Sword of Light (43 page)

Suddenly, the three demons began to scream, their bodies shuddering.  To Jake, it seemed as if dark motes of ash were lifting off the demons and flowing towards the back of the room.  The demons writhed on the ground, their limbs flailing, as the flow of the motes increased.  The demons suddenly collapsed, as if they were balloons that were deflated.

Jake struggled back to his feet, pulling in his power.  He looked across the room and saw a figure in a dark hooded robe standing in the doorway across the room, shuddering.  “That is always a rush.”  Jake heard the figure say.

The figure started towards him.  Incongruently, a pretty girl around sixteen followed the figure into the room, but went to stand against the wall when the figure pointed.

“Hello, Jake.”  The figure said as it pushed back its hood.

Jake, startled to hear his name, was more surprised to see that it was a younger man, maybe in his late twenties.  He was slim, with a receding hairline pushing back his dark hair.  His face was plain, with dark eyebrows and a thin mustache.  He had thin lips and his cheeks were slightly pitted with scars from teenage acne.  As Jake studied him, he saw that the irises of the man’s eyes were solid black, as if they were just large pupils.

“Who are you?”  Jake asked cautiously, unsure of what to think about this man.

“My name is Bruce Talia.  You may have heard my name.”  The man replied, a friendly smile on his face.

“Bruce Talia?”  Jake questioned in disbelief.  “The kid who vanished in the Black Hole Woods?”

“Black Hole Woods?”  Bruce said, confused.  “I was in Anderson’s Grove when I was pulled here.”

“That is what they called Anderson’s Grove after you vanished.”  Jake explained.

“Fitting enough name, I guess.”  Bruce said with a laugh.  “I wonder what they call it now that you disappeared.”

Jake shook his head.  “I hadn’t given it much thought.”

“It doesn’t matter, Jake.”  Bruce said.  “We need to discuss what we should do next.”

“What do you mean?”  Jake asked carefully.

“Look, Jake, between us, we can destroy the demons.”  Bruce said, coming closer.  “Think about it.  We would be free of them, able to do as we wished.”

“I am all for destroying the demons, if we can.”  Jake replied.  “How would we do that?”

“I was thinking that we could work together as partners.”  Bruce stated, excitement on his face.  “Working together with our powers, we can overcome any demons in our path.  I even know where the demon lord resides.  If we take him out, the other demons will fall soon enough.”

“I want my friends to be able to live their lives without worrying about them.”  Jake replied.  “With the sword, I’m sure we will have enough power to defeat all of them.”  He started to go over to where the sword was laying.

“I can’t let you have the sword, Jake.”  Bruce said, suddenly frowning, moving to cut him off.

Jake stopped, confused.  “Why not?”

“I said we would be partners.”  Bruce responded.  “If you have the sword, then you may have too much power.  A partnership should be between equals, or at least, near-equals.”

“But with the sword, we can defeat the demons and maybe go home.”  Jake protested.

“Go home?”  Bruce said, distaste twisting his mouth.  “Why would we want to go back to Earth?  Think about it; we could rule here.  Once the demons were gone, there would be no one to oppose us.  We would be kings, able to do whatever we want.”

“Rule?  Kings?”  Jake repeated, dumbfounded.  “Dude, are you crazy?  I just want to go home.”

Jake started for the sword, but stopped when Bruce was suddenly surrounded by the same dark power as the demons.  He pulled in his own power, his blue aura shining brightly.

“Get out of my way.”  Jake demanded.

“Jake, don’t be stupid.”  Bruce said.  “You can’t beat me.  I don’t want to have to mess you up, but I will if you try to take the sword.”

Jake replied with a blast of power, his cobalt fire slamming into Bruce in a conflagration of opposing powers.  Bruce retreated a couple of steps, and then fired back, black fire roaring.  Jake tried to deflect the power, but it was strong, as strong as anything he faced.  He staggered back, and then attacked again.

They fought, their magics colliding and exploding in fury.  Jake could not gain any advantage while Bruce was able to keep on the attack.  After a series of attacks, Jake was knocked off his feet when a huge blast of darkness caught him a second before he could fully deflect it.  He rolled with the blow, making it back to his knees when Bruce held up a hand to halt the fighting.

“See, Jake, I told you.”  He said, his tone mocking.  “You can’t beat me and all you are going to do is tire yourself out.”

