by M K Drake
Atticus struggles, trying to break free, but can’t do anything. He looks at the crystal in the centre of the chamber and shouts out, “Mage Avipaul, the crystal, you have to destroy it!”
Mage Avipaul sends a nod to Daljeet, who swiftly heads toward the device, fighting through Shezmu’s followers as they try to get in her way en masse. But it is too late, she is moving as quickly as she can, but Shadow Wolf has already started to send his blow to finish Atticus.
Atticus closes his eyes, expecting the end; he can hear Joyce screaming, but just as the beast is about to make contact, a bright flash of purple appears which knocks Shadow Wolf through the air and into the rear wall of the cavern.
Joseph is there, the Amethyst of Al Hammad emblazoned on his chest, “Don’t you dare harm my boy, you monster!”
Shadow Wolf, wounded from the attack, considers a response, but only for a moment as he spots Mjolnir fly in, destroying the rock wall holding Olof and Khan. Then Daljeet finally reaches the inhibitor crystal and smashes it into pieces. The Majjai break free, all looking at Shadow Wolf as Daljeet releases General Crawford.
The beast roars in frustration before melting into the shadows again, escaping the cavern. Without the monster’s aid, the clan leader along with the surviving members of Shezmu’s followers retreat, leaving their dead and wounded behind.
Chapter 28
Rebirth
“Stupid machine!” Pali screams as an electrical spark from the main power core under Spitfire’s bonnet shocks her. She was almost pleased with herself earlier, thinking she had finally cracked it, but unfortunately the main power core did not serve as the catalyst to the crystal containing Barmak’s soul.
She looks through her tools, rummaging to try and find anything else she can try to help her reactivate Spitfire. It almost escapes her that the Manor is so quiet, she only notices the time at that moment due to a bulb flickering on the far wall.
Peering out of the window, she can see that the evening has run quite far into the night. Her stomach rumbles loudly. “Wow, starving!” she mutters to herself, wondering what one can do for food around here when it is so empty. She doubts the school canteen will have anything, and with Elric off to Egypt with the other Majjai, she decides she should just call it a night and head out of the Manor in the hunt for food. She is just about to close her toolbox when she hears footsteps moving slowly and carefully, accompanied by a light tinkling sound.
Madame Healsey comes through the doorway carrying a tray filled with food and a bottle of water, “Thought you might be hungry, dear; hope you don’t mind roast chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches?”
Pali’s eyes widen. “You are an absolute star, it’s perfect. Thank you so much!” she says as she grabs the tray and starts to indulge in the well-timed offering.
Madame Healsey pulls up a chair and sits next to Pali. “So, how is it going?”
“Not so good, I can’t activate the crystal, the soul container. It’s power level is very low,” she pauses as she takes another bite along with a sip of water. “I need something really powerful to drive enough energy through it, but I’ve tried everything I know; short of tapping in to the fusion power of the sun, I’m lost.”
Madame Healsey, impressed with Pali’s knowledge decides to offer her own suggestion. “Well, I’m no mechanic, but Spitfire has always been more human than machine; maybe you should tap in to that side a bit more?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the human body requires a flow of blood throughout, and from what I remember, wasn’t there was a specific liquid metal – a mercury alloy – that was used to carry the unique energy around Spitfire’s body?”
“Yes, I checked that, the levels were fine,” replies Pali, before finishing the last few bites of the first sandwich.
“Yes, but did you check the heart?”
Pali looks at Madame Healsey puzzled. “The heart?”
“Yes, every living thing, even demons, have a heart.”
Pali leaps up from her chair. “Madame Healsey, you are a genius!”
“Well, I wouldn’t quite go that far,” the witch says with a smile.
Pali gives her a great big hug, and then dives back under the bonnet. “The pump! I didn’t check the pump! Yes, the levels of the liquid alloy were fine, but there was no pressure!” she groans slightly as she stretches downwards, grabbing a torch with her free hand while she supports her body with her Mecha Knight enhanced hand. She quickly shines the light down the far corner of the open bonnet, looking as far below as possible. “There it is! Yes, yes, the connecting piping is loose, I just need to… There! Great! I can’t believe I missed that!”
