Rise of The Guardians 2: Just Like Fire

Chapter 24: Jack

Everyone except Aria used the snow globes to get to Australia.

Even at sunset, it was wickedly hot, the setting sun blazing over the harsh landscape and bathing it in a swirl of reds, oranges and golds.

The red dirt dug into my feet, so I called the wind and it buoyed me. The wind raised me level with the tops of the scrub, thin, grey-green leaves on thin grey-green branches. They were incredibly scraggly and twiggy but clearly hardy. Aria was right when she said they provided good cover; their closeness and numbers screening anybody watching from view.

The tiny red dirt track we were on wound into the bush, around several massive red rocks that stuck out above the trees. In front of us was a single switchback turn that we took. It poured us out into a large open area, surrounded on all sides by the same grey-green scrub, dyed a vivid orange by the sun.

Kronos stood in the middle of the clearing, the blackness of his hair standing out in the fiery light. He was faced away from us, seemingly watching the sunset.

We approached slowly, expecting something to tear out of the tree line at any moment to attack us.

"Kronos." North said in lieu of a greeting when we stopped, halfway between the scrub and the demon.

"Ah. The Guardians." He said, sounding unsurprised to hear North's voice so close behind him. "I'm so glad you could make it. I would have been so disappointed if you had missed our little rendezvous."

"You didn't exactly give us much choice." I growled, tightening the grip on my staff.

"Jack." He turned around now, giving me a fatherly smile. "Welcome to Australia. Did you appreciate your chance to cool off?" He paused. "Your numbers are one short. Where is my darling daughter?"

I allowed pain to flash across my face, which wasn't that hard, considering that the sight of Aria's dead body in my arms was emblazoned fresh across my vision whenever I blinked.

Kronos's grin widened. "You're not telling me that you couldn't save her? After everything she's done for you? Her death is on you."

"No. It's on you." I said, shaking my head, even as my fist tightened even more on my staff.

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Oh I will. After all, you did seem to have a killing streak going when it came to her."

"I did, didn't I?" He smirked in remembrance.

The very top of the sun vanished over the horizon at that moment, a final flash of gold before it was extinguished.

Kronos cackled. "Have you ever noticed, how much fun playing in the dark is? There's a certain element of the unknown, the truth that you may never see the sun again. It's even more special to my friends. They can't come out during the day. But at night... well... they thrive."

"They do, huh? You know what else thrives at night, burns brighter simply because of the darkness?" Called a girl's voice, seemingly from all around us. The last word almost seemed as though it was the wind, breathing in our ears. "Fire." The scrub all around us ignited immediately, flames licking the sky. The branches were highlighted in a stark black, standing out in the light. Amidst the blaze was a single silhouette.

Strands of hair from her ponytail fluttered around her face in the light breeze as she slowly moved out of the fire, and towards us. The fire framed her from behind, making her appear to have wings. Her simple black, ripped jeans and strappy singlet, complete with black and silver necklace and thick black leather wrist cuff made her look like an avenging angel. Pure fire was alight in her eyes, flickering viciously as she stared at Kronos.

He looked back at her with unmasked shock. "I killed you."

"Next time you kill someone, make sure the body stays dead." She replied, her voice as stony and cold as I had ever heard it, completely devoid of any emotion.

"Well." He said after a moment, glaring at her. "Third times the charm."

Free-moving shadows had begun invading the area; subtle movements in their depths accompanied by a soft clicking. Shadowy, smoky grey forms materialised from within the darkness, their multi-jointed limbs and bulbous, milky eyes making them appear like oversized insects. First one, then seven, then a tidal wave of creatures emerged from the shadows. Some resembled praying mantis, and others looked like crabs, thick, almost solid carapaces wrapped around their midsections like corsets. None were exactly alike. They swarmed through the clearing, forming a rough circle of free space around us that had Kronos at its nexus.

"You made an impressive entrance sweetheart." He said softly. "But I think my pets are more striking. Don't you?"

She clicked her fingers, and a small, white ball of light formed near the tree-line, spitting golden sparks that landed on the apparitions. They shrieked and hissed in pain. "No." she said nonchalantly. "They seem pretty weak, actually."

He glared at her. "They can still kill you."

"They can try."

"Do you really think you can take them all out by yourself?"

"She's not by herself." North rumbled, hands tightening on his twin swords.

Kronos waved his hand dismissively in our general direction, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Aria.

"I don't need to take them all out. Just you." Aria told him, ignoring North.

Kronos raised a single eyebrow. "Let's dance. Would you like to lead, or shall I?"

He didn't give her a chance to respond, apparitionssurging towards us.