Legacy

The toll of a long day and a worsening illness had James on the brink of exhaustion. But even so, he wanted nothing more than to continue to the Nova of the east. But little did James know that no amount of determination would help he and the others get to their destination faster than Shadow Kahn’s fury could.

The cover of leafy branches overhead blocked out what little light there was on the cloudy night. But that did nothing to conceal James’ condition.

“It’s getting late,” said Archer. “Maybe we should set up camp for the night.” The suggestion was made more to give James the opportunity to rest than to accommodate the group. The fret that Jaycee had been feeling for James had now spread to the others.

“No,” said James. “We have to keep moving.”

“Will you be able to make it?” asked Jaycee.

“Why wouldn’t I?” barked James. “Let’s just keep moving.”

“Are you sure? Maybe just a short rest.”

“I said I was fine. What more do you want?”

For fear of upsetting James further, Jaycee said nothing more.

As the group ventured on, James’ illness dramatically worsened. To him, it looked as if the road the group was traveling on was covered in a thick white haze and swaying back and forth as if perched upon some giant pendulum.

When the illness finally became too much to bear, James collapsed.

The group was fortunate enough to find a cave nearby where they could rest. James was still conscious, but it seemed only a matter of time before he would succumb to his illness and fall into a far more debilitating state.

“Are there any towns nearby?” asked Jaycee.

“The nearest town is hours away,” replied Archer. “And none of the plants around these parts have any medicinal properties.”

Aiko tugged on Archer’s sleeve. “Hey, don’t tell her something like that,” she whispered. “Give her at least a little hope.”

“I’m not going to lie to her,” Archer whispered back.

“Don’t worry, Jaycee,” said Aiko. “James will feel better once he gets some rest.”

“I hope so,” said Jaycee.

When James began to stir everyone gave him their full attention. “We can’t afford to lose any more time,” he said, his voice little more than a whisper. “We need to keep moving. We have to get to the Nova before it’s too late.”

“You’re not going anywhere in your condition,” said Archer. “The best thing you can do right now is rest and wait for your fever to break.”

James tried to get to his feet but his body was unwilling to cooperate.

“James, no,” said Jaycee, who had to gently force him to stop moving.

“He doesn’t give up,” Aiko whispered to Archer.

“You know just as well as the rest of us that you’re in no condition to do anything more than lie there,” said Archer. “I know how adamant you are about your cause. I believe in this just as much as you do. That’s why . . . I’ll go on my own.”

“You can’t go alone,” said Aiko.

“What other choice do we have? James is in no condition to go, so he needs you two to stay here to look after him. And the Nova might have something to help him. Like James said, we can’t lose any more time.”

Archer was true to his word and left on his own shortly thereafter. But mere moments into his journey, he received a travel companion.

“Wait for me,” exclaimed a pursuing Aiko.

“Shouldn’t you be looking after James?” asked Archer.

“Jaycee said she could look after James on her own. And I think I can take care of you. So let’s get going.”

“Look, we both know that it wouldn’t take two people to watch James. I suggested you stay behind because I knew the danger that was waiting for us.”

“And that’s why I came along. How could I live with myself, knowing that you were going off on your own? Now, let’s get a move on. Wasting time isn’t gonna do much good for James. Jaycee can only do so much for him.”

The two then embarked on their journey.

“James certainly is fortunate to have someone like Jaycee,” said Archer.

“What do you mean?” asked Aiko.

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s clearly in love with him.”

“In love?” gasped Aiko. “Are you kidding? To think, this entire time I thought those two were brother and sister.”

The Nova of the east had been nowhere near as fortunate as the Nova of the west. Though the Nova of the west had been slain by Sage, his death was far more humane, as he was merely run through by a sword. The Nova of the east, however, was paid a visit not by Sage, but by Shadow Kahn’s ever obedient Beast.

