Jed still wasn’t one hundred percent sure Godan was behind the disappearances. But he had to admit the giant did keep looking shiftily behind him, as if worried he might be followed.
They kept right to the edge of the shops nearby, sliding into alleyways whenever they saw Godan look around. Even though he was quite a bit ahead of them, his shoulders were so broad, they could tell when he was about to turn around.
After several minutes of tailing the giant, the busy streets melted away and they entered a residential part of the city. Battlebeard began looking behind him more frequently as he passed rows of houses. He then disappeared from view as he entered through one of the metal gates and into a garden.
“Ah, he’s just going home, probably for lunch.” Jed sighed, half in frustration that their search for the kidnapper was at a dead end, and half in relief.
“Hold on, there has to be more to it,” Elijah said. Jed thought Elijah sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything.
“C’mon,” Elijah persisted, striding down the pavement after Godan.
Jed shared a look with Joelle, who rolled her eyes as they followed after him. The gate Godan had disappeared through was in the middle of the row of houses, the entrance partially hidden by a brick wall on either side. They had to stand on their tiptoes to peer over the top.
Bizarrely, the house was a wreck. The front garden was so overgrown it was reminiscent of a jungle. A short path, full of broken stones, snaked through the garden and up to an old house. Although large, the house looked abandoned. Many windows were smashed or boarded up and the walls looked ready to crumble.
“He lives there?” Joelle whispered. “Is he squatting or something?”
“Maybe it’s where he’s keeping all his Venator hostages?” Jed only half-joked.
As they stared, the front door abruptly swung open. “Down,” Joelle hissed a split-second later, seizing him and Elijah by their collars. “He’s coming this way.”
They jogged to the end of the street and ducked behind a tank parked at the bend in the road. Jed vaguely noticed the tank was some futuristic vehicle the Wibbernysi race used, with three gun turrets to shoot its plasma bombs. He was just grateful the tank was large enough to hide them from Battlebeard.
Jed peeped around the side of the tank after several moments, relieved to see Battlebeard walking down the street the other way.
“Phew, he didn’t see us,” he said.
“Good, that means we can check the abandoned house,” Elijah said nervously.
“What?” Jed gasped. “We can’t go snooping around. We don’t even know if Battlebeard’s guilty of anything.”
Joelle shrugged. “We’ve come this far. We might as well look through a window or something.” She flashed a grin. “Unless you’re scared?”
“Fine.” Jed smiled. “Just get ready to hide behind me if Battlebeard comes back and catches us. I’ll protect you.”
“It’ll be the other way around, mate.” Joelle replied.
They waited a couple more minutes before returning to the street. Elijah began attempting to open the enchanted lock on the gate.
“This is really advanced magic,” Elijah said, struggling with his spell. “Why would an abandoned house need this?”
“Let me have a go,” said Joelle. “We’ve been through all sorts of locks in my Curse-Breaking class.”
She grabbed a hold of the heavy padlock on the gate and closed her eyes. Jed knew from his own training that breaking enchanted locks was like undoing tight invisible knots with your mind. After several moments the padlock clicked and the gate swung open. Joelle opened her eyes, breathing heavily. “You’re right; the spell on that lock was strong. C’mon, let’s check the house out, quickly.”
They hurried across the path of chipped and broken stones and up to the house.
Jed swiftly headed for the window nearest the door, crouching down low in case anyone was inside. However, the interior was just an empty room, devoid of anything except the wooden floor and walls.
“Nothing there,” he whispered.
“Nor here,” said Elijah, peering through another window.
“We’ll have to go inside, check the whole house,” Joelle said.
Jed realised she was being braver than both he and Elijah. He also realised she was right. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if Venators had been kidnapped, they could only be metres away. Perhaps hidden in the cellar? He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if they left now when they had the chance to find them.
“Okay, let’s do it,” he said quickly, before he lost his nerve.
