by D N Meinster
Hatswick had no desire to return, but he did not want Amelia nor anyone else to think he was a coward. There weren't enough mages left for him to inconspicuously drop out of his duties.
"I'll do what I have to," he said. "But we should take on Neanthal before too many seasons go by."
"We will," she replied. "In time."
Chapter Thirty-Four
Recovery
Lestrapel Humuratos was not lying in wait for death in Belliore's hospital. He was propped up against a metallic frame, tubes stuck into his arms and a mask covering his nose and mouth. His violet hair was a mess, and his chin strip misshapen. He did not appear to be conscious, as his eyes were shut and he did not react as Rikki and Versil approached.
The floor around him appeared to glitter, and before Rikki could ask why, Versil provided an answer.
"The MR caused my fellow director to expel mercury and liquid gold, mainly from his mouth. These machines are filtering out the metals from his system, but he'll be dead in hours unless..." Versil held up the vial of green liquid. "Unless this works."
Rikki could only hope that the cure did as they'd intended. She'd imbued it with magic exactly as Versil had directed, but most of its effects would still rely upon the science which he'd used to create it.
It would be pleasing if she'd be able to save a life this day. It felt like she'd doomed all living things in Ghumai since she lost the Key. It may have only been one Key, but deep down she could feel an impending dread, like this loss would inevitably contribute to the Beast's return.
She reminded herself that Aros still had two Keys, and there were two more out there. Hatswick hadn't won yet. Right?
Versil filled a syringe with the green liquid and stuck the needle into one of the tubes that were planted in Lestrapel's arm. When the cure vanished from the tube, he glanced at Rikki before giving his fellow director his complete attention.
"How long should it take?" Rikki asked, unfamiliar with the speed that Bellish medicine could take hold.
Versil responded by pulling the mask off the bottom of Lestrapel's face. "If he doesn't regurgitate in the next five minutes, I'd call it a success."
"I thought you'd have something more specific."
"Not when it comes to magic."
Rikki eyed him as flashes of the dead mages he kept in his laboratory popped up in her head. She had worked with Versil to save Belliore, but she had yet to bring up the horrors that he had displayed for his visitors. She had moved on from her initial wrath, but that hardly meant that what he'd done to those mages had been forgotten. Was now the best time to bring it up?
"I want you to stop," Rikki said.
Versil gazed back at her.
"No experiments on mages, clones of mages, or anything like that," Rikki demanded.
"I wouldn't normally yield to such dictation," Versil replied. "But I can agree to your terms, if you'd help me."
"I already helped you," Rikki said, waving both arms toward Lestrapel. A few minutes had already passed without any sign of the MR's effects.
"You helped this city, but not me," Versil said. "I want you to heal my bones so I don't need this." He tapped on the exoskeleton.
Rikki narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. For him to demand more from her was an insult, though she could understand why he needed her to heal him. He'd sacrificed mages and almost the entire kingdom all in pursuit of what he was requesting. She didn't doubt that she could do it, but she wondered if there was a way to strip him of his immortality if she did. But those secrets were likely beyond her.
Lestrapel let out a cough and opened his eyes. "Am I dead?" he croaked as he examined his visitors.
"Does this look like the Bastion?" Rikki asked.
"Kytheran," he mumbled as he stared at her.
"He speaks without silver ejecting from his orifices," Versil declared. "Wonderful! We've done it."
Rikki afforded herself a half-smile before she rebuked Versil. "You don't deserve to be healed. If the Goddess wants you to suffer for an eternity for abusing and manipulating Her gift, you should."
Versil's face fell. "So that's a no?"
"It should be. But I'll do it, if you vow to never harm a mage or experiment with magic for the rest of your unnaturally long life."
"What's she talking about?" Lestrapel asked as he started pulling the tubes from his arms.
"I swear to it," Versil replied.
Though he wasn't her enemy, Rikki felt little desire to help Versil. But if he went through with his pledge, it would be worth it.