“That all sounds wonderful dear,” says Madame Healsey. “I have no idea what you are talking about, but I’m glad you do.”
Pali opens another box that is sitting just behind Spitfire and pulls out what looks like a set of jumper cables. She connects one to the main power core, and the other to the crystal. “Madame Healsey, would you mind doing me a favour and try to start Spitfire for me, it’s the red button to the left of the steering wheel.”
Madame Healsey nods and climbs inside Spitfire; once seated, she looks for the button and duly presses it. Spitfire rumbles and shakes, the engine appears to turn and for a moment Spitfire looks recovered. Madame Healsey can’t resist and decides to prod the throttle a little. Spitfire lets out a loud roar through his exhaust pipes.
Pali is excited, she runs over to where Madame Healsey is sitting and attempts to speak to their reborn ally. “Spitfire, are you there? Are you ok?”
But there is nothing, no response. The shell has power, but there is no soul.
Pali gasps in frustration and drops back into her chair, covers her eyes, and sobs.
Madame Healsey exits Spitfire and steps crosses to Pali, placing an arm on her shoulder. “There, there, do not worry. At least this is a step in the right direction.”
Pali looks up. “Yes, but I’m exhausted, and if I do not find a solution soon, Barmak’s soul could be lost forever! I need something really powerful, an intense high energy burst, that I can concentrate into the crystal. But with all of the Six and the rest of the Majjai over in Egypt, I have run out of ideas.”
“What about your brother? “
“Mage Kayban? Yes, I tried to get in touch with him, but he is busy readying the army in case we are needed – and with the tunnels closed and everything else that has happened, they do not want to risk teleportation. We have vehicles that can take to the air, he needs to get to them first. This time we will join the fight. Mage Marcus was always too scared to join the battles.”
“Well, I wish there was more I could do dear.”
“You’ve been a great help already, thank you so much, I guess I just to keep on tr…”
Pali’s sentence is drowned out by a massive crashing noise, so powerful that it shakes the very foundations of Wysardian Manor.
Madame Healsey momentarily loses her balance. “That sounded like it came from the Tomb!”
Pali looks frighteningly at the school’s Majjai nurse. “Kazmagus! He is the only one down there.”
Madame Healsey grabs Pali’s arm. “Stay behind me child, we must hide. We have no idea what this Kazmagus will do. I sense great evil within him, I do not trust him.”
The pair rush to the wall next to the entrance, they walk along silently with their backs against it. Madame Healsey peers around the corner and down the corridor. Finding it empty, she slows her breathing and they slowly step out of the room. They take a few steps forward until they hear a deep thudding noise repeating over and over, like heavy footsteps. The noise gets louder and louder.
Madame Healsey raises her index finger to her lips, indicating to Pali to be quiet, then gestures for them to return to the workroom. They step back without looking behind them, using their hands against the wall to guide them back. They keep their eyes on the corridor ahead to try and get any kind of pre-warning glimpse of the owner of the footsteps.
They finally find the doorway to the chamber and step through.
“Do not be afraid.”
The two spin round quickly to face Kazmagus. Madame Healsey drags Pali behind her once again, but this time she refuses to stay there.
She looks at Madame Healsey with steely determination, “If I’m going to die tonight, it will not be without a fight.”
The white witch looks upon Pali with even more admiration, “Very well, you know, you remind me so much of myself when I was younger.” She then turns her attention towards Kazmagus. “What do you want here? Why did you escape the cell?”
Kazmagus considers the duo in front of him, he then looks towards Spitfire, whose engine is still running. Returning his gaze to the two ladies in front of him, he looks them up and down, trying to assess the threat. “You two could not possibly think you would win this fight? Be glad that we are on the same side.”
“You tried to harm Atticus!” shouts Pali.
