering from touching Pesmega, but was soon ready to attack again. It hovered back as the second Wraith made another attack aimed at him.
“Fire!” Leon shouted.
The damaged fire sphere lit up into a ball of flame, setting Leon’s gauntlet alight in a glorious display of red and amber. It did not hurt him however, since he had cast the spell using the activation word. The second Wraith struck forward with both its bone like talons, but Leon kick flipped to his left just in time and hurled the damaged fire sphere at the first Wraith that was still hovering around a broken wall. The fire sphere struck the wall above it, smashing on impact and dropping the sea of flames from within it directly on top of the Wraith, disintegrating it on impact. It twisted and screeched in agony as it was reduced into a pile of dust.
The remaining Wraith shrieked at the death of the other and charged forwards. Leon rolled out the way again, but caught the back of one of the claws and fell down onto the cold floor. He rolled sideways to dodge a second attack, and then right to dodge another before back flipping to his feet and diving left as the Wraith continued its relentless attack. It struck forwards with both talons again, this time smashing through a house wall that Leon had rested up against for a quick second. The Wraith rampaged through the wall, its thick arms breaking deep into it, so much so that it had come so close that its evil eyes, shrouded in the mist that made up its body, were just a few inches from Leon, looking directly at him with an evil glare. Leon acted quickly and punched as hard as he could with his gauntlet that still had some flaming liquid on it, striking the remaining Wraith directly in one eye and burning it to dust on contact.
The Wraith flipped forwards into the building wreckage and pulled its talons from the rubble and grasped at the smoke where an eye had been. Leon used this time to run back to where Pesmega had dropped amongst the rubble and quickly searched for it. The remaining Wraith flew wildly about the dark sky. The flame had spread from around its eye but the cold air blowing in from the north caught them and extinguished them before any more of the Wraith could be burnt away. The same cold wind had extinguished the liquid on Leon’s gauntlet as well. Another loud shriek followed before it charged at him again.
While the Wraith had been distracted by pain Leon had found Pesmega and once again held it ready to strike. As the Wraith swooped towards him it suddenly shot back up into the sky and then straight over his head before charging towards his back. He turned just in time to watch the Wraith blow straight through him, not attempting to strike his body with its claws. Leon dropped to the ground, letting Pesmega fall from his grip, grasping his heart. He was experiencing the chilling effect of coming in direct contact with the mist of a Wraith; it felt as though his whole body was paralyzed, he was freezing cold and unable to move.
The Wraith wanted vengeance, for its eye and the others of its kind that Leon had killed. That was why it did not try to strike him down with just one blow. It now hovered before him again, watching as he shuddered with pain, grasping at his chest, and coughing violently.
Karen ducked under Andros' strike and lunged forward with her dagger, stabbing his exposed white figure directly in the back. She pulled out her knife and let Andros fall to the floor. Kicking his body over so that his stomach faced upwards, she readied her blade above his heart, the weak point of the Brood, and pulled back to strike with it.
Without opening his eyes, Andros laughed and told her that rather than trying to kill him she should be helping her friend. Karen turned to look over to where Leon lay and was shocked to see him helpless with one Wraith hovering in circles about him. That was all the time Andros needed to recover from her dagger’s blow. He knocked her off him and threw her against the nearest wall with incredible strength. Karen fell to the floor in a heap. Cracks ran along the wall where she had struck it and some smaller bits of the stone wall dropped down on top of her.
“You are not the only one with power!” Andros roared.
Tylor ran out of the church towards Karen and Andros, shouting at to Joel to try and help Leon. Andros turned to face Tylor just in time to receive a swift punch to the face which knocked him off balance slightly, but he was soon on his feet again and beckoning Tylor to attack again.
