Chapter 57

 

‘Don’t judge a thing until you know what’s inside it

Don’t push me – I’ll fight it

Never gonna give in – never gonna give it up no

If you can’t catch a wave then you’re never gonna ride it

You can’t come uninvited

Never gonna give in – never gonna give it up no

You can’t take me – I’m free’*

 

Solin’s point of view

 

Anubis made no attempt to conceal his initial surprise as the figure stepped further from the shadows, still hidden by his hood. However, his Aversion was too clear for him to mistake. He let his telekinetic bolt fizzle away, turning fully towards the shadow.

“What are you doing here?” Anubis demanded, his voice shaking slightly. “You no longer have any significant strength!”

Kevin’s bass voice was filled with anger and malice, and his deep chuckle sounded chilling even to me.

“Strength or no strength, did you really expect me to just sit back and let you run around, destroying everything you encounter?”

“You are no fool, I have learned that. You would not risk such a dangerous encounter.” Anubis exclaimed. “I don’t understand…”

Kevin took another step forwards towards Anubis.

“No, I didn’t think you would,” Kevin’s voice was dripping with contempt, his glowing eyes narrowed. “I’m stopping your little games right now.”

Anubis steadily gained confidence when Horus stood by his flank, despite both of them being unnerved. He dared a sneer at Kevin arrogantly.

“Even if you had the power and skill to face me, you couldn’t face both of us.”

“You don’t understand because both of you have lost your capacity for compassion. I will protect them, or die trying. I won’t give up.”

Anubis laughed sharply and mockingly. “I still hold dominance over you, ‘Ka Mesha’!”

The jackal Ancient thrust his paw out towards Kevin, and each of the remaining spirits, Horus, Kevin and I, flinched as his power was unleashed. Anubis directed his might at Kevin’s form, striving to manipulate his mind, and control him. Yet, Kevin merely raised his palm up in front of him, all hate and anger draining from his face, as he abruptly appeared to regard Anubis with sudden indifference. Whatever Anubis was hoping for failed due to this one, seemingly harmless gesture.

The jackal scowled, “What sorcery of your is this?”

“Not mine, Anubis,” Kevin stated plainly. “It’s yours.”

“What?”

“You said it yourself Anubis: ‘positive emotions create while negative emotions destroy’.”

Anubis was becoming agitated with Kevin’s unyielding determination, and stepped back. Horus followed suit, his courage linked to Anubis.

“Be gone, Soul Warrior! Your time is over!” Anubis screeched nervously.

“No,” Kevin retorted with horrible finality. “You’ve pushed me too far this time, Anubis. It’s over for you, because I’m no longer your puppet – I’m free.”

Sensing the growing tension between the two sworn enemies, I ushered Flyer towards the band of humans.

“This will get nasty,” I whispered urgently. “Get out of here: all of you.”

“But-” Flyer stammered.

“No buts! Go!” I snapped.

I watched their retreating figures leave before turning back to the two combatants. Anubis was growling and dropping to a fighting stance. Horus was backing off, clearly willing to let Anubis deal with Kevin alone.

Kevin, himself, took once last step forwards into the moonlight, streaming through the windows. In one graceful swoop, he swirled his trenchcoat off and threw it aside. His bare chest was revealed, riddled with scars from his past, each a medal of his bravery or a symbol of his memories. He, too, fell into a fighting stance, and I realised that they were both going to fight hand-to-hand in a physical duel.

I held my breath as they became motionless, a deafening silence descending over the darkened room.

Then, like the snap of a frayed nerve, they simultaneously roared and lunged at each other, claws meeting flesh in a terrible clash…

 

Flyer’s point of view

 

“We should follow her advice and head for safety,” I insisted.

AJ furiously shook his head: “No way, man! Brian’s still in there! We can’t leave him!”

Leighanne agreed, and pushed her way past Howie and AJ, returning for the store.

“I’m going back to him!” she declared, tearful.

“No, Leighanne!” I cried, flying after her and hovering before her. “Those spirits in there hold vast power that should not be underestimated. Getting caught in a battle between them would be fatal.”

The others looked torn between common sense and loyalty.

“Fine, we stay here, if you will not head home. Lets hope our shadowy warrior win’s through.”

“Who was that, anyway?” Howie asked, his voice awed by the terrible snarls that could be heard from the store.