“Ha! I didn’t try to harm him, I tried to kill him. And I’m glad that I failed. I was, perhaps, hasty. The demon essence coursing through my veins clouded my judgment, but I am in control now. Razakel’s powers and energy are now mine to command, and that has made me even stronger than before. I am able to see so much. Your friends, they are in danger, grave danger. They are walking into a well-planned trap, one orchestrated by the self-proclaimed Demon King himself.”
“What do you mean?” asks Madame Healsey.
“The Horseman is already there, he is waiting for them, and me. But there is something else. The World Enders themselves are restless, one in particular. I see purple light, which is magic not of this realm but from Time Infinite; the Eternals, only they harness this.”
Pali and Madame Healsey glance at each other confused. The Mecha Knight decides to query some more, for at the very least it will give them time to formulate an escape, if required.
“So why are you here now? Why do you not go there to warn them?” she asks, trying not to reveal her fear.
“The way is blocked. The way is blocked! The way is blocked!!” Kazmagus storms forward, stopping just in front of Pali and Madame Healsey, “We must get there, but how? The way is blocked! Shezmu! He guards the land, protecting… ah! It makes sense now. The exchange. The Scrolls and the Amethyst. They have been traded!”
Madame Healsey steps herself and Pali back two paces, not comfortable with Kazmagus being so close to them. “Your riddles waste time, you just confuse things further. Are you sure you are in control of the demon inside of you!?”
Kazmagus shakes his head violently and places his hands on his forehead, as if in pain. He roars, and then calms himself, breathing steadily. “Yes! I am in control. We must be on our way. You!” he says pointing to Pali. “You are a Mecha Knight of this time?”
Pali nods.
“Good, surely you must have a chariot, one without teleportation capability?”
“Well, as I was trying to explain to Madame Healsey earlier, my brother, who is in command now, is on his way back to our headquarters. He should be there shortly. I can contact him…”
“Bah!” Kazmagus replies in frustration, “We need to go now! What is this contraption?” he points towards Spitfire.
Pali suddenly has an idea, if Kazmagus is as powerful as they say he is, then there may be a way to power the crystal. “Tell me, what do you know about soul-container crystals?”
“Much, why do you ask?”
“There is one in this vehicle, we call him Spitfire,” Pali steps over and points to the crystal.
Madame Healsey follows her and whispers softly. “Are you sure you know what you are doing?”
Pali winks back at her in reply before continuing. “Kazmagus, can you help with this?”
The ancient Majjai strokes his chin, and peers at the technological fusion with Majjai magic and is impressed. “Fascinating, you have achieved the symbiotic bond between life and that what is lifeless. But this crystal, it looks depleted, or very low.”
Pali nods. “Yes…, can you replenish it?”
“Perhaps, stand back,” Kazmagus indicates to the duo to move to the far wall. He squats ever so slightly, facing sideways to Spitfire. Closing his eyes he draws his hands into his body and begins to form a cradle with them, spinning them over themselves over and over, faster and faster. Sparks begin to fly outwards from his body as a ball of white light forms within the cups of his palms. Wind is swirling around the room faster and faster, as Kazmagus appears to be sucking the energy from the very atmosphere around him, drawing in even the light about his person. He roars loudly, trying to contain the energy, so he can release it at the right moment. Even the sparks of electricity shooting out cannot escape as they are drawn back into the vacuum.
Pali and Madame Healsey are holding onto the bookshelves attached to the walls, trying to prevent themselves from being pulled in also, Pali can see her heavy toolbox sliding, dragging itself across the floor towards Kazmagus.
The ancient Majjai roars one more time as he finally thrusts his arms forward, projecting a massive blast of white energy into the crystal, screaming as he does so.
Spitfire’s headlights glow wildly, his engine revs faster and faster.
Pali and Madame Healsey cover their ears, the noise wails through their very being, with the glow of the energy being poured relentlessly into the crystal.
Kazmagus finally stops and drops his arms to his side, collapsing to his knees. “It is done.”
Pali waits for the air around the room to settle and walks towards Spitfire; as she gets closer he begins to shake, and his engine roars back into life.
