Progress update 8-27

    So, today I moved into the dorm for my 5th semester of College. But, I've been able to get a bit of my book done before then. Here is chapter 3 of part 3. It is a personal favorite of mine, because in it a very special character delves deep into the pits of insanity. A great reminder to both reader and author; no character is safe from the ebb of time. Time does not heal their wounds, it only makes them fester.

Enjoy...

            Gobehyz sat back on the throne. Peak Sol was indeed a mighty fortress. It was not however, impregnable. He had single handedly defeated the palace defenders and dethroned the king. The King put up less of a fight than Gobehyz would have thought. But Darin was something more than a simple king. He told the men to stand down when Gobehyz entered the throne room. Logan had barely made it to the king before he commanded the troops to evacuate. And then, he just let the invader sit upon the holy throne. Logan shifted in the chair and propped his head up with his hand.

            “So…Gobehyz Logan returns with a woman. I thought I’d never see the day.”

            “It’s been awhile, King Darin. Have you been well?” The king smiled. “Better than you seem to be, Logan.” The king carried a chair from the foyer and set it before Logan. “And, I’m impressed that you found a woman willing to put up with your attitude. My condolences, lady Eryn.” She smiled. “Not at all, your majesty. I am very happy to be with master Logan.” Darin nodded and took a seat. “What are you doing here, Gobehyz?” Logan frowned and glared at the king. This man was clever. Too clever. He was appointed to the throne after completing the trek up Mount Eclipse. At the top of the mountain lay this palace, Peak Sol. Only, he had not made the journey on foot. He rode a bear. The man tamed a bear in one week in order to climb a mountain. Darin was as smart as he was strong. He was always planning something.

            “I’m looking for the last book. I know where the others are.” Darin cocked his head. “But, the first volume was lost. The Royal family lost it about forty years ago. You would know that, if you payed any attention at all.” Logan bit the inside of his cheek. Of course it had. That put a halt to his plans. But Ryan was coming with the second part. His plan hadn’t been ruined yet. “Very well…but I’m still going to light the forge.”

            “A very grave mistake, Gobehyz. Guilt already consumes your life; do you wish to make it worse?” Logan shook his head. “This time it will be different, Darin. I am in control.” The king nodded sarcastically. “I see. Of course you are.” He stood and walked out of the hall. “Try not to get your blood all over the tapestry when this horribly backfires. I just had those repaired.” The king left to return to Zander’s Cove. Hopefully the king would point Ryan up here when he arrived. Eryn walked over to the throne and leaned against it. “What are you really up to, Logan?” Eryn was looking a lot better since being freed. The weight she lost during her confinement had returned, and she was able to fly again on her wings. The feathers that fell out had been replaced and their healthy brown color had returned.

            It was times like this that Logan remembered that she was really a demon. An unholy creature from another plane of existence. A force that was too dangerous to leave alive. But she was needed for Logan’s plan. It involved using her powers to ignite a magical artifact called a forge. These ‘forges’ do not produce weapons, rather they dispense them. These ‘forges’ were more like vaults. Logan was more interested in a piece of the book he sought. It was in this forge, but opening it would be a problem. There was one matter that needed to be taken care of first. Now that all the pesky inhabitants had been removed, Logan needed to scour every inch of the palace to look for the Forge. Inside, and out. And the blizzard had not let up since their ascent. Logan rose to begin the search.

            What better place to start than the outside? Logan slipped into his heavy cloak and took a walk around the perimeter. The walls encompassed an area of about twelve miles. The forge could be anywhere outside. At least it was only snowing at the moment. He marched through the knee deep snow, guided only by the pale light of an obscured moon. The cold clawed at his mind and body with each passing minute. Logan flared a bit of earth magic to keep himself warm. Earth magic was special; it could block physical or magical harm for the user. In this case, he used an inoculation to keep the cold from doing any lasting harm. If only he were a fire mage, he could just melt all the snow.

            Logan couldn’t tell if he was sick of the cold or satisfied with his search when he turned to go back inside. The blizzard picked up again. Regardless of his true reason, his magic would not protect him from those fierce gales and the bombardment of hail. He shook the snow out of his hair and took a deep breath. The warm air of the palace filled his body and soul. It couldn’t be outside, because Logan would have felt the magical presence. He bit his lip and walked towards palace underground. Prisons and torture chambers were empty. No sign of anything in the servant’s quarters. Only a few stone motifs decorated the storage rooms. None seemed important to the forge, so he left them after jotting down a quick note for his personal journal.

            The magical presence grew more powerful as he reentered the throne room. Eryn stood in a doorway. “Master Gobehyz, I have prepared some supper. Would you care to eat?” Logan nodded and followed. The two sat down in the dining hall. Throughout the meal, the power of the forge waxed and waned. It pulsated like a heartbeat and echoed inside his brain. Logan finished his meal and stayed a while to chat with Eryn. All the while, he was thinking of the location of the forge. He rose after saying thanks and resumed his search. The dining hall and kitchen were empty. The throne room was empty. He had checked every room in the palace, including the king’s private quarters. It was nowhere to be found. Tired and defeated, he took a seat on the throne again.

            It was not there. No matter where he looked, no matter how he searched, the forge was hidden. Gone. It wasn’t in the armory, it wasn’t in the vault, it wasn’t outside, and it wasn’t in the king’s quarters. It was most likely hidden in plain sight. He closed his eyes and reclined in the chair. An outline of the palace appeared in his brain. He checked off everywhere it couldn’t be. He was left with the foyer and the guest rooms. Eryn brushed up against his arm. “I never did repay you for saving me back there, Gobehyz.” Logan opened his eyes and smiled kindly. “No payment is needed. I was simply doing a favor for Donald.”

            “But –“

            “I mean it. And believe me…in due time you shall repay me.” He stood and stretched. “You may sleep in the king’s room for tonight. I will continue my search.” Eryn nodded but remained where she was. Logan left the room and began to inspect the foyer. Nothing out of the ordinary. A large fireplace gave heat to the entire palace, which was no small feat. He searched around the fireplace and even extinguished the fire to look all around. Not a thing to be found. He searched the guest rooms long into the night. Eventually, fatigue took over and he fell over onto a bed for a moments rest. Morning was upon him before he realized he had fallen asleep.

            Logan crawled out of bed and stretched. He popped all the joints he could and fished into his pockets for his medicine. He took a bit, and his muscles and joints felt relieved from their pain. He did some more rigorous stretches. Soon, he was awake and ready for the day. He noticed that Eryn was still asleep. He smiled at the thought of her roosting like a bird for the night. Once the humor faded, he went back to the foyer. The fire had gone out since last night and the cold began to set in. Logan tossed a few logs into the pit. The fatigue from last night caught up with him as he threw one log. The wood hit the top of the fireplace, sending a clang through the palace. Logan instinctively rubbed his hand over the area to see if anything got chipped. The metal was fine, but a layer of soot and ash lay over the metal.

            Logan rubbed some more and uncovered a pattern. Scholarly curiosity made him go fetch a rag to wipe down the metal. Several destroyed cloths later, he had discovered a most peculiar pattern. But, it wasn’t for the forge. He rebuked himself for letting his hopes rise. Instead, he struck one of the matches and lit the flames. The patterns began to glow. A faint orange at first; but as the metal grew hotter, the glow grew brighter. After an hour or so, the seal was red like blood. Logan watched in awe as black runes began to appear over the pattern. Little wonder he never found the runes among all the soot. Logan let a genuine smile creep across his face. The forge was before him. The runes finished appearing and began to turn and grow. His eyes were playing tricks on him.

