"Gotta' bring in another one, which realm was it? Do I go back to Selina or straight to Velkarath? What were my orders? Can’t be late, masters will be mad.”
Mikhail peered intently at the instrument, his heavily scarred face stretched to a frown.
Abruptly, the tool flared red at the end and a crackling portal fizzed in the air around them. Taija couldn’t believe it. It was like the air itself had developed a gaping wound, but its contents swirling frantically, like fire and lightning fighting one another.
Mikhail swooped down and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She pulled away from him, punching him repeatedly, but her strikes didn’t faze him in the least. He chucked her through the air in one swift motion. Taija didn't even have time to scream as the portal swallowed her.
A thousand blinding lights flashed all around her. She was hurtling through a vortex at incredible speed. Moments later Taija suddenly hit solid ground, falling flat on here face. She’d landed on a field of orange grass, which curiously felt like rubber.
She scrambled to her feet, gazing at the insanity around her in disbelief. Beyond the fields of orange grass, an indigo sea shimmered. High above the sea several ships sailed, not in the water, but amongst the clouds.
But that's impossible.
They looked exactly like the ships on her world, except that they were about seventy feet above the water. Impossible creatures flew in the sky too. They looked like men, but with wings and four arms.
Taija had to still be in the asylum. She must be having a nightmare, or a hallucination. She was insane, why else was she in there. This was just her mind playing tricks on her. Maybe she’d finally gone insane, no more of those few minutes during the day when she came off the drugs. She must be lost inside her own mind now.
But then Mikhail stepped out of the portal after her. He certainly seemed real, and if this wasn't her imagination…
Taija sprinted forwards, ducked past Mikhail and leaped right back through the portal, hoping for the best. The last thing she saw was Mikhail's shocked face, and then she was back in the underground car park.
She stumbled as she pulled herself up once again. She was dizzy from travelling through the portal. As she staggered away however she saw Mikhail's massive form appear behind her.
No! Leave me alone!
“I warned you,” he roared. A ball of dark green flames burgeoned in his fist. “Now I'm going to have to hurt you.”
Mikhail launched the fireball at her. Taija jumped to the side just in time. It came so close she felt the heat on her face as the flames missed her by inches. The fireball soared into the car behind her instead.
BANG. The car rolled on to its side as Mikhail’s fire caused a terrific explosion that caused a ringing to erupt in her ears.
Panting in fear, Taija forced herself to keep running. If she could just get away from him she’d live to see the day’s end. She ran through the car park as fast as she could. If she could lose him, it would all be over, but Mikhail was charging after her like an indomitable bull. She realised with a sick dread, that she wouldn’t be able to outrun him.
Before he could catch up to her, she dived in between two cars, hoping to hide. Mikhail wasn't fooled however, as he drew level with her she saw his hand contort to metal. With a roar he gouged his metal fist into the car bonnet and yanked. The car between was tossed to the side, leaving her at his mercy.
“My orders were to bring you in alive, girl. But if you don't stop fighting, you’ll make me snap that pretty little neck of yours.”
Who says he's not going to kill me anyway now.
She could sense Mikhail was incapable of human compassion. He was full of so much rage. When he caught her he was going to kill her. She had to escape or die trying.
She made to run and duck under his arm but his reflexes were lightning quick. His normal hand shot out and clamped around her throat. She kicked the air wildly as he lifted her up high.
"What did I just say?" Mikhail snarled, his grip tightening.
Taija choked, her air supply cut off. She was going to suffocate, if Mikhail didn't crush her windpipe first.
As she continued to choke her eyes rolled at the back of her head and her vision blurred. The car park rippled in and out of focus, becoming distorted so much she thought she saw black mist at the edges of her vision.
No! Not again.
She realised too late what that black mist meant.
As Mikhail held her high above his head, squeezing the life out of her, a black tendril suddenly whipped around his own neck.
He dropped Taija suddenly and she fell to the floor with a smack, twisting her ankle in the process.
