Book One: Fate
______________________________________________________________________
Chapter Eighteen: Borrowed Power
Tai and Leon darted around one another exchanging blows left and right, weapons clashing mid swipe as each predicted their opponent’s movements. Tai’s blade was an impressive weapon; a black bladed short sword with an elegant shape. He had summoned it out of thin air. A purple glow appeared at his hand and then spread to the length of a blade before forming into the sword he now held. The sword was no illusion and struck and defended with all the power of a metal short sword. Even at the force Tai swung the blade it still did not dent Leon’s wooden staff, the ancient enchanted bark living up to the claim that no metal would break it.
Tylor stood with Karen watching their friend fight with Tai. So far neither of them had struck a successful blow; they parried one another’s attacks or blocked and countered. The battle was intense and Leon was already showing signs of fatigue; warm sweat was dripping from his brow as he dodged around, whereas Tai showed no sign of being tired, quite the opposite. The Sect moved with confidence and had not slowed his relentless attack once. He could tell that the strain of constantly fighting at such a fast pace was affecting Leon’s performance. They had already been fighting for around fifteen minutes by Tylor’s reckoning.
Moving his view from the two warriors fighting, Tylor gazed along the far side of the dark street looking for any sign that Joel was watching and waiting for Leon’s signal to strike. His young friend was no where to be seen. He hoped he was actually there but so well hidden that no one could see him. Joel had to be within ear shot of Tai and Leon else he would miss the signal to silently approach.
Relentlessly Tai struck high and then low spinning on the spot with his sword’s blade kept close to his body, deflecting Leon’s staff twice in the process and knocking the Demon Hunter’s arms into the air. Tai lunged forward with his sword, but Leon copied his motions and twisted around the attack. As he spun he clicked the moveable section in the center of his staff revealing the two hidden short sharp knives at either end into place. He released his grip in one hand and spun that side of the staff towards Tai. It caught him across the chest and immediately cut through the dark fabric he wore over his breast plate and met with thicker armor below. Leon tried to follow up his attack, but his opponent leapt backwards and pushed his hand forwards simultaneously, knocking Leon to the floor with an invisible force.
“A trick for a trick,” Tai smirked.
Looking down, he laughed and examining the damage to his chest with his hand. The blade was not thick enough or strong enough to pierce his plate mail with a horizontal slash; it would have to be thrust inwards with a lot of force. Only the outer cloth had been torn.
“I was simply using another feature of my weapon, whereas you have already resorted to magic. Perhaps you are worried that I will better you in weapon combat?” Leon asked, getting to his feet in the process.
“I simply wished to examine how damaged my cloth was, this is not common and would be expensive to replace!” he retorted and laughed again before raising his sword and pointing directly at Leon. “Shall we continue? Or perhaps you would like a few moments rest? You look tired.”
The Hunter made a gruff sound and readied himself again. The two ran at each other and began exchanging strikes once more. As worried as he was for Leon’s safety, Tylor could not help but be in awe of his determination. He was not simply dodging and prolonging the fight to buy Joel more time, he really was trying to win the duel. Karen moved closer to him and spoke softly in his ear.
“Leon has incredible skill and he seems to be able to match Tai’s, but Leon will not last much longer. Tai has an endless source of power which is keeping him from tiring whereas Leon is getting slower with each blow, this will not end well unless we do something!”
“He has a plan,” Tylor whispered back. “He intends to get Tai angry and draw his attention while Joel sneaks up behind and attacks using the Dau sword.”
She was silent for a moment, possibly running the plan over in her mind, but her face said more than enough. It told him that she was in a state of disbelief that Leon had left the most important part of the plan down to the kid. He had his worries as well, but there was no other way – and he had faith in him. Joel was braver than he seemed.
Eventually she whispered again. “That may work… although Joel is a Destined I do not think Tai realizes this yet and cannot sense him, but still… it is very risky. We should make a contingency plan just in case.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Karen mulled over the situation that stood before her. Things looked very bleak for them all and very few options were left open to them. Leon had thought out a clever plan, she had to admit that (albeit it to herself). Even if Tai was not in a rage Joel still had a chance of being able to attack from behind if Tai’s concentration was purely focused on fighting Leon. It was dangerous leaving their hope with a boy, fear could overcome him or any number of other mishaps could happen. Even if she was to attack Tai once again it would not give the others enough time to get a safe distance away, he had proven that she was still no match for him.
