Probably the most exciting chapter, so enjoy and be sure to review please. Thank you!
Chapter XII
The castle itself was much larger than any other building present within the city. There were two towers that stretched off each side. The towers resembled flowers built of crystal and glass. They adopted a cylindrical shape at the top, colored fuchsia, and had "petals" extending out with each lower floor. As one would descend down the tower, the "petals" got lighter in color and larger in size. The center section of the castle was a perfect blue sphere. It was polished so well that it reflected like a mirror. The front courtyard was full of every type of tree imaginable, all green and growing well despite the winter weather. Iron rods were spaced evenly around the property and castle that had blue glowing arcs of electricity running between them, forming a fence. The only way through the actual fence was a huge barred gate plated with solid gold. The actual entrance to the castle was a pair of wooden doors at the dead center of the sphere, with glass steps leading up to it. I couldn't help but click my tongue at the sight.
"It's been a while since I've seen this place. To be honest, I didn't miss it," Mara complained.
"You weren't homesick, Princess?" Saray asked, which turned out to be a mistake. Mara's eyes flashed and her death glare targeted Saray. I recalled the people of Galilee had called her the same thing, but she hadn't reacted in the same way. Saray seemed to wither under the gaze.
"So you did recognize me, you treacherous snake? Do not address me as such anymore. I am no longer that person, understand?" Mara hissed, leaning closer and closer to Saray. Saray tried to back up, but stumbled and ended up sitting down hard on the ground.
"Yes, of course. I'm very sorry," Saray stammered. I grabbed Mara's shoulder and yanked her back.
"I don't know what the problem is, but you need to stop," I warned Mara. She glared at me for a moment before letting the anger in her eyes subside.
"You're very lucky he's duller than a rusty knife," Mara sighed, helping Saray to her feet. Saray just gulped and nodded.
"I'll assume you can make it the rest of the way. I must go and return to the battlefront," Saray explained, before rushing off to leave us with the shadow of the looming castle.
"Now who's duller than a rusty knife?" I asked as soon as I could no longer see Saray. Mara had already begun to stalk toward the castle.
"Just forget it. Let's go," Mara growled. I didn't hesitate to comply. As we walked toward the castle, thunder rumbled even louder from the storm clouds above. I even saw an occasional flash of lightning.
"I wonder if it'll rain," I wondered aloud.
"Instead of worrying about the weather, focus on figuring out how we were going to get inside the fence," Mara ordered. She was right, but something about the weather still unnerved me. As we got closer to the gate, I could see there was an electronic lock, for which we unfortunately didn't have the password. I considered summoning my sword and trying to cut through, but then decided against it. The gate was way too thick. I experimentally tried climbing it once we had reached it, but the metal was too slick. Suddenly I felt a splash of water on my feet. Millions of droplets began to rain down onto us.
"We better figure something out quickly. I have no interest in becoming soaked," I urged Mara, hoping she had thought of something.
"I didn't want to do this, but I hope he didn't change in the code," Mara grumbled under her breath. I didn't know what she meant until she typed in a few numbers in the electronic lock. The gates swung open with ease, like they had been expecting us.
"How'd you know the password?" I asked in astonishment. Mara ignored me and took off running toward the glass stairs. I noticed the minute I enter the courtyard that it was noticeably warmer. The rain began to pound harder as we approached the castle.
Take cover. The Voice suddenly rang through my body. The hairs of my body stood on end and I heeded the advice. I grabbed Mara's arm and pulled her along with me. She struggled against my grip as I hauled her out of the downpour and under a tree.
"What gives?" she protested when I released her. Just then a white hot flash of lightning struck the ground right where we had been standing.
"Thank you God," I whispered a quick prayer to God. The lightning left a scorch mark on the marble path.
"We can't just wait around here. We have to get inside the castle," Mara prompted. I barely heard Mara, as the rain and lightning began to remind me of yet another memory, though it seemed inappropriate at the time.
It was the worst night of my life. The night my parents had died. The rain was pouring down against the window as I stared out into the looming storm. Then a flash of lightning lit up the sky and I shuddered with fear. The door flew open scaring me out of my seat. My father walked in, carrying a wet umbrella. He'd gone outside to tie down the lawn furniture so it wouldn't blow away,
"Don't worry Amos, there's nothing to be scared of," my father reassured me, helping me up and dusting me off.
"Are you sure?" I asked, still whimpering as another bolt of lightning zigzagged across the sky.
"Of course. God will always protect you. Now keep it a secret, but I'm taking your mom out for dinner tonight," my father whispered, giving me a clever grin. I had always loved secrets, as well as keeping them, so his words made me instantly made me forget my fears and worries.