Shortly after making its presence known, the Beast took to the undertaking of its master’s gruesome order. It hoisted the holy leader over its head and snapped his spine in half.

On the adamant insistence of Jaycee, James ended his struggle with his illness and took to the comfort of sleep. But little did either know that sleep could do nothing to hasten the healing process. For there was a purpose behind why James had been incapacitated. And during his sleep, James would discover why, as he would soon be given a vision that would make even his wildest dreams seem like nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

James found himself in a place where darkness loomed in every direction. Only a small amount of light shining from above kept him from being swallowed.

“Where am I?” he asked.

For some reason, James felt as if there was someone, or something, in that place with him. He began looking for the source of his trepidation but he could see nothing through the darkness. “Who’s there?” he demanded to know. “Show yourself.”

When James turned around he himself mere inches from Shadow Kahn. He instinctively reached for his sword, but it was no longer within its sheath.

“I apologize for having to take such drastic measures,” said Shadow Kahn. “But you left me with no other choice, James. It seems the only thing anyone wants to do is fight. So the only sensible thing to do was to get you alone.”

“Why are you doing this? Why did you kill those people?”

“I merely punished the wicked for their sins. Years ago, those people stood by and allowed the murder of an innocent man. Little did they know that their callous act would someday come back to haunt them. But why should we stop there? Is not every man guilty of something? Does not everyone deserve to be punished?”

“You can’t justify what you’ve been doing,” said James. “All you’re doing is killing in cold blood. You’re just a murderer!”

“If words are not enough to convince you, then perhaps you need to be shown,” said Shadow Kahn. “Perhaps you need to see that if the wicked are allowed to run rampant, then they will inevitably destroy not only themselves, but everything around them.”

Shadow Kahn took a step toward James, leaving the two uncomfortably close. James wanted to back away but he was unable to move any part of his body. When Shadow Kahn placed his forehead against James’ and looked into his eyes, the way that James saw the world would forever be changed.

To his utter bewilderment and disbelief, James found himself looking through the eyes of a soldier. But this was a type of soldier that James had never before seen, and the battlefield was a most bizarre sight to behold.

The soldier was wearing standard issue military fatigues and gripping tightly an assault rifle. The battlefield around him was a major metropolitan, now in ruins.

If the strange roads weren’t enough to leave James dumbfounded, then the buildings that reached high into the sky were. And to add to the surreal surroundings, James discovered odd metal vehicles strewn along the road. Some of them were on their roofs, while others were decimated with hundreds of holes.

What he was witnessing seemed like some sort of horrible dream. Though a fierce battle was taking place around him, James could hear nothing. But the unsettling silence would be shattered when a rocket propelled grenade slammed into the building behind him, raining down chunks of concrete all around.

James and another soldier took shelter behind a car. It had taken countless bullets, but it worked to keep the two out of harm’s way.

James’ comrade peeked around the car and opened fire. An enemy soldier wearing a gas mask was caught before he could ambush the pair. A bullet ripped through one of the man’s goggles, bringing an immediate end to him. With no way to throw the grenade in his hand, the soldier’s body was torn to shreds when it exploded.

When the soldier peeked his head out in preparation of launching another assault, he was shot in the head. A canister then landed near James that began spewing a thick white gas. In his current position, James would quickly succumb to the poison, but if he moved from where he was, James was in danger of suffering the same fate that had already befallen many a soldier before him. Quickly feeling the debilitating effects of the gas, James knew a slim chance of survival was far better than no chance at all.

James sprinted from his position only to find an enemy soldier waiting for him on the other side of the car. Like his fallen comrade, the soldier wore a gas mask to protect himself from the release of hazardous chemicals. Before James could make his move, the enemy had already taken aim and proceeded to put a bullet in his head.

“What was that?” asked James. “What were those things I saw?”

“Did I not tell you that if mankind was free to do as it pleased, then they would only end up destroying themselves?” asked Shadow Kahn. “But you have nothing to fear, James. No matter how long you live, you will never have to witness such atrocities.”