“Raaarrr! I live!” Spitfire screams out, morphing into his robotic humanoid samurai form, he looks towards the three in front of him, and then directly at Pali. “I told you it was a bad idea. But thank you for fixing me.”
“It wasn’t just me,” she says as she looks at both Madame Healsey and Kazmagus. “It was a team effort.”
Kazmagus stands, his strength regained. “Yes, yes, this is wonderful. We can pat ourselves on the back later. Right now, our friends are in danger.”
Before anyone can respond, Pali’s communications crystal vibrates, she activates it. Mage Kayban appears in the light.
“Sister, is everything ok?”
“Things are…,” Pali pauses, thinking of the best way to put the events that have just occurred. “Let’s just say things are getting interesting. Brother, I fear our forces are needed. Cairo, can you meet us there?”
Mage Kayban spies Kazmagus and the awakened Spitfire behind Pali. “Well, judging by the company you’re keeping, I agree that things are getting interesting. Well done on repairing our friend over there. We can be ready to leave in minutes. See you there, little sis. And please, be careful.”
“Thank you!” Pali closes the communications crystal and places it back into her pocket.
Kazmagus looks up to Spitfire who is standing tall, gleaming, and re-energised. “Tell me my friend, how quickly can you get us to Egypt?”
Chapter 29
The History of an Angel
Atticus runs and hugs Joseph tightly, “Oh dad, why did you do this?”
Joseph hugs Atticus back, then holds him away slightly, placing his hands on his adopted son’s shoulders, “I did this for you my boy, to protect you. I’m not going to just sit there and allow monsters to hurt you. You’re my son, I will not lose you.”
Atticus does not know how to respond, he knows that the Amethyst is not good, but his father doesn’t seem to care. He can sense the longing within Joseph, to do anything possible to protect him – but he himself has the same desire to protect his dad.
Elric on the other hand, has other views. “Joseph, what have you done? This power, it is of neither Majjai or demon origin. The power it gives…, you may have kick-started something very dangerous by activating it.”
“And if I hadn’t, Atticus’s head would now be on the claws of that wolf monster!” Joseph argues back, starin
g unflinchingly at Elric.
Elric sighs, and looks at Atticus with a heavy heart. “Aye, you are right there. But we still need to understand this thing. Where is Marcellus?”
Before Joseph can answer, the loud revving of a motorcycle engine is heard storming through the cavern entrance. Moments later, Marcellus comes riding in on some form of modified, wide-barred off-road bike.
He switches off the engine and props the bike on its kickstand. “Borrowed it off one of the locals after you ditched us, Joseph. Do not worry, Dr. Wei Sparks is heading to the airport now, safe and sound.”
Joyce looks towards Marcellus, puzzled. “Wait, my mother was there?”
Marcellus looks directly at Joyce. “Yes, apparently she has been helping Joseph here locate the Amethyst of Al Hammad.”
“Impossible,” replies Joyce. “I spoke to both my mother and father before we left, she was at home. Professor Morgan, sir, can I borrow your phone, please?”
Professor Morgan reaches into his pocket and hands over his mobile phone to Joyce, before muttering to Elric, “I do hope you will let me expense this trip, old friend?”
Elric chuckles as Joyce walks away to dial her mother. The others listen on intently.
“Hi, mum? Yes, it’s me Joyce… Well, you know, the usual, bad guys and bad monsters, but we’re ok. Uhm, where are you right now?... Uhuh… yup,” she looks behind her slightly embarrassed for a moment before whispering back into the handset. “Yes, please, the pink ones ok… right, that is all, I better go now. Thank you… love you, too… bye.”
Joyce turns around to see Ju Long smiling. “What?”
“I just want to know what the pink thing was.”
Olof, ever prepared, deals Ju Long with his trademark punishment of a slap to the back of his head. “Not the time!” he says with authority.
Joyce turns to Elric and Marcellus. “My mother is in London, shopping with dad. Whoever has been helping Atticus’s father, it has not been my mother.”
Joseph looks straight at Joyce. “Are you sure? She looked exactly like your mum, Joyce.”