Fallout (Tales of the Other Universe Book 2)

by J. G. Taschereau

  “How much do you know about what’s happened?” Adam asked. “Rather, what’s been told to everyone about everything that’s happened?”

  “I’ve been following the news since that coup that took you off your throne,” Mathias explained. “Supposedly you were so incompetent that you allowed Magid to come within days of total collapse. The people revolted and you fled into exile. Someone by the name of Bianco was elected by the people to replace you. Know the guy?”

  “Can’t say I do,” said Adam. “He must have been with the Western Liberty Movement. They were a puppet political party being controlled by Oracle, the people responsible for the situation in Kyoto.”

  “At any rate, the Creator sided with the new government and called for your peaceful surrender. He sent that police force you used to work for to take you in, but you murdered them and fled with Blondie here.”

  “The Khazaki were sent to assassinate me, and I have reason to believe that they and the government of Gravell were being controlled by Oracle as well.”

  “I’ve got to hand it to them, if what you’re saying is true then these guys have really got their act together. You got set up perfect, because the Creator used the killings as an excuse to declare you two outlaws. What I want to know is why he’s backing these Oracle guys now, and why he didn’t bother just coming after both of you himself. Seems like if it’s as big a deal as he’s making it then he’d put in the effort.”

  “There’s more to all of this than we know,” Adam said. “But he’s made no attempt to communicate with us or offer an explanation. At present, we have to operate under the assumption that the Creator is siding with Oracle.”

  “In that case, I don’t know what to tell you,” said Mathias. “I know you need friends right now, but if the Creator’s on their side, I don’t want to be caught against them. I owe it to my people not to get involved in a situation which could have ruinous consequences for this nation.”

  “You once spoke about getting justice for those who were unable to get it themselves,” Adam reminded him. “Do you really intend to hand us over to the Creator and give Oracle what it wants? Where’s the justice in that?”

  “It’s more complicated than that, Adam,” said Mathias. “As a former king yourself, I would hope you could appreciate that. Besides, I’m not handing you over to the Creator.”

  “You’re not?” Dee asked.

  “Why would I? Just because I have my own interests to protect doesn’t mean I’m going to betray both of you. I believe what you’ve said. That’s why I wouldn’t have a problem if the two of you somehow managed to break out of this rather low-tech prison and made a run for it.”

  “I’m out of options, Mathias,” said Adam. “I don’t have many friends left, especially none with the power you have. If I’m ever going to take back Magid, I need more than what I have now.”

  “I’m really sorry, but I can’t help you,” said Mathias. “There comes a time when you’ve just got to face facts and realize when something isn’t worth dying over.”

  “Oracle doesn’t have the power to kill me,” Adam stated.

  “I wasn’t talking about you,” Mathias said. “They’re going to keep coming after you, them and everyone else who follows the Creator’s edict. You may be able to hold them off, but what about Blondie? How long until someone less friendly than me puts a gun to her head and pulls the trigger? Could you live with yourself if that happened because you didn’t know when enough was enough?”

  “That’s not fair, Mathias,” Dee said. “This is bigger than me, Greg knows that. We won’t stop just because there’s a chance something could happen to me. If I was afraid of that, I never would have left Magid Palace.”

  “There’s more than a chance, Dee,” said Mathias. “The longer this goes on, the less space you’ll have left to run to. Sooner or later you’re going to be trapped, and when that time comes you’d better hope it’s the Creator and not an angry mob that finds you. At least the Creator will keep you alive.”

  “So what do you suggest we do, then?”

  “I figured that much would have been obvious to you after the coup,” Mathias said. “If your problem is the Creator, go where he can’t touch you.”

  “What, you mean Earth?” Adam asked.

  “Sure, why not? Yes, you’ll still have to deal with Oracle but it ought to be a lot easier to move around without worrying about everyone thinking you’re an enemy. At the very least it will give you a chance to lay low for a while until you can think of better options.”