The smell of smoke brought me out of the bittersweet memory. I glanced around to see if a fire had started anywhere.
"Do you smell that?" I asked Mara. Mara nodded. We searched through the rain to try to find the fire, but the downpour made it hard to see more than a few feet ahead of us. I felt a warmth on the back of my neck, quickly growing in intensity. I glanced up to see the branches above our heads aflame. We took off running into the downpour. Lighting continued to strike all around, setting more trees ablaze and filling the air with the smell of ozone. One particular bolt threw me off my feet, sending me sprawling. The taste of blood began to flow into my mouth. Mara appeared at my side and helped me to my feet. After wiping my mouth with my sleeve, we held hands as we continued through the storm. The glass steps proved to be especially difficult to maneuver on, being slick with water. We reached the door, only to find it had been tightly shut.
"Let us in," Mara shouted, banging on it feverishly. I doubted anyone could hear us above the downpour, though. Suddenly, the door gave way and Mara went crashing to the dry floor inside. I pulled her the rest of the way in and slammed the door shut. I slid to the floor, panting. Mara sat herself up and looked at me. Then we just started laughing at each other. We were soaked through, and looked ridiculous. Once our laughter subsided, an eerie silence filled in. There was no sound what so ever. It was like the storm wasn't even right outside the door; the entire castle was cut off from the rest of reality. The entrance room was a marine blue, with tiny pieces of reflective glass randomly stuck in the walls. The ceiling was domed, and several different halls extended away from the room, each with arched ceilings. The floor was marble, like all the streets, only it was pure white, reminding me of the buildings in Vatican State.
"What do we do now?" I asked Mara. Mara pushed herself onto her feet, and then helped me up.
"The only thing left to do. Wander around until we find the King's chamber and defeat him," Mara said. We randomly chose one of the hallways and started down it. As we continued, it began to darken, bringing back memories of traveling through Zion. I shuddered slightly at the unpleasant time and pushed it out of my mind. The hallway brightened again, and we soon emerged in a room that was the equivalent to the former, except it was colored scarlet red. We continued down various new halls and inclines, each new room the same as the first, only different colors. After going through green, purple, and navy- colored rooms, I was starting to get sick of the repetitive architecture.
"What's up with all this? Hasn't the King ever heard of variation in his interior design?" I complained. Mara gave me one of her deadly glares.
"The current King didn't design it. The first King of New Canaan did. These continuous rooms were designed to confuse and slow down invading parties. Only people who've been raised in the castle know their way around perfectly. It was quite effective during past invasions," Mara explained. I thought about it as we continued and agreed with Mara. It certainly confused me. I only trusted that Mara had a vague idea of where we were going. Then again, we could just be wandering around in circles for all we knew. Nonetheless, as we went on, I longed to see something else, some variation. At the very least, to see the outside world. The silence was unnerving and disturbing. My thoughts turned to the battle going on throughout the rest the city. I prayed that everyone was still alive, whether it be fighting or retreating, I didn't care. However, something told me Yalown would keep fighting until the very end.
"Are we there yet?" I grumbled, as we climbed yet another flight of stairs. We emerged inside a magenta room. Instead of having multiple hallways leading away, a single hallway was present, directly in front of us.
"I'd say we about are," Mara concluded, proudly waving her hand to motion in the direction of the single hallway. I suddenly noticed crimson streaks on the floor. So far, all the room had been one color.
"Hold on, something isn't right," I warned.
"Like what?" Mara argued. I didn't answer, because instead of silence enveloping us again, I heard sharp raps coming from down the single hallway. Mara heard them too, because her eyes got wide. Something was coming. Then he emerged from the darkness of the hallway.
"Greetings, children," Commander Joel said, like it was worst thing he could think of. He wasn't looking though. He was pale, almost as bad as Mara. The gash on his forehead was red and swollen, like it had been reopened. His hair was greying and seemed to be falling out. Each word he had spoken seemed forced and raspy, like it hurt him to talk. He wore his white uniform and metal boots, just like his troops had been wearing outside. In addition, his terrible sword hung at his side. However, he was not wearing any bullet cuffs, which seemed strange.
"Commander Joel, what are you doing here?" I asked, stepping in front of Mara to defend her.
"Don't feel honored, you little imp. I'm not here solely because of you," Commander Joel snarled.
"You're not? You don't want to kill me?" I asked, surprised. I figured Commander Joel's obsession with killing me would have driven him to do that.
