Chapter 20
The Finals
Brynn lashed whips of water out before Meredith or Conrad could reach the center. They came down hard, hissing once they struck the maze’s edge. Meredith backpedaled, taking stock of just what strategies each of her opponents would take. Holding the sword close, she watched as Brynn changed direction of her whip to aim for both her and Conrad at once.
She didn’t stop to think. Meredith lifted her sword and slashed at the whip, passing straight through the watery appendage, but halting its attack for a moment. Conrad had multiplied about the area, one of his copies hit with the full force of the whip and flung backwards, while he, himself, ran for Brynn.
“Branches!” Meredith shouted. Before Brynn could strike again, Meredith dashed for the hedges and placed a hand atop its scratchy surface. The writhing soul permitted access, and like Brynn’s whips, the piney branches flew out. They grappled with Brynn’s whips until the hot water fell upon them in a lukewarm rain. An explosion went off elsewhere, thanks to Eddie and his own conflict with the twins.
“Hah!” Brynn’s close cry alerted Meredith to the incoming attack. She ceased her magic, pulling away and slashing her sword up to block the toss of the knife the young woman had sent hurling at her. Another one was coming at her, Brynn’s face having dropped the smirk and smile that had defined their rivalry. This was now a task to win. Meredith blocked the next knife, and just as they were about to clash, Conrad appeared between them.
“Sorry, ladies, but don’t forget about me,” he said, his own grin manifesting. With a midair twirl, his kick struck them both on the sides of their heads and sent the two females sprawling down to the wooden floor. He didn’t end his assault, attempting to bring a kick straight down at Meredith’s head.
Sword in hand, she slapped her hand down, causing the ground to glow around her. “Stone Circle!”
There was a second of intermission between calling for the spell and its activation. In that time, Brynn stood, and Conrad nearly reached her with his next kick. He never made it, the jagged edges erupting from the ground and making impact with his chest. He was flung off, rolling along the ground with a wheeze. Meredith grabbed on to one of the stones and pulled herself up, just in time to see Brynn climbing the branches like a monkey, a watery orb coalescing in her hands.
No spell was called. Just a torrent of scorching water that fell swiftly upon Meredith’s head. She screamed from the burns, but grit her teeth to stop herself from feeling the pain. Her brain couldn’t think, too waterlogged and focused on blocking the agony. There was no doubt Brynn was descending to land a major blow, and very likely would have…
…if the water didn’t cool.
Summer…Meredith chuckled to herself. Eddie was pushing the twins to their limits if the temperature change was reaching this far. It wasn’t quite the boon she hoped it was, her soaked robes beginning to freeze up along with the stream, but Meredith was prepared to make work of it. She switched the blade in her hand while she could, and brought it slicing upward.
The wood beneath her bubbled with stone before the spire split the stream in two, heading right for Brynn as the ice chunks broke away. Meredith shivered, slashing at her opponent but missing when Brynn changed direction with her water spouts. The temperature began to return to normal, and from her new stone perch, Meredith saw Eddie using his own earthen strike to knock Summer into the ground. The poor girl just didn’t catch any breaks this tournament, Meredith felt, but she focused on her own foe, racing back down the stony incline for Brynn.
“Steam!”
Meredith pulled up short. The mist from Brynn’s magic wafted over their section of the maze, blocking each of them from view and leaving it nearly impossible to see who was where. Meredith slipped her Soul Vision on, locating Brynn in a heartbeat, as well as Conrad, whose many clones were running right for her. She swung her sword in a wide arc, deterring some of the copies, but not the original, who kicked at her once more. She blocked this one with the blade.
“You’ve gotten way fast, Mera,” Conrad said. He spun around, kicking again to her side. She stumbled back and he punched her in the face. She gasped, blood trailing from her nose. She swapped the orientation of her blade and brought its hilt jabbing into her friend’s stomach. “Oof, nice one.”
