Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

S ummoning lightning bolts without another word, the Prime fired everything he could at Solomon.

Dodging most of them with ease, Solomon captured one on the dagger’s edges. The specialized magical steel withstood the lightning’s power. Moving his blade, the lightning crackled along the length, Solomon stepped forward and whiplashed the lightning back.

Before the Prime could throw up a shield, the lightning hit him full blast in his chest. He fell back against the wall with a loud exhale of air.

Roars rose around the edge of the circle as many gathered to watch the battle.

Solomon sent multiple strikes of lightning. All of them hitting the Prime and keeping him pinned to the wall. Dropping all caution, he created another arcane rope and whipped it out.

Dodging to the side, the Prime captured the end of the rope with his blade and let it wrap around. Released from the wall, he stepped forward and reset his body. When he went to yank at the magical rope, nothing happened.

“Still my turn,” Solomon whispered. Yanking hard on the rope, he dislodged the curved sword. It went tumbling into the air until it fell. The blade sank into the ground. Then he whipped out multiple arcane balls that blasted all around the Prime distracting all of his senses.

Another lightning strike crackled behind the Prime. The concussive factor sent him tumbling off the porch and down the steps.

Before the Prime could get his feet underneath him, multiple vines burst out of the ground.

Recognizing they were the vines from other realms, Solomon allowed them to take over and ensnare the Prime between them. The vines wove a tight cage that restricted his movements.

The Prime tried to send lightning strikes down to hit the vines. Several vines were caught in the magical fire and withered. Still more vines replaced the lost ones. The vines continued to build the cage from his neck down to his feet. They shifted, wound, and wove until the man couldn’t move. The sharp edges of the leaves dug into his neck.

“Surrender and yield this fight! Now,” Solomon demanded while he created a flickering white mageball. Against his better judgment, he added a deadly spell to the ball. The ball hovered between the vines and the Prime’s face.

Exhausted, drained, and fighting to stay upright, he could order the vines to send a deadly strike with their thorns and spines. Even to someone who was from his bloodline. Anything to end the entire battle, one that he wanted to avoid.

Still, he held back the order and his magic.

If only the man had responded to the diplomatic exchange with the Sentinels and brokered a deal to avoid potential bloodshed. Or at least attempted negotiations of a full surrender.

“Never—” Josiah said. The vines almost strangled him until he couldn’t breathe to say another word.

“Surrender! Or it’s your death. End this now!”

Josiah tried to wiggle free, escape, or holler for existence. Everything he tried only made the vines wrap tighter and tighter. Until there was a visible blue tinge around his mouth from oxygen deprivation.

“The vines will strangle and constrict like a snake until you surrender or die. The time for negotiations is long past. You had your chance to negotiate with the Sentinels yet you sent out your clueless brother and justicars like the coward that you are. Now there is only one option.” Solomon lowered his hands and magic. He stepped closer to the man. “Surrender.”

“Pathetic. You’re one of the hidden.” The Prime managed to even sneer at him through the constriction. His face red and splotchy while his body fought to breathe and pump blood.

“One who lived. Thrived.” Solomon created a brilliant white orb right in front of the Carmine Justicar’s face. He let it swirl with the magic and float. “And became more powerful than you.”

“Even now, you’ll never take that last vital step and kill your enemy.”

“Why should I when I know you’ll be stripped of your magic and slowly die in a stone cage? That future is far more hopeless for your vast existence. Nothing but stones and darkness.”

This man never loved him as a son, never doted upon him, and never respected him. Thanks to this man continuing a legacy of hatred and jealousy, countless generations of children lost their names, families, and original paths of life. His son was one of those victims, not that he bothered to grieve or care.

“You are out of options. Surrender.”

