The Circle of Duty

by Owen Elgie

  “Interesting” said Em as she looked over every detail of the space.

  “What is?” I asked in reply. I’d been functioning on a reassuring level of fear up to this point but my curiosity was starting to get peaked as we progressed.

  “The stones in the case. They haven’t gone off.” Em quickly picked up a little pebble and closed her fist around it, turning away from me as she did. The tiny strands of power which ran over her suit flared an angry purple as she did and I could feel a wave of power pulse from her back.

  We both held fixed.

  Nothing further happened. She slowly returned to face me and opened her hand. The pebble sat there, blue and innocuous.

  “Doesn’t look like it’s that dangerous. What do you mean didn’t go off?” The understanding had just caught up with me and I suddenly felt far less confident about being in an enclosed space with whatever it was.

  “It is the very last line of defence for the Drake Stone. It is nothing more than an explosive really but it creates just a small tear in the fabric of all that is our reality, to what is outside the event horizon of the Cascade Bridges. The Yondah. Anything that sets this off is pulled into that tear and is sealed on the other side. Just an easy way to safeguard the stone.”

  “The Cascade Bridges? Where to? Couldn’t we just jump there and retrieve whatever was sucked through?”

  Em waited before responding, possibly trying to find the appropriate words.

  “The Yondah is that which surrounds all of who and where we are. Energy and so much emptiness entomb our whole existence and we are able to use the Cascade Bridges to pass through the Yondah to another place in this plain.”

  She may have taken her time and chosen her words with the utmost care but they still left the hollow uncertainty of ignorance in their wake. This suddenly put a shadow of threat over what I was stepping through when I used a bridge. She noticed my furrowed brow.

  “The Bridges that are created have never failed. Ever. Travel through the Cascade system has never resulted in accidents or losses. Do not worry. If you are strong enough to create the opening at all, then you are in no danger from its use.” She smiled at me by way of reassurance but I still didn’t feel that comfortable at what she’d just said.

  Shaking my head free of the spectres of doubt, and a very real concern at what I was actually doing when I used one of the Bridges, I returned to information gathering.

  “Wouldn’t the stone just go with whoever set the trap off?” The last line of defence being that you lose the object you’re defending did seem a little extreme. If I can’t have it, no one can.

  “The stone is locked to this side of our reality. You could detonate ten thousand of these devices around it and The Drake Stone would be the only thing left at the bottom of the crater. Think of it as a Cascade Bridge that only goes to one place but is also a one way ticket.”

  Cheery thought.

  “So you risked setting it off and protected me to do it?” More realization kept coming.

  “Indeed. You are a Guardian of The Circle. My life is forfeit in the protection of yours. I am able to exert some level of control on the power within the device but there would be no guarantee that I would have survived its detonation.”

  And despite all of the time we had spent together, all of the conversations we had had and whatever bonding I may have thought had taken place, when it really came down to things, Em was still a very strong result of her training and life experiences. She may have changed the way she spoke around me but if the time came, that correct thing to do in her eyes was to kill me, she would do it without a second thought. The image of her standing over my expired form with that familiar head tilt of hers was all I could imagine. The ice I was walking on was still as thin as ever and I was going to be viewed as the monster of the piece until I could prove someone else was.

  I needed to be out of the tunnel in the relative open air of the rest of the vault. I started out without another word.

  Em noticed the change in my demeanor but let me leave her. She did follow me, but a beat later.

  Out of the mouth of the tunnel, we both straightened up and released tightened muscles. Em probed me for answers.

  “What are you thinking about Mr. Johns?”

  “I’m wondering why everyone wants to see me as the bad guy. All I’ve tried to do since this whole situation was dropped in my lap was the right thing but somehow that’s just kept putting me on the wrong end of so many arguments. Why’d you ask?”

  Em remained silent for several seconds as she just took in all of the details of where she was, as if they would have a bearing on what response she would give. Closing her hand on the pebble and then placing it in a pouch in her uniform I hadn’t seen, she responded.

  “I am The Circle. I am The Messenger of The Mage and as such I need to understand every detail and facet of everyone who is a part of who and what we are. You are a great change in The Circle. Your actions and behavior have the power to change The Circle as a whole and I wish to have an understanding of who you are and what your intentions are.”

  “Don’t worry, we’re going to get married before we live together.”

  Em tilted her head in that familiar way of hers. She was still struggling with my attempts at humour. The image of me dead came back into focus and as it did I swear the air got thicker and the temperature rose perceptibly. It did to me anyway.

  We continued to stare at each other as the silence stretched on.

  “I want to be a part of this group and do something good with my life. We’re trying to keep the world safe aren’t we? Why would I try to put the human race, myself included, at risk from the hoards of The Hive?”

  “Why indeed? But you act in a way which is opposite to the long held ideals of The Circle. Why do you do the things you do?”

