Burning Star
Chapter 15 – A Death Worth Dreading

“What?” Eric asked, his brain trying to keep up with this new information. “What did you just say?”

He couldn’t believe his own ears. Errai actually planned to use him to trick Amelia into killing herself. He shook his head. She wouldn’t do that—she couldn’t. It was awful enough to have been captured, leaving her to fend for herself, in the first place. But to discover he was going to be the cause of her death, as well. It was too much for him to handle. He would go insane from the sheer thought of it.

“You heard me,” Errai said, walking over to him. “And I do believe you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Errai’s lips curved in a terrifying grin, his eyes narrowing with glee over others misfortune. The sight alone made Eric want to vomit. “You’re a monster,” he muttered.

“Why, thank you.” Errai beamed. “I do try.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Joshua said.

“Who’s going to stop me?” Errai turned away from Eric, his eyes shooting daggers towards Joshua. “You? In case you hadn’t noticed, I have the upper hand here.”

“That doesn’t ensure you succeed, though,” Joshua said. “If I remember correctly, you’ve always been a step ahead of us. Yet, we’ve caused all of your effort to be in vain. This time is no different.”

Eric couldn’t see what Errai did next. He walked out of view, and Eric was left staring at the kneeling Tom. The man was still praising the earth, waiting for some command—like a submissive slave trying to please its master.

Maybe that wasn’t an entirely wrong description of the failure of a man in front of him. Eric couldn’t deny the fact that the thought of him alone, only increased his nausea. Something caught his attention from his peripheral vision, and Eric moved his head to see what was happening.

A giant black lion was pacing back and forth in the distance. Dread filled Eric; he hadn’t counted on that thing being alive. He recalled the injuries on the Star Lion, and they’d only been fighting for a short amount of time.

“Ah,” Errai’s voice pierced through his thoughts. “I see you’ve met my pet. Don’t worry. I assure you—she will bite.”

“Why do villains always have such a bad humor?” Joshua asked. “Seriously, all of those clever insults you throw of—they’re not clever at all.”

Eric couldn’t respond. Joshua did a fantastic job at keeping Errai busy, but Eric was unable to open his mouth. His eyes interlocked with the lion’s eyes. That thing was stronger than a Star Lion. He shivered.

“She’ll kill you, Eric. You know that, right?” Errai said. “I can sense your fear, and it makes me happy.”

“Yeah?” Joshua said. “I doubt you even know that feeling.”

‘Are you okay?’ Joshua’s voice sounded inside Eric’s head. ’Don’t let him scare you. We’ll figure it out.’

Errai gasped. “Where are my manners?” He clapped his hands. “I haven’t even told you what my master plan entails.”

“Yeah. You’re a terrible host,” Joshua said. “I’d like to give a formal complaint.”

Eric wasn’t paying much attention to their banter. He tuned them out for the moment and concentrated on the sky. There were no Stars in sight, but according to Joshua’s thoughts, it was only an illusion. The Stars were still listening. He closed his eyes and prayed.

Solem, I don’t ask for much. I’ve happily served you for all of these years, and if given the chance, I’d continue to serve you for much longer. All I ask is that you keep Amelia safe. She can’t come here, as I will not be able to bear the knowledge that I had any part in her demise. I can’t even think of her demise without dread filling me to the very core. He could feel the tears pressing against his eyelids. Solem, I pray of thee. Have mercy on Amelia’s soul.

“… And it’ll all be thanks to Eric Malcolm,” Errai said and clapped his hands with glee. “Doesn’t that sound great?”

Eric hadn’t been listening, and part of him was thankful for that. He was ready to take on whatever, as long as Amelia stayed away. That was the most crucial thing of all.

“Tom,” Errai said, “Give me your shirt.”

Eric strained her neck, trying to see what was going on. Having to be deprived of visual input was annoying, and Joshua’s struggles didn’t help either. Eric was thrown around as Joshua struggled against something.

‘What’s happening?’ he thought to Joshua.

’Whatever you do, don’t let them win,’ came the reply. ‘Remember, the Stars thrive of love, and if you focus on that, nothing will stand in your way.’

