WHEN THE REAPER charged, Josh had no choice but to plant his feet and brace himself. The air rushed from his lungs at the collision. Locking his jaw, he leaned forward and pushed back.
Eli was behind him. He repeated the fact until the words echoed through his bones and became the willpower holding his feet to the ground. He surged lightning into his shield. The reaper pushed onward, unaffected.
Light shot over his shoulder and slammed against the reaper. It threw itself back, the sudden upward jerk finally sending Josh into the air. He hit shoulder blades first, then continued with the momentum to a kneeling position.
Before he could dart forward, a small, shaking voice made him pause. "I'll do it," Eli said.
It? It what? Josh hesitated, though he didn't take his eyes off the reaper. It shook its head, trying to rid itself of whatever daze the beam -- into the eye, based on how it screwed shut -- left behind.
"It's very dangerous," Xander whispered.
"What is?" Josh demanded. He blasted a beam of light at the reaper. Even if he only hit its shoulder, he kept the creature back for a little longer. The grotesque figure at least provided one benefit -- the reaper was easier to hit.
"You're not going to like it." Mara attempted to speak in a level tone, but the minor strain told him she didn't like it either.
"What? Don't really have time for indirect answers." Josh directed another blast the reaper's way. This time it dodged, so only the edge of the beam clipped its leg.
A wave of heat crashed into Josh as the room flared yellow. He winced. Moshe's avatar held a giant orb of fire over its head. With a cry from the Paladin and a mimicked action, the avatar brought the orb crashing down.
"We need the blood of a child."
Josh's next blast missed, and it had nothing to do with losing his advantage from the reaper recovering. He flashed back to the water-filled room, watching as Aharon ran up to the reaper, waving his bloody hand.
Except, a moment later, Eli's form replaced Aharon's.
"No," he breathed.
"What other way is there?" Mara asked.
He knew the reaper was his enemy, but at that moment, he wanted to dart back and protect Eli from Mara. She hadn't even felt like a true threat when he thought himself crazy and her a figment of that insanity.
They needed the blood of a child, and there was only one left in that realm.
"I'm doing it," Eli said.
Before Josh could spin on Eli and tell him no, he wasn't going to risk something going wrong, Mara moved forward and pulled at his forearm.
"Come," she said, eyes forward. "We have something else to focus on."
Josh swallowed despite the bitter scoff caught in his throat. Yeah, they needed to fight off a reaper while his brother was perhaps preparing to do something stupidly dangerous.
Boomer directed a calm focus through the bond. Josh took a deep breath and let it wash over him. Memories of the reaper vanishing from Aharon's actions accompanied the feelings.
Josh forced a deep breath and rushed forward, though he wasn't sure if it was because of Boomer's assurance or because Mara had already run ahead. He had to run full speed to get between her and the reaper before it brought its pronged-hand down on her.
She went to stab at its arm, but the reaper had learned. Before her dagger could make contact, the reaper retracted its arm and spun. Its tail slammed into Josh's legs. He went down. Mara jumped over the incoming sweep, but the reaper hadn't slowed its turn. It brought a momentum-carried mandible crashing into her.
It wasn't the sharp side, which would have been good if it didn't send her flying straight into a pillar.
Her head slammed into the stone with a sickening crack. She fell a few feet to the floor, where her limp body crumpled. A red spot smeared the pillar and shot a spear directly into Josh's heart.
"Mara!" He took a step toward her, but the appearance of a small figure froze him in his spot.
Eli stood, blood-smeared hand in the air, his face ghostly pale and arm shaking. "Pass!" he shouted.
The reaper shrieked, eyes turned on him.
A tear slid down his cheek, and he hunched in on himself, but Eli didn't budge. "Pass."
Come on, Josh mentally pleaded. He glanced between Eli and the reaper. Everything in him froze and raced all at once, unable to escape the waiting for the reaper to vanish. For the banishing to work. For this plan to work.
But, of course, it couldn't.
The reaper took a few steps forward, mandible spreading to reveal its needle-sharp teeth. It snarled, tail pulling back.
Josh leapt, wrapping his arm around his younger brother as a wall between him and the reaper. Maybe he could have positioned his shield in a way that would have protected them both, but the thought appeared too late.
