Chapter 14

Luke knew without his powers, he was no match for AJ. Already, he was suffering from numerous cuts, although none too deep while he had yet to land even one on the other man. As if reading his mind, AJ growled out.

"I’m going to make you suffer for what you did to my little brother, you bastard!"

And another cut found its mark. Luke had been trying to explain to AJ that they needed to get to Nick but unsurprisingly with no success. Neither man noticed the growing darkness.

"Listen to me, you idiot. If you love Nick half as much as you claim to, you’d better decide which is more important."

AJ finally managed to disarm Luke, and now had his dagger at the man’s throat.

"Your need for revenge or saving his life."

Finally sensing a note of desperation and perhaps honesty in Luke’s voice, AJ stopped himself from slitting the man’s throat. Just as Luke was about to explain however, a desperate shout pierced the battle sounds of the grove.

"NICK!"

His hands were aching from pounding on the force field that emerged linking the pillars the moment Nick stepped beyond the threshold. Now, Nick couldn’t get out and more importantly, thought Brian, they couldn’t get in. He looked over at Kevin who had realized the futility of forcing their way through and was now trying to get Nick’s attention. He turned to look at his little brother gazing up at the moon watching the eclipse that was taking place. As Nick turned the dagger he was holding towards himself, Brian distantly realized he was now shouting as loud and as desperately as Kevin was.

"No, Nick! STOP!"

Kevin felt so damn frustrated, he would have bodily thrown himself against the force field if he thought it would have done any good. As it was, he could only watch as his other half mutilated himself.

Reaching deep within, he sought out the essence of Nick that bound the two men together and tried to follow it back to its owner, desperate to reach Nick.

//Nick?//

//K-Kevin?//

//Yes, Nezadi. It’s me//

Kevin was ecstatic at having gotten through to Nick, but immediately sensed something was wrong.

//Nick?//

//He’s coming, Kevin. He’s coming for me//

Nick was in a maze.

The moment he had stepped beyond the pillars, he found himself in a maze with walls that were twice his height. Looking around, he found the way forwards looking exactly identical to the way backwards, no sign of the grove. Looking up however, he faced the same full moon, the dark shadow visibly moving in. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past, and Nick felt the hairs at the back of his neck rise as he heard a roar pierce the silence. Then he heard the sound of running feet, claws? All he was sure of was that, whatever it was, it was big and it was getting closer. Instinctively reaching for his sword while trying to summon his powers, he cursed to realize that both were lost to him. All that was left to do was run.

He ran as fast as he could, losing all sense of time. The maze provided no alternatives merely turning right then left then right again steadily getting darker, the creature drawing closer behind him. All at once, Nick came upon a pathway that split into two. Feeling a pull, he turned right, by now exhaustion beginning to set in. He was surprised when he came upon a clearing with a fountain, realizing that he had reached the middle of the maze.

Sitting by the fountain, was the most beautiful woman Nick had ever seen. She looked to be about his mother’s age with hair as black as midnight running down her back all the way to her feet. When she turned to look at Nick, he gasped in surprise to see that her eyes were golden.

She beckoned him closer, and Nick felt no apprehension as he approached her. Kneeling by her feet, she took his face in her hands, and smiled a sad smile. Her lips didn’t move as she spoke, and Nick realized he was hearing her in his mind.

//You have suffered so much, little one. But the worst is yet to come//

Still, Nick felt no fear. Her presence soothing, the thought of the creature chasing him all but gone from his mind.

//I never meant for him to go free, but even Goddess’s it would seem, can be blinded by grief and rage. It will not be easy, but I must ask that you help me//

//Kevin?//

She smiled at that, albeit still sadly as she placed a kiss to his forehead. There were tears in her eyes as she pulled away.

//There will be pain, but I promise you, Kevin will be there to hold you at the end//

Realization dawned on Nick, but knowing he had no choice if he wanted to save his family and friends, he laid his head on her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

//That’s good enough for me//

Their peace was shattered by another roar. Once again Nick looked up to see the moon almost completely covered. Hearing the creature approach, he realized the woman was gone, and he was once again alone.

//Nick?//

//K-Kevin?//

//Yes, Nezadi. It’s me//

He felt Kevin’s joy at having reached him, and found his own heart swell with love, but the sound of the creature drawing near unconsciously filled him with a sense of dread.

