Determination (38 page)

“How can you believe that?”

“It’s for the greater good,” a god aligned with Nexus said. “If you were a Creator, maybe you’d understand.”

“But I am a Creator and I
don’t
understand.”

“Stealing ownership of worlds doesn’t make you a Creator,” Din snapped.

“Oh, but I am.” Nexus tried to smile through his tears but the expression died when he finished his sentence. He turned his gaze back to Baku and Kara. “Please, Mother. I don’t want to die.”

She looked up, tears streaming down her face, but she stayed quiet as she held onto Baku.

Roxie pressed her sword harder against the trunk. Nexus gasped and snapped his gaze back on her. “Call off the prophecy or die,” she said, her voice flat and cold. “Your choice.”

More tears welled in his eyes. “I...” That creepy face flashed over his and he shook his head. “I...” He looked at Roxie again. “I can’t... I refuse... All that hard work.” He turned his gaze back in Kara’s direction. “Please, Mother.”

Roxie looked at Kara. The goddess met her gaze, full of sorrow, and nodded once. Roxie swallowed and buried her sword in the trunk. Nexus went wide-eyed, gasped, and his body went rigid. His skin turned stony greys as his body petrified.

The mortal battlefield fell silent. Every last fighter collapsed, unconscious. No more fighting. No more war. No more dying. No more prophecy.

She’d done it.

Even so, she felt no joy and hardly any relief. Roxie willed the other half of the realm back over, guiding it with her shield hand.

Kara and Baku joined Roxie on the plateau. Kara ran over and hugged the statue that was her son, crying. Baku followed her, wrapping both his wife and son in his arms. He gently shushed her. “He’s only petrified. We can collect his soul from Thanatos and reincarnate him.”

“It won’t be the same,” Kara said in a thick voice.

“I know,” Baku said sadly, “but it’s better than nothing.”

Kara took a deep, shaky breath, nodded, and continued crying on Nexus’s stone chest.

Roxie took her own deep breath and let go of her anger. The coldheartedness left her and she felt more like herself again. She felt more human, instead of some warrior ready to kill at a moment’s notice. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Both gods looked up, as if shocked to see her standing there. Baku gazed softened into a sad smile. He walked over and gave her a hug. “Don’t apologize, Roxie. I owe you so many apologies for putting you through all that.”

Letting go of her sword, she hugged back. “You don’t have to apologize. I’d fight every last god I’d have to for the sake of the greater good.”

“And such a heavy price we’ve all paid for it. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

Roxie’s throat constricted as she felt tears coming on. She swallowed. “I saw Aerigo in the Realm of the Dead. He’s gonna be my spirit guardian once he finishes his soul’s journey.”

Baku squeezed her tighter and Kara came over, hugging them both. “I wish I could reverse that moment, Roxie. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize either. It’s not your fault.”

“I still feel partially responsible. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

“There’s a lot of cleaning up to do,” Baku said, “but that can wait a bit.”

The two halves of the realm fused back together and gods began collecting their mortals, alive and dead, and they began to vanish, one army at a time.

The three of them watched somberly, Baku standing between Roxie and Kara, an arm around each of them. Baku said, “I should probably go join them.” He removed his arms. “By the way, Roxie, Aerigo’s body is on my realm. I can take you there if you want to see him one last time.”

Recalling the goodbye exchange, Roxie closed her eyes and shook her head. “Thank you though.”

Baku nodded and, taking a few steps, flew off.

Unable to take the sight of so many corpses anymore, Roxie turned back to Nexus. It still felt surreal. After all she’d been through, it was hard to absorb that Nexus was finally defeated and the prophecy no longer in effect. Part of her wondered if she’d really done that, or if this was all just a dream.

A black, wispy cloud formed next to the statue. It bubbled and expanded, growing bigger and thicker, solidifying into a seven-foot-tall humanoid covered in auburn fur and standing on cloven hooves. Roxie went wide-eyed. That was the face she’d seen flash over Nexus’s.

“Vancor!” Kara said in disbelief. “What are--?”

Roaring, Vancor made a fist with both hands and hammered off the stone head. “No!” He slashed a shoulder with claws, breaking off an arm. “After all that hard work!” He slashed a chunk of torso off. “Such a weak coward!”