"Draznik terrath!"
The floor quaked beneath him. The reaper screeched as something crashed. The sharp end of its tail bit into Josh's back, dragging down across it. It couldn't be deep. The reaper barely caught him, but every nerve suddenly caught fire.
His scream built up in his throat, but it wouldn't come out. The pain closed his throat around it. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. Everything was just pain.
He could hear, though. It was a faint whimper, but it dragged him out of the dark haze pulling against him.
"Josh?" Eli balled his fists into Josh's shirt. Emotions thickened his voice when he said once more, "Josh?"
Josh nudged Eli backward, a few steps closer to Xander, and turned. The floor where the reaper had stood had caved, bits of its back showing beneath the rubble. Cale's doing, based on the yell earlier. Josh glanced over.
Cale clashed blades with the one Shadow Knight who had broken away from the group going against Moshe -- Peter.
Josh dragged his eyes back to where Mara lay, unmoving on the ground. The reaper wasn't dead. There was only one way to kill it. Dragon energy? No, a creature of pure energy.
He squeezed his eyes shut. The thought was distant, and grabbing it had been like grabbing water.
Everything hurt.
Mara needed him.
"Go to Xander," Josh instructed, his words slurred. He didn't look to see if Eli listened, instead dragging his feet over to Mara. He paused. Studied her for a moment. "Mara?"
No answer.
Fighting the darkness that flickered over his vision, Josh bent down and slipped Mara's arm over his shoulder. He pulled her up with him.
Pain.
A voice whispered beneath the darkness, and he thought he should know the voice, but he couldn't reach the name.
He turned, planning to walk Mara over to Xander, but the Paladin leader stood a few feet in front of him.
Xander took Mara's other arm and put it around his own shoulder. "Come," he said. He wouldn't meet Josh's eyes. "Let's get you as far from combat as possible."
The trudge back to the far corner was like walking on flaming needles, but after a handful of eternal seconds, they reached it. Xander lowered Mara to the ground.
Josh stood, swaying. Mara seemed oddly blurred.
"You too." Xander let Josh use his shoulder to sit. "I wShi'raz have a venom in their tails. I don't see the boils yet, so hopefully the unbound energy didn't inherit it fully."
"I need--" Josh started, but Xander gave him a sharp shake of his head before moving to examine Mara.
"You need to rest. The venom shouldn't be deadly, but I have heard how it feels," Xander said.
A few moments of quiet followed. No, not quiet. The battle sounded so far away, especially when Josh didn't have the energy to turn his head, but he knew it was happening just down the steps.
Moshe against almost a dozen Shadow Knights that had already defeated Aharon. Cale against his own brother. Josh had seen bits and pieces earlier. Craters, jutting earth spikes, flames that seemed to burn off nothing, ponds of magical water. Broken pillars, shattered vases, and destroyed pieces of Nizar's shadow.
No body, though. Because Aharon had never been alive.
The world blurred, and this time he didn't think it was from pain. A tear ran down his cheek.
"Why didn't it work?" Eli clenched his feet, biting hard enough on his lip he left teeth marks. "What did I do wrong?"
Xander removed his fingers from a pulse on Mara's neck, a flicker of relief on his face, before turning to Eli. "I don't know," he said. "I'm sorry I put you in danger. I truly thought it would work."
Eli said nothing, but he glanced at Josh, tears flowing freely.
"I am sorry I cannot do more," Xander continued. He placed his hand over the bracelet on his left wrist. "If we could just get the gate to open... Pure energy must remove these. They had to re-cuff me when I stepped through. If I had only realized I had my abilities for that split second..."
Xander almost seemed to be talking to himself at that point. Hatred burned on his face, but Josh had a feeling it wasn't directed at anyone in the room.
"Josh, give me your sword and shield," Xander said, cutting off whatever he'd been saying. It had been something, though Josh had drifted off from listening. "Perhaps the material will be enough to still hurt the monster--Josh?"
Josh's eyes closed. The darkness consumed him, and he finally found relief from the pain.