Gritting her teeth in pain, she looked up in time to see Mikhail's massive body flung across the width of the underground car park. Taija watched in horror as Mikhail's skull bounced against a far away truck and he slid to the floor, motionless.
Is he dead, have I murdered him!
Taija struggled to her feet, hopping on her sprained ankle. She was sure the force of what had happened would kill a normal person instantly, but the things she'd seen Mikhail do were anything but normal. He could still be alive, and if he was he'd definitely kill her now.
She limped away as fast as she could; looking behind her repeatedly in case he woke up.
It felt as if she’d been dragging herself through the underground multiplex for an hour, descending ramp after ramp until she reached the bottom floor, not sure what to do next. The asylum staff were probably looking for her now, the Sarume soldiers too.
They'd lock her up, back in that heinous white room, or worse. Maybe they’d execute her this time, like they were going to do after she’d killed General Pytow.
Taija's decision was decided for her when she saw a half-open sewer grate. She crouched down and heaved it to the side. She took a deep breath before descending down the grime encrusted ladder.
Chapter 24- Hot on the Trail
Ever since he’d learned he was to embark upon his very first mission, Evan had been battling between feelings of excitement and dread. Now, as he saw Bane and Sintian before him, the dread devoured what jubilation he had.
“Absolutely not,” Bane snickered as Evan and Emillia stood by the door.
“Oh no,” Emi said quietly, looking at Evan in panic.
“That fool attacked me,” Bane jabbed a finger at him. “I was merely minding my own business at the beach. You think I’ll trust him on a mission?”
“I agree,” Sintian smirked. “Evan’s dangerous. He’d be a severe liability to us. Whereas Emillia just isn’t strong enough. She’s clumsier than an inebriated ogre too.”
“That’s not true,” Emi said, her voice breaking.
“Shut up Sintian,” Evan snapped.
“See,” said Bane. “He’s getting angry already, he can’t control his temper. Who’s to say he won’t attack me or Sintian again in the middle of our mission?”
Evan felt rage boiling up inside him, but he pushed it back down. Don’t rise to it.
“Venators must learn to work together, or risk losing their lives,” Padrake said, his smile gone. “You four will work together. If you are unable to do so, you’ll soon find yourselves free of any missions for a long time. If you do anything to purposely put your companions in danger, you may even be stripped of your sorcery and exiled. Understand!”
Evan was taken aback, not used to Padrake being so firm, but he saw his point clearly. As much as he disliked Sintian and Bane, he’d never do anything to put them at risk.
They all nodded at Padrake’s words, Sintian begrudgingly.
“My utmost apologies,” said Bane. “I forgot myself. I was merely taken aback. I didn’t expect my next assignment to be babysitting three Venators on their rookie missions. But no matter.”
“Yes,” said Padrake, “there’s been an influx of missions and all hands are needed. We’re putting a lot of trust in you with three first-timers. You’ve proven yourself in your previous assignments Bane. Do not betray ou
r trust here.”
“Of course not, Master.” Bane replied seriously, before flashing a polite smile Evan’s way. “Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. I heard you killed many demons in the invasion, you too Emillia. I must say, I’m most impressed.”
The smile carved into the bronze mask of his face was almost friendly. He’s a talented actor, Evan thought, when he wants to be.
Sintian wasn’t as skilled at hiding his emotions. He refused to look at them, instead glaring at the wall, as if it had grievously offended him.
“Good,” said Padrake. “Now, your mission objective is to track down a precious magical gem named the Crown of Quantem. The gem was once an artefact of worship. An ancient race of goblins used to covet it dearly. This particular goblin race was made extinct by invading demons centuries ago, however, and the gem has been lost ever since. Recently, there have been reports indicating the Quantem Crown has resurfaced. Worse, that it’s in the possession of a malevolent cult, other whispers indicate that a Dread Lord leads this cult.
It’s believed that the gem enables its wearer to be immune from any type of magical attack, which in the hands of an evil cult is obviously a big problem. Mistress Kyoko also wishes to study the gem for research, but making sure no one can use its power for evil is a tad more important.”