She touched the channeling crystal atop her staff onto Versil's shoulder. It flashed a unique pattern of lights as Rikki willed away Versil's pain and urged his body to repair itself.
"What is going on?" a voice cried as the door to the room slid ajar.
Rikki felt cold, metal arms latch onto her own and pull her away from the Director.
Keisler and Maevus stepped into the room, accompanied with a legion of peacekeepers.
"Are you alright, Versil?" Keisler asked.
Versil bared his teeth at his fellow director. "If I'm not, the fault will be yours." Versil tugged the exoskeleton from his left arm and then pried it from his right. He then touched the back of his neck and the rest of it fell off him.
Rikki was too transfixed to bother escaping the chrome men's clutches. She wanted to know if she'd done it. Was Versil healed?
Versil stretched his arms up and then carefully swung them back to his sides. He took a small step forward, and then another, placing himself right in Keisler's face. "Better than I've been in years." He smiled before adding, "Let go of her." But the peacekeepers refused to obey.
"They only obey us," Keisler reminded him. "You can release her."
The peacekeepers promptly let Rikki from their grasps and backed away.
"That needs to be corrected. I call for a vote."
"Seconded," Lestrapel replied, still fiddling with the tubes.
"We only came here to check on you," Maevus indicated.
"I motion that Keisler's position as Acting Project Head is illegitimate and I be reinstated."
"Ridiculous," Keisler replied. "You caused this catastrophe."
"And I've cured it," Versil responded. "With help." He glanced at Rikki. "But because of your actions, Hatswick is now in possession of Belliore's Key."
Maevus gasped and glared at Rikki.
Keisler shook his head. "The vote will tie and be nullified. Haven't we had enough politics?"
"Except according to our charter, an absent member is granted forty-eight hours to vote on any motions they might have missed if they are subsequently able." Versil pulled the last tube from Lestrapel's arm. "Well?"
"What exactly am I voting on?" He asked, still slightly dazed.
"On the motion to remove Versil Talap as Project Head," Versil stated.
"I vote in the negative," Lestrapel said.
"The vote is now two-to-two. Keisler's motion fails."
Keisler's mouth fell open.
"I am once again Project Head." Versil faced Rikki as he went on. "By my authority, I henceforth ban all experimentation with magic and with mages."
Rikki's mouth fell open, too. She'd never witnessed a scene like this, and she hardly expected Versil to make good on his word so quickly. Several lifetimes of practice probably made political maneuvers like this rather easy. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised to learn that Versil had helped write this charter they referred to.
"I can't say I disagree with that," Keisler muttered.
"Next order of business. I motion that we disperse the MR cure across all of Belliore."
"Seconded," Lestrapel said again.
All members of the Directorate voted in the affirmative.
"Then I will go prepare the drones," Versil said. He made to leave, but turned back before he exited the room. "I will resign my position within a deck. I suggest you start researching candidates."
With that, Versil finally left, going off t
o cure a plague that he'd unintentionally started.
"I wish we had your capabilities when the Palmarose plague broke out in Kytheras," Rikki said to the remaining directors. Doren and Aros would both have grown up with two parents had the Bellish advancements existed back home.
Rikki's comment went mostly ignored.
"Would one of you bring me some food?" Lestrapel barked at the peacekeepers.
Keisler waved them along so they fetched a meal for the recently awoken director. "Where are your friends?" he asked.
"Waiting outside," Rikki said. "Doren didn't want to come back in here."
"Hatswick has the Key?" Maevus asked, unable to get over the piece of information.
The number of people Rikki had let down with her loss continued to overwhelm her. Her friends. The Goddess. All of Ghumai. But also, the two directors that had been willing to help them.
"I'm sorry," she said without going into further detail.
Keisler seemed uninterested in the topic as he bent down to examine the remains of Versil's exoskeleton. "Did either of you know that he needed this?"
No one in the room spoke.
"What? The Key? I'm not worried. It takes five to open the Door. Hatswick has one."
