by M K Drake
“I’ll have to swoop down and have a look,” replies General Crawford, eager to have a gander at these creatures, although he knows he needs to take care of other things beforehand, “But first, follow me and cover, attack formation! Let’s send as many of these demons back to the depths of hell where they belong! This planet isn’t big enough for us and them, it’s our home, and they don’t even have a bloody visa!”
“Gladly sir! We’re on your six! Deportation commencing!”
The Majjai Journals:
I keep worrying about dad. He and I have barely had time together since mum died. I can feel him drifting away into this cocoon of hate and revenge.
His excuse is that he is trying to find a way to keep me safe, but it just doesn’t feel right. Marcellus also looks worried, and he is someone I rarely ever see flustered or concerned.
He is another that has appeared to be quite distant recently, very much distracted. I’m pretty sure I saw him being much more elusive in answering questions about the scrolls, almost like he was trying to be actively disinterested. No one else sensed this, I think I’ll talk to Elric about it.
Joyce has been playing on my mind, too, with all of the above, this Horseman, the rumours of some of the gods of lore getting involved in this war, I’m amazed I’m still sane. But… I think the fact Joyce is there calms me, she helps me focus by reminding me of the purpose of all of this insanity. And that is to keep this realm safe, to keep the ones we love… safe.
I’m scared of one thing, ever since Kazmagus has returned; I’ve felt something…, something dark. I get flashes of strange images in my dreams. I see Kazmagus there, an angel, a demon and someone else that I can’t quite make out. They stand over me, chanting something, strange words that make no sense.
I’ve tried to look at the books, and some of the scrolls in the tomb, but nothing can explain this. I need to have words with Kazmagus when he is more stable, I need to find out what all of this means.
I’ve tried to find out more about my biological parents, the ones that Sima, from the projection crystal that Elric showed us last year worked for, before they were killed by Alvarez, but there is nothing. It’s as if they never existed, or they’ve been erased. You’d think, as parents to the Chosen One, there would be more information littered about.
Too many questions, and not enough answers… It almost feels like how it was when I first discovered this Majjai world. I long for the day when things are calm; I truly hope they come soon.
Atticus Jones
Chapter 33
Shezmu’s Lair
“Olof, I think we’ve found something that smells worse than your socks,” Ju Long quips as he steps through a murky corridor.
The ground here is different. It is not the cold hard rock one would think to find deep underground, no, the air here is moist and humid. The surface is soft as they take their steps, as if the moisture in the air here keeps it supple.
The only light is that from a small fireball that Safaya is levitating, instructed to not spread it out too far so they can at least command some modicum of surprise. It glistens against the rippled grain of the stone walls as a thin, veil-like mist hovers a few inches above the ground, snaking through the narrow pathways.
Atticus takes the lead, trying to be strong; he is almost mesmerized by the strange mist but is careful not to take in too much of the air and retch at the horrid, putrid smell that is greeting his and his companions’ nostrils. “What is that smell?”
Khan chuckles, “Well, if Shezmu and his spawn have been locked in here for all this time, I would suspect that this foul stench is most likely due to that.”
“Spawn?” asks Joyce.
“Yes, Shezmu’s followers used the remains of their egg sacks to create our restraints, do you not recall their leader’s comments?” answers Olof.
“No! I do not!” Joyce replies angrily. She searches her pockets, pulls out a small bottle of anti-bacterial sanitizer, and quickly rubs it over her hands and wrists before handing it to Safaya and Pali.
Atticus stares. “What about the guys?”
Joyce sticks her tongue out at him. “Slugs, snails, puppy dog tails. You boys will be fine.”
Joseph holds his chest for a moment. “I feel a little tingle now, I think we are getting closer. This Shezmu fellow must have some sort of way to sense the Amethyst – I can feel him searching.”
Atticus steps over to have a look. “You really do not want him in your head; he tried to get into mine when the bus crashed, he is strong.”
“But you’re stronger Atticus. The only thing holding you back is your doubt. I’ve raised you as well as I can, and your mother, too, rest her soul. But we always knew – you are so strong.”