            “‘Offer the hand of a demon to the sacred flames. Once purified, then shalt the treasures be thine.’” He spoke the words again aloud. A third time. Then, in the ancient language spoken by his people. A brilliant white sigil appeared in the back of the fireplace. This was it. The forge needed a demon to operate. Logan ran to Eryn. “Eryn, come now! I’ve found the forge.” She roused herself from sleep and stared at him sleepily. “What? Oh…you did? That’s marvelous!” She jumped out of bed and practically flew over to him. “I need your help to open it though. Can I count on you?” She smiled broadly. “Of course you can, Master Gobehyz. What do I need to do?”

            “Come with me. I will show you.” The duo ran towards the fire and Logan pointed out the sigil. “All you must do is put your hand on that sigil. Then, leave the rest to me.” The flames had grown since he left. Eryn nodded and stuck her hand forward. She yelped as the flames licked at it. She retreated and began to cry. “I don’t think I can do this.”

            “Please! You can. I know you can.” She tried again, but with the same response. She fell to her knees. “I can’t! I’m too frightened.” Logan opened his mouth to argue, but the words stuck in his throat. Finally, he knelt beside her. “I’m sorry for asking you to do this. I should have been more sensitive to your feelings.”

            “But I’m the only one…who can-”

            “I know…I’ll figure something else out.” He took a quick glance at the focus on his right forearm. Half of the indicator pits were lit. He frowned. That might just be enough for what he had in mind. “Give me your hand.” She clutched it close to her. “Please.”

            “No!”

            “Eryn…”

            “No, no, no!”

            “Please…trust me.” He held out his hand. She timidly put it out to him. He clasped her wrist. “Now then, don’t resist. I’m going to coat your hand in a barrier until we get to the mark, alright?” She nodded as their hands moved closer. An amber light enveloped both their hands and they pushed further on. The flames attacked, but were repelled by the barrier. Logan began to sweat from the strain. “I’m letting go now…touch the sigil.” Their hands became dangerously hot instantly. Eryn pushed forward and touched the mark. The forge began to glow. Eryn was barely able to scream when the flames shot out like a dragon’s breath. The red-blue flames engulfed their vision. A thin barrier of amber light stood between them and burning. Logan was now bleeding from his eyes and ears from the stress. The flames finally died down and Logan dropped the barrier. He dropped to his hands and knees coughing up blood. Eryn was still in shock from the trap. Gobehyz recovered enough to wipe off most of the blood. He forced himself to a sitting position and stared at the forge.

            A small little handle had popped out of the wall where the sigil had been. “Heh…Darin’s going to be mad about the tapestries. I don’t think that there are even ashes left.” He struggled to a stand and walked over to the handle. He gave it a tug, and burnt his hand. He was so close to his goal now that the pain meant nothing. He kept pulling until it clicked. The back wall dropped, revealing the treasures that lay within. Inside was a blade made of a cloudy metal and another black book. Logan let his tears flow. After all this time, the last book was finally within his reach. But his hand was drawn to the dagger. A unique weapon, it seemed to be made of an alloy instead of a pure metal. But, the only metal he knew that was nearly transparent was the legendary mythreal ore found in the old legends. Was this one of the weapons used by the Sages to defeat Calamity?

            Logan put aside the knife and took the book. He opened to the front cover. Sure enough, it was the book he had been searching for. Logan eyed it hungrily. He began shaking as he flipped through the pages. Page after page, filled with secrets long forgotten. He feverishly scanned read it; turning the pages with unbridled excitement. He wanted to glean all of its contents, to learn the most painful of truths. Then it stopped. Not one half of the pages were completely filled before the text stopped. He frantically searched for anything more. The blank pages mocked him with their silent laughter.

Logan at last let out a chuckle. His posture fell. “I don’t believe it…it’s not even finished! Is it…is it hidden? Is there another half? This is it – all of it?” He closed the book. He sulked for about an hour. He stood and picked up the knife. A fit of insanity washed over him.  Logan laughed until his sides hurt; until he could hardly breathe. “This is just too funny!” He laughed all the way to the main door. He burst through it like a madman. The echoes of insanity rang all the way down to Zander’s cove, some hundred miles away. “Come now, my sweet.” He called behind him. “We must go and pay a visit to our fair Princess of Col.” 

Progress update 8/3/2016

One of the most long-awaited battles of the series : the clash of assassins! This is one of many similar battles. Assassin vs Assassin...there can be no victors.

            Agony faced Kline. The two masked assassins watched each other behind false faces. No movement was made. Even though chaos surrounded them, neither budged an inch or showed any notice. Kline and Agony activated their dark magic at the same time. Then, each took their stance. Kline stood with his arms up like a boxer. Both his hands became coated in magic as black as tar. Agony crouched down and put her left arm forward. Dark magic coated the arm from the elbow down, creating a razor for inflicting pain. The movement ceased. Both had been trained to finish battles in one blow. A small gust of wind from one of the other conflicts caused Kline’s cloak to rustle. That was the queue to begin. Agony and Kline ran forward at each other. The claws left trails in the air that followed their movements. Both assassins thrust forward with their attacks.

Aside from that one paragraph, I've successfully cleaned up the mess that Ryan made of the plot. With any hope, I'll be able to finish up the last of the plotting and get back to writing.

Per Dio e Onore

Progress Update

Hello everybody!

    After a lot of planning, I find myself changing things mid-chapter. Because of that, some characters have gone through a good deal of changes (ex. Dmitri, Logan, Plague, Tyrell, etc.). And because of that, some future events have been scrapped. Some of which were key to the vision I had for the story. 
And some that were key to certain points of character development I wanted to hit.

And some that were key to specific plot points.



And some that will leave plot holes so large, you could very well fit a planet in them.

    This is all because, in my blind ferver to get things done and on paper, I over worked a currently sidelined character: Elaine. Elaine was not supposed to be a full character. In all honesty, she wasn't supposed to be introduced until midway through the 'ENDGAME' portion of this story. Elaine's introduction forced me to change the occupation, introduction, and associations of another, more important character: Logan. This all happened before I had a chance to see what was happening.
    To make matters worse, this influences a large chunk of my cast. Specifically, I now need to further develop and possibly redo the relationship that Ryan has with Elaine, Logan and the others. 
    IN edition, Kyle (or Kline), may need to be changed also. I also royally messed up my plan for the Demon Hunter sub plot, but 'accidentally' setting it up to mingle with the main plot. As such, Kyle (or Kline) will have more interaction with the primary cast, the sub-plot cast, and possibly become their own separate entity. 

I tried to have my cake, and eat it too. 

    But, I love cake. So I'm just going to continue eating. I like the direction that the story has gone, and I find myself giving into the will of the characters. I put them down on paper and they tell me how the story should go.
*Please do not take that literally, it is a metaphor. I am not crazy enough to be institutionalized.*

    The goal of my writing so far is to publish. Even if it takes years, I would like to see this work leave my hands and go out into the world. I'm having a great time writing this, and at times I lose myself to the world. I would not change anything for the sake of making my life easier. 

    So for that reason, the updates to this blog will enter the unfortunate phase of uncertain updates. I may or may not post anything of major content importance until I sort out my plot issues. It'll be fun, and I'll post all the hair-pulling planning. It will be unique, and I'd like to post at least an update once a week. Anyway, enough of the random ramblings; here is my intended schedule for this week.

*Fix all plot elements related to Elaine
*Fix the sub-plots and their mingling with the main plot
*Finish one half of part 3 chapter 1


    At the end of the week (probably Friday), I'll give an update on how things are going. If you have any suggestions or other (helpful) comments, please feel free to leave them here or on the post they apply. Happy July 18 for all those State-side, and have a wonderful Monday.