A knife whizzed past them, embedding into the wood near their feet. Meredith jumped back, gaining distance from Conrad as another one hit the ground. She knew what that spelled as a heated geyser rushed up from the circle the knives made. It clipped Meredith’s side, hitting more of Conrad. He wasn’t giving up, though. He ran right through it, using its pressure to propel him and his clones upward and sailing back down to strike at Meredith.
“Sorry, Conrad. I’ll make it up to you later.” She added a wink at the end, distracting him just enough for her foot to tap the floor. More of the earth rose up, this one as a bulwark between she and Conrad. The boy couldn’t stop, and with utmost inelegance, his many faces crashed into the wall.
“That…hurts…” he squealed, sliding down while the stone crumbled, the steam vanishing with it. He rolled to the ground, passed out with exhaustion.
Meredith gave a deep exhale and ran her fingers through her drenched hair, some of it having gotten loose to hang in front of her eye. Her uncovered eye stared across at Brynn, and she held her sword forward in challenge.
“Just you and me, Brynn.”
“I’d have it no other way.”
Each shifted their foot, looking like animals prepared to have an all-out war for supremacy. Neither dared to make a move, but Meredith knew they couldn’t stalemate for too long, not with Eddie getting walloped by one of Autumn’s roots. She knew she had to act fast.
So, she dashed.
Brynn ducked the first swipe, bringing her knife up to cut at Meredith’s arm. They locked in place, the Home Guard leader’s other hand rising to splash her with water. Meredith wasn’t falling for the trick. She dropped her blade and bent down, her hand catching it the other way, slashing up. This one locked against Brynn’s quick and defensive knife. Meredith shifted the blade around again, taking Brynn by surprise. She still avoided the blow.
“You know, there had been rumors of the great young Guardians that had protected the Metropolis, fought the Beastmaster,” Brynn said. She twirled out of the way, propelling one of the knives forward with water to strike Meredith in the shoulder. “It kinda pissed me off. Here I was, a member of the Home Guard who protected our president, but the GC got all the glory, as usual. Me and my boys volunteered for the tournament once we heard it was happening because I hoped to see just who had been so lauded.
“Didn’t expect someone like you.”
“Neither did I,” Meredith agreed. She swept her leg, her opponent jumping over it, but not realizing the stones behind her that caused her to trip. “When we met in the alley, I thought you were a complete airhead, and was surprised to see you being interviewed. Lots of people looked up to you, adored you. I never had that, not that it matters. But I knew…you and I, we’re the same.”
“Oh, good. We’re on the same page then,” Brynn said, just before blocking Meredith’s new attack with her knife. They strained, sparks flying from the metal clashing. “Fight to the finish for the glory?”
“Nah. It’s finished.” Meredith let go of the blade once more, catching it with one hand and making a backhanded strike that disarmed Brynn. With her other hand, she connected to Terrill’s soul and brought her fist smashing into Brynn’s, encrusted with stone. The girl flew back with wide eyes, crashing through hedges in pockets of dust. Meredith stood tall. “Sorry, but I’m not doing this for myself. I’ve got a teammate that needs hel-”
Steam heralded the attack first, covering the corridors of the maze, including Eddie and Autumn’s battle, the two coughing as soon as it rolled over. Meredith glared; that wasn’t like Brynn. She was controlled, almost effortless in her application of her water. This was indiscriminate. Still, she had to react to the soul coming at her. She swung with both hands, blocking the solitary knife and the leering face of Brynn behind it.
“Aw, and here I thought I could get you with a sneak attack in your cockiness.” Meredith strained, feeling more weight than Brynn usually exerted upon her sword. Her foot started to slip, lips puckering while her contorted face was glaring at Brynn.
“No…you’re not Brynn…” she gasped. Her feet began to fall, but she used it, falling to a knee and changing her sword around to slash up. “Brynn” flipped away, landing with elegance while the steam disappeared. “Who are you?”
“You noticed? I thought you’d be so cutthroat you wouldn’t,” the fake Brynn said. Meredith drew her body into a defensive posture. Rustling from the hedges beyond showed the real Brynn beginning to stand. “Guess I should’ve known from all that flowery talk of how similar you were. Enough to make a woman vomit. Especially with how great you make yourselves sound, but I guess that’s to be expected of the Corps and the Home Guard. Not that such a delusion will last much longer.”
