by Patrick Hatt
“And as for you three. This time we’ll send you straight back. Take the first portal and go back to Momentus. Adam must be stopped.” Ra swung his hands around and caused the portal behind Death to glow.
“This time I’m with him. You clearly can handle the gifts you received far more than Eve. I can admit when I was wrong.” Death held out his arm, signaling for them to go.
“What did you mean about helping Dad?” Trudesile stopped at Death’s desk, wanting answers.
“Before all of this, there was nothing. Your side had God, Eve, Adam, and empty realms. Our side had Ra, me, this blackness, the top and the bottom. All of it empty,” Death sighed, hating the thought of their boring past.
“So God and Eve came to us without Adam’s knowledge. We all crafted the first beings out of what made up both of our places. They could essentially do anything they desired. But once they found their true desire, that was where they were supposed to stay. It worked for many, but it failed for a few. If only many knew that they were made from the same, maybe they wouldn’t have been so cruel.”
“We’ll stop Adam and we won’t let it happen again,” Max declared. He then smirked. “After all, we can just be.”
“I hate those words,” Death grumbled.
“Just don’t go letting Atlantis or anyone else out of here. Would you?” Lester rolled his eyes at the pair.
“It will never happen again, you have my word.” Ra turned to the portal. “For after you leave, the portal will forever be closed. Our two worlds only accessible to most through death.”
“I suppose that does the trick.” Lester stepped before the portal.
“Hopefully it’s a while before we see you again,” Max stated.
“Thank you for your help. We won’t let you down,” Trudesile said.
“Thank you, young ones. May your spirits remain free and true.” Death grinned at them while they gawked at him. “I still have the hippy feeling.”
“Beware the Scroll of Fate. Your words can harm. Think carefully and just be.” Ra bowed to the trio and then vanished.
Death began directing beings to their designated sides and the trio each grabbed one another’s hand. They strolled through the portal together like they had done in the past, each ready for whatever Adam had planned for them next.
Chapter 9
Re-Retr…Action
Dina’s exhaustion from trying to create a portal back to the courtyard over took her. She fell to her knees as her body ached for food and water. She contemplated creating a new reality, but she feared a repeat of what had just happened to her. She curled up in a ball on the ground and sobbed, opening her tear-filled eyes only when she heard familiar voices.
“I thought he said he was sending us back? No tricks. This looks like a trick,” Lester mumbled.
“Have a little faith, Lester.” Max pointed to a portal appearing before them.
“I take back every bad thing I ever said about those two. Mostly.”
“Are you okay?” Trudesile reached down and helped Dina to her feet.
“You were gone so long. I thought after all I did you left me.” Dina wrapped her arms around Trudesile.
Max ran over to them, his mind re-focusing on his feelings for Dina at first sight of her. He found it strange how they flooded his mind now that they were back together. He thought of what Ra had said about the wording and realized it must have something to do with what Adam wrote.
“We’d never leave you. I’d never leave you.” Max took Dina from Trudesile and wrapped her in his arms.
“Back to this again, huh? I guess time away does make the heart grow fonder.” Lester snickered, stopping when he caught the fear in Trudesile’s eyes.
“It’s happening. Everyone grab on to me.” Trudesile wrapped herself around Max and Dina and Lester ran to them. He grabbed hold as Trudesile created a shield around them.
They held Trudesile tightly as what felt like a gush of wind rushed over them and then Max opened his eyes to find himself back in Camelot. He stood before the staging area, looking to Lester, who he could tell remembered everything. He then spotted Bazooka leaping from the wall and landing on the mattress he had created.
“Everybody back!” Max yelled, shoving his way to the front of the stage. “Lester, we need a huge holy water device except make it for the reality change. We need to block it here.”
“Don’t worry, Bazooka, we remember.” Lester smiled at Bazooka, who acted confused and unable to remember what occurred during the second torn page. “One giant reality buster coming up.”
“Max, what are you doing?” Evienne questioned.
“No time.” Max stepped onto the giant device Lester created and activated it.