Joelle stepped up to the threshold and performed another unlock spell on the door. Luckily, this lock was much easier to break than the one on the gate.
“You sure you want to go in first?” Jed asked her.
Joelle smirked back. “If we run into trouble, our best chance is with me taking care of it. But thanks for the offer, you’re cute.”
Jed couldn’t help smiling as he and Elijah followed her inside. The room beyond was glazed with dust and covered in thick cobwebs. The floorboards were bare, apart from a broken chair in the corner of the room. It looked like no one had lived here in decades.
The only sign of habitation was the giant footprints in the dust, no doubt made by Battlebeard.
“Elijah, keep a lookout at the window in case he returns,” said Joelle. “Jed, search upstairs. I’ll look through the rooms down here.”
“Are you sure we should split up?” Elijah asked, his voice unnaturally high.
“Chances are there’s nothing here,” Joelle shrugged. “And we saw the big fellow leave, so unless he returns to find us trespassing, we’ll be fine.” Joelle turned to Jed, clapping him on the back and grinning. “Just shout if you need help, rookie. I’ll come save you.”
He smirked back at her and raced up the ancient set of rickety stairs. On the second floor were three bedrooms. Jed explored each one, finding every room devoid of furniture, just more dust.
His eyes flitted from side to side repeatedly as he wandered, expecting Battlebeard or someone else to discover them at any minute.
“Anything?” he asked as returned downstairs.
“Just this,” said Joelle, poking her head around a door in the corner of the room. “Come and look too, Elijah.”
They followed her into a tiny back room. This room was as barren as the others, apart from a portrait on the wall. It stood above an empty hearth, depicting a beautiful mansion in the middle of a vibrant forest. There was something different about the portrait, the paint appeared too bright.
“It’s not much,” said Joelle, “but it’s probably the only furnishing in the whole house.”
Elijah moved to get a closer at the picture, narrowing his eyes.
“Hmm, it’s not like the portrait to Padrake’s chambers is it? Maybe it’s just a normal paintin-”
Elijah cut off with a cry as a hand exploded out of the portrait to seize his throat.
Jed and Joelle both yelled and ran to grab him, but the hand wrenched back, pulling Elijah inside the portrait itself and disappearing from view. Before Jed could ask Joelle what to do, she’d already dived headfirst into the picture after Elijah.
“What the Glarq!” He shouted, thunderstruck. Should I follow after them, or find the masters for help?
Before he could decide, he heard the sound of the front door creaking open. Had Battlebeard returned?
“Ushk,” Jed swore again. He had no idea how to do it, so he simply pressed his hand against the portrait. At once he felt something tug him forwards and saw his body turn translucent. In a blink he landed on a bright green field. Moments later, he realised the grass beneath him was wet, the green colour running like fresh paint. He didn’t get a chance to look round any further, however, as Elijah and Joelle were before him, battling the monster trying to claw Elijah’s head off.
Jed realised the creature was a kraken that had been painted yellow and drawn
human size, with human legs painted on too. Rivulets of yellow paint still ran off its many tentacles and Elijah’s face was smudged yellow where the tentacle grabbed him.
Elijah flailed around, trying to prise the kraken’s tentacle off his head and neck, whilst Joelle tried to stab the kraken with her knife, but kept being forced back by the monster’s other tentacles.
He rushed to help, but he hadn’t brought any weapons with him. Luckily his magic worked in whatever this place was and he shot a bolt of energy magic into the kraken’s face.
The monster reared back, its tentacles temporarily paralysed. Joelle used this moment to dive forwards and stab the painted abomination’s heart. The kraken went limp, letting go of Elijah as more paint spewed from its chest and it slowly melted into a puddle.
Elijah wheezed in and out, rubbing his neck gingerly. “What the hell was that?”
“Did we travel to another realm?” Jed asked, looking around wildly.
Their surroundings were identical to the picture in the old wooden house, a vibrant forest, with a huge mansion in the distance. But the forest stopped looking wet and the ground became more solid the closer it got to the mansion.