A different set of deep emerald green vines rose higher than the Fozlane and Gloriosa vines that were part of the initial strike against the Prime. This new vine took over control of their prisoner. Broad emerald leaves opened and rolled back while clusters of the white winterberries appeared along with the lace-like heads of sapphire blue and white flowers sprung from the vines. The deadly spikes hidden under the broad leaves ready to strike. One vine moved to caress Solomon’s arm and make the connection. :: We are the Meltosse. We are here and alive. For you. No longer broken down by these dark invaders.::

“What are these new abominations? Get them off?—”

“They are the Winterberry Meltosse Creeping Vine, the protectors of the Sapphire Brilliance Ferdolite. The magical gemstones that are the heart and life of the entire Central realms.” Adjusting the spell within the white mageball, Solomon shifted the white orb to flicker around the Meltosse vines. Then he stroke the leaves of the vine. “The Meltosse are sentient. Alive. With a mind and magic of their own.”

One of the vines lifted and rubbed its curled end against Solomon’s cheek. They brushed the broad face of a leaf against Solomon’s shoulder and neck. Then the soft fragrant flowers tickled him.

“This is their home. Their realm. Their gems. All of it is theirs to protect. Which means they are not happy with you or the rest of the Carmine. All that you have tried to destroy with your hate, they seek to protect and rebuild. Now this realm belongs to the vines, the gems, and the rest of the folks.”

“No one will see this. All will remain with Carm?—”

“Then you haven’t noticed.” Solomon waved behind him. “There are media crews all around. They broadcasted everything. How it was the Carmine who used death spells. How the arcane mages protected everyone around them. How the Carmine didn’t care who their attacks destroyed.”

“How the arcane attacked first,” Josiah spat back.

“That is simply not true, but you were hiding inside and couldn’t see what was happening. Your generals lied to you,” Solomon said. “We merely contained the attacks your brother ordered first. One of the media can step forward with a recording. Our first response was to remove those illegal incendiary devices and firearms. Our advance happened well after your brother ordered your soldiers.” Sensing Finlay kept the amplification spell to spread the Prime’s words, he asked again, “Do you surrender?”

“Surrender to who? You? You’re below me. Not a leader. Not a general. Nothing but a professor.”

“I never wanted to be a leader. I was happy being a simple, quiet professor in a far-off realm. The only wish I had was the ability to leave the East and visit the one who has my heart, but I had to remain put.” Solomon shifted his gaze and wondered if Cormac could hear his words. Heard the yearning and desire in them that he wanted to be with Cormac. Then he focused again on the Prime. “Only the decisions of the Carmine. All this happened after one of your spies became a little too daring.” He added a sarcastic tsked sound. “Because of that little mistake, we learned about the plot to attack the academies. Of course that dragged me into this fight. Now I want to be rid of all secrets. That means I have to help remove the Carmine. Once and for all. For all the children’s lives you destroyed over the last four generations.” Spinning the mageball and letting it dance around his fingers, he toyed with the Prime, dragged out his misery while explaining things. “No, as you pointed out, I’m just a piece of the puzzle. Not the leader. You will not surrender to me.”

“Then who?”

“The Consortium RASI and justice department. They will take charge.” He spun the orb again. “Do you surrender?”

The Prime remained resolute and silent.

/Meltosse, squeeze him harder. Every time he breaths. I want him to truly feel close to death./

::That is a request we are delighted to follow.:: T he Meltosse shifted their vines to squeeze tighter.

Sweat beaded around the Prime’s whitened face. He tried to hold back the squeal of pain at the sudden sharp constriction.

“Not too pleasant. Is it? Being slowly squeezed and suffocated. Hmm? Do you feel your bones creaking? Your ribs ready to snap. Your constricted lungs desperate to expand and fill with air. Each time you attempt a breath, the vines squeeze harder. What would it feel like to be constricted to death? Have your ribs snap and puncture your lungs. Bleed internally. Not a pleasant death.”

“Will not…” The Prime lost his voice at another constriction.

“One option left.” Solomon held up a single finger. “Surrender. Or it shall be death by the Meltosse.”

It was a weak, desperate word, but the Prime said, “Surrender.”

Solomon glanced at Finlay, who nodded and gave him a huge thumbs up gesture.

Everyone heard the word.

It was done.