The crowd watched it spread out over the castle, fully encasing it in a light blue shield.
“Throw that traitor back in her hole.” Max pointed to Trudesile.
“Max, we discussed this,” Merlin whispered.
“Dad, rain the Freleom glitter down over Camelot. King Arthur, get the heroes ready for a fight. Brozen and Dregg, check on your device to stop Freleom, I think it has been tampered with. Everyone else, if you can’t fight, get to safety.”
“You heard him, chaps. Get going.” Bazooka waved his arms for the beings to move and they all began to scatter.
Sir Dreadvent’s laughter echoed throughout the castle and their scattering became panic. Beings started trampling each other to get away while the remaining heroes, leaders, and anyone willing to fight stood their ground.
“Any idea what is going on, old friend?” King Arthur whispered to Merlin.
“Haven’t the foggiest.” Merlin rolled up his sleeves and caused glitter to rain down over Camelot, revealing some beings to be Freleoms.
Davy Jones stretched himself out to create a wall, blocking the throne room with all but a small opening behind him for beings to escape through.
“Go. He’ll protect you. I have to help your brother and father.” Evienne hugged Mimi and then pushed her inside the throne room. “Keep her safe.”
“No one will harm her. You have the word of Davy Jones.”
Evienne nodded to Davy Jones before running to Merlin’s side. King Arthur jumped on Shimmer’s back and took to the sky, frying any Sevesties that neared them.
“Just like old times, huh, chaps?” Bazooka smirked until he caught sight of Eve strolling in, remembering what she had done to his wife.
“Bazooka, don’t. She’s Trudesile’s mother.” Max could sense his want for vengeance.
“I know, chap. Doesn’t mean I can’t almost end her though. Come on, leprechaun.” Bazooka grabbed Lester and darted toward Eve.
“The Puck has returned more powerful than ever. Time I ended you and took over Avalon.” Puck floated over Oberon and Titania, mocking them.
“Not today.” Max made his cloak come forth and Puck’s laughter only grew louder with each passing second.
“Thanks to Sir Dreadvent, I’ve gotten powerful enough to avoid that. Time the Puck had his day.”
Puck slammed into a nearby wall as Oberon stepped up to Max, glaring hatefully toward Puck.
“You guard that device. I’ve no idea what is going on, but it’s time we saw the last of Puck.”
“I’m right by your side, my love.”
Titania and Oberon both raised their arms to the sky, ready to smite Puck, but anvils dropped from above and they dove aside.
“That was my idea. Dirty rotten...” Lester stepped away from Bazooka and began dropping pots of gold on Vlad and the Sons of Dreadvent.
Trudesile slunk in the shadows through the chaos and neared God as he fought off some Sevesties. She grabbed a sword and prepared to plunge it into his back.
“Dad! Get down!” Trudesile jumped through a newly opened portal. She landed on the other Trudesile and slammed her head into the stone flooring, knocking her unconscious.
“Lester, give me a portal to the dungeon.”
Lester nodded and opened a p
ortal beside Trudesile. She chucked her other self through and then waited for it to close. She then wrapped her arms around God, hugging him tightly.
“I saw Mom’s other half and I have a sister.”
“What?” God stood in disbelief and then spotted a sly smile on Bandaid’s face as he ran by with Pemestra and Lempilightess.
“How do you think I homed in, dearie? It is hard enough homing in on one in Momentus, even in the Observer Realm, but your wife and her daughter, them being in the same spot together made it easier. I told you Dina was the key. You should have asked why.”
“What?”
“Long story, Dad.” Trudesile smiled before turning into a giant python and slithering around the legs of their foes. She snapped at any Freleom and burst them to ash.
“You failed before and you will fail again,” Evienne declared.
“You will never take Camelot and never harm my family again.” Merlin glared at Sir Dreadvent as he marched up to the pair.
“Never say never.” Sir Dreadvent grinned toward Max. “Vlad, my son, destroy that device.”