- Dominic Palermo

Part 2 Demon Hunter Sub-Plot

Demon Hunters

            Dmitri yawned as the group marched towards the Maverick estate grounds. The leader of the caravan had stopped Xena and Dmitri last night. The plan was to let Xena and Dmitri, the youngest in the group, go and try to get permission to explore the estate looking for Hati. Xena knocked gently on the door. There was no answer. She knocked harder. Still no reply. “Are they not home?” Dmitri stepped up and grabbed the knocker. Xena shot him an angry look. “If they didn’t respond to my knocking, what makes you think they will respond to that thing?”

            “I don’t know…I just wanted to try it. M-maybe they just – ” Xena threw her hands up and groaned. “Fine. Fine. Go ahead, play with your little knocker then, Dmitri.”

            “Don’t be like that, Xena. I’m just trying to help.”

            “No, no you’re not. You only want to bother or embarrass me.” Dmitri looked visibly shaken. A bit of anger and fear flared up in his eyes for a moment. She heard him whisper something under his breath. He pulled on the knocker and let it drop into place. Before the echo had fully stopped, the door was pulled open by a butler. He was not from the Maverick estate, or so the Regale emblem told Xena. “Greetings, travelers. I hope you will excuse my curtness, but the Lord and Lady are unavailable presently. I shall go and fetch one of their retainers.” He closed the door and departed. Xena couldn’t believe that the servants had not answered the door when someone knocked. But as soon as the knocker was struck, there was an answer. She felt sick inside for being so rude to Dmitri, but Xena would sooner die than apologize to him.

            The door opened up to reveal another butler. He was much older than the first one, and had a refined look. His clothes were neat, and he wore a dress coat while the other butlers wore only a vest. “Good day. I am called Winston and I am the overseer while my Masters are away. I apologize for the delay. I was rather busy, but that is little excuse. Make yourselves comfortable in the meeting room, if you desire.”

            “Thank you, sir. But we will only be here for a short time. We would like permission to explore your estate. We are on official Leneel Sect business.” Winston narrowed his eyes and gave a pointed look. “I see. And what business is this, exactly.”

            “Classified.” Xena answered. Winston stood in the doorway and confronted her. “I do not like your attitude, young lady. I do not take kindly to your kind to begin with, and I have been rather frustrated of late. I would hate to vent that pent up rage upon you.” Xena shot him a glare. “I will do as I like!” Winston removed one of his gloves and slapped Xena with it. “Answer me like that again, and next time I will use my hand.” Dmitri stepped between the two of them. “Um s-sir?” Winston gave him a powerful glare. Dmitri swallowed hard and continued. “We are looking for a powerful demon.” Xena punched him in the back. “That is classified, Dmitri!”

            “Ah…you mean the Ice Wolf, Hati? Yes. I was aware of his presence. The beast has done no harm to the estate, so I was going to leave it be. However, if you perceive it to be a threat, you may remove it. I will be accompanying you. And I shall bring along another, simply for my sake.” He turned and called up into the house. “Ice! Come hither this instant.” A small boy ran down. It was eerie how much the boy mirrored Winston. Ice looked as though he could be Winston’s grandson. He bowed slightly and looked at the two church hunters. “Yes, Mr. Winston? How am I to assist you today?” Winston pointed towards the guests. “We will go and help these fellows. The plan is to go and hunt the demon wolf somewhere on the property.”

            “Okay, I see. I am glad to help.” The boy turned to Dmitri and bowed. “I hope to be of some assistance to you.” Dmitri nodded. The boy pointed off to the east. “The creature has begun its assent up Mount Sickle. You had best hurry to catch it. If you do not, I’m afraid that it will be nigh impossible to stop it.” Xena and Dmitri looked at each other. They exchanged fearful glances. The boy nodded. Winston continued his thought. “As you see, Hati is but one of three demon wolves. Should Hati succeed in his quest, then the next one will be released.”

            This information confirmed what the Demon Hunters had feared. If this wolf succeeded, then the world would be plagued by another. One more powerful than Hati. It was just as the legends told. But Xena couldn’t help but wonder if the legends could be wrong. Was the bedtime story she had heard so often a reality? Xena dismissed those thoughts. “So, how do we stop it?” Winston shrugged. “You had best take us to your group. We do not have much time and we have much to do.” The duo nodded and departed with the butlers in tow.

*****

            “So…they move to destroy Hati?” Two church assassins knelt before the speaker. “I see…” The one assassin stood. “Lord Tomas, what – ”

            “By Rohda, I will be addressed as High Priest!” The speaker tossed a glass of some drink at the assassin. He caught it and charged up a spell. “At ease, brother.” The other assassin said to soothe his comrade. Tomas fidgeted in his chair. “If you are so eager to get your claws bloodied, go and kill the servants. The less here the better.” The man took a deep breath and turned.

            “I don’t understand how Kyle can be so difficult.” The remaining assassin shook his head. “My brother is simply going stir crazy. You should have let him track down the Northerner.” The Priest shook his head. “No. He would have killed the man. I needed you to do it.” The priest stood and ran a finger through his greasy hair. “I’m not so sure it was wise to dwell underground so much. I actually miss the dry sun.”

            “Are the preparations complete?” Tomas stood and motioned for Kyle to follow. “I need you to go with the Gran Magus. Follow this Northerner and see that he returns.” Kyle nodded again. “What are you planning, master Tomas?” The priest smiled darkly. “They will not succeed in stopping Hati. The seal will be broken, and Skoll will be released.” Kyle understood and finished. “You plan on releasing Fenrir the dark wolf, correct?” The priest smiled. “Of course. And if that monster isn’t enough to suppress the north, then I shall release our trump card.” The priest pulled a vial of blood out from his sleeve. “If they manage to stop Fenrir, then I will just have to release Mother Earth upon them.”

*****

            Winston stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Ice pointed to a small peak on the map as Winston began to speak. “This is White Hill. Hati will need to wait on the top of this smaller hill until the moon is at its peak. Once the moon begins to descend, it will need to rush to the top of Mount Sickle. We don’t have enough time to cut it off at the river, so we will need a new strategy.”

            “Thanks grandpa, but we knew that.” Winston looked at the leader. He slipped his hand out of his glove and slapped her with the glove as well. Xena flinched slightly at the sound. “Goodness…What is it with you women? Such rude behavior. Now if you would please, woman, allow me to finish.” Winston put his hand back in the glove and continued.

            “As I was saying, we do not have the time to cut Hati off at the river. We will need to come up with a new method of attack.” Ice nodded and handed Winston a slip of paper. “Unfortunately, it is entirely too risky. If we don’t manage to pull it off, we may endanger the entire world.” The group looked at him with a mix of dread and confusion. Ice finished Winston’s thought. “We will need to ambush Hati as he is devouring the moon.” The more experienced in the group, including Xena, laughed at his statement. Dmitri spoke over them. “How do we do that, Winston?” He asked. Winston frowned and stroked his chin. “We will need special weaponry. Perhaps equipment with runes inscribed on them, like your companion’s sword.” Xena shook her head. “No way is he going to use my sword for your random ideas. I’d rather die.”

            “If we don’t use it, you will.” Ice said with heaviness in his voice. The other hunters finally stopped laughing. “Hold a moment. Go back to the part about it eating the moon. Are you serious?”

            “Of course I am. Why else would I tell you? It is written in the legends. Am I wrong, miss?” Xena shook her head. She began to tell the story she had learned. “Hati is one of the three demon wolves. It was once a regular wolf pup, but powerful magic changed it. It now has power over the Pillar of Sapphire. It uses water and ice magic to destroy those who would hunt it.”

            “But what does this have to do with the moon?” Dmitri continued her story. “Hati needs to eat the moon to gain power.”

