The Last War (Book #9 of the Sage Saga) (9 page)

Which is why he was almost relieved when he heard the crowd begin to murmur.

Finally! He thought. A group had returned! It could be Kyran and Chloe, or another Delilah squad. Either way, the frail townspeople that had been left behind would want to hear all about their escapades.

But then he stood up from his wicker chair, and the crowd parted for him, and then he knew that he shouldn’t have wished for the celebration to be over. After all, it was a rare thing those days.

Deaf had not only returned. He had come back with the defected Sages.

There were twenty of them in all, and while they didn’t appear strong individually, their collective strength was formidable. He remembered a little of his time under James’ tutelage. The young Sages had been trained differently than James and his friends had been. They were used to individual combat. One on one. But the young ones had been prepared for war, and taught that they would have to take on multiple combatants at once.

It meant that they could attack him all at once and not be confused. It meant that they could catch him off guard.

Bastion took a deep sigh. “Lily, are you awake?”

“I am,” she said solemnly. “I see them.”

“I don’t think they want to talk.”

“I know,” she said. “I know what this means.”

“You think we’ll lose?”

“If we’re going by who’s stronger, you or them collectively, then our chances aren’t good. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up. You?”

“Heck no,” he laughed. “We’ve been through worse.”

“That’s my man,” she giggled.

Chloe’s assault was ruthless and relentless. Their previous exchange had been friendly enough, but now she was swinging with abandon, even aiming for his head. What had triggered her rage? Did she remember who she was fighting against?

James blocked one of her blows and half of his bone scythe went flying into the base of a tree. He instinctively ducked under the next attack and scurried on all fours, trying to create some distance between them. Chloe kept up with his speed though and he was now on the defense. It wouldn’t take long before Chloe got lucky.

But then she suddenly stopped.

But why?

Chloe stepped backwards and turned to the man walking up behind them. The beady-eyed man with the long, black hair and the black trench coat. James growled. Why was Kyran revealing himself?

“Allow me,” Kyran said. Chloe stepped aside and then James saw what he was dragging behind him in the leaves. It was the unconscious body of his love.

James’ nostrils flared as he stared down at her body. Kyran had been dragging her by the hair.

“I need to see the extent of his insanity,” he said. Chloe nodded, though she bit her lip when she saw Catherine lying there lifelessly in the leaves. “James, I will hurt her,” he said. “You know I will. I need to see you lose control and come after me. I need to know if what they have said about you is true. If you have embraced the monster.”

“No,” James said adamantly, his tar black skin rippling so fast it was as if hurricane level winds were in the vicinity.

“I have to know,” Kyran said. Chloe looked at him with her eyes wavering.

“So we’re not just going to capture him?”

“There’s no point in capturing him if he is gone.”

“He’s talking to us right now. He’s not gone.”

“It may be a ploy. A way to get into Delilah and then attack.”

“You’re the one who came to us!” James roared. The sudden outburst had been so violent and full of adrenaline that he found himself running straight toward Kyran. Chloe jumped between them and smacked James aside, using the surface of her blade like a bat. James sprawled into the leaves and ran in a circle around them, growling while they both looked at him suspiciously.

“He’s a rabid animal,” Kyran said. “That’s all I see so far.”

“Don’t look for a reason to kill him,” Chloe huffed. “He’s still our friend.”

“You came with me to perform a job.”

“And the job is to capture him!”

“That’s enough!” a voice shouted as Kyran was suddenly kicked to the ground. He gained his composure and stared back at Chloe in rage. Her hands were up in surrender as Catherine was now awake and putting his wife in a headlock. The former Princess tightened her grip as she placed the end of her blade against the side of Chloe’s throat.

“It’s finished,” Catherine shouted at Kyran. “Back away or I kill her.”

“It’s not in you.”

“Don’t TEST ME!” she shouted, and he took a reluctant step back. Catherine kept on squeezing on Chloe’s neck until Kyran reached a hand out.

“Don’t, Catherine,” he pleaded. Catherine squeezed until Chloe went limp, and then she let go of her friend. Catherine nodded toward Kyran whose face softened in relief, and suddenly, his body went limp. James had gotten behind him and delivered a hard right hook to the back of his skull. The assassin fell face first into the leaves.

“Let’s get out of here,” Catherine sighed and James nodded in agreement.