Joel loaded the crossbow that Leon had given him and fired it at the Wraith. The dart passed directly through its misty body and left it unharmed. He ran next to Leon and shook him. The Hunter pushed him off and struggled to say that he must take the fire sphere from his back pocket and hold it up before the Wraith and grab Pesmega. Joel did so. The Wraith pulled back with a new sense of caution when it saw the young boy grasping the sword and sphere, giving Leon enough time to rise to his feet with a slight wobble. He leant part of his weight on Joel and he led him to the safety of the church, there Leon lay just inside the door.
“Do not worry, it will pass in minutes,” Leon stuttered as he shook as if he were lying on pure ice. “We need to regroup… get Tylor and Karen back in here!”
Nodding, Joel ran back outside and looked at Tylor, who was standing before Andros and talking with him. Karen’s body lay half exposed under some rocks near a collapsed building. She was moving slightly and groaning, but was unable to move. Joel slowly walked round and began pulling the rubble off of her.
“Your young friend is quite helpful, protecting Karen’s body for me,” Andros smiled. “She was unaware of my strength; we of the Brood are capable of many things. If only she understood what I am offering her…”
In that moment of lament, Tylor struck at Andros again, but the vampire leaped backwards and landed softly a few feet away. He sailed through the air as if he was as light as a feather. Tylor ran forwards and kicked high with his foot, but Andros caught it inches from his head and held it like a vice.
“Agility, speed, and strength are all increased,” he said as he knocked Tylor to the ground and laughed again.
By now the surviving Wraith was hovering around them all, but was not coming closer, seemingly waiting for the order from its master.
“Why are you doing this? If you really cared for her you would leave her be!” Tylor cried.
Andros’ resolve changed; he grew angry.
“It is because I love her that I am giving her this gift! Eternal life and strength! We would be together forever!”
“She does not want to be like you!” he shouted.
“I was afraid at first,” Andros began, “when my previous master found me as a child, in the great fire of Noctern. Did you know that they followed the Dau from the Central Mountains? That was the reason they left; Brood were killing their young and warring with them. It was their fault that everything went wrong in Noctern! I swore I would make them pay and gladly accepted the power my master offered. So now I hunt them, in their pathetic little woodland village, but I will not touch the people of the village on the far side of the Great Forest. They are the survivors of Noctern, they have seen enough bloodshed. So you see; I am not completely uncaring, I will not harm those who have suffered enough already! If most of them were not already so old I would have shared my gift with them as well!”
“You are nothing more than a demon now,” Karen said.
She was on her feet next to Joel and looked unharmed from the blow that she had received.
“I had such high hopes when I heard you were alive… I missed you so much, but now all I see is an empty shell. You aren’t the boy I remember, you’re just-
“At last!” another voice cried from atop a nearby building. “At last, I have found you all.”
All turned to look at a figure cloaked in darkness looking down at them. He dropped off the roof and landed without harm on the ground below. His shape was no longer shrouded in shadow thanks to the dim moon light illuminating the center of the old street. It was Tai. Andros walked with confidence in his stride past Tylor and stood before Tai, the Wraith followed behind him slowly and then began circling Tai.
Meanwhile, Karen dragged Joel and Tylor to the church door where they found Leon struggling to his feet. Tylor and Karen took one of Leon’s arm’s each while Joel collected all the bags. They then quickly left the church and disappeared around the side furthest from Tai and Andros.
Tai watched them run out the corner of his eye and he murmured to himself happily. He liked it when they ran. It was the best part of the hunt, the anticipation before the end, the ecstasy of the chase. He turned his attention back to Andros.
“Get out my way, little demon, before I rip your heart from your chest,” the Sect said, gazing into Andros’ pale face with his pure black eyes. “My business is with the girl and her companions and their deaths shall be dealt by me not you.”
Andros clicked two of his bony fingers together, immediately causing the Wraith to charge at Tai. He did not move and was not shaken by the on coming attack. He raised his flat palm up directly in front of the charging demon. A small purple beam shot from his hand, striking the Wraith directly in its center. With an ear piercing scream it began to dissolve and crumble into dust, which was then burnt up by the intense heat of the energy blast. Andros was amazed, but soon found his resolve once again and clapped condescendingly. Pleased by the arrogance, Tai indulged him. A little bit if fun before the main event was fine. His kitten would not get very far.
