Eternal Horizon: The Chronicle of Vincent Saturn (Eternal Horizon: A Star Saga Book 1) (42 page)

“With pleasure.” Thanatos grabbed Exander by the back of the belt, swung him around with full force, and sent the Xenian flying at the giant.

With both hands on his sword, Exander came down hacking at Cosmos’ breastplate. The timing was once again incorrect, and the young Xenian fell down by the giant’s feet. Duell quickly came to his student’s aid, sweeping him away before Cosmos smashed his foot through the ground.

“I have a plan,” Duell said. “Where’s your brother?”

*

Tyranno
was berserk. Damocles barely managed to dodge his mighty hammer, to which more than a dozen Urtan soldiers had already fallen victim. A device of sorts was on the
Kaball’s
belt, generating a shield, thus protecting the monster from any blasts, and it was next to impossible to get close to him.

As
Tyranno
swung and missed, Damocles pounced.

The
Kaball
spun around and smashed the Xenian in the chest.

Using the force of the impact, Damocles tumbled backwards, and then came back hacking.

Tyranno
raised his hammer in defense, but the hit slashed it in half. Grabbing the remaining portion, he struck Damocles on the side, and as the Xenian stumbled back, he smashed it on the ground, generating a small quake.

Damocles was swept off his feet, the sword falling out of his hands. In a second,
Tyranno
was over him, preparing another fatal blow. Damocles kicked the monster in the knee cap, jumped up, and punched him in his chin, forcing the
Kaball
to drop his weapon as well.

“You’ve no idea how much I’m going to enjoy this,” Damocles said as he began to pummel his enemy’s small head with blows that’d render any man senseless.

Gaining his conscience, the
Kaball
backhanded the Xenian, smashing him away with ease. As Damocles swiveled, trying to maintain his stability,
Tyranno
raised his right hand and hit the Xenian with the side of his fist.

Refusing to fall, Damocles came back with an uppercut.

The two stood there, toe to toe, exchanging hits.

Tyranno
was getting furious at his elusive target. Damocles continued his melee of punches and finally dislocated the monster’s jaw with his elbow.

“You puny bastard,”
Tyranno
grunted through his blood-filled teeth. “I’ll crush you!” He caught Damocles by the wrist with one hand and by the throat with the other.

Damocles reached for a knife with his free hand.

Noticing the steel,
Tyranno
let go of Damocles’ arm and wrapped his other hand around his neck, applying more pressure.

Damocles dropped the knife, gasping; even though he was a Tel Kasar, the force of the monster surpassed his. He gradually began kneeling to the ground.

“
Die!
”
Tyranno
spat out.

Damocles looked around. His sword was nowhere to be seen. He felt his strength waning, and then he saw weakness in his enemy’s body. He grabbed the horns protruding out of
Tyranno’s
elbows, and yanked. The monster let out a painful cry as both of his forearms snapped. He fell to his knees—arms dangling helplessly, face entreating for mercy. Freeing himself from the deadly grasp, Damocles seized the
Tyranno
by the horns growing out of his shoulders and drove a knee into that hideous face.

“Enough play,” Damocles said, towering over his defeated foe. With a swift gesture, he regained his sword and plunged it deep into the
Kaball’s
chest.

*

Bodies of the demonic priests and those of Urtan soldiers were scattered throughout the main hallway of the colonnade, covering the floor in a mélange of black and red blood. Some of the corpses were ablaze, filling the air with a loathing stench. The once marvelous columns took a considerable amount of damage as well, a number of them mere stubs.

Gunfire and screams emanated from the battle taking place by the golden gates at the end: Gaia, along with a few of the remaining Urtan soldiers, defended the entry from Damien Dark and a dozen of his priests. In her hands, the Princess had a small shotgun-like weapon that released round blasts, penetrating the enemy and leaving them with an opening the size of a cannonball.

Vincent ran ahead, jumping over the bodies. One monk shot at him from the right. He dodged, pulled out a dagger, and lodged it between his attacker’s eyes. Several more ran at him from the left, wielding halberds. He dropped on his knees and slid on the marble floor, passing under their blows and slashing them in half. He then cart-wheeled forth and blasted another monk that crept up from behind.

Getting up, he continued to the entrance. Then Vincent saw something unreal: Damien Dark stretched out his hand, and a wave of fire emerged from his fingertips, engulfing one of the Urtan soldiers. He then released a fireball, burning another. He seemed to move like a snake, evading the attacks by twisting his body and literally turning his enemies into ashes.

Within minutes, Gaia remained all alone against the dark wizard and six of his priests.

“Well, your highness,” Damien sneered sadistically. “We meet once again, and this time—” He couldn’t finish his sentence as his attention was drawn away.

Vincent rushed at them, sword high, lights flickering in its illuminating blade. The priests immediately formed a line before their master in hopes of stopping the psychotic juggernaut. Vincent slashed two of them, ducked several blows, stabbed through the third, sliced the fourth off his feet, dodged the staff of the fifth before cutting off his head, and shot the last one.

