Dakū -The Dark One

The End

It leaves a small glowing trail in the air as I whip it around, swinging at imaginary enemies. Energy builds up in my off hand. I cast it out in a single motion, the small boat dock shakes gently beneath my feet. I release the energy. Water splashes violently into the air as if a large rock was just tossed into it. I smile, catching my breath. It's been days since I've held it, and now it's almost 6 in the morning, I haven't put it down since it materialized in my hands. It's been 4 hours of nonstop training. I slide it against my back, and speed off into the Forrest. My breath misting in front of me like the dew that settles around me. I kick up dust and leaves as I run. Instantly, I plant my feet in the dirt and let myself continue sliding across ground. I pull the blade form my back and chop deep into a pine. Me weapon is plunged halfway through the mighty trunk. On my knees I breath in the deep smell of the nature around me. The world is silent.
In my mind I replay the fighting I've endured the past few days. These are the few most peaceful moments I've had in almost two weeks. I miss the times when it was just me, and Keepers, fighting each other. I miss when he was the biggest threat I had. Now the world is in danger. I hear an engine above me. The canopy shakes and swirls, dropping leaves on me. I dash to the nearest tree, keeping myself concealed from the aircraft. As it flies overhead I catch only a glimpse of it. No spinning blades on it. Something falls from it. It crashes down to the earth like a meteorite. Dust flies in the air as the ground is parted from the impact. The airship remains rooted in place. I hear something snarl loudly. Rugged breath sucks in as it searches its surroundings. It carries a rifle in its hands, with armor keeping it safe from harm. If they look muscular without the armor, they're outright terrifying with it on. It barks something in a native language out loud. It's voice is deep and backwards, as if it inhales when it speaks. I lift my phone slowly, as to not be seen. "S.O.S" I send the message to Rone, "Unable To Send" is my response. Damn. I see it lurk around the corner. It turns to me. Before it can utter a word, it's thrown back through the Forrest. If they didn't know I was here before, they definitely do now. Three more sets of feet land in the dirt behind me. Now I'm faced with a choice. Run home, and lead them to the others, or keep running, and lead them away. I decide on the ladder. They have little to no weapons, they're defenseless. I at least have armor and a staff. I know I can hold my own. I just need to decide were I'm going. A mortar shell crashes down in front of me knocking me off my feet. My body twists through the air before crashing down hard. On my back I stare at the dark blue morning sky. Three more ships just like this one zip by. Oh no. I get to my feet and begin running again. Laser fire chases me through the foliage. One of them makes direct contact with my shoulder. I'm thrown to the ground with my body tumbling over itself. I felt it go through me. I lay there on the ground breathing hard. I hear them coming ever so slowly, and push myself up against a tree. I lay there clutching my shoulder and trying to slow my breathing. They bark and growl behind me. The shouldering hole in my arm burns and sizzles, searing me with pain. I try my best to control myself. They draw closer with each passing second. I have to think of something, fast.
My wound burns as energy beings repairing the damaged muscle. Something explodes in the distance. I shake my head in fear. No. A giant hand grips my throat in such a swift motion, I don't even have time to react before I'm hoisted up into the air. I try reaching for the staff, only to have it yanked away.  Time slows down. I try shocking the hands that grip me, nothing works. It only gets tighter. It brings me closer to itself, holding me at eye level. It's eyes are grey, just grey.
Cold, emotionless eyes stare into mine. Fear takes over, I'm stuck being afraid. I don't even realize when it starts to move. The world moves slowly, and speeds by at the same time. I can't explain it.

I'm thrown to the ground. My armor lets out a heavy clink as I fall. "No." Says a soft voice. My eyes struggle to open. I force them to. Cassie sits above me, staring down into my eyes. "Hey there handsome." She says, staring down at me, her hair falls in my face. "What happened?" I ask, my throat is sore. "They beat us." Says Sam. "They were hustling us the whole time." Explains Cassie. "They're far stronger than we were led to believe." One of them grabs her by the head, and looks her in the eyes. I lunge at it, two of them grab my shoulders and throw me to my knees. I look up. "Hello Donald."
Says the voice I've grown to hate so much. I stand up, still shorter than him. "Oh how the tides have turned." I shake my head. He walks forwards, his armor shifting in plates as he moves.
"Mikel Keepers. How you have fallen. Once you were my right hand man. You had it all. An army, all the tools you ever needed for your research. You had, the means to refill the earth with your people. To bring them back. And yet you chose, to fight me with it. You could've saved them." He says. "And, Jackson Rone. You, were such an interesting soldier. Now look at you. Your nothing but a pest. Something I can kill so easily. That's the thing about all of you. Your all, stronger than you look." He looks at me. "And you. You had the potential for greatness. You could've been so much more. Sure I never told you this, but I was actually starting to fear you. It seemed like nothing Keepers threw at you was ever going to kill you. Than I thought,
If Keepers can't kill you, I'll do it myself." The blade juts from his armored sleeve. He pulls it back and aims it at my heart. My hands reach up, catching the blade preventing it from entering my chest. We struggle for a moment. His eyes look beyond me. I'm not fast enough. My chest burns as the hard light melts through my armor.
My lungs burn, as if I've inhaled smoke from a fire. My lips quiver as I fall to my knees. One hand supports me, the other, feels for the wounds. "They called you the Strong One. But, in the end." He kicks me in the ribs flipping me a few times. "You were weak." I lay there in my back, dying. My eyes scan the faces of my friends. All of them display a mixture of fear, sadness, and anger. Rone walks over and kneels at my side. I reach up to him. My strength leaves me as I fall breathless. His eyes begin turning red. Sam stares at me through misty eyes. One of the creatures drops the staff next to me. I will myself to grab it. But I can't. I'm stuck in my armor as it weighs me down. It feels so heavy and I try not to die but I can't help it. I'm exhausted beyond anything I've ever felt. "Well, I leave you to it." Says Dāku. "I don't expect to see you again, alive at least." He says with a smug sound in his voice. He calls his troops to follow him out into the Forrest. And I'm left dying.