I completed my slash and stood slowly, setting myself back into the guard stance. The remaining minions looked to their dead companions, felled in a second by my beautiful spinning attack and screaming their rage and fear all six charged me with blades high.

  My confidence drained out as I felt the grip slipping in my hands and with horror realized that the blood loss was catching up with me. I blocked the first blow but felt my arms shiver with weakness as I brought the blade around, cutting the creatures head free. Then stepping into their raging bodies, I danced with them, willing my feet forward and my hands to keep their grip. I cut down one of the minions the after another, slashing with blade and golden magics, but they never seemed to end. I saw more and more appearing behind them, leaping from the shadows to join the fray. In seconds dozens of the powerful evil creatures filled the chamber.

  Strength draining fast from blood loss and exhaustion, I saw my death appear as the Enemy flew down from the darkness above. Black Power bubbling around him in such strength that the earth itself trembled beneath my feet in fear. Its evil face twisted in hate; I knew my death approached as it screamed at me.

  “Thief!”

  Sean

  I stepped out of the shadows and into the deeper darkness of an underground chamber and saw madness before me. A lone golden, glorious figure danced in a sea of darkness, blood streaming down her side. Spinning and whirling a strange glowing white bladed sword she wielded with an unearthly grace and skill, you don’t even see in great movies or anime. Charging in from all sides wielding black blades and fell magics were dozens of minions with more appearing every second. The Enemy himself descended with fury and rage, death in its hands.

  Releasing my mom and Melinda’s hands I thought only of saving my sisters life and reaching out I took hold of her with the Power and drew her to me like a screaming surprised rocket. With my other hand I forced all of the Power I held into a forceful push, driving the Enemy and his minions away from us.

  My first feelings were relief as I saw Ashlyn whipped from harm’s way, and then horror at the sight of her wounds. White bone and pale organs showing through the mangled flesh as she spun towards me. Horror switched to rage as the blast of Power ripped through me. I had no idea how strong I had become as the blast tore through rock, concrete and buildings as though they were paper.

  With a deafening boom and flying debris, the roof and entire blocks above the chamber were blasted away. It had not only blown the roof off, it has also cut a channel into the city a block or two longs, tumbling buildings, throwing cars and tearing up streets in an explosion of golden energy leaving nothing remaining but insensate and naked citizens and pale moonlight filtering down into the crater.

  Broken water lines sprayed water, and powerlines spit sparks, but all I had eyes for was Ashlyn as I turned to see the life leaking from her body. Desperately I reached out with the Power to try and heal her, but I felt my Mothers presence already within Ashlyn as she slowly knit flesh and rebuilt organs.

  “I have this Sean,” my stepmom said turning up to look at me with concerned eyes, “Go!”

  Still I hesitated as I saw a dozen of the evil minions creeping through the shadows of the broken crater towards us. I drew deep on the Power, ready to deal with them, but a lance of golden light shot out from Melinda and pierced the chest of one creature dropping it dead, then two more sprang from her hands to down another couple.

  “I will protect them,” Melinda said her voice determined, smooth and polished, all trace of her accent gone once again, “Go Sean.”

  I knew I could trust her to keep my mom and sister safe so drawing deeply on the Power my skin once more bursting alight, the earth beneath my feet trembled and stones and rubble all around I began to lift off from the surface and hover above the ground as levels of Power I was wielding warped the laws of physics. I rose from the crater and above the streets of London, hunting my Enemy, trailing golden energy in my wake.

  The streets were filled with people pointing at me and other taking photos or videos on their cell phones, as I glowed golden and flew above them. Small trails of smoke pointed to little fires that had started in the wake of the explosion and with an absent thought I smothered them.

  The attack that came very nearly ended me, ripping black energy struck at my back and I was barely able to shunter it aside. The crackling and snapping magics tore into London and buildings came crashing down to screams and cries from the people below.

  I spun and saw my enemy bringing another attack to bear on me. This time as I deflected it, I was able to direct it into the Thames river, saving lives but the destruction was still terrible as the city was irrevocably scarred. Again, and again the Enemy hammered at me, attacks of brunt force that when deflected crushed and broke all beneath it, and crackling ripping energies that tore both rock and limb through the city.

  The Enemy drew closer with every attack, screaming in mindless rage as it wore my defenses down. Fear bloomed in my breast as I hunched down in on myself all the mighty strength, I had managed to gain was barely enough to keep me alive under this creatures onslaught as it screamed and raged to itself in unknown languages. Though I tried to fall back to it was impossible under the constant barrage of attacks.

  Beneath me London burned and cracked apart. The mantle of the earth itself was pushed and pulled by the Enemies attacks and earthquakes shook the entire planet, not a corner left untouched by some level of destruction.

  With a scream of my own, I looked straight into the Enemies eyes as he tore at my golden shield and spit his fury with every breath. Trying something desperate I reached down into my own shadow and pulled myself into its cool embrace, feeling the evil oily presence of the Enemy slide over me as I slipped beneath and then behind him.