“And why is that?”

“Because the war that you bore witness to has already happened. It took place well over a thousand years ago.”

“What are you talking about? That’s impossible.”

“Why? Because of the technology that they used? Because of the advanced culture that they once lived in? My boy, it was because of that technology that they were nearly wiped off the face of the Earth. The tools of ignorance. Kill a man from a mile away without ever having to look upon his face. What wonders the future once held.”

“How could that be the past?” asked James.

“Fearing the same thing might happen again, man vowed to ensure the longevity of their species by eradicating their history. All traces of what they once were had to be erased from their memories. They hid the past from future generations, and eventually it was lost. The fools thought that if they returned to a simpler time, then such carnage could never again take place. But no weapon was to blame for what happened to them. Erasing their history only guaranteed themselves of finding new ways of destroying one another. They had no way to learn from the mistakes of the past. The evil that is inherent in man, that is something that will never go away, no matter how many years pass.”

* * *

It took far less time than Archer and Aiko had been expecting to reach their destination. And that bit of good fortune had the two hoping there would be more.

Unlike last time, there was no unsavory character waiting inside the modest castle. Archer and Aiko were collectively relieved to find that it was the Nova sitting upon the throne.

The light being cast from candles was enough to illuminate the Nova, who looked to be in very deep meditation. His eyes were closed and he was making nary a move.

“Your holiness,” said Archer, who immediately took to a knee. Aiko followed Archer’s lead and did the same. “I apologize for this intrusion, but we’re in desperate need of your guidance. A great threat his arisen and we’re powerless to stop it.”

The Nova gave no reply.

“Your holiness,” said Archer. After once again receiving no reply, Archer made his way to the Nova. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed as to why there had been no response from the holy leader. “We were too late,” said Archer. “He’s dead.”

“Then maybe we should leave now,” said Aiko.

The doors suddenly violently slammed themselves shut.

Aiko tried to open the doors but they were shut tight. “They won’t open,” she exclaimed. “What are we gonna do?” When Aiko looked to Archer, she was treated to a most horrific sight. The Beast was now standing behind Archer, who was oblivious to the presence of the gruesome creature. “What the hell is that?”

Before Archer knew it, the Beast had already grabbed him by the shoulders and thrown him into the wall, sending him into a near unconscious state.

With its most immediate distraction out of the way, the Beast then began scanning the room. It seemed as if it was looking for something.

“What’s it looking for?” wondered Aiko.

With nothing else in the room, the Beast focused its attention squarely on Aiko.

“I don’t know what you’re looking for,” said Aiko, her voice trembling noticeably, “but it’s not here. So you can go back to wherever you came from.”

By the way the Beast was still staring at her, it was painfully obvious to Aiko that it had no intention of merely leaving.

“Can this thing even see me?”

As Aiko had been fearing, the Beast began its advance. Its steps were slow and methodical, almost as if to give Aiko more time to realize just how grim her situation was and just how much worse it was about to become.

With locked doors and an incapacitated ally, Aiko had no choice but to fight. She cast trepidation aside and struck the Beast in the face. Many times had Aiko felt the same sensation of her fist slamming into a foe’s face, and every time it brought an end to the fight. No normal man could withstand such a devastating blow.

The attack succeeded in halting the Beast’s advance, but nothing more.

“How are you still standing? What are you?”

The Beast took Aiko by the throat and lifted her off the floor. Aiko did all she could to remove the powerful hand from her throat but was nowhere near strong enough.

Having held Aiko’s life so frivolously in its hands long enough, the Beast hurled her into the doors through which she had in vain tried to escape.

Even with her fighting prowess and powerful spirit, Aiko was in no shape to continue the fight. She knew she had lost, and all she could do now was await the inevitable.

But before the Beast could finish Aiko off, someone would bring it to an immediate halt. “That’s enough,” said a voice from within the darkness.