“So, what are you? Perhaps you are a wizard or some kind of mercenary? Another of those Demon Hunters? What business do you have with my dear Karen?” Andros asked.
“Don’t die too quickly,” said Tai in reply, ignoring the questions.
And with that he began walking past the vampire, but Andros had been angered by the mocking tone and words which Tai spoke and hissed violently as he leapt towards the dark eyed stranger, aiming for his throat. Tai’s image disappeared, leaving Andros slashing at nothing but air. Behind him, he heard a strange sound, like a blade being run along metal. Tai slashed up Andros’ stomach as he turned, causing the creature to fall backwards, blood spurting towards the sky like an elaborate fountain. The Brood master lay squirming in pain on the floor, hissing in distress. Tai stood over him and plunged his dark sword into the heart of Andros. The Brood master fell backwards and as his lifeless head struck the stone floor his body turned to dust, just like the Wraiths did when they perished.
“Am I cursed to fight no one but the weak?” Tai shouted as he slowly walked down the empty streets of Noctern with a sword covered with blood in hand, following the trail of Tylor and his companions.
The streets and houses all looked the same regardless of what area the group had ran down, only Karen knew where they were going. They were taking a round about way to the entrance hopefully avoiding Tai or so she had said. They could not move fast, Leon had been hurt by the Wraiths dark touch and had not yet recovered enough to move his legs normally. He could feel them but could hardly move them or his arms. Karen was growing increasingly impatient, trying to force them along faster, but Leon could not. Joel too, was going slow, he ran as best he could while trying to hold the whole parties belongings on his shoulders and hands. After they had traveled a few more feet Karen stopped them and told them that her plan was not going to work.
“It will pass soon, I just need a few more minutes to rest,” insisted Leon. “Perhaps if we hide in one of the less destroyed homes until I am well?”
“No,” she replied sternly. “At this close a radius Tai knows every step we make and will find us even if we hide. I can only see one other thing to do. I will distract Tai while you continue on to Noctern’s southern gates and out into the Great Forest. Put as much distance between you and him as possible before you even consider resting.”
Tylor protested immediately. Karen had stated over and over that none of them were strong enough to defeat Tai. That comment had more than likely included her, despite her amazing abilities. She shook her head and said that she was willing to listen to any other plans anyone could suggest.
“We can all stay and fight him!” Joel cried, dropping the bags and satchel to the floor.
“I agree with Joel. Our best chance of killing Tai is if we face him together,” agreed Leon. “By the time he is here I will hopefully be better, I will fight him with you Karen!”
“No! He will kill us all if we stay! Why can’t you understand that!” she shouted.
In the moment of silence that followed Tylor whispered, “So you’d rather that it was just you?”
She turned and stared silently at him for a moment.
“…Yes, my star, my bloodline, is already finished thanks to me, but you and Joel… you can continue your legacy. It doesn’t matter what happens to me!”
They stood in complete silence for a moment. Nothing could be heard around them, the city was dead and even birds did not dare fly over it. Leon seemed to be debating something in his mind; he was frowning as if thinking quickly and hard. Eventually, he was the one who broke the silence by saying that they would leave Karen and escape as she asked. Tylor and Joel were shocked at the announcement. Karen nodded and turned her back to them. Drawing her dagger, she repeated once more that they should get away as quickly as possible. Tylor ran to Leon and protested, but the Demon Hunter just shook his head and asked for Tylor’s assistance to move a bit faster.
There was a look in his eye that confused Tylor. Leon seemed to be staring directly at him and motioning with his eyes as if trying to get his attention to something. Reluctantly, he took Leon’s arm over his shoulder and they began walking down the street at as quick a pace as they could manage, leaving Karen alone in the middle of the road staring out towards the far end of it.
“Leon, why are you letting her do this? Please help her!” Tylor cried as they stumbled towards the south gates.
