The blade did not penetrate. I stared in disbelief as he stumbled back, an irritated look on his face. I noticed that he was standing on the edge of the platform, and irritation turned to shock as he suddenly teetered on the edge of the pit. Once again gathering my strength, I leaped up in a flying-side-kick, and my foot connected with his chest, plunging him into the darkness below, his enraged scream following him into the distance like the tail of a comet. I listened for a long time, but I never heard him hit bottom.
I cautiously approached the teardrop-shaped crystal he had dropped, as it pulsed with a subdued red glow. Without warning, an iridescent wedge of light erupted from it, sending me dancing back into a defensive stance again. The light began to coalesce, and another figure took shape.
The shape was that of a beautiful woman with blond hair that reached down to her waist. She wore a full, very fancy white gown that gleamed white. Her eyes, however, were full of fear.
“Hurry, human,” she exclaimed. “The orb is through the portal!”
“Whoa, wait a minute here,” I replied, lowering my guard. “Who are you? What orb? What are you talking about?”
“It’s through the portal – the one that Arnon told you of! Hurry!”
“Arnon? Who’s Arnon?”
She stopped, a look of consternation crossing her face. “You are not the agent sent by Arnon?”
“I don’t even know who he is,” I insisted. “I just came in here to get out of the rain, and I got attacked.”
“Then . . .” she looked down, tears standing in her eyes. “The agent must be dead,” she lamented. “But there is no time for tears now. It falls to you, human. You must stop the invasion. Go through the portal and destroy the black orb. You must succeed!”
“What invasion? Where’s this portal go? What’s on the other side?”
She hesitated. “I do not know where the portal goes. I only know that the orb is there, and that it must be destroyed, or there will be legions of Antimisian assassins swarming into this plane.”
“What-ian assassins?” I demanded.
“The creature you just defeated,” she explained impatiently. “There will be legions of them. You must stop them! Here,” she leaned forward and touched the tip of the junky old sword that I wielded. A warm, golden light enveloped it, and it became noticeably lighter. “Now, win the day for all that is good, human,” she commanded, her eyes once again filled with fear. She became transparent, and slowly faded from sight. “You must succeed . . .”
I stared at the spot where she had stood. The crystal was now dead and lifeless. Slowly looking up at the portal, it dawned on me. This was my chance – a chance to make a difference. Doubts and what-ifs crowded through my mind, but the memory of her fear-filled eyes brushed them all aside. I gazed at the nimbus-sheathed sword that I now wielded, then back at the portal. It beckoned. Visions of thousands of sword-wielding assassins ran through my mind. Was I dreaming all of this? Was I crazy? What of my job? What of my car? What of my life?
What of the world?
A loud peal of thunder shook the chamber, and I hesitated. Was this worth my life? As I gazed at the portal, it began to pulsate. Her last words echoed through the crackling air, haunting me. “You must succeed!” Was it worth it? I knew the answer.
Closing my eyes, I bounded into the portal.
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