  “You know, that’s not such a bad idea,” Dee said. “We can find Ayumi or Cody. They would help us.”

  Adam thought things through. Mathias was right in that Dee would only be in danger the longer they moved around, and the last thing he wanted was for something to happen to her. Mathias was his last hope on Carvon, and likely in the whole of the Other Universe at this point. On the other hand, to leave now would be admitting defeat to Oracle and to the people of Magid that he vowed to protect. He couldn’t let the tyranny of Oracle continue to spread so long as he could do something about it. The trouble was that it seemed more and more like there really wasn’t anything he could do about it.

  “I understand it’s a tough decision, but you’re going to have to make it,” said Mathias. “The Creator has no doubt gotten wind of your capture here and will be on his way at any time. I’d suggest you leave during the night; I trust you don’t need me to unlock the cell for you. I’ll keep the guards away from the south wall tonight so you can leave that way. You won’t find too many of those interdimensional portal stations south of the equator, but I hear there’s one on one of the islands in the southeast. You should shoot for those.”

  “We’d have to cross through hundreds of miles of desert to get there,” Adam pointed out.

  “You’re welcome to take your chances here, but in my opinion hundreds of miles of empty space is the best thing you two could ask for, especially since you can control water. Oh, that reminds me.”

  Mathias reached into his pocket and withdrew Dee’s wand, having returned to its natural wooden appearance. He passed it through the bars of Dee’s cell where she gladly received it back.

  “Thank you,” said Dee.

  “No need for thanks,” he said. “It’s rightfully yours. Sorry I had to act as I did. Next time, don’t leave yourself open or you’ll regret it.” Dee gave him a quick nod and felt her face start to redden. Mathias also laid the Sword of Magid against the bars of Adam’s cell. He turned back to Dee.

  “One more thing,” Mathias added. “When you saw Nelly, she was okay? I mean, good as new?”

  “Yeah,” said Dee. “I wouldn’t have known she’d been so close to death if she didn’t tell me.”

  “And she was looking for me?”

  “She was, although she’s still upset because she thinks you left her behind in Magid and took the all the credit for yourself.”

  He sighed, grabbing one of the bars with his hand. “I should have stayed. I should have made sure before I left. After everything that happened there, I just thought there was no way she’d have made it. I don’t blame her for being upset with me. If she ever does show up here, I hope I can straighten things out.”

  “Better keep that gun handy,” Adam said. “She’s still ready to tear you apart.”

  Mathias formed a weak smile. “Sounds like old Nel. Thanks for letting me know. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you what you were looking for.”

  “It’s alright,” Adam said. “You’re doing what a king ought to be doing: protecting his people.”

  Mathias nodded, and with reluctance turned to leave his comrades to fend for themselves. Before he had gone far, Adam called to him.

  “Mathias! If Oracle really does have control over the Republic of Gravell, then there’s little separating them from you. Keep your eyes northward.”

  “I’ll do that,” Mathias said, not bothering to turn around. “Good luck to you both.” He turned the
corner and was gone, heading up the stairs and out of the dungeon. Adam paced around his cell before sitting back down on his bench and letting out a heavy sigh.

  “We’ll wait a few more hours, until it’s plenty dark,” Adam told Dee. “Then we’ll make our escape.”

  Dee nodded. She agreed that leaving would be the best plan, but part of her was reluctant to give up so easily. She and Adam had endured weeks of harsh living with the hope that they would find some help from Mathias. Now, in the time it took to complete a conversation, that hope was gone and they were forced to abandon the idea that had kept them going. Dee didn’t show it, but she was starting to get fed up with being disappointed. She should have anticipated that there would be more letdowns than victories on the road with Adam, but it was only now that she felt the pain of failure.