“I am not abandoning her to die, Tylor, but she is a difficult woman. Stop a moment and let me explain.”
The Hunter paused and lay his back against the nearest wall, he bent over and began rubbing his legs to try and get the feeling fully back. He stretched his arms around in the air as well and bent side ways. While stretching his muscles he constantly felt more and more strength returning to him. He spoke to the two boys as he stretched.
“Now, listen closely to me. I have a question and once you answer I will be able to tell you what I plan to do,” he stated. “It’s about Tai. Would you say he is arrogant and also easy to anger? Be very sure about your answer.”
Tylor and Joel exchanged glances.
“He definitely has a big ego,” Joel said, “but I don’t know about angry… he always seems very calm and full of himself.”
Leon crossed his arms and thought hard.
“Alright, now listen. I think I can coax Tai into a duel with me. I do not know how I will fair against him, but if I anger him enough he may lose forethought and not be able to track Tylor’s presence. While he is concentrating on the battle with me, Tylor can sneak around behind and strike at Tai while I distract him.”
“It’s too risky!” Tylor protested. “Tai was able to find me on so many occasions I don't think he would lose sight of me even if he was in a rage.”
“Then that leaves one other option,” the Hunter said instantly and turned to Joel, “can he sense you?”
The kid looked panicked all of a sudden, but managed to stutter a no. Leon nodded and asked to have Pesmega from Tylor. He willingly handed it over. Drawing the near invisible sword from its scabbard, Leon handed it to Joel.
“Move as silently as possible and strike with enough force to pierce his armor. The blade is strong enough, you should only need to thrust and aim for the top of the back. My signal for you to make your approach will be; where does your strength come from. My signal to strike will be; arrogance will be your downfall. Is that clear?”
His young friend turned as white as a sheet and backed away, still holding Pesmega close to his stomach. Leon walked after him, with new found strength in his limbs, and placed a gentle hand on the young boy’s shoulder.
“There is no one else, Joel. Please do this for us, I beg you,” he pleaded, dropping down onto one knee.
Even as he stood now he was still slightly taller than the boy, his frame spread out wider as well, and his muscles bulged under the thin armor he wore.
“Wait!” Tylor exclaimed. “I won’t let you go!”
Leon looked over his shoulder at Tylor and shook his head.
“No, I’ll do it…” Joel stuttered.
He was in a rage; he refused to allow his young friend to endanger himself in such a way. Leon stood silent and then asked for a better plan. Tylor said nothing as he knew that there was no other plan, except to fight Tai head on but what would their chances be? Tai had slaughtered knights in groups, and the people of the Sparda. Even with their combined strength did they really have any chance whatsoever?
“Then at least give him the crossbow, so he can strike from a distance!” he said at last, giving in.
“I would, but there is no guarantee that the dart would penetrate Tai’s armor. We may only get one chance and cannot risk it going wrong in such a way. I was going to give you the crossbow since Joel must use Pesmega, so that you have at least some form of mid range defense.”
Slowly, the kid walked over to Tylor and reiterated that it was alright and that he was willing to try. Reluctantly, Tylor took the crossbow and its one remaining dart (two had gone missing in the confusion and escape from the church). The group turned and walked back to where Karen had been. Midway to their destination, Joel would leave the main road and use the side streets and debris for shelter to find a hidden route around them.
Tai appeared at the top of the street, walking in a confident stride towards her. His bloodied sword was in hand, dripping red spots along the floor as he walked. Karen gulped and tightened her grip around her small dagger.
I will not run away, not this time. Be brave and face your fear, Karen. That was what he told me! And I will! I won’t run away father, I’ll get revenge for you and for mother. That bastard will die at my hands!
She felt his Aura, it was dark and strong, and it was all around his body like a protective shell. She was sure that she now saw a purple glow just above his bodies outline. It had always been there, protecting Tai and granting him his incredible powers, and now she could finally see it. It was a small glow, but once he tapped into it the light would increase in magnitude. The power she had found within herself thanks to talking with her father had given her the ability to see the Aura, but it was not enough for her to find control over her own.
