Blade(Part 4): Midnight

Chapter 17: Matilda

Matilda lifted every rock and piece of mithril rubble off the ground as fast as she could to get to Ptolemar. Her heart raced with terror as she ripped the pieces off the ground, but there were dozens of pieces between her and her son. The only reason she wasn't crushed was because she was in front of Ptolemar as they entered the doorway to the next corridor. Ptolemar was trapped, and hanging onto his own life. Queen Azia was also lifting rocks and pulling them off of the pile with all her strength, as fast as Matilda was. Neither of them would believe that Ptolemar was killed.

"Ptolemar!" Matilda screamed. "I'm coming! Give a sign that you're alive!" Ptolemar didn't answer her.

"Come on," Matilda hissed, to Azia. They continued pulling rubble and boulders from the pile, but Matilda only felt herself tiring out. Suddenly, the next rock she lifted hovered out of her hands. Every one of the rocks in the doorway lifted off the ground, and Matilda saw Ptolemar, still stuck in the doorway. She reached under the hovering rocks and pulled her son out from under them as fast as she could. His eyes were closed, and his chest, arms, and legs were covered with blood. Blood was seeping out of his ears, and also from a crack in his head. Matilda's eyes began to water. Ptolemar was crushed by the rubble that fell when the ground shook. He was dead.

"Ptolemar," Matilda sobbed. She knelt beside his corpse, gently stroking his face. She cradled her son in her arms, pressing her face against his. Matilda's heart had shattered, and she could only sob as she held Ptolemar as tightly as she could.

"Mom!" Catherine suddenly screamed. Hearing her voice gave Matilda somewhat lifted her heart, and seeing her kneeling beside her and Ptolemar raised it even more. Still, her son was dead, and nothing could change that.

"I'm sorry," Catherine wept. "I lowered the ring, and..."

"No," Matilda interrupted. "Whatever you're about to say, don't. You didn't do this. No one did this."

"Matilda," said Queen Azia. "We must return to the coast. We have a battle to prepare for."

"I know," Matilda sobbed. "I know. Let's get out of here, then." Matilda carried Ptolemar's corpse out of the temple as she was followed by Catherine, Azia, and the time goddess, Riohna. Azia and Riohna climbed onto Rhazaan's back, while Matilda and Catherine climbed onto Aos. They set Ptolemar's body in front of them, and both sand dragons lifted themselves into the air. As they flew towards the coast, they noticed that the lowering of the Furnace had lowered, and they didn't have to fly as far as they did to reach the ring. looking behind them, they saw that the other two rings were also lowered, and saw Araxes, Polarpi, and Drogbel flying towards the coast with their passengers on their backs. The island that was floating above the three rings was only just now lowering, and when it touched the ground, Matilda could clearly see that it was a flat mesa with cliffs that were completely straight. Three golden spires then emerged from the ground around the landform, and they generated a clear barrier between them. Once the dragons landed on the beach, and Marcus Zeno landed by Drogbel, Matilda climbed from her dragon's back, with Ptolemar in her arms. Catherine also stepped to the ground. There was little time to properly bury Ptolemar, since the fate of every living thing on Zenartha's surface was at risk. Aos, reading Matilda's mind, dug a shallow ditch in the sand of the beach with the claws of one of his front paws, and Matilda gently laid Ptolemar in it.

"Goodbye, my son," Matilda wished, kneeling down beside her son's grave. "I'll see you again." Matilda wanted nothing more than to stay by him for just a few more moments, but she reminded herself that there was still a job to do. She rose to her feet, and stepped backwards, to Catherine. She pushed her back a short distance further, then Aos stretched his neck above the grave. A blast of fire spewed forth from his maw. It was a quick blast, but still hot enough to scorch the sand it touched, and turn Ptolemar's body to ash. A gust of wind then came from the direction of the mesa, and Matilda saw the ashes of Ptolemar's body lift from the ground, and spread over the water of the ocean of Ember. He would rest, now, entering Efara. Matilda would make sure that Aziz died, and Zenartha lived. She felt Catherine's hand in hers, and Matilda knew that she was thinking the exact same thing she was. They would kill Aziz, and save Zenartha together.

"Mom," said Catherine. "I know the truth, about me."

"You do?" Matilda sighed. "How did you find out?"

"I found a weapon that Xyhra forged," Catherine answered. "And guess I spoke to Dameon through it." Matilda gave a deep sigh, then placed both of her hands on Catherine's shoulders.

"You know that Xyhra is..."

Before she could finish her question, Catherine threw her arms around her, squeezing Matilda as tightly as she could. Matilda could hear her sobbing beside her, and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Her only daughter, and her only child.

"You're still my mother," Catherine promised. "Ptolemar was still my brother. And I love you both. I'll always love you both, no matter what."

"I love you, too, Catherine," Matilda sobbed. "And we'll finish this, for him."

Dameon, Shala, and Xyhra watched Ptolemar's ashes spread over the ocean, and while they were flying back to the coast, they felt Ptolemar's light fade. They felt the grief from Matilda and Catherine, and were saddened by it. Every child lost their parents eventually, but no parent should have to bury their child. Dameon knew this. He was lucky that he was spared during the Colonial War, but if he wasn't, he could only imagine how both Xyhra and his adopted parents would feel. They would be devastated.

"I don't know how to justify what happened," Xyhra sighed.

"Mom, she lost her son," Dameon reminded. "Nothing justifies that."

"I suppose not," Xyhra admitted, with a hand on Dameon's shoulder. "But I know exactly how she feels."

"We met Diomeus and Vanessa, on the upper ring," said Dameon. "The God of War and the Goddess of Love."

"Don't call them gods or goddesses," Xyhra hissed. "But what did they want?"

"They didn't want anything," Shala answered. "Just to help us. Vanessa saved my life."

"When the rings lowered, I began to hear cries of distress from the Furnace," said Xyhra. "Almost a dozen. They must be the other New Ones, and they're all imprisoned in that mesa."

"How would we get to them?" Dameon wondered. "Deactivating those towers seems like it would bring the shield down. Would it?"

"Yes," Xyhra answered. "But the New Ones will not be freed when the barrier falls."

"Mom, we have a whole army to march past them," Dameon reminded. "We might not get the chance to free them."

"No, we must before the army reaches the Furnace," Xyhra warned. "Otherwise Aziz will kill them when he sees the banners."

"Marcus could fly there faster than the dragons and free them discreetly," Shala suggested. "If there's another way past the barrier."

"There is," said Xyhra. "One that I personally added and made almost impossible to find. The Winged One will have to search very closely for it."

"I'll go and tell him," Shala declared, and she walked off.

"So, this is it, isn't it?" Dameon sighed. "Once we finish this, it's over."

"Exactly," said Xyhra. "Zenartha will be safe from Ember, and Aziz. His soldiers will be fighting with their lives to make sure that does not happen, Dameon."

"I know," Dameon agreed. "Me? I'll fight with my life to stop them." The coming battle was to be the battle that decided whether Zenartha would survive or not. Aziz would pay for what he had done to the colonies, to their people, and to all of Zenartha. Everyone he's killed would know justice.