by M K Drake
“This Majjai is much more. He has singlehandedly taken on the might of Asmodei, the forerunner to your leader, and survived. I would not treat this one with anything other than the utmost caution.”
The demons look at the Horseman puzzlingly before Alvarez decides to ask the question the three of them had been discussing on the way here. “Then why bring him?”
Vengeance smiles. “To verify something I’ve long suspected, since the first Battle of Aria. Your master’s essence; I sense it flowing through Kazmagus’s veins. Now, let’s see if we can wake him up shall we?” The Horseman pulls a chain from another part of his cloak. As the metal appears and touches the air of the hillside, it begins to glow a bright red, humming slightly and sparking tiny blasts of red electrical beams of light between each link. He signals for the demons to lift Kazmagus to his knees, and duly ties the Majjai’s hands behind his back. Once secure, Vengeance faces Kazmagus and whistles into the air. His giant grey horse gallops from the sky down to the hillside, and lets out a deep neigh and snort as it lands. Vengeance reaches under the saddle and removes a vial, which he uncaps and places under Kazmagus’ nose, triggering a mist to fill the nostrils of the mighty Majjai, startling him to consciousness.
Kazmagus looks around him, then shrugs off the grip of the demons and stands. His height is impressive and imposing for a human. His muscular, powerful stance shows no fear of those around him as he looks towards his captors nonchalantly. “Why have you brought me here?”
The Horseman speaks first. “Merely to talk. You must sense it – the end is coming, it is inevitable. I offer you the choice of a side.”
Kazmagus looks again at the demons around him, and then to the Horseman, “I know who you are. You are the fallen one. The traitor to the World Enders. You are on my world now; the only side I am on is the one of the prime realm. Now allow me to leave peacefully, or suffer the consequences.”
The Horsemen bends down, bringing his head next to Kazmagus’, he sniffs his captive and then breathes in heavily as he returns to his standing posture, “You are not all Majjai, are you? I sense the darkness inside of you. Surely you are tempted to join us? Your other self cannot be kept under control forever, no human will is that strong. Humanity always gives in to the hatred, humanity is weak. Let the darkness flow through you completely.”
A bead of sweat forms on Kazmagus’s forehead and a vein on his temple begins to twitch; the strain is telling, trying to keep the essence of Razakel that is within him under control. He raises an eyebrow towards Vengeance, before closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He quickly calms himself and turns away from the Horseman, “I am slave to no-one. I will take my leave.”
Scourge looks towards Vengeance who raises his hand and shakes his head, instructing the demon to take no action, but Scourge does not see Kazmagus as anything more than a normal Majjai, one whose insolence is insulting to him. He quickly extends his wings and uses one to block Kazmagus’ path while using the other to strike the Majjai to the ground.
Kazmagus, breaks the chains binding his hands with little effort, and climbs to his knees with his hands propping up the rest of his body as he stays on all fours. “I did warn you.”
Vengeance smiles as he climbs onto his steed and flies away, knowing that any confrontation here and now would be wasteful, knowing as well that the ensuing moments should give him exactly what he needs.
Some blood drips from Kazmagus’s neck, at the impact point of Scourge’s attack. The blood drops to the grass and appears to be sucked into the ground. Kazmagus spots a slug like creature rising from the mud; it appears to consume the blood. He shakes off his still slightly drowsy state standing slowly. He dusts himself off as he flexes his muscles and neck, cricking his joints as he does so. “This will be fun.”
Scourge looks at Alvarez and Shadow Wolf, who are still peering to the sky, hoping for the Horseman to return.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Scourge shouts to his fellow demons.
Alvarez and Shadow Wolf, knowing there is no hope of their ally’s return, turn to face Kazmagus.
Scourge smiles and looks towards the Majjai, “You have no chance agai…”
Before he can finish his sentence, Kazmagus places his palms together, and without even making contact, sends a massive pressure wave from the air in front of him, blasting the demon far into the distance.