And because of that, she thought to herself, I will probably lose. There must be some way to unlock the control over Aura that the Destined are supposed to have, perhaps fighting him will reveal it to me!
“You are sacrificing yourself in the feeble hope that the others will escape me?” Tai asked somewhat rhetorically, still some distance away from her. “That can be the only thing that you are plotting. Unless…surely you have not fooled yourself into thinking that you can actually fight me on even ground?”
His eyes scanned her figure and it made her feel ill. She stood ready to fight, her dagger held close and legs spread apart ready to spring. A cold wind blew down the street causing her to shiver, or maybe it was fear. She looked at Tai from top to bottom. He walked with no defensive posture and seemed as carefree as he always did, completely sure of the outcome of the fight before it had even begun.
“Fate, it seems,” he said, speaking again in a soft hissing tone, “has decided that your life will end here. A pity, but also convenient. The time I had to play has come to an end. How is your father? I assume that you have seen him already. It took me some time to figure out why you dragged Zan’s boy here, but then I remembered that a Katerano church once stood here. This one was special, wasn’t it? It had the crystal locked in its bowels whereas the other remaining church in Tillsen has no such thing. Did he tell you to face me? To forget the fear you once had? He faced me without fear and still died.”
“I am no longer scared of you, Tai. I know all about your origins and of Kain, your master. My father died saving me from you and I must get revenge for him. That strong feeling alone is why I do not fear you.”
“Will you still be saying such things as I take your life away from you?” Tai laughed.
“I am ready to die for what I believe in, if I do not kill you then someone else will! You cannot stop us all, the Destined will triumph!”
Tai laughed even louder than before. Halting his advance, he bowed to Karen. His sword disappeared into a cloud of purple mist. He seemed confident enough not to need it for the battle and cared not that she still wielded a weapon.
“You think that you are strong? I have fought and killed Destined who have obtained their full power. You are nothing compared to them, none of you are. I am forced to fight the weak! If I had my way I would allow you to grow strong and then fight you on even ground, but Kain forces a quick resolution.”
The Sect resumed his advance, moving at a speedier pace than before, then turning into a full sprint, he leapt at Karen. She raised her dagger and struck out at his figure, but her blade cut through air as Tai’s image vanished. From a few meters to her left she heard his wicked laugh. He leapt at her again, but she raised her hands at him and his body was forced backwards into the air. He twirled as he flew and landed safely atop another roof. He crossed his arms and complimented Karen on her knew found skills.
“So, you have advanced somewhat. You can use other people’s Aura against them. But I wonder if you even know that is what you are doing when you strike someone back like that. Everyone has an Aura, though most are so small you cannot see them. You can now force your Aura against theirs to pull against a person…yes, very well. There is some potential here. I shall have to be more careful!”
Karen cursed and pushed her hands forwards again, but Tai was already gone. His image flickered away to nothing. He called her name from the rooftop on the opposite side of the one he had been thrust up too. By the time Karen had spun around he was gone again, this time appearing in the center of the street a few meters away from her. Twisting her dagger handle in her hand, Karen turned the blade upside down so it stuck out the bottom rather than the top and jumped at her enemy.
Slashing sideways with the upside-down blade she tried to catch his neck. Tai dodged down and around her with shocking speed and pushed her gently with both hands. Karen tripped forwards then back flipped into Tai. Her feet pushed off his chest plate and knocked his balance off. Karen struck at him again, but he caught her hand which held the dagger and pulled it into the air before twisting and throwing Karen’s body into a nearby pile of debris. She landed hard and coughed at the upturned dust which swirled around as she slowly rose to her feet.
“Try harder!” Tai shouted, crossing his arms and laughing once again.
“Tai!” a voice shouted.
