Chapter 30

Projectiles

Balsilide

"Hello President Rikar. My name is Himerish. Now what have you done to my world?"

If Will had expected the sound of Himerish's voice to somehow reduce Rikar to hysterics, she was sorely disappointed. Rikar was prideful to a fault, and looked down at the device in Will's hand with pure disdain.

"Himerish? Am I supposed to know that name?" Rikar asked.

"Yes." Himerish replied. "The fact that you don't means I have failed. But perhaps this would be clearer if I told you my story."

"I'd rather you didn't." Rikar said.

Taranee glared at the Balsilidian president, and lit her fist into a ball of fire. Rikar quickly looked over at Selna, but the young girl made it quite clear that he would receive no help from her.

"But it appears I have no choice." Rikar sighed. "So please, make this quick."

"You should never pass up the opportunity to hear a story." Himerish said. "Stories are more powerful then any weapon on this world, or any other."

Rikar made every indication that he was in no mood for philosophy. Will was glad to see Himerish getting on someone else's nerves instead of her own, but she wondered in Rikar would have reacted the same way to Himerish's face.

"I have had many titles in my life," Himerish a began, "but the one I first had, and the one I will always have, is 'healer'. I help people, I heal wounds, and if I'm lucky, I even save lives. That is why I became a healer when I first lived on Balsilide. With as much modesty as I can muster, I'd even dare to say I was one of the best healers the world had ever known. There were few in my care whom I could not help, but the problem I soon released, were those not in my care."

"What are you talking about?" Rikar said, rolling his eyes.

"Her name was Tamera." Himerish said. "She was beautiful, she was wonderful, and she was dying. But she was also poor. The operation to treat her condition was known, but expensive. And so she died, not because of medical reasons, but because of legal and financial ones."

Taranee looked silently at her watch and frowned. She wasn't sure how much time they had left before their powers were lost. She motioned to Will who, understanding the message, quickly opened a fold and disappeared within it.

"I was furious," Himerish continued, "so I opened a clinic. A free one, so that all who needed help would receive it regardless of the wealth they had. This act was noticed by Kandrakar, who took me to be one of their elders."

Rikar snapped to attention at the sound of Kandrakar.

"You?" he asked. "You are an elder of Kandrakar?"

"I was." Himerish replied. "But I worked hard, bided my time, and eventually I was rewarded. I was named Oracle."

The girls couldn't help but smile in unison as the color drained from Rikar's face.

"You… you're the Oracle." He stammered.

"I accepted the role because I believed I could do good." Himerish said. "I believed I could help those who needed it most, those that could not protect themselves. Yet as time went by, I felt the familiar and crushing grip of bureaucracy close in around me. Kandrakar's rules and regulations stopped us from doing what was necessary. And I, fool that I was, allowed that to stop me. I became part of the machine, instead of fighting it. It took a long time, and five very special girls to set me straight, but I have learned my lesson. Kandrakar will be idle no more."

Rikar stood up straight, defiant to the end.

"But you have no right to stop this war!" he said boldly. "This war is just!"

"This war was created! You said so yourself!" Himerish replied. "This war exists because you, like so many others, have put material goods ahead of the well being of your people! And I will see its end!"

Rikar was now furious, and quickly running out of options.

"Wilder!" he said, turning to his military leader. "Seize the Guardians at once!"

"Actually, I don't think I will." Wilder replied.

"What?"

"I serve the people of Balsilide, not you." Wilder said. "You brought this on yourself."

Rikar looked around desperately, but he was out of options, out of allies, and out of time.

Across the city, Himerish put down the phone and turned to Will, who had appeared earlier through a fold and was now waiting patiently.

"Hate to rush you," Will said, holding up the Heart, "but we're on a bit of a schedule."

"Then let us be off." Himerish said. "It is time for Kandrakar to have an Oracle once more. It is time for this war to end."

Meridian

Aldarn had fought in many battles over the years, but he could never remember any being quite as intense as the one he was in now. When Phobos had been defeated, and when Cedric had been battled in Kandrakar, Aldarn's role in the fight had been small. All he ever had to do was fight some minions while Caleb and the Guardians saved the day. Yet this time, there was no one else. Caleb was fighting Balken, and who knew where the Guardians were. This time, the mantle of responsibility fell on Aldarn's shoulders.

The objective was tantalizingly close. The cannon, aimed at Meridian Castle, was only meters away. It would have taken Aldarn no more then five steps to reach it, and only one swing to sever the wooden axle. Yet within those few meters stood several hundred Balsilide soldiers, all eager to stop Aldarn's progress with a sharp blade. The sight of the enemy soldiers, all huddled together in front of the cannon, was a humbling one for Aldarn. He remembered that the shot was not his. That belonged to Walli. But it was up to Aldarn and the rest of the soldiers to clear away the living shields that Balsilide was using to protect their weapon from ranged attacks. Aldarn was quickly learning that was easier said then done.

Caleb and Balken fought silently through the burning city. There were no more quips or arguments from Caleb, and Balken gave no rebuttals or threats. The two had said all there was to be said, and now their actions would shape the day. The only sounds that could be heard echoing through the streets were the sounds of ragged breathing, and sword against sword.

