Rodrigo Zacara and the Mirror of Power

18. The Mirror of Power

As the man in black approached him, Rodrigo could see his face was covered by a helmet that gave him a sinister appearance: both sides had horns pointing backwards, the eyes were two small slits and its mouth was covered by black spikes that looked like the fangs of a monstrous creature. The voice that came from inside the helmet was so cold that by listening to it Rodrigo felt his heart freeze.

'Well, well, well,' he said slowly. 'Were you thinking of leaving without showing your respect for the emperor?'

Despite the man's explanation, Rodrigo had known instantly that he was standing in front of Arakaz himself. His manner of speaking reflected the coldness and arrogance of someone who had managed the lives and deaths of those around him for centuries, eventually coming to see them as mere mice in his cage. Rodrigo knew it was all over. This wasn't a man like Balkar, who killed only those standing in his path. Arakaz had everything he wanted. He would kill for fun.

'You,' he said, staring at Oliver. 'Come here.'

Rodrigo watched, terrified, as his friend climbed down from the simorg and walked towards Arakaz. Although he was scared, Oliver wasn't capable of controlling his footsteps. It was just as they'd been told: nobody could disobey an order from the emperor.

'I have the Mirror of Power!' Rodrigo cried in a desperate attempt to help his friend.

Arakaz turned and stared fixedly at him for a couple of seconds, which seemed like an eternity to Rodrigo.

'What do you know about the Mirror of Power?' he asked. 'Come on, answer me!'

'First, let my friend go,' he replied, mustering all the bravery he had left.

'I said answer me!' Arakaz roared, pointing his black sword directly at him. 'Nobody dares disobey me!'

Arakaz's voice resonated against all the walls of the destroyed city of Irdun, shrouding Rodrigo in endless threatening echoes. Suddenly a ghostly light shone from the black sword directly towards him. He instinctively crouched down, closed his eyes and tried to protect himself with his arms. A still silence washed over him. Rodrigo half-opened his eyes to confirm he really was still alive. Then he realised that nothing had happened. Well, one thing had.

Arakaz had disappeared.

Oliver slowly got to his feet. Popeyed, he looked first at the spot where Arakaz stood moments before and then he looked at Rodrigo.

'What happened?' he asked. 'What did you do?'

'No idea,' Rodrigo replied, just as surprised. 'I didn't do anything. We need to leave. Run!'

The two boys hurried onto the simorg's hind quarters, which obeyed Oliver's orders this time. As soon as its claws left the ground, it neared where Donegan was lying and picked him up by his tunic. Seconds later, they were flying above the great wall and they saw the enormous abyss into which Balkar had fallen. Little by little, the ruins of Irdun became smaller and smaller until they fell away from view.

'How did you resist him?' Oliver asked. 'I couldn't stop myself when he ordered me to go over to him. It was as if my legs had stopped obeying me.'

'I've got no idea!' Rodrigo answered him. 'I didn't even realise he'd given me an order. I was only trying to distract him. Then he attacked me but I don't know what happened afterwards. When I opened my eyes again, Arakaz had disappeared.'

'I saw what happened,' said Oliver. 'His power bounced off your body and hit him. Then he vanished.'

'I don't understand,' said Rodrigo.