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Authors: Morgan Rice
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clear, revealing three ships, turning around, all with
their backs to the island, and all sailing the other way.
CHAPTER NINE
Thor lay atop Mycoples, both bobbing in
the waves, slowly sinking into the ocean, completely surrounded by the Empire’s
fleet. Thor lay there, his body pierced by dozens of arrows, dripping blood, in
excruciating pain. He felt the life force seeping out of him, and as he held
onto Mycoples, he felt her life force leaving her, too. There was blood in the
water everywhere, and small, glowing fish came to the surface and lapped it up.
Slowly, they sank, the water submerging
Thor up to his ankles, then his knees, then his stomach, as Mycoples sank and
went under. Neither had the strength to resist.
Finally, Thor let himself go and he went
under, his head dunking beneath the surface, too weak to stop it. As he did, he
heard the distant sound of arrows piercing the water, striking him even beneath
the surface. Thor felt as if he were being struck by thousands of them, as if
everyone he’d ever fought in battle was taking their vengeance. He wondered, as
he sank further, why he had to suffer this much before he died.
As Thor sank deeper and deeper toward
the bottom of the ocean, he felt his life could not end this way. It was too
soon. He had too much left to live. He wanted more time with Gwendolyn; he
wanted to marry her. He wanted time with Guwayne; he wanted to watch him grow
up. Wanted to teach him what it meant to be a great warrior.
Thor had barely begun to live, had just
stepped into his true stride as a warrior and as a Druid, and now his life was
ending. He had finally met his mother, who had granted him powers greater than
he’d ever known, and who had foreseen more quests for him—even greater quests.
She had also seen him become a King. Yet she had also seen how his destiny
could be changed at any moment. Had she been seeing truly? Or was his life
really meant to end now?
Thor willed that he not die, with every
ounce of his being. As he did, he recalled his mother’s words: You are
destined to die twelve times. Each moment, fate will intervene, or it will not.
It will depend on you, and whether you’ve passed the test. These moments of
death might also become moments of life. You will be supremely tested and
tormented. More than any warrior has ever been tested before. If you have the
internal strength to withstand it. Ask yourself, how much suffering can you
tolerate? The more you can handle, the greater you will become.
As Thor felt himself sinking, he
wondered: was this one of those tests? Was this one of his twelve deaths? He
felt that it was, that it was a supreme test of physical strength and courage
and stamina. As he sank, his body pierced by arrows, he did not know if he was
strong enough to pass it.
Thor, his lungs bursting, was determined
to summon a reserve strength. He was determined to become bigger than he was,
to tap into some internal power.
You are bigger than your body. Your
spirit is greater than your strength. Strength is finite; spirit knows no
bounds.
Thor suddenly opened his eyes
underwater, feeling a burning heat within him, feeling himself reborn. He
kicked, overcoming the pain of the arrows piercing his body, and forced himself
to swim to the surface. Covered with arrows, he swam and swam, heading for
daylight, his lungs bursting, and finally he surfaced, like a giant porcupine,
from the waters, gasping for air.
Thor used his power and momentum, and
with a great shriek he lifted up into the air and landed on the deck of the
nearest boat, on his feet.
Thor summoned some ancient part of
himself, and he turned off the pain. He reached over, grabbed the arrows
piercing his arms, shoulders, chest, thighs, and two, three, four at a time, he
yanked them out. He shrieked a great battle cry, and he felt bigger than the
pain as he removed every arrow.
Standing before Thor were two shocked
Empire soldiers, who stared back at him, eyes wide in fear. Thor
their backs to the island, and all sailing the other way.
CHAPTER NINE
Thor lay atop Mycoples, both bobbing in
the waves, slowly sinking into the ocean, completely surrounded by the Empire’s
fleet. Thor lay there, his body pierced by dozens of arrows, dripping blood, in
excruciating pain. He felt the life force seeping out of him, and as he held
onto Mycoples, he felt her life force leaving her, too. There was blood in the
water everywhere, and small, glowing fish came to the surface and lapped it up.
Slowly, they sank, the water submerging
Thor up to his ankles, then his knees, then his stomach, as Mycoples sank and
went under. Neither had the strength to resist.
Finally, Thor let himself go and he went
under, his head dunking beneath the surface, too weak to stop it. As he did, he
heard the distant sound of arrows piercing the water, striking him even beneath
the surface. Thor felt as if he were being struck by thousands of them, as if
everyone he’d ever fought in battle was taking their vengeance. He wondered, as
he sank further, why he had to suffer this much before he died.
As Thor sank deeper and deeper toward
the bottom of the ocean, he felt his life could not end this way. It was too
soon. He had too much left to live. He wanted more time with Gwendolyn; he
wanted to marry her. He wanted time with Guwayne; he wanted to watch him grow
up. Wanted to teach him what it meant to be a great warrior.
Thor had barely begun to live, had just
stepped into his true stride as a warrior and as a Druid, and now his life was
ending. He had finally met his mother, who had granted him powers greater than
he’d ever known, and who had foreseen more quests for him—even greater quests.
She had also seen him become a King. Yet she had also seen how his destiny
could be changed at any moment. Had she been seeing truly? Or was his life
really meant to end now?
Thor willed that he not die, with every
ounce of his being. As he did, he recalled his mother’s words: You are
destined to die twelve times. Each moment, fate will intervene, or it will not.
It will depend on you, and whether you’ve passed the test. These moments of
death might also become moments of life. You will be supremely tested and
tormented. More than any warrior has ever been tested before. If you have the
internal strength to withstand it. Ask yourself, how much suffering can you
tolerate? The more you can handle, the greater you will become.
As Thor felt himself sinking, he
wondered: was this one of those tests? Was this one of his twelve deaths? He
felt that it was, that it was a supreme test of physical strength and courage
and stamina. As he sank, his body pierced by arrows, he did not know if he was
strong enough to pass it.
Thor, his lungs bursting, was determined
to summon a reserve strength. He was determined to become bigger than he was,
to tap into some internal power.
You are bigger than your body. Your
spirit is greater than your strength. Strength is finite; spirit knows no
bounds.
Thor suddenly opened his eyes
underwater, feeling a burning heat within him, feeling himself reborn. He
kicked, overcoming the pain of the arrows piercing his body, and forced himself
to swim to the surface. Covered with arrows, he swam and swam, heading for
daylight, his lungs bursting, and finally he surfaced, like a giant porcupine,
from the waters, gasping for air.
Thor used his power and momentum, and
with a great shriek he lifted up into the air and landed on the deck of the
nearest boat, on his feet.
Thor summoned some ancient part of
himself, and he turned off the pain. He reached over, grabbed the arrows
piercing his arms, shoulders, chest, thighs, and two, three, four at a time, he
yanked them out. He shrieked a great battle cry, and he felt bigger than the
pain as he removed every arrow.
Standing before Thor were two shocked
Empire soldiers, who stared back at him, eyes wide in fear. Thor
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