Heir of the Elements (23 page)

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Falcon mustered all his strength to hook onto the faint reading of holy energy. His heart pounded. He concentrated on the glistening trail left by Faith, but even with the visible cue, he could not single out her holy energy. It had moved so fast that he could not trace it long before it became a tangled mess. The air, wind, voices, bird chirps, everything muddled his concentration.

Left with little choice, he thought about the raging anger he held within. It wasn’t hard to bring forth. It always rested on the brink of exploding, waiting to be released. His body convulsed as he tried to focus the untamed ferocity. With the extra power, he could make out the faint trail of energy left behind. But it wasn’t clear. It zoomed in and out of focus.

“Are you okay?” Falcon thought he heard someone ask from behind him. It might have been an illusion.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be carried away.

When he opened his eyes the fearful voices from the palace were no more. Neither were the fine walls and fine gold statues. Instead he was now in a hilly prairie that was in obvious need of rainfall.

His name echoed in his head
. Is someone calling for me?

“Falcon?” This time there had been no mistake, someone was definitely calling him. He craned his neck and noticed Faith. Her eyes were glowing a radiant white, and her entire body was emitting a glow so bright that he had to cower back a few feet. She circled her hands, and the glow disappeared, returning her eyes to their usual emerald green.

“Faith? Is that you?” He blinked. His head shook. The girl before him had suddenly become a stranger. An anger deep within him beckoned him to attack her. To tear her limb from limb. He was the embodiment of chaos, and she was holy. Holy was the enemy of all beings that romanced in the shadows. “I must eradicate her!”

He pounced toward her. Suddenly something slammed inside his head, and he crumpled to his knees. “
Calm down
,” whispered a voice. “Listen to me. Do not let the chaos take hold of your mind.”

“Get out!” With tremendous force, he shoved the voice out of his head. He turned, seeking the culprit. Behind him stood three men. At the center was an elderly man, rubbing his head. He had a pained look, and a large hunch rose from his back. At his left stood a short man wearing a blue uniform and a deep frown. At his right stood another man. This one was much taller and wore a deep red uniform. He held a large sword between both hands.

“Are you well, grandmaster?” asked the crimson knight as he turned to the hunched man.

“Yes…” said the grandmaster. “I’m afraid, however, that the chaos may have claimed too much of him. I’ve never seen him go this far.”

“Fortunate that we were nearby,” said the short man. “We can stop him before he goes on a rampage.”

Falcon hissed. “No one interferes with my prey!”

The attack Falcon was so intent on providing, however, was foiled once again. He sensed a powerful energy converging on them, an energy far more insidious than his own. In his trance he did not notice as Faith came in behind him. She planted her hands in his shoulders and released an extreme level of holy energy.

No you don’t!
He tried to reach behind him and make her pay for her insolence. She responded by increasing her power twofold. Rays of light shot out from between their bodies as Faith continued to pour her power into him.

Falcon heard a loud wail filled with rage from deep within him. It was the power of chaos, attempting to fight back. It clawed and bellowed in a futile attempt to stay in control. The light enveloped the dark pit within him, hushing the growl into a muted silence.

The stench of blood filled his nostrils, and he looked down at his hands to find them covered in blood. He staggered back, and the gray sky blurred as he fell, ramrod straight. A last-minute interference by Faith saved him from slamming into the hard ground. Still on the floor, she held him in her arms.

“Falcon! Talk to me, Falcon!” Her screams were filled with pain.

“F…Faith?”

She looked down at him, allowing his head to rest on her legs. “You scared me half to death.”

Out of thin air the black-robed menace that had haunted his dreams since he was a child appeared. The usual red cracks were spread across the robe and cloak that obscured his face.

“Very kind of you to make your presence so easily known to me, holy wielder.” Shal-Volcseck laughed sharply. “I was having difficulty locating you, but with the amount of energy you’ve used, I could have been clear across Va’siel and found you.”

Kaidoz, who had remained quiet until now, had used this opportunity to break out of his imprisonment. He brought his hands together. Besides the loud clap, nothing happened.

