Universal Warrior: Before Red Morning Read online

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  Jayden was too late; a second thwack burst from Ethan’s left arm, and Jayden barely grabbed the arm before the horn went into his right arm, just above the elbow.

  The effect was instantaneous; Jayden didn’t feel any pain, but the lower half of his right arm immediately turned to glass.

  Ethan frowned, looking at the horn which still impaled his old friend. “How the…” He raised his eyes to meet Jayden’s. “How’re you still alive?”

  “Because, as usual,” Jayden fought off shock to pull Ethan’s horn from his arm, “you don’t think things through!”

  He delivered a resounding blow with his left hand flush across Ethan’s jaw, and the boy spun once before plummeting helplessly into the Atherean. He did not resurface.

  The world went hazy and dark. Just before he lost consciousness, something strong took hold of him by wrapping around his midsection, and Jayden was ascending. “I’ve got you…” Bethany strained, carrying them both. “Hold onto me, Jayden. I’ve got you.”

  Jayden thought about telling Bethany that he was alright, even though he was missing an arm, but truthfully, he was enjoying the ride. And he’d already carried her at the beginning of this evening.

  Exhausted, but victorious, Jayden allowed sleep to take him.

  The next thing Jayden knew, the world was exploding.

  He sat up suddenly, gasping and retching for air. With his left hand, he braced himself on the deck and drew in long, deep breaths, coughing every so often. “Amen be praised, you were right.” Bethany giggled, above him and to the left. “That was so amazing.”

  “I said low-level, Bethany.” An unfamiliar, gravelly male voice replied from his right. “I’d rather keep my temple intact for a little while longer, if that’s okay with you.”

  Bethany was beaming and giggling in a way that Jayden hadn’t seen before. She was also dressed in a one-piece outfit that hugged her body. The center of the outfit was a deep blue; the arms and legs were black.

  Bethany nodded quickly, bending her knees as she tried to contain her excitement. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

  She knelt to her bewildered brother and extended her hand. “I’m sorry, Jayden.” She couldn’t stop smiling. “I couldn’t resist. He said I could do it.”

  “Who said you could do what?” Jayden managed as Bethany pulled him from the water, “What’re you wearing?”

  She looked at him as though he should know the answer. “Jayden…would you turn around and look?”

  Jayden nearly slipped on the wet stone deck as he struggled to keep his balance. When he turned around, and saw their benefactor, his mouth fell open and he immediately dropped to a knee, lowering his head respectfully.

  The one before them was nearly six feet tall. Perfectly proportioned without an ounce of body fat, he sported piercing blue eyes and day old stubble. He was dressed simply in an open white shirt and black pants. “My lord Zeus, I’m so sorry. My sister has taken a few blows to the head--”

  “Hey!” Bethany protested, pulling Jayden to his feet. “I saved your life! Be nice!”

  “Yeah, and then you put thunder in the…” He scowled, looking down at the circular tub that had been built into the floor. “…what is that?”

  His eyes grew wide as a torrent of memory flooded back. “The Pegasus!”

  Zeus raised a hand, and Jayden became silent. “All five Pegasus are accounted for, Jayden.” He bowed, surprising the boy. “Thank you for your efforts. Your brothers made it here safely. They spent the night and I sent them home.

  You were sitting in liquid Aethir; it’s not like water, you can’t breathe in it. But a few hours will heal almost any injury.”

  Jayden looked to what remained of his right arm. There was a circular, gray, metallic device affixed where Ethan had stabbed him. Half of an orb glowed brightly at the center. “What is this?” Jayden asked.

  “The solution to your problems.” Zeus replied, smirking. “Tell me about your friend, Ethan. Bethany didn’t want to talk about it. I got the idea that I shouldn’t push.”

  “We used to be friends…” Jayden began, very aware of the Bethany’s withering glare, “We all came from the same neighborhood, down in lower Jordan. Our dads grew up together; they take the Great Chronicle…a little too seriously.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Zeus nodded. “Is it true that you’re beaten?”

  Jayden looked at Bethany, who nodded. He knows about that. “Yes.” Jayden confessed, turning back, “Doesn’t matter what we do. We disagree, we’re being dishonorable. We agree, we’re mocking him. Truth is, I think he doesn’t like us very much.

  Ethan went through the same thing, but where his mind went…at first, I thought he was just kidding, you know? Some kids talk big about what they want to do to their parents, but he wasn’t kidding. I knew that, even then. I just didn’t wanna be the one who got him in trouble.