            “Shut up! I’m telling the story! Hati has a brother, Skoll. Hati and Skoll need to pull energy from the moon and sun in order to get enough magic to free their mother, Fenrir, from a magical prison somewhere in Col. Hati will not so much eat the moon as he will absorb its power.” The group began to chuckle again. They apparently did not believe in the legends. “Well, that is just a legend.” Winston smirked. “And legends are not the complete truth.” Now, the butler had a smile across his face. “How pitiful. I would have thought that a member of the great Leneel Sect would have a bit more faith in legends.” Winston shrugged and turned on his heels. “It appears that we have little time to sit here arguing. Shall we go or shall we stay? I shall furnish some appropriate weaponry on the way up to the peak.” Winston waltzed over to the supply wagon and began helping himself to supplies. No one bothered to stop him.

            Dmitri sat alone, watching the moon drift slowly overhead. It was odd. He thought he had heard another voice in his head earlier. Xena had yelled at him at the estate, and then he heard it. The voices had returned, but they were different. This one was feminine. It was moving. Seductive. It was barely a whisper, but it had nearly seized control of him. He could have hurt Xena. And to make things worse, he kept hearing it. It would leave honeyed words on his ears. Teasing him. Tempting him. But unlike the other voice, there was no malice in the voice. It did not tell him to kill. It only told him to follow and obey. But unlike the other voice, this one prodded him with consequences. Disobedience would result in the death of those he held dear. Just as Dmitri would have begun screaming, he heard footsteps behind him. Xena stood with her hands on her hips. “Are you going to pout here all day?”

            Dmitri just shrugged and stood up. Once at a stand he apologized. Xena was quiet for a moment. “Look, Dmitri.” The two locked eyes for a time. Finally, Xena spoke again. “I…said somethings…in a way…that was…wrong.” The pain was clear on her face. Dmitri smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine, Xena.” She gave a half smile before brushing his arm off of her. “And what happened to you, Dmitri? You seem…different. You no longer stutter, you no longer are quiet. You have even done some things that I would have considered bold for you.”

The voice in the back of his head whispered a reply to him. He responded. “I’m just becoming a better hunter, Xena. I’m trying to become the partner you’ve always wanted.” The words dug a hole straight to Xena’s soul. Before either had the chance to apologize again, a howl rent the quiet night in twain. The camp was a buzz of activity as Winston handed out the modified weapons. The group ran up to the top of the mountain in chase of the Great White Demon Wolf, Hati. 

Part 2 Siren Sub-Plot 2

Sirens

            Harbinger sat down on his throne and waited. He had left Agony in charge of Logan’s torture. She would take care of it. After all, it was in her name to cause suffering. He settled into his seat and called for Plague. The creature appeared before him within the span of five seconds. “You summoned me, my master?” Harbinger laughed. “I did, in fact. I want to know more about this Logan character.” Plague nodded. “He is a wandering scholar. He ran an orphanage in Argondos for about a decade with his now deceased wife. Since then, he adopted the title ‘Gobehyz’.”

            Harbinger nodded. “What of this orphanage? I wish to know more. Tell me.” Plague nodded again and took a deep breath. Harbinger cringed at the awful sound. “When Logan was ten, he lost both parents to the war. After the fighting ceased, Logan left the service and founded an orphanage with his wife, named Clarisse. The two of them worked for eight and a half years before war came again. Logan lost his wife to a fire, which also claimed the orphanage. He was then arrested for war crimes. He spent one year in prison, then was released as a Gobehyz.” This satisfied the Siren.

            “Tell me about his time in the military.” Harbinger was taking a mental note about Logan, hoping for some weakness he could exploit. Plague began his report. “Logan signed up as an alchemist in the army. His skill with magic soon had him transferred to the front lines as a mage. He quickly became the leader of the magic division. He was the one who developed a barrier spell that is capable of stopping physical attacks. His magic reserves are unknown, and it is entirely possible that he can resist nullification from other magics. The Iltazian equivalent of his final rank was Gran Magus. This is not a perfect match, but assume that only a mage of Gran Magus caliber can go head to head with Gobehyz Logan.”

            “How many lives has he taken?”

            “Enough, my master. I would wager his kill count rivals yours.” Harbinger closed his eyes. If Logan was indeed a powerful mage, it was entirely possible that he would resist any attempts at torture. “Wait…” Harbinger jumped to his feet and reached for his sword. “You said he could resist nullification!” Harbinger heard a loud crash from the portion of the base that led to the prison. Plague let out a string of archaic curses and ran forward at inhuman speed. As Harbinger stepped into the hallway, he saw Guile running towards him. “Master, Logan has escaped! He is on his way to the courtyard. If he makes it out of the front gate, we may never be able to find him again.” Harbinger ran towards the courtyard. The winding paths of the underground were complicated and interwoven. It was easy to get lost. However, Harbinger was guided by some unseen force towards the courtyard. He was racing against time. In the distance, he heard walls shattering as a powerful force ripped through them. Logan was beating them.

            “Guile! Get ahead of him and stop him. I want his head!”

            “Sir, he has the winged demon with him.”

            “Kill them both if you have to. It’s a sacrifice we must make.” The voice whispered. Harbinger repeated those words to Guile. The voice continued. “Gobehyz must not escape. He will need to rest for a while in the courtyard when he gets there. Go. Kill. End his life. That is an order.” Harbinger was angry at the voices orders. It had no power over him, not anymore. Until the owner of the voice appeared before him, Siren Harbinger – previously Aeon Calvin – would follow his own path. Guile expended most of his magic reserves to warp to the courtyard. Blink had its limits, and one of them was the location had to be within sight. Otherwise, it would severely cripple the mage for some time. Harbinger had hopped the Guile would recover in time.

            The leader arrived to find his targets surrounded by most of the Siren grunts. A few generals had arrived. Guile and Plague stood barring Logan’s exit, whilst Agony and Sorrow flanked him from the left side. Pain and Doom were still organizing the grunts into a semblance of an army. The voice in Harbinger’s head screamed out. “Everyone hold your ground, now!” The Sirens obeyed without Harbinger needing to speak. A powerful force caused intense pain in Calvin’s head. The Siren Harbinger was now being controlled by the voice. His body surrendered to the powerful force. Fear filled Calvin’s mind for the first time since his nightmares.

            The voice had taken over his body. “Tell me, Logan…why did you become a Gobehyz?”

            “Wasn’t my choice…shade.” Logan was at a loss for words. “So…the mark is still used as a punishment. I’m surprised you survived. Join us, Gobehyz. Your skills would be put to good use.” Logan smiled wearily. “As much as I’d love to join, I have something that absolutely must be done before I can join. I hope you understand.” Harbinger felt his head nod. “Very well. I’ll let you leave only if you can best one of our greatest, Agony.” The Siren stepped forward and drew a thin sword. “She is skilled with the estoc. If you can best her, then you may leave.” Logan grit his teeth. “Come now, Harbinger. Surely this girl isn’t a threat to me.”

            Calvin felt the voice’s power weaken on him. It was busy contemplating its next move. Calvin pulled free and gave the orders. “I agree. She isn’t nearly enough. Plague.” The Siren appeared by his side. “Kill.” The Siren ran forward with a vicious ferocity. Logan smiled as the mark on his face began to glow. The voice wrestled control from Calvin just in time to cry out. “Plague, stop! It’s a trap!” Before the Siren could respond, Logan had thrown a couple dozen amber needles at the warrior. Logan moved Eryn out of the way before dodging himself. As Plague turned, Logan snapped his fingers. Each one of the amber needles had been a barrier. The barriers expanded, pushing flesh and bone out of the way. Plague’s body twisted horribly before the barriers burst, turning the best Siren into a pile of bloody chunks. Harbinger let out a pained growl. “And you called him the monster. Fine then, Gobehyz. You may leave. Stand down, men.” Logan released his magic and helped the girl to her feet.