“Not a different world,” Joelle said, “but an enchanted portrait. I think that thing was planted that here to kill any intruders. It had to have been a highly skilled Venator who drew this place, and maybe other monsters too. The only person talented enough to create these paintings in all of Veneseron is Padrake.”
“I was right,” Elijah rasped, as if not truly believing it himself. “Battlebeard must be using this painting to hide the people he’s been kidnapping.”
“Bloody hell,” Jed said slowly. “Do you think he’s keeping the missing Venators in that mansion?”
“Let’s go and see.” Joelle started forward.
“No,” said Elijah, “we need to go back and tell the masters.”
“Damn, I just remembered,” Jed’s panic returned. “I think Battlebeard had come back to the house just before I left. Will he come through after us?”
They looked behind them, but the portrait wasn’t there however, just more forest.
“Wait, where did the painting frame go?” Elijah shouted. “How are we going to get back?”
“We can’t,” Jed said. “We’re trapped!”
*
The nerves that had built throughout the night sky-rocketed as Evan awoke. It was his first thought the moment he opened his eyes. Could today be the day I die? He knew not every mission put their lives in danger, but there was always the possibility that things could go very wrong.
He’d been up late last night, poring over the mission report repeatedly. Padrake’s words from the meeting also kept echoing in his mind.
Judging by the darkness outside, he knew he’d overslept. Venators never had training the day they departed for missions and Evan guessed his body had taken advantage of the extra rest. At first, he worried that he’d slept through the entire day, but then he realised it was only dark because the sky was obscured by a blanket of gloomy grey cloud. In the distance, he picked out the giant clock built into one of the training courtyards, which told him it was midday.
Only an hour before I have to leave, maybe forever if things go wrong.
He swiftly dressed and left his room, trying not to let his anxiety overwhelm him and clutching Rueda’s hilt out of habit.
As he walked through the Fortress he tried to drink in all the sights, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time he walked Veneseron’s halls. To distract himself, he looked in on several rec rooms, but his friends were nowhere to be found. He did spot a distressed Sabine, though, close to tears as she spoke to Nena.
“Arianna’s still missing. I can’t believe this is happening again.” Sabine cried. “I already have one cousin missing.”
“Seriously?” Nena asked.
“Yes, Brie.” Sabine sniffed. “She went missing on a mission nearly two years ago now. She’s believed to be captured by Dark-Venators.”
Evan moved away from the rec room door, realising he was eavesdropping. He wondered again what was going on with all the Venator runaways. There was definitely something fishy about it all. Sabine mentioning her cousin had gone missing on a mission only furthered his anxiety, however. What if Rakarn appear on my mission and try to capture me?
Fortunately, in the next rec room he visited, a chatty Porgree informed him that Jed, Elijah and Joelle had headed to the city earlier that morning.
“Elijah told me it was very important they go,” Porgree said between mouthfuls of Mer Muffin, “but he wouldn’t tell me why.”
Evan didn’t have a clue why they’d all gone, but he was more concerned that he wouldn’t get the chance to say goodbye. Once he’d finished scouring the rec rooms, it was time to report to the mission chamber.
Evan was thankful he’d decided not to eat anything as he headed there, he might’ve brought it all back up. He’d never been inside the mission chamber before, but knew it was located in the corridor Venators had nicknamed Pegasus Passage, because of the winged horse statues flanking the entrance.
As Evan turned into Pegasus Passage, his mission companions were already waiting outside. Sintian slouched against the wall, glaring at nothing in particular, whilst Bane leaned impatiently on the doors, and Emi stood away from them, looking small and scared.
“Where’ve you been?” Evan asked quietly as he stood beside her. “I couldn’t find anyone.”
“Oh, sorry,” Emillia said, giving him an anxious smile. “Xavier and Zeke took me to the forest earlier after I almost had a panic attack. They know that the woods really calm me down.”