“I don’t know, friends… but I assume he is Solin’s solution to this mess…”

 

Solin’s point of view

 

Forced to duck once more as the combatants clashed into one another with unrivalled force, I groped for a hold on Brian’s jacket, trying to pull him to safety. I heard Kevin’s grunt of pain, and I was given no warning when he was thrown heavily into me, knocking us both away from Brian’s unconscious form. Barely realising I was there, he darted back up and threw himself at Anubis, catching the jackal in the chest and sending them both smashing into another isle. I winced as I saw the fountain of cans and packets thrown about and rebounding back into them. However, they seemed oblivious to anything but each other.

Turning back to Brian, I found a grip on his jacket at last, and started hauling him to the exit. Unable to interfere in the duel without getting in the way, I could only hope to be helpful by getting this human out of danger.

Chancing another look at the battle, I gasped as Anubis picked up a can and hurled it at Kevin. It struck him in the chest heavily. Crouching in a pile of cans, he picked up another missile from his endless supply. The second hit Kevin on the shoulder, the third sailing into his wing and bending it back awkwardly. Anubis took this chance to dart upright and batter Kevin in the face with a fourth can. There was a sickening thud as metal met flesh. Kevin barked in agony, reeling backwards, his hands clamping like a vice over his cheek. The Ancient struck him again and again, mercilessly giving no chance to retaliate.

Kevin let out an enraged roar, knocking Anubis back with a huge, straining beat of his wings. Free from the barrage of blows, the warrior pounced over to the next isle and melted into the shadows.

Anubis recovered quickly and, thinking Kevin had fled, spotted me. He chortled evilly, stalking towards me. I wanted to run, flee to safety, yet I knew I had no choice, hampered with Brian’s frame. I reached out one paw to charge up a bolt, but against Anubis, it was futile.

He got closer, baring his teeth. Where was Kevin? Had he fled himself? I contemplated dropping Brian to fight back, but that could have injured him. The jackal was coming too close. I gently let Brian slip to the floor unharmed, yet Anubis was within striking distance. I covered my head in my arms as he growled and pounced.

“Rrrrraaaaaahh!”

Anubis was hit sideways by a darting shadow. Wings unfurled for balance as the two spirits tumbled across the tiled floor and blurring into one form momentarily. I sighed: Kevin hadn’t retreated after all. Kevin gained the advantage, pinning the Ancient down with his weight, while his scaled claws rent at

Anubis’ black face. Convinced he was fine on his own, I picked Brian up, and swinging his arm around my shoulder, trudged out of the building.

 

AJ’s point of view

 

“Is Solin still in there?” I quizzed, wincing at the crashing noises emanating from the store building. “Shouldn’t we help them out, Flyer? Both she and Brian could be in trouble!”

“Alright, I’ll go first, and follow when I signal you.” The Valedron agreed.

Flyer glided forwards, slowly checking the entrance. However, a spear of blue light plummeted downwards between Flyer and us, cutting us off from him. The light materialised into the falcon Ancient, Horus.

I gasped, backing off towards the others. Yet, we were all defenceless. Without Solin, or her mysterious friend, we wouldn’t last five seconds. Flyer was the only thing close to helpful now, but he was on the other side of him.

Horus gleefully rubbed his wings together, “Well, well. If it isn’t Zakkar’s human friends!”

“Crap…” I muttered, eyes wide is fear.

“While Anubis is busy, I get you all to myself!” he exclaimed cunningly. “You cannot – OW!”

Horus jolted upright sharply, spinning on his heel. And there, biting savagely into his tail-feathers, was Flyer. Horus squawked in indignation, as Flyer hung persistently on to him, especially since he was ridiculing him during his moment of triumph.

I made a desperate dive for the falcon, trying to grab his scrawny throat. It was a great mistake, though. Horus managed to flick me backward with his wingtip with unimaginable power. I tumbled to a halt at Howie’s feet. Flyer was right – we were no match for them.

The Ancient had managed to regain some composure and control, deftly grabbing Flyer’s throat. He snarled at the small reptile angrily, squeezing his throat: “Pitiful insect!”

 

Kevin’s point of view

 

I had him now. My rage bubbling over, unstoppable, I hauled Anubis up against the wall and smashed my balled fist into his face. He was knocked aside easily, and I grabbed his collar again, and hit his black face the other way. Relishing this moment, I grabbed the front of his cloak and threw him towards the adjacent wall. His back connected it with a sickening smack. Leaving him no chance to recover, I clawed three scratches on his muzzle. I repeated the attack, maiming his features with slashes and blood.

