Rise of the Supernatural Heroes (Mystical Warriors book 1)

A WARRIOR'S PASSING

Vaskàr signed at the sight and said, "Rot in the Netherworld for all eternity." He turned away and saw his entire army looking at him. He looked around him and didn't find Octavo's body or Nuallán's body. He only found Titus getting up on his feet and Simura on the back on a unicorn that was coming out the Temple's broken doorway. Vaskàr turned and walked to his new army.

As he neared his newly formed army, centaurs, dragons, unicorns, pegasi, and griffins alike backed away from Vaskàr as he made his way through them. He didn't see any sea serpents or merpeople since they live in water. He saw Haira, who was holding the Sword of Water and a blue shield, standing closely to Regina; Brade standing with a mace; Roy and Harth stood tall holding their weapons and shields; and Divra stood near a tall, wide tent. Vaskàr stopped and looked at the tent.

"They are in here," said Divra, sadly. Divra used his tail to make an opening for Vaskàr to go into the tent.

Vaskàr glared at the opening and went entered.

Inside the tent, dozens of wounded creatures were being treated by unicorns and blue, water dragons in their ways of healing. In the nearest corner laid two human bodies: Nuallán and Octavo.

Anxiously, Vaskàr rushed to his uncle and Octavo. "Octavo? Uncle Nuallán?"

An itchy sound came from behind Vaskàr.

Vaskàr turned around and saw Titus, Haira, Brade, Roy, Harth, and Divra looking at them in sadness. Wavador and Mulikulla came in from behind Vaskàr's team as Simura came in. The Dryk'gar girls and Magus came in seconds later.

"How are they, Divra?" asked Vaskàr, almost tearfully.

"Nuallán is in a coma, and near death. His Dryk'gar skills saved him from death. When he wakes, he will no longer have the strength to walk. Ninety-five percent of his body has been fractured. He'll live but as a slow dying man. And for Octavo: he is not doing so well."

"What do you mean?" asked Titus, running to his father on Octavo's left side of his bed.

"Octavo is..."

"I... will tell th... them," Octavo suddenly grunted.

Relieved, Titus smiled small.

"My son. It is true what Hanno... has... said about me: I was the evil warrior. I was his apprentice bef... before I turned away from the darkness of evil. That story begins as we were attacking a village of peasants. They were helpless and defenseless, and we were pure evil at heart. We charged into battle and I was on the front lines." Octavo coughed before he could continue.

"What happened?" asked Vaskàr.

"After minutes into fighting," whispered Octavo. "I was struck in the chest and belly by medium size rocks and two arrows. I was down wounded and barley alive. I saw the soldiers running forward as Hanno walked in front of me. I reached out my hand and called out for his help but he only stared and moved on, leaving me behind while I thought I was being left behind.

"As I started to fade away, I saw lightness in a wooden house. I was being healed by a family of peasants and I never knew that they were so grateful. That is what had changed my heart.

"After three days of being treated, I ran back to Hanno, seeing they have captured many women and killed all the men and children. I was horrified and urged Hanno they didn't have anything to do with any battles. Hanno never listened. So after seeing there was evil and darkness in Hanno's heart, I scarred his left eye and ran away from battle.

"I was eventfully found by Rin Kasai and I told him of my past mistakes I did against humanity. Never before have I met someone so wise and noble for humanity. He was a regular human before he and I were Mystical Warriors. We both became Mystical Warriors when we killed in battle; our souls were bonded with the planet and our bodies were turned into our machine arms. Since then... we had become...," Octavo coughed again. "We had become the greatest defenders Earth has ever known."

Titus looked in grief over his father.

"Don't grieve over your own father, Titus. It is not the time for you to grieve; it is time for you to take my place as the Kasai's top warrior." Octavo held out his bronze to his son on his left hand.

Titus hesitated to grab it. "What do you mean, father?"

"Look at this," answered Octavo, holding up a cracked glass ball filled with blue smoke in his right hand. "This is the core... of my mach... machine arm; my body is that glass ball. And it has been sta... bbed in the right spot."

Vaskàr had realized it. "You're fading. Your soul is entering the afterlife."

"Yes, Vaskàr. Sadly, my time... has come. I can no longer keep... the prom... ise I made to Rin about se... seeing you fight... Årvondor. You, my son... must take... the promise I made and... see Vaskàr Kasai and Årvondor fight. Titus... you must... take my place as the top wa... warrior.

"Vaskàr, the creatures... look to you now. You are the true leader. You are the... last Kasai on Earth. You must... lead them on as I tried to. You are now... the new leader... of the creatures of Earth. The leader of the Mystical Warriors. Lead... them... on... Chosen... Warrior." Octavo breathed faintly having his arms drop.

Vaskàr caught the cracked, glass ball as Titus grabbed his father's sword while Octavo had his eyes closing on Vaskàr's silvery eyes. Vaskàr grievously held onto Octavo's right arm and looked at the blue smoke which was going atop of Octavo's body and digging its way to his body.

As the blue smoke went to his mouth, Octavo gave the softest sound and whispered with a dying voice: "Lead... them... my... leader." Octavo turned his head and stopped breathing.

"Father?" said Titus. "Father? Father!"

Vaskàr had let go of Octavo's arm and it dropped slowly and landed with a thump, echoing across the tent. Tears filled in Vaskàr's eyes as he knew what has happened and said it out loud so the tent could hear:

"Octavo, the top warrior of Rin Kasai, a second-in-command of the Mystical Warrior, and leader of the creatures, is no longer... on Earth."

Sadness was in the air like a rock hitting a child's arm. The creatures, even Divra, had bowed their heads in grieve.

Vaskàr lift his arm across his chest and kneeled on his left leg as did his teammates, Magus and his four daughters, and the three, even a wounded Simura, did the same thing Vaskàr did: placed their left arms on their chest plates and kneeled.

Titus only stood heavily in tears.

For that moment, they all knew: Octavo, Rin Kasai'stop elite warrior, had died.