Suddenly, she remembered Leon’s original agreement for a plan which Joel had suggested to them; to attack together. She had doubted Leon’s skill all along. A Demon Hunter could slay animals, monsters, and untrained bandits, but she never really thought Leon’s abilities were anything special. Yet now he stood matching blow for blow against a Sect, a trained assassin with otherworldly power. Karen had been taught, in her short time training at a Katerano church, that only Destined could match Sect in terms of skill and power.
Could he be? She thought to herself. Could Leon be a Destined as well? He has stayed with us all this way and felt a deep yarning to face Tai. Maybe this was not out of warriors pride but the deep feelings within him as a Destined! But wait… My father would have told me if Leon was one, he would not only mention Joel and ignore Leon if he really was a Destined...
Whether Leon was a Destined or not, he could match Tai in weapon combat, but as soon as the Sect grew tired and began using his full range of powers they would all be no match. The only hope they had to win was if Tai is slain before he had that chance. If Joel’s attack was successful that would be achieved, but if was not then they would only have seconds to react.
“Tylor, listen. If, for whatever reason, Joel’s attack doesn’t succeed we must attack. Do you understand? Regardless of how hurt Leon or Joel may be, we must kill Tai before he re-summons the rest of his powers; he is at his weakest now! There will never be another chance. Fire the crossbow at him and I will try to get close and finish the job with my dagger.”
He said nothing, but nodded in agreement with her plan. If Joel was willing to be so brave in the situation they found themselves, then so would he. If Tai did not die at their hands in a surprise attack then he would kill them all. Kill or be killed - he did not have a choice.
Focusing back on the battle unfolding before them, he saw that Leon had strafed sideways from Tai and halted his assault. Breathing deeply, he rested on his staff for a moment. Tai made no motion to attack while he did.
“Tell me,” Leon said while panting, “do you enjoy this?”
“The battlefield is where I enjoy myself, Hunter Sansec. So yes, I do. You are an interesting opponent. I cannot believe our spies found nothing of this Demon Hunter church when surveys took place. Before I kill you I suppose that I will need to find out some information regarding this; such as location of main base, numbers within Tentra, and overall threat assessment.”
“You know that I will not tell you that,” Leon retorted.
“At first, perhaps, but I’ve made people of stronger resolve than you beg at my feet to be put out their misery. You shall see,” Tai sneered.
“Where does your power come from?” Leon asked at last.
Joel shuffled from stone to stone staying low and behind the ruins of houses. He could hear the others on the opposite side of the buildings talking loudly. Had he heard the first signal phrase? He must have. Leon was telling him that it was time.
Keeping tightly up against the wall, with his hand running along the cold gritty stone, Joel peered round the side of the house out into the street. The direct view in front of him showed nothing, just an empty road. The voices were slightly further down from his current position. Sneaking as silently and fast as he could Joel swiftly moved along the next wall and peered round the wall at the street edge. Tai’s back faced him, around four meters away from him. Leon stood near the Sect, looking directly at Tai while resting against his staff. Tylor and Karen were a little further down the street behind Leon. None of them had seen him.
Steadying the sword scabbard (which was strapped to his back) with his left hand, Joel drew Pesmega from it and held it before him. The near invisible metal seemed to glisten before him. The sword was large enough in comparison to his figure that he could hold the hilt in both hands, which he did so. He took three deep breathes then softly paced out into the street directly behind Tai. He was not sure if Leon had seen him there, but Tylor and Karen had. They both watched him out the corners of their eyes as he moved to within two meters of target.
So far so good, Tai had made no motion that he knew he was so close. The young boy’s light figure on the cobbled stone made practically no sound, plus Leon and Tai were still talking, drowning out any slight noise that he might have made. He waited and stared at Tai’s toned back with the sword blade pointed outwards ready to thrust listening intently for the second signal.
“The girl has told you of Kain and Seka, you know where my power comes from - don’t act a fool,” Tai sneered angrily.
“You seem very confident in your given power, despite the fact that you are just a copy of something stronger, nothing more than a cheap forgery of a Destined. You have no right to be proud of your borrowed strength and mimicked lineage.”
