Brandon SANDERSON - Infinity Blade - Redemption

He held something before him. A datapod he struggled to attach the ring to.

“I cannot explain,” Raidriar said. “I haven’t the time. All is soon to be lost. Everything. You have to stop him. You can stop him.”

Siris picked up the mirror. Behind Raidriar, he could make out someone barreling down a set of steps. The Worker, carrying an Infinity Blade.

The datapod flashed in Raidriar’s hands.

The Worker bellowed in rage.

“I trust you can find it,” Raidriar whispered. “Think, and you will know where it is. Get there before him – it has information you will need to beat him. Once you have it, you will need to find him – he will go into hiding after this, as is his way.

“Know that he can be wrong, Ausar. Even about me. He thought I’d betray my people, leave them to die. But he was wrong, so wrong. I will do my duty.” Raidriar smiled. “For I am a king.”

THE WORKER ran up, howling.

Raidriar turned on him and smiled.

The Worker rammed his Infinity Blade down into Raidriar’s chest, yelling obscenities.

Raidriar’s last emotion was pleasure. He could surprise the creature after all.

A king.

He looked upward, smiling toward the light, as the Blade sent him into the infinite.

“HELL TAKE me,” Siris whispered, rocking in the ship.

On his mirror, Raidriar died the final death, killed in a flash of light.

Gone.

Impossible, Siris thought. Not that Raidriar had died. But that he . . . the creature that Siris had been born to fight, the oppressor and tyrant . . .

That man had sacrificed himself.

Oh, hell, Siris thought, slumping backward. I tried to betray him, and he sacrificed himself. I was the villain. And Raidriar . . . Raidriar just became a hero.

The Dark Self stirred.

“No,” Siris said. “I don’t have to be you.”

It shook within him, writhing to break out.

“No,” Siris said. “ No. ”

It thrashed and struggled, like a trapped rat. Siris clamped down on it and squeezed until . . .

Until it was no more.

He stood on shaky legs and looked at Isa, slowly healing on the bed. He left the cabin, passing TEL at the doorway. Siris walked up onto the deck, each footfall stronger than the one before. In the distance behind, rain fell over the ocean. But ahead . . . ahead was light.

Siris turned away from the storm and walked to the prow of the ship. The Sacrifice was complete. His ancient purpose, to defeat Raidriar, was no more.

And in the end, they had fulfilled one another’s roles, to an extent. He felt guilty, but soon found even that emotion evaporating. Replaced by awe.

If a man like Raidriar could be a hero, what did it mean for Siris?

It meant freedom.

ONCE AGAIN, this story exists because of the folks at ChAIR Entertainment who have allowed me to take the Infinity Blade world for one more ride. Working with Donald and Geremy Mustard on the books and the games has given the gamer in me a chance to geek out in a new way, and for that I thank them.

Laura Mustard is a publicity and marketing genius. My assistant, the infinite Peter Ahlstrom, stepped up to the plate and once again went beyond the call of duty. Adam Ford and Donald Mustard knocked out another brilliant cover, and Calum Watt's interior illustrations added another great multimedia aspect to this project. Finally, many thanks to my editor Simon Hurley, the super-talented team at ChAIR, and everyone at Epic Games.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you will continue to follow the future of the Infinity Blade world.

Brandon