            “She isn’t long for this world, Logan. Especially if you plan to do what I think you are going to do.” Logan didn’t bother turning, he just kept walking. “Harbinger…I know that. And I plan to continue with my plan. So, don’t stop me. After all,” Logan turned with a crazed smile, “Lighting the forge is mutually beneficial.” Harbinger watched as the man left the courtyard. “It is fine, Sirens: he may have escaped us, but he will not escape Syl alive. The others are not under our authority. They will end him.” Calvin was given his body back, and the unknown force returned to being a disembodied voice.

Part 2 Gobehyz Sub-Plot 2

Gobehyz

            Logan awoke inside a dark cell. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to know that he was surrounded by rock walls, with a thick metal door as the only entry and exit. He was unchained, but an anti-magic lamp hung well above reach. The violet light rained down on him, nullifying any attempts of his earth magic from working. He sat on his heels in the center of the cell and waited. Not a single Siren had bothered him in a few days. They just wanted to know what he did with the book. Inside, Logan smiled. If he was right, that Ryan would defend its pages from all. On the outside, he had feigned a look of fear.

            He heard rushed footsteps to his cell. The heavy boots indicated to him that Harbinger himself was coming this time. Sure enough, the door burst open. Harbinger had a scowl on his face, a burn on his chest, and a recently sealed cut. “Hello, Harbinger. I see you are in a pleasant mood today.” Harbinger punched him in the jaw. “What is in that book?! Tell me. Now.” Logan picked himself up off the floor and resumed his position. “I couldn’t even begin to tell you. The book you look for has been split into thirds.” Harbinger lost his composure and proceeded to hit Logan again. “One was given to me…the other to a merchant…and the last one is in the Leneel Sect’s base.” Harbinger yelled in rage. He reached out and grabbed the throat of the Siren behind him.

            “I want him to talk. Maim him, torture him, I don’t care. Sever a limb or break a bone. Preferably both.” His puppet nodded slightly and Harbinger released it. The Siren bowed, revealing to Logan the red top of the helmet. The soldier turned as soon as the door closed. She stood and lit a small torch and lay it in the center of the room. Then, she knelt before Logan. “What? Why do you hesitate?” There was a sound of sobbing as the soldier fumbled to remove the headgear. As the mask fell off, Logan’s eyes went wide. The crying Siren fell into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and began crying as well. The door opened again. The other Siren threw down her mask as well and fell into his arms. More continued to arrive until four of the Siren generals sat weeping at his feet.

            Logan sat holding the weeping forms, lost in his own tears as well. “We came as soon as we heard.” Logan put his hand on the largest one. “You’ve gotten bigger, Pan.” The large man let out a great sob. “Have you been taking care of each other?” The four nodded. “Come now. Come now. If this keeps up, someone will notice. Up with you.” They didn’t move. “Alright, I’m here now. It’s alright.” The sobbing eventually died out. They all sat around Logan and dried their eyes. Pan spoke up first. “We came as soon as we could. Are you hurt?” Logan smiled gently. “I’m fine.” He looked around at the others.

            “I’m so happy to see you all again. I wish I had known. I would have come…I would have joined you all here.” The other’s nodded. “Now then, you must leave me. If Harbinger returns, you will all be in trouble.” Pan nodded and lifted his mask. “I shall go now. Be safe, Logan.” As the man left the room, the others gathered their masks and left. One of them stopped in the door way. Donald turned and spoke to Logan. “Go. In the cell next to us, there is a young woman. She is different from us. Take her with you when you escape.”

            “I will.” Donald turned to leave. “Hold.” Logan said. “Who else is here?” Donald was quiet for a long while. “Just the four of us. We are the only ones left, Logan.” Logan paused for a moment before choking out a reply. “That’s wonderful…take care of each other, alright? Never lose that compassion, Donald.” The man gave Logan a ‘thumbs up’ and left. Logan exited, but turned the other way.

            The cell next to his was much stronger. A magic seal coated the door. Logan frowned and thought for a moment. “And how am I to get through here?” His answer came with a shout from down the hall. “We have a breach! A prisoner has escaped.” Suddenly, a dozen or so Siren grunts came running at him. Logan sighed and rubbed his temples.

*****

            Moonlight filtered down from the window above. “Ah…the light looks so warm tonight.” Eryn said to no one in particular. Only a rat frequented her cell, and even then it wasn’t much company. She tried to touch the light, but the chains confining her prevented that. Once again, she spent the night in chains, away from the light. It was getting to be the new year, so she should be allowed to roam her cell soon. As long as the Siren Doom watched her. He would allow her a bit of freedom once in a while. She huddled against the wall of her cell for warmth. But she was a slight woman, so she didn’t get much warmer.

            There was some commotion in the next cell over. She couldn’t get a good idea of what it was, but she knew that the prisoner next to her was very important. In a few minutes all was silent. Eryn was left to her thoughts. She pulled on the chains. The only thing she succeeded in doing was rattle them. She had to do something. Eryn finally decided that she would stretch out her wings. After a bit of pain, the tarnished black wings were in full spread. Her feathers were falling out and they hurt a lot. She winced at the pain. At least she could still use them though. Being confined for as long as she had should have killed her.

            She returned her wings to the rest position and tried to get comfortable again. She began to doze off. As she let sleep take her, Eryn heard a mysterious sound. It sounded like a sigh from outside her cell. No Siren she knew sighed that loudly. “H-hello?” She called out. Her voice was too weak and didn’t carry. No one probably heard her through the stone. Then she heard yelling. Things about prisoner’s escaping. After a moment of commotion outside, there was silence. From time to time, she heard scrapping metal or odd bumps. Eryn assumed these were other prisoners or her own chains.

            She let the silence take her thoughts again. She dreamed of the clear skies she so missed. The white clouds. The blue sky. The warm sun and cool moon. The gentle breeze. Even the wild storms. All of it. To feel the wind on her wings was her one wish. If only. The chains clattered and brought her back to reality. But that confused Eryn. Though she heard the chains, it was not her that caused the sound. And the clatter had sounded loud but distant. Eryn strained her ears and listened for it again. Sure enough it came. This time, she heard it clearly. Her thoughts drifted towards what kind of beast they had confined that could cause so much noise.

            The last thing she expect was for it to come crashing through the wall to her cell. An explosion rocked her entire world as the front wall of her cell came crashing in on itself. A pile of rubble formed off to her left. Eryn tried to crawl away from it as best she could. Siren grunts stood on the other side of the wall with their magic claws out. “Make sure he’s dead. And don’t hurt the demon.” Through her fingers, Eryn could see that several of them had already been killed. Only three of the Sirens remained. One climbed on top of the pile and looked down. “He’s dead as a -” A chain poked out from behind a chunk of rubble. It seemed to move on its own. An otherworldly glow encompassed it as it poised behind the Siren for a moment and then shot forward like an arrow and pierced the Sirens heart. The chain then tossed him towards his fellows, who were under attack by the same ghostly chains.

            Eryn yelped as the guards were cut down. The chains dropped with a clatter. Through the dimming lights, she made out the figure of a man rising from the rubble. He wore a simple suit with a scholarly coat. It had become dusty and torn from his time in this dungeon. He held onto his hand as he stepped down and spotted her. She tried to get as close to the wall as possible; appear as small as possible. He approached and knelt. “Hello. I’m here to help you. Not much time to explain, so I need you to trust me.” His eyes turned a piercing amber color and a chain sprang to life behind him. The light from both lit up the dark cell. “Hold still now.” She flinched as the magic chain destroyed her bindings.

            “All free. Can you move?” She shook her head. He offered a hand. She reached out and took it. With little effort on his part, Eryn rose to a stand. For about two seconds. He offered his hand again. As she took it, he winced. “Are you hurt?”

