We had been going from town to town for months on end and I was getting tired of running. I wanted to face him and kill him for what he had done to Ang and Georgey, but I could not do so without having control of my powers. During our journey, we had encountered demons and hell beasts. The King had been conjuring creatures from the depth and sending them on a mission to kill us. We fought the ones we could go up against and ran if the beasts were too much to handle. I had learnt alot from Petra on how my powers really worked. Whenever we had nothing to do, we would hide from the rest of the group as I got stronger from the training while learning control. Trina and Olly were always on the look out for abnormalities and if enemies were spotted, we would pack up and leave. Fighting the demons always ended up with us losing more strength than we had actually bargained to lose, also, we could not afford to have the King level out towns in search of us, so we had to always be on the run.
This time, we were walking towards the snowy mountains as it snowed down without mercy. Demons had been spotted at the towns harbour so we had to lose them in the mountains. Everyone walked in silence with no one making jokes or talking. I had Petra on my back as she had difficulty climbing up the mountain. He turned around to see me slacking behind with the Xaj.
"We're almost there! Just up that ledge and we can wait out the weather!" He yelled against the howling wind, pointing to a cavern.
"We'll be fine, just go!" I yelled back, he looked like he was in a hurry, but I could not run with Petra as she was still too weak.
"I know you will, but she won't. Hurry it up, we don't have all winter."
He was back to his sulky mood. I walked up a little further when I heard something.
What was that, I asked myself.
It sounded like a growl or maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me. He seemed to notice for he stopped before looking past us with a monstrous countenance. I followed his line of sight to see what he was looking at when nine demons started to get visible. They were bigger than the monsters we had faced off in the dark forest and in the towns as their auras were harsher. It would be difficult fighting them off with Petra on my back. He walked past me with his hands glowing red and a shadowy cloak around him. He was beginning to have his godly aura and look.
"Go up the mountain, I'll hold them off for as long as I can," he said staring at the demons. He could not handle them alone, he was still weakened from using too much of his powers, he needed to rest.
"Oh and Xerxes, no matter what happens to me, do not turn back," he added with a smile before jumping into the air creating a barrage of flames behind him to shield us from the demons views.
A demon jumped into the air causing him to shoot lightening at it, killing it in the process. It landed with a thud making the other demons furious for they howled and attacked him at once.
The ground we were standing on started to quake as a result of the ensuing battle. We all ran up the mountain while I huddled to keep up with the rest of the crew. I could tell that he was pushing past his limits to keep us safe and if he pushed too far, he could...
Petra jumped off my back causing us to topple over as I regained my composure almost immediately ready for a fight, but relaxed when I saw that we were safe.
"What is it!? Are you hurt?" I asked in concern. I was worried about her.
"Go help him. He needs your help," she smiled, touching my face with shaking hands.
"You heard what he said. Besides..."
"Xerxes!" she yelled out with a stern look on her face. "Go."
I looked at the distance we had covered in such a short time and saw more demons joining the fight with him trying his best to keep them at bay. Olly came down from the mountain to help her up.
"I'll take it from here. You should go," he let out. That was the first time he had spoken to me since we got together in the bar. I watched him carry her on his back and wondered how a powerful Xaj could lose all credibility after one fight with the King. Was he that powerful? She had never been the same after the battle and I could not help her regain herself. I looked back at my father who was getting overwhelmed by the horde of demons going after him and I focused my energy on getting angry. Rage was my power source. The angrier I got, the more powerful I became. Without wasting a second, I created a whirlwind of snow which I used to get myself into the battle.
***
Smashing into the ground beside my father, a shockwave was created pushing the demons back.
"What are you doing here? I told you to go," he cried out, but I ignored him as I got ready to fight. Since we were away from civilization, there was no need to hold back. Screaming as loud as I could, I felt a surge of power as my speed and strength increased making me feel invincible and powerful. Creating a wall of ice to shield him from the demons, I cracked my knuckles in preparation for what I was about to do. It was his turn to take the passengers seat while I drove these demons away. I could hear him screaming my name but I was too focused on tearing these monsters apart. They had me surrounded, however I had been keeping my rage inside for too long and it was time to let loose.
