The End of the Fantasy (Book #6 of the Sage Saga) (13 page)

He turned to Seeker and motioned for the King to come to his side. Seeker was cautious, but obedient, approaching carefully as he examined Lily from head to toe. Once he was able to see inside her open wound, his eyes widened in horror. He looked up into her eyes and saw the terror he was hoping to see. The terror that confirmed his suspicions.

That she was the stone.

And not that she possessed it.

Lily screamed as Seeker violently reached out and grabbed the sides of her face, manically grinning as he shouted at her, screaming for her to be absorbed into his body, and to give him the power he craved.

Bastion heard her cries and he knew that they were both in trouble. No matter how hard he fought back, the Yama weren’t being pushed back.

And why not?

Why
couldn’t
he overcome them? When they were the ones who were afraid of him and his power? What was he lacking? He had all he needed at his disposal, but he didn’t know how to unlock it. When he transformed and lost himself…Lily had said that something else controlled him, but whatever took over his body, it always led toward self-preservation. Its goal never steered away from survival.

Whatever it was, it wanted him to live.

And in a situation like this, was that really so bad?

Bastion let himself get cut by the Yama.

Four blades slicing through his torso, breaking bone and ripping muscle and tissue. The shock of the blow was so mind-numbing that his eyes rolled in the back of his head, and his body staggered backwards. His grip loosened over his eidolons but in the next second, they tightened. His head snapped back. His stance stabilized.

And his eyes were as black as night.

He leapt forward and stuck his eidolons through the chin and into the skull of one of the Yama, killing it instantly. He wretched his blades from his enemy and then swung them in an arch, decapitating another. The remaining two came at him together, swinging their blades down upon his head, but at the last second, he blocked both with his Gladius eidolons, having them stretched overhead in an X position. He broke the X formation and slashed through both of the Yama’s swords, shattering them to pieces. The Yama staggered back in surprise.

He decapitated them both without a second thought.

Without hesitation, he ran to where Seeker, Mason, Lily and the huge Yama were. He ran up the back of one of the Yama and thrust both of his eidolons through the base of its skull. He then leapt to the other’s back before it could react and performed the same action. He then leapt into the air, ready to attack Seeker and end it all…when Seeker looked up at him and smiled.

With a naked hand outstretched, the center of Seeker’s palm began to glow a faint blue.

And then he shot Bastion with a blue beam of energy so powerful and dense that it incinerated the robes off the young Sage completely. Bastion fell onto his back in the meadow with the wind knocked out of him, and his mind suddenly filled with unnerving clarity. He leapt to his feet and felt the ache of his joints, the sear of his flesh and the tightness of his muscles under his smoking clothes. He had survived the attack, but it had certainly taken its toll on his body. It had been more than enough to knock him out of his manic state.

“I like your girlfriend,” Seeker replied, licking his lips.

“Shut up,” Bastion seethed, the eidolons in his hands shining so bright that Seeker could barely see the boy anymore. “Just let her go.”

“She’s a
stone,
” he scoffed. “What do you care?”

“She’s not a stone. She’s a person…and I love her.”

“Then I’m definitely not giving her back. You’ll have to take her from me.”

“Please,” Bastion said, the words cutting him deep. Sure he could simply engage in battle with Seeker, but he knew that with every attack his enemy released, Lily would be used like a weapon. She could beg and plead all she wanted for her host to stop, but she would have no control…no say. And the longer the battle waged on, the more her humanity would wane, realizing that it was better not to express herself until it was all over. And until then, it was better to stay silent and to go cold.

To become the stone.

He didn’t want her to feel that way for a single second.

“Are you begging?” Seeker asked him, and Bastion nodded.

“What do you want from me?” Bastion asked, letting his arms hang down to the ground.

“You would give yourself up in exchange for her well-being?”

“I would,” he said. “Because she’s the only one in this world that understands me. I lose her…and there’s no point in going on. I need her to survive.”

