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Except for one last sect, hiding somewhere in the depths of a mountain so tall it defied the Heavens. Biding their time.
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It took a few heartbeats for Mia to register the commotion as her self-doubts and thoughts consumed her. Her hopeless tugs against the powerful hands holding her were more so she could tell herself that she was still resisting than from any genuine hope of breaking loose.
Her stump throbbed with phantom pain as he tightened his grip. Stupid, useless stump. All it can do now is cause me pain.
She winced and calmed her struggles as her arm was bent sharply backwards. Dislocating my shoulder will not help. I need to think of something else. She had looked for some manner of help from her skills over and over. All her magical, powerful, awe-inspiring skills; that were all made for healing or for strengthening her allies. She almost laughed at the irony. Just this morning I thought of myself as so powerful. Level 6, leader of a city of powerful magic-users, magical defences at her beck and call… And now there was nothing she could do to resist. Or maybe… An idea gave her a moment of hope, and she opened the city interface to see if there was a way she could message Pete, or someone else. There was no direct way to send any messages, but maybe if she changed something in the interface, someone might notice. Can I change the city's name, to bring help?
Before she had a chance to try, her mouth went dry when she saw the red alert claiming her attention. Intrusion! was written in large letters across the top of the interface, and with a mental command, she opened the map. The red wave bearing down on Pete and the other defenders was so dense, so packed full of markings, that she couldn’t separate one marker from another. Where did those monsters all come from? This morning, there were only a few of them. Pete and the defence constructs should have been more than enough to handle them. As she watched, more red flowed in from the perimeter tunnels to join the horde bearing down on the thin line of blue-marked defenders. Whatever Shawn and Terrence do, it won’t matter if the defenders break. The monsters will overrun Sanctuary in a few hours. The best way to safeguard the city is to give them what they want. Regardless of what their intent is, they won’t leave everyone to be killed. I need to give up, to give them control, so they can see with their own eyes what’s about to happen. So they can get help! And Sofie…! Maybe they will let me save her. Mia lifted her eyes to look at the red pool congealing around the girl’s head. That was a nasty hit to her head, and if I don’t get to her soon, she’ll be permanently damaged, or even dead.
“We need to stop the monsters–” she began, about to give the command which would transfer control of the city to him, when Shawn spoke.
“Welcome, Matt.”
Cold shivers down her back made Mia blink. No! What is he doing here? She saw Terrence reach out and grab Matt in a firm grip. Not him! If anyone else had come here, they might have been able to help, but… He’ll be defenceless. There’s nothing he can do. Mia felt a pang of shame at her thoughts. But for all his bravery and cleverness, Matt had come to this room like a lamb to slaughter. I need to get him out of here. These men are ruthless. What can I do to distract them? To help Matt break free… Maybe he can run and get help.
She was struck by an idea and triggered Bastion to bolster Matt’s strength. She wanted to yell at him to use the extra power to yank free from Terrence’s hands and run away, to get help, to warn someone. But that would give it all away. She looked at him with pleading eyes, willing him to understand. Surely he can feel the extra strength from Bastion? Run, Matt. Run to the Arena, get help. For us, and for the poor people holding the line against the monsters!
When nothing happened, she sighed. Why did I let these people into the city? Why did I let them hold this tournament, tying up all our best fighters while we are still vulnerable? Stupid, Mia. Stupid! Berating herself, part of her knew she could not have known. That her decisions at the time had been right with the information she had, even if it was obviously wrong with the perspective of hindsight. But the part of her that told her she had failed was always the one to speak the loudest. I thought I was better than this. Again, she wished she had taken the time to visit the tournament grounds yesterday to watch the fights instead of labouring over the waste management reports. For all your so-called intelligence, you can truly be an idiot, Mia. You didn’t even listen to what Sofie told you after the fights were done.
Sofie had brought her a list of the winners; the finalists who had made it through to the second day. She had idly noted Matt’s friend Charlotte on the list, and when Sofie had pointed at Terrence’s name on the list of eliminated fighters, she hadn’t stopped to think, even when Sofie asked her why Terrence had lost. She had just waved the question away instead of considering that it might mean something. And when Pete had asked for help to hold back the dungeon break-out earlier that day, she hadn’t even hesitated to send both palace guards and defence constructs with him. Leaving the council room and her undefended.
And now I’m paying for that. Sofie is paying for it. Matt will pay, and the city will pay. All our dreams. Because I was so… Oblivious.
