It had taken most of the day and evening for Conryu and Prime to finish the barrier surrounding the island. Following Prime’s instructions, the task had been simple enough, just time consuming. As they worked, his mind would drift occasionally to the girls in danger of being burned at the stake. Hopefully this extra day wouldn’t condemn any more innocents to death. For all his power, he couldn’t be in two places at once and he owed these women something for their unasked-for devotion.
Conryu sighed and shifted on an uncomfortable throne made to look like it was built out of bone. The ceremony to officially make Kanna grandmaster of the Daughters of the Reaper was taking place in the longhouse. The women’s cots had been pushed up against the wall leaving most of the single, large room empty. A black carpet ran the length of the room and on either side of it, all the ninjas knelt, their heads touching the floor.
And they were all naked. Sixty-six fit, attractive woman, thirty-three on either side of the carpet, faced him. At least in their current position all he could see was their backs and the tops of their heads. Conryu had summoned the Reaper’s Cloak and transformed the staff into a scythe. Beside him, Kai stood, fully dressed in her black uniform with her sword on her back. She had argued at first that it wouldn’t be appropriate for her not to take part as a regular sister, but Conryu overruled her. Seeing her naked wasn’t something he couldn’t unsee and since they were together every day he figured it was best not to take chances.
“Not a word about this to Maria,” he said.
“The ritual isn’t sexual, Chosen. I’m sure if you explained, Maria wouldn’t be upset. We perform the investiture naked and unarmed because that is how we all face death in the end.”
“You tell Maria that I was in a room with almost seventy naked women and I’ll be the one facing death. Now let’s get this over with.”
As if summoned by his voice, the door opened and Kanna, naked as all the others, stepped into the room. She walked calmly down the carpet, her steps making hardly a sound. At the end of the carpet she knelt and all the others raised their heads to witness the final portion of the ritual.
Conryu stood, pointed his scythe at Kanna, and recited the words as he’d been instructed. “Do you swear your life and soul to the Reaper’s service and your loyalty to me, his chosen representative on earth?”
“I do,” Kanna said.
“Do you swear to lead your sisters with strength and honor until death claims you?”
“I do.”
“Then rise, Grandmaster Kanna, and take your place at my side.”
She rose and moved to stand beside him. Kai draped a black cloak over her shoulders and the gathered ninjas let out a cheer. Conryu kept his gaze locked on the floor. If he was going to be able to face Maria the next time he saw her, the fewer sights he took in the better.
When Kanna at last dismissed her followers Kai said, “It’s safe now, Chosen.”
“Thank goodness.” He dismissed the cloak and scythe. “You need to look after yourself. I don’t want to have to do that again.”
Kanna smiled; it was the first real expression he’d seen on her stern face. “According to the histories, the other Chosen always had an orgy after the ritual.”
“You’re messing with me, right?”
“Perhaps a little, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Now, before the others return to prepare for sleep, what do you wish us to do for you?”
“I need you to scout the country under the control of the True Face of God cult. It used to be Spain; I don’t know what they call it now. They’re burning young wizards at the stake and I mean to put a stop to it. I also need to know how they’re finding the girls so early. Once you’ve located all the imprisoned girls, we’ll rescue them in one fell swoop. Anything else risks the others being killed once word reaches their captors.”
Kanna looked from him to Kai. “You’re right, he is different. The healing partly convinced me, but this mission confirms it. We’ll be ready to go in the morning, Chosen. Before you leave allow me to say it is an honor to serve you.”
She bowed and walked away. Conryu summoned the library and entered with Kai and Prime. When the doors had closed he asked, “What did you tell her?”
“While you and Prime were working, Kanna asked me about our adventures and what sort of master you were. I told her all that we had done and that you weren’t my master, you were my friend. I don’t think she entirely believed me, at least not until now. My sisters through the years have served many Chosen, all of them monsters that used and discarded us like animals. To serve a kind, honorable master is more than any of them dreamed possible. It was more than I dreamed possible until I met you.”
“Why do they serve people unworthy of them?”
“You heard the oath. We serve the one chosen by the Reaper. It is not our place to question the will of a god. Loyalty will see us reborn at Death’s side as black angels for eternity. Disloyalty gets an eternity of punishment.”
“I knew the Reaper was a jerk the moment I met him.” Conryu willed a pair of beds into existence. “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”
Merik stroked his beard, gently brushing across the four crystals woven into it. The sun had barely risen and he was watching the approach to Stonehenge from a comfortable distance, waiting for his dupe to arrive and activate the pillar. He wasn’t worried about the assassin that had confronted him last year when he claimed his birthright. The voice in his mind explained that the purpose of the beard crystals was to mask his presence. It wasn’t totally effective, but unless she was within a few yards of him, Merik would remain unnoticed by her magical senses.
He’d learned and accomplished a great deal in the last year. No longer was he an out-of-his-depth salesman. He understood both his new power and his purpose. He had a destiny now, an important one. Having that to focus on had a profound impact on him. The weak, uncertain man he’d been was nothing but a memory. If his wife could see him now, she might not even want a divorce.