Tai was struck silent for a moment. They all wondered in equal silence if the Hunter had struck a nerve.
“So that is what was said? Sect are nothing more than direct copies of Destined?” he questioned and laughed long and hard. “The heartless harlot would say such a thing! I do not believe it! I understand so much now, I thank you!”
He bowed low to Leon before looking past him to Tylor and Karen.
He shouted at them, “I have so much to inform you two about! If only I had known sooner, perhaps you will not be so willing to fight after hearing what I have to say regarding the lies that she has told you, I-
Suddenly, Tai stopped talking and examined Tylor and Karen closer. They had not been looking at him at first, or at Leon. Quickly, he span on the spot and looked directly behind at Joel, who pulled back in terror, dropping a sword to the floor. Tai took a few steps towards him, but stopped before the blade and examined it closer. What strange weapon had the insects found now? Looking back up at the cowering boy he smiled beneath his mask and stared right at him. The look was one that he so enjoyed seeing, his spine tingled with the anticipation of what was to come.
“Are you my assassin, little boy?” Tai asked.
Looking directly into Joel’s fear filled eyes his grin widened. Stepping over the fallen sword, Tai stood in front of Joel and lifted him up into the air by the scruff of his shirt. He awkwardly jerked forwards as something struck his left shoulder, but did not drop the boy. Twisting around to look at his back, he saw a small metal dart sticking out of his upper left shoulder. It did not have enough force to make him drop Joel and it had barely penetrated his armor. No blood dripped from the wound. Tai turned back towards the others and saw Tylor pointing a small crossbow at him. He laughed and held Joel out in front of him and even higher into the air. Glaring up at the boy with a slanted head, he saw tears forming in the child’s eyes as fear’s grip consumed him.
“You would entrust my death to a child!” he roared. “…You… pathetic… insects…!”
“Tai!” Karen shouted, rushing towards him with dagger in hand.
Joel looked round as best he could at Karen advancing towards them. He pulled his legs up and pushed them off against Tai’s chest as hard as he could. His shirt ripped as he fell backwards to the ground, leaving the remains of the clothes hanging from Tai’s fist and him lying shirtless on the cold ground. He began squirming backwards away from Tai as fast as he could. He heard Karen strike at Tai, but his image disappeared. The torn remains of his shirt fell to the floor in a heap as did the metal dart that had been in the Sect’s shoulder. Tai reappeared directly behind Tylor.
“Maggots! All of you!” he shouted in a rage. “Fate has decided that your meaningless small existences will end here by my hand!”
Tylor ran away from Tai and stood in a line with Leon to his left holding his staff and Karen on his right, who had ran back from up the street with Pesmega in her free hand. She passed the sword to him. Joel stayed behind them all, shivering from the cold in a small alcove between two destroyed houses. Tai pulled his arms next to his sides and cried out. The ground around them all began to shake and crack. In an instant his body began to glow a dark purple as his Aura became stronger and stronger. The ground beneath him tore open into a small crater, the cobbles that had been there were sent flying in all directions. Leon, Tylor, and Karen all watched in awe at the sheer energy flowing from their opponent into the air around them. It made Tylor’s body feel heavy and he was unable to move.
“What is that purple glow?” Leon exclaimed.
“You can see that?” Karen replied with some shock.
The Demon Hunter nodded, but then had to shield his eyes as the dark purple light grew even more intense.
“It is Tai’s Aura growing stronger; it is the source of his power. Any chance we had of winning is now gone… we can’t fight him! We can’t win!”
“What choice do we have?” Leon replied. “If this truly is a losing battle then let us all attack and try our best!”
Taking a step backwards, he shuddered. The power emitting from Tai made him feel sick to his stomach, it was a horrible Aura that felt like evil itself. Tai had stopped crying out and the purple light had grown smaller, it was now a very dark glow around his figure that seemed to burn like a fire.
A chilling realization came over Tylor. They were going to die there. He finally believed Karen that they had no hope from the beginning. He could feel it. The power before him was too great to fathom, far too dark and evil. They had no hope.
So this is the end, Tylor thought to himself. The Destined path is filled with heartache and misery for all those involved. In the end… this was really the only possible outcome.