  One night, he waited for his parents to go to sleep and then stabbed them to death with a pitchfork. When I threatened say something, they tried to….” He trailed off, looking at his sister.

  “They’re bad.” Bethany interjected. “They were born bad and they just needed an excuse to let it out.”

  “Hm.” Zeus nodded, lowering his head. “They’re called Blackwings now. Some of Yin’s favorites, from what I’ve heard. Their wings leech energy from any Angel nearby, and they’ve had Pegasus horns implanted into both of their arms. They’re a force to be reckoned with. Neither me nor my brother’s people can last long against all of them.

  But you; you fought them off.”

  He paused, allowing the wind to pass. “There are bloody times ahead for your people.” Zeus whispered, “But you’ve seen enough of that to know how to weather it. You’re not afraid of it.”

  He looked at Jayden and asked, “How would you like to do something about it?”

  Jayden looked at Bethany, who had clearly already accepted the offer. “I’ll teach you.” Zeus persisted, “I’ll teach you to fend off your father without violating any laws. I’ll teach you to engage the Blackwings and any enemy in a manner that all but guarantees your victory. In the end, you will be the first line of defense against the coming invasion.”

  “What invasion?” Jayden asked.

  Zeus smirked. “There are many more like the Blackwings, Jayden. Did you think the exiles would simply disappear?”

  Jayden considered the offer; they’d be in terrible danger if they did this, they’d probably violate every commandment a million times over, but if they were successful…

  “If we get caught, we’re exiled. You understand that, right?” Jayden asked his sister. She spread her arms, smiling. “Hence the disguise, Jayden.” She replied, beaming. “I can summon a mask if I need too. No one will ever know it’s us.”

  “Not even your brothers, or your parents.” Zeus added.

  “Mom and dad won’t be a problem.” Jayden agreed, “But Darryl and Jayce…”

  “It’d be for their own good. Do you want them to testify against us at our tribunal?”

  Jayden smirked, shaking his head. “No, I guess not.”

  He looked back at Zeus and nodded. “Alright, sir. I’m in. Now may I please have my new arm?”

  Zeus smiled at the boy’s gumption. “Absolutely.”

  The lord of Mount Olympus snapped his fingers. A single bolt of lightning struck his hand, and when it passed, he brandished a metallic gray arm with a glowing half-orb set in its top, just above the elbow.

  “Brace yourself.” Zeus warned. With that, he united Jayden’s arm.

  Jayden gasped; it felt like leaping into an ice spring as a current of electricity emanated from the completed circuit. It passed through his arm, up through his shoulder, down through his chest and torso, exiting through the tips of his toes.

  Refreshed, exhilarated, everything felt new. Jayden laughed and held up both hands, studying them. The new arm felt as though he’d been born with it.

  “How’s it feel?” Bethany asked.


  Jayden now understood why Bethany had been unable to stop smiling. He looked at Zeus, who nodded, smiling. “Go ahead; try it out.”

  Jayden observed the pulsating light that bounced throughout his arm, reflecting through each one of his fingertips as if begging for release.

  Jayden fired out the new arm toward the horizon; a bolt of fork lightning flew silently from his palm and made it nearly a hundred feet before dissipating. He then looked to the sky and raised his hand, palm up. Sheet lightning lit up the morning, flashing twice before dissipating. Again, there was no noise.

  Jayden frowned. “Why is it quiet?”

  Zeus nodded at Bethany. “Show him.”

  Bethany nodded eagerly. Arms outspread, fists clenched, she raised her head to the sky and shrieked. Only, it was not her voice that came out. Instead, the skies opened and shook so forcefully that Jayden winced. “That’s not all.” Bethany said breathlessly as the skies calmed. “Watch.”

  She turned away from Zeus and Jayden, feet leaving the ground as she threw her arms behind her and then thrust them forward, clapping mightily. A sonic boom erupted from the motion, and a barely-visible spiraling column of deafening sound left her and destroyed part of the fancy guardrail at the top of the terrace. “Oops.” She said meekly, immediately planting her head between her shoulders and putting a finger at the edge of her mouth, smiling embarrassingly. “I—I know how to rebuild that.”

  “Good. Because you will.” Zeus nodded sternly. “But not now. Right now, the two of you need to learn to work as a unit. And we