“You didn’t always have her,” Seeker said warily. “I don’t get it.”

“That’s how love works I guess. You’re just existing until the one that completes you comes into your life. Then you forget what life was like before them—or worse, you remember all too well. Either way, you can’t go back to that time in your life. Death is better.”

“Interesting,” Seeker said, glancing over at Mason. Mason was chuckling under his breath, bowing his head while he closed his eyes. “Yes,” Seeker said, turning back to Bastion. “My sentiments exactly. While it is just wonderful that you’ve found love, even if it is from a stone, you have to remember…now that I have her, I wouldn’t give her up for anything. With this stone in my grasp, Allay gains more power.
I gain more power
. And I can cut you down myself. There is no downside to keeping my hold over her. You just have to ask yourself if you’re willing to die trying to get her back. Because that’s all that faces you now. That, and running…you can do that if you’re feeling like a coward.”

Bastion didn’t respond. He steeled his resolve and glared at Seeker, watching the King’s hands glow radiantly.

I have all the power I need.
The words echoed through his mind. He didn’t need to lose consciousness to reach a deep pool of power. It was right there all along. Deep inside of him.

He just needed the motivation to reach it…and Lily was his muse.

It wasn’t about him anymore.

It was about her.

It was never about him.

It was always about
them.

Was that the lesson the mysterious controller was trying to teach him in his subconscious? Why the puppet master was keeping him alive for so long? In order for him to understand?

That his life was not his own, but for the survival and progression of the human race?

He was made to help them evolve into something greater than themselves. Surely this was it.

He was the beacon of hope that all could strive for.

He was the light in the darkness of their minds.

When they would grow tired of the daily grind, the suffering and travesty that plagued their lands. The threats of invasion or slavery. The weight of debt. The mourning and the loss…he would be there to guide them. To lead them to better.

He had all the power he needed.

And so did they.

They too were being controlled by one thing or another, losing themselves and their consciousness and then acting out of anger, frustration and anxiety. They didn’t know how to solve the equation. To learn the lesson. To reach the solution.

But he had.

He understood.

You have all the power you need. Let me show you how to reach it.

It was as if time slowed down for Bastion. For in that instance, he said no to the fear that clawed at him from the inside. He let go of the past. He stomped out the frustration and the anxiety. He embraced confidence. He befriended strength. He transformed his mind.

It didn’t matter that it was only for a little while.

Because a little while was all he needed to get the job done.

The task at hand.

But in the future, all he had to do was remember this moment, and transform his mind again.

And again.

And again.

And again. Until those minutes turned into hours and those hours into days and he finally became the person he strived to be. To reach the potential he sought after, and to embrace the life he thought was unattainable. One thought at a time. One action after another.

It was not his uncanny power that would save them all.

It was the willing transformation of himself.

Seeker fired off beams of energy, as large as pillars at Bastion at a rapid rate, but the young Sage leapt and rolled out the way as if they were as slow as snowflakes, floating down from the sky. Seeker’s eyes widened as Bastion closed the gap between them, his face that of stone, his countenance that of focus and acceptance of was to come. There was no doubt that he would save Lily.

In his mind, it was already done.

He ran through the last beam of energy, and he didn’t feel a thing. As Seeker screamed in rage, firing and firing until he was sure Bastion would disintegrate into ashes, the young Sage chuckled and thrust his eidolons into the King’s chest. He gripped the hilts as tight as he could, and then twisted, cutting through Seeker’s torso with such force that the King was rendered unconscious instantly. As he crumpled down to the grass, and the light of the energy beams subsided, Bastion reached into the King’s chest, found
his
heart, and removed it.

Bastion put the stone to his chest and let it melt into his skin as he glanced down at the King of Allay, gasping and reaching desperately for his last breaths.

“NO!” Mason screamed as he leapt onto Bastion’s back and stabbed the young Sage in the spine, sending him face down in the dirt. Bastion grunted as Mason continued stabbing him, yelling and screaming for his enemy to die. Bastion ignored the numbing sensation that flooded his body. He just held on tight to Lily, waiting until she was nice and secure within him.