Someone appeared on the path. Merik smiled. The pompous professor at last. The moment he read Angus’s book about Merlin, he knew the old man would be the perfect one to complete his mission. He was too arrogant to ever imagine that he was being used. He’d only see the glory and leap to seize it.
As Angus made his way closer to the circle of standing stones, Merik’s smile vanished. He raised a hand and concentrated.
The moron hadn’t brought the crystal with him!
Without that, the pillar wouldn’t appear and he couldn’t activate it.
Merik calmed himself. This wasn’t a disaster. Despite his appearance, Angus was clearly an intelligent man capable of figuring out what was wrong. When nothing happened, he’d retrieve the crystal and try again. No need to worry.
A moment later the assassin appeared out of thin air behind Angus.
Shit! If she got a hold of Angus, the old professor would tell her everything.
The Lemurian dog must not gain possession of the key.
Merik didn’t need to be told that. He left Angus and the woman to their discussion and hurried back toward the village. He’d been tailing Angus at a distance since he arrived and knew exactly where he was staying. The power of his crystals allowed him to run at full speed over long distances without getting winded. At a dead sprint he reached the edge of Ames in only five minutes.
He slowed to a walk and approached the inn. There was a line of people waiting for a table at the restaurant so he used a side door. The staff was all occupied with the breakfast rush which suited him perfectly. A quick dash up the stairs brought him to Angus’s room. The door was locked.
Merik concentrated on the left-side crystal embedded in his forehead. This one gave him limited telekinetic power which he used to manipulate the tumblers and open the door. A glance up and down the hall indicated that no one had noticed his unauthorized entry.
Inside, the room was neat, with all the professor’s clothes still folded
in his suitcase. Merik didn’t care about Angus’s packing habits. He sensed the crystal’s unique vibration coming from the wall safe. It was a combination-style safe, which was easily dealt with by his enhanced senses of touch and hearing.
Merik pocketed the crystal and made himself scarce. It wouldn’t take long for Angus, the assassin, or both if she decided not to kill him, to return. While he no longer feared the woman like he had, Merik had no desire for another altercation. It would only serve to draw attention he didn’t need.
What he did need was to find a new dupe as quickly as possible.
Chapter 4
Angus woke in the small inn he’d chosen in the town of Ames just a mile from Stonehenge. He never imagined he might be in the Kingdom of the Isles again so soon, much less to investigate one of the Kingdom’s most famous mysteries. It was lucky that after all the help he gave them, the government restored his travel privileges. When he determined the circle of stones’ true purpose, his former colleagues would turn green with envy.
He grinned and leapt out of bed. There was nothing like a mystery to get one’s blood pumping. Aside from its convenient location, the main reason Angus chose this particular inn was that each room had a safe. No sense carrying something as valuable as the red crystal around with him until he determined its purpose. He opened the safe once more and found the crystal still in its box exactly as he left it. Satisfied that it was as secure as it could be given his limited options, Angus left his room, ate breakfast in the bar, and called a cab to take him to Stonehenge.
When he arrived, he found the site free of tourists and rubbed his hands. Just as he hoped. The casual visitors weren’t up this early. He should have an hour or two before the crowds gathered to pose beside the megaliths and take pictures. It was almost a crime against history to let the ignorant masses run their hands over the ancient stones and trample the grass like a herd of sheep. Oh well, it wasn’t like they could do any damage to the massive rocks.
Angus made a slow circle around the standing stones but found nothing that looked like an opening for the crystal. There were no pictographs, runes, or anything else to give him a clue. He paused and thought. There couldn’t be anything obvious. If there was, someone else would have found it by now. Assuming someone hadn’t sent him on a wild goose chase, what was he missing?
The answer hit all at once. The crystal obviously needed to be here for whatever he was supposed to find to appear. Like the hidden map on the back of the letter, a beam of red light played over the stones would show him the way. Leaving the crystal behind had been the cautious move and he generally took that route if possible, but this time it appeared to have backfired on him.
He shrugged. There was nothing to do but head back to the inn, retrieve the artifact, and try again.
Angus turned and found himself facing a young woman dressed in a dark cloak with the hood thrown back. Young and pretty, she was exactly the sort of girl an old man like him might like to run into, except for the sword. She held a sharp, straight blade bare in her hand.
“I knew if I waited long enough the Atlantean or one of his servants would show up. You will lead me to your master or I’ll kill you where you stand.”
Angus stared at the woman, trying to process her threat. Nothing she said made any sense. “I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I serve no master, though I am researching the theory of Atlantis for my next book. I’m Angus McDoogle. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”
He blinked and she closed the distance between them. Her sword was cold where it touched his throat. “Do not imagine you can lie to me. You have been in contact with Atlantean crystals recently. Their stench covers you. I will ask you once more and only once more. Where is your master?”