"Then why did you help us?" Had it been just so he could become Acting Project Head?
"Because you needed it." Keisler gave her a kind smile. "We Bellish are not as cold as our reputation suggests. At least, not all of us." He left the room, escorted by the remaining peacekeepers.
Maevus appeared to be more disappointed. "He was more than happy to take advantage of the situation. I joined him. We were foolish to do that, as we were foolish to trust in you."
Rikki felt a pang in her chest as the words slammed into her. "It's not over yet."
"It is today." Maevus departed, leaving her alone with Lestrapel.
Rikki wasn't sure what to say to the remaining director, so she just stared at him for an awkward period before deciding to go as well.
"Thank you," Lestrapel said before she could get away.
Rikki turned back to him.
"They'll detest you because you lost our Key, but I'll remember who saved my life. Who saved all of Belliore." His eyes widened as he nodded at her.
"But what if I didn't?" The statue of Neanthal that stood in the center of Neanthal's Hamlet crossed her mind. He could be standing there in the flesh soon enough. Because of her.
"You hold Amelia's staff. It defeated him once before. It can again."
"I'm not Amelia," Rikki stated. Amelia would not have lost to a mage that was always considered second best.
"Psychology falls under my purview," Lestrapel said. "If you need to talk about it."
Rikki had no idea what he was referencing. "No, I have friends I can talk to." She had Doren.
"Then go, but don't stray too far," Lestrapel said. "I need to see you all again before you leave."
"Why?" Rikki asked.
"Unfinished business."
A peacekeeper entered the room with a tray stacked high with pastries and bacon strips.
"Hungry?" Lestrapel asked her.
Rikki shook her head. She felt increasingly queasy.
"Then I'll see you soon." He gulped down a glass of water before filling his gullet.
Rikki watched him eat, wondering if the cure caused such an appetite or if it was because of what the MR had done to him. But she didn't stay much longer, figuring it was impolite to observe him out of fascination rather than for science.
She strolled through the bland corridors of the hospital as she made her way out, hoping that she'd never have to see the place again.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Destinations
They were not atop the tallest skyscraper in Belliore, but from their location, they could make out almost the entire city. Amidst the nigh uncountable buildings were machines of untold sorts repairing the damages that resulted from their visit. Piece-by-piece, a structure that Ji-Ji had unintentionally crushed was restored to its previous magnificence. The base of another that Hatswick had nearly toppled was being tested for integrity and reinforced. And the weapons lab was still undergoing maintenance.
Most importantly, however, was the lineup of flying triangles advancing across the city. These drones, as they were called, sprayed a green mist from their bellies, sending the colorful clouds to encase the citizenry below. The dispersing vapor carried with it the cure to the disease that had almost taken Doren's life. Those infected with it, along with those that weren't, would never have to deal with the MR again.
Rikki was truly amazing. She'd not only saved his life, she'd saved an entire kingdom. Without her, Belliore might've been wiped out.
Doren glanced at her as she continued standing next to them, their arms nearly rubbing up against each other. He wanted to grab her hand, to kiss her, but doing so in front of Aros seemed crass. He was on his other side, staring out into the city. He wasn't about to be distracted by the woman he loved. She was gone.
"Aros," Doren whispered, trying to pull his attention away from the drones. But Aros didn't hear him.
They needed to discuss what had transpired between him and Rikki. He didn't want Aros to get caught off guard by it in the future and potentially go into a jealous rage. No, Aros might not have feelings for Rikki, but he'd undoubtedly be reminded of Leidess. And though he'd forgiven Aros for what had transpired in Faunli, he had hardly forgotten about it. And he certainly did not want a repeat of it.
"Aros," he spoke a bit louder.
Aros finally turned his head toward him.
"We need to talk." He nudged Rikki.
"What?" Rikki whined.
"We need to talk to Aros about..." Doren's eyes darted to each side.
"Oh," Rikki said, and she faced Aros.
