The Last Pendragon

Chapter 13

Lyza jerked on the chains that bound her wrists to the wall of the cell. It was large enough for her to stand in and the bars in front of her brushed against her chest and face, hissing as it burned her skin. The chains on her wrists burned worse and blood dribbled from her wrists and ankles, pooling onto the floor beneath her. The chains were spelled, meant to keep her from using magic, which was why it burned her skin. There was no room to maneuver, so her legs had started to cramp up. Sometimes it helped to shift her weight from her left leg to her right one and back, but her shoulders and back were aching from how long she stood and the fact that she was forced to stand up straight with no wiggling room.

Norak walked into the catacombs that Lyza guessed was beneath the city of Vergis.

“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” Lyza demanded harshly, glaring at him.

Norak smiled at her but it was twisted, completely different from the gentle warm smile that had once brought butterflies to her stomach. “We’re going to publicly execute you in the city square.”

Lyza shook her head with a frown. “N—no. No Pendragon has ever been publicly executed before. It’s always been about—“

Norak interrupted her. “Killing the Pendragons to break the curse? Yes, it’s still about that. You see…” Norak swept his arm around the room, flicking his fingers. Magical energy formed light and the shadows receded from the room. For the first time, Lyza could see the other cells in the catacombs just like hers. On the opposite wall, the man from the store, the same one who had a son, who had brought Kenji to Kharro’s shop, was in a matching cell directly across from Lyza’s. Beside his, was his son. Cells lined in rows and from what little Lyza could see, more cells were stacked on top of the man and his son’s, all across the row. She guessed it was like that for hers too, although except for the three filled ones, all the other cells were empty.

“We have three Pendragons now. Kenji and Matt are the last two… We’ll publicly execute the three of you, saving your death for last. You were the one with the Saitou brothers—their companion. They’ll come for you and we’ll capture them. When Kenji and Matt both die, so does the entire Pendragon family bloodline and the curse will be broken!” Norak grinned with a wicked gleam in his eyes that frightened Lyza.

Lyza didn’t have to ask how he knew their names. The records and however they discovered Kenji and Matt were Pendragons gave them every piece of information on them. “No! You don’t have to do this. We have another way to break the curse! Matt and Kenji will break it and no other Pendragons have to die!” Desperation made Lyza’s heart drum in her chest so hard she thought for sure Norak could hear it.

Norak laughed. “Did you really think we would trust an ancient prophecy? The Pendragons die… tonight!” With that, the light disappeared along with Norak, leaving Lyza feeling alone in the darkness.

The little boy began to cry. “Dad… Are we really going to die?”

“I don’t know, Son,” came his soft reply.

Lyza somehow knew that he had lied.

*****

“We have to rescue her,” Kenji said, pacing back and forth. Kharro was in his dragon form as they landed on the top of a hillside somewhere in Europe. Kenji didn’t bother to ask where they were. All that mattered was getting Lyza back.

“They know we’re Pendragons and that we’re with her,” Matt said. “They could try to use her to lure us into a trap.”

“... And if not?” Kenji met his brother’s gaze, already knowing what he was going to say.

Matt’s eyes were downcast and for the first time, Kenji thought he could see real pain in them. “The fate of the world is at stake, Kenji. We have to continue to Tokyo. From there, we can head to Vergis and rescue her as we’re continuing our mission.”

Kenji’s heart sank and anger suddenly gripped him. “Mission first then, is it? Is that what happened with Dad? He’s dead and you haven’t even grieved for him!”

Matt swallowed deeply and the perfect mask of an expression faltered. “His death haunts me more than anything, Kenji! Do you know how many deaths I’ve witnessed? From soldiers—friendlies, enemies—to civilians—men, women… Even children. Comrades have died in my arms, begging for their families, for their mothers. Body parts have landed right beside me; the arm of a man I knew with his wedding ring still on his finger. I’ve delivered more dog tags back to base more times than I can count. I’ve seen deaths that last for agonizing hours, things that some men can’t imagine. Father told me to go, so I obeyed his orders. He died right in front of me and there was nothing I could do. I care about Lyza too. She’s the first woman I’ve cared about since I got back, Kenji,” Matt whispered. “But it’s one life against the fate of the entire world. We don’t have time for emotions right now. No time for grief or love. We’re the only ones who can destroy the sigils. Billions of lives are at stake, Kenji.”

