Monster War

by Dean Lorey

  Within moments, General Dagget rushed through the portal, followed by two Banishers from the Nightmare Division. The tall man glanced around, quickly assessing the situation. His gaze settling on Brooke’s horrible disfigurement. He struggled to conceal his revulsion.

  “I see the girl has sacrificed.”

  “Yes, ‘the girl’ has sacrificed,” Brooke said, moving towards him. “And thanks for calling me ‘the girl’ and not something more appropriate like ‘the frog’.”

  William grunted dismissively. He turned to Theodore. “Are you OK, son?”

  “Definitely. What’s up, Dad? Cool outfit! Nice medals.” His eyes widened in surprise. “Wow - when did you make General?”

  William surveyed him with clinical detachment then turned to the Smith. “Has my son sacrificed as well?” The Smith nodded. “He has lost all memory of the boy who was once most - crooooak! - IMPORTANT to him.”

  William seemed relieved. “Good. Time will show it’s for the best.” He flashed Charlie an angry glance. “The boy he once knew has brought him nothing but pain. He is better left forgotten.”

  “Who are you talking about?” Theodore asked.

  “No one, son.”

  No one.

  Maybe it is for the best, Charlie thought. Maybe William was right. Theodore would probably be happier now that Charlie was no longer a part of his life. He would certainly be safer. Heck, they all would be.

  “You may now take the GIRL, General,” the Smith said, gesturing to Violet. “She has agreed to SACRIFICE the thing most valuable to her…and that is her BANISHING ability. She must - crooooak! - be REDUCED.”

  The word hung in the air with terrible finality. For months, Director Drake had screamed for their Reduction and yet they had always managed to escape the barbaric procedure - but now the war against the monsters of the Nether, as well as the safety of the entire planet, seemed to depend on Violet sacrificing herself to the very thing they had struggled so hard to avoid.

  “You might call it a sacrifice,” William said to the giant frog, “but, at the Nightmare Division, we simply call it justice. The girl chose exile, which banned her from getting involved in the Monster War under penalty of Reduction.” He gestured to the Sword of Sacrifice as it glittered in the amber crystal. “I’d call this getting pretty involved, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yeah,” Violet said with a huff. “Trying to save the world. What a crime.”

  “There’s a right way to do things, young lady, and a wrong way. You chose wrong.”

  “I stood up for my friends. I protected them. When have you ever protected anyone but yourself?”

  William grimaced. “It’s all black and white to you, isn’t it? That’s youth talking. When you get older, you’ll realise the world is not so simple.”

  “That’s only because of people like you and the Director.”

  “ENOUGH of this babbling,” the Smith croaked. “It is TIME. Take her now.”

  No, Charlie thought. Please…no…

  “For what it’s worth,” William said to Violet with just the slightest hint of compassion, “the procedure is completely painless. When it’s over, you won’t even know what you’ve lost.”

  “Like Theodore?”

  “Yes, in fact. Theodore is happy now that he doesn’t have the temptations and distractions of that ‘other’ one rolling around in his head.” He turned to his son. “Aren’t you?”

  Theodore shrugged. “I guess so.”

  “Soon you will be certain.” The General squeezed his son’s shoulder reassuringly with a large, calloused hand.

  Violet shook her head in something like amazement.

  “Wow. I keep expecting you to reveal some hidden agenda to explain why you’re being so horrible. I mean, after all, you’re Theodore’s father - you can’t really be this way, can you? But you are. There’s no secret, noble reason you’re acting like this. You’re just a really bad guy.”

  “I understand that you’re upset. At your age, I probably would have been as well. You may find this hard to believe, but I have Banished all my life and the ability has brought me nothing but pain. Be thankful you’re soon going to be rid of it.”

  “You’ll forgive me if I don’t send a thank-you note.”

  Charlie continued to be amazed by how strong and determined Violet had become. It was hard to reconcile the girl in front of him with the Violet he had met just six short months ago - the Violet who only wanted to draw dragons and be left in peace. She was a dragon herself now.

  “So how are we going to do this?” William asked. “The easy way…or the hard?”

  Violet glared at him. “When have I ever done anything the easy way?” She swung her axe at the General.

