Obsidian Sky (32 page)

No one said a word once they saw him. They only took in his radiance and breathed in his essence – until he was but a few feet away. His eyes smiled, then he sat down in the grass, crossed his legs and said hello.

When no one replied, he continued.

“You are my opponents,” he stated matter-of-factly, observing them one at a time. “A man of fire, a girl of elements, swords and telekinesis, gravitas, gravity, flight, wind, healing, weather analysis, combat efficiency, and…absorption of energy. It is best to face a terrible situation with multiple talents.” He nodded at his own wisdom.

“There has been a misunderstanding,” Bailey replied, stepping forward. “We don’t want to fight you. We know of your ability. You sense when a target has been placed upon you, and I understand your desire to perform a preemptive strike. But you have been tricked, into doing the bidding of another.”

“I know what has happened,” Necrosis said, closing his eyes. “I am not new to this. There have been many over time who have summoned me in the hopes that I would do their dirty work. Some I carry out. Others I do not. But I do intend to crush all parties of Lowsunn this day. Especially the ones that put you in this predicament.”

“You don’t have to face us,” she said, and his eyes shot open. The grey became as sharp as steel.

“You may not want to face me now. But you will. Your hearts are too connected to the place where your oppressors reside. As I lay destruction upon their door, you will not be able to stand aside and watch. You will intervene. Then, you will fight me. What difference does it make whether it is now or then?”

“We can handle them,” she pleaded. “Let us all go, and we will make them answer for their deeds.”

“Empty promises,” he said. “Why do you wait until it is far too late to gain your resolve?”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I do this out of principle, not desire,” he said, standing to his bare feet. “It is up to you whether you will attack now or later. But once you decide to engage me, there will be no more talk. I cannot control what happens after. I become no longer a man, but a force of nature itself. And you cannot stop a hurricane once it has hit your shores, no matter how much you wish to.”

“You cannot destroy Lowsunn,” Bailey said as he began walking away from them. But he ignored her, and continued on his way.

“The second group will surely engage him,” Makana said with crossed arms. “Whether through ignorance, pride or fear. The slaughter is but hours or less away. Would any of us be able to live on knowing what our idleness has done?”

“It’s no way to live at all,” Leah muttered. “He’s right. Whether it’s now or later, we’re going to have to fight this battle. Might as well try now, before there’s more damage and lives lost.”

“So,” Isaac laughed. “Who’s throwing the first punch?”

“Whoever it is, you better make it count,” George muttered.

“Already on it,” Makana said with a big smile, but Leah grabbed her wrist.

“No, allow me,” she said, looking back at Aidan. He nodded. Necrosis would target her first, but there was no use worrying about her safety now. They were all in the same amount of trouble.

She let go of Makana and slapped her hands together. The earth behind them began to shift and quiver and roar, bursting up from the ground, hovering in mid-air and then flying upwards into the sky above the walking Necrosis. More and more pieces slammed together, forming a solid ball so large that it blocked out the sun from where they stood. But Leah didn’t stop there. As more earth further strengthened it, ice enveloped the surface, hardening it even more. Necrosis stopped his walk and looked above him, watching as the rock nearly a fourth of the size of Lowsunn loomed above him.

Leah’s nose was beginning to bleed but she continued the process until her arms were beginning to shake uncontrollably. She looked at the rest of them from left to right, and they nodded. She let the massive boulder go, and all but Elias and Ticker ran forward, ready to capitalize on any damage Leah’s attack would cause.

The rock smashed into Necrosis with such force that they were all knocked off their feet. The impact cracked the sky with a booming sound so loud that even Onyx Major heard its echo. But the Movement did not stop. They climbed to their feet, unsheathing swords and charging up their abilities and then continuing to run.

A massive fist broke through Leah’s rock and Necrosis’s face emerged from the midst. With red glowing eyes and hair whipping in all directions, he began to crack through his temporary prison. Makana reached him first, hit him with a punch so hard that his neck snapped hard to the left.

And then they learned why he was called an Omega.

Chapter 21 – Gods Among Us

As soon as Makana punched him, he burst through the rock wall like it was made of glass. Makana dodged one of his blows narrowly, ducking under it, but she was unable to pivot in time to get out of the way of his knee. She blocked it with both arms, but the impact not only sent her flying away, but it broke both of her arms instantly. Elias rushed forward to assist as Bailey swung her sword upon the back of Necrosis’s neck.

It shattered on impact.

He went to backhand her but Jin blocked the blow with his forearms. From the scream that came from his lips, the block hadn’t done much. Both he and Bailey were sent flying backwards. Elias swore as he tried to hurry and finish with Makana. Isaac kept his sword ready, just waiting for a chance to strike.

Aidan hit Necrosis with a wave of fire, but it had no effect. The Omega barreled towards him, picking up speed with every step. Aidan unleashed three fire walls to slow down his path but he just smashed through them. Just as he was about to hit Aidan, Teller released Jessica from his grip above them. Using her gravity ability, she increased her weight significantly in mid-air. She folded her arms and legs up and plowed into Necrosis’s face like a wrecking ball. He was unhurt, but he staggered back. George hit him with a powerful gust of wind and he fell onto his back.