Aiko was sure she had been saved, but any feeling of relief quickly dissipated when Sage emerged from the shadows. Aiko was unsure as to why he would do such a thing, but she knew saving her life was not the reason why.

“The master gave you specific orders,” said Sage. “Don’t disobey him.”

Putting up no protest, the Beast departed.

With no way to defend herself, Aiko was now at the mercy of another enemy, one she was sure was just as cold and bloodthirsty as the Beast.

“If there’s one thing I hate,” said Sage, drawing his sword, “it’s when that thing gets all the glory. As if it even knows what that word means.” Sage then directed a cold glare at Aiko. “Don’t I deserve some of the credit?”

Aiko was unsure as to what she wanted more, to fight or to flee, but her indecision was a mute point, as her body was in no shape for her to do either.

“Why should that thing be the only one that receives the master’s praise? It may be disobeying orders, but I’ll just tell the master that his pet did it. How could it know any better? After all, it’s just a mindless animal.”

With her body unable to move, Aiko let her tongue do the fighting. “Did you come here to fight me or were you planning on talking me to death?”

“Do you want me to kill you?”

“No,” replied Aiko. “Not really.”

Sage caught Aiko completely by surprise when he sheathed his sword.

“Why did you save my life?” asked Aiko.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t stop that thing for your benefit. I was merely keeping it from doing as it liked. That thing shouldn’t be held to a different standard than the rest of the master’s subordinates. I don’t care what it used to be. Though you can hardly blame it for what it was about to do. It was merely defending itself.”

“How were you able to come back to life?” asked Aiko.

“Was I dead?” asked Sage. “I don’t recall dying.”

“We all saw it. James ran his sword through you.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. Your friend was able to injure me during our battle, but he wasn’t able to kill me.”

“What did your master do to you? How can you not remember that?”

“You’d be surprised by what I don’t remember.”

“How can you follow a man like that?” asked Aiko. “He’s evil! Can’t you see that? All he wants is to hurt people.”

“You certainly are misguided,” said Sage. “The master wants nothing more than to make this world a better place. His methods to bring this about may not be to your liking, but there really is no other way.”

“Your master is filled with nothing but hate.”

“What you call hate . . . he calls pain.”

Sage’s reply left Aiko at a rare loss for words. She wanted to reply but she had no way of responding to what Sage had just told her.

“The master is a noble man,” said Sage. “He took me in when no one else would. Now his wants are my wants. Not that I really had a choice. But could you blame me if I told you that I wanted what he wanted from the very start? He wants to punish those who committed the most heinous of crimes against him. And I want to do the same to those who did this to me. I don’t even have a past because of them. I don’t know who I am or where I come from. I’ll probably never know who’s to blame for this. But by punishing everyone, I make certain that the guilty will get exactly what they deserve.”

“Maybe your master is the one to blame for what happened to you.”

“You’d be wise to watch what you say about him.”

With some of her energy regained, Aiko was able to get back to her feet. She noticed immediately that she and Sage had the same shade of green eyes. There was something else that occurred to her. There was no malice in Sage’s eyes as was so evident in his master’s. There was nothing but pain in them.

“Tell me,” said Sage. “How would you feel if all traces of your past had been erased from your memory? I have nothing now but the master. And if I had anything before him, I don’t even have the memory of it. Would you be so self righteous then?”

“I don’t have any memories of my family either,” replied Aiko. “All I know is that they were killed during the war.”

“Then you of all people should know how I feel. They’re all guilty.”

“We make mistakes, some of those mistakes are unspeakable. But they’re the choices some of us make. We may not always make the right decisions, but who has the right to tell us what to do? That’s what it means to be human. If we lose that, then we’re nothing better than a bunch of puppets, just doing what our master orders us to do.”

“Being human also includes being too stubborn to know when someone has your best interest in mind. It’s too bad you couldn’t see things the way the master does. He always has room for another devoted follower.”