Shadow Wolf tries to run, but Kazmagus stops him by using a form of powerful telekinesis, that not even the demon’s alternate form can escape. The beast is dragged back from his attempted shadow state and towards the Majjai, who then punches him with such force that he too is sent spiralling into the horizon.
Alvarez uses the little time he has to morph into his beast form and charges towards Kazmagus.
The Majjai merely stands his ground, holds his left palm forward and waits.
Alvarez crashes into Kazmagus as hard as he can, causing an eruption of smoke and debris from the ground to surround them both.
As the dust settles, Kazmagus looks down to the ground where Alvarez lies in a heap, knocked out from his attempted attack. The Majjai smirks, turns back towards Wysardian Manor, and walks away.
# # #
Vengeance soars down from the sky and lands on a high rooftop away from prying eyes, apart from those that he meets in the shadows. “You did well, Majjai Sameer.”
“Thank you my Lord. Majjai Simaska’s help was invaluable, they believe our deaths came at the hands of the demons.” The two treacherous Mecha Knights, Majjai Sameer and Majjai Simaska appear from a stairwell entrance and step towards Vengeance.
“You are both worthy as my Heralds, whilst we bring forward the Apocalypse… And you have the soul?”
Majjai Sameer nods handing over a sphere glowing a bright yellow.
Vengeance takes the sphere and smashes it to the ground, and the terrified apparition of Mage Marcus flashes out from the light. The Horseman opens his mouth wide and consumes the soul. Mage Marcus screams, but only until the point where Vengeance closes his jaws, smiling.
The Scrolls of Kazmagus: Catalogue Translation ID 139.12: The Seer Staff of Mages:
It has been found! Finally! But it must be kept hidden. If the false gods capture this, they could use it for their gains. It gives us a glimpse into Time Infinite! This is truly amazing.
We must construct the weapon to protect the Earth Realm from any who are able to utilise the Creation Hearthstone, for if a demon were to infuse their self with the protection it offers, they may become immortal. The weapon is the only way. But how to wield it? The Seer Staff could be the key.
Kazmagus told me much before his departure. I hope to return to his teachings one day, I pray he is safe.
It would have aided us much if he were here to help us against the demon threat. I will keep the clues in the tomb; he or whoever succeeds his bloodline will be able to unlock the secrets, and uncover the trail.
May the ways of the Majjai guide them.
Chapter 18
Solitude
General Crawford stands on top of the tower where he and his team first infiltrated the Manor, he takes in the night air as he breathes in deeply. He begins to contemplate the situation after Elric recounts what happened after his battle with Shadow Wolf, how Atticus and Ju Long saved his life by bringing him back to Wysardian Manor so he could be healed. He places his hands face down onto the outer wall and looks to the sky before he hears movement behind him. His training is tuned enough to realise that these familiar footsteps are not a threat. “Hello Elric.”
“Impressive.”
“Not really; it’s those sneakers, they are a little squeaky on the left side.”
Elric chuckles. “Very good, David; do you mind if I use your first name? ‘General’ is far too formal.”
General Crawford nods; there is a newfound trust within him. He does not sense danger here; his instincts tell him this, together with the evidentiary fact that none of his men were harmed during any of the encount
ers this night.
“What you saw tonight – the deaths, and the evidence of our ways – it is something we need to keep within our circle.”
“How can I? My superiors already know of this mission, as do my men downstairs. They know all of this – there is an entire division, albeit small, dedicated to investigate these strange goings-on. And with each encounter, we lose too many good men,” the General sighs. “But not tonight. Today is a day when I do not fret about telling a loved one that they have been widowed.”
“I hope we can keep it that way. We are not your enemy; I would hope you and your division would see us as allies. With things as they are, the multiple attacks and the scattering of demons across the globe, we certainly need help. More so, with the entrance of the Horseman.”