“No!” Kara dived at Vancor. He backhanded her, sending her flying, but her black hair elongated past her feet and wrapped around his arm like ropes. She pivoted midair, grabbed her hair, and yanked Vancor off his hooves. She sent him overhead and bashed him down on the other side of the plateau.

Roxie reached for her sword and stopped. The tree was disintegrating as if it was turning to sand from top to bottom. All the twigs and branches dribbled to the ground in thin grey lines, pouring like an hourglass. The three suspended leaves dissolved like burning ash. Roxie pulled her sword free and the statue started dissolving like the tree.

So that was it. Nexus wasn’t coming back for a surprise round of fighting, and she had a feeling, judging by Kara’s reaction, that he couldn’t be reincarnated now.

“You destroyed my son!” Kara yanked Vancor to her and punched him in the jaw, sending him flying again.

“Kara!” Roxie yelled, slipping back into her emotionally detached state. “Stop fighting. I’ll take care of him.”

Baku darted back to the plateau, eyes watering and face reddened with fury, but he only gave Vancor a look of death before alighting next to the pile of sand that was now his son. He sank to his knees and plunged his hands in the sand.

Kara held Vancor captive in her hair and Roxie pressed her sword to his throat, right under his chin. “I saw your face while fighting Nexus. Tell me why.”

He closed his eyes and turned his horned head.

“Tell me!” The ground shook.

Vancor flinched as if struck. “I had my hold over him. I made him do things for me.”

“Like what?”

When he resisted answering, Kara said, “Baku and I believe he’s the one who orchestrated the war and prophecy.”

“Why would he do such a thing?”

Kara’s hair tightened on Vancor. “Because he’s been coveting me from afar. I believe there’s more to it, although I don’t know what.”

“Tell me why,” Roxie said to Vancor, digging her sword enough to draw a bead of blood.

Vancor grimaced as he tried to resist answering, but Roxie threw her will at him until he started talking. “Because it was safer than trying to form a prophecy myself.”

“So you just killed Nexus for nothing... You’re the one who deserves to die.”

Vancor smiled. “We will never cross swords, child. I’m not fool enough to fight an Aigis.”

Roxie thrust her sword but stabbed only air.

Vancor was gone, both in mind and body. He’d fled the realm. Roxie scanned her surroundings just in case, but sensed him nowhere. “Any idea where he went?”

“No,” Kara said. “He could be hiding on any of his worlds, his own realm, or any dark corner of the universe. I have no idea where his realm or worlds are.”

“Should I start hunting so he can’t cause any more problems?”

“Not today,” Baku said, standing up. “He can’t manipulate our son any more, nor does he have the gall to form a prophecy himself. He’s just a selfish coward. Rest now.”

Roxie looked around the realm. The three of them and Leviathan were the only ones left, along with Baku’s dead or unconscious mortals. The dragon’s gargantuan frame hovered over a pile of what looked like broken glass statues. A sorrow almost strong enough to make Roxie start crying emanated from him. “Do you think the gods will honor the outcome of my fight with Nexus? They won’t develop second thoughts, will they?”

“If they do, it won’t be for a long, long time, well after your natural lifespan.”

“Okay.” With the way humans always found an excuse to keep warring in one country or another back on Earth, maybe it was only natural that gods would never stay at peace either. This calm was the best anyone could do. It felt like enough. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough.

She took a calming breath and sheathed her sword. “If you can help me get home, that’d be great. I never learned how to world-hop.”

“Let me go collect my mortals and we’ll go.”

Roxie concentrated on her Frava and released it. A white light engulfed her and she closed her eyes. When the red against her lids turned back to black, she opened her eyes and staggered. “Whoa!” It felt awkward to no longer have to compensate her balance for a pair of wings. She braced her hands against her knees. Combat boots instead of greaves clothed her feet. She once again wore the Versaton pants with metal bands around her thighs, and a navy blue tank top. She was the female version of Aerigo.

His dagger clanged on the ground by her feet. Tears stung her eyes.

The desire to cry vanished as she noticed the ground starting to look funny. Crouching, she touched the ground and it turned to sand under her fingertips. Snatching the dagger, she shot upright. “Kara!” She pointed at the dissolving ground.

