Secrets of the Fortress 'The Law'

by John Victor

  Evalle left the people and rushed in to see what was happening. The man that told her he could see the future, was convulsing and speaking gibberish, or so it sounded. Evalle could understand. She didn’t know how, but she could. SOMETHING IS GOING ON NOW. THE EVIL IS IN THE LAND. IT’S ONLY ONE. FIND IT NOW. ATTACK IT. YOUR BARRIER IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH! NATALIE! Evalle jumped as she heard the mention of Natalie. She knew she was not dreaming. She rushed outside the house, only to find the people fighting. It was a fierce battle.

  Evalle screamed with all her strength that the place shook and her voice echoed. The people looked at her in horror. Her voice remained the same. She could feel her powers. They were overwhelming. She looked at everyone. Had they gained her trust back? “This is the work of the evil ones. You shouldn’t give in to evil. Evalle looked at all of them. Who knows where Natalie is?” They all shook their heads.

  Evalle was mad at them. “The evil sorcerers have gained their way into our city. It’s only one of them, we have to find it and destroy it.

  The people were shocked. They were scared. They didn’t know what to do. They looked confused. The Evans’ looked worse. Evalle continued her speech as Jasper stared. Tears were almost dropping from his. He wondered if he had been a fool not to trust Evalle. “Natalie has been suffocated of magic. So I believe. That’s what they do.” Everyone shrieked. Theirs was not as loud as the scream that came from inside her house. They all heard it. Evalle sensed the evil magic. She knew it was close to her. She told the people to surround the house as she and Jasper walked in.

  * * *

  The sight in front of them was terrifying. Evalle had seen it in her dream. And it was the same one Natalie had explained to her. She hoped it was the only one that Austin had talked about. They couldn't have more. She was sure about the barrier. It couldn't have failed.

  She screamed inside of her as she noticed her mistake. Nothing was meant to go out of the barrier or else, a portal will be formed with the outside world. They had to quickly defeat the monster so they would not be found by those on the outside. Especially the evil sorcerers. They were not ready yet.

  Jasper was already fighting the beast. It was twisting and turning uncontrollably. Jasper was in its mind. Evalle knew she had to attack it physically. But, what was there to attack? Only darkness. It was by luck that it had been the type of evil creature that had a mind of its own. Or else, they would have been powerless against it.

  Evalle swept up her arm. Waves of light gushed through and into the creature. It yelled a deafening sound and bad breath oozed from its mouth, followed by maggots and flies. Evalle was disgusted. She used the power on it again.

  Evalle knew she was getting it right. She had not used the power since the time of Kujoo. But, there were no dark sorcerers then. Where had they come from? Darkness couldn't just come out of nowhere. Evalle realized that the creature had body, but it was a body without form.

  Evalle threw more lightning bolts at it. The men in the room were no longer frightened, but they all curled up in a corner of the room. Evalle almost laughed at them. It was a bad experience.

  Someone dashed into the house. Evalle looked back. Natalie was standing there. She gasped horribly. Evalle was shocked. "Where were you? What were you doing?"

  Natalie looked at the creature in terror. "I was fighting one of those." Jasper and Evalle were scared. They rushed outside. Everyone was still there. Jasper screamed. "The evil ones are coming in."

  Evalle instructed all of them to surround the city. It was better to prevent more from coming in than to fight the ones that were already inside. They could fight those ones later. Evalle stood in front of the exposed spot on the barrier.

  She intended to address everyone after the fight was over. They held their hands and she started chanting. The evil ones on the other side were trying to lash her back. Light glowed out of their skins and onto the barrier. The hole begun to close and they could hear the screams from the creature outside. Only the newborns were able to enter. And newborns were rare. They hardly gave birth. Hardly died.

  * * *

  Evalle gasped as she fell to the floor. She began to feed on her magic. She was exhausted. She was surprised that everyone did the same. It was a stressful morning and they knew they had just passed through a rigorous training exercise. They all went back to Evalle's house. Natalie apologized for being unreasonable.

