“Oh shut up. We don’t have time to start measuring swords, so just get the job done,” said Zarim.
Templar moved his hand beneath his cloak to the pouches on his belt. One contained a thin case, and when he opened it, Zarim could see a tension wrench and several picks, a similar set to the tools Ekala used in their operations. Templar examined the lock as his fingers plucked up the appropriate wrench and pick. The entrance to the office existed within a small alcove from the rest of the L-shaped hall and Zarim moved to the corner, peering around it, keeping watch for any potential threats.
Templar inserted the tension wrench into the lock, rotating it as much as it would go. He slid the pick inside and turned his head, listening closely for the sounds as he used the pick to push the first pin into its unlocked position.
A passing monk at the end of the corridor did a double-take as Zarim ducked back behind the corner. “Speed it up, we might have a situation.”
“Patience, this is an art.” After lifting the second pin, Templar turned the tension wrench slightly, and moved the pick deeper into the lock.
“Screw your art, this is us about to get spotted.” Zarim slid one side of his cloak over his shoulder, unlatching his gun from its holster. He could hear the monk’s footsteps getting closer. Zarim drew the gun, holding it by its barrel, intending to knock out the monk if he came too close.
Templar grinned at the click of the third pin. “Just one left.” He took a glance and saw Zarim prepared to strike with the gun. “Put that away.”
“Look, if you don’t do your job, I’ll be forced to do mine!” hissed Zarim.
The fourth pin was giving him some trouble. Templar had to be gentle with the wrench so he didn’t damage the lock or accidentally undo his efforts.
The monk took careful steps. He thought he saw something near Lord Vortai’s chambers, but that wasn’t possible in the middle of mass. As he grew closer, he could swear there were voices. He stayed close to the outside wall of the corridor, sticking his head out to get a good look. He turned the corner...
And there was nothing.
The monk stared at the closed door of Lord Vortai’s chambers. He stepped closer, reaching out and taking the handle in his grip. He gave it a slight jiggle and it was locked. The monk breathed a sigh of relief. Must have just been his eyes playing tricks on him.
Zarim stood pressed against the door, listening for the monk’s receding footsteps. Once they were gone, the pirate holstered his weapon. “That was close.”
“You need to relax.” Templar moved to the door within Vortai’s office. Zarim, meanwhile, examined the artifacts around the room, trying to determine if there were any value in some of these trinkets.
Templar tested the handle on the inner door and found it was unlocked. “Apparently, Vortai doesn’t expect anyone to enter his personal chambers.”
“Good, so it should be smooth sailing from here.”
“Not quite,” said Templar, leading the way down the spiral staircase. “Last time I went through this door, I found Reyche.”
“That girl? What’s the problem with that?” asked Zarim.
“She tried to kill me,” said Templar. “I imagine Vortai has upgraded his defenses since.”
Zarim appeared to be in disbelief. “Her?”
“That cloak is not just for subterfuge. She’s a vampire.”
Zarim paused in his descent. “What?”
“You have a faerie in your crew. Spare me the surprise,” said Templar. “She was being kept prisoner by Vortai. Held under his will.”
“He can control people?” asked Zarim.
“In a fashion,” said Templar. “I have no idea the extent of his power, though.”
A new voice echoed in the chamber. “It grows. With each stone.”
Templar and Zarim drew their weapons. They stepped into the corridor at the foot of the stairs. In the dim, flickering light of the torches, they could see a robed man. He lowered his hood, revealing the completely hairless head of Vortai’s servant, Ono.
“You,” said Templar. “We could have avoided this nastiness if you simply paid me promptly.”
“Greed is a terrible sin, Mr. Templar,” said Ono. His eyes started to crackle with crimson energy.
“What the hell are you?” asked Zarim.
“A vessel of the master’s great power.” Ono held out his arms, fingers outstretched, and bursts of scarlet lightning arced out from them, striking both Zarim and Templar, pinning them to the ground.