  William, startled by the suddenness of the attack, barely managed to sidestep the blow, falling to one knee. With practised grace, he drew his sword and parried her second strike, while the other two Banishers behind him rushed at Violet, tackling her.

  “What are you doing?” Theodore shouted. “Don’t hurt her!”

  “She won’t be hurt,” William replied, “if she stops fighting!”

  It took all three adults almost a minute to wrench the axe from Violet’s hands and bind her arms behind her. Finally, she stopped struggling. “I’m not going to fight any more. I’m done. I just wanted to make you work for it.”

  William pulled her to her feet. “I respect that. Truly.” He handed her to the Banishers. “Now take her to the Division and tell the doctors to begin the procedure immediately. And be careful. She bites.”

  The Banishers nodded. They each grabbed an arm and pulled Violet towards the open portal.

  “See you, Charlie,” she said, looking back over her shoulder. “You get that sword and you get this done, you hear me? You kill the Fifth for me.”

  “I will,” Charlie whispered, his heart breaking.

  The Banishers pulled Violet roughly into the Nightmare Division and out of sight.

  CHAPTER TWELVE THE FINAL TURN IS TAKEN

  Charlie began to feel his arms and legs again as the paralysis wore off. They burned as if stung by hornets.

  That’s nothing compared to what Violet is about to go through, he thought. Bring on the pain. I deserve it.

  Rex had been right - the quest for the sword required suffering, far more than he had ever imagined necessary. But was it all worth it? While Charlie contemplated the depth of his debt to his friends, Theodore, whose sacrifice made him falsely believe that he was friendless, turned to his father.

  “I want to go with you. I don’t really know anyone here. Can I come to the Division too?”

  William seemed pleased by his son’s request. “Of course.”

  “Take the GIRL as well,” the Smith said, nodding to Brooke. “Her part in this is FINISHED.”

  “Gladly.” William pointed his longsword at Charlie and then added, almost casually, “And I will be taking Charlie Benjamin with me too.”

  “WHAT?” The Smith seemed genuinely surprised. “The boy is under MY watch now. He seeks the SWORD.”

  “He is a fugitive who has breached the terms of his exile. By order of Director Drake, he is to be Reduced along with the girl.”

  “What you and DIRECTOR DRAKE do with Charlie Benjamin AFTER he leaves my protection is of no CONCERN to me!” the Smith thundered. “You can - crooooak! - boil his bones for all I care. But for now, the boy is MINE.”

  William stepped towards the frog. The air grew electric with danger. “Be careful, Smith,” the General said, raising his two-handed sword. “You once helped me create this weapon and, for that, I am grateful to you…but not enough to stop me from using it to chop off your slimy head.”

  “You mean before I TOUCH you?”

  William cast a nervous look at Brooke’s ruined face.

  She smiled back at him. “Go on, piss off the frog. You’ll - crooooak! - love the result, trust me.”

  The Banisher looked as though he wanted to reply, but finally thought better
of it. He turned to Charlie. “We’ll meet again. You can’t escape your judgement for ever.” Then he strode towards the portal, gesturing for Brooke and Theodore to follow. “Come.”

  “Goodbye, Charlie…” Brooke said, looking at him one last time. “And good luck.” She stepped through the portal.

  Theodore, lagging a couple of steps behind, turned back to Charlie. “My name’s Theodore by the way. Last name Dagget. Not Dagger, Dagget, with a t.” He smiled. “I know it may seem kind of crazy, but I’ve got a good feeling about you. I think we’re going to be best friends.”

  Theodore nodded firmly as if that sealed the deal, then he strode through the portal and into the Nightmare Division. Moments later, the portal closed behind him, leaving Charlie Benjamin alone with the Smith.

  “It is DONE,” the creature growled. “Your friends have - crooooak! - stood TRUE. You are LUCKY.”

  I don’t feel lucky, Charlie thought. I feel like someone who has just cost his best friends the most important things in their lives.

  The pain in his arms and legs was beginning to subside a little. He couldn’t move yet - not much, anyway - but he was definitely feeling a little better and he thought it wouldn’t be too long before movement was possible.

