A Bridge Between Worlds Ch. 08

"No way!" Melody gasped in surprise.

For several minutes, the room was filled with thunderous applause as Selena joined Farzan from behind the curtain. Melody noticed that she was now wearing a golden necklace with a brilliant sapphire pendant.

Must be their version of a wedding ring.

Again quieting the crowd, Farzan said, "Thank you very much. You are all too kind. I wish to convey to you that, while I have taken Selena as my Queen out of love and admiration for her, my wish is also for her to truly rule at my side. I have the utmost faith and confidence in her leadership, and if the day should come that I am incapacitated, then there is no other that I would trust my people to than her. Now then, with the official business out of the way, a celebration is in order. Continue the feast!"

After another round of applause, Farzan and Selena worked their way through the crowd toward Melody's table. As they approached, Melody immediately popped up and grabbed Selena in an excited hug, nearly throwing her to the floor in giddiness.

"Ohmygod ohmygod oh, my, GOD! Congratulations!" Melody squealed.

"Thank you, my friend," Selena said, returning the excited hug.

As they sat at the table, Melody's mind was racing at a mile a minute. "Ok, wow... um, first question. When?"

"Last night," Selena said with a slight giggle. "As my wound was healing, Farzan kept talking on and on about the threats you and I faced, how I could have died, and the future of our people. He never rambles like that, but in hindsight, it was rather adorable." She glanced affectionately at him and rubbed his leg as she spoke.

"Well, I was a nervous wreck, but it was worth it in the end," he said. "I felt that I had to tell her the truth of how I feel. The last thing I wanted was for that to be a secret I took to my grave."

"I am glad he did. I was... hesitant at first, as you can well imagine, Melody."

"Because of your past?"

"Indeed," Selena said with a nod. "But after much careful consideration, I finally came to the realization that this is what Ahmad would want for me."

"Good girl," Melody replied with a wink. "So, is there a formal wedding or anything like that?"

"In our tradition, no," Farzan answered. "This public announcement and banquet is the closest thing to that. Our joining together has already taken place, just this morning."

"Forgive me for not telling you sooner, Melody, but this is a very sacred and private matter in our customs," Selena said quietly.

"Please, no worries at all! So, what happens in the 'joining together' that you mentioned?"

Selena began to explain, "When a Genie and a Jinn decide to devote their lives and existences to each other, they essentially become as close to one entity as is possible. This is accomplished by a special incantation that effectively melds our magical energies together. No matter how far apart we are, Farzan and I are now always connected."

"That's so awesome," Melody marveled. "So, where's the honeymoon gonna be?"

Farzan laughed jovially. "We will have to give that some thought, but for now, I wish to remain focused on the issue of Edward Baldwin. There will be plenty of time for a vacation afterward."

"I agree," Selena chimed in. "These are not ordinary times we live in, after all."

"That's an understatement," Melody muttered, suddenly snapping back to the reality of their situation. "What's our next move?"

"As soon as this banquet is over, the Council of Four will go to interrogate Persephone," Farzan replied. "We must discover what she knows of Edward's plans if we are to have any hope of stopping him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other kings waved Farzan over to their table near the edge of the hall. He excused himself to go and speak with them.

Melody leaned in close to Selena. "Ok, most important question of all. How is he?" she asked slyly.

"Hah! You think I am the sort of woman to kiss and tell?!"

"You know you want to."

Selena eyed her intently for several moments before finally replying, "He is a King Jinn. I think that tells you all you need to know." She tried to be coy, but the look of arousal and desire in her eyes told Melody exactly what she was prying at.

"Nice."

By this time Farzan was making his way back to them. "Forgive me, my love, but the Council has decided to go ahead and begin interrogating Persephone. I will be back later."

"Of course," Selena replied, kissing him on the cheek. "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

"I will. Melody, good morning."

Collecting his thoughts, Farzan rejoined the other kings as they began making their way to the prison tower.

*****

"MELODY! NO!!!"

Mike watched in horror, seeing his wife stabbed in the back, her killer standing over her, laughing with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Oh, don't look so sad, mate," Edward sneered. "You'll be joining her soon enough."