“And what does that mean?” Brynn’s authoritative voice was furious, all of it directed at her fake self. Meredith felt gratitude, the both of them on the same side, united, if just for this moment. The fake Brynn tossed her blade up and down, catching it with a feral, Cheshire grin.
“It means I’m gonna tear you both down and toss you at the feet of the people like rags. Let’s see what your people think of you then.” Meredith met Brynn’s gaze, and they didn’t need to say anything.
Brynn shot before her faker could, whipping her scalding water down. The woman slashed it apart with the knife while Meredith stomped, her line of stones racing out. The woman giggled a bit, and moved the momentum of her body forward, touching the first stone to reach her and using it to vault over, knife gleaming in what little light there was.
“Cut it out, Maria!” A clang identified an intercession, driving eyes upward.
Meredith felt her throat choke at the sight, the familiar blades, dirty-blond hair and tattered scarf hanging above her, blocking the woman that was now identified as Maria.
“Emil…what…what are you…?”
“You promised, Maria. You promised not to get them involved!”
“Don’t be naïve, Emil. Let me have my fun,” Maria said. Her form fell away, the Mimic Magic wearing off to reveal her usual self. “If you have a problem, take it up with Rico.”
Emil’s glower looked permanent as he gripped Maria’s arm, the two of them remaining suspended in midair. “This is still my team right now. They’re still my friends. Rico’s plans have nothing to do with them. Leave them alone. I thought you were leaving the maze with Carlton.”
“You’re really annoying…”
“Emil, what the hell?!” Meredith screeched. Her yell reverberated about the maze, and Brynn’s body was set on the defensive. Behind them, the sounds of battle between Eddie and Autumn ended, having not reached a conclusion. “How do you know her? What is Rico planning? Why did you leave Viv behind? Answer me!”
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Emil didn’t.
“Are you an enemy…or a friend?” Brynn fired a warning shot of water past Emil, and he floated backwards. “Tell me now, or I’ll burn off your pretty face.”
“Neither. Just stay down,” Emil said. He looked to Meredith, his eyes full of apology. It would have assuaged her, but what she also saw was…resolve. “This is going to happen. I’m sorry. I don’t want to put you in any more danger.”
“Emil!” Eddie had yelled with her, the boy shooting off with Maria before he could say anything more. Meredith clenched her fist, but remembered the situation, scanning the maze with her Soul Vision, locating Vivian. No relief followed, however, her friend’s soul in conflict with Lovelia. “Mera, what was that about?”
“That’s my question! Don’t run off in the middle of our battle, Eddie!” Autumn’s yell allowed Meredith the opportunity to consider the overload of information flowing into her. Brynn brought a knife close to herself, walking up to Meredith while she was thinking.
“He’s your teammate…so why did he just help out a Renegade?”
“I…don’t know…”
“Figure it out, then.”
Meredith wanted to snap that she was already in the process of doing so, yet she focused on the information in its place. With every fact she reviewed, sickness invaded her.
Emil was going to show his parents something.
Rico was going to send a message.
Lovelia was making specific targeted strikes.
Maria was acting out, trying to take them down as a statement.
Carlton was missing.
And Rico…Rico was standing all alone at the top of the maze, as if waiting for something. The end of the tournament? Some other hidden message? She wasn’t sure, but she did know one thing.
“Tournament’s over, Eddie. Let’s find Viv.”
“Whoa, hold up. What do you mean ‘tournament’s over’, Mera?” Autumn asked. Brynn withdrew her blade, having no such compunctions with her statement. In response, she leant over the unconscious Conrad and began to slap him. “The teams aren’t taken out.”
“They’re as good as…” Eddie said, cutting her off. Autumn’s eyes widened in alarm. “Brynn, your men fell to the Renegades. We saw Lovelia snipe one of them without an issue.”
