22: INTO THE HEART OF THE BATTLE
They were late.
They found the puésto immediately after Solenn defeated Fear, but when they stepped out, they realized that they had spent a few days inside the Tyriad Pass. Time, it seemed, slowed down in the passage of inner beasts.
When they got out, Joana immediately took out her tablet to study the position of the planets. She released a terrified gasp when she realized that today was the day of the alignment.
Xandros had probably slashed Gate Pandora open already.
With every ounce of speed their feet could carry them, the Champions and the Guardians rushed towards the enemy’s base.
The battle was already raging when they arrived.
Shame and regret washed over the astounded troop as they watched the riders fight against the combined forces of Astanason army and the demons they had allied themselves with.
Solenn started barking out orders, commanding the Guardians to help the riders the moment they arrived at the scene. The one hundred Guardians who traveled by puésto easily dispersed at the command of their captain. Solomon watched at the scene playing out before him. He had been to many battles in his life, but he had never seen one as bad as this. Atanasons were known to be sorcerers and witches who contract demons, but Solomon had never once seen it. Now, though, he almost wished he never did. He watched with dread as their riders’ beams and lasers fought against the elemental attacks of the Astanasons. Left and right Guardians fought not only with demons, but with the Menfolk of the city of the damned.
The Guardians were trained to fight, but seldom did they fight with Menfolk. It seemed soul wrenching somehow, to take the life of one of their own, no matter the blood — Wicked or Favored — that ran in their veins.
Solomon stood paralyzed on his spot. The battle raged on. Men fought and fell. Demons roared and ravaged. Solomon took it all in, wondering if this could have happened had he chosen another path, had he thought of another plan.
What good is strength if there is no wisdom? What good is power if there is no faculty for sound decisions?
Please. Whoever is listening… Triune… Father, Son, Holy Ghost, you who called me to this purpose. I acknowledge your presence in the middle of this battle. I acknowledge your power in the midst of my failure… grant me the giftI ask for.
There was no reply. No flash of blinding white light. No breath coming out from the roar of a great lion. No thunder came rolling and no lightning came striking.
Solomonwas still standingin themiddle ofhis greatestfailure yet.
“Sol.” Solenn grabbedhis arm before hecoulddrown further inhis thoughts. Her grip was so hard, it almost broke Solomon’s arm. She hadn’t learned to control her newfound strength. “It wasn’t your fault. We all decided to take the Pass.”
Solomon barely gave her a glance before he yanked his arm off and rushed off to find their commander.
He had already taken a few steps away when Samson came flying towards them in his skysurfer, his face contorted in a mixture of alarm and concern.
“Where were you, Guardian?” he demanded. He didn’t raise his voice, but Solomon felt like he was ten, instead of eighteen.
“Commander, we got held up at Tyriad Pass,” Lukas said, immediately coming to his defense.
Samson’s expression changed into surprise. “The Tyriad Pass? Why on Cielterra’s blessed soil did you even think of passing through that bewitched place?”
“It was that or risk an altercation with hostiles,” Solenn replied. “At the time, the nearest puésto was still miles away, and we couldn’t risk a battle with the Outbounders. Everyone was already tired from the journey and the minor battles. We thought the Pass would be better.” Solenn subtly walked in front of Solomon as she stared up at her commander, as if shielding him from any criticism or reprimand. “We apologize, Samson. We’ll take responsibility. But for now we must find Xandros. Has he already opened the Gate?”
“Not yet,” Samson said, “but a Zeta reported that he already went to the seal. You and all of the other Champions, go eastbound to where the seal is. The planets will be aligning in a few minutes. Do what you can to stop Xandros from using that sword to open the Gate. We’ll take care of everything here.”
The Champions nodded and prepared to head eastward, but Samson called his students. “Solomon, Solenn.”
The two stopped mid-leap and turned to their mentor.
“You did well,” Samson said. “I’m proud of you both. Now go stop Xandros.”