"Don't get the wrong idea. However, the King thought I was too weak, too old to be in battle. I was set up here on guard duty. It still worked out pretty good. I'll still be able to end your life, albeit in the castle instead of the battlefield," Commander Joel explained, licking his lips with anticipation. He drew his sword and showed it off. It gleamed, showing how it was freshly sharpened. As if to prove it, Commander Joel ran his finger along the sharp edge and a pool of blood dripped onto the floor. I peered into his heart and saw something that would imprint itself on my memory for all time. It was pure black, inky darkness constructed of chaos and malice. Commander Joel fed on death and destruction and he loved it.
"Why is your heart the way it is?" I asked him. The question seemed to catch him off guard and his face twisted into an expression of distaste.
"Let me tell you a story. I was young, probably around your age. I had developed my gift, but do you know what it was? A Gift of Knowledge! It was pathetic. I had always prayed for something exciting, like healing, or prophecy. Granted, it turned me into an excellent tactician and military strategist. However, I hated every moment of it. I grew angrier and angrier with God. You know what though? I harnessed that anger. I discovered the joys of war and killing. Spilled blood had an intoxicating aroma. It corrupted me. Instead of fighting it, I welcomed it. You may say I'm ill or insane, but I feel powerful!" Commander Joel narrated, emphasizing every sentence that bragged of his greatness. The last word echoed for several moments, filling me with chills. Commander Joel was so far gone, that only the Grace of God could save him, but he had rejected it. I realized with a start that I could have become like him. I had been given a gift that had doomed me to endless hunting and fighting that I did not wish to partake in. I could feel anger festering inside me, latching on to my heart. It began to bubble, stir, and grow, like it was very much alive.
"Amos, snap out of it. Don't listen to him. Think of all the good God has done for you," Mara warned, clasping her hand on my shoulder. She had somehow known what was happening in my heart, but I didn't even consider it. Her words snapped me out of the trance, and the anger melted away. Mara was right. God had gotten me out of innumerable bad situations so far. I had to be the one to complete the prophecy, at any cost. I yanked my necklace off and recited Hebrews 4:12. The cross pendant began glowing, and the searing heat filled me. However, the heat was no longer painful, but more comforting than anything. The necklace, its power, was just another of the things God had provided to help me. I truly should be thankful to God, not angry.
"Shut up, old man. I'm sick of you," I growled at Commander Joel. Despite his sickly appearance, Commander Joel grinned wickedly and took a stance. An evil eagerness glinted inside his eyes. My necklace released its final bright flash before extending into its full form of my deadly sword.
"This time, if you plan to defeat me for the final time, you'll have to kill me. I know an imp like you can't do that," Commander Joel taunted. Part of me knew he was right. Commander Joel would hunt to the ends of creation. I also knew I couldn't kill him. My Gift of Mercy wouldn't let me do that. I remembered the first time I had fought Commander Joel, back in Sodom. I had gotten sick when blood had been spilled, and I didn't want a repeat of that. I tried to ignore all this, but it nagged at the back of my mind.
"Enough talk. Let's just fight," I challenged. Mara backed up in the hall, safely out of the way but also close enough that she could watch. Commander Joel and I circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. I was afraid it might come to a stalemate. Then Commander Joel got restless and jabbed at me. I easily blocked the strike. I returned the gesture, also going for a jab. The commander sidestepped out of the way and slashed my wrist. It exploded in pain and blood, but I managed to hold on to my sword. I backed up until I was well away from Commander Joel's range of striking.
"Is that the best you can do?" Commander Joel teased, poking the air with saber, like he was sparing with an invisible opponent.
"I'm not dead yet," I countered. I readjusted my hold to lessen the pain and make sure the blood would stop flowing. The cut wasn't deep, so it didn't take long to stop.
"You will be soon. When that happens, I'll be hailed as a hero and the prophecy will be avoided," Commander Joel bragged, his eyes becoming starry with delusions of grandeur.
"Yeah right. You're nothing but a monster," I corrected him, which he didn't appreciate. I launched my sword for his shin, but Commander Joel jumped up to avoid it. However, my sword rebounded off the floor and the tip dug into the inside of his thigh. Commander Joel hollowed with pain, prancing away from me.
"You little imp. Now you die," Commander Joel cursed. He feinted at my stomach, which I tried to knock away. Instead, he brought his sword down on my shoulder. He pulled it back, digging the cut bigger. My shoulder exploded in pain as blood flowed down my arm. The pain was ten times worse than that of the cut on my wrist had been. I felt like passing out, but I fought off the enclosing darkness. I couldn't hold my sword upright, so it went slack in my hands. I didn't drop it, though the tip clanked against the ground. It didn't make sense. I had been fairly successful in Sodom, where I had no training of any sorts with the sword. Why was this fight so different?