“Now!” Leon shouted as he began his charge.
He and Karen joined in the battle cry and ran forwards with their horrifying adversary.
Leon jumped up and struck downwards with his staff at Tai, but his figure was already next to him and out the way of the strike before he could counter. Tai swung sideways with his blade, luckily Leon was able to raise his guard just in time but the strength of the blow knocked him off the street and into a nearby pile of rubble. His staff clattered to a halt nearby. Karen thrust forwards with her dagger hoping to catch Tai’s blindside while his concentration was on Leon. Tai’s free hand grabbed Karen’s wrist of the hand which wielded the blade a few inches from his chest. He pushed her backwards and slashed upwards with his sword. The blade cut through Karen’s breast plate as she fell backwards. She screamed out in pain as she hit the ground grasping her chest. Tylor slashed at Tai, but Pesmega’s blade clashed with Tai’s blade mid strike. Tai stood still letting the blades continue to lock, peering at his face.
He grasped Pesmega’s hilt with both hands and pushed with all his strength, but he could not push back Tai’s weapon, even though the Sect held it with only one hand. Leon jumped from the rubble where he had fallen and rushed towards Tai. The Sect pushed Pesmega away from his blade and span round to face Leon. His free fist caught Tylor across the face as he turned, knocking him to the ground. Leon’s attack was once against deflected. This time, as Tai countered the attack, he pushed the Demon Hunter with an invisible force that flung him into a nearby wall. Leon struck it with immense force before falling onto the ground and did not move. Rock crumbled and peeled away from the section he had been thrown into and collapsed down on top of him.
Tai strolled over to where Tylor lay and twisted his sword in his hand so that the blade pointed down towards his victim’s chest. Just as he was about to strike the blade shot from his hand and clattered to a halt some distance to his right. Looking over his shoulder with a dark stare, Tai saw that Karen was stood to his left with both her arms out stretched. She had pushed it from his grasp using her Aura just in time to stop him being skewered. She was slightly humped over and blood had stained her front. One of her eyes was closed as she tried to fight off the pain from the wound.
Flipping onto his feet, Tylor punched Tai in his face while he was looking to Karen. It was as if his fist had struck a huge piece of metal that refused to move. Tylor pulled his hand back and held it in pain. Tai swept his hand forwards in to the air and he was cast backwards, skidding along the floor as an invisible force struck him. His arms and hands stung badly from rubbing against the jagged ground and blood dripped from many small cuts down his arms.
Meanwhile, Tai had walked over to Karen and stood tall above her hunched figure. Suddenly she struck with both her hands in a blind fury of attacks moving at lightning quick speed. Tai moved at an equally fast speed, catching or blocking all her attacks. Eventually he broke her attack combination and punched her square in the chest. Karen fell to her knees, badly winded. Blood from the cut she had received before dripped to the ground in front of her. She stared deeply into the light red blood and he could tell by the look on her face that she had finally realized that it was over and they had lost. Maybe part of her had still had hope that something would happen, that some how they would get away, but now she believed her own words. She looked over to where he lay and strained to keep both eyes open. Her face bore the look of someone that felt responsible.
She believed it was all her fault.
Tylor was on his knees as well, watching Tai and Karen. His body stung with pain and his eyes were filled with tears. Tai kicked upwards with one of his feet, catching Karen across the face and knocking her backwards onto the ground. She lay still and did not move, or react to the pain. She was either unconscious or-
No!
Hopelessly, he hit his fist on the floor and cried out for Tai to leave her alone.
A youthful cry came from Tylor’s right as Joel ran past him with Pesmega held aloft in both his weak hands. While they were fighting he must have left wherever he had been hiding and retrieved it from the ground. He tried to shout at him, to tell him to stop, but nothing came out. He watched in horror as Tai turned to face the kid.
His young friend tried to swing Pesmega down towards Tai, but the Sect moved to quickly for him. He moved to the side and let the boy stumble past him before thrusting backwards with his own blade in between his arm and stomach, striking Joel in the lower back. Joel’s body stood motionless for a time, but then fell forwards onto the ground where it lay like a broken puppet. Red blood oozed from a small wound on the base of his back and spurted into the air as the blade was tugged out of his body. Tai walked over his friend’s body and laughed in his face.