  She was not the only one who was disappointed by the decision. As Mathias climbed up from the dungeon, he loathed himself for abandoning Adam and Dee to the wilderness that awaited them. But he knew it had to be done. He had his obligations to uphold, and he couldn’t afford any harm to come to the country or to his people. With any luck, his encounter with the two fugitives wouldn’t have any consequences for Leapador. Moments later, he discovered how naïve that thought had been.

  “Your Majesty!” A servant came running towards Mathias as he emerged from the dungeons.

  “What is it?” he inquired.

  “We’ve received news from Fortinbras,” the lad said, referring to the fortress on the border with the Opal Kingdom. “The armies of Pyren have massed and broken through the walls. They move across our lands as we speak.”

  “What?” Mathias was floored. Pyren was the monarch of the Opal Kingdom, and since Mathias had returned to the throne the two had shared a stable truce. What was more confounding was that Fortinbras, an ancient defense that had held against siege for hundreds of years, had been broken through in a matter of hours. “What of the Captain of the Guard and the rest of the army stationed there?”

  “Those that did not lay down their weapons were killed,” answered the servant.

  “Lay down their weapons? What reason would they have to do that?”

  The servant seemed afraid to answer. “Your Majesty, it was reported that the army of the Opal Kingdom was following behind His Holiness, the Creator Most High.”

  Mathias froze and his blood ran cold. “Where does the latest report place the enemy’s position?”

  “I don’t know how to explain this, Your Majesty, but the enemy army has somehow reached the gates of Wensfell. They are preparing to siege the city.”

  Mathias ran to the nearest window, looking out past the dying daylight to the sight of thousands of tiny lights like stars lining the ground ahead of the city. They were torches held by the advancing army as they prepared for a siege. He heard the crumbling of the wall, felled with no difficulty. In the open space where the wall stood, Mathias spotted a small but intense glowing white light. Mathias broke away from the window to sound the alarm, while at the gates of the city the Creator floated above as Leapador’s enemies moved into the capital.

  Chapter 24

  Providence

  The Creator took no joy in watching the walls surrounding Wensfell fall. He descended back to the ground while the drums of the Opal Kingdom’s army sounded behind him, ushering forward the soldiers who began to lay waste to the city. Those unlucky citizens near the gate had no time to flee as they were surrounded by the enemy. Anyone who fought back was overwhelmed by a wave of swords and lances stabbing forward, and ultimately downward at them. Screams filled the streets as panicked people ran for safety. With the advancing army blocking the only entrance, the secure city was transformed into a prison. The Creator did his best to look away and ignore the cries of the innocent.

  A firm hand clapped down on his shoulder. He tilted his head and saw Mr. White in the presence of his sleek robotic bodyguard. “Don’t look so miserable, Daniel,” he said. “This city is harboring enemies of the highest authority and it is by divine providence that we push onward.”

  “What providence is there in this massacre?”

  “Each life lost will just be more blood on Adam Evans’ hands,” Mr. White replied.

  “The blood that has been shed through your revenge is on our hands alone,” the Creator said.

  “We act for the greater good, Daniel,” said Mr. White. “We’re doing God’s work here.”

  The Creator stared at the destruction that spread across Wensfell, the bodies left trampled in the street, and a terrified little girl who still clutched her stuffed bear, panicking and turning pale as she bled to death on the cobblestones.

  He said, “There is no God.”

  Mathias ran back down the spiral steps to the dungeon, skipping every other step in his haste. He jumped down to the straw-coated floor and returned to Adam and Dee’s cells. The two had barely moved since he left them, but they sat up when they saw the urgency in his movements.

  “He’s here,” said Mathias, catching his breath. “The Creator is here.”

  Adam stood up. “In the castle?”

  “Outside of the city,” Mathias explained. “He’s brought the Opal King’s army and destroyed the city’s walls. They’re invading Wensfell.”

  Dee bolted up from her straw bed. “No!

  Adam got up and grabbed one of the bars of his cell. “How close are they?”