  The eleven men were sitting there. On the floor. The people of the city had changed their minds. They all inquired of the type of powers the people possessed. Their countenance had changed immediately. Evalle felt at peace. Now she was sure they trust her.

  Evalle called the people together. She wanted to address them about the barrier. She told them the dangers of letting their magic wander off the barrier. They all nodded their heads.

  They still had all day of training. The exhaustion was obvious. Evalle had not given any of them a break. It was just the third day of the week and they had four more to go before they headed to the city.

  One of the eleven men, Caustus, had the power of forgery. Evalle thought of it as an amazing power. He wouldn't only forge the ring's outer appearance, but also the inner one. Evalle gave him her invisibility ring. She knew if they had to go to the city, they needed to be invisible.

  Evalle couldn't contain her joy when she tried on the first forged ring and it worked on her. She gave it to Jasper. She also planned on giving one to Natalie and the other seven people that were going to be following them. People she was yet to decide on.

  She took back her ring and told him to continue forging with the forged ring. Since he said it was possible. Evalle went to the other part of the city. The people were training vigorously. Were they training for the battle? Or training to be picked to go to the city. Evalle chuckled within herself.

  She walked out of the place and went to her own learning ground. She knew if there was still evil in the land, she would have sensed it. She wondered if that was what corrupted her people or something worse. Evalle brushed the thoughts off her mind and settled down to her training.

  Jasper was increasing in his powers. He was glad that his training ground was inside his house, unlike the others. He placed a cup on the table. He was determined to harness the power to control mindless beings, more like the ones he just encountered. He placed a cup on the table and began to stare. His gaze was fixed on the object, so was his mind. In his mind, the cup was raised up the table and floated in the air. When he opened his eyes, he heard a loud crash on the floor. The cup was broken. Jasper jumped. He was delighted. He picked up a wooden chair with his mind and open his eyes in time to watch the chair fall to the ground. His joy knew no bounds.

  CHAPTER 10

  Evalle got out if her bed earlier than usual. It was a surprise to her that the dream bed did not show her anything throughout the night. She stood up and combed her hair gently, forcing the knots to break lose. She looked at the wooden comb, almost a quarter of her hair was in its teeth. She gnarled and flung the comb atop her bed. Evalle remembered the events of the previous day. She prayed silently that nothing of such would happen. It was barely dawn and the day was going to be tedious, just like every other day of the week.

  Evalle walked to the bathroom and took her bath. The water was unusually warm. Evalle could see a bit of the ocean from her bathroom window. A distinct feature stood ahead of the ocean. Mountain. Evalle could barely see it, but she still enjoyed the view she was getting. She braided her lair and left the bathroom, letting her towel fall to the ground to reveal her sexy body features. She entered her room and gasped. She immediately ran back into the bathroom and shut the door. Someone was in her room.

  Evalle picked up the towel she left on the floor, regretting her actions. She opened the door slightly and peeped. Nothing was there. Just her bedroom. The same way she had left it before she went to have her bath. She walked into the room quietly, studying it. I saw him. I saw a man. It was definitely a man. I can’t be dreaming. No. I can’t
. she recalled what she saw. An exact replica of Justin, but he was backing her, so she couldn’t be sure. Blonde hair that had been dyed brown, handsome but rugged features. Muscles bursting out of every possible angle.

  Evalle knew it was not possible. She had not even been thinking of him. She gently put on her lacy bra and panties and headed for the sitting room. She was not expecting anyone, so she felt comfortable. She walked quietly into the kitchen and made some herbal tea. She really needed to calm her nerves. It was almost dawn and the chattering of the people had started. They were never silent when except when they were asleep and when they needed answers. Evalle rushed back to her room and put on a long purple gown. She left the tea in the kitchen when she remembered that they were Power eating.