Khan stops abruptly up ahead. “Shh! Quickly, everyone, to me, and quietly.”
The Majjai and Joseph gather swiftly and silently behind Khan.
Atticus moves to Khan’s side, to try to see what he sees. “What is it?” he whispers.
Khan faces the group as they huddle. “The pyramid is around this corner, along with Shezmu. We must formulate a plan. Atticus?”
“Agreed, but first we need to know exactly what we are up against. Ju Long, can you use your invisibility to scope the numbers and locate the pyramid entrance?”
Ju Long nods and flies into the air as he changes from seen to unseen while the others watch.
Joyce spots Pali, looking a little concerned. “Don’t worry, he’ll be just fine. And if he gets caught he’ll just annoy Shezmu to death.”
Pali smiles and returns an appreciative nod to Joyce, taking comfort in her confidence that Ju Long will be ok; she almost lets out a giggle picturing him jabbering away non-stop at the Egyptian demon.
Atticus continues. “We do not know much about the pyramid, what’s inside it or where the scrolls are. Pali, you have scanning equipment on your arm modification right?”
Pali nods. “Yes, I can extrapolate a three-dimensional hologram based on the structure, but I’ll need to be inside.”
“Great,” replies Atticus. “Take Joyce and Safaya with you; watch for any structural irregularities. Joyce can protect you all with her shields; Safaya, you can take full command of the elements inside, and as you know the most about history and are by far the greatest of us at solving puzzles, if you come across any, do what you do best.” Atticus sends a quick glance towards Khan, hoping he approves of the plan, and also as a thank you for giving him the chance to formulate it.
“Impressive Atticus, I would have suggested the same,” says Khan. “We will take on Shezmu and whatever Ju Long reports back with on…”
Before Khan can finish, Ju Long materialises back into view, “Well, that was interesting, and a little bit scary.”
“What did you see?” asks Olof.
“Shezmu. He is huge, and he has about one hundred or so flying falcon-type monsters guarding him from above and about three hundred or so reptile-like lion-looking monsters on the ground. But that wasn’t the weirdest thing.”
Atticus, thinking that what Ju Long had already described was strange enough presses him for more. “Go on, what else did you see?”
Ju Long looks towards Pali. “Your Mecha Knight pals, Sameer and Simaska, they are alive, and standing guard next to Shezmu, but dressed like the Horseman, cloaked and looking not very friendly.”
“The traitors,” says Pali. “So they faked the charred remains. They must have been turned into heralds for the Horseman. I always knew Sameer craved power, but Simaska – we trained together since I was a child, how could she?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll take them down and try to keep them for questioning, they must have been the ones that let the demons into the Manor when Kazmagus was captured,” says Atticus.
“It won’t be easy, both are very skilled,” Pali pauses and looks sternly towards Ju Long. “Wait, you said they were cloaked, but did they still have their Mecha Knight forehand attachments? And were their eyes closed?”
Ju Long nods. “Yes, but, how did you know?”
“We need to move now! They were scanning the area.”
Ju Long laughs. “I was out of phase, they couldn’t see me…”
A massive blast of energy strikes Khan in the back.
“Arrgghhh!” he screams, but recovers quickly and turns to see Sameer and Simaska standing on a rock plinth above them.
Sameer grins. “Multi-phase scanners, you fool. Do you think the Mecha Knights limit themselves to a single dimension? We see past the singular, limited view of other Majjai. We aspire to see a greater spectrum.”
“You lost the right to be called Mecha Knights when you betrayed my brother and murdered our friends!” shouts Pali. “You must both pay!”
Simaska laughs at Pali. “You silly little girl, do you think we were turned? We were always with the Horseman. He has been planning this for a very, very long time. But now, it really is time for you all to die.”
The two heralds begin to open their mouths wide, their jaws drop lower and their skin grows pale. Their eyes turn a solid black and their bodies grow, their cloaks tearing away as they transform into a pair of half-humanoid and half-horse-like creatures. Once the transformation completes they hover off the ground and speak in unison.