"You bastard..." Mike seethed, taking Melody's scimitar in his hand. "You fucking BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Mike turned to face his adversary, raising his sword overhead. Edward merely laughed, refusing to believe he was in any danger from Mike's efforts. As Mike began his attacks, Edward simply sidestepped, easily avoiding the slashes. He at first didn't even attempt to counter with his own sword, despite ample opportunity to do so.

He's toying with me, Mike realized.

Deciding to change up his strategy, Mike switched from heavy swings to lighter, pinpoint slashes. This, when combined with more agile footwork, forced Edward to engage more directly, blocking Mike's attacks with his katana as he evaded. Though Mike was untrained, he was quickly gaining skill with his weapon, and could tell which kinds of attacks would work best with it. After a few more quick strikes, Mike quickly spun the sword in his hand as he transitioned into an overhead attack. This allowed him to use the top-heavy weight of the sword to his advantage, increasing the power of his strike. Edward saw right through this and easily managed to block, but stumbled back in surprise at the strength of Mike's attack.

"Impressive, mate," he mused. "Looks like I may have to do this for real."

Now gripping his katana with two hands, Edward suddenly went on the offensive, striking from all angles and driving Mike back. Mike defended as best he could, but quickly found that he was at a distinct range disadvantage; Edward's weapon has at least six inches over his own. Keeping his blade close, Mike continued to block Edward's attacks, now resisting giving ground until it was necessary. All the while, he studied Edward's patterns and tendencies, looking for any sort of opening or weakness he could exploit.

He's quick, no doubts there. Still, he may not be quick enough to defend against a well-planned offensive.

As Edward attempted an overhead attack, Mike brought up his sword to block it, their blades locking momentarily. Seizing the moment, Mike placed his hands on either end of his sword and pushed with all his might, forcing Edward to stumble backwards. Knowing that he now had his opening, Mike again pressed his attack. He first swung quickly at Edward's left leg, then at his right. Edward managed to defend against both attacks, but was clearly taken aback by Mike's sudden aggression. Mike pressed on, continuing to let the momentum of his swings increase the power of his blows. Finally, he managed to land a slash right across Edward's belly, drawing a gash of blood.

"You... will pay dearly for that," he growled in anger, staggering back a few steps.

Both combatants now went on the attack, each attempting to end the fight as quickly as possible. Edward, however, was now clumsier than usual, distracted by his rage at being struck by Mike. On the other hand, Mike remained calm and focused, counterattacking at every opportunity. After several minutes, the two men found their blades once again locked together. Mike seized on this opportunity, forcing both swords to the side and down to the ground, whereupon he stomped as hard as he could on Edward's wrist.

"Ah, shit!" he yelped in pain, releasing his grip on his sword.

Now fully in control of the fight, Mike quickly slashed Edward's right arm, weakening his dominant side drastically. Edward attempted to counter with a haymaker from his left, but Mike easily evaded the drunken attempt, cutting Edward's left arm as it passed over his head. Edward was stunned by the sudden symphony of pain he was now experiencing; he gasped for air and clenched his fists tightly, doing anything he could think of to try and fight through his injuries. As he looked up, Mike now attempted to decisively end the fight, punching Edward multiple times, first in the gut, then the shoulder, and finally squarely in the jaw. Edward landed on the ground from the last blow, bashing his head against the stone floor of his hideout. He hacked and coughed, blood now seeping from his mouth and nose. Reaching weakly for his katana, his hand was soon pinned by the force of Mike's foot.

"Don't even think about it," Mike threatened.

Lying on his back, Edward looked up at his adversary, and couldn't help but laugh. "Look at you... you could have killed me... so many times in that fight... yet here I am, still breathing. Why? Why let me live? I'll only kill again."

Mike's hands started quivering, almost struggling with the weight of Melody's scimitar. "I... would definitely like to..."

"I know you would," he hissed. "I'm total scum. I don't deserve to walk away from this. I killed your wife. I've killed countless others in my life. I'm sure to kill countless more. Put an end to it all. Do it."