General Crawford turns to face Elric fully, leaning casually backwards against the wall, hands in his pockets. “Who is this ‘Horseman’? And why is he a threat?”
“It depends on what you believe dear boy. You know of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse yes?”
“Of course, who doesn’t? They are present in almost all religious texts in some form or another.”
“Well, their number was not always four. We cannot be entirely sure of the details, but the Horsemen exist in a quantum state called Time Infinite.”
The General, perplexed at the term, raises an eyebrow inquisitively. “Time Infinite?”
“Yes, it is a point in space-time where time itself is infinite and the same. One who can perceive this plane of existence can live without age, without linear existence, and most importantly, true masters can see beyond it; they have the ability to see through to the many strands of the multiverse timelines. The past, the present, and the future, all at the same time.”
“And the Horseman that is here now, he is one of them?”
“Used to be. By all means, he still possesses all of his abilities of a World Ender, but for reasons unknown he was banished from Time Infinite. It was rumoured he angered Death and his other brothers, we are given to understand that he had not followed the rules.”
The General scoffs loudly. “Rules? Ha! Demons have rules?”
“The Horseman is not a demon, he is one of the chosen Angels. It is rather complicated, you see, for while there is much confusion within the religions of earth, some of what is contained in their scriptures is true.”
“God?”
“That we do not know, not for sure. The universe is incredibly old. It has an incomprehensible history for the human mind. There are many secrets, many beings that we are yet to encounter, and we are still learning new things. For example, I only just found out that the demons have a name for their realm, they call it Skarvak. The Majjai learnt a long time ago that we needed to tap into energies not of this Earth to grow stronger, we have an awakening chamber within this very Manor that acts as our link to those energies; it is how we awoke Atticus’s powers fully.”
“Atticus? Yes, he was flagged in our surveillance footage, but we couldn’t find anything else on him. I’d like to talk to him for sure.”
Elric smirks. “Well, before you do, you should remember that he is the one that saved your life when Shadow Wolf attacked you.”
The General is taken aback at this news, it is the first time he has heard his saviour’s name. He strokes his clean-shaven chin for a moment, pondering everything Elric is telling him. It is a vast amount of information to take in, and he is certain he is getting the abridged version, but he is also glad he is getting anything at all; disappointed only in the knowledge that all of these answers are bringing forth more questions, “Who is Atticus?”
“To all intents and purposes, he is the Chosen One. It is said he will lead the Majjai to victory against Razakel and the demonic hordes.”
“But, he is just a boy.”
“Not just any boy. You will understand when you meet him. Now, let me get back to The Horseman. The World Enders have a role, to bring about the End of Days. In fact, in some timelines they may have already done so, but not here.”
“Why?”
“That is a very relevant question. We suspect that this timeline serves a certain purpose; it is the Prime. We believe that all other timelines branch from this one, but this is only a theory. If the Horseman wasn’t hell-bent on whatever mission he is on, it would be interesting to have a conversation with him. Unfortunately, he sees humanity as a disease, and himself as the cure.”
“Then he must be stopped.”
“Brave you are. You know, you remind this old Majjai of some Nordic knights that fought alongside us many millennia ago. But if you truly want to help us, you will need some training; and some more effective weapons.”
“I know two people in particular who would love to work with you on the weapons,” General Crawford says, then smirks as he can hear Pavel and Colin cheering loudly in the background of his earpiece. “Who were these knights?”
“The Knights of Valhalla,” Elric puts an arm around General Crawford’s shoulder, as he guides them both down the stairwell leading back to the others below. “It looks like we have found their successors.”
As the door closes on the night sky, a cloud of dust is blown out into the air. It clings to the wind, travelling downwards and away, until it makes contact with a lone traveller, wearing his worn karategi, simply muttering the word ‘Alone’.
Kazmagus walks through the still gaping hole in the castle wall, and returns to his cell. He sits in the middle of the room, and begins to meditate, before raising his right hand and clenching his fist slowly, he repairs all of the damage in an instant, sealing himself back inside and securing the Manor.