Evienne and Merlin both knocked Sir Dreadvent back with everything that their imagination power had. He then sent an energy wave from his trident and the pair pushed further, leaving each side in a dead lock.
“I’ve wanted to do this forever.” Vlad tried to use his imagination power on Max, but he failed. He yelled out in hate as Max kept his cloak formed around him, preventing the powers of most that neared him.
“You are nothing without Daddy and you never will be,” Max stated.
“I’ll show you.” Vlad grabbed a sword from one of the other Sons of Dreadvent and lunged toward Max. He slammed face first into a rock wall and fell to the ground, grabbing his head.
“Thanks,” Max shouted.
“Told you I’m more powerful than you,” Mimi yelled from the throne room doorway.
“Get back in there, land lubber. You can compare later.” Davy Jones stretched his form and shut the throne room door. He then stretched back and sent a few attackers flying over the courtyard into Dregg.
Dregg flicked them with his huge fingers, sending them out of the castle and into the fields surrounding it.
“They disabled the connection. We need a new connector for it to work. Like this.” Brozen held up a broken piece of his and Dregg’s device and then Lester made a new one appear in his hands.
“Hurry it up, would you? These Freleom don’t stop coming. I thought we killed them all.”
“Amazing who and what you can take back with you from the other side, isn’t it?” Sir Dreadvent laughed. “Even souls that didn’t want to come. Had to replenish my Sevesties.”
“I’ll replenish you.” Lester marched toward Sir Dreadvent but a Sevestie swooped toward him. He dropped to the ground as Shimmer burnt it.
Sir Dreadvent sent a wave of energy toward Lester, knocking him into a wall. He then went back to focusing on destroying Merlin and Evienne, loving that they grew weaker while he only grew stronger.
“You won’t be getting out of any bottle this time.” Bazooka sent lightning bolts from his toes and knocked Eve over.
“I can’t believe she got out so fast. How? I have to know.” Torenie floated over her while seeking her knowledge.
“It pays to have friends on the other side.” Eve raised her hands to the sky and many stone and sand creatures rose around her. “This time I’ll leave none of you alive.”
“Eve, my wife, stop this madness and we will fix you.”
“Fix this, you stalker nut.” Eve caused a lightning bolt to strike God. She cackled as he fell to one knee. “That’s how it’s done, rabbit.”
“I’ll remember that, chap.” Bazooka sent lightning bolts toward her creatures, doing little good. He then nodded to Lester who had made a pile of devices appear at his feet.
“Those will do the trick.”
“By me pot of gold.” Bazooka mocked Lester and then pointed to the sky.
“Annoyances.” Eve jumped out of the way as pots of gold rained down from above.
“You are so going to die this time. No little child to help you.” Vlad raised his sword behind Max.
Max tried to turn around fast enough but he had been too focused on his parents and Sir Dreadvent to keep track of Vlad. He went to let his cloak go and use his imagination when Trudesile jumped in front of him, taking the sword blow through her chest.
“No!” Vlad bent down to catch her, staring into her eyes. “Why?”
“Did you think I could ever love a little punk like you? Never.” Trudesile grabbed the sword and jabbed it into Vlad’s neck before falling to the ground at Max’s feet.
“Why? How’d you get out? Why?” Max remained flustered, unable to figure out why the other Trudesile would save him.
“I had the key all along, stupid. I guess I have a thing for chicken legs.” She coughed up blood and then smiled at Max one final time, whispering, “Why’d she have to leave some good in me?”
“Lester!” Max spun around and searched for him, spotting Lester passed out at Dregg’s feet as an army of Freleom disguised as many different beings approached. He turned back to Trudesile, finding her without a pulse, knowing Lester’s pot of gold would now fail. He bent down and closed her eyes and then turned toward his parents, who were both sweating profusely, as they tried to stand up to Sir Dreadvent’s assault.
“That takes care of that.” Brozen trotted out, smiling, as all the Freleom reverted to their true form and remained frozen in place. He bent down to Lester, opened the hand of his encasing, and splashed some of his water self against his face. “No sleeping on the job.”