Surprisingly Mason stopped, as a strange gurgling sound broke through his tirade. Mason turned and saw Seeker, still alive, but barely. Mason looked back at Bastion and then at Seeker, but in the end, he chose the King over vengeance. He reached down and pressed his palms against the King’s gaping wound, whispering in his ear and telling him to heal. Asking him to remember his training. Seeker choked on his own blood in reply and Mason reached down to pick up the dying King.

Mason placed Seeker in his arms and began walking away, drenched in blood. A dozen Yama came from the tree line, and Mason spoke to them softly. One of them nodded and then they walked slowly over to Bastion—still unable to move—and picked him up.

He didn’t mind.

As long as Lily was safe.

“So there’s no way we can check out the shops?” Talia asked as they walked along Delahcourt’s streets. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“You have a problem,” Catherine laughed as Talia bit her lip. They had just passed a store with large glass windows, and shelves of intricately woven dresses were on display, with colors so vibrant and soft that Talia swore she could feel the fabric through the glass if she tried.

“Zhou would have loved to check out the hats.”

“And he is exactly why we’re going to keep moving,” Catherine replied. “As wonderful as this place appears, we have a mission to complete.”

“A mission that I hope doesn’t interfere with our way of life,” Wilheim replied, rubbing his hands together softly. Daisy rolled her eyes and Marie chuckled.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go inside the Yama headquarters when we arrive?” Catherine asked him. Wilheim shook his head vehemently.

“I don’t know what your intentions are. I’m more than happy to play the escort, but that is where our union ends. If violence should break out, I’m afraid of getting tears in my clothes.”

“I’m afraid that I might be with Wilheim on this,” Marie said low. Catherine stopped in her tracks. She turned to face Marie so slowly that people passing by on the street gave them strange glances. They could feel the tension even from afar.

“With Wilheim on what?” Catherine asked, putting her hands on her hips. Marie laughed and put her hands up in peace.

“I’m saying that when we get there, I might have Wilheim escort me back to the city. Just in case some violence breaks out.”

“You’re part of the group!” Catherine yelled. The people in the street began to murmur as they passed. “We’re in a strange land and we’re headed straight for the Yama headquarters. We need to stick together!”

“Hey, I said that I would be with you for as long as I wanted and that’s it. I never declared my undying devotion. Besides, it will be good to have one person still in the city, gathering intelligence and information on the history.”

“And is that your true intentions?”

“I’m a Prattlian,” Marie replied. “Gathering information for the sake of debate and higher learning is always my true intentions. But really, Catherine, how much help would I be in a battle. I would be nothing more than a glorified drummer boy.”

“But what if we need you for diplomacy?” Catherine asked, and Marie shrugged her shoulders.

“You can handle it.”

“Yeah, right. You’re just afraid of going.”

“No, not at all,” she said, placing a hand on Catherine’s shoulder. “I really think that you’ll be able to handle this. Just be cautious, and remember that in this particular case, you need to be selfish. As much as you might want to come to a mutual agreement, you must look out for our interests and not that of the Yama’s.”

“And so, just like that, our journey together is over…is that what you’re saying?”

“I wanted to wait until we reached the headquarters,” Marie replied, removing her hand. “But I see no reason in delaying this now.” To Catherine’s surprise, Marie wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her tight. “I did enjoy our time together, and I won’t forget it. Should you make it back, I would love to continue adventuring with you, if you will have me.”

“We’ll think about it,” Talia said, grabbing Marie’s hand. Marie left Catherine and embraced Talia and then she gave a hug to Daisy as well. Catherine, however, was still in shock.

“It will feel strange without you,” she said, trying to keep the lump in her throat from getting larger. “I didn’t think I would care this much.”

“Neither did I,” Marie smirked, giving Catherine a wink. “But I’m sure you won’t miss my mouth too much.”

