Book 6, Chapter 95 - The Khan's Resolve

The Khan’s head was mostly original . However, the rest of his body had undergone countless mechanical alterations . His arm, for instance, was a biochemical construction . Because much of his body was not natural, it required a specialized life-support system which disseminated a special gas . It prevented what remained of his body from rejecting the foreign parts .

But his mask was shattered . The tubes which forced the gas into his lungs dangled free and seethed with a faint red mist . That was the life-blood of the Khan . Without it he wouldn’t last more than half a day . His body would start to reject its additions and total organ failure would result .

Such a life was marked by constant pain . Every minute of every day was agony . A lesser man wouldn’t last more than a few days before surrendering to it . The Khan had fought on for seven long years . It was a mystery how he’d persevered through these several thousands of days .

“You’re… Baldur!”

Selene and the Avatar shared one body . There was no separation between them, no warring personalities . The spirit of Selene lost all power when her mind imprinted . All emotion died, leaving only absolute loyalty to Sumeru .

The G.o.d King’s mark was a sort of shackle one couldn’t break . Even lesser G.o.ds were inexorably bound, so a mortal was even more the slave .

Strong though Selene’s will was, it did not help her . All behavior was altered when the imprinting was complete . Yet – miraculously – in this instant a powerful wave of mental energy filled the Avatar with sadness .

For just a moment, the Avatar was distracted . It was the perfect chance .

Ja.n.u.s splayed her fingers and countless shadows slithered forth . They traveled along the ground then tied up Selene’s feet . Like living rope they crawled up her body until the Avatar was tightly bound . Ja.n.u.s harnessed all her power to keep Selene tied down and cried out to the Khan . “Quickly, act now! Go for the eyes!”

His fingers tightened around his weapon . Purple light crackled in antic.i.p.ation . In the same instant the silver glow faded from Selene’s eyes . Without the spectral glimmer she looked like her old self .

But her voice was still cold and arrogant . Fixing the Khan with her soulless gaze she taunted him . “Can you do it?”

He hesitated .

“Did you believe your tricks would be enough to defeat me?” Her words marked a change in the nearby Seraphs . She bled energy out into the air, infecting the puppets and making them stronger . An intense aura hung over them as they closed in . “Your efforts are useless . You can’t stop what’s coming . ”

Seraphs dashed at the invaders, a silent and terrifying horde . Ja.n.u.s could feel their power crus.h.i.+ng her . Her and Baldur weren’t enough to fend them off .

The flows of time unfolded before the Avatar . She was confident that the Khan would not be able to raise his hand against his daughter, until the scenes were revealed . Surprise took hold . At the right opportunity the Khan would, indeed, stab at her with the sword in his left hand . He wouldn’t hold back . It would dig into her, and split her body in half .

The Avatar didn’t understand . Wasn’t this Selene’s father? Would he really kill his own child?

She saw it all but did not fret . Her empty, indifferent eyes regarded the possibilities like discarded pages from a book . Selene knew how to deal with it .

Sure enough a steely Resolve took the Khan and he attacked . He held nothing back, the murderous intent was almost palpable . If he succeeded, Selene would perish .

“Stop!”

Ja.n.u.s felt it and called out in disbelief . Would he really kill her? Kill his own daughter?!

Her cries fell on deaf ears . The doggedness in his eyes did not falter, the look of a man who would not turn back . Mercy was not offered, no quarter was given . He fully intended to kill Selene .

Yet Selene just… watched . Calm as a Spring afternoon .

In a surprise turn for everyone else, a figure appeared between them . It raised a hand and the Khan’s attack was deflected with enough force to knock him back .

Warding off the Khan with one’s bare hands? Incredible!

He was clad in black from head to toe . In his right hand was a blade of crackling lightning and the right radiated with a pale glow . Purple light scarred the barrier but had not pierced it . Selene was safe .

“Cloudhawk!”

Ja.n.u.s breathed a sigh of relief . If he was here it meant his part of the mission was complete . Now their desperate battle was on more equal footing . No wonder Selene had been so calm – she’d seen this eventuality .

The Khan did not give up . He brandished his sword of light and attacked again . Purple and electric blue collided with a storm of sparks but it was the Khan who was flung away . The power discrepancy was too great .

Cloudhawk’s face was dark with anger . “What are you doing!”

The Khan answered, his voice ragged and plagued with suffering . “No one knows her better than me! Killing her now would be a mercy!”

Was death always such a terrible thing? No, sometimes it meant release .  

Selene was more important to Baldur than his own life . But he did know Selene and knew that the consequences of everything she’d done would haunt her forever . Taking her eyes might return his daughter, but she would be without dreams, without dignity . Confronted with the truth of what she’d done, every day she lived would be misery .

Better he spared her that, even if it meant striking her down with his own hand .

The Boundary Portal was already beginning to open . If they didn’t act soon, tens of thousands of lives would be forfeit . Skycloud represented hope to those people . The Khan had no choice!

“Whatever it is, we’ll carry it together . I won’t let you do this . You don’t have the right to decide!”

Cloudhawk didn’t know if the Khan was making the right choice, but he had to believe Selene was stronger than that . She wouldn’t just run away from her mission and responsibilities! No matter what the future held, he would be right next to her to help shoulder the load . There wasn’t anything they couldn’t weather together .

The Avatar’s callous voice interrupted . “It’s too late . ”

Ja.n.u.s’ body s.h.i.+mmered and instantly there were several dozen more of her . Each one bore nasty daggers which gleamed with dark promise as they leaped through the air .

Selene broke free of the shadowy constraints . The silver light bloomed again in her eyes . In an instant she saw where the phantasms would strike and Ja.n.u.s’ gambit was rendered useless . With a swing of her crystal sword, two of the shades were cleaved in half .

Another swell of energy burst from her weapon . Dozens of whipping, half-moon shaped gashes flooded the dais . More of the shadows were caught up the tumult, pushed from the dais and cut to pieces .

She was too fast! Too accurate! Every move her enemy made she was able to see in advance . Furthermore, there was an army of Seraphs all around keeping the soldiers engaged . How were they supposed to handle this situation?

Ja.n.u.s had only a few rare opportunities to affect change here . She was unwilling to give up on Selene which curtailed her options even further . The only way to win total victory was to attack her eyes . It was a desperate hope, but if the Eyes of Time were destroyed maybe Selene would go back to normal . Maybe it would free her from the G.o.d King’s grasp .

Selene attacked three more times . With every swipe, explosions of power tore across the chamber .

One of Ja.n.u.s’ copies caught in front of the Avatar was ripped to shreds by an attack which caught the a.s.sa.s.sin as well . She was knocked from hiding and stumbled back . Meanwhile Cloudhawk watched Selene unleash her fury . His face darkened and his pale hand gripped the hilt of his relic .

He had to deal with this himself .

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