“You’re not going anywhere, general.” Slowly, Volcseck faced Kaidoz. “You and your empress have interfered with my affairs far too many times. Now you almost cost me my ultimate prize.” He stared down at Faith. “Such insolence cannot go unpunished.”

“What do you want with the holy wielder anyway?” asked Kaidoz. “What do you plan to accomplish by having an emblem of each element?”

“Just like a mountain does not answer to an ant, I do not answer to you.”

Three figures suddenly stood beside Kaidoz, and Falcon recognized that a silent alliance had been forged out of necessity.
Wait. I know them!
One of them was Grandmaster Zoen. To his sides stood Professor Dunn and Professor Rykas, who wore his familiar crimson armor.

He tried to stand, but his exhausted body dragged him back down. Strangely, besides his drained spirits, he felt no real pain. So where was the blood coming from? He looked down at his hands then back up Faith, whose eyes had begun to flicker open and closed.

His world froze as he realized that the blood wasn’t his—it was Faith’s.

Chapter 22

There was a gash on Faith’s left arm. A second cut traced her hand, where blood poured out freely. The injuries did not seem life threatening, but Falcon knew that if she continued to lose blood, he would lose her.

“Stay with me!” he ordered. His chest heaved as she closed her eyes. A second later she opened them, groggily looking down at him. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around Faith’s hand. He then switched spots, putting Faith on his lap. He put pressure on the cut she had on her arm. Beside him, he heard the telltale sounds of the battle that had ensued. Professor Dunn’s loud Kya screams, Ryka’s clanking armor, Kaidoz’ earth attacks, and Zoen’s almost silent mind attacks hung in the air. Falcon paid them no mind. Faith was his only concern.

“Lost too much blood,” mumbled Faith, mimicking his exact thought.

“Heal yourself.”

“Not enough energy.”

“Use mine.”

Faith’s eyes closed and opened again. She looked as if she was about to drift away into a coma.

“Use my energy, Faith. I have more than enough.”

Her head bobbed. “Y… yes. I w…will.”

He guided her hand to his face, shivering slightly as she rested it on his cheek. Immediately he felt his energy being sucked out of his body and traveling into hers. As he watched her twitching lips, the cuts, and the blood on her dress, he couldn’t help but feel guilt wash over him. How could he have done this to her? How many times had people around him provided helpful words and tips on how to control the chaos? And yet, besides some small progress, he was no closer now to having control than the first time the chaos power took over him back at the Rohad trials.

His breathing settled as the cuts began to close. The healing process was much slower than her usual, but at least she was getting better. That was all he could ask for.

Now that Faith seemed to be out of mortal danger, he looked up. The battle was not going as he had expected. He knew Volcseck was strong, but he would have thought that the power of the four warriors would have been enough to bring him down. The scene before him shook him back to reality.

Professor Rykas, the elegant swordsman, lay sprawled, face-down, on the ground. The yellow grass under him was sprayed in crimson red. His own sword had been run through his neck, coming out the top of his skull.

Zoen stood still. Around him were thousands of whooshing whips that remained in constant rotation. With his eyes closed, he pushed both hands forward. The purple whips wrapped around Volcseck, holding him tightly in place. Kaidoz, surprised to see his opponent locked down, bombarded Volcseck with a flurry of earth spears and cubes. Zoen’s and Kaidoz’s creations converged in a loud explosion of dust and rubble.

“Die!” yelled Dunn. His stubby body dashed across the grass and he threw himself through the air. “Piercing flames!”

A shrill scream reverberated from the mass of attacks, sending Dunn flying, head first into a tree trunk. He crumpled down. Like Rykas, he remained unmoving.

The earth and mind masses of energy dissipated, leaving behind a bored-faced Volcseck.

There is no way! How could he have walked away unscathed?