  Stepping out of his shadow behind him I struck at the side of the creatures face with one hard fist, in and behind his one shield. His flesh felt like frozen fire as both our skins boiled and bubbled with a sickening smell when they came in contact. The pain was incandescent and stole my breath. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Melinda falling back beneath a massive swarm of the minions, fear painting her and my mother’s face.

  The punch connected with a booming sound heard all over Europe and the Enemy flew across the sky. Tumbling, spinning and screaming its fury dark Power crackling out of its body and tearing up the world around it.

  I looked down in fear but was flooded with relief when I saw Kate pop out of the air beside Melinda. My busty little cousin was in her element, golden great cat like claws arcing from her hands and feet and a tail tipped in a scorpions poisoned tip, she leapt and slashed her way amongst the minions. Then with another pop I saw Gabrielle show up and move to help my stepmom heal Ashlyn. All of the sudden in a flurry of golden pops the rest of my harem appeared together forming a Circle around my injured sister.

  Several of the women were singed and bloody in places, evidence of their great battle all over the world at minions strongholds. Each was gorgeous and glorious in her golden forms and the minions paused their attacks drawing back amongst themselves as an army of beautiful golden women advanced on them. Some of the women had weapons in hand, lazily spinning or hefting them, while others crackled with magics and swirling golden energies. Around them over a hundred of the fell creatures slipped from the shadows, every minion remining in the world coming to their masters call.

  The last sight I saw was my sisters eyes fluttering open as she drew in a shuddering breath, then I was spinning through the air as a massive Power wrought black fist threw me miles and miles through the air. Bones broke beneath the blow and I drew as deeply as possible on the Power, feeling the pain of my wounds throb with every heartbeat.

  He found me over an idyllic collection of rolling hills and quaint villages. Striking at me with no grace, just brute power and rage. I met the Enemy with my own rage, memories of Ashlyn bleeding, my mom crying and the horror of its very existence driving me. With each blow I took the fight higher and higher

  Each blow we struck one another was so powerful that the shockwaves flattened trees and cracked the earth beneath us. The whole of England rattled as the Enemy and I drew in more and more Power, my soul crying out in pain, my skin feeling like needles pierced me in a thousand places. I flew us up into the atmosphere crackling flame arcing out from one hand, burning as hot as the sun for miles as I drove and pushed the Enemy before me, desperate to save our planet from this titanic clash.

  The cackling laughter is what froze me in my tracks and I saw the Enemy standing beneath the full fury of my greatest attack, singed but unharmed. Finding myself panting and sweating in exhaustion I let the attack die out.

  Hovering there in the air a mile above the surface with the beautiful blue and green world spread beneath us, the golden Power cascading off my body. While the eyes of the whole world watching us though telescopic lenses and video feeds. The Enemy hovered close, torrents of black energy pouring off his body as he regarded me with a grim smile.

  “Somehow you stole the True Gift, human! You must have. The goddess is dead and can grant it no more. Once I steal your strength, I will have no use for your pathetic little world. In fact,” It said, the rage and madness in his hissing voice stilling for a moment as he raised one am negligently, “I have no further use for it now.”

  He slowly made a fist and I felt rather and heard the entire planet beneath us shuddering as his evil Power settled on her fragile outer shell. Every warning sense I had was ringing and my heart nearly burst from panic, as I drew deeper still, my skin burning and nerves dying as they strained to contain it all. Reaching out with my senses and the Power, my arms spread wide I stretched myself thin across the whole world. The body strained and struggled against my will as I sought to encompass the entire world and my mind screamed at me about the impossibility of it, and when finally, I did it, I felt like a mouse that had swallowed a porcupine. The Enemies hold on the world was broken for now and it focused its titanic will and strength immediately to ripping and wrenching at my grip and barrier as I struggled to hold the world together.

  I could not know at the time, for nearly all my concentration was on the struggle against the Enemy and defending his attacks but every square inch of the planet’s surface was covered in golden energy. It protected her people, creatures and structures and for a short time I believed I was enough, but as the seconds wore on the attacks came unceasing, each more terrible than the last. Dark matter sledgehammers swung in from space, scattering the atmosphere and trying to crush the alps and other mountain ranges beneath their random blows. Stabbing spears of force tried to pierce my protective shield, tearing deep gouges into the earth beneath, before I could drive them out. Witchcraft and curses drove men and women mad, causing mother to attack father while their children watched helpless.

  The whole world was witness to the Enemies attacks and his all-consuming hatred for life, and throughout her nations and peoples there were those who sympathized with his evil intent. Twisted people without compassion, who saw enemies in their brother and sister humans simple because they waved a different flag, who believed that others acted with evil intent. Those were the seeds of his minions I realized, and with one simple act the Enemy activated those certain genetic markers he had placed into the human race, turning the most hateful and cruel people throughout the world into new willing minions.

  The world I struggled to hold in place, erupted in chaos throughout the globe as people turned into monsters out of nightmare. City were in flames, everywhere people struggled against life or death situations they never dreamed they would be forced to face. I could feel each and every agonizing moment for them. I felt each person’s pain, stood beside villages as they drove a monster from their midst, only to have three more appear to reinforce it, all crackling with black magical powers.