He was surrounded by water. At least, he had to be. A cool liquid substance rocked beneath him, lulling Josh into a comforting doze. His eyes could be closed or he wasn't able to see anything. He couldn't tell, but at the moment, he didn't care.
Everything felt peaceful. He liked that. For some reason, such a concept felt lightyears away.
He could stay there forever.
The water's movement grew more frenzied, lapping over his body. He frowned. Something moved in the depths below. He could try to find out, but that would require moving. He wanted his peace to continue.
"Rise."
The word was a drop of rain into a still puddle, rippling with the faintest of noise. Josh shuddered as its effects moved through his body.
A rough object brushed across his back. He inhaled, holding his breath while he waited for pain. None came. He expected his back to scream with unbearable agony. Why?
"Fight."
The rippling voice spoke near his ear now. The rough object returned, this time bumping his shoulder. Almost like a nudge.
"Remember."
Memories tickled the edge of his conscience. No, he didn't want to remember. He wanted to rest.
"Josh!"
The shout echoed in the emptiness above and reverberated through the water. A familiar, young voice. Panicked. Terrified. Desperate.
Eli. His brother. He was in danger.
"I will help," the disembodied voice said. Something nuzzled against his shoulder. "But to do so, you must first choose to fight."
He didn't understand what the voice meant, but another cried "Josh" jolted through him. It didn't matter what the voice meant. The memories from before grew closer, all too vividly showing the shi'raz reaper that he'd left behind with Eli and Xander.
Taking in a deep breath, Josh willed his body to move. His legs lowered as he tried to reach a vertical position, but before he could, a pressure pushed upward on his back, lifting him. He left the water, and instead a scaly, warm surface supported him.
"Go, and do not forget -- only dragon energy can defeat it."
Josh didn't know what he expected to see when he opened his eyes, but it wasn't his brother's ear only inches from him. "Eli?" he groaned.
Eli jerked his head around, watery eyes wide. "Josh!" He pulled back. Dust fell from his body and pebbles dropped to the ground. Not too far to his side, a dragon head lay broken on the floor.
Josh's breathing hitched, realizing why Eli had been hovering over his face. He didn't have time to chid him, though. His shield wasn't strapped to his arm and his sword was missing.
The reaper cried out, and Josh shot up to look over Eli and to the monster.
It wasn't alone. Xander stood, heaving, wielding Josh's sword and shield. Blood tainted his shoulder red, but he didn't seem too injured.
As Josh scrambled to his feet, back twinging but nowhere near as hurt as before, he kept his eyes on the battle. Xander may not have had his Paladin abilities, but he moved swiftly still. He darted in, shield raised to catch the reaper's swipe. A quick flick to angle the shield sent the reaper skidding forward from its own momentum, and Xander lunged forward to drag the blade across the reaper's spine.
The blade dug just deep enough to create a red line.
The reaper's tail flashed, and Xander dove back. He rolled across the ground, dodging crashing jabs.
"Josh, don't," Eli pleaded, grabbing Josh's leg. He hadn't realized, but he had taken a step forward. "You're hurt..." Eli trailed off, his confused gaze focused on Josh's back. "Where did it go?"
Josh flexed his hands, wishing he had his sword so he could at least feel equipped for his crazy idea.
"Go, and do not forget -- only dragon energy can defeat it."
He gulped. Boomer, I have a question.
I have many of those, Boomer said, mind on the realm he saw in Josh's memories. But what?
You can use light too, right? Not just lightning?
Boomer paused. Right, he said hesitantly. I have more ease with lightning, but like you, I'm attuned to both.
Now Josh gnawed on his lip, nerves knotting in his gut. He glanced to the side. Cale had joined Moshe, trying to keep others back. The shins of Moshe's avatar had sunk down in an area of shifting sand. Sometime while Josh had been out, they'd gotten in a lot of good blows, and blood-turned-energy floated from wounds scattered across Moshe's body.
Can you channel them both through me? Like you did against the gem frogs?
Silence, then a low growl. You cannot be serious, Boomer said. I almost killed you.
Yes, yes he had. I can use lightning now, he said. I should be fine.
Even if Josh couldn't see his dragon, he could sense how tense Boomer was. He stood, still in the field with Jodas and Ezraim, muscles coiled as if to strike an enemy not there.