            “No…just my arthritis kicking again. I have medicine for it, just not here.” He said. She was firmly on her feet, but felt as though walking would take more time. “Who are you?” The man walked out of the hole and looked down the hall. He came back to her. “If I told you I was a Gobehyz, would you know what I meant?” Eryn nodded a bit fearfully. “Good. I’m sorry, but that is all you get for now. Go down the hallway. At the end is a large rock wall, a dead end. That wall is fake. It is only a few inches thick. Even a twig like you could break it down with enough effort.” Eryn only slightly heard him. The man held up his bad hand and chains began appearing around him. They hovered around him like ethereal serpents. More and more came as they were ripped out of other cells. They all waited until he pointed down the hall. They seemed to grow in length as they shot forward.

            Given the situation, Eryn had only one choice. She decided to trust him and run. More Sirens ran to their death as Gobehyz let them come at him. She ran as fast as she could, but that was barely a walking pace. She kept moving though. She leaned against the wall less and less with each step. The sky beckoned her; it called her name and drew her closer to freedom. She reached the wall that Gobehyz was talking about. She hit it. Her only success was a hurt hand. “You will need to try harder than that.” Siren Guile appeared behind a corner. Eryn backed away from him. He took one step and pushed her over. She landed in soft arms, not the hard ground. Gobehyz had ran up to her and caught her in a fraction of a second.

            “I can oblige you, Guile.” A strange power radiated from Gobehyz. She looked up and saw a glowing mark on the side of his face. And eight pointed star, each one symbolizing a pillar. Only four of them were lit, but it still filled the room with light. “How did you-? When did you-? How-?”

            “Learn to finish your sentences, Siren.” Chains shot from the other end of the hall. At least twenty, probably more. Guile had to dodge or die. He dove into a surrounding path as the wall to the outside burst open. Guile tried to reach him, but the magic surrounding the chains repelled any attempt. “Good bye, Siren.” Gobehyz said in passing. Then he lifted Eryn up and jumped through the opening.

Part 2 Chapter 6

Chapter 6

            Ryan sat uncomfortably at a new desk in a new house. Once again, he was thumbing through Logan’s book. He began reading a segment about the Great Calamity. Logan had taken a pen or some ink and blocked out certain words. They looked like names, and each one was the same length. It led Ryan to accept that someone did not want their name to be remembered. The passage talked about how the mystery person betray the sages and caused great destruction. This destruction brought about the Great Calamity. The remaining sages sealed away whatever it was, and brought about a time of peace. But, Ryan felt that something was missing from the story. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. His eyes were sore again.

            Warm arms wrapped around him and clasped lightly on his chest. This gesture ended his contemplations. Elaine brought her lips close to his ears and whispered. “Hello, darling.” He instinctively placed his hand over hers in a mechanical gesture of compassion. “Hello, love.” She giggled softly and squeezed him tighter. “What are you doing?” He gently rose the book so that she could read over his shoulder. “It is about the sages. My tutor gave it to me.” She quickly scanned the page and pointed to the censored name. “That looks like magic ink. It only reacts to specific magics.” Ryan looked back at the marks. “I’m sure that one of the servants could take a look at it and clean it up.” Ryan nodded and put the book aside. “I’ll leave it alone until then. I would be upset if something were to happen before I could read it fully.”

            There was a very light knock at the door. Elaine’s face changed from an enamored grin to a murderous scowl. Elaine forbade Ryan to answer any summons while she was present in the room. So, she responded with her typical answer. “What?!” There was a quiet yelp from the other side. “I b-b-brought t-tea for the Master.” Elaine shot Ryan a glare, to which he responded with a shrug. “Enter.” The door opened. The young girl never took her eyes off the floor as she approached the small table in the middle of the room. She put the tray down and poured a cup of tea. The girl brought the saucer to Ryan and put it on the desk within his reach. She curtsied politely and dashed out of the room. The tea was still rippling from her shaking hands.

            Elaine still held a death grip on Ryan’s chest. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and his upper torso. She spoke with a firm and low tone. “Who is she?”

            “I think that was Marcia. It might have been Luka. I forget which one is the brunette.”

            “Luka is a red-head. Marcia…I might need a word with her.” Elaine always said that before a particular servant, usually a maid, disappeared. Winston assured him that they were almost always just removed from service. It was the ‘almost’ part that worried Ryan. In the three days that Ryan had been living at the old Maverick Estate, he had seen four maidservants go. And he was positive that only one survived. “Love,” Ryan said, “There is no need.” Elaine pulled herself closer to her husband. “Yes there is.” She moved her head to his other ear, closer to the tea. She inspected the glass and the contents. She took a spoon and took a small sip of the tea. “No aphrodisiacs…no poisons…a bit too much sugar, but that’s just her…and floral tea? Really? You don’t like that, do you?”

            “Not in the least, with one exception. I’m rather fond of tea that uses Northern Ken desert lilies.” Elaine nodded and resumed her death grip on him. “She was upset because I was here.” Ryan sighed and began to prepare an appropriate solution. Once she started on these rants, there was no stopping her. It was only about choosing the right words to extend his own lifespan. “If I were not here, she probably would have acted all sweet and nervous. And she would purposely mess up. Yes…spill something to make it look like an accident. Then she would seduce you, and –” Winston entered. He was the only servant in the entire estate that was allowed to enter rooms without announcing it first. “Master Ryan, Lady Elaine, good day. Is this a bad time?”

            Elaine cried out as soon as he entered. “Winston, what do you think of that Marcia girl?” Winston answered without hesitation. “If she has incurred your wrath; her biggest fear is confrontation. I’d advise setting her up for some crime, or rather come up with some excuse to get her to hold a conversation with one of your father’s generals. The psychological damage would be completely irreversible. If she has attempted to ‘seduce’ the young master, I would advise a gentle and calm reprimand about proper decorum. She is far too young for the Master and her only feelings are appropriate for one of her station.” Ryan nodded. Elaine whined. “But…but she…but she’s so…” Elaine began to tear up from jealousy and cried into Ryan’s back. He got out of the chair and stood. Elaine wasted no time in clinging to his chest. She contorted her body to form a type of human snare on the target of her affections. Ryan was immobilized until she was done crying. “What is it, Winston?”

            “I took the liberty of looking into the dossiers you left in your room.”

            “And that’s another thing!” Both Ryan and Winston cringed. They knew what she was about to say next, and proceeded to mouth the words to each other as Elaine shouted into Ryan’s chest. “We are married! Why do we have to wait for this stupid ceremony to share a room? Ryan and I are adults! We have made our vows. This is pointless.” Winston spoke up as pulled a paper from his vest. “It is tradition Milady. And, to be quite frank, one I fully support. After all, we don’t know if the young master will survive the month.” He turned to Ryan and assured him he would. Ryan nodded in thanks.

            “Back to the dossier, Master Ryan. I’ve taken the liberty of hiring the one from Loc: Ro’ahn.” Ryan nodded. It was all he could do at this point. “Ro’ahn will be here shortly. Shall I prepare the foyer or the meeting room?”

            “The foyer. I shall be leaving as soon as I confirm he will do the job.” Elaine looked up at him with tearstained eyes. “Wha? Where are you going?” He gazed past her. “I told you, Daylon. I need to go and meet my tutor. I’m still learning.” He felt her nails break flesh. “But…but…we still haven’t discussed it fully! What if you get hurt? Or captured? Or seduced by some Daylanian skank?”

            “Elaine-”

            “If I found out...I’d-”

            “Elaine!” She flinched at his voice. Ryan kept his voice stern. “I must go. That is the promise I made to my teacher. And, your fears are completely groundless! I have made my wedding vows to you. I cannot believe you take me for the kind of man to break them.” Winston remained silent in the doorway. Elaine had stopped crying from jealousy. Now, tears of sorrow filled her eyes. This was certainly out of character for her. Her voice began to shake. “I…I didn’t mean it…like…” Elaine broke away from him. She curtsied quickly and ran from the room. The sobbing started as soon as she was out of Ryan’s sight.  Winston bowed slightly. “I shall prepare the foyer immediately. Good day, Master Ryan.” Ryan nodded and finished readying his pack. He slipped his book into the pocket of his traveling cloak. He shouldered the pack and walked down the steps to the foyer.