  The Smith hopped over to the giant crystal in the very centre of the cavern that housed the sword. Closing its eyes tightly, the creature stroked the gleaming facets of the gem, mumbling darkly - Charlie couldn’t make out what exactly. As the Smith’s muttering intensified, light began to pour from the crystal. Then, with a loud crack, it fractured down the centre and shattered into a thousand pieces. The sword remained in the air, turquoise light illuminating it from within.

  “The Sword of Sacrifice is YOURS, boy!” the Smith said. “Come and CLAIM it!”

  Rex had gambled with his life and lost.

  As the crushing pressure from Pinch’s fist built on his body, the cowboy could dimly see bright, purple flashes throughout the Academy.

  Portals, he thought as he began to drift into unconsciousness.

  Kids are escaping, but how many?

  And did the Headmaster get out with them?

  And how about Tabitha?

  And then he had another, stranger thought.

  Why do I have enough time to think all these thoughts? Shouldn’t I be dead already?

  And that was when he noticed something odd happening to Pinch’s head. One side of it was collapsing, like a giant balloon deflating. In fact, Pinch’s entire body appeared to be folding in on itself - his massive chest caved in as his long, antlike legs buckled and then crumpled to the ground.

  “What’s happening?” Pinch growled as the brilliant red colour leached from his skin. His right fist continued to shrink along with the rest of him and soon Pinch could hold Rex no more. With a shout, the cowboy plummeted through the air and slammed into the soft, warm sand. Grunting with effort, he struggled to his feet and turned to discover that he was now standing next to a small, dazed, thirteen-year-old boy.

  Pinch had reverted to his previous form.

  “Well, ain’t this a pleasant surprise…” Rex said, grinning.

  The fear in Pinch’s eyes was unmistakable. Without a word, he backed away, snapping open an escape portal behind him.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rex continued in his best, calming voice. “No need to rush off. Now I know we’ve had our differences, what with you just tryin’ to kill me and all, but I say let bygones be bygones. You ain’t a monster, Pinch - you’re just a fella, like me. Let’s start fresh.”

  Pinch shook his head. “How stupid do you think I am? That’s a trick, Rexford. I know you too well.”

  “Honest to goodness,” Rex said, putting his hand over his heart. “Look, it ain’t exactly like we’re blameless on our end. I mean, everyone in the Nightmare Division hates us - heck, they got us in exile. See, we’re renegades, just like you. Now let’s stop this silliness and band together.” Rex nodded to the Nightmare Academy. “Tabitha is with the Headmaster in her study right now. What say you and me go up there together and we hash this thing out like men?”

  Rex offered his hand. Pinch stared at it with something close to longing.

  “Pinch,” Rex said kindly. “You ain’t a monster. You’re family. Come join us.”

  For a moment, Rex actually thought that Pinch might take his hand - but then a darkness passed over the bitter man’s face.

  “Never!” he shouted, then turned and leaped through the portal and into the Nether.

  “The boy still lives?” the Queen of Nightmares shrieked, her voice echoing down the shiny spirals of the massive shell she called home. “If he lives, then you have failed! You miserable, weak, filthy HUMAN!”

  Pinch couldn’t help but tremble in the face of her terrible fury. The few Nethercreatures remaining in the throne room quickly scuttled away to escape her wrath.

  “I beg your forgiveness,” Pinch pleaded. “I thought I had found Benjamin at the Nightmare Academy but, before I could confirm it, I changed back to…this.” He gestured to his own frail body with disgust. “A miserable, weak, filthy human - like you just said.”

  The Queen of Nightmares strode towards him on her long, red legs. Her silver hair flashed on her head like a crown. “Do not presume to think you can appease me with your grovelling! I gave you a gift, a magnificent new body, and yet you failed to use it to do the one simple thing I asked of you! Kill the boy, I said! And you did NOT!”

  Pinch kept his head bowed low. “I have no excuse…”

  “Of course you don’t! Do you think it is easy to do what I do? I have summoned enough Golems to tear this planet apart, and each time I summon one, it exacts upon me a horrific price! I have grown weak from my destruction and I ask only that you kill one boy while I conquer an entire world! My dark deeds have not spared me even a moment to replenish myself from the Slumber and yet you fail me in the most basic—”

  Then, to Pinch’s shock, the Queen of Nightmares stumbled to one knee.