“There’s no way I would ever follow a man like that,” said Aiko.

“That’s a shame,” said Sage. “You seem like someone I would like to have gotten to know better.” And with that, Sage began his departure.

Aiko was again at a loss for words after hearing what Sage had said. She was more than a bit surprised that someone like Sage would say something like that to her. “Wait,” she said, prompting Sage to stop.

“What do you want?” he asked.

Aiko was hesitant to ask her question but she eventually mustered the courage. “Why does your master want James?”

“That’s something you don’t need to know.”

“Please. We have to know.”

Sage made his way back to Aiko and drew his body close to hers, sending a tingle through her. His cheek brushed gently against Aiko’s and he sent a further tingle through her when his breath tickled her ear. Sage then answered Aiko’s question with a soft whisper. What Sage told her made Aiko’s body go completely numb.

“Was that the answer you were looking for?” he asked.

“There’s no way,” gasped Aiko. Her eyes had grown to nearly twice their normal size and her breathing had come to a halt. “You’re lying.”

“Whether you choose to believe this or not and whether you choose to tell the others is entirely up to you. But you should think long and hard before you make your decision.” Sage again began his departure, but he stopped himself after only a few steps. Without turning to face Aiko, he let her in on another piece of information. “You and the others should think about abandoning your vain little crusade. There’s no point in trying to prevent the martyrdom of the third member of this mock trinity. The first two got off easy. But not the third. That one is reserved for the master. And getting in his way would be a very big mistake.” And with that, Sage returned to the shadows from whence he had come.

Archer began coming back to his senses moments after Sage left. “What happened?” he asked, rubbing his now throbbing head.

Aiko rushed to Archer and attempted to get him back to his feet. “Get up,” she demanded, trying to lift him off the floor. “We have to go.”

“What are you doing? I’m injured.”

“We have to go. You just have to trust me.”

The look of desperation on Aiko’s face was enough to convince Archer to abandon his protest and go along with her.

With what she believed to be a willing partner, Aiko led Archer by the hand out of the castle and in the opposite direction of the one that had taken them there.

“We’re going the wrong way,” said Archer.

“We have to go this way,” replied Aiko.

“Why?”

“We just do,” exclaimed Aiko. She then let go of Archer’s hand and, telling by the look on her face, began fighting back tears. “Why do you have to fight me on this? Can’t you see that I have your best interest in mind?”

“What happened back there? Why are you acting like this?”

“We can’t go back. Sage told me . . .”

Before Aiko could finish, Archer interrupted her. “Sage is the enemy,” he said. “You can’t believe a word he said. Don’t you know that your enemies will stop at nothing to win the battle? Lying is second nature to those people.”

“But . . .”

Archer again interrupted Aiko. “What did he say that upset you?”

Aiko was hesitant to tell Archer the secret she and Sage shared. Part of her believed the information was far too terrible to tell anyone, while another part of her believed she now had a special bond with Sage and revealing their secret would destroy it. “He said . . . it would be a bad idea to stay with James,” replied Aiko.

“Is that all?” asked Archer. “Aiko, you’re far too sensitive if something like that makes you want to abandon your friend. How would it make you feel if everyone chose to abandon you just because someone told them to?”

“But . . .”

“That’s what I thought. Now, let’s get back to the others.”

Late into the night, Archer and Aiko arrived back at the cave. The look of concern that had been so prevalent on Jaycee’s face was now gone. The young lady was now smiling as she cradled a sleeping James in her lap. “James’ fever broke,” she said softly. “He hasn’t woken up yet, but I’m sure he will soon.”

“That’s good news,” said Archer.

Aiko was far less relieved than the others. All she could do was stare blankly at the young man who was now a far different person to her.

“Isn’t that good news, Aiko?” asked Archer.

Aiko was broken from her trance like state when she heard her name. “Uh, yeah,” she replied. “We needed some good news.”