Gasping, Kara threw an arm around Roxie’s waist. “The realm is dissolving. I’ll take you to my realm until Baku is ready to take you home.” She held out a hand like she was preparing to world-hop and two children with mismatching eyes appeared before them.

Kara’s outstretched arm drooped. “Thanatos! Keres! What are you two doing here?”

Keres stepped forward. “Please come to our realm a moment.”

Thanatos stepped forward as well. “We wish to grant Roxie Lohr three mercies.”

“Mercies?” Roxie said.

Keres said, “Come. We’ll explain in a more stable location.”

Chapter 29

Three Mercies

Roxie looked around nervously. She, Baku, Kara, and the two death gods stood in the chamber inside Chthonian Mountain’s summit. She hadn’t pictured herself returning here so soon.

Baku and Kara stood on either side of her. Without Frava, she could no longer sense their thoughts. It was kind of relieving, having less stimuli to take in at any given moment. At the same time, she felt a bit blind. Part of her wanted to hear their thoughts so they couldn’t surprise her in any way, but she kept telling herself that she didn’t need to worry about that. The fighting was over. Maybe after bracing to defend herself for so long, she needed time to relax and calm down.

Leviathan in his twelve-foot-tall form stood behind them, cradling a broken glass head of some beautiful woman with long hair, almond eyes, and sharp nose. The face was stuck in sad acceptance. The dragon’s silent tears dripped on her face. Roxie wanted to ask who the lady was but she respectfully kept the question to herself. She had a hunch it was one of his mortals who’d died in the war.

Thanatos and Keres stood before their thrones, fixing everyone with their serious, mismatched eyes. Stepping forward, Keres treated Roxie with a small smile. “Roxie Lohr, we extend our gratitude for bringing Nexus down. His soul is scattered across the universe now, forever a part of all that is. It’s bittersweet, but he’ll forever be at peace.”

Kara sniffed and Baku reached behind Roxie to clasp his wife’s hand. Roxie placed a hand on both of theirs, at a loss for how to console them, but not wanting stand there and do nothing.

Thanatos said, “We would have gladly returned his soul to you, Kara and Baku, but Vancor destroyed that option.”

“We’re sorry,” Keres said. “All life is precious. At least he’ll forever be with the both of you wherever you look. May you find comfort in that one day.”

Kara nodded and wiped her tears. Leviathan placed a large hand on her shoulder and she touched it, her grip big enough to wrap around only two fingers.

Thanatos said, “Roxie Lohr, you’re not the first mortal to stumble into our realm, nor to earn your way out. Some enter on accident. Others come seeking someone or something, be it tangible or intangible.”

“No matter the reason,” Keres said, “they enter as one person and leave another, forever changed. You entered our realm, afraid, confused, and heartbroken, but left overflowing with courage and determination.”

“And you have saved us all from eons of chaos. The universe will always be in a state of flux, though, for such is its nature, but you have not yet spared us from a violent swing into darkness. Vancor is still out there, somewhere.”

“However, we wish to thank you for what you’ve done by granting you three mercies.”

“We’re uncertain of what Vancor might do in the wake of this foiled prophecy.”

“But whatever happens, we wish to insure that you’ll never again have to fight alone.”

“Which is why we call our three gifts ‘mercies’,” Thanatos said.

“Three souls we return to you.”

“Three souls?” Roxie’s heart tried to lift her feet off the ground. Had she heard them right?

“Sassy, Daio, and Aerigo,” Keres said.

Roxie’s jaw dropped as her head spun. They were... were they really?

“We thought hard on which souls would be most advantageous to return to you,” Thanatos said. “What would be fair? What would be just?”

“Which souls would best suit the greater good?”

“But we decided to set the greater good aside.”

“And let your heart choose,” Keres said. “Have we chosen well? We can revise the decision.”

Had they chosen well? Roxie tried to get her voice to work but her brain had short-circuited after hearing they wanted to give Aerigo back. She didn’t know how to believe it, or react to such news.

Baku let out a laugh that was also half-sob. “I think her expression means yes.”

“Well, little one?” Keres said. “We wish to return your lover, a mother-figure, and a friend eager to have a second chance. What say you?”