‘But I didn’t even hear the plan!’ Eric could feel the fear intensify. When Joshua didn’t answer, and instead slumped down, tugging on their bonds, Eric panicked.

“It won’t work!” he yelled. “I have another idea.”

Everyone got silent, and Eric saw as Errai walked calmly into his line of sight. “I highly doubt that, Mr. Malcolm,” he said.

Eric prepared to give the sales speech of his life, when a small man started screaming at Errai. “Master! Master!”

“What?” Errai growled and turned to face his minion. It was clear that Errai found them all beneath him, the distaste in his eyes told him that much. A loud roar resounded, and Eric saw the Black Lion run towards Errai, as well.

Eric couldn’t hear what was said to Errai, but he noticed the way his face paled. It occurred to him to be odd as the creature of the dark was relatively colorless to begin with.

Joshua’s mind was sealed off, and Eric knew he must have been knocked out. He tried to reach out in his mind, aiming to help, but to no avail—he couldn’t get through.

“Silly, silly, humans and their Stars,” Errai said. Eric looked over to replace the monster surveying him. The stare made Eric’s skin crawl, and he watched as Errai came over. “I don’t know how you did it, but I’m going to put a stop to her, once and for all.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Eric said when he finally located his voice.

“Of course, you don’t.” Errai’s stale breath hit his nostrils, the stench unbearable. “And I’m not going to tell you either.”

“Why not?” Eric blurted. “You seem to be convinced that you have nothing to lose in this.”

He flinched when Errai backhanded him across the face. He didn’t have time to think it over as pain exploded in his face.

“Did you know of the prophecy?” Errai asked. “The two-piece poem that told about Vega’s role on earth?”

Eric’s ears rang. “W-what?”

Why was his cheek burning? His skin ached as if it were burning away. He hissed through clenched teeth, trying to keep up with Errai’s words. He was talking about something with the prophecy and Vega.

Vega… She would have known how to kill this bastard. She managed to kill Errai’s brother, even before she reached her full potential.

“I should have guessed she’d found a way to mess with me again,” Errai muttered. He looked at Eric and tilted his head. “But we have a plan, right? You and I… We’ll make sure she’ll never bother us again.” He grabbed Eric’s chin, pressing two fingers at his cheeks. “Right?”

Eric’s mind was becoming hazy. He didn’t know what to say. His brain couldn’t keep up with the words. “What’s your plan?” he managed to ask.

Errai laughed. “It’s a marvelous plan, actually. I came up with it right this instant.” He nodded to something Eric couldn’t see. “My original plan was to leave you and Blondie over there. He was supposed to be unconscious, and you tied up.”

Blinking his eyes, Eric tried to focus on Errai, but it was hard. He had to close his eyes, hoping to get rid of the blurred lines.

“Amelia would have seen you, and tried to save you.” Errai’s voice sounded far away. “She’d be cornered, and I’d tell her that I just wanted to go home—that I wanted to escape from earth. I’d threaten her with your life in exchange for a portal. Of course, your friend had to be unconscious, or he’d tell the truth to her. That won’t do.”

Eric opened his eyes again, surprised to see Errai’s face change. Instead of the silver highlights in his hair, the hair had changed to a chestnut brown color. The color seemed familiar, but Eric couldn’t pinpoint where he’d seen it before.

“But I just got some unsettling news,” Errai said. “Apparently, Amelia won’t be coming alone.”

The news brought a bit of focus back to Eric, and he opened his mouth to speak, realizing that his entire face hurt. He tried to form a sentence, but no sound came out.

“This is why,” Errai said with a smile. “I need your help more than I’d counted on.”

Eric was losing his mind. There was no doubt about that. In the place, where Errai’s face had just been, he now saw himself. He didn’t understand what was happening, and his body still hurt.

“I believe it’s time for you to go to sleep,” his own face said, and then everything went black.

Amelia found it peculiar how Thomas’ friends bowed to them upon arrival. She wasn’t going to complain, but standing here—in the midst of a forest—it was strange to replace three grown-up men showing them such deep signs of respect.

Back in the temple, Garnet had stressed the importance of having her appear humble. Even though she’d been granted noteworthy titles to her name, which made stand above the rest of the astronian people, then she was adamant to act respectful towards the heroes who lived in her land.