“This, my assassin,” he began, “is your reward for trying to kill me in such a cowardly manner. My blade did not pierce all the way through. I will leave you here to rot. With all your friends dead you will have to sit there with no one to save you feeling your life drain away piece by piece as you bleed to death slowly and painfully.”
He felt his anger grow to uncontrollable levels and he wanted to scream out, but then a white image flashed in his mind and a picture of the flower he had once seen in his dream flickered before him as if he were lying in a field. He felt dizzy as a mist clouded his vision and brought him into the depths of his mind.
Tylor stood in the blackness of his dreamscape once more. Had the pain been too much for him and he had past out? Something was strange. Before him he saw the image of Noctern, of Tai standing above Joel’s body. To his right Karen lay and to the far left lay Leon. It was as if that moment of time was stood still and he was watching it from afar. Suddenly, from somewhere in the darkness, a familiar deep male voice spoke out to him.
Must I save you again?
The voice was coming from all directions and speaking as low and dark as before.
“What do you mean?” Tylor found himself crying out.
Before, I had to hide from you the memories that made you wish to die so that you could continue on and, now I must remove this Sect for you. You cannot die yet and I cannot fully gain control, so you must be kept alive - for now.
“I… don’t understand… Who are you? You can’t be Seka, are you Kain?”
I am one who shares with you a mutual interest in seeing Kain die. I will give you my power temporarily else it would tear your mind apart. Use it to kill Tai. In return for this you must open your mind to me, to your memories and experiences. I seek information on the Sect and Destined.
“Who are you?!”
You may know me by the name Apocalypse.
“I remember you saying that once before, but I do not understand!”
Without my help you will be killed and so will the Demon Hunter, the girl, and the boy. Can your conscience survive with those three deaths lingering over it? Open your mind to me and I will grant you my power for a short time to kill the Sect.
“…Would it be enough?”
It will decimate him.
“Alright,” Tylor said slowly. “Help me. Help me kill Tai, to protect my friends!”
So be it, young Destined. We will speak again when I have learned enough and am ready to take control.
“…Control? What do you-?
Tylor could not finish his sentence as white light blurred his vision and consumed him once again.
The cold winds of Noctern once again blew against his wounded body. He was back. If he could truly say he was ever gone. Had the conversation been an illusion? Tai was now walking towards his kneeling figure with his sword resting on his shoulder.
“Please help me, please help me,” Tylor mumbled to himself over and over.
“Have you gone mad?” Tai asked, standing over him and laughing. “It was easier than I thought to break you, pathetic maggot. I will end your life and then the others - apart from the boy; he will die painfully and slowly alone in this decaying ruin.”
Moving his blade from atop his shoulder, Tai raised it up and struck downwards towards Tylor. With amazing speed, one of Tylor’s hands reached up and caught the blade before it struck his body. The blade of the sword did not wound or cut his hand, it was pressing against a red glow, an Aura that had surrounded Tylor, pulsating with strong blood red energy.
Twisting his hand sideways, the upper half of the blade of Tai’s sword snapped off as if it was made of rotten wood. Tylor stood up as if not injured at all and struck Tai’s chin with his free hand knocking the Sect through the air and through a damaged wall of a home. Rock crumbled and fell on his opponent’s body as a dust cloud rose from the rubble. Tylor tossed the broken blade of Tai’s sword away and stepped over the rest of it which lay below his feet (Tai had dropped it as he was stuck).
Purple beams shot up from the rubble Tai had been knocked into as he rose to his feet. The rocks that had covered him were either blown off or burnt to dust by the beams. Shadows now consumed Tai’s figure as he watched from the bleak wreckage.
“What devilry is this? This is not power capable of a Destined!” Tai shouted at him.
Pointing his hand forwards, Tai shot five small dark purple beams from the tip of his fingers which soared through the air towards him. With instant reactions Tylor blocked the small beams with the palms of his hands, again with no injury to himself. The Sect shouted out in pure anger and leapt from the rubble as fast as lightning, blowing the dust and stone into the air behind him.
