Cure for a Nation

Chapter Twenty-Three

Daniel could no longer shift his energy around his body to hide from the Magister. With a scream, he collapsed to the ground beside Claire. He prayed that his heart was strong enough to let him live long enough to say his goodbyes. He turned and looked at Claire to his left. Just as he opened his mouth, he felt something. He could feel her slipping away. A Magister-even a young one-dying has a profound effect on those in tune with Aurora's energies. He closed his eyes and began To take deep breaths. Just as he made his peace, he heard something strange. A thump and a shout in front of him. Suddenly, the hold the Magister had on him was gone and he felt his strength returning. He felt frantically with his mind in search of Claire's energy and found it too was making its way back to her. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to see what was happening. What he saw took the sigh right back out of him, making him cough. Joan was standing over the Magister, doing to him what he had done to Daniel. Daniel struggled to his feet, almost collapsing again but managing to find the strength to stand. He looked back at Claire who had settled into unconsciousness. She was curled up on the ground, breathing normally. Safe, Daniel thought, for now. He turned back to Joan who had stopped what she was doing and knelt beside her father. Daniel knelt on the other side of him.
"Dad.." Joan said through her tears. The Magister swiveled his glassy eyed glare towards her. He held a frail hand to her cheek and took a shaky breath.
"You.." he said unsteadily, "you betrayed me.."
"You betrayed Aurora," Joan said sadly.
"I kept her safe."
"Please..don't make this harder than it has to be..it's time to pass it on.."
"..never.."
Daniel looked uncertainly at Joan. He didn't expect the Magister to refuse the transfer. He didn't know what to do.
"Then.." Joan said with a sniffle, "I have to take it. For Aurora."
"No," the Magister said with a shake of his head, "for yourself."
Joan sobbed and rested her hand upon his chest. Daniel silently got to his feet and turned to leave.
"I love you," Joan said quietly.
"No, you don't," the Magister said, his words riding heavily on his last breath.

Daniel knelt over Claire, giving her a look over for injuries. He heard shuffling footsteps behind him and he turned to face Joan. She wiped her eyes and looked down at her feet.
"I'm sorry," Daniel said.
"As am I," she muttered. "As soon as I'm able, I'll begin to undo the evil he's done."
Daniel nodded. "Will it be safe to move about headquarters?"
"In a few hours," Joan replied, "these things take time. I'm still making sense of the knowledge I was able to..to take from him. Some of it is pretty bad. We will have to talk about it later."
"I understand."
"There is one thing we need to address immediately, however. Come with me."
She gestured toward the throne and Daniel looked reluctantly down at Claire, whom he propped up against a pillar, before following Joan. He stumbled on a step as his gave out in his failing armor. He swore and shook the joints in the armor loose before joining Joan before the throne.
"If there's one thing clear to me," Joan said as she looked upon the fallen emperor, "its that I now rule over the last Warriors of Technology..and that we're trespassing in the home of the Steel Imperium."
Daniel looked skeptically at Joan.
"I think," she continued, "that the Steel Imperium should be revived..and you are to be the next emperor."
Daniel looked at Joan in shock.
"Is that really something you want?" He asked.
"Daniel, I have no intentions of starting another war. My people will think for themselves again. Should you choose to take up this mantle, the Warriors will support you and help you rebuild your Imperium."
Daniel stroked his chin in deep thought. He made a note of the stubble growing there. Suddenly, he had an idea.
"I accept," he said confidently, "on the condition that you use your knowledge to help Claire find the cure for the plague and make sure the Warriors know the truth about the Magister."
Joan smiled sadly and held her hand out to Daniel. He clasped hers with his and shook it firmly, clapping her on the shoulder.