“So we gotta’ find this cult,” said Bane, “and take the gem from them before they can start massacring folk. Easy.”
“But where do we start?” Evan asked. “Do we know anything about this cult or where they’re based?”
“Not much,” said Padrake. “We only know that they call themselves the ‘Knights of the New Doom.’”
“The name’s a bit dramatic,” Emillia murmured.
“Indeed,” said Padrake. “They also might be necromancers and we haven’t been able to learn who their leader is, and if it’s a Dread Lord or not.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Sintian rolled his eyes.
“You will travel to the realm of Quantem.” Padrake picked up sheaves of paper and placed them on his desk. “Read your mission reports tonight. They contain more details on the Quantem world and the Crown.”
“Isn’t that a gnomish world?” Bane asked.
“Yes. After demons wiped out the goblin race the world was nearly dead, until gnomes settled there and started rebuilding it just two centuries ago.”
Evan’s excitement returned. The notion of travelling to a strange world was incredible. He just wished evil cultists and possible Dread Lords weren’t such a drawback.
“We have a contact in Gno-arin city, the capital of Quantem,” Padrake said. “His name’s Turon. He’s a merchant who used to own a stall at Veneseron’s market. Turon believes one of his regular customers is a member of the New Doom cult. Once in Gno-arin, meet with Turon. See if you can learn from the cultist where their base is and then retrieve the Quantem Crown. You’ll have Holophones to inform us if the cult is too large for you to handle. You will certainly need many reinforcements if a Dread Lord is involved. Is there a problem?” Padrake turned to Sintian, who was scowling murderously.
“Why can’t we hunt down Dark-Venators instead?” Sintian said. “I thought I’d finally get to face them.”
Evan had thought Sintian’s dark mood was purely because of him and Emi. But at Sintian’s words he remembered how much Sintian must hate the Rakarn. They’d murdered his parents after all.
“As you know, your missions can be a myriad of things,” said Padrake. “And our objectives are never to kill anyone, unless it’s to save others from danger.”
“If you say so,” Sintian mumbled.
“Now, read your mission reports and get a good night’s sleep.” Padrake gestured at the files on his desk. “You depart tomorrow.”
*
Jed sighed as he followed Elijah through the street paved by multicoloured cobblestones. He’d harassed him and Joelle to join in his investigations. Initially, Jed hadn’t wanted to follow Elijah on what was probably a fool’s errand, but he’d agreed once he learned Joelle would be there.
Joelle walked beside him, whilst Elijah hurried ahead. Jed had to stop himself staring at her, in case she noticed. They were in the merchant square of Veneseron city, not far from where the taxi-wagon dropped them off. Shops stretched out either side of the wide road as they moved along the pavement. The road and pavement alike were filled with traffic. A barrage of noise and smells filled his senses; the multitude of amazing sights was almost overwhelming. Honking vehicles and galloping mounts filled his ears and he could smell sweet pastries in the air.
A trio of goblins haggled outside a vehicle dealership, trying to buy an Air-yacht for fifty scion shillings cheaper. Another building had a huge line outside, curling into the alleyway beside it. The glowing letters above the building’s door proclaimed: See the famous dark elf boy band Knife Eared Boyz live tonight.
“Oh Rueda. I can’t believe they’re in town,” a teenage orc exclaimed to her friends as they passed.
“So…” Jed tried to begin small talk with Joelle for the umpteenth time. “You’re really good with a bow and arrow, right? I-”
To his annoyance Elijah interrupted him, shouting, “Here, here. You see.” Elijah stopped at the street corner, pointing at a shop named Femeri’s Fae clothes for Females.
“This was the last place Cleo was seen,” said Elijah. “I’ve been asking around the Fortress these past few days. Both Sasha Elwyr and Porgree Galwitz said they saw Cleo here. No one has seen her since. Sasha and Porgree also said they saw a ginger Mandon around this area too. Sasha mentioned he had a big scar on his cheek. I reckon he’s the kidnapper, guys.”