My hands began to glow when I felt my eyes burst with light. The only difference this time was that I was still conscious. As each demon attacked I used the forces of nature against them. There were so many things I did not know I could do, but here I was creating impossible feats. I breathed fire just as a dragon would, flew without wings or feathers and at incredible speeds too and with each punch I gave, the demons stood no chance, for even the ground broke open under my influence. Within minutes, the horde of demons were all torn up on the ground with their blood painting the snow red. It was over and I felt dizzy. I guessed I had used up too much power. I could feel the rush leaving me with the light from my eyes slowly dispersing. I looked back to see the wall of ice still standing between I and my father. Well the fight was over, it was time to let it down, but as I raised my hands towards it I felt a sharp pain in my chest with the world suddenly becoming black as I fell to the ground. It was cold, but oddly comfortable. I could see faint pictures of my father breaking the wall with flames as he ran towards me telling me to hang on. This power was awesome, but it really drained me after each use. I needed more control. That was the last thing I remembered before succumbing to the darkness within.
***
Opening my eyes slowly to see the top of a cave as the shadows of a campfire became visible, I tried to sit up but was too weak to do so.
"Hey, it's fine, I'm here," Petra held me down with a smile. I looked around but we were the only ones in the cave.
"Where are the others?" I asked, laying back on the ground.
"They're fine. Olly, Trina and Roman went into the forest to get food. Harry and Indigo are at the base of the mountain. They're on lookout duty."
I winced in pain. My hands hurt really bad and my body was no better. It seemed like I had been beaten by a mob.
"I told you not to push yourself too hard," she whispered in concern.
"I know, but I won didn't I?"
She sighed, "Xerxes, it's not about you winning, it's about you staying alive. Your power is a double edged sword. It is just like magic, it uses your life force as an energy source, however if you push yourself too hard, you could die. You kill your enemies, that is correct but you also hurt your soul when you use it for too long."
She did not need to worry about me, I was fine.
"Your father told me his history, the real one. He also told me the origin of the war and I feel stupid right now. All along I had blamed myself and believed that I was the genesis of the war when I wasn't. I cannot believe that the real reason for the war is bigger than how everyone sees it to be."
She shook in fear when she spoke as I held her hands to help her stay calm.
"This battle isn't for humans. This battle is for the gods. Even magicians know when to give up. This is way out of our league and I'm so scared..."
"Hey, you'll be fine," I reassured her making her laugh at that statement.
We looked at each other for awhile before the sadness returned to her eyes.
"I don't really have a bad leg," her brows furrowed in concentration.
"Then why use the cane if you're okay?" I queried.
"I never said I was okay. When I fought against the King, he took away my magic powers and let me go," her eyes sunk while she spoke of the battle.
"What do you mean 'took away your magic powers'? You used them in the dark forest and in the towns, you trained me with them, I saw you..."
"He placed a spell on me Xerxes," her voice quivered. "The more I use the powers, the lower it gets and the sicker I get. It won't be long before I..."
I did not want to hear anymore. She had used her powers so many times to heal and help everyone in the group at the expense of her life.
"What are you trying to say?" I whispered.
"I only have a few weeks to live. My life is nothing without my magic. I was born a Xaj not an ordinary human. If my powers leave my body, I start to fall apart and then I die. Right now I can barely walk, by tomorrow my system would begin to shut down. It is only a matter of time before I would leave this world."
Why did this have to happen to me? Why did the universe enjoy taunting me so much?
No, there had to be a way out. Something could be done about it.
"What can be done to get your powers back?" I sat up with a positive mindset, I was not going to be negative anymore.
She sighed, "There's nothing that can be done. My death is inevitable. I cannot avoid it..."
"Yes you can! And you will. I'll find a solution for you, even if it's the last thing I do," I declared with belief in my heart. I did not know how, but I would try everything in my power to change the course of history. She needs to live.
She smiled before lying down beside me, holding my hand up to her chest.
I laid down as she whispered a "Thank you" to me.