  Germane and Douglas were still sleeping. She noticed they had not been eating the food she was offering them. Were they jealous of her diverted attention? She shrugged her shoulders. I will talk to them later. I’m sure they should understand. Evalle wore an oversized rubber pair of slippers and walked out of her house. The morning breeze was a blessing. She had never enjoyed it because of her grogginess every morning after waking up. But today, she was basking in its glory. She smiled and waved to the people that passed by at the other side of the road. She found peace.

  * * *

  Jasper woke up feeling excited. He had seen Natalie in his dream. The lady flipped her hair and winked at him. She was perfect in every way, but her face. It was good anyways. He still liked her. Loved her. But they just met. He could not even approach and hold her wrists. They were still acquaintances. He let the thought wander off on its own as he stretched and yawned. He was obviously tired. Living without natural food for days was exhausting yet refreshing. He tried to stand up from his bed.

  Jasper’s back hurt. So did his legs. It was awful. He tried to remember the events of the last day. Nothing he had done could have harmed him. He still remembered going to bed. Justin looked at the bed spread. It didn’t look like his. He looked around the room. He knew it was not his. He tried to stand up. He couldn’t even feel his legs. It was like they were not existing. He lay back on the bed. He wanted to escape. He let out a deafening scream. He needed someone to save him from the terror he was passing through.

  Jasper heard footsteps approaching the door. He thanked his stars. He hoped it was Evalle, or Natalie, or even one of the kind people of the magic land. His face turned sore as he saw what had entered the room. A beast-woman. The woman looked awfully horrible. She had six eyes. Each had different colors. She had a long tail that swung at the back of her head. It came from behind her abdomen. As she moved, bad breath and flies oozed around her. She picked one and threw it into her mouth. She possessed four breasts. Each one left alone to receive the blessing the atmosphere had to deliver.

  Jasper screeched. He wailed. He was paralyzed and there was nothing he could do. He didn’t remember ever crying throughout his lifetime. This time, he cried like a baby. Jasper grabbed the bed sheets tight. He gritted his teeth together. He knew his end had come, but what offence did he commit to deserve such cruel death? The beast-woman opened her mouth. Thousands of insects, particularly flies, oozed out and swarmed back in. Jasper vomited on the sheets. He caught site of something dangling between the woman’s thighs. Jasper gasped.

  Male Organs. It had male organs. Jasper couldn’t tell what kind of creature it was. He had never heard of it. The man-lady-beast, opened its mouth again. This time, it spoke. The voice sounded like a thousand voices infused into one. Jasper was horrified. As the words came out, so did the stench and the flies. Jasper covered his nose. He thanked God that his hands still functioned. God? God? Why would God watch me die this way? It’s not fair. He wailed. The woman’s voice brought him back to reality. “Tell Evalle that I am coming for her. It’s I, Titania, the most powerful Grizome that ever lived. You won’t like to mess with me. ‘Cos I’ll mess you up.”

  But how will I see Evalle? He shrieked in fear.

  * * *

  Natalie jerked out of bed. Her nightmare was sending chills down her spine. She could see chaos everywhere. No! No! No! This is not happening! Not again. Natalie recalled the nightmares she was having while in prison. It followed her here. She wailed as she removed her clothes from her body and walked into the bathroom. She knew it was not going to be easy. She didn’t want to lose any of her friends. Evalle, Jasper, Caustus. . . She walked out of the bathroom fully clothed.

  Natalie was so distracted that she didn’t know that she carried new sets of clothes with her to the bathroom. She walked downstairs. Her parents were pacing in the sitting room. Her brother was sitting on a chair. He appeared to be lose in thoughts. They all stared at her in surprise as they noticed her walk into the kitchen. Relieve flooded their faces. “Where did you go? You left your body. You were dead.” Her mother asked, running over to her side.

  Natalie understood exactly what was going on. It always happened when she was having that particular nightmare. It alarmed the prisoners and guards that they once almost disposed her body. Only if she had not woken up. She clasped her hands firmly to her side. Heavy bags were under her eyelids. She managed to keep them open. “I don’t know what happened to me. I don’t understand anything anymore.” She knew what was happening. She had to lie. She could not tell her parents, or else they would find an excuse to back out. She knew she could fix it, and she had to do it fast.