While both men had turned off their mouths, both of their minds work furiously. For Caleb, he knew the biggest threat to Meridian and Elyon right now was the cannon. Caleb, however, also realized that he was in no position to do anything about the weapon. Even if he could definitively defeat Balken, there was no time for him to wade through the rest of the Balsilide army. He had no choice but to trust in his friends and teammates to do what needed to be done.

The lack of soldiers and fighting going on around Caleb and Balken had all but ceased, telling both men that the attention of their troops was elsewhere. Both men had seen their share of battles, and their instincts told them that the fight had shifted towards where the cannon was located. But while Caleb was trying to figure out what type of plan the Honor Guard may have come up with, he noticed Balken looking into the distance. Sweeping Balken's legs out from underneath him in order to buy some time, Caleb glanced over his shoulder to see Walli posed on his roof top, bow in hand. Balken had seen it too, and both fighters realized that the last hopes of Meridian rested on that arrow.

"All it takes is one arrow." Caleb said.

"All it takes is one slice." Balken replied, readying his sword.

"I'll die before I let you get to Walli."

"Yes, I believe you will."

Caleb gritted his teeth, placed himself between Balken and Walli, and prepared to hold his ground.

Walli focused his thoughts and nothing but his arrow and his target. He banished all thoughts of Caleb, Hoth and Irma, the last of whom he had noticed appearing in his thoughts more frequently. Perhaps when this was done, he would have to take a closer look at why that was.

Walli shook his head clear and focused once more. Only one thing mattered now, only one shot to save the world. Below him, the Meridian forces clashed with those from Balsilide. Meridian would never defeat Balsilide, not in the long run, but they could still complete their objective. Slowly but surely, Aldarn and the rest of the Meridian army had driven a wedge through the Balsilidian defenses. The amount of fighting was still heavy, but gaps were starting to appear. Walli now had long, uninterrupted glances at his target. Within seconds, Walli was confident that his arrow would fly unimpeded, and that the cannon would be crippled.

Walli was just about to fire his last arrow when a scream forced him to stop. To his left, leaping across rooftops towards him was Troth. Walli had managed to scare Troth away earlier in the battle, but the R.E.G. member had returned, and now Walli was alone against him. Sensing he did not have time to both take his shot and defend against Troth, Walli quickly placed his arrow in his quiver and drew his dagger.

Troth leapt onto the rooftop, drawing his sword and advancing on Walli. Any hopes Walli had had of reasoning with Troth vanished as he looked into the eyes of his opponent. There was little left of the man called Troth. He had been consumed with rage, grief, and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance against the man who had killed his brother.

Whatever guilt Walli felt was banished from his mind. The cannon was in firing position, and needed only to be loaded before firing. As Walli fought for his life against Troth, the cannon was indeed being loaded with a large projectile made entirely out of Threbite. Charged magically by Selna, the Threbite was a weapon of incredible destructive power. Walli didn't know any of this, but he assumed the cannon would do sufficient damage to whatever it was aimed at. He also knew that time was running out to stop it.

Troth swung madly with his sword. The attacks were powerful, but also clumsy and wild. Still, it took all of Walli's considerable agility to dodge the blows, while still keeping his footing on the crumbling rooftop. Troth was relentless in his assault, giving no time for Walli to rest or escape. Soon, the long range of Troth's sword had Walli backed into a corner of the rooftop. The fall to the ground was short, and far from fatal, but Walli needed the view from the rooftop in order to make his shot on the cannon. Thinking quickly as Troth moved in, Walli sprinted at his enemy, taking the warrior by surprise. Before Troth could react, Walli had slid underneath his opponent's sword and between his legs. Walli quickly got to his feet and slashed with his dagger, drawing a long line of red across Troth's back.

The injury was enough to make a lesser man think twice before about attacking Walli, but Troth was so fueled by rage that he barely acknowledged the wound. Within seconds Walli was once more running for his life across the rooftop. Walli glanced one more time at where the cannon stood. The projectile had been loaded, and the fuse was about to be lit. He had no more time to defeat Troth, and the shot had to be made. Walli quickly calculated his options, and realized there was only one available too him. Mind made up, he did what had to be done.

In a very short amount of time, a number of things happened. First, Walli drew his arrow from his quiver and notched it in his bow. Aiming quickly but carefully, he drew the bow back, and fired his final arrow. As he did this, Walli dropped his defenses, allowing Troth to move in. Seeing his opportunity, and knowing full well what Walli was trying to do, Troth drove his sword into Walli's right arm. As Walli screamed in pain, his arrow flew over the Meridian countryside, having been released just before Troth had attacked. The arrow missed fighting soldiers by only inches and as a result of Walli's expert aim Aldarn's hard work, the arrow hit the wooden axle of the cannon square and true. Mere seconds after the cannon had fired.

Walli, Aldarn, Caleb and the rest of the Meridian troops could do nothing but watch as the glowing projectile soared through the air, heading towards the great city of Meridian.