So she found it odd, almost embarrassing to stand among them.

“My Star,” Thomas said and kneeled in front of Vega. “May I have permission to speak freely?”

Vega, who was still acting partly silly because of the Rapple, giggled before she nodded at him.

“We have found the group who attacked us and located them a few miles away from us,” he said. Glancing at Amelia, he continued, “We have a plan, but we’ll need your help.”

“I’m listening,” Vega said.

“In order for us to corner them, me and the boys will take care of the handy work.” Thomas ran a hand over his face. “We’d have to ask you to take care of any… inhuman… enemies we may come across.”

Amelia frowned. “Do you mean the Black Holes?” she asked.

The men all flinched at the word, a reaction that Amelia never noticed before. She found it hard to believe that something as simple as a word could cause such a powerful reaction.

Vega seemed to sober up at her question, as well. She nodded promptly, and gestured for them to go on. “What’s the plan then?”

Amelia tuned them out. It was pretty clear that she couldn’t help any of them. She didn’t have the powers to secure the mission. Actually, all she had was the hopes that she could manifest a weapon for one of the men to use… She grinned as the thought gave her an idea.

She’d seen firsthand how much damage could be done with the Guardians’ weapons. If she could manifest Eric’s sword, simply by memory, then she might be able to join in on the action. Amelia glanced towards Vega, who was bent over a map on the ground. Thomas Scar Son dragged his finger across the paper and mumbled some words.

She had to try. Amelia didn’t have any other choice. She tried to think of the sword. She’d seen it hang by Eric’s side so many times, the intricate design on the handle, which seemed to follow his movements. The first time she’d noticed it, she had found it to be beautiful and magical. When Eric had explained that it was Star blessed, the design had made sense to her.

Closing her eyes, she saw the sword in front of her. The finger moved on its own accord, outlining the whole thing. She sensed the handle, and then she drew the swirls in all their might. When she finally opened her eyes again, she saw Eric’s sword float in front of her. Taking it into her hand, she admired the work.

“Did you do that?” Vega’s voice came from her right.

Amelia looked up with a smile and nodded. “I thought it might make me able to help.”

Vega didn’t comment on that. Instead, she nodded and gestured for Amelia to come with her. “We’re leaving now. We have some boys to save.”

Amelia jumped into action, and she followed Vega closely. “Is it far?”

“Surprisingly, no.” Vega frowned. “I believe we have to be on guard, they might have laid out a trap for us. But even then, they couldn’t know that I’m with you. Therefore, we have the upper hand here. “

Amelia didn’t like their odds, but she believed in Vega. As long as they stayed together, nothing could go wrong. They walked through the shrubbery, and at one point, Vega held her back.

“The rogues are going to check the perimeter. You and I have to stay here until they give the signal,” she said.

Amelia glanced around. They were in the outskirts of a small field. Glistening Forest was filled with these kinds of fields, and she’d read that many animals—Star Lions included—often took up residence in them. A sound came from behind her, and she turned around.

“Whoa,” she muttered. In front of her were several Star lion’s hiding between the trees, their white fur glowing in the dashes of sunlight streaming through the treetops.

Vega giggled. “Yeah, I sensed them a while back. They tend to come to a Stars aid, so I figured they’d keep near.”

“They’re so beautiful,” Amelia muttered. She couldn’t take her eyes off them.

Vega nudged her in the side with her elbow. “It’s now. Get ready.”

Amelia tore herself free of the beauty of the lions, and then she gripped the handle on Eric’s sword tightly. She’d never fought with any weapon before, but the sword was so light, it almost felt like an extension of her arm.

She spotted Thomas, seconds before he charged forth, a loud war cry erupting from his lips. The sound resembled a thunder, and shortly after, Amelia could see men fighting around her. Vega grabbed her hand and pulled her along; they ran to the middle of the ground where Amelia could see three forms waiting.

Alarm bells started to ring inside her mind, and she narrowed her eyes to see whom they were about to face in battle. A man was standing in front of two people tied together on the ground. Amelia gasped when she recognized Eric chestnut hair, and saw him sitting with his head slumped between his knees.