“We are the Heralds of the Horseman. We are Reckoning. We bring the End of Days. We are Reaper. We are Death. We are Vengeance. We are Conquest. We are Famine. We are War!!”
Ju Long sees the Heralds prepare an attack aimed straight at Pali, and acts quickly. “Well, I am Drakor! Dragonheart! Horse-eater!” he slams his fists into the ground and transforms into his dragon form in mere seconds.
The other Majjai only just manage to get out of the way as Ju Long flaps his giant wings, rises, and grabs the Heralds, throwing them with immense force against the rock face, sending them crashing into the ground under a pile of rubble.
The others look at him, eyes and mouths’ agape.
“Do not worry, I’m in control.”
Atticus smiles, “Great. New plan: let’s go get those damn scrolls!”
As Atticus finishes his sentence a loud wail begins to ring around the cavern. The mist at their feet swirls violently as if displaced by a thousand steps.
Khan shouts loudly. “They’re coming!” He points to the sky as the falcon demons soar into view.
Atticus looks towards Pali, Joyce, and Safaya, “Go, now, get to the pyramid. We will join you when we can.”
Joyce nods and creates a shield sphere containing herself, Safaya and Pali. She then super speeds them, rolling the sphere as fast as possible to the pyramid.
“Watch out Atticus!” shouts Joseph as he spots a pair of the falcon demons swoop down to attack his son. Without thinking he points his fists in their direction and lets out a giant purple blast of energy, disintegrating the monsters instantly. “Wow! That was amazing.”
“Dad!” shouts Atticus. “You mustn’t! I want you to keep safe.”
“That’s twice I’ve saved you in one day son. I’m joining this fight. We can talk about the rest later!”
Before Atticus can reply Shezmu’s spawn attack, from the ground and the air.
Olof sends spears of ice followed by a huge frozen shield to slow their progress, “Enough talking! We need to fight these things off to get to Shezmu. Hurry!”
Khan pulls out his sabre and energises it before running headfirst into the horde, slicing and punching away. He quickly cuts a swathe through the enemy ranks and jumps into the air calling out to Olof. “A lift please?” he asks as he starts to drop to the ground.
Olof creates a downward arc of ice then shapes it upwards.
Khan makes good use of it and slides down before using his momentum to launch himself high and deep into the reptilian lions.
Ju Long swoops through the air, burning as many of the falcon demons as he can, soaring in and out around the cavern roof’s many massive stalactites.
Atticus tries to stick as close as possible to his dad, but Joseph seems to be able to take care of himself, shooting blasts of purple energy into the attacking enemy; he tries to get closer to him, but a pack of the lion demons surround him and drive him back. Atticus fires a barrage of fireballs at them and takes out his sword to slice any that make it through. He turns and swings, dodging the attacks and returning blows back with great force.
Slowly but surely the quintet edge towards the pyramid.
# # #
Joyce holds her hand up indicating the others to be silent. Ahead of her stands Shezmu, guarding the main entrance of the pyramid. In the chaos of the demon’s spawn rushing toward the other Majjai, the girls managed to sneak in behind using the sphere.
Shezmu is indeed as huge as Ju Long described, standing almost as tall as Razakel. His head resembles a scaly lion, while the rest of his body is humanoid, partly covered in feathers and partly in a reptilian-like skin. His muscles ripple and glisten in the low light now flickering around the chamber.
The trio step silently but also as quickly as they can, they climb the first few stones, taking them to the same level as the entrance and move in slowly, trying to disguise any noise they make behind Shezmu’s deep and heavy breathing.
Once they are inside, Pali taps a few buttons on the panel on her arm triggering a flashlight to morph upwards, it projects a light forwards and upwards, illuminating the innards of this ancient Egyptian tomb.
“Can you run the scan?” asks Joyce. “We really do not want to be in here too long if we can help it.”
“Yes, it’s running now, but so far it hasn’t found a single trap. Isn’t that a little strange for an Egyptian tomb?”