Everything had happened so quickly. One moment, she was working with Sofie to copy up farming reports, and in the next, a loud bang as the door was thrown open and she was thrown against the wall by an invisible force as one of Shawn’s henchmen rushed into the room and threw a skill at her. Stupid, brave little Sofie had leapt for a dagger resting on a side table, only to be struck in the head from behind to crash against the floor. The blood slowly seeping out from her head wound was bad enough, but Mia didn’t want to think about the blood welling out from her ears. Her brain must be swollen, and she only had minutes. If that.
And now Matt was here, defenceless and vulnerable, and there was nothing she could do to help either of them. Except… She had been planning to give Shawn control. She could still do that. The city was lost now, either way. If they killed her, the chair would activate for the next person to sit in it, and Shawn was already resting his hand against the back of the circlet that was carved into its back. Maybe if she transferred control voluntarily, she could buy their lives. Buy them time.
“Shawn,” she began. “Please, stop. You win. I will make you mayor, and then—”
“Let her go.”
When Matt spoke, Mia got a strange sensation that she was suddenly tumbling through empty space. It was as if all the air had left the room, and the only sound remaining was his voice. She looked up at him, and when his eyes met hers, the smile he sent her made her breath catch in her throat. What… Her eyes grew wide at the confusingly misplaced confidence she saw there. What is going on? A stillness radiated from Matt, and his words still echoed through the small space as his gaze swept the room with calm determination.
Behind him, Terrence was still gripping him tight, but Matt stood easily, as if he didn’t even notice the powerful warrior bending his arms back.
“You interrupted her. It is not polite to interrupt a lady, Matt.” Shawn pulled the chair out as he looked at Mia. “You were saying, dear?”
“Let’s deal, Shawn. Just let us go, and I will—”
Shawn sat down in the chair. “You will give me control of Sanctuary? If we kill you, the control will pass to whoever is in this chair, right? So… I don’t actually need to deal with you. There are more… efficient ways to get what I want. To get what the city needs. You see, it’s time for a change in leadership. Or to state it more accurately; it’s time for this place to finally get a proper leader, instead of a girl child. A scared little girl, huddling up in a cave like a scared peasant. A tiny coward who has not realised she could crown herself queen if she wanted. Just look.” Shawn’s voice was flat and emotionless as he gestured out the windows. “The power you could wield. Who could stand against your army? What is the point of having a sharpened sword if you glue it to its scabbard and throw it all down a well? How many people out there are suffering, dying, starving right now, because they are under the heels of the nobles? Every day, every minute, someone is dying. Someone is being beaten by the nobles!” His voice rose sharply for a moment, before he forced calm back into it. “And instead of helping them, using your power for good, you insist on hiding here, like a small child afraid of the monster under her bed. No, Mia,” his smile did not reach his eyes, “It’s time for a proper leader to take over.”
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“I said, let her go. Now.”
This time, Matt’s voice rang like a crystal bell. She winced as his words echoed through the room. Where did he learn to speak like that? No matter, he needs to run, to get out of here! To stop antagonising those brutes. We need help! The red wave of monsters had pushed the defenders back, and they were almost at the entrance to the city.
Shawn’s grin was replaced by an angry grimace as he leaned forward in his seat. “Or what, weakling? What can you do? That’s right. Nothing. So you found this cave, great. That was your contribution, your part of this story. This world is one of strength, one of power. The nobles were strong, but we are stronger. And you… You found the power to stand against them, and then you failed. You don’t even have a class, weakling. No skills, no magic. You can see coloured threads in the air? Hah.” Shawn’s smile was coming back. “You amuse me. Behave, and you may live. You can be my servant, and entertain me with your useless ability. I will let you live to see me kill your friends.” Shawn’s gaze shifted to Mia. “Let’s start with her. Mark, it’s time to fix this place.”
Mia tried to pull away, but there was nothing she could do. She closed her eyes as a hand pushed her down to her knees. Sorry, Sofie. Sorry, Matt.
“I asked you nicely twice. I will not ask again.”
This time, Matt’s voice was a sharp edge of steel that cut into her mind.
Mia fell to the floor as a wave of something washed over the room. It began as small ripples in her soul that made her breath catch in her throat, before an immense pressure twisted her internal organs in a vise of fear. Her ears and eyes pounded with pain as tears streamed down her face.
What is happening?
Her head was flat against the cold stone floor, and none of her muscles would respond to her commands. She heard sounds from behind as the two men who had been holding her collapsed to the ground, and she saw Terrence drop to his knees, struggling against the invisible force.
Matt was walking forwards with careful, deliberate steps, his head held high as his eyes locked with Shawn’s. His eyes burned with an anger that scared Mia. What is happening to Matt? Where did this come from? And what is happening? The power that was radiating from the man was unlike anything Mia had experienced, and she whimpered involuntarily as fear kept forcing bile up her throat.
