War for the Skies (completed) (Book 1 of the Heroes of the Realms series)

Chapter 56

My eyes forced themselves to open. There was no longer a column weighing on top of me like a rock hard elephant, but my heart felt like that rock hard elephant. I was in shock.

"Skylar, don't!" I shouted, but I knew nothing could change her mind.

I had a choice. I could either try to push Skylar out of the temple and battle Tormenius myself and use the lightning bolt to kill him. Or I could let Skylar sacrifice herself for me.

The red man had said that his selfishness had wrecked his entire body. I didn't know here if this selfishness was to take Skylar's life to save mine, or save Skylar's life and take mine.

I bit back tears. My eyes stung with them. I couldn't let her do this, not after everything we'd been through.

Over to my left I heard the battle rage on. Ships destroyed ships and people killed people. I had to make my choice quick.

"Skylar please, step out of that temple," I said in the most soothing and persuasive tone I could muster.

"No, Leon... it's too late for me. You have to save the others in the Great War... they need you.." tears flew from her eyes and ran down her cheeks before jumping off of her face and staining the ground.

"NO! You cannot do this!" Tormenius's voice boomed from Skylar's body. The holographic image appeared over her, but faintly. He waved a giant purple hand at me, then the fist disappeared and Skylar stared at me apologetically.

"Who knows?" she said, and a sad smile cracked her face. "Maybe Death will bring me back for my heroicness, if that isn't shadowed by my possessing of Tormenius."

"No!" I said and fell to my knees. I didn't have enough willpower to fight. I just wanted to sit right there and let myself go as the temple blew up.

Skylar stuck out a hand at me and I shot backward. I rolled on my back and then halted to a stop about two yards away from the temple. I weakly held up my head, even though I didn't want to.

"Tell everyone I'm sorry," she said. Her words echoed in my head like those scenes in movies where the main character says their final words.

She stuck out her hands to her sides and faced the sky. My heart raced and burned. I wanted to help her, but something was holding me down. I didn't know if it was some sort of magic, but I couldn't make myself go there.

I stood up.

"NO!" Tormenius said in her body, but then disappeared almost instantly.

"NO!" I also screamed and started to run toward her.

Then the most heartbreaking event in my journey this far, happened. The side of the temple went off in flames, letting of a bunch of dust and rubble. The other explosives were quick behind. As I made my way to the temple, all of them were triggered, almost milliseconds away from each other, and the temple was destroyed.

I hadn't noticed one that was at the entrance of the temple, because just as I approached it, it sent skyward a bunch of rubble and such force that I was shot backward again.

As if it weren't enough, one final, huge explosion cleaned up the entire mess. Its force was so powerful, that I lost my grip on the little ledge that I was holding and was blown back even further, and then I fell unconscious, my last view being the remains of the temple.

When I awoke I was surrounded by girls who looked in the ranges of about age 11-18. They were wandering about beds, taking care of many other people who had been injured during the war. Due to the peace and quiet that was outside, I assumed that it was over. At least, I hoped it was over.