Mike's heart was being torn in two. Every word Edward spoke was true; he was a killer, and nothing would change that. And Melody... he had murdered her in cold blood. Mike wanted to punish him for that. He deserved to pay with his life. Yet, Mike also recognized the seduction in Edward's voice. Mike had beaten him. He had won. Edward was bloodied, lying on the ground, helpless and at his mercy. Killing him now would only serve to make Mike more like Edward. As he debated back and forth endlessly, Mike finally raised the scimitar overhead, the blade poised to run Edward clean through.

"DO IT!" he screamed.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Mike gripped the sword tightly with both hands, closed his eyes, and thrust it downward, impaling it in the stone floor.

"No."

Laughing as he choked on his own blood, Edward replied, "You... are such a fool. It's no less than I deserve, and you know it!"

"Maybe so," Mike replied. "You killed my wife. You murdered her in cold blood, stabbed her in the back. You do deserve to die... but not like this." Mike pressed his foot onto Edward's chest and leaned in close, face-to-face with his enemy. "I'm not like you, Baldwin," he hissed. "I don't murder in cold blood. When my enemy is at my mercy, I grant him mercy. I want justice... not revenge. You... will face justice, one day. I have no doubt of that."

Continuing his stunted laughing, Edward croaked, "Very... well... done..."

*****

"GAH!" Mike gasped, startling himself awake.

"Easy there, Mike. You're back," Jesus said.

Looking around, Mike found himself standing in the center of the same laboratory from earlier, Jesus and Michael on either side of him.

"What the hell... was that?" he asked, rubbing his aching head with his hand. "Wait, I can move!" He flexed his arms and took several steps to confirm that he now had full range of motion within the Armor of God.

"Most impressive my friend," Michael said. "The armor has accepted you as its master."

Still thoroughly confused at his experiences since putting the armor on, he asked, "So just what was all of that? Was any of it... real?"

"No, none of it was real," Jesus replied. "The armor was essentially using your subconscious to test you. It placed you in situations that you would find plausible, so as not to realize you were being tested, yet also forced you to use every ounce of your will and determination."

Michael continued, "We designed the armor in such a way that, in order to wield it, one must overcome what humans refer to as 'The Seven Deadly Sins.' However, the armor is somewhat autonomous, with a bit of a mind of its own. Thus, it only tested you on four of the sins. Subconsciously, those four were likely the ones you might have been most susceptible to. Tell me, what do you recall of the last several hours?"

"Well, let's see... first I was back at work with the ASO," Mike said. "There was a huge press conference, apparently after a performance of mine met with incredible critical reviews. This one reporter, she kept pushing me to take sole credit for the orchestra's recent success."

"Did you?" Jesus asked with a grin.

"Um, no. I kept reminding her that the orchestra would be nothing without my colleagues, and that I was merely one piece of the puzzle."

"The sin of vanity you were tempted with," Michael replied. "Verily, no human is completely capable of escaping its grasp. Vanity has always been regarded as the strongest of the Seven Deadly Sins, affecting nearly every person in some way, shape, or form. Still, your resistance is most notable. Very well done."

"Oh yeah!" Mike said, snapping his fingers. "Several times, someone said those exact words to me. What was that all about?"

"That was a signal that you had successfully overcome one of the trials," Jesus answered. "Alright, what happened after the press conference and the reporter?"

Running through the events in his mind, Mike replied, "I'd... rather not say."

Michael placed a hand on his shoulder. "Have faith, Mike. Nothing you experienced was real, and therefore you should feel shame over nothing."

Swallowing hard, he recounted the situation he had found himself in: Darcy attempting to cheat on Stuart, seducing Mike to nearly do the same to Melody. Though he had in fact restrained himself, he still felt incredible guilt at how close he had come to giving in.

"I'm guessing that was the test of lust, right?" Mike asked.

"Indeed it was. You still are greatly troubled. Why?" Michael asked.

"Because of how close I came to... to..."

"But you didn't. That's always what matters," Jesus reminded him. "Your dedication to Melody won out over your physical attraction to Darcy, even when you were at your most vulnerable. That's more than some are ever capable of. That's a win, and a big one at that."

"Agreed. And far more, you passed one further trial immediately following your encounter with Darcy," Michael said.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"You had no requirement or incentive to tell Melody of what had transpired, yet you chose to do so anyway. You believed that it was the righteous thing to do, and so passed the trial of deceit."