Just as I was about to think up something new to do to him, my vision blurred to a deep crimson, irritating my eyes. I blinked, trying to clear it. Nothing happened. Still red. I wiped at my eye, and brought my claws away crimson.

Blood.

Pinning the jackal with one claw, I used the other to furiously wipe at the crimson liquid dribbling into my eye from a gash on my forehead. It was hastily cleared. Yet, to my dismay, Anubis was grinning at me, one paw held in front of my face. It was glowing with a charged white energy. It struck me what he was doing – it was a telekinetic bolt…

With no time to move, he released the blast into my face, only inches away. I screamed in agony, thrown backwards by the force, tumbling to the floor. My wings sprawled out under me uselessly, as I clutched my face, scalded, half-blinded and tortured by pain. I rolled onto my stomach in anguish.

“I warned you, little Soul Warrior,” Anubis mocked, his voice hoarse. “Now, I finish what I started… follow me, if you can…”

 

Solin’s point of view

 

‘I want to heal
I want to feel
What I thought was never real
I want to let go of the pain I've held so long
[Erase all the pain 'til it's gone] I want to heal
I want to feel
Like I'm close to something real
I want to find something I've wanted all along
Somewhere I belong’**

 

I propped Brian up, hearing him moan painfully as he stirred. I left him safely by the wall, away from the conflict. I had no time to wait for him to wake up. I had spied Horus’ confrontation, and Flyer was in trouble – I could hear his strangled cry from the wall of the building.

I charged at Horus, who immediately dropped Flyer and side-stepped to avoid me. Yet, too late did he act. I caught his wing in my snapping jaws and bit deeply into it. He squawked in distress, tearing loose from me. I spat away feathers that I had torn off from him. I narrowed my eyes at him, and his barrier of courage and pride dissolved in that instant.

“Anubis was unwise to come against you painful pests! He can deal with you himself!”

The falcon dissipated to a mist, which floated swiftly towards the stars. I tore my eyes away from the fleeing Ancient as a roar of pure agony rent the air… from the human building.

“No…” I breathed numbly, sensing Kevin’s Aversion weakening significantly, so much that I could barely feel it. “No…”

Just as Horus had departed, Anubis came stumbling out of the store, darting towards our group. He shook his paw at the sky furiously.

“Cowardly sparrow!” he spat accusingly. “You’ll pay for this, Horus!”

His words were lost, and he was left shouting at the stars.

I stared at Anubis, disbelieving. He looked even more terrifying, his face riddled with scratches, his body bruised, and limping badly. His Aversion flickered with instability, like a candle in a breeze, but on the other hand, it was still alarmingly stronger than mine was. This was nothing, however, compared to my distressed mind working out that if Anubis was here, Kevin had failed.

“You can’t have…” I shook my head, shocked.

Anubis just sniggered at me with malice. His paw came flashing down, grabbing my throat. I struggled against his grip, feeling myself being drained of energy.

“We has always been weaker than me!” Anubis claimed gleefully. “I warned him! You should never have brought him here! And now, you will pay for your compassion towards that outcast!”

I felt numb inside – I had convinced him to return only to fight and lose. I was so assured that he would prevail. I stopped struggling, tears stinging my feline eyes. I resolutely accepted my wayward role in Kevin’s destiny, and wished for death as punishment.

“Then kill me…” I croaked weakly as my life was sucked away, “… and release me from … this torturous existence…”

Anubis’ face suddenly contorted in wide-eyed disgust. He deftly tossed me aside to the tarmac of the road.

“I will not give you what you wish!” he bellowed. “You will suffer, not be released!”

I didn’t attempt to stand. I just slumped onto the hard floor, near Bodai’ran, the Frontier, near death. Through blurring vision, blinded by delirium and tears, I watched as Anubis stood before Kristin and began to charge a white bolt to finish his original purpose in this place – to kill her.

I turned away, unable to watch. My eyes drifted to the entrance instead. Unexpectedly, a flicker of strength, a flame of loyalty, rekindled in my sensed. With mounting awe, I saw a scaly claw clamp around the doorframe. A second claw gripped the wood above the first.