*              *              *

Bastion’s eyes fluttered as they tried to focus on the world around him, but he felt so exhausted that his eyelids closed before anything looked familiar. He heard clanging in the background, and murmurs, but he couldn’t identify any of the sounds. There was a pressure on his limbs but he didn’t feel any pain. He tried to take a look at his hand but something was holding it down.

He tried to open his eyes again and he heard footsteps coming toward him. Before he could see who it was, they bent down and whispered in his ear, “If you move too much, she’ll die.”

His eyes shot open this time, and he was able to see the horrors before him.

There were over a dozen people in the room, all in long, white, priestly robes. They were all holding stacks of paper and rushing around the room as if a bomb was about to explode any second and they were trying to figure out to defuse it.

“What is going on?” Bastion tried to say, but it came out as a whimper. The mysterious man by his side leaned in even closer to his ear.

“You are embracing your destiny. Nothing more.”

“Where’s Lily?” he asked, trying to stand up. It was then that he realized that he was strapped to a table, and the restraints were so tough that he could barely breathe. Was this why he couldn’t concentrate? Or was he drugged?

“She’s still inside of you,” the man said. “But we devised a concoction that will keep her there and very unhappy. If you do anything that we don’t like, we’ll be able to kill her instantly. See your chest?”

Bastion grunted and lifted his head. There was a gigantic needle hanging from the ceiling, covered in wires and steel. The tip of the needle had already pierced through his chest and had burrowed deep within him.

“It’s touching her,” the man said with a sigh. “Now, do we understand each other?”

“What do you want to do with me?” Bastion said calmly. He still couldn’t move.

“I already told you. I want to help you achieve your destiny. We’re here to use you as you were designed. Either you’re going to restore the barriers between the worlds, or you’re going to die trying.”

“No!” he cried out. From the outcry, he felt like he was on the edge of consciousness. “I can’t. I won’t do it. Why would they…” Bastion turned his head and clenched his teeth as he felt his eyes water. He sniffled as he nearly broke down in a panic. “Why would the Delilah do this?” his voice broke. “I thought that they loved us. But I should have known…”

“No, this isn’t them,” he said. “I’m afraid you’re in Paragon.”

“What am I doing here?” he asked, trying to look at his captor.

“You’re the only person in the entire world that could have prevented the Great Collision, and we’re now seeing if you’re the one that can make things right.”

“Where are the Delilah? What did you do with them?”

“We cleaned house,” he said, clearing his throat. “That’s all you need to know. Now, don’t think that you’ll be able to get your revenge. It just so happens that these restraints have been specialized designed to keep you here. Courtesy of one of our favorite investors to this secret division. Casimir, please.”

“Thank you,” Bastion heard someone say. Light footsteps approached him and Bastion found himself looking into the eyes of a young preteen boy with dark brown, short cut hair. It looked like it had been dyed recently. His eyes were wavering and studying Bastion meticulously.

“What do you want?” Bastion asked.

“Do you know who I am?” Casimir asked.

“No.”

“Hmm. Then Remi hasn’t gotten this far. That’s interesting.”

“Are you supposed to be in charge?”

“Don’t let the way I look fool you,” he said. “I’m more powerful than anyone in this entire land. I’m a Sorcerer.”

Bastion’s eyes widened. “An actual Sorcerer?”

“Yes. But I didn’t have you captured out of malice. I’m trying to end this war with as little casualties as possible. You understand that if I am able to restore the barriers, then it’s over, right? Wouldn’t you want that?”

“I…” Bastion turned away. “I would.”

“Then I have your cooperation?”

“Let Lily go.”

“She’s there as an insurance policy. I’m sorry but I can’t. The tests that we’ll be administering will be painful and I can’t trust you to stay put.”

“You’re in charge of Paragon?”

“No, not at all. I just work with some of them in the shadows. The reason I’m here is to prevent you from escaping with minimal exposure.”

“So you want me to trust you? Believe you’re doing the right thing for all of us?”

“We didn’t want this war. The Sorcerers…were merely observers until the Great Collision. We wouldn’t interfere in your affairs, but we saw that with the war between Cimmerian and Paragon, it was only a matter of time before they destroyed each other, and so, we intervened. We wanted to put an end to the fighting but not all of the Sorcerers are noble. Some of them believe that it is their chance  to become the greatest of the Seven, and so they have begun using the war to their advantage and choosing sides. Your reluctance to adhere to the Delilah’s wishes in the past brought on two wars, not one, and either war has the potential to destroy everything that we hold sacred. I know that this is a lot to ask of you—to give up your life, but it is only what you were destined for in the first place. Think about it. You never belonged in this world.”