As Damien tried to grasp the situation, Gaia raised the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. As if he could feel it, Damien leaned back, dodging the shot, and grabbed the gun’s barrel. Gaia let out an agonizing scream, pulling her burned hand away from the weapon that began to melt before it hit the floor.

“Nice try,” Damien garbled, raising his hand.

Before he could attack, Vincent jumped in between them, pulled Gaia out of the way, kicked Damien in the ribcage, punched him across the face with his free hand, and then smashed him in the head with the sword’s sharp pommel.

Damien stumbled back, and a gash appeared on his forehead. “You pathetic scum,” he muttered and lunged at Vincent.

Vincent spun out of the way and swung.

Damien jumped over the blade and kicked Vincent in the chest.

Vincent flipped over backwards, at the same time kicking his assailant in the nose.

Damien let out a grunt and fell. He clasped his face with his right hand and raised his left.

Vincent knew what to expect, so he grabbed Gaia and hurried behind one of the columns, barely escaping the fire wave.

“
Damn you, creature!
” Damien growled, getting up. He stood, panting, black blood pouring out of his nose and flowing through the channels of his twitching grimace. “
How dare you!
” he roared, looking around for his bold enemy. His hands shaking at his sides, he began walking slowly down the rows of columns. “Come out and play, you bastard! You pathetic excuse for a warrior!
How dare you!
”

Gaia embraced Vincent as they hid behind the pillar. He’d saved her so far, but it was only a matter of minutes: he had to deal with that demon.

“You must be the man Zeth warned me about,” the dark priest continued. “But, unfortunately, I will not keep my promise… I’ll certainly kill you!”

Vincent and Gaia exchanged looks. The Republic
knew
about him.

“
Where are you?
” Damien’s voice rumbled and was followed by a blast as he began to shoot his fireballs, destroying the columns in hopes of crushing the pair.

Before the blasts got closer, Vincent gripped Gaia’s hand, and they passed down a few sets of columns.

“Here,” Vincent whispered, handing her his blaster. “I’ll stall him, but you must run. The defenses have fallen; we’ll all die.”

She looked at him, her eyes teary. “
Run?
Run where?”

He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Make it back to Spaide’s ship and get off this planet. Don’t wait for us.”

“No, Vincent.” She grabbed his arm. “He’s too powerful. You’ll be killed.”

“It must be done,” he replied, caressing her hand. He kissed her forehead, straightened up, and clenched his sword.

After a series of bursts, Damien cooled down and began to pace the portico quietly so he can hear his victims. “I sense it,” he hissed, “you know? The fear within you. I… I can’t quite describe it… it’s the part inside you that knows you will unquestionably die. Oh, how I feel it. It strengthens me—”

Capturing a moment, Vincent dashed at the dark lord.

Sensing danger, Damien turned around, but it was too late.

Vincent jumped and landed with a straight kick to Damien’s chest. As the priest fell, he slashed down.

Damien rolled out of the way, and the blade struck the floor, sending up sparks. He then blasted up a wave of fire.

Vincent leaned to the side, but the heat managed to burn the skin on his shoulder.

Damien hopped up in place and shot a fireball.

Vincent dodged the blast, whirled, and kicked Damien across the face.

“
Arrgh
,” Damien mumbled, producing another flare that struck Vincent in the midsection.

Vincent staggered back and took off his melting breastplate.

Taking an advantage of the situation, Damien shot again.

Vincent managed to block most of the flame with the flat of his sword, but the impact forced him to fall.

“I got you now,” Damien said, a vicious leer of accomplishment forming on his face. He lifted his hand, the tips of his fingers fidgeting in excitement as he was about to perform the killing blow. But just as he raised his hand, a blast penetrated his palm: Gaia didn’t heed Vincent’s warning and remained, shooting at the dark priest from behind the column. Damien let out a painful shriek and blasted in her direction with his other hand. The pillar turned into a pile of rubble, undoubtedly crushing the Princess.

“
Bastard!
” Vincent jumped up and hurled his sword.

The blade flew at an untold speed, capable of piercing through any object in its path, but—as if he were a demon indeed—Damien leaned backwards, bending at the waist. The sword passed millimeters above his torso, slicing off a piece of his collar, and plunged deep into a column behind him.

Vincent realized his mistake and stood there, weaponless.

The nasty grin reappeared on Damien’s face as he looked at the sword. He then shifted his gaze at Vincent and raised his healthy hand, slanting his fingers. His smile broadened, then disappeared, and—without any further hesitation—he released a fireball.

Vincent dashed to the right, evading the blast, and headed in the direction of his enemy.

Damien blasted another, but Vincent sidled to the left, continuing ahead.

Damien frowned as he couldn’t hit his bold assailant, whose tactic he couldn’t determine.

Vincent jumped at the remains of the destroyed column’s plinth, bounced off with his left leg, and leapt straight at the dark lord. As Vincent was airborne, Damien released a wave of fire using both hands. The flame passed under Vincent’s left arm, grazing his ribs and burning off his flesh, but he didn’t care. Ignoring the unbearable pain, he concentrated on the blade. His right arm was stretched out toward the sword that was firmly planted in the stone pillar.