Chapter 35

Rone slept with Keiara’s head on his chest and her arm draped over his stomach. He woke up several hours later with her still there. He could feel the warmth of her and smell the pleasing scent of vanilla coming from her hair. He wished that the moment would last forever, but a second or two later, she started stirring. She looked up at him with her soft brown eyes and smiled.

“Hi,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Best sleep I’ve had in months,” he replied. “How’d you get in here? I figured your father would’ve posted a guard or something.”

“He did,” she replied, winking and rising off the cot.

Rone was at a loss for words.

“You are…,” he searched for the right word, “amazing,” he finished, somewhat lamely.

“Thank you,” she returned. “You’re pretty amazing yourself. I’ve never seen anyone fight like that, especially on only one leg.”

His cheeks turned slightly red and the mention of his leg drew his attention to it. He’d slept without the prosthetic on, to give the skin beneath a break. It hung slightly off the bed, a truly horrific sight. It looked shriveled and the skin had rough, brownish calluses on it. It embarrassed him to have her see it so he threw the blanket over it.

She saw what he did and came over to him, kneeling beside the cot. She reached out and tossed the blanket aside.

“You don’t have to be ashamed of what happened to you,” she told him, looking him directly in the eyes. She rested her hand on his stump and felt sad when he flinched. “You are beautiful to me.” She reached out and caressed his face, still looking him in the eyes. “All of you.”

Overcome with emotion, he leaned forward and kissed her.

“Thank you,” he said, as he pulled away from her.

“I do love you, Rook.” She smiled.

“I do love you, Terra,” he returned, kissing her on the cheek.

A tremendous earthquake tossed Rone to the ground. He fell on top of Keiara.

“What was that?” he asked, scared.

Another earthquake shook the ground. He could hear a commotion going on outside.

His mechpaks opened up and the little machines raced out. They swirled around his stump and quickly formed his prosthetic. Then he stood up and pulled Keiara up with him. Without a single word, they both raced outside, trying to see what was going on.

The screaming and shouting was even worse. Terra warriors were hustling and running around, grabbing shields and weapons. When they had both, they took off in the direction of the Rook camp. Tarvo, Soqart, and Chibbi were all bellowing orders at their men.

“Come on,” Keiara yelled, grabbing Rone’s hand. She ran through the maze of people and tents.

Several Terras were already in their animal forms. He saw a majestic grey wolf loping through the camp next to them. A gorilla nearly trampled the both of them to the ground a few seconds later, but they managed to get out of its way. In the distance, they could hear the trumpeting sound of an elephant. Above them were about forty or fifty different types of birds. There were even insects buzzing around, toward the fight. He wasn’t sure if those were Terras or not, so he erred on the side of caution and didn’t squish the ones that flew too close to his face.

Pretty soon, they made it to the sand dune that gave them a view of the battle raging below. Shortly after they got there, Tarvo, Soqart, and Chibbi arrived. Rone could clearly hear a growl erupt from the girl’s throat but he acted like he never heard it.

“What’s going on?” Tarvo asked. He looked at everyone, expecting them to know but no one did. Everyone just sort of shrugged.

The ground shook again, this time with enough force to send widening cracks leaping across the desert. They watched in horror as one crack splintered off in the direction of the hiding cavalry. A horrible, wrenching noise filled the air and they could all hear the faint screams of men and the neighing of horses. There was a giant cloud of sand that flew up into the air as a hole opened up in the earth. Pretty soon, they couldn’t hear the dying men’s screams anymore or the horses.

Keiara gasped in horror.

“Beltar,” she cried, thinking of her uncle.

Tarvo went forward and hugged her. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

Rone didn’t know who Beltar was, but he knew he was important to her. He stepped back a bit and let Tarvo take care of her. This seemed like one of those times that only a father could help with.

He turned his focus on the Blak Army, trying to pinpoint exactly what was causing those massive tremors. He couldn’t see anything though. They were too far away. He glanced down at his mechpaks and they opened immediately. A small cloud hovered near his face before it merged and created a pair of binoculars. Rone grabbed them and brought them to his eyes.

The battlefield, which was almost two miles away, suddenly zoomed in. Rone clearly saw several of the fissures opening up in the ground racing through parts of the Terra encampment. He saw an unlucky Terra trip and go tumbling into one of them.

He shuddered involuntarily and continued to sweep the area. He went past the Terras to the Blak Army advancing yet again. He could see the faces of its soldiers and had to suppress another shudder. They were changing. They seemed hollow now. Their eyes were sunken into their heads and dark circles surrounded them. Their cheeks looked deflated and their cheekbones stuck out prominently.

