Fall of a Hero: Hearts Without Foundation (a Fantasy Adventure)

Axis Found

Maccus was the first to react.

"Mushu! I've seen you in the statues with Uban!"

His knees began to buckle into a bow, but before he touched the ground, Serpo roughly snatched the kid by his back collar and restored him to his feet. The sinister looking boy glowered at the beast.

"Impossible," he stated, gesturing to the creature, "Mushu is but a mere myth of one of a million cults."

Mushu bellowed. Rearing on its haunches, it accidentally thrusted its head into the ceiling, which it immediately fought free, leaving a gaping hole.

"Seems pretty real to me," Evervent whined.

"Fetoven Vas, Uban wishes to see you now!" Mushu repeated, "Enter the Primal!"

The company of five all threw a questionable glance to me. I shrugged.

"You know this thing?" Nuntius asked.

Like I have to answer a traitor.

"Fetoven?" Enervent pressed.

The albino girl gagged. The place was really falling apart now. Soot falling like snow. I finally carefully worded my answer like it was not a big deal and admitted.

"So, then," Nuntius alluded as he crossed his arms, "you can tell us if this thing is friend or foe?"

Serpo suddenly butted in with a loud "foe!" Everyone turned to him for explanation.

"Look at what this thing is doing," he coughed, "ripping apart the entire mansion and burning it to crisp-"

Mushu tossed its gigantic head to and for with a gargling noise that could have represented its version of a laugh. "Foolish, foolish. Mushu cannot ignite. It is your friend, Fetoven who is responsible. Just as Uban wrote in the Etchings, so it will be. 'He will...burn your home.' Understand, Fate's Favorite, that with Uban, all fate is engraved in stone. Uban is the all powerful of future!"

No one said anything next. I assumed this was because that, aside from Enervent, they hardly knew me, much less if I was worth trusting. Perhaps, I couldn't even trust myself, but I didn't recall purposely setting the place on fire. Why would I even want to do such a thing. That was then I recognized something that Mushu had said.

"Hold on, Mushu," I attempted, "so Uban can change what's on the Etchings?"

"With Uban, all fate is engraved in stone," it repeated, incredibly patient despite the circumstance.

It became wonderfully clear. If Uban was the deity or whatever responsible for my ill fortune, I could go to him and see if I could get him to change it. If not, maybe I could figure out a way to "convince" him.

I wasn't going to be like everyone else who hurts the weak. I wasn't going to fall.

However, Mushu even agreed that its purpose was to protect my destiny, so I should probably avoid it. Yet it is possibly the only means of finding this temple under the sea where Uban apparently resides. The real answer was to figure out a way to Uban without Mushu protecting the evil I might commit like this fire I supposedly started. If only I had more time to think this through.

But I didn't. I had hardly three seconds before Serpo lunged at Mushu. Seemingly gliding in thin air, he deftly leapt side to side, kicking its face. As he worked at distracting the monster, Serpo paused for a heartbeat and motioned for us to get away.

"Move out!" Enervent commanded. Without refute the group bolted for the door. We each had to go independently weaving between Mushu's thumping claws and legs. It had appeared as if everyone had made it, but no one had time didn't to count until we were a safe distance from the dying mansion.

It was almost sick. Watching all that wealth withering away like grass. In a matter of minutes nothing but a sooty foundation and a massive ash cloud would be left.

Enervent began counting us. "Maccus, Nuntius, Fetoven, Mum...it seems...are we missing someone other than that guy still battling Mushu?"

My train of thought was broken by an awareness that I had lost reach with the albino girl in the skirmish. I faced back to the mansion and shouted, "The mute!"

A shrill shriek.

Enervent trembled. "Maybe not entirely mute..."

I found myself rushing to the mansion. I had expected at least one of the groupies to beg me to stay safe, but again, I guess I couldn't expect too much since I barely knew them. Except Enervent. No excuses for her.

I didn't get that far. I got stopped. By the lord of the manor himself. Mundus.

He fiercely dug his nails into my shoulders and slammed me to the soil-cracked ground. Within moments, he had me pinned. Aghast with sudden shock, I could only gasp.

He sneered one word. "You."

And raised a long, pink cleaver, glinting with the glow of the fire. His wife's knife.

I struggled against him. Useless. The man's arms were steel. His muscles and veins were throbbing.

"My lord," I cried, "please, don't!"

He shook his head vigorously.

"You took my house. You took my wife," somehow a tear on the furious face, "Now, I will take you."

And I received the blade.

But not before finally having half a brain. I had spit in Mundus's eyes, and the Axis Glove was on.

Clumsily, I raised my gloved hand, and prayed to luck. That's when I felt it. Vibrations. The north-south axis, the east-west axis of the body pinning me. And I thrusted the tangible poles away.

On his way being flung across the sky, the knife had been directed and hit me. Yet it missed home to the heart by a humble inch.

I couldn't feel it. As for then, if I couldn't feel the pain, the wound didn't matter. I yanked the knife and let it fall. I didn't need it.

I only felt one thing. Distance. As if I was above my body, an angel observing an event on the land below him.

Upon watching my lord Mundus helplessly crash within a few hundred yards from where I stood, something inside clicked. The Axis Glove. The Guardian Mundus. Serpo. The Etchings. This ability the glove gives me can protect me. This ability the glove gives me could command armies. This ability could conquer the nations.

Yes, power leads to corruption.

I had grasped the sheer potential I had. This almost telekinetic connection I could make with objects, even beings, through the use of the Axis Glove was far beyond any technology here in feudalistic country. I had tossed both Serpo and my lord Mundus flailing midair without much more than a flick of the wrist. Which led me to the next question. What more could I do?

A small rally of serfs, nobles, and others were gathering around my lord Mundus who had failed yet to get up. I decided that it was best not to wait around. The girl needed me.

By the time I arrived at the entrance, or rather what was left of it, the scene had ended. Mushu lay motionless, staring off somewhere, looking quite dead. Serpo sitting next to it. He was filthy and slimy, almost black. He saw me, and his white eyes penetrated mine.

"The girl?" I hurriedly asked, desperately searching the rubble, "Did you see her? Is she alright?"

Serpo ignored my question, silently passing me to the outside from where I came.

"Come on!" I pushed, following after him, "You saw her. I know you did. Is she alright? Where is she?"

He continued to pull away from me further.

"You didn't do anything?" I snapped, jumping to conclusions to try to get a rise, "How could you?"

Brisk and fierce, he turned to me, narrowing his eyes.

"No! The question is, 'how could you," he snarled.

As if on cue, a voice screamed.

"The lord is DEAD!"