image [https://i.imgur.com/Rv7320o.jpg]

Aidan emerged from Hydrius Tower just as Marrak swooped past the terrace. The line of battle mages fired their shocksticks, but their barrage only sparked against his barrier and the wind almost billowed him over.

“Sir!” An alchemist knelt at his side but he waved him away.

“Go!” He clutched the heavy bundle of wire against his body, “We got this.”

The alchemist ran off towards the workshop doors as Aidan and his guards heaved the line of wire onto the terrace.

“Where are they?” Aidan scanned the dark sky, but only saw Marrak’s shadow as it ignited the watchtowers one after another. “Damn it.” His eyes searched the canopy for any glint of bronze, but the rumble of wheels forced them back to the terrace as the blue-steel canon was hauled out of the workshop.

“Mount it here!” Aidan called, tugging the wire towards the terrace edge.

As the alchemists lodged the wires into place, Aidan dumped the pouch full of mana stones into the rotating chamber. His gaze turned skyward and locked onto the needle jutting from the tower’s peak.

“Come on,” he urged the churning clouds.

They rumbled a warning and his lips curled back.

“That’s right. Come on, now!”

His arm hairs bristled as lightning pulsed downward and struck the needle. The wires whined and sparks spat back at Aidan. But the chamber turned, and the stones clacked and crackled around inside. Faster and faster it spun, until it hummed from the mana building up within the iron chamber at the barrel’s base.

“It’s working!” One alchemist cried, eliciting cheers from the others, and distracting them from the shadow that rounded on them.

“Aim! Now!” Aidan commanded, and the narrow barrel swiveled towards Marrak. “Aim straight at his mouth!”

Marrak loomed closer and Aidan held his breath.

Then, light crept up Marrak’ s throat and his jaws parted.

“Now!”

The trigger clicked and a beam of light erupted from the barrel. It hit dead center and a flash filled the sky, sending a shockwave through the rain.

But as Aidan blinked back his sight, a red blur swooped overhead in a flurry of wingbeats.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Damn it.” Aidan cursed as Marrak’s barrier dissipated with the smoke. “We’ll have to try something else.”

He threw the chamber latch open, singing his fingers. But his alchemists only stood stiff and watched as Marrak banked back around.

“We have nothing else, sir,” one whimpered. “That was our one shot.”

Aidan snarled and scanned the horizon one more time. But this time his gaze landed on the glowing tip of a shockstick.

“No, it wasn’t.”

Scooping up the staff, he ripped the morakii from its perch and jammed it into the chamber.

“No!” cried the alchemist, grabbing Aidan’s hands. “That’s too much! It’ll–”

“Then leave!” Aidan stared them all down. “All of you. Go! Now!”

He slammed the latch shut and swerved the barrel around, locking his aim at Marrak’s head—at the four stars shining in the gloom.

Aidan’s skin buzzed as the morakii raged inside the spinning chamber. Its metal creaked and cried, and a misty halo hovered in the vibrating air. The alchemists ran. The mages ran. But all eyes lingered on the motionless prince, including Marrak.

The red wall came again, growing larger and larger with each wingbeat. But Aidan held steady. If this truly was his last shot, he damn well wasn’t going to miss.

“Steady,” he coached himself.

The metal siding of the tower gleamed red as Marrak closed in.

“Steady.”

Then the rain sizzled.

“Now.”

The blast from the chamber blew half of the barrel clean off as the beam bore straight through Marrak's barrier.

Aidan flew back, tumbling across the terrace. His vision clouded and his ears rang, but Marrak’s pained roar couldn’t be clearer. A clear roar that grew louder as Marrak fell atop the terrace, careening into the tower’s side.

Aidan scrambled away as the terrace floor collapsed into the floor below and dislodged stones fell from their tower. His body chilled as the tower leaned ever so slightly. But when the quaking stopped, it remained standing. Below it, Marrak’s body lay steaming, but still. Blood pooled on the stone by his massive head, and a faint light twinkled among the debris.

“Is that?” Aidan rose on shaky legs and scrambled over to where the dim crystal flickered up at him. He picked up the blood-smeared shard and clenched it tight in his hand.

“Is it…finally over?” he asked himself, staring at Marrak’s fallen form.

Cheering erupted from the far side of the terrace as mages and alchemists came out from hiding, and a weight seemed to lift from Aidan’s chest. A reprieve that was, unfortunately, short-lived as a low rumble shook the air and stone around them. Aidan thought it thunder at first, until Marrak’s head lolled over and three stars blinked down at him from the gashing wound.

“Oh, for Erd’s sake.” Aidan breathed a whine and Marrak’s eyes shot open.

His pupils flared until they focused on the man in front of him.

Aidan drew his sword, but Marrak’s mouth curled into a wry grin.

“Well, isn’t this familiar?” he groaned. “Another brave prince,” his eyes locked on the austrum blade, “another…drahgrashi.”

Aidan’s stance faltered as Ethan’s face flashed in his mind.

“Heh,” Marrak chuckled and shifted to his feet, “your blade may be blue, but your horns are still green.”

Aidan steeled himself as Marrak rose. But then he grinned as a small glint appeared in the sky behind Marrak.

“This time is different,” Aidan said, his sword gleaming blue as he drew it back. “This time, justice is golden.”