With an expression as calm as an ocean flat from shore to horizon, Matt raised a hand towards Shawn. Only his eyes held anger, and a moment later Shawn screamed in pain as flames burst from his eyes and ears and mouth. Mia felt the heat on her face from across the room. She wanted to look away, but found herself unable to, her eyes transfixed as the fire consumed Shawn’s face. The screams continued for much longer than she thought would be possible, before they were cut off when he fell to the floor.
Poor bastard, she thought as she saw his chest rising and falling. He’s just unconscious. That was a mercy he did not deserve.
The smell of charred flesh resonated in a dull ache in her stump, and her eyes jumped back to Matt.
How can he…?
Matt was still facing Shawn when she saw a blur out of the corner of her eye. “Matt, behind—” she forced the words out through the blanket of fear that was still holding her down.
Somehow, Terrence had struggled to his feet. With his sword drawn, he ran towards Matt as he screamed, “I will kill you!”
Matt calmly spun in place to face the challenge, his hand coming up to meet the sword. What is he doing? He can’t– Terrence’s sword swung down and struck Matt’s hand with a sharp clang! that reverberated through the small room, and Mia saw the dull blue glow surrounding Matt’s hand.
Mia watched in horrified fascination as Matt took a step forward, still blocking the sword with one hand, and… Terrence’s face collapsed inwards in a fountain of blood as Matt punched straight through bone and cartilage.
She heard someone screaming, then realised it was herself. I wonder if it was the back of his skull that stopped the hand. Mia was losing her last grip on sanity; fear and confusion and wonder making her thoughts a jumble of chaos. She hadn’t even seen Matt’s arm move, and then it was inside Terrence’s head.
As the large man fell to the ground like a puppet with his strings cut, Mia saw Matt take a deep breath and then the pressure relented. Her head cleared seconds later, and she pressed her hands against her chest to stop them from shaking. Part of her mind recognised the shaking as a reaction to what must surely be too much adrenaline coursing through her blood.
“Please, put down your weapons.” Mia heard in his voice that Matt wanted the men to comply. He did not want to deal with a refusal. When she heard the hard sound of swords pulled from scabbards, she squeezed her eyes shut as something warm and wet splashed against her. A second later, she heard two thumps as the two men fell to the ground in heaps of blood and torn tissue.
The last man was standing over Sofie, trembling as he held a dagger against the back of her head.
“St- stop,” he stammered. “Ju– Just let me go, and–”
This time, Mia barely clung to consciousness as another wave of fear radiated out from Matt. Fear and confusion scrambled her brain, even as she recognised that the effect had not been directed at her. The man who had been threatening Sofie dropped the dagger as he clutched at his face, his fingers going for his eyes, digging in and tearing them out of their sockets. He screamed something incoherent before throwing his head back against the stone floor hard enough to crush his skull.
Mia’s world went black.
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“Mia, help Sofie.”
The insistence behind Matt’s words broke through the darkness, and opening her eyes, she blinked as her brain tried to make sense of what had just happened.
“Wh– what?”
“Sofie. Help her!”
“Right…” She got unsteadily to her feet, and she flinched as he held a hand out to support her.
“Sorry,” he whispered as she pulled away. The tone of his voice and his expression was a wild contrast with the… the creature he had been just before. “I’m sorry, Mia. I didn’t know that… I tried to direct it at them, but… You got caught in it, and… Sorry.”
Later, she thought to herself as she bent down over Sofie. Extending her hand, she looked up at Matt. “Later. But Pete needs our help. We are under attack! You need to run to the Arena and–”
“What the fuck happened here?” The man standing in the open doorway was bent over double, breathing hard, fear and something else growing on his face as he took in the display in the council chamber.
Mia tried to calm herself, tried to instil confidence and command in her voice. “Gunther, come here and help me with Sofie. Matt, please, run to–”
“Mia, ma’am, sorry.” Gunther was still breathing hard, but had stood up and was looking straight at her. He squared his shoulders, even as fear was clear on his face. “The Dukes. Their armies,” His voice broke. Gunther was only fourteen. “They are here. They are outside!”
Mia opened her mouth to respond, only for no words to come out. But we need to help Pete! The green line of defenders had been pushed out of the tunnels, into the city. The monsters were beginning to surround them. They needed all the fighters to help… This can’t be happening! Taking a deep breath, she looked at Matt. “Matt, what do we–”
A sharp buzzing interrupted her as Verdant flew in through a window.
“Matt, Mia; a woman has arrived at the entrance. Matt, she says she is your sister. Something has happened to Vic. They’ve taken him and the others!”
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This is the end of Threads of Destiny, Book 1: Sanctuary
Matt’s story will continue in Book 2: Stronghold
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