Roxie snapped out of her stupor with a shake of her head. “Yes. Please, yes. That’d make me very happy. Thank you!”

“Very good. You’re quite welcome.”

Thanatos held up a hand, as if waving, and three spectral figures filed into the chamber. They looked like black, billowing sheets with shoulders, faceless heads, and narrow arms that ended in wide sleeves and no hands. One bore the likeness of Aerigo’s broad shoulders and clean-shaven head. Another had Daio’s narrower shoulders and distinct jawline, and the third had a shadowy representation of Sassy’s head of dreadlocks pulled back under a bandana. All three ghostly beings had glowing white spheres in their chests.

“These are soul keepers, little one,” Keres said. “The souls they’re keeping are hibernating in a peaceful slumber much like Nero’s. They await their revival.”

“But first,” Thanatos said, “Daio needs a new master. Aerigo will return to Baku, and Sassy to Mendra.”

“Would any of you three like to lay claim to him?” Keres held a hand out to Daio’s soul keeper.

A moment of silence followed as the three gods studied the soul keepers, gears working behind their eyes. Maybe Baku thought two was enough, and maybe Kara didn’t want Daio, since he’d be a constant reminder of the son she’d lost. Or maybe it’d be nice to claim her son’s Aigis, a tangible thing that could bring her closer to her son.

Removing his hand, Leviathan stepped around Kara. “I’ll claim him. I’ve lost much to the prophecy. To gain an Aigis would be a boon.”

Thanatos nodded. “He’s yours then.”

Leviathan strode over to the soul keeper, glass head tucked under one arm, and touched the glowing sphere. It emitted a gentle ding, sounding like a musical voice. His tattoo lines flashed gold and he stepped back.

“Very good. All there is left to be done is prepare vessels to accept the souls. Roxie Lohr can guide you to a world that can build stable vessels.”

“Kismet,” Keres said, “a godless world.”

“How do you know of the existence of a godless planet?” Leviathan said.

“We’re gods of the dead,” Thanatos said. “We know of all the worlds every last soul comes from. We can’t be blinded like you.”

“Makes sense,” Baku said. “I still have Aerigo’s body, but the way. Can he use it?”

“The mortals must repair it first,” Keres said, “and then he can.”

“Now go,” Thanatos said. “We have informed them of their impending revival, along with the events leading up to it.”

“I don’t know how to world-hop,” Roxie said.

“Don’t worry about that,” Baku said. “You just picture that world in your mind and we’ll take care of the rest.”

*     *     *

“Alright, Rox,” a sleep doctor said in accented English, “you’re all hooked up.”

Roxie was back in Nostrum Hospital, hooked up to some intricate machine called a Dreamwalker. After explaining her situation, which had left staffers feeling skeptical, until they saw the soul keepers, they’d sent her over to the sleep labs and doctors had given her pills that’d help induce vivid dreams. She pulled the white sheets to her chin and wiggled around for a comfortable way to sleep with a wireless plastic helmet attached to her head.

“All comfy?”

“Close enough,” she said. “I’ll be fine. It’s the chin strap that’s more annoying than anything.”

“Yeah, sorry,” the doctor said over the com. “Can’t be helped. Scientists are working on building a full-body capsule Dreamwalker to replace the helmet. Anyway, you ready for me to start the... the... clock thing? I forget the English word.”

“Timer?”

“Yes! Thank you. Ready for me to start the timer?”

Roxie snuggled deeper into the pillow. “Go for it.” It was nice and squishy, so it compensated for the helmet.

“Very good. I’ll be back in a bit to make sure everything is running smoothly. See you dream-side!”

She closed her eyes and began the breathing exercise they’d taught her, one that’d help her fall asleep easier. She concentrated on making each breath deep, full, and slow, and once she started feeling drowsy enough, she let her natural breathing rhythm take over.

Baku had brought Aerigo’s frozen body to Kismet, then left, needing to tend to his mortals in the wake of the war. Kara had gone with him, wanting to be with him after spending millennia apart. Leviathan had accompanied them to Kismet as well, garnering many open-mouthed stares with his huge, draconic body floating down hallways. He’d switched back to his serpentine form and shrunk enough to fit through doorways, but he was still bigger than an anaconda. The three soul keepers followed him everywhere he went, hovering close to his huge head. When he learned of how long the revival process would take, he said he’d return in several days. He wanted to take a good look at Kismet.