As his fist neared Tylor’s face, he vanished. He reappeared next to the opposite side of the street but vanished again as Tai tried to strike once more. Tylor reappeared again above Joel. Not stopping to check his young friend he retrieved Pesmega and took it in hand. The red Aura surrounding him stretched to cover the blade as well, the red light was absorbed into the magically blade tainting it a dark red.
Tai moved his hands before him and summoned up another dark purple cloud, from the mist formed a new sword. The shattered one that lay on the floor vanished into a similar dark mist. The two warriors charged at one another and exchanged blows in a flurry of shockingly fast strikes beyond the capability of any normal person. They locked blades and stood looking at one another. Tai’s dark black eyes stared into the now pure red eyes of Tylor.
“Where have you obtained this power from?” Tai exclaimed. “Tell me!”
He sneered as a dark look came over his face. His eyes narrowed as his mouth moved to form a sly smile. He laughed at Tai in a tone very different to his normal one. It was deeper and darker and he looked prouder and full of confidence. Tai grew even more angry and repeated that he wanted an answer.
“Where I have got this power is not your concern, you small and insignificant creature. It is beyond your comprehension and your reach. I will toy with you for only so long, show me power that makes it worth my while to use my full strength and I will perhaps prolong your death,” Tylor said in a voice which was not his own.
Pushing Tai backwards with ease and pointing Pesmega’s blade at him while laughing again in the deep voice which now possessed him, Tylor summoned forth even more strength from the fires consuming his body. He swung round on the spot and smashed the tip of Pesmega’s blade into ground at his feet and the red energy within it dispersed into the ground and sent a shockwave towards Tai upturning and destroying the ground en route. Tai’s image disappeared then reformed on the roof of a building. Tylor suddenly appeared next to him and struck Tai back down into the street. The Sect out stretched one of his hands and pointed its palm towards Tylor, who remained on the crumbling roof. A purple ball of energy began forming in the Sect’s hand seemingly drawing in purple light from around it, darkening the ball’s center. The ball of energy expanded into a large beam and shot towards Tylor, who made no effort to dodge the Aura fueled attack.
The dark purple beam consumed his form. Tai sneered and laughed. However, as the power of his beam lessened and began to shrink he saw Tylor’s figure still in the beams path, the beams were bending around him as if they were striking an invisible wall directly in front of him. Though the beam had torn away most of the building Tylor had been standing on, he remained in the air, hovering, with his hands crossed along his chest.
“This is not possible!” Tai cried. “I have killed Destined who have unlocked their full potential! It is not possible that they over take us! Sect are the base, this cannot be true!”
Floating to the ground in front of his opponent as if he was as light as a feather, Tylor walked forwards. Tai took a step back, and then another, but Tylor took a step forwards for every one he took backwards. He laughed at his intimidated opponent.
For the first time, Tai was feeling scared. Death did not scare him, but the figure of pure power that far surpassed his own did make him afraid. Over the years he had fought many Destined and all were weaker than him (except the first set and even then they were perfectly matched in terms of strength). The power that Zan’s boy possessed could not have been his own. It was not a level of power capable of a Destined. However, no explanation as to how the power emerged came to him. The boy had seemed normal and weak up until then. Even Seka was not capable of increasing his power by so much, or his skill and knowledge of Aura usage.
All the facts Tai could think of made this seem impossible, yet it was still so and Tylor was offering him no answers. It did not even seem like the same untrained child that he had been pursuing since the Sparda. His voice was different as was his stature and general demeanor. He was now proud and stupendously confident in his abilities. Perhaps it was some form of possession. Noctern was a town filled with death, it was possible something of evil lurked within its cursed walls and affected Zan’s boy while they traveled through it. But even if that was true, what being of such humongous power could have possessed him?
Whatever he was now fighing was still taking steps towards him, and he was still stepping back. His mind was searching for possibilities and plans of attack. Aura did not seem to affect him and his physical strength surpassed him as well. Maybe when they were in the Katerano church Seka did something? It is when her influence over her vermin is at its greatest and perhaps the boy was now the new breed of Destined. It was plausible that Seka had found a way to increase the power of the spell used to create them in the many years her spirit had remained in limbo, but she lacked the means to do it – of that he was sure. If that was true that she had found some way around her limitations (and at that point in time it seemed the most likely) then the Sect spell would undoubtedly increase as well. The spells were linked and since the Sect part of the incantation was stronger it would mean they would inherit anything cast on the Destined’s side.