“So it’s not Bane or Magoris anymore?” Jed asked, unable to keep the quaver of amusement from his tone.
“That’s rather flimsy evidence,” said Joelle. “And Cleo was just the second person to run away, or go missing. What about Cece and Arianna?”
“I told you,” Elijah replied. “Loads of people saw Arianna at Dante’s Hollow that day. It was so crowded it would’ve been easy for someone to take her. As for Cece, she was last seen shopping in this area too. This street is called Blue Robe road. It’s known to have great clothes and perfumes. Loads of girls from the Fortress shop here.”
“You’re right about Blue Robe road,” Joelle conceded. “But this Mandon dude was only spotted here when Cleo ‘vanished’ right?”
“Technically” Elijah said, “But there was several Mandons at the Great Games. I was in the audience myself. I saw like two or three that had ginger hair and beards.”
“Okay, let’s go into the shop and see what we can find,” said Joelle.
“What, you gonna’ check CCTV?” Jed asked. “Do shops in Veneseron even have CCTV?”
A big part of him found it hard to believe Elijah with all this, but with Arianna disappearing too, Jed was beginning to reconsider. Two Venators deciding to leave Veneseron in weeks of each other was a coincidence, three was not.
He risked a glance at Joelle again. She was just beautiful, petite yet fierce. Her dusky blue eyes shone with a vibrant energy. She appeared cute and kind, yet Jed knew he wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her either.
Just then a Mandon entered their road. Jed recognised him vaguely as Godan Battlebeard, the dragon jouster from the Great Games.
“I don’t believe it. It’s him!” Elijah whispered anxiously. “What are the chances? Whoa, I’m so good at this detective stuff, maybe that’s what I’ll do once I’ve finished training. Veneseron stations magical detectives all over the realms, I’ll-”
“Elijah,” Joelle hissed, “he’s getting away.”
“Are you sure about this?” said Jed as they followed the giant. “I’m sure there’s more than one Mandon with ginger hair.”
“I think he had a scar on his cheek,” said Joelle. “I only got a glimpse though.”
“So we’re just going to follow him?” he asked.
“It’s worth a shot,” said Elijah. “If he’s
the one kidnapping people, we could save lives. If we’re wrong, no harm done.”
“Except an angry giant who could snap us like twigs,” Jed grunted. “But okay, I’m all for stopping whoever’s kidnapping Venators.”
“If he does anything suspicious, or we see if he has a hideout or something, we go and alert a Master.” Joelle said.
“But you’ve been on loads of missions,” Jed said as they hastily crossed the road. “You can handle yourself.”
“I can, but you two are still rookies. Besides, the Masters would want to know if there is someone actually kidnapping Realmers.”
“What do you mean actually?” said Elijah. “This is proof we-” He cut off as Battlebeard looked down the street behind him.
“Wait.” Joelle frowned. “Why would Godan Battlebeard be stealing trainees from the Fortress?”
“Let’s find out,” Jed said, “if it is this Battlebeard that is.”
The three of them kept several metres behind the Mandon, hidden by a clump of pedestrians between them. Battlebeard strode down the entirety of Blue Robe Road, scanning the street as if looking for something. Apparently giving up on his search, the giant turned onto another street.
“Keep close to the buildings now,” said Joelle. “So we can hide if he looks behind him. He might’ve seen us when he turned round before, but he’ll only get suspicious if he sees we’ve been following for a while.”
“What if he moves into a less crowded area?” He asked.
“We’ll use illusion to camouflage ourselves, but we might need so save our sorcery.”
“To fight him?” Elijah asked, his face a picture of fear.
“Hey, you’re the one so adamant about finding this kidnapper,” Joelle said. “Don’t chicken out now.”
Elijah took a deep breath. “I won’t.”
Jed started to feel nervous too. Once they saw proof that Battlebeard had been kidnapping Venators, they had to tell the Masters. He didn’t fancy his chances battling a Mandon, but knew he would have too if Battlebeard figured out they knew what he’d been up to.
Moonlight War- Act I (The Realmers Book 2) Page 28