by P. G. Thomas
*******
The next morning, John was the first to rise. Wanting to talk to Gayne, he was uncertain if he had plans to go to the school. He found him on the patio, “I need a large platinum bracelet, the biggest you have.”
He pointed to his wrist, “They are all this size, as anything else would be— feminine.”
There was an urgency in John’s eyes and an authority in his hushed voice, “I don’t care!”
“We can see if Danex has one?”
“Let’s go.”
After they had gone to her house, explained what they needed, she brought out a selection. John instantly pointed to one that was three inches long, looking more like a bracer than a bracelet.
“It is very old and expensive,” but she named her price.
“Danex, my dear neighbor. That is three times what it is worth. John, tomorrow we will go visit my goldsmith, and have him make you exactly what you want.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You are not thinking of—” going with them.
“Yes, I am, so I need that.”
“Danex, I will return shortly with the price stated,” and she handed the jewelry to Gayne.
Once John had the desired item, he went immediately to his room, donned the cloak, and tasked the Magic. He first had it engrave a symbol on the bracelet, similar to the one inside of the cloak, in hopes that it would be a familiar anchor, and then he commanded the magic to embrace it. After a few minutes, he removed the cloak, pulled out a gold coin, and repeated the process to change it into a worthless metal. When he saw the dull metal coin, he once again pulled the weighty cloak over his shoulders, and sent more magic to its new home, wishing he had the same idea the last time.
*******
It was early evening when Ryan walked out onto the patio, looked at Lauren, “He loaded three more wagons onto his ship.”
Nodding in agreement, Eric had followed behind Ryan.
Lauren threw her wine glass against the side of the house, causing glass shards and wine to explode onto the patio, “How many is that?”
Steve walked out holding a mug of beer, “Almost a hundred. I’ve been keeping a tally from the mirrors.”
“Sons of a bitch.” Grabbing the bottle of wine on the table, Lauren took a long drink, and then spewed both her anger and unswallowed beverage at John. “WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?”
He wiped off his face, I don’t know. “We could sink the ship?”
Lauren shook her head, “One of my daughters could already be on it, and if we can’t find them in his house, I doubt we would be able to find them on it.” She shook her head, “Now it’s eleven Black Bastards against the five of us.”
“He only has ten,” replied John.
“I was including Zymse.”
Steve walked up to the table, setting his empty mug down in front of John, but out of Lauren’s reach. “I told you this would happen. When Panry stole his wolves, it put our scent in the air. His New Age whatever is empty, his trollmares mysteriously disappearing, and nobody wants to travel to the Newlands since they have plenty to eat here. In addition, I heard the thief guilds shut down his Midnight Sun, so nobody needs one of his brands for that. The icing on the cake, when he corrupts Sister, she somehow disappears.”
Lauren’s reaction was like a King Cobra, blindingly fast, “WHAT THE HELL WERE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT?”
Steve was like a mongoose, dodging her venomous outburst, “DAMN IT, I DON’T EFFING KNOW.” His voice went calm, “I was just stating the facts, and you might want to know that I saw a large well-guarded and heavy carriage arrive at his fortress today, which had the symbol of the Darkpaye bank on it.”
“Crap on a stick.” Lauren was looking for something to throw.
Having already grabbed and emptied the last of the honey wine into his goblet, John had set the bottle on the ground behind him, “Seriously, we sabotage the ship.”
Steve took a step back, “Even though nobody has put these pieces together yet, Zymse is calling you out. Six days to load a ship, he could’ve done it in one day. He’s putting on a show, but if he actually did withdraw his wealth from the bank, he’s telling you he’s getting bored with it. The best way for a rabbit to escape is to find out where the predator is.”
“What?” Zack looked to the left and right.
Steve shook his head, “In this case, that rabbit is actually a wolf. I’m telling you right now he feels the laser dot on his forehead, and it’s making him uncomfortable.” Even though Lauren’s eyes were closed, Steve could feel her anguished gaze. “Look we have a plan, but what we don’t have are choices.”