It can’t be…

A head peered out of the doorway, the expression pained yet grim. The figure rose, stepping heavily out of the store. The long, dark hair… the expressive, green eyes… the dragon wings… No, I wasn’t imagining it…

Fuelled by his infallible loyalty, compassion and bravery, Kevin charged wordlessly at his nemesis. Time seemed to slow, and each step of his sprint towards the Ancient seemed drawn out and strained. Anubis yelp as his back was struck echoed, mingling with the sound of whirring as the translucent telekinetic bolt flew at an angle towards the sky, harmlessly. The world seemed to speed up to the normal rate as Anubis tumbled to the ground.

Kevin took one step forward, then froze.

I blinked… what was he doing? Surely he wouldn’t miss this chance to finish of his sworn enemy?

“Hate, revenge and violence are the tethers that bind us to misery... hope and compromise are the blades that will cut us free...”

Kevin was speaking in his mind… to himself, it seemed. Yet, I heard his unspoken words, wondering what he was contemplating.

He moved again, but stepped back. He took another, and another. He stopped again. He crouched. I frowned at him, bewildered. With a whoosh of air and the forceful beating of huge wings, Kevin jumped upwards, and hovered a metre in the air. His glowing blue eyes faded to a deep crimson, while his claws began to pulse red, not white, energy. Throwing back his head and throwing his arms wide, he let out a roar of pure hate and anger, the light in his eyes growing more intense. The lampposts in the streets flickered and sparked as a pervading wave of energy flowed from the hovering figure. Kevin’s furiously beating wings were stirring up a gale, knocking everyone to the floor. Flyer, being smallest, was tossed by the wind, his wings flailing uselessly in the growing tempest, until AJ managed to grab his stubby tail.

Kevins bellowing died down, and he stopped flapping, falling heavily to the floor. He lifted his head, and his eyes had lost their glow: they were calm… compassionate. His strides back towards Anubis were indifferent, free of hate.

Anubis eyed Kevin warily: “Well, Zakkar, you finally beat me. Make it quicker than I did, I beg you…”

“I’m going to kill you,” Kevin claimed flatly.

I gasped. All of his hurt, his agony, his hatred, and I expected him to execute Anubis without delay. Yet here he was, placidly letting him go.

“Why not?” Anubis breathed, but not without relief. “Surely you hate me?”

“You were mortal once,” Kevin stated positively. “We all were. Somewhere along the line, you just forgot what compassion is. I did myself, after Oblivion. Once you do that, it’s just a downward spiral. Yet, all it takes is a friendly reminder…”

Kevin gave me a grateful glance.

“… to rediscover what it means.”

“Then you…” Anubis began, trailing off.

“You underestimated the power that love, loyalty and compassion can instil. The power I gained from it, pushing me on. Remember… positive emotions create while negative emotions destroy. If I let my hate consume me, it would just destroy me too. I’ve come to realise that I don’t hate you – I hate what I became because of you.”

“You’re… you’re really letting me go?” Anubis breathed, a genuine smile crossing his battered muzzle.

Kevin nodded slowly. He pulled Anubis up sharply, and stepped back from him.

“Now, go,” Kevin commanded, almost pleadingly.

Still lost in a dream of darkness and defeat, Anubis dissolved, and flew for the heavens.

Kevin himself, drained both physically and emotionally, closed his eyes peacefully and fell onto one knee, his wings falling lifelessly to the ground either side of him.

In the silence that followed, broken occasionally by Kevin’s laboured breathing, Kristin tentatively approached the crouching spirit. Her hand cupped his cheek gently. Kevin’s eyes opened, and he stared up at his wife, disbelief in his eyes. His mouth gaped slightly, seeing before him his goal, his journey’s end. The one he’d been searching for endlessly for over 300 years.

“Is it really you,” Kristin asked, her voice quivering with new tears.

Silently, he nodded.

“How?” she begged, disbelieving.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kevin whispered lovingly, his voice tinged with growing joy. “I’m home…”

Even from a distance, I could see the tears of delight glistening on his face as he pulled his wife close and met her lips in a passionate kiss.

No matter how much I tried to accept they belonged together, that scene was forever a dagger in my heart.

 

* ‘You Can’t Take Me’ – Bryan Adams

** ‘Somewhere I Belong’  - Linkin Park

 

***

 

 

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