“I know,” Kenji whispered and he knew that Matt was right.

“Matt…” His voice trailed off, unsure how to help his brother through the pain he was going through.

“I... My whole squad died, Kenji. There was a kid and he—he had a bomb. Logan and I got out in time. We were injured, but would have been fine. Lo—Logan stepp... stepped on an I.E.D. I was thrown and was in bad shape. Spent the past six weeks in recovery. I was with Father when he died because I'm still on medical leave w—with severe PTSD.”

Kenji felt as if his whole world was being thrown upsidedown, like his heart was breaking piece by piece for Matt. “H—how come you never told Mom and I? Why didn't Dad tell us?”

“I couldn't handle it. I couldn't face you. I'd turned my back on you and I failed my squad and I just…”

Tears filled Kenji’s eyes, not just for Lyza, but for Matt. At the pain in his voice, the grief tearing his expression apart, the tears in his voice. Kenji walked up and embraced his brother for the first time in years. Matt seemed to collapse into him, as if the weight of what he went through had been weighing him down and now he had no strength to carry the burden any longer.

Pulling away, Kenji blinked and shoved the tears back. As much as it made his heart ache, Kenji shoved his feelings for Lyza and his worry for her back as well. “Let’s go to Tokyo, then.”

*****

The energy in Excalibur thumped and pulsed with an explosive power that scared Matt. He wasn’t sure that he and Kenji could handle this a third time, much less the last time in Vergis.

The city of Tokyo was all too familiar to Matt. He was home. His mind often wandered, thinking of the rich history here, but this time, as Kharro landed on a bridge crossing a river, Matt dismissed all thoughts from his mind, save one: completing the mission.

People screamed and thundering roars echoed through the city as buildings crashed to the ground. As Kenji held out his hands and began to draw magic into himself, Matt glanced at the horizon. Fires erupted through the skyscrapers of the busy city. Black scales rose up between the buildings as loud roars reverberated across the buildings. Up in the sky, dragons of all shapes, sizes, and colors charged toward the black scaled creature—the Zathran. It swiped a hand sideways and knocked down three skyscrapers in its way. Screams made Matt’s ears ring as his body urged him to go and help. Every ounce of will inside him kept his feet planted where he was.

Kenji screamed and collapsed to his knees. Magical energy slammed against him and his skin began to burn as his body started seizing.

Matt darted toward him, but the energy pressed him back.

The horrid sound of ripping flesh tore Matt’s gaze back to the creature. Its spherical head was twice the size of the dragons and it opened its mouth and ripped one completely in two. The two halves of the dragon were flung to distant parts of the city.

Kharro roared in agony and leapt into the sky to join the fight with the other dragons.

Matt held Excalibur out, hoping it would draw the energy thrashing around Kenji inside it. The energy threw him backward and he landed against the side of the bridge with a harsh thud. Pain rolled through his ribs and he gasped for breath.

Directly across from him, Kenji shot out his hands and at last, the energy slammed into Matt. Agony tore through him and Matt’s vision turned completely white. He was no longer aware of his surroundings - just the energy surging through his body, making his heart pounded rapidly. It quivered and increased dramatically, to the point where it nearly gave out. Matt weakened and felt his own body being leached of life. It was a battle of wills—the energy or Matt. The magical energy shocked him, causing his body to violently tremble with seizures as his life slowly waned and began to give out.

“Matt!” Kenji murmured.

Over the loud buzzing of the energy that made his ears ring, Matt felt more than heard his brother’s voice.

“Don’t give up, you hear me? You fight! I can’t lose you, Matt! Come on! Come back! Fight this! Matt—fight!”

Kenji’s voice and his words empowered Matt and with a wild outcry of pain and grief and determination, Matt shoved the energy into Excalibur.

Matt’s life hung in the balance as he completely blacked out.