“That’s not true,” Bastion muttered. “The Delilah love me.”

“For now,” Casimir replied. “Love is based in emotion, and emotions are fickle. Respect is all one can truly ask for in this existence, and that is a notion that must be earned. I’m sorry, Bastion, but you are fighting for an existence that isn’t there.”

“You might be right,” Bastion sighed. “But I would like to talk to Lily about this.”

“I’m afraid the decision must be yours and yours alone. We can’t have the two of you conferring and devising a plan to escape. I’m sorry.”

“Then I refuse,” Bastion said. “I won’t do it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Casimir said. He backed away from Bastion and nodded to one of the men in the background. “Then we’ll have to begin the procedures right away while you’re still at a loss of strength.”

Bastion heard a whirring sound behind him, and then he felt a great amount of pressure burrowing into his back. He didn’t feel any pain, but his arms began shaking uncontrollably within the restraints.

“What are you doing to me?” he screamed.

“We’re trying to figure out where the source of your power lies. What makes you different from anyone else.”

Bastion shut his eyes and tried to call out to Lily but there was no answer. He grit his teeth and tried to break free but he didn’t have any control of his motor functions. He could only yell and gnash and swear. Casimir watched on curiously as several men and women around him in white robes took notes on Bastion’s reactions.

Casimir stepped forward and leaned in close to Bastion’s face. “Tell me what they are planning and I will free you. The Delilah…have they joined forces with anyone yet? Are they planning on targeting the Sorcerers?”

“No!” Bastion shouted. “I didn’t even know you existed for sure until now!”

“Then you really are useless. The ones you call friends always have a plan, and they don’t even respect you enough to let you in on it. What a shame.”

Bastion tried to speak once more but he found himself unable to produce sound. His eyelids grew heavy, and his body suddenly went limp.

The children cried but there was no other choice. They had to leave, and James couldn’t help but think to himself that this is how it would have been if they had children of their own. Being a soldier, there was only the next battle or anticipation of the upcoming war. Everything else was limbo and in a haze. Family was an illusion. Fear and death were his masters, looming over him and trying to impose their will on his being. Eventually, one of them would win, and he wouldn’t be himself anymore. It hurt too much to be an individual.

James glanced at Catherine as they walked and he wondered if she already knew this. Perhaps this was why she focused so much on the people—she figured out a long time ago that her personal desires were nothing when weighed against the greater good. Sure, they took their time out for a little leisure, and occasionally they even had a year or two of peace, but it never lasted. It wasn’t in their nature…so what were they fighting for? If they were always fighting for peace, and peace never lasted, what was the point? Sure, others would be given peace—the non-fighters—but even they had their own wars to fight. It may not be a violent one, but it was conflict just the same, so what was the point? Why bother?

“We can fight in a way that others can’t,” Catherine said, as if reading his thoughts. They continued to walk casually along the meadow’s grass, already beginning to frost over from a foreign winter season. “That’s why we have to do this. As bad as it is to shed another’s blood, it will be even worse should the bad guys win. We won’t even have a moment of peace then.”

“Trying to justify what we’re doing?” James asked.

“I am,” she replied. “I…I wish we didn’t have to leave them, but there’s no choice. Not if Kyran and Chloe are going to come after us like that.”

“I wish we didn’t have to fight at all,” he said, but she shook her head.

“I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for the Academy. Serving the people is what I live for, and that was my goal. Anything else was a lie. Sure, it was nice to become a Sage and unleash your eidolon for the first time and see the world through new lenses. It was even more awesome when we learned how to transform a bit, but even then, it was a superficial transformation. It’s not like the flaws within us changed, and our enemies keep on getting stronger to compensate for our increases in power. But we’ll get the upper hand at some point. This machine of the Ancient Knights truly sounds like their end game.”

“What do you think they intend to do with it? Specifically?”

“That’s the question,” Catherine said, cupping her chin. “If they can travel back in time to change something, what would it be exactly? Chaining Bastion to the machine?”

“We’ve only met the Knights that were exiled so far, so it’s hard to say, but I think making sure the Great Collision didn’t happen won’t be good enough. With word of the Sorcerers looming over us, I’m sure that they will consider them in their plans.”