  This was quickly becoming the same conversation I’d had when I’d been speaking with Andrea as we stood watching Maria’s trembling form back in Wales. The light was being shined in my eyes every time I had a conversation it seemed. This couldn’t go on. This mission was going to be bad enough without there being a veritable collection of Swords of Damocles swinging above me just waiting for someone from The Circle or The Hive to wander by with a pair of scissors. I had to try to get The Messenger to at least trust me enough to not have to be watching over my shoulder all of the time.

  I stopped our forward movement and turned to face her. She gave away nothing despite my abrupt action.

  “I am a part of the same group you are. The only differences between me and everyone else working on the defence of the human race is I’m not utterly bound by the ropes of history. I don’t see everyone as just pieces of the machine.”

  There was no anger in my voice, at least I thought there wasn’t but I couldn’t really be sure when you really get down to it. The Messenger still didn’t give anything away but at least she hadn’t made a lunge for me.

  I continued.

  “What is it you want to see from me? Are you looking to see if I’m a traitor or if I can be trusted or just that I’m following all of the rules that you all from The Circle seem to be so obsessed about?”

  “I am here to do nothing more than ensure that the mission is a success, as are you. As The Messenger of The Circle, I am just a servant of the human race, albeit one with a title. Do you see me as anything more?”

  “Just trying to make sure that no-one’s going to tear my head off just because I don’t bow in the right direction, that’s all.”

  “Mr. Johns, all I have in mind is the security of the world. Any decision on what will be your fate will be left in the hands of the Guardians. Besides, I know that should you attempt to move against me, you would pose no real threat, I’ve seen what you have to offer.”

  I knew it and that put me back under the titular sword. I hated Damocles. There was nothing more to be said. The only path open to me was to solve the riddle of the how’s and who’s and show these people that I’m on their
side.

  “Come on then. Let’s go find the others and see what they’ve found out.” I rolled my shoulders and gathered my power and started to call together a Cascade Bridge. I may have learnt that this method of transport was something so very much more than I’d originally expected but I couldn’t let that stop me from using it. I had to get back on the horse as fast as I could.

  The familiar tug of power and smell of ozone didn’t come. Instead there was a thunder clap of sound, deep and angry, akin to having a jet engine roar poured all over you while someone sprinkled in a far too big helping of static energy. There was a pull of power but it was far more urgent than any Cascade Bridge I’d ever encountered before. Underneath the boom, I could make out the equally angry scream of Em fighting for space. I tried to turn, not understanding what was happening but needing to see what was taking place, all manner of hideous possibilities flooding my head.

  Behind me, Em was stood with her feet spread wide to provide her with as sure a stance as she could manage as she fought against the hugely violent forces which broiled and howled between us. Her face was twisted in exertion as she held her arms out at the sphere of twisting blue fury which had appeared as if from nowhere. Her body was criss-crossed with flaring purple as the power coursing through her showed itself in her suit. That same purple flickered and flashed around the orb which was threatening to pull us both to it, indicating that she was holding tight on the control of whatever that thing was.

  I just stood and watched. I had no idea what I could add to this situation and I doubt I’d have been able to move even if I had.

  It lasted for roughly ten more seconds before it folded in on itself, collapsing away to nothing and released the pull it had been exerting.

  Em’s expression relaxed back to her usual relative blankness before she altered her stance. Eventually she slowly dropped her arms down to her side and shifted her feet back to a normal standing pose.

  “Em are you alright? What the hell was that? Another trap?” I was beyond stunned. I knew I’d been left with nothing more than a gaping mouth and a startled expression. My knees were weak from sheer fright.

  “That was the result of your Cascade Bridge,” Em replied and by the sound of her slightly gasped breaths, she had just been given a very severe workout. I still didn’t know what she’d meant but at least Em recognized that fact quickly.

  “When you called the Cascade Bridge, it set off the stone. I managed to contain its power but it was not an easy task. Please do not attempt to open another Bridge. If there are further devices, I feel that I wouldn’t be able to complete the task a second time.”

  Gulp.

  I didn’t know what to say. I just held her gaze as long as I could and the fluttering sensation in my stomach grew as my fear and embarrassment jumped up and down. Em took confident strides past me and started to ready herself for the descent and return journey through the vault. She stopped just over the edge of the book cliffs of Argentina and looked at me.

  “Hadn’t wondered why we hadn’t jumped in originally rather than walk around the artifacts? You don’t think like everyone else do you?” As she continued down, she shook her head but was smiling as she descended. Not a blank smile, stuck on imitation, she was actually smiling up at me, showing honest humour. It had creased her eyes and her lips were parted to expose her teeth. That smile was the truth.

  Had she just made light of what had happened? Had she just made a joke? At my expense?

  Just keep focused on what’s going on and try to avoid getting killed, that’s always the best advice. With that thought ringing in my mind, I started my own way down, not sure that the information I’d discovered had actually made anything easier.