“Earth Mother, there has to be other options?” stated Jasmine.
“If he portals to the ship in the dark of the night and sets sail, we’ll never be able to find him. Everybody knows that if he leaves Calicon Mother will be unable to find my daughters. We don’t have a choice.” Panry, you and your Earth Guard to me. NOW!
It was a silent Earth Bond, but when the youngest member of the oldest line of Earth Guards heard it, he whispered a prayer to Mother and gathered his men. As he watched the last sun set, he hoped the one remaining light of hope would also not depart this world.
Gayne had followed a servant, who was pushing a cart that contained a small barrel with sixteen mugs. “The last keg of dwarf beer in the Bright Coast,” but nobody turned to meet the new liquid offering.
Behind him stood Mirtza, “What is wrong?”
“We’ve run out of time,” Ryan said, raising his hands to his eyes in hopes that nobody would see his tears.
Jasmine stomped her foot, “EARTH MOTHER, YOU CANNOT CONFRONT ZYMSE. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!”
The servant quickly retreated back inside. Lauren looked at Jasmine and then scanned the rest, “I don’t think we have a choice.”
John stood, his face flushed with anger, “NO! There has to be something else. You know what’s going to happen. Give Mother a few more days, and just let me stop the damn ship from sailing.”
“You said that four days past, but Steve is right.” Lauren walked up to the cart, poured herself a drink and returned to the table. “We’ve discussed a million ideas over the last few days, and not one of them floats, unlike Zymse’s ship.”
Eric leaned against the house, sliding down it until he was sitting on the patio, “There has to be—”
“We’ve tried everything we can, and nothing has worked. If he gets off the mainland, he’s smoke,” Steve said, heading back into the house.
Zack started to back up, “You guys—a few days ago, I thought you were pranking me. Sink the damn ship or cripple it because this plan is beyond stupid…”
As Lauren headed for the house, the soft words she spoke opened long forgotten wounds in most. “No, it’s time to start kicking in doors.”
Chapter 23
The next morning, when John went down the stairs, he could hear Panry pleading with Lauren and Ryan on the patio, so he headed into the study to talk with Steve. Seeing Eric placing the ebony jewel on the assembled set of dwarf forged plate mail, he waited for him to leave. “Steve, seriously, of all the birdbrain ideas—please make Lauren change her mind.”
His focus remained on the magic mirrors, “Panry has been through that house several times, or so he says, and he can’t find them. Zymse is using magic to hide them, or he could’ve them stashed anywhere in this crazy world. If he wasn’t loading that ship, then I would say wait for Mother, but with water under him and a stiff wind in his sails, he could go anywhere. There are only two people that know where the triplets are, and he’s one of them.”
“What happens if Zymse hasn’t seen a Bond film?” pleaded John. “What happens if he doesn’t talk?”
“Kid, trust me they always do. Just follow the plan.”
“Plan? Swiss cheese would be a better name for it. There are a million possibilities of what could go wrong with what you call a plan, but it’s the first four that worry me.”
“Ki
d, you’re not thinking of going are you?”
“Yes.”
“John, stay here and wait with me.”
“No, we’re a team, legends.”
Steve turned back to the mirrors, “You’re smart, you go convince her to wait.”
“Can’t we just sabotage the ship?”
“What happens if Mother takes another month to wake? Every time we move against him, he becomes more nervous like a cornered rat. Each day, a little bit more of the transmission fluid leaks out of his crazed brain, and when those gears start grinding metal, sparks will fly. At that point, there’s no guessing what he could do. You need to give him what he wants, as it’s the only way to end this.”
“I would’ve preferred if you had said ‘the only way to conclude this,’ because end is so final, and that’s what scares me. Still…”
“Think of this like an equation. Zymse is standing to the left of a subtraction sign. On the other side of it, everything he has tried to do over the last two months, which has gone wrong. What does it equal, Kid? If you ignore this challenge, the next plan from him will be worse, and you know it.”