Rone did his best to ignore their faces. He didn’t want to see what had become of his people anymore. He could only hope that whatever Wilhelm did to them could be reversed.

He was still swinging the binoculars back and forth when something caught his eye. It did so because the something was so out of place on that side of the battlefield. He zoomed in a little closer, waited for his binoculars to refocus, and checked again.

There was no mistaking it. A Terraqouis warrior was behind enemy lines, shuffling through the sand behind the soldiers. Not one of them made a move against him though.

He zoomed in as far as he could, trying to make out who the Terra was. When the warrior’s features came into sharp focus, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Niku?” he asked, out loud.

Blak felt it when the last traces of Wilhelm Coran were gone. His strength was increasing by the day and every time he took control of another pathetic human, it only made him that much stronger. Now he no longer needed that mewling meat-thing and soon, every creature on Purga would know his name and learn to fear him.

He watched the earth-talkers. They were a fierce bunch and on top of that, they were also very adept at fighting his control. In the end, however, they will fall.

Just like they all do, he thought to himself.

Standing next to him, quietly, was the Terra boy, Niku.

A Sentinel, he thought to himself. He refused to admit that he was afraid of them. He refused to admit that he was terrified of their power. But, he realized, the prophecy called for three to defeat him and now he had one under his control. He felt a twisted and perverse joy at knowing that and knowing that there was nothing the remaining Sentinels could do. In the end, they will lose. In the end, Purga will be nothing but a wasteland where chaos ruled.

That was a satisfying thought.

“Show them what you can do,” he commanded.

Niku began walking.

He took his time though and didn't get to the Rook battle lines until an hour later. When he was close to their back lines, he stomped a foot onto the sand. An earthquake trembled through the ground. He waited several more minutes and then stomped his foot again. Another earthquake rippled outward from the point of impact.

Blak could feel the fear inside the earth-talkers even though they were several miles away. He reveled in it.

This is only the beginning.

“Niku?”

Rone was still hoping that he was seeing things wrong somehow, but he wasn’t. There was no mistaking the arrogant Terra that had given Rone so many problems. He was alone, several yards behind the Blak Army. He could clearly make out the boy’s light blonde hair. Even now, although obviously under Wilhelm’s control, he could still see that arrogance faintly on his face.

“What did you say?” Keiara asked. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy. She looked at Rone, scared. “Did you say Niku?”

Rone hesitated, the words sticking in his throat. He tried to tell her, but it was clear that she didn’t want any more bad news. Instead, he just nodded his head and passed her the binoculars. She took them and he directed her on where to look. It didn’t take long for her to find him. As a lone Terra in a sea of Rooks, he tended to stick out.

“What’s happening? What’s he doing?” she asked, horrified.

“I think he’s the last Sentinel,” Tarvo said, stepping up next to her. “Earth.”

They watched him for a time and tried to decide what to do to get him back when his form suddenly blurred. The next second a gigantic, snake-like creature was there. It slithered across the ground and barreled through Blak Army soldiers like they weren’t even there.

“What is he?” Rone asked, awed. He couldn’t help it. The creature was beautiful in its own right. It had glistened scales of varying shades of green and brown. Its triangular head had two vicious-looking fangs jutting out of it and three spikes protruded off its spine.

“A basilisk,” Soqart answered. “An ancient, powerful creature. They used to rule much of our forests before we were able to drive them off. They were extremely deadly.”

“How’d you chase them off?” Rone asked, hoping that the answer might help them.

“No one remembers,” Soqart replied.

Rone sighed miserably.

Of course, he thought.

“So what do we do about him?” he asked. “If he truly is the third Sentinel then we can’t just kill him. We have to do something to help.”

“Do you have a plan?” Tarvo grunted.

“Not let that thing near us is about as far as I got,” Rone replied. He looked to Soqart. “Do you? You seem to know the answer to every question.”

“This is beyond even my vast knowledge,” the Warlord responded.

“Then we fight it,” Keiara said. She stood a bit straighter. Her eyes were still red from crying, but she looked determined now. “I will not sit here while Niku destroys us.”

“I won’t either,” Rone replied. He turned and looked at the others. “Keep everyone back. We’re going to need a lot of room.”

Before Tarvo could object, Keiara shimmered into her dragon form while Rone turned into his roc. Together they flew off to face Niku.