CHAPTER 17
Swul battered Tanus’ face with his tiny, yet powerful fists. The miner was surprised at how great the discrepancy was between the faerie’s size and his strength. But one thing about Tanus is that he gave as good as he got. He reached around with his artificial arm and grabbed Swul by his neck, pulling his writhing frame off. Tanus threw him with all the force he could muster, and Swul flew right through the glass window of the tavern.
Tanus stood and jumped after, rolling on the street between the tavern and the cathedral, and sprung to his feet. He got into a fighting stance as Swul recovered, rubbing the part of his head that broke the glass. Both men had to keep their wits about them in this fight. Although it was intended to be a drunken brawl, and despite Swul’s comments about not pulling his punches, they had to be careful not to injure the other too seriously, and at the same time conceal some of their more obvious traits—in Tanus’ case, his artificial arm and for Swul, the wings folded beneath his cloak.
Swul ran towards his opponent and Tanus raised his arms, prepared for another jump, but the diminutive man surprised him by sliding under his legs. Before Tanus could turn, Swul jumped onto his back. His arms went around Tanus’ neck, holding a vise-like grip on his windpipe. Tanus charged up the steps of the cathedral, turned and slammed his back—and Swul—through the wooden doors. Both men tumbled into the church’s foyer. Swul’s grip loosened and the two separated once again, each slowly rose into a crouch, staring at the other.
The sounds of their scrap penetrated the doors of the hall, and one by one, the congregation left their pews, opening the doors to witness two men of vastly different statures brawling. Swul noticed the audience that had gathered and smiled. Tanus charged first this time, and Swul was surprised by the man’s speed. His human arm connected with Swul’s chin, knocking the faerie back with incredible might. Swul tumbled towards the wall. He twisted his body so his feet could strike the wood, coiled his legs, and sprung from the partition back at his opponent.
Vortai pushed through the crowd to see what the commotion was. The old mage was shocked to see the events unfurling around him. He slammed his staff against the floor, trying to overpower the noise of the brawl, commanding both men to cease. “This is a house of worship! Enough!”
The two men didn’t listen, though, and continued their exchange. Partly to provide their friends with a suitable distraction, but also because both men were having fun pitting their testosterone-fueled strength against each other.
Inside the hall, Reyche led Ekala to the side doors adjacent to the altar. The two young women took full advantage of the distraction and were able to enter in without the slightest bit of trouble. They proceeded down the steps, Reyche taking point and moving slowly.
“I hope your friends will be okay,” she said.
“Don’t worry about ‘em, something tells me they’re having a good time,” said Ekala.
Reyche raised an eyebrow. “Why would they enjoy that?”
“Boys will be boys. So what’s your story? Templar said you were a prisoner of Vortai?”
Reyche nodded. “I came to Serenity on pilgrimage. But along the journey...” Her voice trailed off.
“Along the journey...what?” asked Ekala.
Reyche stopped and lowered her hood, revealing her dark red curls. “I can show you.” She turned to face Ekala, and for the first time, the young thief saw her new companion’s haunting yellow eyes and pointed ivory fangs.
Ekala stifled a ga
sp and, to her credit, was able to hide much of her surprise. “An’ here I thought you were just really pale.”
Reyche’s surprise, however, was far more evident on her features. “You aren’t frightened?”
“The other day, I took down a dragon,” said Ekala. “Trust me, I’ve seen worse. Long as you don’t bite me, we’ll get along just fine.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” Reyche continued her descent down the steps and Ekala followed.
“So what happened after that?”
“When I arrived in Serenity, I came to this cathedral. And it was here that I witnessed Vortai—I saw him...draining a child.”
“What do you mean draining?”
“There was some sort of energy coming from his hands. The boy grew weak and Vortai grew stronger,” said Reyche. “I broke the chain and allowed the child to escape. But then, Vortai used his power on me. He said I couldn’t be drained, but that he could have other uses for me. He...used me as a weapon against Templar.