Jake frowned at that and started to rise.

“Before you do something stupid, let me ask you something.”  Bruce said.  “Why do you think we were brought here?”

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t to rule over these people.”  Jake stated.

“I have been told why.”  Bruce said.  “It is not for our ability to wield power, at least not the power we are fighting with.”

“What then?”  Jake asked, trying to buy time to think of a way to get to the sword.

“We have a special power here.”  Bruce said, his eyes suddenly bright.  “We can absorb life energies.”

Jake shook his head, but Bruce continued.  “How do you think I defeated the demons?  I took their life force from them and absorbed it.   That is why I am so powerful.  I take it and use it.”

Jake froze in shock as he listened.  He thought back at what happened when he used his life force in the woods against the demons and half-men.  Both Jonas and Tomaris thought that he had somehow taken Jonas’ life force to replace what he had used.  That unusual crawling sensation he felt on the return trip from Creatos’ fortress?  Could that have been the life forces of the people near him?  He was not sure he wanted the answer to those questions.

“You saw what I did, didn’t you?”  Bruce asked as he saw the sudden worry in Jake’s eyes.  “You could see the demons’ life force as I took it, I know it.”

Jake reluctantly nodded, recalling those dark motes that flowed away from the demons.

“There is another thing about our power that is cool.”  Bruce said, eyes focused on Jake’s face.  “If you lightly pull on someone’s life force, like this…”

Jake felt himself tense as he felt an odd sensation in his chest, like a string attached to his heart was being pulled.  He was unexpectedly aware of Bruce in a way he had not been just seconds ago.

“Now, release your magic.”  Bruce said, his voice seeming to reverberate in Jake’s mind. 
That makes perfect sense.
Jake thought, nodding, letting his power go.  “We are going to leave the sword and you will come with me.”

“When we leave, you will-” Bruce began, but leapt back cursing as the sinewy body of Daca raced past Jake, the lion launching itself into the air, claws extended.  The lion’s claws dragged against Bruce’s chest, drawing blood.  The lion landed and spun around.

As soon as Bruce had leapt back, Jake felt that sensation of the string around his heart snap back like a rubber band.  He doubled over, his head spinning and stomach clenching with nausea.  He could distinctively remember the commanding influence that Bruce had over him.  He tried to recall his magic, but his spinning head made it impossible.

Without a pause, Daca leapt at Bruce again.  Bruce threw himself back and was able to react this time, his dark fire flying from his hand and striking the lion in its hindquarter.  The lion let out a cry of pain as the dark magic burned into its flesh.  Daca landed awkwardly, its back legs injured, but still turned and leapt a final time.

Bruce brought his hands up and launched a blast of power.  His fire swept over Daca, blasting the lion back and killing it, its body tumbling to the ground, smoldering.

Bruce lightly touched his chest, grimacing at the pain.  He saw Jake trying to rise, moved over and knelt down near him.  “Let’s try that again.”  He said confidently.

Jake felt that odd sensation again and Bruce started to speak.  “You will-” That was all he said before he was blasted back by a brilliant bolt of golden-white clerics’ fire.

The rebound of the sensation drove Jake to the ground, the vertigo returning and his stomach heaving.  He rolled to his side to see Bruce stand back up, his body steaming.

“That freaking hurt!”  He said sharply.  His face turned hard.  “I will make you sorry you did that, cleric.”  With that, he sent a bolt of dark fire racing past Jake.

Jake heard the loud clash of conflicting power behind him.  He turned his head and saw Hailyn near the doorway, shining like an intense golden flame, the runes on her wrist glowing white-hot.

She attacked Bruce, trying to move closer to Jake.  Bruce defended, countering with his black power.  The air seemed to shudder from the explosion of sound and light, the clashing energies crackling and lashing the air.   They continued a non-stop barrage of magic, each trying to overcome the other.

Every time Jake started to rise, he felt the tug and snap of Bruce trying to control him, driving him back down.  Dry heaving, he crawled back to his knees and strove to stand.  If he could get to his feet, he would use his sword since he was unable to access his magic.  His frustration at being unable to help Hailyn drove him mad.  He tried to force himself to overcome the vertigo that was keeping him down.