Both felt a new presence in the room, and turning, they looked at the armor with the great sword sheathed to its back.
“While I never expected that, it’s part of the plan. When Zymse brings out the triplets, the portal opens, and we rush in to save the day.”
“I’m not worried about that day, just the ones that precede it,” replied John, heading to the front room.
Walking in from the patio, Panry approached Jasmine. “Determination she has, and I cannot change her mind.”
“Separation from daughters makes her mad. Can we not find an Earth Daughter, and administer a cure that will clear her mind?”
Panry sat down at the dining room table, “One like Zymse I have not met before, and Earth Guard preparation does not teach about matters complex. I would prefer to confront him, but with Earth Mothers three, he has many options, but she has only one.”
Jasmine turned her back, “I cannot permit this!”
“Morning Rose Huntinghawk was the first to mentor Earth Mother, and to Alron she gave him a special command. If Earth Mother walked into danger, she could not command us to safety, but you do not have that option, for if you disobey, her Earth Bond will ensure you compliance.”
As Jasmine wandered towards the front room, his sensitive deer ears heard the frustration in her voice; ‘This is a foul plan.’
When Lauren and Ryan heard the rest arrive in the dining room, she issued her Earth Bond and then headed to the stairs to change.
John blocked her way, “I’m going with you!”
“Stay, they didn’t give you anything to help—”
“I can take care of myself.”
“The Earth Bond, you can’t.”
“I’m not of this world, and if I was,” John rolled his eyes, “I’m an Earth Mother.”
“If I can’t stop you…”, then Lauren headed up the stairs.
Ryan looked at the group, “Nobody can talk us out of this. Days ago, you all agreed, hoping that this day would never arrive, but it has.” He looked at Eric and John, “If you want to stay behind, you can, and we would both understand. Those of you who want to join, you have to stay, as you already felt my wife’s Earth Bond, so you really don’t have a choice.” Then he called out to Jasmine, Panry, and Steve. “I want to discuss the plan with Lauren.” John and Eric also stood, but Ryan shook his head, “Just the end, as I want to make sure nothing goes wrong.” After the three had followed Ryan up the stairs, he knocked on the door, “Lauren, we need to talk about something.”
As the door closed, John walked past to his room. Once there, he quickly disrobed, pulling the bed sheets off the mirrors. Placing the large platinum bracelet on his wrist, he stood between his stale reflections. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on the glass, closed them, grasping his naked image, and pulled it from the mirror. As he did, the reflection of his arms started to wrap around his own, and then the head and torso pulled free, melding to him. Finally, his legs stepped forward and joined him. Stepping backwards, he reached out to the glass, repeated his actions, and felt the magic skin wrap around his body. When he looked into the mirrors, they were void of his reflections.
*******
Then four walked down the stairs: John wearing his first cloak, Eric holding the sword of the First Champion, Ryan with his Rock Wood clubs, and Lauren with the Core Wood. When they entered the front room, all of those present pleaded with their eyes for them not to go. Lauren, looking at the floor, pulled off the bracelet, dropped the amulet through, and stepped into the portal, followed by the three legends.
*******
On the other side of the portal, Lauren held out her hand so that each could select one of the gifts that Tranquil had given her, swallowing both.
She smiled at Ryan, placed the ivory crystal on his chest, “Issue the command, my love.”
“I’m issuing an executive order. Shut down. Do not engage until my three daughters are present.”
Lauren faced the fortress, “Before we go, I would like to thank you both, especially you John.” Then she headed towards the main entrance of the structure.
Behind her, Eric felt the sheathed two-handed elf sword that Panry had given him, and with the other, reaching inside his shirt, he felt the lump on his chest, which he hoped was the ivory crystal that Fury had gifted him.
Stopping on the bridge that led into the fortress, Lauren took several deep breaths, “It’s show time.”
“Halt! State your business,” a guard called out from the wall.