“Ah, you’re nervous too, huh?”
Emi nodded, “Terrified, but kind of excited as well.”
“I know how you feel.” Evan smiled back at her, hoping he could at least alleviate Emi’s fear, if not his own.
Just then, Bane stepped back as the doors opened and Padrake popped his head outside. “Aha, there you all are. Righty o’ then, come in.”
As they entered the mission chamber, Evan’s nerves temporarily left him. He’d been in many rooms of the Fortress now; rooms that defied the laws of size and space, but he had never been in one quite like this.
Portraits hung by each archway, depicting the worlds their portals led to. The landscapes of each picture were wonderful, mountains of blue snow, oceans of pink sand, even forests where the trees had arms and legs.
Evan and Emi followed Bane’s lead as Padrake pointed out the changing rooms where they could don their Venator armour. He felt safer in the scarlet bodysuit; though he knew it wasn’t indestructible and powerful magic could destroy it. Evan just hoped they didn’t encounter anything strong enough to do that.
Padrake then led them down the lines of portals, speaking conversationally. “Your mission should be relatively quick and painless. Often, Venators require specific items and gadgets for their missions but for this task you’ll only require Holophones and basic potions, as well as your own weapons.” Padrake passed Bane a cloth sack full of their phones and potions. “I trust you all remember the camouflage and invisibility spells I’ve taught you?” Padrake beamed at them all. “You might need them to sneak past this cult and perhaps steal the Quantem Crown from right under their noses.”
“Or we could just slaughter them all,” Sintian muttered.
“This is the one,” said Padrake, stopping by the archway numbered 555. “We’ve arranged for you to portal into a back alley of Gno-Arin, so no one should witness your arrival. You’ll land near the city marketplace where Turon works. He’s a half-orc, so he shouldn’t be hard to spot.” Padrake activated the gateway and its portal swirled into being.
Without a word to anyone, Bane stepped forward and disappeared into the swirling tempest. Evan blinked in shock, but then a sullen Sintian strode past him and suddenly he was gone too.
“Off you go then, and good luck,” Padrake said. “Just remember, we’re only a phone call away.”
Trying not to think when he would next see his friends again, if ever, Evan took a deep breath and looked to Emillia.
“Ready for your first mission?” he asked.
Emi nodded, “Let’s go.”
Together they stepped forward, leaving the world of Veneseron and entering another.
Chapter 25- A Night of Blood and Slaughter
Night had invaded London now, blotting out the skyline. For the past hour she’d watched the darkness spread, like a broken pen spilling its ink. Brooke could see civilian London beyond the secret streets from her hotel window.
People had already begun setting up their stalls and the shop lights had flickered on.
With night, came the birds. Colourful parrots flew across the market, swooping into many of the houses and shops in the square and up to the hotel rooms.
Brooke knew shamans often contacted one another by parrots. There had to be three shamans staying in the hotel, as the birds flew through their respective windows.
She thought the Venators Holophone was a far easier method of communication. Arantay was still on the phone with Veneseron, informing the mission monitors of their current situation. They had until tonight to deal with Andon. Then Veneseron would send in reinforcements.
There was a knock on the wall beside her, before a ghostly butler walked through the wall itself.
“Would Madame and sir like tea tonight?” the porter asked.
“Uh, no thank you, we’re leaving soon,” she replied to the gloomy ghost.
The butler bowed and slid back through the wall without a sound, as Brooke watched, bemused. As she turned back to the window, the market was filling up with customers. Dozens swarmed the courtyard, moving from stall to stall. One person stood still, however, looking up at her.
At first Brooke thought she was seeing things. The tall, starkly pale teenager standing between two stalls was indeed gazing directly at her window.
“What is it?”
The voice made her jump back in surprise. She looked round to see Arantay standing behind her. She hadn’t heard him approach at all.
Moonlight War- Act I (The Realmers Book 2) Page 29