Anger rose within her. “What have you done to him?” she yelled, demanding to know the truth. The man didn’t react, he simply stood still, towering above the two forms on the ground.

As they ran closer, Amelia recognized Joshua’s blonde hair.

Her heart skipped a beat when Eric moved, raising his head. His eyes settled on her, and he smiled. “Amelia,” he yelled. “Quick, help me get free from these bonds.”

“She’ll be right there,” Vega yelled.

“What’s wrong with the man?” Amelia shouted at the same time.

Eric gave Vega a brief glance before answering Amelia. “He’s in a form of meditation, quick. Just get me free, and I’ll help you. My sword is nearby—I can kill him.”

Vega screamed, a high-pitched sound, and charged towards the man. Amelia slowed down—something wasn’t right. Her hand gripped around the sword in her hand, and she frowned as she took in the scene in front of her. Eric had forgotten his sword with her, and that’s why she had tried to manifest it. If it had been with him, she wouldn’t have dared.

Eric hadn’t even acknowledged Vega’s presence. That wasn’t normal. He’d told her that not a day went by where he didn’t think of her. That there were so many things; he’d wished he could say them all to her.

As the information pieced together in her mind, she watched as Vega tackled the man. A glowing light started to stream from her hands, and she threw balls of light at him. Amelia couldn’t understand why the man didn’t defend himself in any way. Even in severe meditation, being burned alive had to hurt.

She bit her lip, and then she looked towards Eric. The realization hit her as soon as she saw him move. He stood up and smirked at her. Opening her mouth, she held out a hand to stop him, but she knew she couldn’t fight him—that wasn’t Eric.

Her eyes went to the form beneath Vega, and Amelia screamed. “Vega… Stop—that’s Eric!” She ran towards her, watching in horror as Vega raised her hand, a large ball of light in her palm.

The next couple of minutes seemed to play in slow motion. Amelia saw Vega raise her head, and their eyes met. The false Eric started to run away while Vega cursed before jumping to her feet.

She saw the false Eric grow in height, and his form change, while the person on the ground shrunk. Running over, she dropped to her knees by his side. The sight was gruesome.

Where his eyelids and lips once had been, an open wound seemed to stare back at her. Blood was flowing, soaking the clothes he was wearing. Amelia could feel tears rising in her eyes as she wanted to hold him, but she didn’t know where to touch. The smell of burnt hair was toxic, and her head started to feel dizzy.

“Please don’t die,” she whispered. “You can’t die. Please, Eric, don’t die.”

She couldn’t hold back the sobs, and at last allowed the tears to fall freely. Eric didn’t move, and she had no way of checking whether he was breathing, as his nose was marred beyond recognition.

Amelia didn’t know for how long she sat there, and she didn’t notice when Vega returned. Hands wrapped around her shoulders, holding her tight while her body exploded in sobs. She was nauseous, and when her throat started to clamp, she heaved for air.

It didn’t take long for all of the contents of her stomach to end up beside her on the grass. She sniffled, seeing Joshua and Vega sit by her side. She had no memory of Joshua waking up, and the only signifier of the time was the dark sky above her.

The Stars glowed as little shivers of hope, but for the first time in her life, they failed to bring any consolation. She stared at them, her eyesight blurry from tears. They were silent beacons of gas.

“Don’t turn your back on them,” Vega whispered. “It’s not their fault.”

Amelia turned towards her, too tired to act on her feelings. Their eyes met, and in Vega’s eyes, Amelia saw sorrow, guilt and self-hatred. She’d done this to him, but Amelia couldn’t replace the will to hate her. It could just as easily been she who’d attacked the wrong person.

Someone cleared their throat, and Amelia turned her head to replace Thomas with his head bowed. “My condolences, Star Daughter,” he said. “We’ve captured the other men, and secured them. They will be escorted to Yildun for a proper trial.”

Joshua nodded, and Amelia saw him wave a hand in a specific motion. Thomas bowed before turning on his heels.

“Wait!” Amelia said and rose from her spot on the ground.

Thomas stopped, turning back towards her and bowing his head. “Star Daughter?”