She let out a weak smile, “Tell Zymse Darpac that Mother has sent me.”
He replied from the wall, “Go seek charity somewhere else!”
“I’ll do it myself,” Lauren whispered, and she raised the staff. Sleep. Pointing it at the large wooden ironbound gate, she commanded the magic, “Grow old.” After the gates that led into Hell had crumbled into dust, the four advanced.
*******
When Jasmine and Panry had followed the four down the stairs that morning, Steve was absent. As the two Earth Guard captains watched the four legends portal to the complex, they both lowered their heads in deep thought, wondering what would happen next. As Jasmine sat down on the stairs, Panry went to the stables, ordering Oxron to help bring in the three bags he guarded. When all twelve Earth Guards were present, Panry pulled out his dagger, smashing the seals that held the leather bindings secure. Then he pulled out red tunics, pants, capes, a shield, and sword, which he handed to each elf in the room, commanding them to adopt the new uniform. After doing so, they turned to Panry, as it felt like something was missing or wrong.
Panry dressed in red looked at all, “You are no longer Earth Guard. You are now Crimson Shield. Our mission is to protect Mother, and those that serve her, but only Mother we serve now. Earth Mother has powerful gifts from Mother, and when she reunites with her daughters, a portal will open. Then Zymse shall pay for his crimes committed. Until that happens, not one elf from this room shall leave without my permission. Gayne we need ropes and towels in case elf is bashful and pails many. Catic, you will go to the stables to retrieve bedrolls for all and return immediately.”
Jaykil walked up to Panry, “Crimson and Granite will fight side by side?”
Panry nodded, “This day, old feuds we will bury.”
Jaykil turned his back to the elf dressed in red, “Bring shame to Ironhouse and more than feuds we will bury.”
As Jasmine walked over to Panry, in her eyes he could see the question she was unable to ask, which pleaded for answers.
“We shall keep her safe.”
*******
As Lauren, Ryan, Eric, and John trampled over the dust of the aged gate, an alarm sounded inside the complex, and from the far end, a number of soldiers, equal to those who had been influenced by the Earth Bond to sleep, rushed towards them.
Lauren raised her Core Wood staff,
“Thick mud.” While not all of the earthen stones in the extensive courtyard answered the magic, the majority did, and she watched hundreds of soldiers quickly falter, falling down. “Rock,” and then the mud solidified.
Even though most of the black-clad soldiers and hired swords were at the back of the complex, in the middle were numerous small groups, who rushed the unwelcomed intruders. Ryan with Eric moved to the front to protect Lauren. John, the last, held his first cloak tightly to his body, as the four proceeded to the great house.
When the distinctive sounds of arrows in flight was heard, Lauren raised her staff, calling to Mother’s magic, “Ash,” and arrowheads without direction rattled on the courtyard. She raised the staff again, “Burn,” and the archers on the wall instantly dropped their flaming bows and arrows.
Since most of those who slept were the Calicon sell-swords, the primal instinct of the Darkpaye guards to defend had defeated the first Earth Bond. When the original soldiers that Zymse employed reached Eric and Ryan, both reacted to the threats accordingly. Eric, holding the small two-handed elf sword in one hand, was unable to believe how fast he moved. He sensed and countered the threats before any could land, and the few that did, bounced off his gifted protection. Ryan was no different, brutally attacking the soldiers, breaking swords, shields, and bones with the Rock Wood clubs. When John saw several large two-headed, six-legged wolves racing towards them, he quickly changed their calcium to potassium, rendering them into howling mounds of fur. As Eric and Ryan continued to push the advancing forces back, Lauren continued her attacks with the Core Wood staff: burning leather armor, bending swords, disrupting the ground, or whatever else was necessary to continue their advancement. From the back, John watched for the unnatural opponents, tasking the gold magic to rearrange atomic structures. While the battle seemed like it lasted for hours, it probably happened faster than they realized, and then the four saw the forces in front begin to diminish, as the great house loomed closer