            Ro’ahn was standing next to Winston. The man wore a very intricate set of armor. It looked like they had layered thin sheets of leather to form it. Small plates of metal were added to strengthen the armor. It gave the appearance of scales. It appeared to be fragile. But the way the Loc soldiers fought, only one strike was need to kill. Supposedly, armor like that was very common. “Ah…you must be the young Lord Regale.” Ryan nodded. The man spoke very slowly and very carefully. It was hard for him to speak Ryan’s language. The small nation of Loc was founded by a group of shipwreck travelers from a distant land. They settled Loc and eventually learned Iltazian language and culture. They spread the culture of their lands, the Orient, with Daylon and the Northern Ken peoples. The other countries were too cautious to accept outsiders. “Ro’ahn, correct?”

            “Yes. I am here to…how you say ‘to help’?”

            “Assist.” Ro’ahn nodded. “I am here to assist you on your journeyings to the Daylon.” Ryan smiled. “So you will take me to Daylon? I am very thankful, Ro’ahn.”

            “It is nothing. I fight for the thrill, no coin. You are most welcome.” Ro’ahn motioned to the door. “Shall we be off?” Ryan listened off into the distance. The sobbing still continued. “Yes. Let us go. Winston?” The butler bowed. “Could you pass my farewell to the Lady?”

            “I shall, Master Ryan. Safe travels.” The duo left the estate and made their way to the port city of Marina. About a league away from the estate, Ro’ahn stopped. “Hold, Regale. I sense a presence of murderous intent.” At that moment, Elaine ran around a tree from the direction of the estate. She had put on a pair of trousers and a traveling jacket. She carried a light pack and held a shawl in her other hand. “Elaine?! Well…that actually explains that ‘murderous intent’.”

“No…this presence is much stronger than hers.” Elaine stumbled over her boots. She fell to the ground with a shriek. Ryan jogged over to pick her up when Ro’ahn called out. “Regale! Above you!” Ryan looked up and jumped back as a giant dropped from the tress. The man stood between him and Elaine. “’ello, Ryan.” Ro’ahn stood between Ryan and the man. “I must ask you to back away!” The man drew his sword. Ro’ahn put his hand on the hilt of his blade.

            The attacker wore black armor from head to toe. This was complete with a Siren’s mask. A patter of tears flowed down from the right eye and a horn rose up from each eye. The red paint seemed to glow in the light of the sun. “I am Harbinger of the Calamity. Do you wish to stand against me?” Ro’ahn remained silent but leaned forward. Ryan could feel both men smiling underneath their helmets. “Elaine! Stay away until this is over.” She nodded and crawled away to hide. Ro’ahn wore a curious sword on his belt. It was the traditional form of the Daylanian war katana. This one was called wakizashi. It was about as long as a standard broadsword, but had a deadly edge designed to cleave through leather and flesh.

            The Siren had pulled his sword from his back. It was as tall as he was and nearly as broad. It was easily as thick as Ryan’s arm. The weapon was jagged, looking like a jawbone of some sort. Harbinger held the sword in one arm. Dark magic surrounded him, an indication that no mere human could use such a weapon. Ro’ahn stood still, watching. Harbinger ran forward. As the Siren swung, Ro’ahn side stepped the attack. “Why are you after this man?”

            “I had a little chat with a scholar. He said I could find a book in that boy’s possession.”

            “What have you done to Gobehyz Logan?!” Harbinger shrugged. “Nothing, yet.” Ryan felt himself get hot with anger. But the temperature kept rising. Ro’ahn was glowing red as his fire magic began to charge. “By the powers of the old gods, I command thee Murasame. Go forth and taste blood.” Ro’ahn dodged another attack from Harbinger and took a step forward. The blade made a slight scraping sound as it was pulled from its scabbard at lightning speed. The sword reached out and hit the steel plate of Harbinger’s heavy steel armor. Instead of stopping, the fire magic had melted the armor at the point of contact. The Siren jumped out of the way at the last second. The cut was small and negligible, but now he had lost the initiative. And he was in a lot of pain from the melted armor. “You win, boy. I can’t beat this swordsman.”

            Ro’ahn returned his blade to its sheath. “Good bye, Siren. I shall meet you again.” Harbinger nodded and used magic to disappear. 

Part 2 Chapter 5

Chapter 5

            Alec and Tyrell stood by the southeast guard tower. Norton had given them leave for the day, and the duo thought they would organize a sightseeing trip. Oddly enough, it was Alec who suggested it. Everyone seemed to like the idea. The meeting point was the tower an hour after sunrise. Alec and Tyrell arrived shortly after Celica. “Hello boys. You are early.”

            “As are you, ma’am.”

            “I’m afraid Lou will not be joining us for a while. She had some things to prepare this morning.” Tyrell nodded and adjusted the cloak that hung around his body. “I hate this darn thing. It’s too heavy.” He said. Tyrell looked up and sighed. “Great, now I sound like Norton.” Celica smiled. “It is not the cloak, but the burden. That is the cloak that was given to the previous Gran Magus.” Tyrell nodded.

            “I see. I now bear the burden of the traitor as well.” He visibly settled into the cloak with a frown. The princess arrived wearing a simple dress with an apron. With her new haircut, she looked like a commoner. She acted perfectly natural in the common garb. She seemed so comfortable wearing it, that Alec could hardly believe that she was royalty. “Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good evening.” Everyone returned her greeting with a smile. Another figure wearing a black robe trailed behind the princess. “Ah, Lou; just in time.”

            “I am ready to go, ma’am.” Celica snickered. “Not in that, Lou.”

            “But Lady Celica!” Celica ignored her protests. The old woman went right up to her and gave a sharp tug on the robe. “Noo~” Lou cried as the old lady finally wrestled the cloak off of her. She was wearing the same thing the princess wore, without the apron and in a brighter shade of brown. And although she stood up to a Siren the other day, Lou looked no older than twelve. Her girlish face and golden pigtails gave her a carefree appearance. One of energy and innocence. “There we go, dear. You look so adorable.” Lou pouted. “You are so mean, Lady Celica.” The group got a good laugh out of that and the adventure started.

*****

            Kline stood on the roof of one of the taller buildings in the capital city. He rapidly scanned the area. “Not here…” He said and used the dark spell ‘Blink’ to warp to the top of a nearby steeple. He stood on top of the spire with perfect balance. A flare of bright blue surrounded him as he used time magic to let him scan every face from his lookout. “Not here either.” After another blink, he stood on a ledge overlooking the market. He crouched next to a gargoyle. Both provided a steady vigil over the square, but with opposite purposes. Kline was here to hunt, not to defend. He scanned the area. A couple of travelers caught his attention. One of them wore the Gran Magus’s cloak.

            Kline cursed silently for getting distracted, but the distraction actually helped him for once. His mark was attempting to pass by them. His target was as traveling mage named Peterson. Peterson looked like a traditional Northern Ken man; dark skin, dark black hair, and a prominent chin. He used powerful magic, unlike any the Leneel Church had seen. In order to further study this anomaly, Kline was to capture him alive. If the target became a threat to the populous however, the target was to be put down. Peterson was too dangerous to keep alive for long. Kline jumped down and infiltrated the crowd unnoticed. He pushed his way towards the man, a sinister smile on his face.