“You
do
talk a lot.”

“That I do,” she said, turning to Wilheim. “Listen here. These women have a penchant for violence. I will have nothing more to do with them at the moment and neither should you. And so, in order to take my mind off of them and their terrible ways, escorting me to the finest shops is of the utmost importance. They can head to the headquarters on their own. No need to take them.”

“If that’s what you think is best,” he said nervously. Marie took his arm and folded it under hers.

“That would be my expert advice,” she said, looking back at the three Sages before her. “Take care, my friends. I’ll expect a full report when you return.”

“If you’re lucky,” Daisy said. “We might keep all the information to ourselves.”

“That would be mean,” Marie muttered as she pulled at Wilheim’s arm and they began walking back toward the heart of the city. Catherine, Daisy and Talia watched them disappear into the crowd, and then they went back to their journey, feeling a lot weaker as a whole.

“What do you think will happen when we get there?” Daisy asked, looking off into the distance. It seemed like the streets of the city, as well as the crowds of people, went on forever.

“I’m hoping we can talk it out,” Catherine sighed. “But I doubt it. We never have such luck.”

“Aren’t the Delilah and the Yama enemies?” Talia asked. “Now that Wilheim’s gone, I’ve been meaning to bring that point up. I don’t get how he can casually show us the way if what we heard from Lakrymos is true.”

“It might be why Marie decided to stay back. As a Prattlian, she can arrive at the truth of all this a lot quicker than we can. She might have said all that back there for Wilheim’s benefit.”

“Or she never was with us in the first place,” Talia muttered.

“Either way, the Yama headquarters is where we’re headed. And to address your point, Talia, maybe they have reached a mutual stand-off in the past couple of years. You know. The Yama stay on one side and the Delilah stay on the other.”

“Or the Delilah and the Yama are one and the same.”

“If that’s true, then it won’t be good for us,” Catherine sighed. “I hope you’re wrong.”

*              *              *

The second Bastion felt that he had healed up enough, he kicked out of the grip of the Yama holding him. Dropping down to the ground, his eyes instinctively landed on the castle. Realizing that he was still in the meadow, he unsheathed his eidolon and began slicing away at his enemy’s legs. Being that they were just ordinary Yama, they were easily felled, and in seconds he was away from them, running to the tree line at the edge of the meadow. After he cleared the trees, he kept on running, heading toward the castle wall. He knew that he couldn’t leap it, but with his eidolons, he could surely climb, and he had enough strength for that. Just as he reached the stone wall, a whisper nearly stopped him in his tracks.

“Why aren’t we going to the castle?” she asked. Bastion smiled, for he was glad to hear her talking, and then he took out his eidolon to begin the climbing process.

“I have no idea where Seeker is at this point. He’s probably heavily guarded, and I don’t have the energy to face more Yama. I know when I’m close to my limits.”

“We failed, didn’t we?” Lily replied, her voice so low that he barely heard her, even though she was inside of him.

“No, it’s just a setback,” Bastion said. He grunted as he summoned a second eidolon and threw it above him into the wall. He leapt up and grabbed the hilt, causing the one he had previously been standing on to disappear. “We need some time to rest before we try this again.”

“They’ll be more prepared next time.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Bastion?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry I got caught.”

“You never have to be sorry for that,” he chuckled, leaping up the wall again.

“I don’t want to be the damsel in distress.”

“You’re not. You helped me more than you know back there. If they had all attacked me at once, I’m not sure I would be here right now.”

“It’s not going to happen again. I promise.”

“Well, I can’t promise that. I might get captured next time and then you’ll have to be the one saving me.”

“You
would
get captured,” she chuckled, and he smiled.

“I’m just that kind of guy,” he said back. She didn’t laugh.

“Bastion…” she began. “You…you took that last energy beam. How did you do that?”

“What do you mean?”