  My will began to flag under the horror of it all. I had never meant for everyone to become involved, and now I was failing. My strength was not enough, and I sensed then it would never be.

  As we struggled in our mighty battle across the whole globe and unbeknownst to the Enemy, probing tendrils of Power, what little wasn’t protecting our world, tried to breach his mental defenses constantly. And occasionally succeeding. I saw pieces of the Enemies mind, revealed in moments of our greatest conflicts, that painted a grim story. A story of a peaceful and prosperous empire in distant stars, shining and golden. A dying emperor, flanked by a woman in golden robes wielding a strangely familiar white bladed sword, passing the Gift of Rule to a cruel and selfish son, who hid his true self behind a mask of sweet innocence. A new young emperor who turned the Gift into poison, drive away or attacking those closest to him and eating his own empire from the inside. The young man could have had anything he wanted, but all he craved was the one thing out of his reach, the Goddess who was mother to all and the origin of his Gift. Abstaining from all love and fellowship and reveling in torture, cruelty and hate, he raged at what had been denied him and perverting his gift, until one evening he turned the Power upon the Goddess herself, dragging her out of the heavens and slaying her with the Moon Blade, a piece of her own soul, and feeding the corpse into a black hole. Millennia traveling worlds, mind cracked by loss and madness, leaving chaos and destruction in its wake. Finally arriving on this blue green world, on the edge of all civilized space, and finding a being that had a seed of his own unique Power and the sweet joyous feeling when he first killed and consumed it. Thousands of years spent here capturing and consuming them. Just like rats they kept being reborn. Each time the Enemy grew more powerful and with each little bit of Power he could sense the goddess returning to the universe and his hunger for her returned, stronger than ever.

  All of this I saw at the same moments as I realized that I was losing, my strength failing me. I could sense the Enemies glee as with titanic pinchers of black energy he tore into the world in a half dozen places, the pain of it real and felt in my own flesh as my barriers crumbled. Heaving ragged breaths, I hung there in the air, not willing to give into that evil regard. Just as I was about to lash out with one final attack, knowing it would be futile, I felt a gentle tickle at my back. A tingling sensation as the moons heavenly rays bathed both the Enemy and me.

  The evil creature about to take my life with one clawed hand froze in place and glanced to the heavens its alien face mixed with hunger, hope and rage.

  “Mother? Goddess?!” He cried out, voice filling the world with its desperation.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder and turning saw a glowing perfect face framed like a halo by the full moon behind it. For one heart stopping second, I thought a goddess herself had appeared and perhaps one did, for Ashlyn stood there, resplendent in glowing golden robes with a gentle smile on her face, in her hand was the Moon Blade, ancient sword of the Emperors Protectress. I felt strength pour into me and behind it her titanic willpower. Power flooded into me replacing all that I had spent and then some.

  A hand on my other shoulder and I felt a gentle calming energy fill me with all the love and reassurance a boy could ask for. Turning I knew I would find mom there behind me and there she stood, clad in a golden and white gown of gossamer and silk. Suddenly popping into place arrayed in a giant interconnected circle behind me were the rest of our harem, all reaching out and touching one another, energy love and Power flowing from each woman and into me, by some magical talent they had invented themselves. With each addition we burned brighter and brighter and our bond with the Power was perfected, the Circle complete. Until finally raising one incandescent hand I looked through and saw the entire universe laid out beneath it and with us in our circle surrounded by my gorgeous women, appeared all of the former wielders of the Power, now in the goddess’ embrace.

  With the strength of all those arrayed behind me, I saw the Enemy for what he truly was. That selfish spoiled child, never worthy of the gift it had been given. It was a simple thing then to reach into his soul and remove what his father had so unwisely given him. Ripping it free like one might take a toy from a willful child. Once it was free, I drank deep of that dark Power and cleansed and changed it within, spreading it to the women, and granting peace to the men.

  “Mother why?!” The Enemy screamed out in pain at his loss, while his body aged before our eyes with grotesque speed. It fell from the sky but had already turned to dust before it stuck the ground, fading away to nothing, just as its minions did the world over.

  Epilogue

  In the wake of the Enemies destruction humanity celebrated and mourned. Then it started to ask a lot of questions. Personally, I was beyond grateful that everyone in the harem made it out of the entire ordeal alive, or with wounds that could be healed.

  With my newfound strength, after consuming the Enemy and all of his and it turned out and ancient line of alien emperors Power, I was able to fix the destruction and damage that had been done to the world. Unfortunately, I was unable to reach past deaths embrace for all of those who died. Thankfully the fatalities were small in most places, outside of London and a couple other places the Enemy made direct and concerted attacks. Because of the deaths and how widespread they were, there was no chance of wiping anyone minds and forgetting the whole silly episode.

  Humanity now knew about me and the women, and the Power we wielded. It was grateful and welcoming in those first few weeks and months. Once I raised our Palace and its grounds from their underground location and to the peak of the mountain they had hidden beneath, humanity and the government of the US began to get nosy, and a little frightened, remembering that any one of us could defeat the entire American military without breathing heavy.

 

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