“But we know so little about them…how are they going to do that?”

“If it was us, what would we do?”

“Lure them out somehow and study them, but it’s risky. They’re supposed to be all-powerful.”

“No one is,” James scoffed. “Not after what we learned about Thorn all those years ago.”

“Still, what he was able to acquire was impressive, and sometimes strategy is even more terrifying than brute strength.”

“So where do we fit in? Besides dodging our friends back there, we have to figure out a way to end this war once and for all. It’s the only way I can get a nap in.”

“Ugh,” Catherine laughed. “Whenever I hear you mention the word ‘nap,’ I cringe because I think of the boy you used to be.”

“Dashingly handsome.”

“Uh-huh. Now you’re all dead and peeling.”

“What?!” he cried, rubbing his fingers across his cheek. “No, I’m not!”

“No,” she giggled. “But I wouldn’t be surprised. I keep forgetting that you’re not technically alive. You’re a…what do they call you now? A Deja! That’s it.”

“And you’re a Fleshy.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“I just made it up, and I’m going to spread it around.”

“That’s a gross word.”

“Well, it’s no more gross than what you just said.”

“Geez, I take it back,” Catherine laughed.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you…how is your eidolon doing?”

“My eidolon?”

“The atmosphere was affecting them, I remember. But they seem to be back to normal for now.”

“May come with the seasons,” she sighed, looking up at the sky. “Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not. What about you? You have an eidolon as well.”

“I hardly use them now,” he said, clearing his throat. “The Quietus form is a lot stronger.”

“Technically, we can all go into that form if we knew the specifics, so I wonder if even that will get weaker at some point.”

“All the more reason to end this quickly.”

“Yeah,” Catherine said. She took a deep breath and they continued walking forward in silence, unsure of where they would end up next.

*              *              *

Bastion’s eyes fluttered open and then they shot open wide. He grunted and fought against his restraints, and surprisingly, he was able to pull at them. He had gained a considerable amount of his strength back and he could only wonder how long he had been unconscious. The gigantic needle that had been practically lodged in his chest was now retracted and sitting high up in front of him on the ceiling, and he couldn’t see nor hear anyone in the room. Did they somehow achieve what they wanted? But if so, how was he still alive?

He wretched one arm from the restraints and immediately grabbed those over his left arm and began ripping them from the table. He then took the ones off his legs and then leapt to his feet, standing up on the table so that he could survey the room.

It was empty.

Nothing but white walls and a cleaning solution smell. The room had been sterilized and everything but he had been taken away. Did that mean Lily had been too?

“Lily,” he called out. “Are you there?” He clutched his chest and concentrated on hearing her voice, but there was only silence. “LILY!”

He leapt onto the floor from the table when he heard someone enter the room from behind one of the large white walls. Casimir revealed himself, and in his hand was Lily, still in her stone form.

“What have you done?” Bastion demanded, but Casimir wasn’t impressed with his bark.

“Calm down,” the Sorcerer said, throwing Lily to him. Bastion caught her and pressed her against his chest. It took a moment for her to begin fusing, but eventually she began to melt into him.

“What did you do to her?”

“While you were sleeping, we extracted her, and then we gave you the necessary dosage to ensure that you slept until you had recovered your strength. I have some good news and some bad news for you. Which would you like first?”

“Whatever,” Bastion said. “She just better be okay.”

“The good news then,” he said, crossing his arms. “The good news is that you are both unharmed. We were able to perform our tests without taking your lives.”

“You tested her?”

“Well, once we discovered that you weren’t strong enough to restore the barriers, we were quite disappointed. Extracting Lily and testing the full extent of her power was essential, but even she didn’t have the necessary energy. Really, none of the stones do, and that is why she’s the last of her kind.”

“WHAT?!” Lily shouted in Bastion’s head. He winced and clutched his temples.

“Goodness, Lily, that hurt!”

“Sorry,” he cried. “Ask him. Ask him if it’s true about the others. Are they really all gone? I’ve been wondering what happened to them. We looked for another stone for so many years but we never found one. I always wondered why I was alone.”

“What happened to the others?” Bastion asked, afraid of the answer.