Jessica held him in place while a healed Jin concentrated his energy into his fists.

“Keep him down!” he ordered as he cocked back his arm and then punched Necrosis square in the face as hard as he could. The Omega didn’t even blink. He ripped out of Jessica’s hold and grabbed Jin’s throat quickly. He pulled him close, roared in his face, and then crushed it.

Aidan and Jessica were in such shock that they forgot to keep attacking. Makana screamed in rage and began punching and kicking at the Omega in a frenzy, hitting his pressure points precisely and with such speed that even Necrosis couldn’t see it all. Jessica did her best to keep the Omega from harming Makana, using gravity to slow his punches at the very last moment, just enough to throw him off guard and for Makana to dodge them. Bailey and Elias rushed over to Jin.

“Can you save him?” Bailey asked, rolling up the sleeve on her right arm, but Elias shook his head no. In the next second, Jin’s eyes fluttered open, his neck completely healed. Bailey knew what had happened immediately. She looked over at Makana and then Jessica. Jessica’s last two seals were darkened, as well as one of Makana’s. Three Yen to bring back a life.

“I get the next one!” she shouted, turning to Elias. “If you and Jin think of an ability I can use to stop this monster, you let me know. I’m going to talk to Ticker and Leah.”

He nodded as Jin coughed and rubbed his throat.

“I can’t!” Jessica screamed, clutching her head. Makana rolled backwards just as Necrosis missed her head. There was no gravity holding back that punch.

“I have no effect at all,” Makana said as he came running at her. Aidan cut him off with a punch to the face from one of his gauntlets. It shattered on impact and strained his hand. He winced and cried out at the pain, but he punched the Omega again anyways, even with his bare hand. It broke on impact and he backed off as Necrosis kept his sights on Makana. Teller swooped in just as the Omega was about to grab her hair and took her upwards with him. Necrosis glanced around for another victim.

“We can’t beat this monster,” George said as Aidan nursed his hand. Elias came over to heal it.

“We’ll manage,” Aidan replied.

“He’s not even unleashing a power equal to the comet,” George whined.

“Then we’ll beat him before he does,” Aidan snapped. “Now shut up or do something!” He turned to Elias. “Heal Jessica next.” Elias stared at him curiously.

“I can only heal wounds, not exhaustion.”

“Have you ever tried before?”

“No.”

“Then try. If we can figure out way to hurt him, she’s the only one that can keep us from getting hurt.” Elias nodded as Aidan noticed that Necrosis was headed straight for Bailey, Leah and Ticker. “Are you done yet?” he demanded.

“Yeah,” Elias said quickly and Aidan shot his hand out towards the Omega. A whip like tentacle made of fire shot out from his palm, wrapping around Necrosis’s throat.

“You get back over here,” Aidan said under his breath as he shot a wave of fire into the Omega’s back with his free hand. Necrosis ripped the whip from his throat and ignored him, continuing toward his prey. Aidan began running at him but he knew he wouldn’t make it in time. It was all up to Leah now. But she wasn’t afraid. Just as he was about to hit her, she created a floor of ice underneath them. The Omega fell off balance, and she took the reprieve to envelop him in a colossal cocoon of ice.

“We only have a moment,” she shouted, waving for everyone to meet up. “George, create a tornado within the cocoon to slow him down.”

“Done,” he said, slapping his palms together. Teller and Jessica descended and Elias carried Jin over.

“Listen, I know how we can end this,” she said. “Not kill him. But stop him for a while.”

“I could use my last Yen,” Jin said wearily. “Force him to be immobile.”

“No,” Aidan said. “Bailey’s right. We can’t just rely on these Yen to fight our battles for us, or we’re never going to win in the future. Bringing back Jin was noble,” he said, turning to Makana and Jessica. “But the consequence is that you’re limited now to the abilities you have. Leah, what’s the plan?”

They heard the smashing of ice behind them.

“The children in Onyx Minor taught me that a battle is not just about your opponent, but also your surroundings. We don’t have the strength to beat Necrosis, but we can stop him. Trap him under the earth, in such a way that he’ll be unable to move no matter how strong he is.”

“I already know how,” Aidan smiled, nodding towards her.

“This is going to be highly dangerous,” Leah said, creating an ice spike and drawing out the plan in the grass. “We might be killed in the process. But if everyone does their job, we have a good chance of coming out on top.”

A roar broke through their discussion as Necrosis removed himself completely from the ice.

“Bailey, Ticker and Elias, you three stay back. Makana and Jessica, do what you were doing while Aidan and I prepare. George, help to keep Necrosis off balance. Isaac and Jin, distract only when necessary.”

The group broke. Bailey, Ticker, and Elias ran off as far as they could while Teller once again took to the skies.

“Ready, hubby?” Leah asked. Aidan nodded with a smile. Necrosis sprinted towards them all, but Makana ran over to meet him and drop kicked him in the face. Jessica and George pulled the Omega onto his back with the momentum and their abilities. Leah and Aidan ran opposite of each other, while the others fought Necrosis in the middle. The married couple each slapped their respective hands together, concentrating on the great power they were about to unleash.