And with that, he exited the hospital, the soul keepers leaving with him.

As sleep drifted closer, Roxie didn’t know what to think of the three mercies. She believed it was going to happen, but how was she supposed to react? She’d never had a dead person come back to life before. The rational part of her brain insisted it’d believe it when she saw it. The rest of her was curious to see how it all worked.

At some point Roxie realized she was looking at a chameleon that kept changing colors. She sat on a pale beach with waves rolling in at low tide. The lizard worked its way through every color of the rainbow.

“Hi, kiddo,” said a familiar voice. “This is an unexpected turn of events, isn’t it?”

Sassy sat opposite Roxie, arms wrapped around her upraised knees. Roxie’s eyes stung, realizing how glad she was to see Sassy again.

“Mother figure, huh? Thanatos told me all about it before asking if I’d agree to being revived.”

Roxie’s vision blurred as she nodded, and her arms reached for Sassy before she realized what she was doing. A warm body and warm arms hugged her, and Sassy’s dreadlocks brushed her cheek. A sob escaped Roxie and she hugged as hard as she could.

Her first purely enjoyable hug from Sassy. No coldness; just comfort.

“Shh,” Sassy said, gently rocking her. “I promise to take good care of you without disrespecting all your grandmother has done up to this point. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect, but I’ll do my best to love and nurture you.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m also really proud of you for taking Nexus down. You’ll have to give me all the details after I’m back.” They mutually let go and Sassy held Roxie by the shoulders. “Ready for the fun part?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Roxie said with a slight grimace. “I need you to do a full three-sixty so the computer can render a complete model of you.”

Getting to her feet, Sassy reached for the wrappings holding her sarong on. “Make sure you get a good look. I want to stay as beautiful as I am now.”

“I will,” she said unhappily.
Oh, this is awkward.
It was necessary, though. In order to reconstruct bodies for Sassy’s and Daio’s souls, the doctors had hooked Roxie up to the Dreamwalker so their bodies could be replicated. In order to do that, Roxie needed to take their figures in so the computer could record what she saw and start rendering models.

Sassy let her sarong fall onto the sand and stood proudly before Roxie, who wanted to give her some privacy, but dutifully took in Sassy’s physique. She was tall and strong, built like a dancer and moved like one. She had plenty of feminine curves, yet had a solid build. She could beat people up if she had to. Sassy held her arms out as she slowly turned in place, and lifted her waist-length hair so Roxie could see her shoulder blades and such. The fact that Sassy was perfectly comfortable while parading around in the nude made it easier to do this.

“Alright, that’s all we need,” a doctor said from somewhere above them, his professional tone tinted with admiration. “Thanks, you two. We’re ready for Daio.”

The Dreamwalker was by far the coolest piece of technology Roxie had encountered so far. The conscious interacting with the subconscious was unreal. She wished they had this technology back on Earth.

Sassy wrapped herself back up and kissed Roxie on the forehead. “See you soon, kiddo.” She vanished from the dream, leaving Roxie alone with the chameleon, which had settled on green with pink blotches.

“Hey there, Rox,” Daio said, appearing in Sassy’s place, already naked.

Good god!
Roxie averted her gaze.

“Aw, don’t be shy.” His footsteps swished closer. “Besides, I need you to get a good look. I don’t wanna disappoint Sass.”

Roxie made herself look up, taking in a full frontal of Daio. He was very easy on the eyes. He had a solid, lean build that’d fit right in with Hollywood hotties. He smiled as he slowly turned in place. Roxie couldn’t help but admire his physique. Paired with that devilish smile, girls would flock to his bad boy persona.

“Like what you see, huh?”

Roxie felt her face burn and kept silent.

Daio drew alarmingly close, almost brush his frontside against her. “We could always do a partner swap now and then. Dunno if you’re into that sort of thing.”

Roxie took a step back, doing her best to keep her eyes from wandering any lower than his chin. “I think I’ll pass.” Under different circumstances, she might’ve been tempted, but not while she was loyal to Aerigo.