  I was still alive though so that was always a plus.

  24

  Em and I had been sat on a stone bench in as secluded a spot as we could locate in the gardens of the mansion as we waited for Andrea and The Elder to complete their journey through the various rooms and corridors. We’d had a general scout around the mansion within the all powerful veil but hadn’t really seen anything which was anything more than normal for where it was. Eventually, we’d both come to the conclusion that we would just be wandering about aimlessly, hoping to bump into the correct information, especially as the mere presence of the other Guardians in the house would have put everyone on their guard.

  We remained under the cover of our magical seclusion to ensure that no-one was able to see us but we were so far out of the way that no-one would have been looking for us anyway. I’d found this little out of the way spot on one of the many visits I’d been forced to make to this site during the myriad battles The Circle had been involved in. It had started out as being an excuse to get away from the constant pressure of expectation coming from all areas of the garrison here, other Guardians expecting me to live up to the sweepingly grandiose role which they all seemed so keen to play and then also from everyone else who was looking to me to have some kind of added level of insight or wisdom. I was the one who’d felled one of The Hive masters when it had broken free. I could just feel the weight of every glance as I’d walked.

  As I’d sat here, on a stone bench set back in the edge of a wooded area of wild growth, my mind had taken an all too familiar turn to imagine time with Andrea. With each and every subsequent visit I’d developed more thought on the importance of bringing her to see this spot, secluded and away from prying eyes and maybe we would have been able to talk without there always being the fear of The Circle over hearing.

  I never had managed it though.

  We waited and waited for the others to join us. I’d hidden myself in a cleaning cupboard of some description and called Andrea on my mobile. I’d tried from within the veil but got nowhere, Em eventually telling me that with the amount of power being packed around us I had no chance of being able to get through from inside. We’d arranged where to meet and Em and I had just been left to wait on their arrival.

  We sat in silence and waited, the gentle aroma of wild flowers filling the air and forming the relaxing atmosphere which was so utterly at odds with what was happening in the big picture. There wasn’t a great deal to add to the investigation and I was no closer to proving anything to Em which would show my innocence. She’d been somewhat hot and cold and the image of her regarding my crushed form was still too fresh an image for me to ever really be at ease around her. That all too familiar uncomfortable silence settled in between us as we sat and waited, both willing the seconds to pass a little faster.

  They didn’t. They got slower.

  I was about to give in to the dragging need to break the silence when, finally, the familiar tug of power, crackle of light and sound and the pungent tang of ozone filled the air and a Cascade Bridge burst into life a little ahead of where we were. Andrea hopped through first but was quickly followed by The Elder. It winked out before The Elder had hit the ground, showing that there had been a level of urgency in the creation and subsequent closure.

  Both women headed directly towards us but I could make out the wary flickering eyes of two people who weren’t aware of our presence. Em stood from her position on the bench and started towards them. I followed. Closing the distance, Em raised an arm and pulled in the leading edge of the veil, akin to someone pulling the wall of a balloon inwards, creating a hollow in the front wall and therefore exposing our position. The image of an apple with a bite taken out of it seemed appropriate. The Elder betrayed no emotion but Andrea did start a little.

  “Please join us my Guardians.” Em greeted them and invited them in, returning effortlessly to her ceremonial deference to her superiors. They both moved briskly. In seconds, they were stood next to us and the veil was raised into position again.

  “We must be quick in this discussion, our presence will be missed.” The Elder was down to business without there being the need or desire for her to check if we were OK. Obviously clear where she still thought the guilt of the situation lay. The Elder didn’t wait for
anyone else to start their report, instead barreling directly into her own.

  “We have been shown to over half of the estate but there has yet to be anything which has been anything other than expected considering the position we have presented to the people here.”

  “You mean they’re all on edge to have two Guardians walking around their home, looking like they’re going to pass judgment on them any second?” I couldn’t help myself. The Elder was waving her rigidity of thought around as a virtue, practically taking pleasure in the fear which was no doubt spread throughout the building.

  Everyone just looked at me. The Elder with her usual mix of disgust and anger, Em just with her blank expression, giving nothing away, but Andrea looked pleadingly at me, I knew, just willing me to keep my mouth in check and not help everyone who wanted me killed achieve their goal.

  I nodded and dropped my gaze to the floor, in as much a show of submissive deference as I could muster. The Elder considered the action and continued her appraisal of the situation.

  “All of the staff members we have seen have been happy to help in any way they could, as should be expected. When we asked to veer from the route they were preparing to take us on they were content to be directed. There was no agitation from anyone beyond what is expected from the arrival of Miss Thomich and myself. We were able to explore huge areas of the building and inspect the staff without there being any hint of subterfuge. I would suggest that the staff here are either unaware of the plot that is being undertaken in this mansion or there is no plot in the mansion. We would need to explore the final parts of the building to confirm but they have all performed impeccably to our requests.”