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Chapter 55: Destiny Denied ( Good Finale )

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In spite of their sizes, the winged, two-legged giant reptiles were annoyingly mobile and dangerously fast. If one wasn’t freezing its surroundings with its breath, the other was impaling everything in its path with bone shards the sizes of fully grown oak trees.

Changing their course with a strong squall was no easier than dodging them, but in a battle for their continued existence, the group of rune bearers knew it was either fight or die.

With the Rebirth of Earth, Badr added an extra layer of skin made of stone to him and his colleagues, rendering a direct hit from the enemy useless long enough for a terse counter-attack.

“I thought we were going to try to fight them separately?” Idris pondered.

“I’ve tried,” replied Isa. “They refuse to deviate from each other.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Jericha said, throwing her gaze around the battlefield in search of someone who wasn’t there. “Where’s Breuke?”

As he made his way through the expansive dining hall, ignoring the sounds of battle, finding Tasha was all that mattered. “Tasha?” Brueke called. He had hoped it wasn’t true, that Alba was toying with them, but as Breuke set his sights on Tasha, his heart sank.

There she laid next to Lahan, her body as cold and still as the marble tile beneath her. He still couldn’t believe it even as he held her breathless body in his arms. She was dead and there was nothing he could do to change it.

A sudden movement in the dark staircase tore his attention away from the deceased and to the living. “Alba!” Breuke exclaimed, narrowing his gaze on the lieutenant seated on the top step. Eager to confront the person responsible for Tasha’s death, Breuke darted between the shadows, climbing the steps within seconds.

“You won’t get away with this!” Breuke exclaimed, grabbing Alba by the collar with one hand and forming a shadow weapon with his other. Alba’s lack of resistance prompted his hesitation.

“Go ahead,” Alba softly encouraged. “My time is almost up anyway.”

“Where’s that rune?” Breuke asked, sensing Alba’s return to normal.

“In another.”

“You mean Aiden?!”

“No, not yet.”

“Good. We still have time.”

“Breuke,” Alba beckoned as the Royal Guard was about to leave. “Please, tell the queen I am utterly sorry for what I’ve done.”

Once Breuke climbed to the roof he saw Aiden crossing swords with an adversary bathed in the Damnation rune’s glow. Below, his colleagues were still preoccupied with their reptilian opponents and the ice one was preparing to release more of its frozen breath Tears’ way.

Breuke lassoed a wave of shadow around Aiden’s opponent and flung him in the path of the reptile’s attack, freezing him in place.

“Aiden!” Breuke called. “Do you think you can destroy that rune with him in there?”

“Yeah, but I’d better hurry. That’s not going to hold him for long.”

Aiden leaped off the roof, telekinetically forcing the giant lizards well away from the area as he descended. Zaki’s tomb of ice cracked rapidly with the power of the Damnation rune moments away from escape.

With his hand on the ice, Aiden channeled his power through the frozen liquid and into Zaki’s body, exorcising the within the young man.

Almost instantly the cloud that had covered the capital for so long broke up and its evil spawn vaporized into the air. The sun finally smiled on the city once again.

“Is it over?” asked Idris.

“It looks that way,” said Jericha.

“Then why are they still here?” Tears asked, pointing to the giant reptiles as they walked off, no longer interested in battle.

“Isa, Idris, Badr, Tears,” Breuke called. “Lahan is inside. He and Tasha...they’re both dead.”

Badr dropped his shoulders and sighed. “How could we have let him down?”

“Let’s just bring him home,” said Tears.

“You can’t revive the dead, can you?” Idris asked Aiden.

“I could, but he wouldn’t be the same. I’m sorry.”

“Not as much as I am." Idris stepped closer to the young man and bent down to look directly into his eyes. "That's interesting..."

"What is?" Aiden asked, curiously.

"Do you irises always change shape? Last time I saw you they were half full, now they're a waning crescent."

Aiden quickly looked away. As it was written, Aiden was born with crescent-shaped irises, but after he created the Damnation rune, they shifted to the next phase. He knew them reverting back to 'normal' was not a good sign. "That's....nothing important."

"If you say so. So, what are you going to do with that guy?”

“His name’s Zaki and I’m going to send him back where he belongs.”

“Do I want to know where?”

“Probably not.”

“Right, well, I’ll see you around, Aiden.”

Daspen

Breuke and Jericha's arrival was met by a jubilant atmosphere as word of the creature cloud’s departure had preceded them. For weeks the threat of eternal damnation caused many gray hairs and faltered hearts, but today was a great time to be alive. Now the process of rebuilding and healing could begin, for some.

“I wonder where the queen could be,” said Jericha, after checking every room in the modest side royal cottage. She anticipated her being the first to greet them once they had arrived.

“I’ll go check around town,” Breuke said. “I’m not staying here long, Jericha.”

“Why not?”

“I’m taking Tasha back to her parents. I’m sure they’ll want to lay her to rest.”