"God, please I beg of You. Help me, please. I need Your strength to guide my sword, so I can fulfill Your prophecy!" I cried out in prayer. Commander Joel broke out in a fit of laughter.
"You really think God will help you, just like that?" he laughed, nearly doubling over. The situation seemed grim. I could feel my confidence and energy draining away. Maybe it was my destiny to die, not complete the dreaded prophecy. Suddenly, the pain in my shoulder ceased and adrenaline kicked into my system. I felt wide awake, like I had just awakened from the best sleep I had ever had. Now I could continue fighting. I straightened myself and retook a solid stance.
"I don't know, I'm pretty good right about now," I said swinging my sword around to prove it. Commander Joel looked pretty surprised, but he got over it.
"You just got lucky, your shoulder is just going numb," Commander Joel protested, though I could see doubt in his eyes. He knew God was on my side, and that I would triumph over the evil that was Commander Joel. He tried to go the most direct way of going of killing me by running his sword through my heart, but I parried away the strike with ease. He tried to injury my other shoulder, but I easily ducked underneath his sword. My movements felt more fluid and free, like I wasn't in control of my body. The sword moved on its own, blocking every strike. My mind raced with endless possibilities of how to defeat, disable, or disarm Commander Joel. I noticed he became angrier and more sloppy with his movements as the match grew longer.
"Think it's just luck now?" I asked, half in taunt and half as an honest question. Commander Joel snarled an indecipherable answer and tried to slash at my chest. I took the opportunity to spin out of the way. I slid the tip of my sword in between his fingers. With the flick of my wrist, my blade nicked his flesh and pried his sword from his hands. The sword skittered across the floor to the opposite end of the room. Commander Joel raised his hands in surrender. I leveled my sword with his chest.
"Go on, do it. End my life," Commander Joel challenged. I considered it for a moment before the Gift of Mercy overwhelmed me.
"No, it's not worth it," I decided, lowering my sword.
"You're weak, just like every other person with the Gift of Mercy," Commander Joel cursed, but his words were hollow. I had defeated him, and that was all there was to it. I turned to Mara and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Let's go," I said. She smiled and started to walk toward me, but came to an abrupt halt.
"Amos, look out!" Mara warned. I didn't understand until I felt icy metal against my throat. Commander Joel wrapped his free arm around me, binding my arms so I couldn't use my sword.
"Like I said, weak," Commander Joel chuckled.
"Let him go," Mara threatened. Commander Joel just laughed in her face.
"Yeah right, Princess. I only take orders from the King. Besides, I already promised I would kill this imp," Commander Joel said. He pushed the blade a little deeper into my neck. It was then that Mara raised her hand that had the ring on it. I shut my eyes tight just Mara pushed the button. There was a whistling sound as the projectile flew through the air. It made contact with Commander Joel, signaled by a spurt of blood that splashed on to my own skin. The flash was so bright I could see it through my eyelids. Commander Joel shrieked and he released his grip on me to rub his eyes. I popped my eyes open and slammed the butt of my sword into his gut. Commander Joel collapsed to the ground, face first and sprawled out. I raised my sword over the spot between his shoulder blade, right where his heart would be. Anger roared in my ears, and any feeling of mercy evaporated from my thoughts.
"Looks like the truth is the other way around," I gloated. I shoved my sword downwards. It pierced through his flesh and I could hear bones shatter. I did it with so much force that when it made contact with the floor, webs of cracks sprouted out around his body. Commander Joel's body shuttered as he looked up at me. He coughed up blood, splattering red all over my pants.
"You are more like me than you realize," Commander Joel chuckled with an evil grin. His body went rigid and his face slammed into the floor. It wasn't until I pulled my blade from his body and saw the crimson stains on my sword did I realize what I had done. I dropped my sword like it was a venomous snake.
"What have I done?" I murmured as a splitting headache invaded my head. I sunk to my knees as nausea and guilt rolled over me.
"Amos," Mara cried out, but it seemed far away. I desperately looked at Commander Joel's corpse, searching for his heart. I couldn't see anything, not even a trace of the darkness- filled cavity it had been. Tears began to flow from my eyes, forming streams on my cheeks.
"What have I done?" I repeated, even quieter than the first time. Mara helped me to my feet. She retrieved my sword, and helped me hobble away from the gruesome sight, all the while I continued to cry my eyes out.