  Her father came to her and threw her a big hug. He was trying to soothe her. She wasn’t enjoying a bit of it. She wanted badly to be alone. But she knew they wouldn’t leave her. Not until she said she was okay. She let herself rest in her father’s arms as she closed her eyes. She saw herself moving over to Jasper and throwing him a tight hug, promising him that everything would be alright.

  Natalie opened her eyes. They felt heavy. The sacs seemed to have swollen beneath. She saw herself on her bed and realized she either slept in her dad’s arms, or had been dreaming in her dream. She wanted to confirm. She walked to the sitting room, no one was there. It looked like no one had been there since the time they retired to their rooms the previous evening. Natalie marched to the direction of her parent’s room. She didn’t find them there. She checked her brother’s room. He wasn’t there. She walked back to the living room. Her parents were pacing and her brother was sitting on a chair. Natalie collapsed.

  * * *

  Jasper gasped as he jumped up from the bed. It was soaked in sweat. He was shivering but his body temperature was high. He realized that he had been in a trance. He knew he had to warn Evalle. Why would anyone want to hurt her? He saw her as an angel. He let his shaky legs carry him to the living room where he sat down. He felt slight pain in his back and legs, but definitely better than when he had been with Titania.

  Jasper walked back into the room. He snickered as he tried to hold back a tear but failed. Why was everything happening at the same time they wanted to get their freedom? Jasper knew it was going to be a hell of a war. He vowed never to leave Evalle nor Natalie alone. He went to the bathroom. He didn’t waste time in having his bath. There were crucial matters he had to attend to. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stand the sight of Evalle crying. Or Natalie. He released the door bolt and entered his room.

  Jasper walked to the front door and opened it. He looked outside. The place seemed to be busy with people moving all around the place, practicing magic of all sort. Jasper was not interested. He had his breakthrough the previous night and was going to take a break. Even though he was still going to Power feed. He couldn’t see Evalle’s house from his own, but he could sense her presence. He knew she was not far away. Jasper walked in slow steps because of the way his legs began to hurt. He knew Titania had hurt him.

  * * *

  Evalle walked back into her house. She was reluctant to leave, but the sun was already hot and there was no use in burning one’s skin, just because of the nice breeze. She changed to her practice clothes, wondering why she had worn something else the previous time
. It was an eerie feeling that brought her back to her state of mind. She knew it was not a good feeling. She smelt something bad. Nausea hit her. She wanted to puke. Something was not right. The stench was getting stronger. Evalle dashed out of her house and ran to her training ground.

  She knew she had to practice on teleportation. Danger loomed everywhere and Evalle could sense it. The people of the city also looked tense, like something had happened to them overnight. Evalle couldn’t figure out what was happening. Her gut told her she had to do something. Her body and mind were reluctant, not knowing what to do. Evalle thought of Natalie. She let her mind slip of her as she fell to the ground in a posture of deep meditation. She learnt how to do that, the day before.

  Evalle’s mind wandered. She looked at the body she left behind. She could see the whole city from where she stood. She felt someone approaching. She quickly slipped back into her body.

  CHAPTER 11

  Jasper could see Evalle in her training ground. She was sitting, legs crossed on the floor. The same position she always kept herself in when she was training. He didn’t know if he should disturb her. It was a very urgent situation. The wind around her was strong with magic, Jasper acknowledged as he continued moving towards her. He thought of Natalie. He had not seen her nor felt her presence since he came out of the house. It was eerie.

  Before Jasper could touch Evalle on her shoulder, she turned back and looked at him. He watched as her eyes changed from black to its normal color. He had seen nothing of such before. Evalle looked at him and smiled. “What’s wrong? Why the august visit?”

  Jasper was scared to tell her of the frightening experience he had just encountered. He did not want to endanger her life. He knew he would be doing her more harm than good if he didn’t disclose it to her in time. “I have something important to tell you.”