If you do this, you risk death, Boomer said.
Josh watched as the reaper landed another scratch on Xander's side. He yelled, but still slashed at the reaper. Down below, Moshe swept Cale back, using his avatar's body to block earth-crushing rain.
If I don't, he whispered, we may all die. We need pure dragon energy to destroy the reaper.
A few more beats of silence as the truth in Josh's words crashed down on Boomer. He mentally curled up, body quivering. Why does it have to be you?
Because, I'm the one who got us here, and... Josh took a step forward, and only then remembered Eli was trying to pull him back. He bent down and pried Eli's hands off him, ignoring his brother's protests. He took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. And I'm the weakest here, meaning I'm the most useless.
Boomer deflated. He made a sound as if to speak, but Josh cut him off.
However, he said, I don't plan on dying here. Sure, there's a risk, but I'm not going to let it happen. So how about you stop moping around and just help me show this reaper that it should fear soul-bound humans too?
You know, just because you say you won't let it doesn't mean it won't happen. Despite his words, a spark of humor entered Boomer's voice. He grinned. I'll trust you.
Good. He turned to Eli and flashed a reassuring grin. "Relax," he said. "You get to see me save the day."
Josh strode away before Eli could grab at him again.
Even if soul-bound, I cannot tell if you are truly this confident or just faking it.
Josh tilted his head in concession to that. Yes.
Yes?
Yes. Josh reached toward the bond, lips pressed together. Now, let's do this.
Boomer concentrated, and the bond flared.
It wasn't like when Josh summoned his own energy. When he did that, it felt no different than taking a deep breath and feeling his chest expand, except he could choose other parts of his body to have that feeling.
It wasn't even like when he used Boomer's energy to enhance his own. When their energy combined, it felt natural.
Only having Boomer's energy flowing through him felt like he'd just stuck metal in a socket. Lightning prickled overy his skin, stinging and surging as it tried to find an outlet. He was a conduit, and the energy wanted out.
"Xander." Josh's voice shook. His entire body jittered. White electivity arched between his fingers. "Move."
Xander may not have noticed Josh's words if the reaper hadn't stopped attacking, its eyes drilling into Josh. Xander turned to Josh, heaving for air. Blood dripped from his forehead. Questions flashed through his eyes, but he decided on an answer quickly enough. He lunged out of the way seconds before the reaper started its charge toward Josh.
Bracing himself, Josh opened his palms to the reaper and let the energy loose.
It didn't matter. He could have prepared for hours and not been ready for the explosion of pressure in his limbs. If he couldn't see his own arms, he would have thought the torrent of white lightning was tearing through his flesh rather than shooting from his hands.
A million razors moved through his body, all weighed down by the sheer force of the energy. At any moment, he was going to drop down heaving blood.
I need to stop-- Boomer started.
No. Josh forced his eyes to stay open against the pain. He blinked until the tears went away. Not when it's working.
The reaper wailed, clawing and stabbing at the lightning, but nothing it could do would stop it or the way it wore at the creature's body, slowly turning it to energy particles.
Now if only it could work faster.
Josh didn't know his legs were giving until they fell out from underneath him. He hit his knees with a grunt, and a fresh wave of pain traveled up his spine. The reaper's cries gave way to a buzzing static in his ears. The only other sounds he heard came from Boomer.
What are you doing? Jodas' familiar voice demanded. "What is going on, dragonling?
He is channeling energy into his soul-bound, an unfamiliar voice said, almost awed. Ezraim, perhaps, seeing through Cale's eyes.
Foolish, Jodas said. You said you almost killed him last time.
A fresh wave of energy surged through the bond, even turning that sound into static. Josh tasted iron, his tongue tingling.
Sorry, Boomer ground out. This requires so much control.
You're doing great, Josh said.
Great at hurting you...
Yes, it hurt, but Josh focused on the reaper. One arm had completely disintegrated, but it seemed as if the process had slowed. I think I need more, he said.
What? No!
Boomer lost his focus, and the energy jumped in power. The reaper screamed, but so did Josh. The skin on his forearms turned an angry, irritated red.
