Chapter 22 Equals Love

Chapter 22

 

Equals love

 

                As we turned the corner I saw it. Armageddon’s massive jaw, she looked tame and relaxed as if nothing was happening. Even when I came in to her sites she didn’t alter her expression. She just watched me with those eyes. Alessandra kept up with me the whole way. She was much stronger than I thought… and for that I’m happy.

 

                We stopped in front of the dragon, watching as plumes of smoke swirled in to the sky. Sparks chattered around the edges of her lips, flying this way and that. The sun was setting and even in the lacking light her scales still sucking in that which remained. She looked like a massive void in the world that didn’t belong. She knew that feeling, reject by almost everyone she encountered. Called a curse in some areas and a threat in others, I was the only one too notice her beauty and skill. Sadly, even now I’ll soon no longer be here. I too will leave like everyone else has. I guess naming her Armageddon… was rather fitting.

 

“Ricardo… Do you see that? On her head?”

 

                I’m not sure how I didn’t notice that. Atop her head were two figures. One was standing, its cape blowing in the breeze; the other figure looked like it was sitting. Armageddon never let anyone ride her. Rarely did she even let me. This was wrong, in too many ways.

 

“Let’s take a look…”

 

                The climb down wasn’t hard, but I knew going up wasn’t going to be easy. I touched her gently, trying to sooth her before I climbed up… but nothing… What? No cringe, muscle movement. Nothing. This isn’t like her. With Alessandra’s help I managed to get up on top of her… and sitting on the floor, sword to her neck was Bri.

 

“Hi knight…”

 

“You’re an idiot.”

 

                I looked up along the sword… It looked much like mine, but the pommel was black while mine is gold. Only one person has that sword…

 

“Richard… you died.”

 

                The figure pulled back the hood of cloak and revealed the steel armor that stoop behind it.  A quiet chuckling started to roll out of his throat as he removed his helm. His red hair blew gently, and his piecing yellow eyes shone in the fading light.

 

“It’s been a while student. Time for a last lesson or… are you too weak to learn?”

 

“Let her go and you will get your fight.”

 

“Hmm and here I thought that I could make this girl my prize… I mean she is a virgin; I would love to gorge myself on her until she died… Then I can feed the remains to my massive pet here. I know she’ll like it.”

 

                With out words I held my arm up, as I turned my palm up light started to gather around the center. Richard pulled his sword up and watched as I readied myself.

 

“Do it Ricardo… kill me, try to, I dare you.”

 

                My anger started to boil as tears started to run down Bri’s face. In a cry of fury I released as a screaming beam of light arched from my hand to his blade. Richards grin turned to a scowl as he was sent flying off the dragon. Alessandra ran and untied Bri while I removed the spell that was on Armageddon.

 

“Ricardo you can’t fight let’s leave please.”

 

                With out word I jumped off the dragon and looked in to her eyes. She pauses growling slightly at the other still on her head but then turned her attention to me.

 

“Take them too Celestial’s Haven, understood? No were else, and quickly.”

 

                At first she was going to disagree but soon felt my reasoning, and with a nod she started to stand, spreading her wings. The black figure started to fade as the light left. As she rose, Alessandra looked down, tears streaming down her face and she screamed.

 

“YOU CAN’T STAY. PLEASE COME WITH US. I LOVE YOU.”

 

                She flailed and thrashed as Bri held her from jumping down to him. I turned around, my wounds still throbbing, as a tear rolled down my cheek. Armageddon’s shadow slowly shrank then quickly bolted away from here. Leaving me with this bastard.             
             

                A blast of fire impacted on my back sending me flying in to the hills nearby, embedding me in to the ground a few inches. His sword was under my throat as he looked down at me, armor chipped. I looked as I noticed that he wore my armor. It slowly started to make sense.

 

“You fucking asshole, you learned how to increase your power. I sealed that away in that bitch, there is no way you could have lost your immortality and made a child. I made it impossible to do so. You were to be doomed forever.  I’ll kill you.”

 

                He went to stab my throat open, but I spun my legs and toppled him to the side. It took a moment to gain my footing but once I did I looked over to him, a grin spreading long my face.

 

“I’m sorry, are you mad that I’ve gotten stronger, or are you realizing just now you can’t beat me. You made my armor try to kill me… you sent that arm to take Talson. You hunted me down, sent that living metal to harm me, and you even spelled my dragon so that I could have her help me. You did all that because you know you can’t take me. Because you know for a fact that I’m stronger than you’ll ever be. Admit it you old fool. You should have died long ago, you can’t win this fight. At as long as I draw a breath you will die here.”

 

“You conceived a child. You can’t win.”