Solenn gaped at Samson for a few seconds before the older man urged them to go. “Don’t cry on me now, Guardian,” he teased.
“I’m not!” Solenn protested as she shook her head furiously. She jogged away, but not before throwing a warning towards her commander. “Don’t die, OK? I’ll throw a temper tantrum over your grave if you do.”
Samson shook his head fondly at his awkward daughter before the sounds of the raging battle erased all traces of fatherhood on his expression. His eyes hardened, as he flew towards the heart of the battle. As Samson hacked and slashed, pierced and stabbed, pounded and pulverized, the Guardians nearby were once again reminded of why he was the strongest fighter in all of Citadel.
Samson roared as he pierced one demon with one hand and gunned down another three with the other, while soaring hands-free on his skysurfer.
“For Eden!” Samson bellowed.
The resounding cry of the Guardians echoed throughout the night, rekindling the flame of the soldiers who vowed to fight for the Light.
For as long as the Guardians stand, no demon will get past this battlefield tonight.
***
Gabriel and the others were intercepted by the Astanason soldiers that Xandros had brought to cover him, but the infamous man had not yet shown himself.
Solomon and Solenn also weren’t here yet.
Gabriel wielded the Memorare with an ease that he didn’t have before, even when he was training with the others. He moved the long staff with such fluidity, he felt like it was an extension of his arm. One thrust, and two fell. He didn’t have the time to mourn the life he had probably taken, because three others came at him. One swipe, and the three fell.
Did they have families? Gabriel wondered. Was someone waiting for them at home? He didn’t know. He didn’t think he wanted to know.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two Astanason soldiers coming towards Mateo, but he was busy with the other two he was fighting.
“Mateo, duck!” Joana screamed. He did, and barely got out of the projectile of Joana’s eagle-spear arrows.
“Thanks!”
“Thank me when we get through this alive!”
“If we get through this alive,” Selina hissed as she flailed her whips around. “Because the planets are aligning, and Solomon, Solenn and Xandros are nowhere in sight.”
True enough, when Gabriel looked up, he saw the planets, larger in the sky than anything Gabriel had seen in his life, coming together in a single file.
“We have to get to the seal!” Joana screamed. “The planets are aligning!”
“That would be fine,” Lukas yelled back, “if we could get past these pests!”
The moment he said that, two shadows blurred past him, towards where the seal of the Gate Pandora was.
“About time, you two,” Selina mumbled as she glanced at where her friends disappeared. She whispered a silent prayer for the two of them, knowing that the battle that awaited was the most important — and painful — one they would ever fight. She braced herself against the four soldiers coming at her and she replaced her whips with her beloved guns. Holy weapon or not, she still preferred the bullets. “Come on, Champions. Let’s finish this.”
***
They found him sitting on a boulder, reading a book.
Solomon and Solenn stopped dead on their tracks, bewildered at the sight in front of them.
How was it that the man looked so much at peace, as if he did not betray the Flame, the Force, his family and his closest friends?
How did he manage to look so calm while the battle of his own doing raged on nearby, tens and hundreds of men falling dead in the claws of demons and the hands of each other as the seconds ticked by?
How could he read a book, a stupid, stupid book, while his two best friends in the world couldn’t get past the pain of betrayal and abandonment?
Years. They had been comrades for years, family for longer, and this is what he did to them?
Solenn thought it would be much less painful if he would just gleefully stab them both with the Sword of Sargatanas and twist it before flailing them around like banners on a festive holiday celebration.
Solomon thought it would be much easier if the man tore out his spleen and fed it to the dog they once took care of as children.
But no.
He did betray them. He did go to Astana and sold his soul to its emperor in exchange for…
For what exactly?
Why did Xandros ever leave them?
And for heaven’s sake, why was he still reading that book and ignoring them?
It was Solomon who broke the silence. “Xandros.”
The man looked up, and with the same gentle smile that captured Solenn’s heart and ensured Solomon’s loyalty, he greeted his two friends. “Solomon. Solenn. It has been a while.”