So is it time to change again? Tai thought to himself. When rebirth takes place I will receive the boy’s body and strengths, this power will become mine if it truly is from Seka! So now all that remains is for this body to be cast into the flames of death. My fate has proved more interesting than I had originally perceived…
Tylor had caught up with Tai and now stood before him. The Sect had stopped moving backwards and looked in deep thought. He was grinning under his mask as his hand rose around his throat.
“Is that it?” Tylor asked. “Your power is nothing compared to mine. I will end your life now.”
The grip of Tylor’s one gauntlet around Tai’s neck grew tighter, but the Sect did not choke or cry out in pain - he simply stared. Pulling his hand back, which held Pesmega, Tylor thrust the blade through Tai’s chest shattering his breast plate at both ends. As he pulled the blade from Tai’s chest blood poured from the wound. The blood was red like any normal man; however, it dripped from the dauraniam blade like water.
He let the body drop to the floor and then felt light headed once again. He fell to his knee’s grasping his head with both hands. The redness in his eyes faded as did the red Aura that had consumed him. The pain from the wounds he had sustained before had returned, though not in as much severity. Shuddering and holding his sides, he looked down at Tai’s body lying flat on the floor. Blood trickled out from under his back and out over his chest, the wound had cut right through. The bleeding would not stop and there was no hope that Tai would survive. Shaking slightly, Tylor rose to his feet and began stumbling back to where his friends lay wounded. He prayed they all still lived.
Karen was on her knees tending Joel when he returned to them. She was hurt but seemed well enough to move. The blood on her front was dry and none seemed to be dripping from her cut. She also had bruises across her face and arms. She had retrieved the group’s bags and had taken two shirts from Tylor’s satchel. She had ripped one into strips and was using them to wrap round Joel’s chest to cover and put pressure on the wound, the second was to cover him up as he felt deathly cold and was shaking badly.
“Tylor!” Karen shouted as she noticed him hobbling towards them. “Thank god you are alright! Where is Tai? …No matter, help me bandage Joel and get him warm else he’ll die of blood loss or hypothermia. Leon is unconscious, but he has no serious wounds.”
He stumbled over to her and collapsed to the ground. Crawling over to Joel he helped apply pressure as Karen instructed while she tightly wound the torn shirt pieces over the bloody wound.
“The wound is not that deep, but there is danger of massive blood loss. He needs medicine, now. We should take him to the Dau village as it’s the nearest place that could possibly treat him in time.”
“What about your wound, Karen?”
“We heal quickly, remember? The wound has already closed and my bruises are healing. The pain is manageable and I am in no danger of death, so don’t worry about me. Lay still while I use the rest of these strips to cover your cuts and then I will see to Leon.”
Small strips of what was once a nice white shirt were wrapped around various sections of his arms where cuts had formed from hitting the ground. Karen worked quickly and then ran to Leon and helped him to his feet. He was not unconscious as she had originally thought, but was very tired and bruised from the battle. Leon sat down on the cobbles next to Tylor while Karen lifted Joel with little effort and placed a sheet below him then put him back down and folded it over him.
“Tylor, where is Tai?” Karen asked.
Pointing weakly back up the street, Tylor nodded. In the distance Karen could see a body lying in the middle of the street. Closer to them bits of the street looked upturned and mutilated. Rocks from destroyed homes had now crumbled onto the street. It looked like a mini war zone.
“Leon, I must see Tai’s body with Tylor. Can you make your way to the Dau village with Joel? He must get help and soon, we will get the bags on the way back.”
“I am well enough to do so,” Leon said, standing to his feet. “I wish I could have been more help when fighting Tai together, but the duel had taken most of my energy from me. Lying on the bitterly cold ground has given me time to recover, or perhaps become numb to the pain,” he added with a slight smile.
Karen picked Joel up, who was still wrapped in the blanket, and slowly passed him over into Leon’s arms. Without a word the Hunter nodded to them and took quick steps off towards the gates of Noctern. It was almost morning, so finding the way would not be hard. The first signs of sun light on the distant horizon were beginning to emerge. Time was against them however and Leon had to be fast.