“And she’s fighting Viv right now,” Meredith said. Brynn gave another slap to Conrad and he woke up, coughing and spluttering. “What the hell is Emil thinking, throwing in with them…?”
“You mean the Renegades,” Brynn confirmed. She needed no answer. “I tried digging into things, but they were secretive. On the outside, other than provoking Edgar the other day, they kept to themselves. I thought we were just being paranoid, you and I.”
“Clearly not…” Meredith swung her sword around, sheathing. Looking with her Soul Vision again, things hadn’t changed much. Rico was still up top, Vivian with Lovelia, the knocked-out forms of Summer, Edgar, Theodore and Gregory were scattered about, and Felix was circling somewhere above. Emil and Maria had disappeared, same as Carlton. “They were holding back, building the crowd, lulling us into a false sense of security. I should have known…Rico was…”
“Hey, no freaking out, and no stalling,” Brynn commanded. She grabbed Meredith by the shoulder, pushing her up against a nearby hedge. The cloudiness faded from Meredith’s eyes and she tried to discern Brynn’s intentions. “You’re part of the Guardian Corps, right? Do you believe there’s a threat here and now that isn’t just a battle between teams?”
It was a hefty question. Given any other circumstance, it would have given her cause to waver. However, in light of Emil’s appearance and disappearance, there was only one. Only one answer when she remembered the burning hatred in Rico’s eyes that consumed him.
“Yes. He’s at the top of the maze, waiting for us.”
“Then let’s move.” The two girls clapped hands together, only to find that Eddie, Autumn and a recovering Conrad had joined them.
“I’ve no idea what’s going on,” Autumn said, shaking her head, “but if you guys are teaming up, it must be serious.”
Meredith offered silent thanks and they broke their hands. Keeping her Soul Vision active and remembering the paths through the maze that they had taken before, Meredith turned in the direction of the stairs upwards. “I’ll guide us there. Follow me. First things first, let’s get Viv. She’s all alone, and while Lovelia shouldn’t be a match, I’m pretty sure the Renegades have been holding back the whole tournament, waiting for this moment.”
“You can navigate? Your magic seems pretty multi-purpose,” Brynn chuckled out.
“Long story. Just trust me.”
“I do.” The two bumped fists, offering a laugh from Eddie and a confused whisper from Conrad, who was struggling to keep up. The group turned a corner, tension mounting with every step towards the stairs to the third tier. Not that it took them long to reach it, only to find that Theodore’s body had vanished. Meredith didn’t question it, bounding up three stairs at a time.
They found an unexpected visitor upon their arrival to the third tier.
“Autumn! Conrad! What’s going on?” Felix flapped down, alone. Meredith stopped, withdrawing her sword and holding it pointed at Felix. His soul looked as it always had, but her mistrust from the encounter with Maria lingered. “Whoa! What’s this about? I know we’re enemies in the tournament, but…wait, why are you guys with two other teams?”
“The day we entered Lacardia Academy, I won a battle against you. How?”
“Mera, come on-”
“Answer it, or we show no mercy.” Felix was utterly taken aback by that, but he swallowed. After seeing the looks on his classmates’ faces, he nodded.
“You used the magic core to knock us all flat on our butts.” Meredith relaxed, and once Brynn saw she had, she did the same. “What’s this all about? I’ve been looking for opponents, but the Home Guard was already taken down and I wasn’t getting in the middle of Vivian’s fight. Wanted to look for Emil, but…”
“We don’t have time for him. You know where Vivian is?” Meredith grabbed Felix’s hand, shaking it and his whole entire body with insistence. He flopped back and forth, but in that, Meredith discerned a nod.
“Y-y-y-y-yeah…she w-was on-n th-the f-f-fourth level st-st-stairrrrrssss…”
“Bring us there. Right now.”
“Mera, what’re you on about exactly?”
“Just do it, Felix.” Conrad’s command came through. “You can carry our load, right? From what I gather, we have no time to waste waiting.”
