CHAPTER 009
1194 Words
Prince Eric stood, clapping slowly. “Well,” he said, impressed. “That settles it.”
“No,” Zooro snapped. “Kill him, kill the cyclops, Adam.”
Eric turned to Zooro. “That wasn’t the deal.”
“Deals change.” Zooro rose, eyes filled with raw fury.
Adam bent and picked up his iron arm, the moment it locked into place, power surged again, deeper this time.
He moved before anyone could stop him, vaulted through the wall, grabbed Hilda, and pulled her into his arms.
“STOP HIM!” Zooro shouted.
But too late, Adam ran, clutching Hilda against him as her breath warm against his chest.
“Adam?” she whispered.
“I’ve got you,” he replied.
In no time, they were inside a cave. The cave did not look ancient, it looked ordinary: stone mouth, damp walls, nothing carved, nothing glowing; just darkness sitting there like it had been waiting for someone brave enough to enter through it.
Adam stepped in with Hilda anyway and laid her on a slab of rock behind him. Her father, Emperor Snotlehon stood at the cave entrance with a folded hand and a stiff jaw. He did not look at his daughter, he looked at Adam.
“The ritual is simple,” Emperor Snotlehon said. “Zooro had said a descendant of a god must pass through the portal as a sacrifice.”
Adam rolled his shoulders and moved toward the center of the cave where the air felt… thin like the world had been peeled. The portal shimmered into existence, light bended inward, pulling sound with it.
“Alright, let’s get this over with.” Adam exhaled, not as if he was afraid of death, but…
“Friday?”
A voice came from inside the light and goblin, with crossed arms, stepped out of the portal like it was a tavern door.
Adam stared. “How did you get in there?”
“Have you forgotten” Friday shrugged, his large ears twitching. “I'm a descendant of a god.”
“What?” Snotlehon stiffened.
“How!?” Adam froze.
Friday smiled warmly. “I descend from a lineage of gods. Loki, the god of mischief.”
Adam stepped closer. “Friday… move. This isn’t your burden.”
“NO!”
Adam shook his head. “You’re a goblin.”
“And a god.”
“You steal,” Adam continued. “You lie, you complain about everything.”
“Correct.”
“You are not divine.”
Friday’s eyes darkened, not angry, just tired. “My father was.”
The portal hummed.
Snotlehon scoffed. “A goblin god? Absurd.”
“You never told me.” Adam swallowed.
“You never asked. And I liked being… ordinary.” Friday shrugged again.
He turned toward the portal as it hummed like hades.
Adam grabbed his arm. “You’ll die.”
“I know.” Friday glanced back at Hilda. “But it'll save her.”
“And you?”
Friday winked. “I’ll finally stop borrowing water.”
The joke didn't come out funny. He then stepped into the light and the portal flared brightly and violent.
As he disappeared through, the portal zapped and fell silent
Adam and the Emperor gasped.
“Adam?”
Hilda sat up slowly, blinking like someone who just woke from a long sad dream.
Adam rushed to her side. “You’re safe now.”
“It feels like… something is gone.” She touched her chest.
Adam nodded. “It is.”
Snotlehon cleared his throat and walked slowly towards Adam. “The empire owes you and the goblin.”
“Does it?”
The emperor didn’t answer and Adam stood. “I’m leaving.”
Snotlehon’s voice hardened. “Remember, you swore your allegiance to Whumcastle.”
Adam turned with cold eyes. “My sister is dying, I need to take water to her.”
“She is not Whumcastle’s concern,” Snotlehon replied flatly.
Adam stepped closer. “Friday died for your daughter.”
Snotlehon looked away. “Sacrifices happen.”
Adam let out a sharp, bitter laughter and walked past the emperor toward the exit which led to the water reservoir.
At last. He smiled inwardly.
He stood before the water tank like a prized posssession, his chest rising and falling like it had found purpose again.
“Now or never,” he muttered, braced his feet, fingers biting into steel, muscles tightening past the point of reason. Stone cracked and metal groaned as he lifted the reservoir slowly until gravity itself seemed confused.
Emperor Snotlehon and Hilda watched, frozen between admiration and awe.
“Gods…” Snotlehon whispered.
Adam ignored them and set the tank onto the reinforced truck with a thunderous clang, climbed into the driver’s seat and fired the engine.
That was when a hand clamped onto his wrist.
“Adam.”
Snotlehon stood there, older now, smaller somehow, robes torn and dirty; still an emperor, but only by title.
“Come with me,” Adam pleaded.
“No,” Snotlehon replied. “Go, save your sister.”
“Why?”
The emperor shook his head. “I cannot abandon my city… Whumcastle. Even though it has fallen, it is still mine.”
“You’ll die, they'll kill you.”
Snotlehon smiled faintly. “At least, I'll die defending my city.”
Princess Hilda ran forward breathlessly and hugged her father hard and long.
“Don’t be stubborn,” She whispered, but he kissed her forehead and held her hand, tears dancing in his eyes.
“Take care of yourself, little one.”
“Father.” She was about to cry too.
“Little one,” Emperor Snotlehon looked at her deeply. “If you return and I'm no longer alive, don't forget to visit my tombstone.”
A tear ran down Princess Hilda's cheeks and she turned away, sobbing.
“Take care of her, my boy.” Snotlehon patted Adam on the shoulder.
“I will.”
Adam engaged the gear and gunned down the water truck into the arid horizon which stretched open like eternity.
Minutes later, A convoy of back-plated trucks and heavy guns mounted like insults, screamed towards them.
“Zooro!” Hilda gasped.
Adam opened his throttle and the turbo engines screamed like beasts bred for vengeance.
He checked the mirror as the road narrowed into a cliff pass, stone walls on one side and emptiness on the other.
Gunfire erupted.
Bullets tore through the air and sparks richocheted across the truck’s frame.
“Hang on!”
Adam leaned out, iron arm swinging, ripping a mounted gun clean off its truck and hurling it into the abyss.
Another truck rammed him and metal shrieked.
Adam jumped, landed on the hood, crushing it inward with raw force. A blade flashed and pain exploded as his iron arm caught a face and he smashed it aggressively against the steering.
A man roared.
The truck swerved and the reservoir groaned.
Too late.
The entire truck tipped and sped off the cliff towards the nothingness below.
Then BANG!!, an explosion erupted as his truck kissed mother earth.
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