Aros gazed at both of them like they were about to tell him something horrific. "Did something happen?"
"Yes," Doren said, and he latched onto Rikki's free hand. "Me and Rikki..." He didn't know how exactly to say it. And then he realized he wasn't sure what the two of them actually were. In love? Was that how he was supposed to break it to Aros?
"Doren and I are together now," Rikki finished the statement for him.
Aros let out a sigh of relief. "Phew. I thought you were going to tell me Hatswick did something worse than get the third Key."
Doren couldn't understand if Aros' nonchalant response was a sham. "We're going to be boyfriend and girlfriend," he went on to explain.
"Right," Aros said with a nod.
Doren narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't bother you?"
"You two might think I'm a dunce, but I notice things." Aros grinned at both of them. "I didn't think either of you was ever going to get around to it, though."
"If he hadn't nearly died," Rikki began, but then she put her arm over her mouth. Was that going to remind Aros of Leidess?
"Just because Leidess died doesn't mean I hate love," Aros replied. "I'm glad for both of you." He grabbed their interlocked hands between his own. "Why would I want anything less for my friends?"
Doren and Rikki looked into each other's eyes, and then all three of them started giggling. Aros let go of them and focused back on the drones. They were almost on top of them at this point, the green mist incoming.
Doren believed Aros was being genuine and could not have been more relieved. They still had two more kingdoms to get to. If he was going to be jealous or worse when they got there, it would've made their mission that much more difficult. But he was their friend, and he was acting like it.
As the green mist overtook the rooftop, Doren took the momentary obscurity to kiss Rikki on the lips. For some reason, he still didn't want Aros to see. When the green haze faded away, they broke apart.
"So what now?" Aros asked.
"We could try and find Hatswick," Doren proposed. "Get the third Key back."
"No," Rikki said simply. She was in no mood to face him again so soon.
"The three of us c
ould take him," Doren replied, trying to encourage her. He could tell she'd been relatively downhearted since Hatswick got the better of her.
Rikki didn't bother responding to his offer. So Doren let it go, and the trio watched as the drones finished spraying the city and moved off into the environmental zones.
"We never got to see what's out there," Doren said.
"A bunch of blown up generators," Aros said seriously.
"Oh, there's more than that," a voice said from behind them.
All three turned around to find Lestrapel Humuratos approaching. He was in much better shape than he had been hours ago, when they'd left him in the hospital. His hair had been restyled since, and he'd gotten dressed in shiny pink robes that concealed his arms.
"Your friend could attest to that." Lestrapel smiled at Aros. "I think you did more damage than your enlarged denhare."
"M'dalla helped," Aros stated with a shrug.
"Speaking of which." Lestrapel removed his right arm from his robe, revealing a denhare in his grasp.
"Ji-Ji!" Rikki shrieked, and she let go of Doren's hand as she ran to claim her pet.
"Back to normal size, I hope," Lestrapel said as he returned him to his owner.
Rikki pulled Ji-Ji in toward her chest and began stroking his back. "Thank you."
"No, thank you. I'd be dead if it weren't for your magic. You're my Kytheran savior."
Rikki gave him a lipless smile before she smothered her face in Ji-Ji's fur.
Doren wanted to ask if she thought it was a good idea to keep treating him like a pet when there was a human soul inside him. His frenzy when he went gargantuan might've given a clue of how he felt about that. But he decided to let her enjoy the reunion. He could bring it up again later.
"And this one isn't the only critter I've brought with me." Lestrapel's other arm came out from his robe, this time revealing a ball of purple fuzz with yellow eyes and multiple tails.
"Mr. Kwee!" Aros shrieked, and as soon as he neared the creature, its tails shot out from its behind and wrapped around Aros.
"Kwee kwee!" Mr. Kwee screeched.
Aros bounced his pet in his arms as Doren stared. "What is that?"
"A pufferet," Lestrapel answered.
"And where did you get that?" Doren asked his friend.