“Templar, however, didn’t kill me. Although he was tempted to. He helped me break free of the conditioning. And together, we escaped this building.”
“Some story,” said Ekala.
“What about you? Why are you and your friends after these stones?” asked Reyche.
“Somethin’ about the end of the world if we don’t get ‘em to a friend of ours,” said Ekala. “It looks like Vortai is planning to use them for something and, judging by the company he keeps—plus what you just told me about that kid—it’s probably not gonna be good.”
“Then I’m happy to help you,” said Reyche. “Especially if it means bringing an end to his terror.”
“Well, don’t start the party just yet.” Ekala held her boomerang in one hand. “We gotta find the others and get the stones, first. And even then, there are still three left. Unless we get all five, there’s always gonna be trouble.”
“So you and your friends, you’re heroes?” asked Reyche.
Ekala chortled. “Wouldn’t go that far. You’ve never heard of us before?”
Reyche thought on their names from the introductions in the restaurant. After a moment, she simply shook her head.
“You’ve never heard of the Excalibur?”
“What’s the Excalibur?”
“It’s an airship, probably—ugh , never mind,” she said. “I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed our rep hasn’t reached...where are you from, any way?”
“Tarzu.”
“Never heard of it.”
“I suppose that puts us on equal footing, then,” said Reyche.
“Well whatever. Point is, we’re kinda like your buddy Templar.”
Reyche sighed. “So you’re thieves.”
“I prefer the term ‘pirates’, personally.”
Reyche stopped suddenly, holding out her arm to stop Ekala as well. Ekala looked at her in confusion. “What?”
“Shh!” Reyche concentrated on the faint sounds from below. Her hearing was a good deal more advanced than the average person due to her vampiric condition. She strained her ears, struggling to make sense of what she heard. It sounded like the sounds of a fight. She immediately broke into a run down the steps.
“Hey, wait up!” said Ekala, chasing after her.
The two women rushed to the foot of the stairs, and as they got closer, they could see flashes of crimson light illuminating the corridor. Reyche stopped as they moved down the end of the spiral staircase, approaching the corridor. Glancing at Ekala, she said, “this leads to the chamber where Vortai keeps the stones. But there’s something wrong.”
Ekala raised the boomerang and with her free hand, drew a few of her throwing knives. She nodded, indicating her readiness to proceed. The two continued descending, with Reyche out in front. They both stuck close to the wall and as they turned the corner, they watched in horror while Ono kept both Zarim and Templar incapacitated with the strange lightning that came from his fingertips.
The young thief wasted no time, she simply hurled the boomerang at Ono. He spun and held out his hand; a ball of lightning flew from it and incinerated Ekala’s weapon. She charged forward, hurling dagger after dagger. But Ono appeared to possess a supernatural sense of premonition, as he was able to deflect each one of Ekala’s blades. He threw out his arm and flung Ekala through one of the wooden doors.
Ono now brought his attention to bear on Reyche. He grinned as he stepped towards her. “Why have you sided with these heretics? They will only put you on a path away from illumination—on a path towards desolation and darkness.”
“You and Vortai are manipulating what you stand for,” said Reyche. “I can’t let you continue.”
“Lord Vortai is simply acquiring the means to make this world a better place.” Ono’s arms fell to his sides, but the electricity still arced between his bent fingers. “You can join us in this new world. There is room even for one such as you who has fallen.”
Reyche stepped away. “Stay back!”
Ono paused, but then simply advanced again, albeit slowly. “Be one with us, Reyche. Help us create a better world.”
Reyche watched Zarim pulling himself up to his feet, using his sword to brace his body. She needed to keep Ono distracted. “How?”
“These artifacts contain the essence of the Presence. With them in his possession, Lord Vortai will be able to bring our savior forth. It will be a new, shining age for all mankind.”
Zarim managed to stand, leaning against the wall. He drew his gun and aimed carefully, then squeezed the trigger. The bullet struck Ono in his back and he slumped forward. Reyche backed away, staring at the bald man’s body. She reached down to examine him...