“The quality of wielders has gone done considerably throughout the years.” Volcseck’s monotone voice only served to further anger Falcon. How he yearned to hurt him and wipe away his calm demeanor. Despite his vengeful thoughts, the reality that Faith needed his energy him forced him to remain in place. “You two are recognized as some of the more esteemed wielders of this era, and like many others, I must declare myself…” He took a long breath, letting silence dangle in the air. “Disappointed.” The chaos wielder turned to the general. “You there. Those earth teleportations you’re so fond off are nothing but a cheap imitation of chaos.”

Kaidoz did not seem amused by Volcseck’s claims. “Don’t flatter yourself. This skill is something I took from space wielders and made it my own.”

“Who do you think space wielders took it from?”

“Enough talk.” Kaidoz clapped his hands. “You may have impeded my movements last time, but with the focus the grandmaster is providing, you won’t be able to stop me this time.” Just as Kaidoz had said, he clapped his hands and dissolved in a mist of dust. The dust swirled toward Volcseck. It closed in around Volcseck and hardened around his arms.

Despite being rendered immobile, the chaos wielder did not seem the slightest bit worried. His lips, the only things that could be seen under his cloak, remained closed, with no sign of struggle or pain.

A moment later, Falcon saw why. Volcseck snapped his fingers. A ripple of power burst from the man. The earth around him crumpled to the floor, taking form of the general. Kaidoz lay on the floor. A gurgling sound filled his mouth as blood gushed out. “Hhhhow diiiiid yo…u?”

“The power of chaos isn’t one for the likes of you to comprehend.” With that, Volcseck brought his boot down on Kaidoz’s neck. The sound of bones snapping and a man whimpering his last breath followed. Volcseck turned his attention to the elder man. “I had the privilege of dueling and killing your apprentice, General K’ran. It will bring me great pleasure to end your life as well.”

The mere mention of K’ran, his adoptive father and master, being mentioned by that monster made Falcon’s insides boil. How he wished to join in the fray. One look at Faith, however, and he saw that leaving her was not an option. Despite her closed wounds, her body was in an inner struggle, her cells desperately trying to make up for the blood loss. His energy was the only thing keeping her in this world.

Zoen did not say a word. He was wheezing. His posture was more hunched than usual. With a determined look, he stood a little straighter. His eyes closed and he mumbled under his breath.

“Those chants don’t work on me, Grandmaster. I ascended over such paltry powers long ago.”

Bursts of ripples that seemed to bend the air shot from the Grandmaster’s forehead, and despite Volcseck’s confident words, he found himself staggering back after they both passed through him. Falcon followed the ripples through the air as they turned around and came back toward their target.

Volcseck teleported out of view. Whooshing loudly, both ripples spun in circles, awaiting the emergence of their target.

When Volcseck once again reappeared beside the earth coffin that held Latiha, the attacks rained down at them. The chaos wielder opened a dark circle in front of him. The attacks turned tightly to avoid it, but it was too late. The circle sucked in both attacks and closed before they could escape.

Zoen blinked away his obvious shock. “You sent the mind arrows to another dimension? That goes against the very rules of nature, chaos wielder. There is no saying where they may end up.”

“I suppose you better be more careful what you throw at me, then. Wouldn’t want one of your powers hurting an innocent bystander, would we?”

Falcon could see that Zoen was running on fumes. Everything from his ragged breaths to his sweaty forehead pointed to the extreme energy consumption he was using in order to keep up with Volcseck.

No!
Falcon screamed from within as the man he hated the most closed in on the grandmaster, a dark sword with red cracks spread throughout had materialized in his hand. His heart went icy as Zoen fended against a multitude of sword attacks. Volcseck appeared and disappeared from every angle, cutting deeply everywhere on Zoen’s body. His face, legs, arms, chest. Everything was fair game.

Two long, white hands erupted from Zoen’s back, reaching for the man who was inflicting damage on their master. They were too slow, and all they managed to grasp was air as Volcseck danced around them, always a step ahead of them.

The hands stretched. Volcseck duck under them and ran his sword up. The weapon arched upward and into Zoen’s stomach and chest.