There was no time to think about it, so Amelia acted on instinct. She grabbed the necklace and unhooked the chain. Extending her hand, she held the pendant towards Thomas. “I can’t accept this,” she said.

“Is that the lost pendant of the Stars?” Vega asked.

Amelia didn’t get to answer before the redheaded girl was right beside her. She took the pendant in her hand, surveying it carefully. When she looked up again, a smile had formed on her face. “Joshua,” she said. “Do you wear your pendant as instructed?”

“Of course,” Joshua replied, reaching inside his shirt and pulled out a red diamond formed pendant.

“Do you know if Eric wears his?” Vega asked.

Amelia reached out a hand for Joshua to stop; she couldn’t bear the thought of someone soiling the remains of Eric. Vega placed a hand on Amelia’s shoulder, offering some comfort.

Joshua pulled the little blue circle and held it in his other hand. Dangling from a chain on each of his hands were the two pendants, side by side. Whenever they swung towards each other, their glow intensified, and Amelia found herself enthralled by the beauty of it.

Vega held up the green triangle. “I think I have an idea,” she said.

Amelia held her breath, hoping for a miracle. “What is it?” she asked.

“These pendants make up the most powerful magic left on earth,” Vega explained. “They contain more magic than I do.”

The concept was hard to wrap her head around, and Amelia decided it wasn’t worth the effort—she was just going to take Vega’s word for it. At any rate, it couldn’t hurt to hear her out, at least.

Vega walked over and kneeled by Eric’s side. “I need your assistance…” She pointed to the opposite side of him. “Amelia, can you please kneel there? And Joshua, I need you to sit right above his head.”

Amelia agreed, hurrying over to take her place. It wasn’t much, but a slight hope was forming in the distance. She dried the tears away from her face, and looked towards Vega, waiting for instructions.

“Here, you take this,” Vega said, handing her the blue pendant.

Amelia took it in her hands, cherishing the fact that Eric had worn this so close to his heart.

“The idea is simple—“Vega gave Joshua his red pendant—“we connect the pendants, and let the magic work.”

“Is that all?” Amelia asked. “No words or anything?”

Vega shrugged. “I guess that praying to Solem wouldn’t hurt.” She bit her lip. “The thing is. There’s no guarantee for this to work, so we’ll just have to pray, and wait.”

Amelia glanced at Eric. Even with his face melted, she recognized some of the features. It tore at her heart to do something as simple as considering the possibility that she’d have to acknowledge the fact that she might never see his face again. She’d never see his smile, or hear him tell a story. If this didn’t work, Eric would be no more.

Moreover, she never got the chance to tell him how she felt.

Vega held the green triangle between two fingers, and then she moved her hand to be right above Eric’s heart. “I can’t do this alone,” she whispered.

Joshua was the next to join her. His red pendant started to glow brighter when he placed it next to the green triangle. “Maybe we should lay them on his chest?” he asked. “You know … for the magic to be closer.”

Vega nodded. “It can’t hurt.” Together, they gently placed their pendants on top of Eric’s chest.

Amelia caressed the blue pendant, holding it near her chest. “I think I love him,” she muttered. “I never got to tell him that.” She looked up to meet the concerned looks of her friends. “What if it doesn’t work? What do I do then?”

None of them rewarded her an answer, and she knew why. There was no answer to be given. Either this worked, or Eric was no more. She had to try. Yet, Amelia found it hard to let go of that small ounce of hope. It was the only thing she had left. If she tried, and it didn’t work, then all hope would be lost.

Joshua reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder. “You’re not alone in this, Amelia,” he said. “I’m right beside you, and I’m not leaving until he’s back.”

There was no other way around it. Amelia inhaled deeply, and then she reached out to lay the third pendant on top of the others. She folded her hands, staring at the glow erupting from Eric’s chest. There was no guarantee that it’d work, but she hoped.

Solem, please help him, she prayed. A new wave of tears pressed on, and she couldn’t stop them from falling. For every second that passed, she could feel her hope fading away. She reached for Joshua’s hand, clenching it hard.

Never before had she felt so hopeless, and she’d continue to feel hopeless. Seconds became minutes, and while the glow continued, nothing changed with Eric. It was over. Eric was dead.