“I am beyond confused, but…”
“The Renegades are targeting us, and not just for the tournament. Their leader’s up top, and we need to stop him while we can,” Eddie filled in. He approached Felix, himself, slapping him on the back. The two mages remained staring a moment, silently deliberating. “Right now, there are no teams. Just us. We need you to get us to Viv and Rico.”
Felix still looked lost, confused on the sudden shift of alliances and intentions. He tried to take stock of all of them, seeing their faces and their grim determination in the changed matter. Then, he rubbed his eyes. “Going up, then.”
No words passed between the allies. Meredith grabbed hold of Felix’s hand while Brynn took the other. Conrad and Autumn attached themselves to her, while Eddie grabbed Meredith’s squeezing it tight. Felix waited no longer, his wings flapping out and hitting them all with a strong breeze. He took to the air above the maze, not much room to maneuver, but enough to have a straight shot to where the fourth floor of the maze was. He gave his wings a great heave and sent them all propelling forward. There was a bit of stumble as he began, but he held his weight, gliding across the hedges and rows of the maze that had once locked them in. Sounds started coming in.
“That’ll be Viv. Brynn, we’re dropping in. You get Rico and we’ll meet up quick as we can, then we can resume fighting.”
“Got it. Lacardians, you’ll help me out?” They agreed, and the sounds grew louder, Vivian’s soul, closer.
“Get ready, Eddie.” He clasped tighter, careful to not let go as the stairs approached. The sextet reached them and shot upwards, right to a great clearing at the top. The burst of wind unsettled those dueling below, and Meredith let go. Eddie let his free hand extend for Lovelia, the Renegade visible as she battled against Vivian. Meredith connected her soul to his, the compressed air circling before they fired them out in a shot.
Lovelia turned at the last second, unable to see the attack coming until it slammed into her chest. That sent her flying backwards, giving Vivian enough time to nock her energy arrow and let it loose.
“Thanks for the assist, trash!” Vivian yelled. The attack, one of a high enchantment, exploded against Lovelia and sent her flying with further force. Meredith and Eddie touched down, aided by Eddie’s cushion of air. Lovelia ripped through the branches and hedges, leaving the plants smoking and creating a wider path to the center of the maze. Meredith could sense Rico there, head turning in their direction. Vivian bonked her on the head. “I thought you were heading down. I could’ve handled her.”
“I’m sure you could’ve, but things changed. We saw Emil.”
“Yeah, that ass took off without me and never came back. I was wondering-hey, what’s wrong?” Meredith didn’t feel like explaining. She withdrew her sword again, stepping over the ashes of the plants Vivian had destroyed. Lovelia’s body was up ahead, passed out, with snaking vines pulling her away from the battlefield, marking her as truly defeated. “Eddie, what the hell is going on? Where’s Emil? And how did you guys fall from the sky?”
“Felix. No idea, and we’re pretty sure the Renegades are up to something.” Vivian didn’t like the answer, as evidenced by her creased forehead, wrinkled with concentration. Meredith knew she’d work through the answer quickly enough, so she didn’t stop her own forward movement, over the destroyed branches.
Shadows and souls were gathering just beyond, racing with conflict. Meredith’s hand started to shake on the Earth-Splitter, even with Eddie and Vivian at her side. Terrill reacted, too.
On your guard, Meredith. She didn’t need to be told, but appreciated the advice, stepping over the last of the branches to the clearing. The wood was cracked from the force of the flying team’s landing, and Brynn was at the head of the column, her knife pointed towards a sitting Rico. Meredith joined her.
There were still no sounds from the outside. Nothing to indicate what had happened, or was going to happen. Meredith hoped she could imagine Chapman being excited about a major showdown, but when even Vivian held her arrows at the ready, she knew that was a failed hope. None of them needed Soul Magic to have their hair stand on end.
In the silence, Rico coming to a stand was heard with utmost clarity.
“Emil let it slip, didn’t he?” Vivian gave a snarl in response to Rico’s words, but Meredith held her back. “He has heart. Didn’t want you to get hurt. Made me promise. Though I don’t think he expected this.”
