“It took you long enough, Bazu!” Zynathian said, scolding the leader of this particular group of Mechs.
“Forgive us, Master…what seems to be the problem?”
“We need immediate evacuation from this area, but the rocket’s pipes are clogged. Clean them, and don’t bother telling me when you’ve finished...just get us out of here as fast as possible!”
“Is there any particular area that you would like to take refuge in, Sir?”
“I’m not picky. Just take us somewhere that we won’t be found…as high as possible, please.”
The Mech orderlies nodded.
“Thank you, Bazu. Get to it.”
“Has this sudden need to leave got anything to do with the creatures lurking about in our sleeping quarters, Master?” Bazu asked as they turned to leave.
“It’s got everything to do with them! Once you’re finished, stay within the bowels of the castle, so nothing happens to you. These people are dangerous, Bazu!”
They parted ways.
He made his way back to the ladder and tapped a panel of buttons on its side. He was quickly raised to “level 3.” As he got off and ran along the railing, Zynathian took a deep breath as he came to a shaft marked “workshop.” He lifted the latch and dove in.
It was only a matter of walking about fifty feet before Zynathian found himself directly above his workshop. Much to his horrid surprise, he looked through the perforated steel flooring and found Phyllamon roaming about his domain. A hatred that he hadn’t felt in years rose in his chest, and he began wheezing as he fought his urge to growl in anger. He then knelt over and grunted as he pulled up a wide piece of the flooring, sliding it aside. Phyllamon heard none of this, as there was so much noise coming from outside the laboratory.
Zynathian knew he had to kill Phyllamon, as he’d never get such an easy opportunity again. As the roaming Phyllamon made it directly beneath him, he dropped from above. When he landed, he brought both forearms down upon Phyllamon’s back and shoulders. His enemy fell forward in agony, and turned to look at him.
“Yooooooou!” Phyllamon hissed, as an old memory of twenty years resurfaced.
“That’s right, me…I’m going to finish what I foolishly stopped Maugrimm from doing that day!”
Zynathian balled his fists together, raised both arms and brought them down as if they were sledgehammers trying to break concrete. Phyllamon, who was not up for being hit in the face, as he was still healing, turned on his side and wrapped both arms around his head. Zynathian wasn’t picky about what he hit, vigorously pummeling Phyllamon’s midsection. After a series of individual blows with each hand, Zynathian cuffed one fist in the other palm and began using his double fist as a mallet, smashing into Phyllamon’s ribs, then his back, and lastly, a blow to the stomach.
Phyllamon was so frail that this final hit knocked the wind from him. He sat up in a wheezing fit. Zynathian gripped his neck and began squeezing the life from him.
Phyllamon’s eyes became bloodshot, and his crooked, broken nose twitched as he desperately tried to breath through it. Soon he began convulsing, for he was on his last breath. Zynathian’s dirt-greasy palms marked Phyllamon’s neck black, as he tightened his grip, hoping to hear something break. Spittle flew through the gaps in Phyllamon’s jagged teeth as things around him began to get hazy. As his back hit the floor, a small, blurry mass approached, blocking out the light from the ceiling.
Zynathian was so focused on putting an end to Phyllamon that he hadn’t even noticed anyone enter the room. By the time he looked up and saw the midget, it was too late. Murlach had taken a thick glass vial from the counter top and swung it as hard as he could. It smashed across the back of his head, sending Zynathian aside, groveling in pain.
“Master, we must leave…they’re coming!” Murlach said, violently shaking him.
Phyllamon, however, continued to roll about the floor for a moment, catching his breath and regaining his senses. When Murlach was sure that he was well enough to stand, he helped Phyllamon to his feet. “Come now, Sire.”
“Nooooo, we must…kill…him,” he said pointing wearily at Zynathian, who was still groaning.
Murlach, however, gripped his arm firmly, steering him to the door.
“No, Master, there’s no time. We’ll be dead if we stay any longer!”
“But…where…is Felix?”
