Golden

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

            The rogues took only seconds to realize that they were being attacked. Our element of surprise has been compromised and the once empty expanse of ground has now become a battlefield.

            All I see are rogues scattered around the bases of the mountains; I hear hundreds of battle cries ring in the windless air, carried to my ears only by their echoes. Every so often, a familiar shout of triumph reaches me, and I know that we still have a chance to win.

            My feet press loudly against the rocky ground, my boots silent except for the crackling sound of the stones scraping against each other. My chest feels heavy and my mind whirls as I grow closer to the mountain that towers dauntingly overhead.

            Can I do this? Can I kill Norun? He is a god, and while I may be the daughter of one; I am no deity. I am only mortal.

            Yet at the same time; I am not. I am the daughter of Penella, the goddess of life and death. I hold her soul within my body – her abilities open for me to access them as I please. The only thing holding me back from doing so is myself. What is blocking me? I have come to terms with Julen’s death and I have reconciled with Daneth and Quinn. I have accepted my role as Penella’s Warrior and my task to restore the system.

            I know who I am. I know who I am…

            … do I?

            I am not quite sure anymore. Now that I think about it, do I truly know who I am? What I must do? I don’t think so. I have denied Penella’s only wish for so long, even after her death. Is that what is blocking her soul from me? Is it only because of that one wish?

            I have no more time to wonder, however, for my knees are suddenly pressing together and I am thrown largely off balance.

            “You dare think that you can infiltrate my land?” my ears ring. I stumble to the right, hurriedly trying to regain my footing. Norun steps out from behind the towering mountain, his timeless expression one of pure fury. “A mere mortal? You are incredibly foolish to believe that you have even the slightest chance against me!”

            I step backwards. Breathe, Lysandra. Just breathe. I have fought him before – I can do this again.

             “You destroyed my home!” I shout, my hands clenching. “You killed my goddess, and you ruined the system!”

            His laughter rings loudly across the battlefield. The rogues that are near him back away from where we stand, forming a large circle around us. In the distance, I see Quinn barrelling towards the crowd and Atticus firing his rifle.

            “My sister killed herself by breaking the law,” he says. “Now it is time for you to join her!” It is then that he unsheathes a sword from a holster strapped to his back.

            I try not to gape, but my heart stutters to a near stop at the sight of it. The sword is almost as wide as half of the mountain and its length rivals Norun’s height. The blade glints lethally. I can see my reflection even from so far away.

            He lifts the sword. I step back, bracing my body and letting my blood course hotly to my hands. The golden ribbons burst from my palms, stitching together in a gilded net that wraps tightly around the sword, holding it in an iron grasp. His chest rumbles loudly in anger as he pulls at the sword, but I pull back.