"Deceit? But I wasn't lying to Melody regardless. How was that a trial of deceit?"

Chuckling, Jesus said, "I think you already know the answer to that."

Slapping himself on the head as it dawned on him, Mike repeated his mother's favorite phrase. "A lie by omission is still a lie."

"Precisely," Michael said.

"One more question. Why Darcy? I mean, I've known Darcy almost all my life, and she'd never do something like that, no matter how attracted she was to me, or any other man for that matter."

"A fair question," Michael answered. "In order to truly test your willpower, the armor had to draw you into a situation that, according to your subconscious, would require every fiber of your being to fight against. If, for example, you had been put in a situation of being seduced by a famous actress, it would have been far easier for you to either resist or recognize that you were being tested. Darcy, on the other hand, was an individual that you had enormous natural attraction to, resulting in her being the prime test of lust. But you are correct; that was not the real Darcy, who in reality would never do such a thing."

Mike sighed, relieved to know that Darcy was still the same girl-next-door he'd come to know and love. "Alright, now what was up with that last situation?"

"A recreation of your fight with Edward, though this time, the two of you were on equal footing. However, the fight itself was not the point of that test," Michael said.

"Right. You were supposed to win the fight all along, but the real test was what you did after winning," Jesus continued. "You had Edward beaten and at your mercy. You could have done anything you wanted to him, even kill him in retribution for your wife's murder. Which sin does that sound like?"

"Wrath," Mike said, nodding in understanding. "I was this close to doing it, too. Probably even closer than I was to giving in to Darcy."

Michael said, "Every individual has one of the sins that they are most prone to. Yours is wrath, particularly in such situations where the act of revenge would be seen by most as justice, blurring the line between right and wrong. However, you still managed to put aside your personal emotions and differentiate between justice and revenge. In doing so, you refused to become similar to Edward. Such willpower, determination, and perception is precisely what you shall require when you do battle with him once more."

"So, what about the other sins? Greed, gluttony, and envy?"

Jesus replied, "Those three are ones that you have never been particularly vulnerable to, so the armor apparently decided that you didn't need to be tested in regards to them."

"Alright then," Mike replied. Again inspecting the armor, he couldn't help but be impressed, not only with its construction, but also with the autonomy it apparently possessed. "I can see why you decided to craft this thing to combat the Antichrist." Taking up the sword, Mike tested it out, finding the one-handed weapon to be very lightweight and easy to swing, yet also incredibly sharp and durable. "Guess it's about that time, then. I'd better get back down there and help Melody."

"Not yet, my friend," Michael cautioned. "Though you have passed the trials, granting you the ability to use the armor, you must still learn how to use its powers to the fullest. Come with me. The rigorous training you will experience under my tutelage will more than prepare you for your upcoming battles with Edward Baldwin."

*****

"Please, Master, do not forsake me..."

Persephone sat on the floor of her prison cell, weeping at being taken away from her beloved Edward. Try as she might, her powers were gone from her. She could not sense him anywhere and had no idea where he was and what he was doing. Still, even in her despair, she held out hope that he would return for her once his labors were complete. She believed that in her heart of hearts, for it was all she had left. As she pondered these things, the door to the tower creaked open.

"What do you want?" she sneered.

"We need to talk," King Salim replied.

Persephone now saw that the entire Council of Four was present. Uncaringly, she said, "I have nothing to say."

Stepping up to the bars of her cell, Salim quietly stated, "You are still one of my subjects, even with your power removed from you. Therefore, you will obey your king, or you will suffer the consequences."

"I am loyal to my Master! He is my everything!" she shot back.

"That, as it turns out, is what we need to speak of," Salim replied. "We need you to tell us everything you know about Edward Baldwin. Specifically, where he is going and what he is planning."

Persephone began to laugh. "You fools... do you really think he would tell me his plans? He knew you would capture me, so why would he give me information for you to extract from me?"

"So, you are saying that you do not know his plan?"

"Precisely."

Shaking his head, Salim said, "I still believe you know more than you are telling us. What is Edward's endgame in all of this?"