“The energy that Seeker was putting out. He didn’t care about how much of his life he had to give up at that point. He was pumping out as much as he could to stop you…and you just took it. Like it didn’t even effect you…how is that possible? Did you lose yourself?”

“No,” Bastion said, reaching the top of the wall. He pulled himself up and stood to his feet, sighing in relief once he saw the forest and Prattle in the distance. “I found myself.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll tell you about it on the way to Prattle.”

“Okay,” she chuckled. “I’m definitely ready to hear this one…so…Prattle, huh?”

“The last free Kingdom in the land,” Bastion sighed happily. He closed his eyes and smelled the scent of the pine trees as a breeze rolled past his face.

“You seem different,” Lily said, and Bastion liked hearing that.

“I feel different,” he said, looking out over the land. “I’m more at peace, I think. And…I’m in love with you. That helps a lot.”

“You’re so hopeless,” she giggled. He just smiled as he leapt off the wall.

“Hopelessly in love with you.”

“Oh goodness,” she laughed. “Just kill me now.”

*              *              *

They had been out of the city for hours, walking through the night and into the dawn. A desolate road of rocks and bronze sand. Red sky and no life in sight. Not a tree. Not an animal. At least they had the ocean to behold. Sitting at their side as they walked was a cliff face, and the ocean was just beyond it, massaging the earth, and providing a soothing lullaby to accompany the weary travelers.

Catherine didn’t realize how long it had been since she slept than when they took the road to the Yama headquarters. They had walked in silence the entire time, and she found her legs beginning to wobble under exhaustion. How long
had it been?
Two days? Three? It was Daisy who finally tapped her back and motioned for her to lay down and take a nap. Catherine didn’t retort. She did as she was told while Daisy and Talia kept watch.

Though it felt like only minutes had passed, the reprieve did wonders on her psyche, and so they continued on, once again in silence.

When they reached their destination, they weren’t sure how to proceed. Sandwiched between two triangular rock mounds, a large, boxy building made of clay stood before them. There were no windows and just one door, also made of clay. It didn’t look intimidating at all, but by following Wilheim’s directions, it had to be the place.

“You think he sent us this far just to make us tired?” Talia laughed, scratching her head violently. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“It doesn’t look like much,” Daisy said. “And my eidolon isn’t picking up anything…wait…it’s faint, but something is below the building. I think the building is just a façade.”

“I could have told you that,” Talia chuckled. “It couldn’t have taken that long to build.”

“The Yama Headquarters,” Catherine said in disbelief. “If that’s true, then I would rather not go in through the front door.”

“What do you suggest?”

“I’m thinking that we should head below. We might be able to catch them off guard.”

“Any ideas on how we can do that?” Talia said, raising her eyebrows. Daisy sighed and looked at the ground beneath her feet.

“We might be digging for a while, so let’s get started!” Daisy’s Sage robe fell over her as she summoned her hook eidolons. Her eyebrows scrunched up and then she began fashioning her swords into enormous shovels. Even before they were complete, she began the digging process, plowing down so furiously that Talia didn’t even try to help. She just stood back and shielded her eyes. Catherine backed away and watched over the entrance to the “Yama Headquarters,” trying to see if anyone was watching or thinking about intervening, but all was quiet as far as she could tell. Catherine turned her attention back to the young Sage and saw that she had disappeared from her view. The faint sounds of digging and scraping against rock could be heard from below the surface. Talia laughed and shouted into the hole.

“Make sure you leave room for all of us. We don’t want to land on your head!”

“How will we even know she’s finished?” Catherine asked and Talia shrugged her shoulders.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” someone screamed from behind them. They both turned to see a young man with slick black hair in a silk flowery robe, running frantically toward them. He was waving wildly as Catherine prepared to take out her eidolon, putting a closed fist to her hip. He must have recognized the motion because he stopped dead in his tracks.

“No, no,” he pleaded, waving his hands in surrender. “There’s no need to violence. You are our guests here.”

“Guests?” Catherine scoffed. “Of the Yama?”