 

                He rushed me, sword out, sun now gone. The moon shone at its brightest and I watched as the blade swung down at me. I calmly grabbed his blade in mid air and grinned as his eyes widened.

 

“You will die Richard, accept it.”

 

                He roared and rage and ripped an onyx gem from his necklace, then placed it in the slotted chest plate. His armor shine then changed in to a rich black, spikes formed, and demon wings took place of the cape. A pulse of power sent me back a few steps as I shielded my eyes. He meant to kill me.

 

                With a roar he sent a blast of dark plasma at me. It soared at me, coming at speeds unimaginable. I stepped aside and rolled to get out of its way. But it turned and chased me. I ran, as the plasma chased me. Richard laughed and watched me run. I wasn’t sure what to do so I started to charge my beam again, still running.

 

“Go right ahead; shoot that in to the plasma. Watch the reaction, you’ll just kill yourself.”

 

                It went and connected with the plasma. The sound was deafening as they collided and release a violent explosion. Richard simply covered himself with his wings as he waited for the smoke the settle. The power behind that should have killed them both, but Richard couldn’t see Ricardo.

 

                As the smoke settled, it looked as if nothing was there. Then a spike of lightning impacted Richard’s right shoulder plate, removing it from existence. The lightning stuck to the armor and started to eat away, moving down along the plate. Richard removed the section of the plate and threw it down, watching as the lightning ate at it, until nothing remained.

 

“Black lightning…”

 

                He stood, shield strapped to his left arm, sword in this right hand. The swirls of lightning around Ricardo danced as he looked across the path.

 

“It removes everything it touches from this world, including other forms of magick.”

 

“Interesting, maybe you can teach even me something. And that shield… were did it come from?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

                As he went to speak Ricardo planted the base of his shield in to the ground and fired another bolt of lightning at him, missing by inches. Richard then ran up to me and grabbed the shield and pointed it away from himself.

 

“You fool; your already are revealing your weakness with this new magick of yours. You fire from the shield you generated with it. I aim it away and I’m safe.”

 

                Another blot sent him flying from Ricardo and in the sky. Ricardo pointed his blade at Richard, and then swung, sending a wave of fire at him. The flames grew faster and faster, trying to reach Richard. The impact was lethal, searing the rest of the armor off of him and burning his wings. He fell to the ground with a heavy impact. Ricardo walked over to him calmly, and looked down in to the crater.

 

                Richard’s sword impaled his heart.

 

“I got you. Now you die.”

 

                Richard twisted his blade, pulling all the pieced organs around with the blade. Blood started to pour from the corner of Ricardo’s mouth, and his wounds seeped out of the bandages. Still he gripped his sword, trying to fight back. The shield fell and his vision started to blur.

 

“I… will not… die alone…”

 

                Richard removed a dagger and started to stab Ricardo in the back, over and over, trying to kill him faster. Each stab he yelled, die. Over and over, die, die, die. Still Ricardo struggled to pull his sword up, only to have it this time roll form his hand. Richard pulled his blade free and kicked Ricardo away. He stumbled but still stood. Both hands started to come up, his right hand pointed with two fingers and his left hand rested over the rights wrist. Richard ran to Ricardo, impaling him once more, making more blood come out.

 

“You… die now…”

 

                Lightning started to swirl around the two of them licking the flesh and eating away at Ricardo’s blood. The more it ate, the darker the lightning turned. Richard’s eyes widened as he screamed. It felt like needles were eating at him. Slowly she started to feel the real effect of the lightning.

 

“Richard it’s time…”

 

                With one more final blast Ricardo removed every trace of Richard form this world. Even the mountains behind Richard were gone. Just one long path of nothing stood in front of Ricardo now. His sword rested in the grass to his left. Slowly he reached for it, and once it was in his hands she smiled at himself.

 

                He took the blade and stabbed it in to the ground. He removed his cape, or at least what remained, and wrapped it around the blade, then he leaned against it, using at support. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his hands trembled to the sky.

 

I’m sorry everyone. I have removed him from you all, removed the threat to your lives, but I was unable to live. As I die here, alone in the ramparts. I finally understand the world. I’m sorry Sarwar; I wish I could be here to watch our empire grow. I’m sorry Jorn; I can’t be there when you learned of love. I’m sorry Bri that I couldn’t keep my promise to help you. I’m sorry everyone of my empire, I will not be here to watch you all live. I’m sorry Alessandra… For not coming back, for not being a good husband, for letting everything fall apart, for dying before our child could meet her father. I’m sorry my child. I know you won’t understand you life much without me…

                I’m sorry to everyone in the world. I’m dying and there is no way that I can return. Please forgive me and do not praise me. I’m not worthy of your love.

 

"Alessandra… I will always and forever…

 

                Love you.”