“About time,” Lester mumbled.
“I’ll handle this. Everyone clear.” Dregg raised his foot and smashed the Freleoms near him to ash.
Trudesile whacked the few straggling Sons of Dreadvent with her tail and sent them flying toward Bandaid, Pemestra, and Lempilightess. The trio then corralled them toward the training yard and, with lit Camelot Candles, they imagined up cages, locking them inside.
“Dearie, if you would.” Bandaid turned to Lester as he approached, who still held his head from the knock he took.
“My pleasure.” Lester created a portal beneath every cage.
“Where did you send them?” Pemestra asked.
“I thought about the dungeon, but that’s too good for them.” Lester grinned at the group. “So they can go drown.”
“You sent them to Atlantis?” Lempilightess chuckled to himself.
“Seems like a good enough prison as any.” Lester ran back to the courtyard with the others following closely behind him.
Max looked up to find King Arthur and Shimmer surrounded by Sevesties. He clenched his fists and then released his cloak. Seconds later six dragons surrounded the device and then he stepped away from it.
He rubbed his hands together and concentrated, bringing forth a huge gem of Camelot. He then hurled it into the air as Shimmer swirled to the side, avoiding it as it burst into the sky, frying every Sevestie.
Bazooka finished off the rest of Eve’s creatures and then sighed after she made them all return. He jumped back as Trudesile turned into a hawk, flew above them, then turned into a whale and landed on them all, crushing them flat.
“Neat trick,” Bazooka whispered.
“Not neat enough.” Eve waved her arms in the air and her creatures formed into one gigantic creature.
“Mom, stop this. We’ll fix you.” Trudesile reverted to human form and pleaded with Eve to stop.
“You’ll believe any lie. I’m not the mother to anyone. Especially such a scrawny wimp like you.”
Dregg grabbed her creature by each arm and ripped them off. He then squeezed its neck and tore off its head, letting it fall lifeless to the ground.
“My giant and I want a word with you.” Bazooka leaned against Dregg’s leg, grinning, while trying to hide his hate for her behind humor.
“I’m sorry it has come to thi
s.” God’s winged feet fluttered as he rose off the ground. A beam of light shot from his body and encased Eve.
“This isn’t over!” Eve banged on the casing. She soon fell to her knees and slipped unconscious from lack of oxygen, leaving God and Trudesile standing over her.
“We’ll keep her in a cage until we figure out how to put her back as one. She’ll remember,” God assured Trudesile.
Puck vanished in a cloud of smoke and then appeared behind Oberon. He jabbed him in the back with a knife and then repeated the process numerous times.
“My love, he’s gotten more powerful.”
“Not that powerful.” Oberon’s eyes turned pitch black and a fuzzy haze surrounded him and Titania.
Puck appeared behind him again and the haze formed a hand and wrapped around Puck’s neck.
“This isn’t the end. The Puck will be back.”
“If only you weren’t all about yourself. I feel sorry for you, Puck.” Titania rubbed her hand across his cheek.
“Feel sorry for yourself when I run my dagger through your heart. I deserve to be ruler. The Puck. Not you.” Puck tried to vanish again but failed to do so.
“Looks like the elf is done for. Want me to send him away?” Lester asked.
“No. He has been given many chances and banished before. It is time we end this.” Oberon hesitated for a few seconds and then clenched his fist closed, crushing Puck’s neck and letting him fall lifeless to the stone flooring. “I took no pleasure in that.”
“I know, my love. He left you no choice.”
“Here.” Lester made a pot of gold appear, signaling for Oberon to get in and heal his wounds.
“Later. We still have one foe to defeat. I told you we’d be here for the final battle.”
“I fear this may be far from over. We may even have to do it all again.” Lester smirked over their confusion. “Trust me. It will just give you a headache.”
Max stepped between his parents with a cannon he created from his imagination. He held onto it and fired, adding to the streams coming from them toward Sir Dreadvent.
“The Blizzards will not beat Sir Dreadvent.”