Leon and Tylor ran up adjacent to the rubble Karen had been thrown into and faced Tai. Leon held his staff in both hands in a battle ready position while Tylor held the small crossbow at his side, the one remaining dart loaded and ready to fire. Tai seemed distinctly shocked that they had come back, but laughed all the same. She could not see Joel anywhere however, meaning they had probably sent him away to safety. Karen shouted at them and cursed loudly, angry at what they had done. They all should have got away, not just Joel. Tylor ran up to the rubble to help her down to the street, but she knocked his hand away and refused to even look at him.
“Do you know what you’ve done?” she whispered bitterly.
He knew what was at risk, but Tylor understood what his father had meant when he said the needs of the many out weighed the needs of the few. Tylor could not allow Karen to sacrifice herself even if it meant dooming all civilization, no normal person could. Only an unfeeling and uncaring person would really sacrifice someone. He could not help but look at Leon as he thought it. The Hunter refused to allow emotion to affect his performance, but then what was it that drove him to return to help Karen? Was he really only after a fight with Tai? It would not be long before his question would be answered. Leon had walked closer to Tai and did not break the gaze between their eyes, never flaunting at the sight of the pools of blackness where an eye should be. Tylor tried to help Karen down again; she was stumbling as if dizzy, but she knocked him away again. After a third try, she gave in and accepted his hand as they walked slowly over misshapen rocks and rubble to the broken cobble street below.
“Leon has a plan,” Tylor whispered to her. “Stay back and let him try!”
“So,” Leon said at last, “you are Tai. You have been charged with the murders of the knights of Wex, the passengers and crew of the ship Sparda, the death of one castle guard, and Rei Sabre. Do you accept your guilt?”
“Are you here to throw me in prison, Hunter Sansec?” Tai asked and laughed loudly. “Your fame has preceded you, Demon Hunter. It sounds like it is a worthy profession for the strong, but you are not strong. Compared to the common filth perhaps you are, but now you have gazed upon real strength do you see how futile your life of training has been?”
“I only see a pathetic arrogant man who kills those more helpless than himself,” was Leon’s immediate reply.
In response Tai growled angrily, but then crossed his arms and stretched his neck sideways. A loud cracking of bone sounded out from him. He smiled beneath his mask and looked his new opponent from top to bottom.
“Come then, Demon Hunter. See my power,” Tai said, raising his fists.
“No,” he replied.
Tylor and Karen paused and looked on in amazement. Had Leon suddenly had second thoughts now that he had seen Tai up close? Tai laughed and called him a coward.
“You misunderstand me,” Leon said suddenly, cutting off Tai’s manic laugh. “I do not wish to see your witchcraft or your power over objects and people. You have proven those already, but I have seen you use no real fighting skill. Fight me without your magic, with a weapon of your choice against my staff, Raziel, and then we shall see if you really are strong and skilled or if you simply hide behind your Sect powers.”
The Sect was silent for a few moments, as if mulling over Leon’s proposal of an equal fight using only weapons. A duel in which only natural skill could be tested, the idea seemed to excite him. Tylor held his breath as he watched, praying that Tai would be lured in by the temptation that was being offered.
“So, they have shared with you the story of the Destined and the Sect? Interesting... Yes, I will accept your challenge, Demon Hunter. Let us duel with only weapons, however,” Tai paused and pointed at Tylor and Karen, “if either of them interrupt then I will not hold back and will kill you all in an instant. Is that understood?”
For only a few seconds, Leon looked towards them and nodded with a sly look in his eye when he glanced at Tylor. It was the same sort of look that he had given when they had left Karen behind. It was the look that told him that he had a plan and that it was alright. That the plan was going to work no matter what. It was the look that said Joel would succeed in his surprise attack when the time came and all he had to do now was keep Karen safe. Silently, he prayed that Leon’s inspiring confidence would pay off and put an end to Tai.
“Your terms are agreed upon. Take up a weapon and let us begin.”
______________________________________________________________________
Questions & Comments: iandawson@destinedbooks.com