“They were destroyed, I’m afraid,” Casimir said. “We collected and tested each one in private. When they didn’t live up to our expectations, they were discarded. Lily was the only stone with a nearby host, and a reputation. It would be hard to grab her without attracting unwanted attention, and honestly, we weren’t sure how much stronger she would be compared to the others, if at all. So yes, your suspicions are correct. Lily is the last one of her kind.”

“That bastard,” Lily seethed. “We have to stop him, Bastion.”

“I know,” he whispered.

“Which brings me to the bad news,” Casimir sighed. “Because neither of you passed the tests, you have to be discarded. I can’t allow you to leave here with your lives because you’ll tell others.”

“Damn right we will,” Lily said in Bastion’s head.

“You could power the machine,” Bastion said to Casimir. “Don’t you have the power?”

“I do, but why would I do that?”

“It’s what you would do to us. Enslave us.”

“Yes, but you’re not me.”

“How cold of you.”

“I’m sorry, but isn’t that the way?” Casimir asked, shrugging his shoulders. “Isn’t that the reason we dominate others and force our way of life upon them? Because essentially we are making our lives better in the end? Those that adopt our way of thinking are less likely to attack us later on, or if they are subjugated, they are at our mercy. Either way, we are the all the better for it, and don’t tell me that’s wrong. Every human being does the exact same thing.”

“No,” Bastion said, shaking his head. “No we don’t. It just seems like those with the loudest mouths dictate what the world is thinking, when it couldn’t be further from the truth. They don’t know the hearts of every man on the planet. The Sages…as misguided as we are sometimes…our hearts are always to better the lives of others, not ourselves, and the Solons! They may see the world differently, but they have the same ideas in mind.”

“Fool, it is Solon that brought you here.”

“But probably not out of malice. They see things as a means to an end, but that doesn’t make them evil. I noticed that there weren’t any Solons in here experimenting on me. They either don’t know the specifics of what you do here, or they don’t want to know. Either way, it shows that there’s hope for them.”

“Being soft hearted is fine and all, until someone forces you to be otherwise,” Casimir said. “That’s the truth, and that’s what will happen now. I’m here to kill you and Lily. I can’t have you joining the others, and I promise you that no one will save you. No one knows about this place, and no one will be able to hone in on your energy signature. You are alone, and you will be facing an opponent that is equivalent of a God. This is the end for the two of you. Do I make myself clear?”

“We’ll see,” Bastion said.

“No, there’s no ‘you’ll see,’” Casimir sighed. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m ready to begin.”

“Fine,” Bastion huffed. “If that’s how you want it.” He crouched down, clenched his fists tight, and roared at Casimir, his black Sage robe appearing over him in an instant. Lily powered up inside of him, pouring so much energy within him that his muscles began to expand to the point of bursting. Bastion’s eyes turned pitch black and he grit his teeth as his Gladius appeared in his right hand. It was still a bright blue, but it was now laced in white veins—Lily had her hand on the eidolon as well.

Casimir waited patiently for them to maximize their potential, and he was impressed with how well they worked together, but it still wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

Bastion leapt first, ready to pounce on the Sorcerer, but Casimir was too quick. In one swift movement, Casimir sped forward, grabbed Bastion’s right wrist and began throwing him overhead. While Bastion was in mid-throw above him, Casimir reached up casually, plowed a hand through Bastion’s chest, and wretched Lily from him.

Bastion fell on the cold, wet floor gasping as Casimir held Lily in his hand. Bastion tried to catch his breath as his eyes went back to normal and he reached out for Lily desperately. Casimir shook his head. The boy’s power had been cut in half.

“Wait,” Bastion gasped, but Casimir’s gaze went cold. He cocked back his arm and threw Lily in stone form as hard as he could against the side wall. She smashed into grey and blue shards and fell to the floor. Before Bastion could leap to his feet, Casimir shot a beam of energy from his hand, obliterating all that was left of her.

“Lily,” Bastion whimpered. He sat on his knees and watched what was left of her evaporate into the air.

Casimir sucked his teeth. “No more fight left in you?”

“What’s the point?” Bastion said. “You took it away from me.”

“She was a stone.”

“She was my wife.”

“You can’t marry a thing.”

“And you won’t win,” Bastion said. “Of that, I promise you.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“Because your kind never does. There may not be any peace while evil like you is around, but one thing stays constant. There is never full defeat on our end. Try as you might, you can never achieve full slavery or full annihilation of us. Deep down in our little, squishy hearts, there is a determination and fervor that you can never understand.”