18
Felix shook with rage as he examined the photo once more, telling himself that it couldn’t be possible. In addition to a little black girl in the photo (whom he didn’t know) was: a monstrous creature that matched the description of a beast in his father’s nightmares; that bike-thief-bitch, Sing; Bahzee (the other bitch, who he was destined to marry); his future wife’s mother; a muscular-looking white boy, who was probably just shy of being a teenager; the black male, who’d beat him within an inch of his life; and, to his right, was the man who’d stopped that same boy from killing him in the forest that day.
So this is Zynathian! They’re all in this together—one big family! Felix thought.
He threw the picture aside and stormed from Teshunua’s guest bedroom. Irrational and eager to fire his weapon at someone, fate dealt him an opportunity with just the person he was looking for. Felix had never forgotten the beating he took from Teshunua that day, and since then, in the back of his mind, he’d sworn vengeance over and over again. He ducked back in the bedroom as Teshunua approached.
Not a soul stirred on this floor. Teshunua cursed his speed, for he was now almost certain that the Xyecahs had gotten away. He pivoted back and forth from the same spot, weapon raised, checking to make sure that he wasn’t missing anything. The size of the beasts that Phyllamon brought with him, ranging from large to enormous, made them unable to hide, so he was certain that none of them were lurking about in corners, for he’d have seen them.
Finally, convinced of Phyllamon’s escape, Teshunua lowered his weapon and decided to check the rooms, seeing if anything was stolen.
First he went to a large stone in the middle of one of the walls. It was no more stunning in beauty than the other rocks, and so within the standards of the entire castle, it appeared to be normal. However, as Teshunua pushed it in, the rock proved to be anything but.
Suddenly, the entire left portion of the wall shifted, sliding to the side. The entrance to the family vault had been opened, and there stood a mountain of Arhyz rocks, stretching all the way to the hundred-foot ceiling.
Unimpressed, having seen it so many times, Tesh was quickly satisfied. It was obvious that no attempt had been made at the money, for there were no dead bodies buried about, crushed in an avalanche of wealth. The rocks were undisturbed. He now headed to his bedroom.
Waiting patiently, Felix caught Teshunua off guard, landing the butt of his gun right in the face. Teshunua smashed to the stone floor. He landed on his right shoulder and though he wasn’t missing any teeth, he was spitting up a gruesome amount of blood. Head spinning, he leered at Felix with indignation.
“I’ve waited so long for this moment!” Felix taunted.
Felix began slowly walking away from Teshunua, giving himself some space from the terrible fate that he was about to unleash upon his long lost enemy.
Knowing that he was at the end of his life, Teshunua decided that he would at least die with dignity. He may have been hurt, but he was still well enough to get cheeky with Felix.
“I like your scars, Felix,” he hissed, mocking the look of him. “Did the love of my life give you those? …Oh wow, where’s the tip of your nose? That’s a beauty! But the fun doesn’t stop there, does it? You’ve got missing teeth, too! Hah!”
Felix continued to back up, nostrils flaring at Teshunua’s cynical tirade.
“Bahzee did a great job of reconstructing that ugly face of yours—at least now you have more of an excuse to be as hideous as you are. What’s wrong? You shouldn’t be surprised that she told me how she mercilessly beat your ass up against that tree. You see, Bahzee loves me,
and she’ll tell me anything.”
“You got a lot of mouth!” Felix said, sneering with jealousy.
“Yes I do…I’m not afraid of you. I guess you think that killing me will make you slide into my spot as Bahzee’s boyfriend, but you should know, Felix, she would rather burn in the fires of hell than be acquainted with you. Sorry to break your heart, you fucking Sally, but you should’ve known I would never lose to you. I always win. I beat you in intelligence. I beat you in charm, character, and honesty. I beat your ass in the Mashyuvian forest. And yes, even in death, I beat you to the girl, you pathetic piece of shit!” Teshunua finished, scowling and spitting blood.
Felix’s lips quivered as he grit his teeth in anger.
Just then Bahzee’s voice echoed up the stairwell, calling for Teshunua. As Tesh prepared to yell, “I love you” as his last gesture to her, Felix pulled the trigger.
Two grenades flew from the shaft and exploded on impact. Teshunua was thrown some thirty feet, colliding with the stone wall. Smoldering debris followed, slightly burying him. He wailed in pain, for he was still conscious and burning alive.