An unintended gasp escaped her lips when Ono’s head snapped up, his eyes now burning with the power inside him. “One moment, child. I must deal with this pagan trash first.” In a flash, Ono was on his feet, his lighting once more pinning Zarim to the ground. The voltage coursed through Zarim’s body, pushing him into convulsions. “A little more and then another blight upon this world shall be removed.”
Reyche pounced on the monk, one arm wrapping around his shoulder, the other pulling his head to the side. The flesh of his neck was now exposed and Reyche did not hesitate before sinking her teeth into the soft tissue. She felt his warm blood filling her mouth and lapped it up greedily.
Ono’s body went weak and his knees finally gave, collapsing beneath the weight of Reyche’s body. As he lay sprawled on the ground, Reyche lapped up what was left of his blood and looked up. Zarim and Templar stumbled towards her, still weak themselves from Ono’s attack.
Reyche appeared as if she had been woken up from a bout of sleepwalking. She stared at Ono’s now-lifeless body with genuine horror in her eyes. She backed away from the body, pushing up against the corridor’s wall, still staring at the slain priest.
“By the Presence...I-I...”
Her voice trailed off. Zarim slid the gun into its holster and sheathed his sword. He walked towards her, holding out his hands in a sign of peace. “Reyche, are you okay?”
“What am I?” she asked. “What am I? What am I?” She kept repeating it like a mantra.
Zarim still moved closer. “Reyche, listen to me. He was the enemy, okay? He would have killed us—and you—if you didn’t do something about it.”
“But I-I killed him...”
“Given the choice, so would we,” said Templar.
Zarim knelt down in front of her. “You saved us. It’s not something I’m going to forget any time soon.”
Templar glanced around. “Aren’t we short a body?”
“Ekala!” Zarim nearly jumped. He rushed for the now-broken door she’d been thrown through by Ono. Stepping over the splintered boards, he found her standing in a trance-like state. Zarim ran up to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and letting out a breath of relief. “ I was afraid something might have happened to you.”
Ekala continued to stare up as she spoke. “Zee...I think we hit the jackpot.�
��
Zarim finally saw what she was focused on–a four-pointed star like the one Master Quand had in Xanadar. And two of the points were occupied by brightly-glowing Soulstones.
The local police arrived and managed to pull Swul and Tanus away from each other. The two men feigned a struggle against the officers, with Swul especially playing it up. “Let me at ‘im! Said he thinks I’m weak just ‘cause my height!”
“Go ahead, let the pipsqueak try his best!” shouted Tanus. “I’ll have him out cold within two seconds!”
“They both reek of booze!” said an officer with his arms pushed up against Tanus’ chest, trying his best to hold him back. Two of his partners held onto Tanus’ arms as well. Another two officers held Swul up by his legs, and he kept reaching out as if to strike Tanus.
“Looks like nothing more than a bar fight that got out of hand, Lord Vortai,” said a sixth officer who stood beside the elderly man. “We’ll get rid of these drunkards, let them sleep it off in a cell.”
Vortai narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the two men. “No.”
“I-I beg your pardon, sir?”
“Not yet.” Vortai stepped towards Swul, holding his hand out towards the faerie. His long, bony fingers wrapped around Swul’s hooded head and Swul was a little surprised at the strength of the frail man’s grip. Vortai stared directly into Swul’s eyes and the faerie could feel a chill slowly creeping through his body. After a moment, however, the crawling chill diminished then stopped.
“You won’t tell me anything...” Vortai turned his attentions to Tanus and slowly approached. He reached out with a long finger and placed it under Tanus’ chin, gently yet firmly turning the former soldier’s eyes towards his. Tanus, too, felt his body start to go cold while looking into the priest’s eyes. He sensed a presence creeping through his body, like a parasite sliming its way through his guts and into his mind. Tanus felt Vortai worming around in his brain, then all of a sudden Vortai backed away.
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