  Half a world away, in Australia, a Water Golem tearing apart the magnificent clamshell façade of the Sydney Opera House exploded in a massive spray. As people watched in horror, it rained back down into the waves along Bennelong Point. Back in the heart of the giant nautilus shell, the Queen looked up at Pinch with venom in her eyes. “There! Are you happy! I have just lost a Golem because of you! I don’t have enough strength to maintain the hundreds that I have created and keep the fires of my fury burning - a fury that is due solely to your miserable, human incompetence!”

  “I will not fail you again,” Pinch said, desperate to calm her. “Before I lost my monstrous form, I was at the Nightmare Academy. I thought Benjamin might have returned there to reunite with the Headmaster. He values her counsel and they’re both Double-Threats, so I thought—”

  “What did you say?” the Queen interrupted. “Who is a Double-Threat along with the boy?”

  Pinch seemed taken aback by the question. “The Headmaster of the Nightmare Academy. In fact, she’s one of the most powerful—”

  “Take me to her.”

  “Right now?” Pinch asked, his voice trembling.

  “This instant. I’ve no time to lose.”

  “Of course, my lady.”

  With a shaking hand, Pinch opened a portal.

  The walk across the cavern that held the Sword of Sacrifice was torturous, but Charlie forced his protesting body to obey. It was like moving through tar and his arms and legs felt as if they were being pierced with steel needles. Although the pain was immense, he knew it was nothing compared to what his friends had given up to allow him to make this epic journey of twenty steps.

  “GRASP it!” the Smith said as soon as Charlie was within reach of the weapon. “Make it your OWN! WIELD it!”

  Charlie reached out…and grabbed the sword.

  As soon as he touched it, its power thrummed through him and his entire body felt like a live wire conducting a current. The pain of the paralysis disappeared and was replac
ed by a feeling of strength - strength and confidence. Charlie held the sword aloft and was surprised to discover that it seemed to weigh no more than a grain of sand.

  “You feel POWERFUL?” the Smith asked.

  Charlie nodded.

  “You feel - crooooak! - INVINCIBLE?”

  “Yes.”

  Charlie waved the sword through the air - tentatively at first, then with more vigour. Turquoise sparks trailed behind it like fireworks.

  “Yes, I do! I feel…unstoppable. I feel like I can take on the world!”

  The Smith grinned with dark delight.

  “You must have PATIENCE, boy. The sword is GLORIOUS, yes, but it is not yet CHARGED. You must bring it to the Netherforge, boy. Plunge it into the well in the centre, where the MAGMA bubbles, so that it can - crooooak! - draw power from the CORE! Only THEN will it be strong enough to SLAY the FIFTH! Go NOW, boy! Go to the FORGE.”

  To the creature’s great surprise, Charlie shook his head. “Maybe later. I have something else I have to do first.”

  “WHAT? What could be MORE important than destroying the creature that’s destroying your WORLD?”

  “Saving my friends. Saving Violet before she’s Reduced.” Charlie grimaced. “Before I’m done, everyone’s going to get what’s coming to them.”

  He opened a portal into the Nightmare Division.

  “Beware…” the Smith croaked. “Vengeance is a DISEASE. It will ROT you. It will RUIN you.”

  Charlie shrugged. “Maybe. But there’s another disease that’s been infecting the Nightmare Division and I’m going to get rid of it before it destroys us all.” He stared into the portal, his sword gleaming. “It’s time for Director Drake to get a taste of his own medicine. And once I’m done with him, I’m going to pay a little visit to the Fifth.”

  Then Charlie stepped through the portal and into the Inner Chamber of the Nightmare Division, into the place where his friend, Violet, was about to be subjected to horror beyond imagining - unless he could stop it in time.

  He didn’t plan to fail.

  “Finish portalling out the rest of the students,” the Headmaster said to Tabitha from the couch in her study. “Pinch may well return and we cannot take that chance.”