Even though Teshunua was engulfed in flames and would be dead any moment, this seemed to not be good enough for Felix. He aimed again, preparing to finish him off. Just as he was about to fire, a firm hand, gripped his arm, yanking him along.
“Come, laddy, we must be leaving at once!”
“No, wait…”
“Come, boy! Do as Murlach says!” Phyllamon said, still walking in a light-headed stupor.
Just then the elevator arrived at level three, and Felix, Phyllamon, and Murlach scarcely missed being pummeled with gunfire. As the shield enclosed around them and the elevator moved quickly upward, they watched Khyeryn’s lasers ricochet off the magnetically sealed, shatter proof glass. The elevator vanished as it sped past the ceiling, now surrounded by nothing but stone for a hundred feet. Just as Khyeryn was about to dart into the stairwell to see if he could still catch them, he heard a shriek from behind.
“Teshunua!”
Bahzee ran as fast as she could, falling to his side and pulling the burning debris off his chest. She was absolutely hysterical. “Oh my god…don’t die, Tesh! …Zynathian, help him!” she wailed, wondering where on earth he could be.
At this point Teshunua was merely breathing in short wisps, trembling in pain. Bahzee cradled him, horrified by his appearance. The majority of the skin on his face seemed to have melted off, and his hair and eyebrows had completely burned away.
“Oh no, no, no…” Maugrimm groaned, slumping to the floor.
Khyeryn and Asha were silently crying, holding one another. Sing had turned her back on the entire spectacle, because she refused to believe it. She couldn’t. All the same, tears fell from her eyes.
Lyn was the only one who braved a few steps forward. She had to be sure if such a horror could be true or not, and her heart leapt with excitement for a moment, realizing that this person that Bahzee cradled back and forth in her arms could not be Teshunua…it just couldn’t be. He was far too small! However, Lyn’s optimism failed her, as she understood the reason for his lack in size. Teshunua’s arms and legs had been blown off.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, where are you? Help him!” Lyn Sha cried, clawing at her cheeks and backing away from the scene.
Since the addition of Sing to their group and all of them deciding to stay under the same roof, Lyn’s notion of family had become the equivalent of an unshakable rock, always sturdy enough to be relied upon. Now, that fragile glass shield, protecting this bit of her naiveté, had been shattered, and reality set in. A family’s structure, no matter how adamantine, she found, could be cracked.
Lyn tripped over Maugrimm and landed in his arms. He comforted her as best he could. As his own blood shot eyes began to blur with tears, he saw the only person who could help, trudging slowly down the hallway towards them. Mawg lifted Lyn and sat her on the floor, seeing her curl up as he went to Zynathian. He noticed that the back of his head was caked with blood.
“Me can see yer’ hurt, mate, but this can’t wait…it’s Tesh…”
Zynathian gazed with disquiet, hearing the graveness in Maugrimm’s tone. “How bad is he?” he asked.
Maugrimm gave him no answer but looked to the floor.
“No!” Zynathian yelled as he began running down the hall. As he approached and saw Bahzee caressing something that was merely a limbless stump, realization struck.
My God, no, please!
He stumbled over hot, smoky rocks as he knelt beside her, glaring at Teshunua. Zynathian snapped his fingers in front of Teshunua’s eyes, seeing if he was able to follow them. He got no response. As Bahzee marked him with eyes of fury and hopelessness, Zynathian let his head fall in despair. Just as he thought all was lost, again, he heard an angry voice speaking to him from within. As always, Her remarks were just as scathing as they were insightful.
Have we not discussed this already? I grow tired of having this conversation with you, Zynathian Volkeye, “Magnificent, Brilliant Master of All Creation and Knowledge!” …Is this not what you have jokingly called yourself on countless occasions? Well, prove it! Let him die, and see how you cope with life afterward. Watch the family that you’ve worked so hard to build dissolve before your very eyes, fool! And see how the daughter of the woman you love reacts to such a blow. Let it be known right now, Zynathian, she will never recover! She will merely exist, henceforth, but she will not LIVE. Teshunua is still breathing, so you must master your emotions and take control of the situation whilst there is time. Numerous instances before now have you been nothing less than remarkable with your many talents, and I trust you to do so once again. Make me proud, my son!