“You can thank your friend Maria for that,” Meredith challenged. She took a step forward, hoping to intimidate Rico. He didn’t take the bait. “She let a little more slip than Emil did. I’m just wondering what you’re thinking, Rico?”
Rico took his time, withdrawing the tube that held his spear and extending the blade out. A pulse shuddered in the area, like three old souls in reunion. “I’m thinking of saying what needed to be said long ago. Making people finally listen.”
“Listen to what, exactly? And how?” Brynn demanded. Her own advance emboldened those behind her, even the ones that were confused.
“There’s no point in talking. You never listen. Not after the Beastmaster. Not after the Devourer. How many more times until words finally have meaning? I’m going to guess none.”
“You’re stupid,” Vivian snapped. She was caught up in totality now, the scowl on her face leveling venom at Rico. “You’d interrupt such an important tournament, one bringing the whole world together, for your doctrine of revenge.”
“The tournament?” Rico was cold, yet his spear was burning, a mini-cyclone around it that was set ablaze. Eddie suddenly gasped, dropping to his knees while he clutched at his chest. “So like them…the Corps and their tournament. The people and the need to hide from the truth. They don’t want to hear it so they put on smiles and cheer, even while others are suffering. The whole world is clueless, but yet they’re all here…all ready to hear it.”
“And just what do you plan to do, Rico of the Renegades?” Brynn demanded. Her knife gleamed and her heated water became sharp in the air. Roots trembled with fury, and Meredith held her blade on high. “Do you plan to harm my people? Would you make a mockery of us, when so many are here? What do you and your team of Renegades plan? Answer me!”
“A mockery…? I suppose you could see it that way, though you brought it on yourself,” he answered. His cold eyes scanned them in turn. “However, I’ve no intention of harming any but those who fight against us. I just want everyone to listen.
“Listen to how the forgotten, poor Renegades brought down the mighty Reaper, the Corps, the Home Guard, and made it known: we’re still living. We won’t be ignored by a bunch of cowards, unfit to lead!”
Rico raised the spear.
Meredith, Brynn and Vivian all moved to attack, their weapons drawn and striking forth.
Eddie gasped, crying out a muted warning from all the blood pumping in their ears.
The Lacardian classmates combined their own strike, but found the floor cracking beneath them.
They became heavy, gravity exerted on them. Meredith grit her teeth, knowing the sensation, but was unable to find the source of it.
Then Rico stabbed the ground.
A mighty explosion ensued. Meredith went flying, her hand only able to keep a grip on the sword. Vivian and Brynn were flung in opposite directions, and the maze was set ablaze. No, not just the maze, Meredith realized, but the whole structure burned. The wood under their feet cracked and turned to ash, the plants along with it. Autumn and Conrad could be heard screaming. Felix grabbed them, only for a flaming chunk of wood to hit him on the head as they descended. Meredith began to panic, the world falling beneath them.
Terrill…I need…help…He offered it, her hand and blade outstretched to the stadium floor. Where the blazing maze remained, mud sputtered out, giving the falling companions a soft placed to land and roll to the ground. The tiers continued to burn to cinders around them, and a ringing invaded Meredith’s ears.
She couldn’t see anything in the flames. Couldn’t hear anything. All she could feel was the sword in her hand, which she used to prop herself up against the hardening stone.
“Guys…is everyone…okay…?” There was no answer…or perhaps she just didn’t hear it. She shook her head, her hair flying loose from the action, dirt splattered on it. Her eyes cleared, and she saw Rico clear the flames, touching down softly. “Guys…?”
Her second call for her fellow combatants was short-lived, as soon as sound returned to her ears. As soon as sight was fully returned to her eyes.
For the screens showed a nightmare, and her ears heard the same: the Renegades, the full Renegades, had arrived in the stadium and taken control. The presidents were captured. The commentators shackled to their chairs. And the people were surrounded and bound, as if it had all happened in the blink of an eye.
As smoke curdled in the Metropolis sky, Meredith gave a small whimper, her worst fears confirmed. The Renegades were sending their true message at long last.
The Alliance Games were over.