Everything clicked into place for Angus. “Wait, please. I received a red crystal in the mail along with a fan letter recommending Atlantis as the subject for my next book. I was directed here to learn more. I swear I have no idea who sent the package.”
She looked deep into his eyes. It felt like she was judging his soul. Finally, she stepped back. “I believe you. The Atlantean is clever, using you as an intermediary. You can tell me nothing because you know nothing.”
He winced at being told he knew nothing, but in this case was content to let it go. “So I can keep my head?”
“Yes, but you can’t keep the crystal. You will take me to it and hand it over. I suggest you return home and forget all about Atlantis. It will be good for your health.”
Angus swallowed hard. What had seemed like a dream project had turned into a nightmare. His desire for glory was reduced to the simple need to survive.
“The crystal is locked up in my room. Shall we go?”
Half an hour after he left, Angus was back at his inn. The dining room was filled with the breakfast crowd, all of them happily and noisily chatting as they devoured scones, bacon and eggs, sausage and beans, and all washed down with tea or coffee. The smells filling the air made Angus want to pull up a chair and indulge in a second breakfast of his own. Alas he doubted his unwelcome companion would stand for the delay.
He made straight for his room, waving to the proprietress who frowned back when she caught a glimpse of the young woman with him.
At the top of the stairs he said, “I fear you’ve ruined my reputation.”
“You’re still breathing, aren’t you?” she countered.
It was a fair point. He made the short walk to his room in silence. Angus took out his key and frowned. The door was open a fraction. He remembered locking it and testing the door before he left this morning. He considered the possibility that the cleaning staff was inside, but the quiet made that unlikely.
“What is the problem?” the young woman asked.
“The door’s open already. I fear my room has been burgled.”
She pulled him aside, pushed the door open, and drew her sword as she stepped inside. Angus peered in past her. The room was empty, but the safe had been opened. Even from a distance it was clear the crystal was gone.
His companion crossed to the safe and made a mystical pass in front of the open door. “He was here, minutes ago. God damn it! Somehow he always stays a step ahead of me.”
Angus had no idea what to say and further angering the young lady with the sword seemed imprudent, so he stayed silent. Inside, his mind raced to make sense of everything he’d learned. The only thing he was certain of was that he’d gotten drawn into something far bigger than he’d suspected.
“I must return to Stonehenge,” the woman said. “The Atlantean is forbidden to enter the stones, but he will find another to take your place before long.”
“Wait! What am I supposed to do?”
She cocked her head. “Whatever you like, just stay away from my prey. Should you throw in with the Atlantean, I will be forced to consider you an enemy. And you do not want to be my enemy.”
With that she vanished, leaving him alone in his room.
Angus sighed. Maybe Atlantis wouldn’t be the best subject for a book after all.
Even with a force of sixty-six ninjas able to move instantly through the border of Hell, scouting an area the size of Spain wasn’t a quick task. Conryu had set up his base in an abandoned monastery overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The building only had half its roof and the pews were long since rotted to nothing, but it made a handy place for Kanna and the others to come back to and report in.
As they worked, an image of the True Face of God cult’s activities was building. On a stone table Conryu conjured out of the floor he had a map of the area. Apparently, the priests were working their way north and south from the country’s center where they’d built a massive building that was half church, half palace and the home of their supreme leader. That meant the cultists had at least two devices capable of detecting wizard potential in the young girls. It was a complication, but not an impossible one.
“What do you think, Prime?” he asked.
“I think that helping these girls doe
s nothing to increase your personal power and if you were a demon, you’d be better off either searching for more artifacts or mastering new magic. You clearly have no intention of doing either of those things, so I’ll just say that it’s more interesting than watching you play with the motorcycles you so love.”
“Well, as long as you’re amused that’s what matters. You know, these girls we’re saving will grow up to be wizards and they’ll be in my debt. Doesn’t that increase my power?”
“It would if you had any intentions of manipulating them to your benefit, but you don’t. As a demon, you would be a massive failure.”
Conryu grinned. That was the best compliment Prime had ever given him, even though the scholomantic clearly meant it as an insult.
A slight tremor ran through his magical perception and a moment later Kanna appeared and bowed. They’d arranged things so that all her subordinates reported to her then she reported to him. That suited Conryu fine as keeping track of sixty-six ninjas wasn’t a task he wanted.
“How’re we doing?” he asked.
“Good, Chosen. We’ve located thirty-two girls awaiting execution and one of the two priests handling the tests. According to their report, the medium is a clear crystal to which blood is applied. The crystal then turns color to match the girl’s alignment, assuming she has magical potential.”
“That’s similar to the device they use at the Academy to sort the students by alignment. How much of the country remains to be searched?”
“I believe another day will do it,” Kanna said. “I’ve prioritized finding the second crystal.”
“Good. If they can’t identify the girls, then they can’t execute them.”
There was a second tremor and one of the ninjas appeared beside Kanna. “Forgive me, Chosen, but one of the girls is going to be executed in thirty minutes.”
Atlantis Rising Page 4