Leah took a deep sigh and began hollowing out the earth beneath Necrosis and the others, siphoning off the dirt, and letting it travel behind her, and then up into the sky, forming another large rock like she had hit the Omega with earlier. Aidan closed his eyes and tried not to concentrate on the grunts and groans of his comrades. He had to trust them now, for everyone to do their part. No longer was he burdened to fight alone. No longer did he have to turn. No live
s
ha
d
to be lost. Not this day.

Makana fought as fervently as she had when they first engaged Necrosis, but Jessica was beginning to get woozy and so more of George’s winds were holding Necrosis’s fists back than her gravity, and the potency wasn’t enough. Necrosis grazed Makana’s left arm and it broke instantly. She cried out in agony but continued her assault.

“We have to do it now!” Teller cried from the skies.

“NO!” Makana bellowed. “When they’re ready! No sooner!” Jessica redoubled her efforts and Teller fought back the urge to intervene. Isaac began swinging his sword in and out of the attacks at the right moments before Necrosis’s eyes, blocking his vision for a second at a time, giving his friends a little more room to maneuver.

“Get ready!” Leah shouted, with her eyes still closed. “I’m doing it...now!”

With the end of her shout, the ground beneath them began to shake. Jin and Isaac ran away from the scene. And five seconds later, the floor beneath them, a quarter of a mile in diameter, became nothing but dust. All that were fighting in the middle began to fall.

George took Jessica with him in a gust of wind that spiraled them upwards, but he was unable to catch Makana as Necrosis had grabbed her ankle in the drop. He squeezed and held on tight, but George didn’t deviate from his purpose. He carried Jessica to safety. Teller dove down into the crevice and into the dark until he heard the grunts of his friend. Makana was still fighting the Omega to the best of her ability, swinging at him with her one good arm and her one good leg. But he couldn’t get a hold on her or Necrosis. Not in the dark.

Then a light illuminated his path, as Aidan began his part of the plan.

Floods of lava began filling up the hole from deep below the earth, filling the bottom of the cavern. Teller wasted no time. He jumped on top of the Omega’s back and stuck his fingers into his enemy’s eyes, forcing him to release his grip on Makana. Wounded and still in free fall, she was unable to reach the cavern lining.

Teller jumped off the Omega’s back and flew to her side, putting her into his arms, but Necrosis managed to grab his ankle in the exchange. He didn’t care. With all the strength he could muster, he carried her to the rock lining and made sure she had a grip on the wall.

Then he let go, allowing his abilities to no longer carry him.

Both Lowsunn villager and Omega hit the sea of lava below, and only one survived. But it didn’t matter. The mission was complete.

“I got her!” George yelled out from above. “I got her!” With his winds feeling out the rock walls for both Teller and Makana, he retrieved her and carried her back to surface.

“Teller’s gone,” she muttered, as he placed her onto the solid ground. “Close it up.” Elias rushed to her side as Leah steadied her woozy head and concentrated one last time. She let the large rock above them free fall until it was half way into the pit, and then it broke up, filling in the surface and the upper half of the pit.

Once she was finished, she collapsed to the grass. Still, before she passed out, she managed to gaze upon Aidan, who was still concentrating, still working to ensure their victory. She knew he would keep a steady hand. She fell asleep with confidence.

Once Aidan was finished, he gave a heavy sigh and plopped down onto his butt. Jin carried over Leah’s sleeping body and laid her next to him. They all sat down, weary but grateful. Bailey rubbed the seals on her arms, but Ticker patted her back. She looked to him, and he shook his head.

“They would be of no use, my friend,” he said. “It would take four seals to bring him to safety. Three for his life, and one to teleport him out of the lava. Teller wouldn’t want that. He would be happy, knowing that his sacrifice was not in vain.”

She nodded, and they sat in silence over his memory. Elias, exhausted, but feeling the sense of calm in the air, spoke up.

“So Necrosis is trapped down there?”

“For a long time anyways,” Aidan sighed. “He might even die there. The lava won’t hurt him, but he certainly can’t swallow it. Of that I’m sure. And there’s no food. No water. I don’t know if he needs those things…but even if he doesn’t, he’ll be constantly swimming to stay afloat. Leah’s created false walls in the lining of the cavern so even if he swims to one end and tries to climb, more lava will pour in, knocking him back. If he makes it somehow to the top, it’s unstable ground. There’s nothing to hold onto.”

“But theoretically, he could get out someday, couldn’t he?”

“Definitely,” Aidan sighed. “If he doesn’t need food or water, and the lava can’t hurt him in any way, then yeah, he has plenty of time to get out. Days, weeks, months. No one knows for sure.”

“So what do we do in the mean time?”

“We live,” Leah said, awakening from her slumber. “We don’t focus on the problem we have no control over. We concentrate on the ones we do.”

“You mean Lowsunn?” Elias asked.

“That’s right,” she smiled, looking at Aidan. “We’ll take care of matters there –”

“– and then we get stronger,” he said with a smile. “Our teamwork today was amazing. It doesn’t matter how you look at it. We felled an Omega today. What’s a few Elders?”