“Alone… alone… alone…”
Chapter 19
The Inquisition
Atticus squints his eyes as the sunlight forces its way through a small opening in his curtains. He turns to check the time on the clock with his sleepy demeanour evidencing he is only strong enough to be able to open one eyelid fully. “6:30,” he sighs; thinking it’s far too early to be awake, even on a school day.
He rises and gets ready quickly, then heads downstairs. Joseph is still sleeping soundly; his intermittent snoring is loud enough to be heard through the bedroom door and down the staircase. Atticus flicks on the TV and goes to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast; just before he is about to tuck in the phone rings, startling him. He runs to answer it quickly so the noise doesn’t wake his father, “Hello?”
“Atticus, is that you?”
Atticus recognises the voice instantly, and is quite glad to hear it. “Hi Joyce, yeah, woke up early. Almost ready, what have I missed?”
“Oh, not much, just the usual: death, destruction, and the Knights of Valhalla almost destroying the Manor.”
“Knights? Death?”
“I’ll tell you all about it on the walk to school. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Before Atticus can respond, Joyce hangs up the phone and the signal clicks off. Glad that he has some company for the walk, he speedily finishes his breakfast and collects his school uniform cloak.
Joseph heads down, mouth agape at seeing Atticus all ready to go. “Wow, you’re ready early, it’s only seven-thirty.”
“Joyce is on her way, we are walking to school together.”
Joseph smiles. “That’s nice, she is a good girl, that Joyce. She called last night, too, to check on you. She was quite flustered, however; Marcellus did mention a kerfuffle at the Manor. Something about Kazmagus and Mage Marcus, I was far too tired and exhausted to take it all in. Oh, but he brought your school bag – you’ll find it in the hallway. Anyway, I’m sure Joyce will give you the entire run-down of events.”
“I hope so, seems like I missed quite a bit.”
Joseph walks over and hugs Atticus. “You know I love you with all my heart, right?”
Atticus hugs him back, just as tightly. “I know Dad, likewise.”
“Just stay safe, as much as you can, and I will do all I can to protect you, as your d
ad.”
Atticus almost curses as he hears the knock at the door. Excited that Joyce has arrived, but also sad that this all too rare moment between himself and Joseph is cut short.
Joseph cups Atticus’s cheek. “Don’t worry, matey, you head off to school. Will see you tonight. Marcellus will be over later to keep an eye on me.”
Atticus heads to the hallway, grabs his school bag, and opens the door to see Joyce beaming a big smile at him. She hugs him quickly and tightly. Atticus smiles I could get used to all these hugs, he thinks.
The two then head down the garden path, towards Wysardian Manor, with Atticus listening intently as Joyce gives him an update of all that happened the previous night.
# # #
“Elric!” gasps Professor Morgan as he bursts through the office of his superior. “Quickly…, come quick, he has returned!”
Elric, concerned at whom the Professor could possibly be talking about, quickly rises from his chair, grabbing his walking staff as he does so. “Who, Benjamin? Who has returned?”
“Kazmagus! I went to survey the damage so we could start repairs, but it was already done, and Kazmagus is in his cell, sitting in the middle of the floor muttering the word ‘Alone’ over and over. Ignoring me completely, which is really rather rude.”
Elric follows Professor Morgan to the cell holding Kazmagus. He observes that all of the damage from the breakout has, indeed, been repaired above and beyond the condition it was in before. Looking into the cell, he sees Kazmagus sitting cross-legged on the floor, with his hands resting on his knees, eyes closed. He is still muttering the same words to himself over and over.
Elric knows he must get answers as to what happened and where he has been. “So, Kazmagus, you have returned to us. Are you ok?”
Kazmagus opens his eyes for a moment, looks upon the Professor and Elric, before promptly closing them again, grunting as he does so.