“Right, of course. I’ve been so wrapped up in my thoughts, my duties to the queen, I forgot about you and Tasha.” Staring into his dark eyes ( which were much darker than before ), Jericha could see the emotion he attempted to hide. Suddenly she regretted being extra hard on him days earlier. “I'll go with you.”

“Thanks but you should stay here,” Breuke said, looking away. “Sisten might make a move.”

“I’m afraid he already has,” announced Grant as he stepped through the screen door.

“Grant! What’s happened? Where’s the queen?” asked Jericha.

Gripping his military cap between his fingers, Grant lowered his gaze and shook his head. “Our chariot was attacked before we got here; it just burst into flames.”

“Did she not survive?” Breuke asked.

“We managed to land but I lost track of her in the smoke and confusion. I...I don’t know what became of Katherine.”

“Take me to the wreckage,” Jericha demanded as she rushed out of the cottage.

“Jericha, we searched the chariot’s remains thoroughly. She wasn’t there.”

“If she’s not, then where is she?”

Ras Amal

Much of the city was in ruin. Rebuilding it was going to be a challenge, but it had to be done. The Midaharian people needed a capital and, more importantly, they needed an Emporer. Ras Amal's good citizens had a strong distaste for military rule, whether it was in their best interest or not.

Taimoor had no children or spouse, which would make the process of finding a fitting Emporer ( or Emperess ) challenging. For now, Isa couldn't be bothered by crowning a future ruler. As he stood on the roof of the Emporer's compound, watching a griffin rider make his descent, more important matters conquered his thoughts.

"Did you find it?" he asked the young rider.

"Yep, but you're not going to be happy, mister General."

"Tell me anyway."

"The Rebirth in Rudraksha is being used by the ruler's daughter, Baheera."

"That is disappointing," Isa said, adjusting his glasses. "Which one does she control?"

"From what I've heard, she uses it to move stuff without touching it."

"I see." The Rebirth of Kinetic.

"Is that all you wanted, sir?"

"Yes, that'll be all. Thank you."

"No problem! Good luck restoring the city!"

Isa watched the griffin rider depart before turning to walk away. "I suppose it's better than the Ahrman Empire having it."

Somewhere

She parted her eyes gradually, her mind attempting to remember when she fell asleep, or more importantly, where she was. The air was hot, dry, between her fingers grains of sand filled her nails. A hint of light entered the room through a small, barred window; well beyond her to reach.

"Hello?" Katherine called, her voice echoing back to her. "Grant?" Where am I?!

As she rose to her feet, a door swung open allowing more light to enter, but the queen's eyes were squarely on the silhouetted man standing before her. "Sisten! Is that you there?!"

"Two-hundred and nineteen thousand men, women, and children lived in Haggard when it was leveled to the ground," he said, remaining in the doorway. "Did you know that?"

"Where have you taken me?! I'll have your hide for this!"

"And you were going to let the men responsible for it walk free of charge."

"I was not!"

"Ahrmania deserves better than you and Lisador. I intend on making sure it gets it."

"You've lost your mind! I'm the queen!" Katherine hiked her dress and stormed up the stairs, but her path was quickly blocked by a wall of flames. She quickly backed away. "Put that out this instant!'

"You're going to regret possessing that Rebirth of Death." Sisten stepped down from the stairs, walking through the fire unscathed. "Two-hundred and nineteen thousand; that's how many times I'm going to watch you die for your crimes against the Empire."

"Sisten! Don't!"

Sisten ignored the queen's command and set her clothes ablaze. She was fully engulfed before her body fell to the sand. Being careful not to render her to ash, Sisten dismissed the flames and as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air his countdown began; "One."

Nihon

"You killed her!" Aiden exclaimed, seeing the results of Zaki's handiwork. There wasn't a wall that didn't have some blood on it. It was even on the ceiling, so were bits and pieces of Ahmya. "How could you!?! She was your mother!"

"The rune made me do it?" Zaki snickered.

Aiden shoved him to the floor. "You're an animal!"

"Indeed," Yamato agreed. "The punishment for murder is death, Zaki."

Zaki shrugged. "Oh well."

"He doesn't even care! I can't believe he's my brother! Do what you want with him."

"It's unfortunate he's this way. Young Aiden, shall I inform Asia of your return?"

"No, I'm not here to stay. I just wanted to bring him back."

"I'm assuming your mission was a success?"

"It was. I had a little help." Aiden paused, thinking back to how he didn't realize how much he did need help before. If Breuke hadn't stepped in, would the situation have ended differently? Would he be himself, able to enjoy another day, another moment under the sun? "I've changed my mind. I will go see Asia."

"Splendid. She'll be happy to see again." After watching Aiden depart, Yamato turned his attention to Zaki, still restrained and sitting on the floor. Zaki held him in a gaze that echoed his deranged state of mind, filling his grandfather with unnerving discomfort.

"You are one disturbed child," said Yamato.

THE END