As he got to his knees, he heard a tremendous explosion, and then Hailyn cry out close behind him.  He could not see her, but tried to force his body to get up.  Before he could rise, he saw Bruce look towards him and felt that tugging sensation start again.  But at the same time the sensation started, he felt Hailyn’s hand come down on his neck, her power flowing into his body.  Suddenly, her power surged through him, pure heat racing down that invisible string that was tugging at his chest.  She fell back gasping, her hand coming free, as Bruce suddenly screamed.  Jake felt the tugging sensation rebound once more.

Jake saw Bruce collapse and roll on the ground in agony, his skin cracked and smoking, face a steaming mass of blisters. 
Hailyn’s power must have been pulled inside him.
  Jake thought with satisfaction as he tried to stand.

Even though her power had helped, he was off-balance as he stood, his head still spinning slightly.  As he tried to step forward, he stumbled to his right, reaching out to stop himself as he began to fall.  His hand struck something metal, followed by a brilliant flash of light.  Looking at his hand, he saw that he had stumbled over to the stone table and his hand was resting on the hilt of the sword.

The blade flared when he touched the sword and he felt a heat spread up from the sword into his body.  As the heat surged, his mind cleared and his body regained its strength.  Wrapping his fingers around the hilt, he lifted the sword.  He was shocked when he felt the lightness of the sword; it barely seemed to have any weight at all.

Jake embraced his magic, feeling it flood into his body in huge amounts.  Without another thought, he strode over to where Bruce was writhing on the ground.  Looking down at him, Jake brought the sword back over his shoulder.  Through his pain, Bruce saw Jake standing over him.  “No, Jake!”  He cried out, raising his hand.  “Don’t do it!”

Jake, recalling what Bruce had done to Daca, as well as to him and Hailyn, ignored the plea and brought the sword down.  As the blade stuck Bruce, its light flared, a blinding flash of white fire that tore through his body.  With a final pitiful cry, he exploded into ash, the detonation stunning the chamber with sound.

Driven back by the blast, Jake caught himself as he tripped and almost went down.  He straightened and saw the girl standing against the wall.  She was shaking and her face was a mask of terror.  “We won’t hurt you.”  He said gently.  “You will be safe with us.”  The girl nodded nervously, tears streaming down her face.  Jake turned around to go to Hailyn.

“Hailyn!”  He cried when he saw her on the ground, her skin covered with burns, her eyes closed.  He ran over to her, dropping the sword and kneeling next to her, pulling her close.  “Wake up, Hailyn!”  He begged her.

When she did not respond, he held her tightly, tears coming to his eyes.  He was at a loss, his mind frozen, unable to think clearly.  He closed his eyes, his heart breaking.

“Jake.”  He heard her softly say his name.

“Hailyn!”  He cried out, pulling away enough to look down at her face.  Despite the burns, he was overjoyed see her awake.  “Thank God you’re alive!”

“Jake.”  She said again, her hand reaching up and touching his face.  “I can’t seem to call up my power; I am too weak.  Without it, I don’t think I will make it.  You must leave me behind.”

“No!”  Jake said harshly.  “I will carry you, if that is what it takes.”

“
There are still demons around, Jake.”  She said quietly.  “You can’t carry me and fight them at the same time.  The sword is what is important.  Take it to Tomaris and return home.”

“Why are you saying this, Hailyn?”  Jake said.  “I’m not going to leave you.”

“Jake, I love you.”  She said simply.  “I want you to survive.  To do that, you must leave me.”

Shaking his head, feeling suddenly adrift, Jake closed his eyes, tears trickling down his cheeks.  He tried to think of a way to save both of them, but could not seem to focus, his chest tight.  He was overwhelmed and devastated by the thought of losing Hailyn.

As he sat there, gently cradling Hailyn, a voice sounded in his mind, cutting through his emotion. 
Use the sword.
  The voice said, the same warm and gentle voice that had come to him in his dream.

Startled out of his sorrow, Jake pulled the sword over and placed the hilt in Hailyn’s right hand.  At first nothing happened, but then both the runes on the bracelet and the sword began glowing, pulsing in time.  The light spread from her hand and slowly covered her body.  As Jake held her and watched, her burns faded, her respiration improved.  After a few more moments, the light faded and she was whole again.

Rising slowly, Jake reached down and helped her up.  He kissed her and pulled her close.  He did not know how long they stood there, but he finally broke the embrace.