Boomer tried to regain control, but Josh shoved against him. No, don't, he pleaded. We can do this. We need this reaper gone.
His dragon wanted to argue, but the energy didn't lower. It did, however, become more precise, and the pain ebbed, if only slightly.
Someone shouted something. Something about failing? No, the tail--
Xander appeared, trying to block it, but he could only shove it off course enough that it ripped open Josh's shoulder.
It should have hurt, but any pain it caused couldn't compare to the agony as the surprise broke Boomer's focus. Josh was on fire. His body jerked and convulsed, energy jutting from every part of his body. There was so much, blasting out with enough power to lift him into the air.
Boomer's panicked cries buzzed with the static crackling everywhere as he tried to grab control, but too much had slipped through the bond. Easier to channel through than to draw back.
Josh couldn't escape the eruptions of electrical pain, but he could will as much as possible in the direction of the screeching monster.
Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe he would die, but if he did, he was taking the reaper with him.
Josh closed his eyes. He didn't have to be conscious. He could escape the pain by retreating to the darkness, leaving the excess energy in his body to do the job. Surely it would be enough.
"You will not die."
Arms wrapped around him. No, not arms. Wings, drawing him close. What felt like water flowed through his veins, soothing the burn and directing the energy from the very connection of the soul to his hands.
"I have a promise to keep." The rippling voice, Josh realized. It had returned.
With it came two things: a very familiar presence and the flashes of memories.
A little girl, dancing in the rain.
The girl, older, a spark in her eyes as she hopped around a tree and yelling, "Found you!"
Then, even older, nearing adulthood, her hands cupping the watcher's jaw as she pressed her forehead against theirs. "I will return, soon. Thysia."
The last of Josh's tears fell, but this time, it wasn't from pain. A deep longing filled his chest, one he knew was not his own.
"I will not fail her again."
The presence seeped from Josh's core into his arms. Then, like a long held exhale, it released. The last of the energy gushed out, except no longer in the shape of lightning.
It had taken the shape of a dragon in flight, and with a roar, that dragon collided with the reaper.
Light flashed. The reaper's clicking cry mixed with the fading dragon's roar. With the last of Josh's energy used, he fell back to the floor on one knee, huffing as if he hadn't breathed in ages.
As the light faded and spots ended their dance in his eyes, he found the spot where the reaper had been empty. Particles of energy drifted in the air before fading into nothing.
Something ripped to Josh's right. Turning, he found that it was the very dimension itself.
A portal squirmed open, the white sparkler effect shooting off. It hadn't fully opened before Xander ran up to it and shoved his hands through it.
When he pulled them back through, the bands were gone. Their leader was back in full power, and he didn't waste a second before turning back and marching back toward the Shadow Knight battle.
Josh hurried to his feet to follow, but the world pitched. His stomach fell. He dropped to his hands and knees, only then seeing his body was covered in burn marks. A cough ripped its way from him, and that small action seemed to sap whatever energy he had left. His limbs gave out, and he collapsed.
"Vahezro tyriz!" Xander cried.
Pure energy and wind brushed over Josh, and then he knew nothing but the painless darkness.
Fun Fact: So... Original way this fight was going to go. Like I said, Josh was going to have a single guy to go up against who helped attack his house. He also was fighting that dude to try and get a key from him to unlock Xander's shackles. I ditched that idea, first because a key made no sense really and because, well... This called back a few other things already set up, and, I mean, that's a better route, right? Also, next draft, I'm going to add a few more scenes with the "rippling voice."
The fight is finally over. The reaper's are gone. The portal is open. Everything seems to have been settled... Besides escape, which, I mean... Surely that won't go wrong... Don't think of the fact that whenever Mara was Luna, she got kidnapped by the Shadow Knights. So, what did you think of the big final fight? Josh's method of winning? The "rippling voice"? Or just on anything else in general xD Only two chapters left! (and I'll try to at least space those updates a week apart xD)
Let me know your thoughts of the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed, don't forget to vote. Or even join my Patron, which can be found in my bio. The lowest tier only costs $1 a month and gives you access to my discord, where you can get chapter previews and other perks detailed in Now That You're Caught Up.