Struggling somewhat, Tylor rose to his feet as Karen walked past him. He hastily followed behind as she headed towards where Tai’s body lay. The blood had formed into a pool which his body now wallowed in, but his eyes still showed signs of life, albeit weak ones. His black eyes were half open when they looked over him. Tai turned to stare at them and laughed with a gurgled splutter.
“So… have you come to spit on my corpse or enjoy my moment death? It will be fleeting, for rebirth awaits me and then the power used against me will be mine to command…” he said in a weak voice.
“What did you show Tylor in Tentra which caused him to break down?” Karen asked, kneeling next to Tai.
The Sect laughed weakly again before replying, “…my…face.”
Tylor was shocked. He remembered nothing of what they spoke of. He had never seen Tai’s face; it had always been covered under his mask. But then, suddenly, forgotten memories were returned to him as if someone had just lit a torch to illuminate a darkened room at the back of his mind. He remembered now, and the pain and confusion that came from it. Tai’s face was what caused him to break down. Karen looked at him as he backed away and was breathing hard.
She knelt down again and tugged Tai’s mask from his head revealing the Sect’s face. Aside from the pure black eyes the face starring up at them was that of Zan, Tylor’s father. He continued to back away and could not face what he was looking at.
“Tylor, do not be concerned with this!” Karen cried. “Remember that when a Sect dies they are reborn when a Destined has a son. They take his form, his face; this is not your father. Tai simply took the likeness of him when his previous form died.”
Hesitantly, Tylor took deep breathes and calmed down. She was right; his father had confirmed what she was saying when he spoke with him in the basement of the Katerano church. If only he had spoken out at the time he would not have felt so hurt and confused, but it was too late to contemplate that now.
“Tai, your death here is what you deserve for the deaths of all those innocent people and love ones that you have stolen from us and our families. I hope you rot in hell.”
The man bearing his father’s face laughed again. Blood dripped from his lower lip across the face that was not rightfully his.
“You fool. Zan’s boy exists therefore I will live again and I will have the power, the power used to kill me and then I will kill you all. You cannot escape that fate… you…cannot…”
The dark eyes on the Sect’s face fully closed as his head fell sideways, limp and lifeless. Karen was silent and motionless for a few seconds before quickly rising to her feet and grabbing Tylor’s hand.
“Tylor, he is right. He will be reborn! We must go now before it happens!”
“But… can we not wait till he is alive then kill him before he can move or retaliate?”
“No, look…” she replied.
Tai’s body disappeared into a dark mist that dissipated until no trace remained of his previous form.
Reluctantly, Tylor ran with Karen back to where their belongings lay and took them. Running as fast as they could they headed for the decaying gates of the dead city and out onto the road towards the great forest. The sun was now fully visible on the horizon casting its rays across the land turning night to day. The warmth of the light was refreshing after the deathly coldness of Noctern. It was not somewhere Tylor hoped to return to.
At least Tai was dead, in a way. Rebirth meant he was not, but at the same time he was not the same. Tai must not have known that he had made an agreement with whatever reached out to him in his time of need and believed that when he is reborn he would get the same power. Tylor hoped that was not true else they would all suffer a terrible vengeance.
The voice had called itself Apocalypse, not exactly a peaceful sounding name, but it had offered Tylor the thing he needed to get his revenge. But he still felt empty, and alone, despite the fact he had finally avenged his father. Maybe because Tai technically was not really dead or maybe because revenge was never the answer to the pain he felt after losing his father. He could not think about at that moment. Joel had risked his life to help them all and it had almost got him killed. He prayed that his young friend would be alright. He prayed and prayed. Though the Dau were hostile towards Leon because of his employer they would surly not refuse to help a young boy facing death.
“Will Joel really be okay?” Tylor asked to Karen as they ran side by side towards the Great Forest.
“If he had discovered the Destined’s ability to quickly heal injuries it would be a definite yes, but as things stand now… I honestly do not know, Tylor. If he does survive the wound will leave a permanent scar, it will not heal even if he does eventually learn to heal fast and I do not know how much emotional scarring this will leave on the kid.”
He said nothing, but continued to pray.
______________________________________________________________________
Questions & Comments: iandawson@destinedbooks.com