            As he took faster steps, people began to notice him. Church assassins wore a special mask in order to hide their face. However, it resembled the Siren’s masks. Like the Siren’s, it was made of a dark, glossy metal. But unlike the sirens, this one had features. The outline of the assassin’s nose, lips, and forehead remained so it fit better. He was wearing a black mask and black leather armor with a black cape around his shoulders; things the Sirens often wore as well. Kline hoped he could have gotten closer to his target before the people became aware. Kline began to move faster, darting between bodies. Then the screaming began. Kline groaned and broke into a full sprint. But, he was surprised he got this far into the city before being spotted.

            The words ‘Siren’ and ‘Help’ floated on the air as the market broke into chaos. Peterson took cover in an alley to watch the chaos ensue. “Peterson!” Kline called out over the chaos. The man noticed and took off running. Behind Kline, he heard someone cry out. “Lou and I will pursue! Everyone else, cut them off at Rook Street!” Kline closed on his target. Peterson began to glow a deep shade of purple. He extended his hand and touched the side of a building. His fingers drew lines on the walls. Where he touched, the stone and brick disappeared, letting Kline glance into the residences through finger sized gashes.

            Peterson gathered the matter he had taken from the buildings and tossed a barrage of stone needles. Kline dodged and took a look at his pursuers. His eyes went wide. The Gran Magus and a small child were chasing him. And the girl was gaining on him too quickly. Kline pushed his magic to the limits. He lowered his left arm and let dark magic coat it. “That’s a neat trick, assassin.” His blood chilled as the girl passed him. She went a good distance ahead of him and turned. She raised a fist to hit him. Kline jumped onto the walls on his left and ran along the surface for a short distance before returning to the ground.

            Peterson could feel his heart racing. He knew he couldn’t stop now and grit his teeth and pushed on. He had escaped this man once already; he could do it again. With help from these strangers, he just might make it to Daylon. Peterson saw an exit leading to Rook Street. From there, he could escape to the farmlands outside of Atlantis. Once in the open, he could let loose his magic fully. Three people steeped in front to stop him. He targeted the elderly lady in front of him. “I’m really sorry, lady.” His magic flowed to his fingertips. In his mind, he reached out to the buildings and the first two strangers blocking his path. He pushed them apart so that he could get between them. He then pushed the ground under the old lady back. The others, an armed man and woman, seemed completely stunned at this stunt. This was a common strategy for space mages though. Something that he had done on multiple occasions.

            The old lady looked up as Peterson jumped at her. He turned his entire arm into stone and punched. In response, she turned her body to liquid. Peterson jumped back at she launched a powerful burst of water magic at him. She turned into steam and disappeared. The woman appeared behind him and raised pillars of stone to block his exit. “Nowhere for you to go now, son.” The assassin jumped from the alley. A girl quickly followed him. “Lou, now!” The girl nodded. A faint purple aura appeared around her. It slowly extended until it engulfed the assassin. A second black aura like smoke appeared with the first aura, but this one only surrounded Peterson. As soon as the light surrounded Kline, his claw dispersed. The little girl then punched him in the chest, knocking him out cold. As Peterson stood in shock, the man he had pushed aside tackled him and wrestled him to the ground.

           

*****

            When Kline awoke, he was staring into the face of the Gran Magus. The man returned his gaze. That was when Kline noticed his mask was gone. He broke the silence. “Where is the Northerner?” Tyrell pointed behind Kline. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Peterson in the cell next to him through a window. “I want to know why a church assassin is after this man.” The Gran Magus stood a safe distance away. “I need not explain myself to you.”

            “Actually, you do. Otherwise, I’m going to have to believe the other one’s story.” Kline closed his eyes. “Believe what you want, Magus. I have no reason to speak to you.” The little girl that knocked him unconscious walked up next to the man. “He is not human, Tyrell. He has no fear or reason. Torture or interrogate him all you want; it won’t be of any use.” Kline glared at the girl. “And how would you know that, missy?”

            “I believe the children would say, ‘it takes one to know one’.” The church assassin shifted in his seat. Tyrell pulled up another chair and sat. “Look, I’ll make you a deal. Tell me your name and mission, and I’ll see what I can do.” Kline sat in a stubborn silence. “Allow me, Gran Magus.” The girl stepped forward and faced Kline. She reached up to his face and closed her eyes. Her mouth ripped open and she bit his neck. Tyrell jumped up and held his heart. Kline roared in pain and tried to break free. When he finally did, the girl kicked him over and bit him again. An elderly woman watched from a distance.

            “Enough Lou. You had your fill.” The girl let go of him and wiped her mouth on her arm. Her mouth had returned to normal but the psychological damage had been done. The Gran Magus lifted him upright. “Now that we are equally terrified, I suppose you want to talk?” Kline shook his head. “I would rather die.” Tyrell raised an eyebrow. “You just had a small child shred your neck like a bear. How stubborn can you be?”

            “The Sun-Cursed are of no concern to me. I am following orders.”

            “His name is Kline. A church assassin sent after Peterson.” Another man returned, leading Peterson towards the cell. Peterson faced his attacker. “I’m done, Kline. I’m goin’ ta’ Daylon if it kills me.” Kline struggled against his bindings. “Listen, Kline. Peterson has made us a deal. If you cooperate, we will let you in on it too.” The Gran Magus opened his palms and reclined in his chair. “It’s entirely up to you, assassin.” Kline clenched his teeth. “Fine…what do you want?”

            “Peterson wants to get to Daylon for one reason or another. We plan on taking him there.” Kline raised an eyebrow. “Alec here is a mercenary. This is his contract. Once at Daylon, Peterson will go about his own agenda. After he is satisfied, he has promised to return with us to Col, where he will surrender to the Church’s will.”

            “How do I know he will? I am not going to let him out of my sight any longer.” The Gran Magus nodded. “I know. Alec and I agreed that, if you are willing to play nice, we would let you come along.” The man Kline assumed was Alec spoke up. “Yes. I always fulfill my contracts. If you want to take one, I can help you.”

            “And now you want me to pay you? For helping me catch a criminal?” Alec nodded. “That is what a mercenary does. That is why we are hated.” Kline was beaten. With the Sun-Cursed girl and this mercenary helping him, Peterson could escape whenever he wanted. He was out of ideas and out of time. The only out seemed to be to tag along with the group. Kline was frustrated. No one had out maneuvered him before. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Kline hung his head and spoke. “I will be coming. So long as I get Peterson after this.” The group, including Peterson nodded. They untied him and departed, leaving only the assassin and the monster behind.

            “You know; they could have just killed you.” Lou said. Kline glared at her. “They could have asked me. It would have been over in an instant.” Kline frowned. “I’ve never met a Sun-Cursed so powerful. How did you get this way?” Lou smiled eerily. “I was lucky. I met a nice family who accepted me for who I was. People who didn’t try to kill a monster like me. They let me live, let me learn. They taught me how to defend myself. I just had all the time in the world to perfect what I learned.” Kline towered over her. “How long did you trick that family?”

            “I didn’t trick them,” she said with a growl, “They knew what I was.”

            “How. Long.” He ordered. She looked him directly in his eyes. “A little more than one hundred years. Celica is the last one left, and She has been watching over me for a long, long time.”

            “That explains it. I’ve never had to kill a Sun-Cursed older than twenty years. But, one hundred? No wonder you bested me.” Lou looked pleased. “Thank you, assassin. But there is still one that is older than me.”

            “What?”

            “I’ve met him…and he is the most powerful Sun-Cursed in existence.”

            “And how do you know this?”

            “Well…he helped the sages with the Great Calamity.”

            “Where is he now?” Lou shrugged. “He left…said he had to go somewhere else.” Kline nodded and the girl wandered off. If Kline couldn’t best a monster that was one hundred years old, how did he hope to hunt down one that was at least four hundred? The Church Demon Hunters would need to be deployed, but it would take a small army to deal with this girl alone. The forces required to defeat the one that worked with the sages would be unfathomable.