//Nick?//

//He’s coming, Kevin. He’s coming for me//

And then the creature was before him. Looking like a grossly mutilated dragon, its talons clicked the ground as it approached Nick. It had a head that was almost humanoid, its eyes giving away its intelligence. Nick tried to run but was frozen by the creature’s stare. Then it dawned on Nick. He was looking upon Modezarran himself.

"You’re a dragon?"

Modezarran laughed, a humorless sound that caused Nick’s hair to stand on end.

"Khira’s final judgement. To resemble the very creature I had butchered to extinction. But now the time is finally at hand."

Moving faster than Nick thought possible, Modezarran pierced his shoulder with one talon to hold him down, drawing a scream from the young man.

Nick’s scream pierced Brian’s heart as surely as any dagger would, and the prince cursed the futility of it all.

"NICK!"

Kevin’s tortured cry only cut Brian’s heart deeper, and both men watched helplessly as Nick’s blood started to stain the marble floor.

Modezarran gently used his other talon to caress Nick’s cheek before dragging it down to his arm. At Nick’s elbow, he pressed into flesh almost bone deep and as he drew a line down, a trail of blood followed his lead.

AJ couldn’t believe his eyes as he approached the pillars. Nick was cutting himself!

"Nick! What the hell are you doing?"

Unknowingly he rushed right into the force field only to blocked back. He turned towards Brian and Kevin who had helpless expressions even as they continued to beg Nick to hear them. Turning towards Luke, he screamed at the wizard.

"Do something!"

Luke knowing full well who’s magic was responsible, felt his anger rise.

"What the hell do you expect me to do? Just what kind of chance do you think I would stand against Modezarran?"

"Nezadi, please."

Kevin didn’t know how much more he could take as Nick suddenly fell to the floor, his blood now flowing freely. Focusing their attention, they could now make up a pattern carved into the marble of the floor, where the lines were slightly deeper. Nick’s blood was now accumulating at these indentations and the pattern was slowly emerging. That of a dragon with an almost humanoid face and disfigured wings.

Kevin went to kneel by Nick’s head, as close as the force field allowed, all the while calling out for him.

Nick, weak from blood loss, realized he was back at the grove. The creature and the maze gone. Focusing ahead he smiled as he caught sight of Kevin. Feeling the numbness spreading though his body, he weakly reached out his hand for his love.

"Oh Nick."

Kevin’s tears flowed freely as he placed his palms against the force field, seeing Nick reach out for him.

Luke cursed himself as he watched the scene unfolding never ever having felt this helpless before. The moon was almost completely covered, and as Brian’ tearful eyes met AJ’s, together they lifted their heads to the sky to see the moon finally completely lose its glow.

Kevin gasped as the force field dissolved and rushed to pull Nick out. Once beyond the pillars, he fell to his knees clutching Nick to him. The others saw a beam surround the pillars and rise up to meet the eclipsed moon, the dragon lined out by Nick’s blood glowing brightly and now being reflected onto the darkened surface of the moon. A roar unlike any other echoed throughout the grove. All this was lost on Kevin though as he watched Nick slip further and further away from him. Perspiration wet Nick’s brow and his breathing grew shallow.

Nick felt tired, not unlike the time he had saved his father. There was pain but it was distant. Looking up, he couldn’t help but smile as he saw Kevin.

"Just like she promised."

"Nick?"

Reaching out to gently caress the older man’s cheek, Nick marveled at the love he saw reflected in those green, green eyes.

"I love you."

Kevin couldn’t help the sob that escaped. Holding Nick tighter and closer to him, he managed to reply through his grief.

"And I love you."

Nick felt the pull on his consciousness, and struggled weakly against giving in. All this did was magnify his pain and he gasped as the full brunt of his wounds hit him.

"Kevin!"

Kevin held him down and tried to calm him, Nick’s face now almost totally devoid of color. Knowing the end was near, Nick held on to Kevin, tears in his eyes as, unable to help himself, he whispered his one regret.

"I-I wanted to……. be….. yours."

Snapping the thin chain around his neck, Kevin drew all that he had left of his family and slipped it onto Nick’s finger. His father’s signet ring with the mark of a griffin emblazoned upon it.

"Forever, Nezadi."

Nick’s felt the weight of the ring on his finger and smiled as Kevin’s lips claimed his.

//Kevin//

Kevin felt his heart shatter as Nick’s lips grew slack beneath his, and he heard his name. Calling back, he prayed with everything he had.

//Nezadi//

But there was no longer anyone there to answer him.