“Let him go, Bahzee,” he commanded.
She looked up at Zynathian, seeing the unmistakable gaze of power in his eyes. This was not the person who knelt beside her a moment ago.
“I can carry him, Papa. Let me help,” she said, rising with Tesh in her arms. The others approached.
“What can we do?” Asha asked.
“Everyone, follow me,” Zynathian ordered.
Maugrimm grabbed up Teshunua’s limbs and followed everyone to Zynathian’s new lab. He placed the limbs inside a freezer at Zynathian’s instruction. Bahzee laid Teshunua on a table, and watched Zynathian place two fingers along his neck, feeling for a pulse. It was exceptionally slow, but it was still beating. That was a start.
“Asha, you see that unlabeled blue paste over there on the counter?” He pointed. “Bring it over here, and spread a handful over my cuts, while I hook Teshunua up to the machine…he needs help breathing.”
She did as she was asked, and as Zynathian placed the mask over Teshunua’s face, he winced as Asha massaged the ointment into the back of his scalp. Still grimacing, he gave further instructions.
“Maugrimm, take the elevator upstairs. I’m almost certain you’ll find that Phyllamon is already gone, but in case you don’t…” Zynathian paused and watched him nod with fury.
“Say no more, mate.”
With that, he was off.
19
The others had already climbed through the window back onto the ship and were now awaiting Murlach, who lingered behind a moment longer. A moment ago, they’d been petrified that they wouldn’t make it out of the castle alive, but now Murlach felt more secure. He’d jammed the elevator door open, so if anyone was following they’d have to come up the stairwell. It would take ages.
Murlach thought to make a quick perusal of this room before heading out. The room, large and round with one level and no dividing sections except for the bathroom, was illuminated in pale white moonlight. As Murlach looked about for something to pocket, three pairs of eyes, flanked by a large green one, stared at him from the mantelpiece of the fire place. He gasped, thinking that his assailants below had already made it upstairs. However, upon examining their bodies, he discovered they had roots and were buried in dirt. Plants! They were the most unusual and fascinatin
g he’d ever seen.
They stared at Murlach with, what seemed to be, the deepest malice. The pink one’s chest heaved back and forth, looking as if he were prepared to attack anything that so much as came within an inch of them. Murlach dismissed this, thinking himself paranoid.
Don’t be a git! he thought, scolding himself as he walked closer. Yes, These’ll make a fine addition to my collection of oddities…magnificent specimens!
Climbing upon a stool, aiming to lift the long rectangular pot, he’d hardly reached out before…
“Aaaaaaagggggggggghhhhh!” Murlach wailed. The flowerpot crashed to the floor.
Falling back into a pool of darkness, he couldn’t see what had become of his hand (this portion of the room was too heavily shadowed). As he continued to cry out in pain, he was grasped firmly from behind and thrown over someone’s shoulder.
Felix had come back to get him. As they boarded the ship, which was now speedily pulling away from the castle, Murlach had nearly passed out. He left nothing but an echo of his groans, trailing all the way down the stairwell, straight to Maugrimm!
He’d been forced to take the stairs and was rapidly ascending. Now that he knew they were still here and he could end it, Mawg was egged on purely by adrenaline. Finally, as he burst through the shield, he open fired, circling twice as he inspected the chamber. Other than cracked smoking holes from his laser fire, there was nothing. Maugrimm’s efforts had been futile.
Damn!
Then he heard someone groaning nearby. Maugrimm’s heartbeat escalated, as he instinctively laid his index fingers across the triggers of each weapon.
“Thanks a lot, Mawg! If that dwarf hadn’t done us a favour, we’d all be dead now!” Khyetarah spat from the floor.
Maugrimm hit the lights and found his friends sprawled out in a heap of dirt with their pot scattered in numerous pieces about the floor. When he saw his favourite of the plants, Khyetarah Vyx Mune, bleeding, he panicked.
The Gift of Volkeye Page 29