With a low “
Oh
,” Zoen tumbled to the floor, his face staring at the sky.

Volcseck brought his dark boot down on his vanquished foe’s bleeding chest. “Any last words, grandmaster?”

“Leave him alone!” screamed Falcon. His eyes burned with the threat of oncoming tears. How much more could Volcseck take from him?

“You may have run from Aadi while he was in Va’siel.” With a resolved look, Zoen turned to Falcon. “But the legacy that the Golden Wielder left behind will catch up to you before this is over.”

Even though Zoen did not say his name, Falcon knew he was speaking about him.

“Misplaced faith won’t save you, grandmaster.” Volcseck brought his sword up and ran it through Zoen’s neck. The old man seemed to smile as the light went out of his eyes. There was no scream, no shout of pain. Only a haunting silence.

Falcon stared at his master’s face, frozen in shock.

“Stand aside, young wielder. It is time for me to claim my prize.”

“You’ll have to get through me if you want to get to her.” Falcon knew that despite the finality in his voice, Volcseck would not be fazed by his claim. But he also knew he had to try everything and anything to save his friend.

“That will be no problem.”

“Leave…Falcon,” stuttered Faith in a faint voice. “There is nothing you can do.” Her eyes snapped open. “Leave me.”

“No!”

“This is all so very touching.” Volcseck’s boots crunched over the sand as he took a few more steps toward them, bringing with him the scent of death. “Leave it to a holy wielder to throw away her life for nothing.”

His words seemed to have woken up Faith, because her eyes suddenly opened and she stared directly at Volcseck. “Did you forget that it was through holy that you live today?”

“What nonsense are you spewing? I owe nothing to holy. I’m the master of chaos, the one true element that all others cower before.”

“Yet, you would have died from the injuries you sustained ten thousand years ago at the hands of Demetrius. It was the Lunet’s interference that kept you alive. You owe everything to holy, whether you like it or not, and by extension you are a product of the love from that holy wielding.”

“
Love
,” Volcseck answered, and he took a moment to submit the rest of his thought. “That is an emotion I know nothing about nor do I care to comprehend.”

“Liar!” Falcon was surprised to hear Faith speak with such force, despite her obvious weakness. “Lunet loved you! That is why she kept you alive. She believed in you. She knew you were meant to be a force of good, not evil.”

“Look around you, holy wielder.” Volcseck pointed at the deceased men that lay on the ground. “Is this the love you speak so fondly off? You are highly misguided if you actually think that I have love inside of me. I love no one, not even myself. All I feel, all I know is a lust to end this miserable world and all the wicked who inhabit it. I’m tired of the suffering that plagues mankind. I am the savior that will put an end to it. And you, holy wielder, are the key to it.”

Falcon’s mouth opened at the sheer impudence spewing out of Volcseck’s lips. “You speak of wicked people as if you were so righteous. It is you that has caused more suffering through Va’siel than anyone else in history. You killed my parents.”

“That’s of no importance. Your parents were in the way of the ultimate salvation. They had to be cleansed.”

“You killed my parents so that you could rule Va’siel?” Falcon’s heart thumped with nervousness, but strangely, he felt no anger toward Volcseck. He should want to hate him and rip him apart limb by limb. Faith’s holy energy that leaked into him made it impossible, though. Her power relaxed him, giving him focus despite the precarious situation. He knew what he needed to do. He had to keep talking, dragging the conversation enough so that Faith could heal and he could space wield them away to safety.

Volcseck met his gaze. “Rule Va’siel? Haven’t you been listening? I have no desire to rule anything. I am Va’siel’s savior, not its ruler.”

“What do you mean?” As he asked the question Falcon knew he was out of time. The chaos wielder moved in with a fierce determination. The man had obviously caught on to his ploy. “Please don’t kill her. She’s suffered enough. She doesn’t need any more.”

“She will no longer feel any pain where she’s going.”

Falcon watched in horror, and time itself seemed to slow down as Volcseck lifted his sword and ran it toward Faith’s heart.