Safaya frowns, and places a hand on her chin, thinking, “You know, everything I’ve read of this Shezmu details him to be quite egotistical. It could be he thinks he is defence enough… Arrrggghhhhhh!”
The three step onto a loose piece of stonework which tilts under their feet and sends them sliding downwards.
Joyce acts quickly, creating a shield beneath them just in time; any slower and they would have been victim to a pit of upward-pointing spikes .
Safaya looks at the other two. “Ok, so maybe I was wrong about that.”
Pali stands and holds up the 3D hologram her arm device has now created. “Can you create some shield steps to take us up there?” she asks as she points up to what looks like an opening.
“Of course,” Joyce replies, changing the shape of her glowing blue energy shield to resemble a staircase. She leads the way up as Pali and Safaya follow.
Once they get to the entrance and step inside, Joyce sends through a small fireball that Safaya uses to light the uneven stone-walled corridor.
“Well, it does look like that is the only trap, but it’s a long walk to this opening here. It’s the only other chamber in the entire structure – the scrolls must be there,” says Pali as she points to a section inside the hologram.
Safaya and Joyce agree and follow Pali through the tunnel as they continue their search.
Chapter 34
Distractions Distractions
Mage Callan maintains his stance as a tiny bead of sweat begins to trickle down his left temple. Even in his Destructor form, Alvarez is no match for both himself and Elric.
The demon tries to combat Elric again, who is still transfigured into a large number of interconnected rocky boulders, and the master Majjai simply knocks Alvarez flat back to the ground.
Mage Callan sends a follow up blast of energy from his swords, shooting Alvarez even further back. “Why are you playing games, Alvarez? Your powers have weakened in this realm, does your master starve you?”
Alvarez simply turns and smiles at Mage Callan. “Yes, you are right, I shall leave you with your hollow victory.” The demon then turns and runs away from the battlefield.
Mage Callan is puzzled, even though he and Elric were definitely too much for him to handle, Alvarez is usually a much more difficult opponent to deal with than what they just experienced. He turns to his fri
end who has now come to his side. “That did not feel right, Elric. He is up to something, I am sure of it.”
“I agree, old friend, but first we need to deal with these other demons, they keep pouring through. And I could have sworn I saw Herensugue also, but that snake also appears to have left the battlefield.”
“We need to get those portals shut down, but how? The Horseman?” asks Mage Callan, as he stops a Screamer charging towards him.
“No, it is Shezmu. He is controlling the portals. And I’ve been unable to open any more; he must have found a way to block all but his own.” Elric ducks just in time as a Graigon attempts to pummel him into the sand. He returns the favour by sending a stone fist into the monsters gut, throwing it into the air to come crashing back down to the ground. “It’s up to Atticus and the others now, we can only aid them by holding the demons here.”
“Well, things are a darn sight easier with Kazmagus keeping the Horseman busy, anyone trying to get involved in that is just downright insane. I can feel the impact of their blows from here!” shouts Mage Callan, as another Screamer breaks away from their fight with the Mecha Knights. He deals with the monster quickly before he is distracted by Draconus flying closely overhead, swiftly followed by Professor Sprocking.
# # #
Professor Sprocking chases Draconus as they swoop low and high, dodging the stray fireballs heading upwards trying to break through the dark cloud barrier. “Come here Dragon! We have unfinished business!” the Professor screams while manipulating his blue energy to change direction as quickly as possible.
Draconus turns and lands, he opens his mouth and sends a giant stream of fire towards the Professor.
Professor Sprocking dodges the flame and protects himself from the heat with an energy shield. He tries to recover from his hastily altered trajectory, but it is too late and he lands in the sand. The Sword of Al Amir slips from his grasp and lands a few meters away from Draconus.
The dragon looks at the sword. “Ha! So, you search for all these years for the one sword that can kill me, and then you hand it to me on a plate? Your wife? What was her name again… I forget these trivial things… Whoever she was, she would be incredibly disappointed. Her fight was much stronger than yours. You, you are pitiful.” Draconus readies another blast of fire and launches it towards his enemy.