  “It’s just started,” said Mathias. “The Creator brought them here from the border so we had no warning. I had no idea he would mobilize that army so soon.”

  “Why is he attacking the city?” Dee asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Adam asked. “It’s because we’re here, and he’s brought an even bigger army to try and capture me.”

  “What’s the use in that? They’re going to destroy this city and kill a lot of innocent people in the process.”

  “That’s exactly the point, Dee,” Adam said.

  “What are you getting at?” Mathias asked.

  “First it was the people of Magid, then the Khazaki, and now the citizens of Wensfell,” Adam began. “From the beginning, Oracle has been putting innocent people in danger because they know it will affect me. They know that people are going to die and I won’t be able to do anything about it. They’re killing the innocent to make me feel guilty for not being able to save them. And the Creator is helping them do so.”

  The obvious was difficult for Dee to accept. She had already acknowledged that the Creator had betrayed them, if not only recently then time and again over the last two years. Why, she felt she would never understand. But to side with the same villains who had twice tried to assassinate him, who had brought Magid to the point of collapse just to target Adam, and who had arranged the deaths of the Khazaki and probably many others, was beyond her comprehension of his capabilities. Such a man could foster no benevolence or love for his creations. He had become as chaotic and uncaring as the savage ocean, now bearing down on Wensfell and rushing closer to where she now sat.

  “We don’t stand a chance against them,” said Mathias. “If it was just the army, maybe. But we weren’t prepared for a complete breach of the walls with no warning, or the appearance of the Creator. There’s nothing in my military that can do anything against someone like him.”

  Adam straightened up. “You have me.”

  “You can fight him?”

  “He’s not the only one with divine blood,” said Adam. “I may not have all of his powers, but I have the elements at my disposal. I can at least hold back the invading army and give your men time to organize before I go after the Creator.”

  “You need to get away from here,” said Mathias. “The Creator’s after you.”

  “All the more reason I should stay and fight,” said Adam. “This is happening because of me. I can’t let this city get destroyed, especially when I can do something about it. I’m sick of watching innocent people getting hurt because of me. I need to do something about it.”

&n
bsp; “Greg’s right,” Dee chimed in. “I’m not going to leave while people are in danger. I want to help too.”

  “Well it’s not like I’m going to turn down free help,” Mathias said, “especially not from a couple of extraordinary people like you two. Are you sure?”

  “You saved my life once already,” said Dee. “It’s the least I can do.”

  Adam twisted his left hand and the lock on his and Dee’s cells crumpled apart. Their doors swung open and they stepped into the hall to join Mathias. Adam picked up the Sword of Magid and unwrapped it, looking at his reflecting glinting in the last light of the day.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  The first responding guards did well to set up road blocks throughout the city. Some streets were guarded by a solid defense force capable to holding back the invaders while others had been filled with anything and everything that was available to prevent forward movement. They hadn’t had much time to plan, but they were resourceful. Still, no amount of preplanning and strategy could hold against the sheer size of the Opal Kingdom’s army inside the city. Leapador had an equal if not greater military force, but it was spread across the country. A sizable group of soldiers inhabited the castle city, but without warning they could do little at first. The element of surprise had granted the invading army a tremendous advantage, that and having the Creator on their side.

  Yet with all he had done so far in teleporting the entire army to the gates of Wensfell and tearing down the city’s ancient walls, the Creator had become passive as the army moved forward. He waited near the gate of the city, not progressing even as Mr. White and Spartacus advanced farther. The further destruction of the city was in the hands of the army; he decided he would have no part in it. He had been commanded to breach the city and he intended to cause no more harm than he needed to. In fact, all he wanted was to find Dee and take her out of the impending doom that awaited the city. If things continued like this, she would be harmed. He would not allow that to happen, even if it meant disobeying Mr. White. He had lost a lot throughout this ordeal, but he would be damned if he lost her too, whether at the hands of the army or by the open arms of his other half.