Bishop_Betrayal

by Michael D. Young

  Mallory clapped twice, and a trio of men clad in black robes stepped in. They surrounded Angela, each taking one of her arms and the third placing a hand on her head. They spoke so softly that Nadia couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she did see life returning to Angela’s features. Her skin became rosy again, her eyes less sunken and bloodshot, and even her breathing became more relaxed.

  The men stepped away, and she looked as healthy as she had been at the dance that night, maybe even a little better. She lay her head down on the table, cushioned by her arms, and was fast asleep in seconds.

  Their work done, the men filed out. "I will have them do the same for Rich’s family. From now on, they will be well taken care of as long as you cooperate. Once we have Rich, we will set them all free."

  Nadia nodded, wrestling with feelings of shame and doubt. She didn't really want to ask what would happen if she wasn't able to catch Rich, but decided to leave that out for now.

  "Come along, and keep up," Mallory insisted. "Their majesties await."

  CHAPTER 6: THE DARK SOVEREIGNS

  From the Quest Log of Heinrich Wulfrich Witz

  It didn't take long to fall sleep. It felt like someone was playing football with my brain and kicking a lot of field goals. As I drifted off, I thought about what might help me with my test. Last time, I’d thought of a clockmaker, and my dreams had helped me figure out the answer. That was just turning to a part of myself to help me think better.

  If I thought the clock with gears was complex, it was nothing compared to a person. So many different systems made up bodies that there was no way to keep them all in my mind once, even if I broke them down into five parts, and there really wasn’t a point.

  I needed to pretend a person who was some sort of super genius, an imaginary person who could help me solve a problem. My subconscious took over long before my fading consciousness came up with anything. When Arlenen appeared out of the mess, for once I was glad to see him.

  "You're in quite a pickle, aren't you, Heinrich?" Arlenen asked.

  “Yeah, you could say that.” I narrowed my eyes and gave Arlenen an intense stare. "Oh, let's make one thing clear. The point of this exercise is not to make me find a girlfriend or something. Right?"

  Arlenen laughed so hard, it cleared the mist around him for several feet. "I wouldn't dream of it, Sir Heinrich. Not that you could actually make yourself a girlfriend," he said with a chuckle. "Besides, real women are much more wonderful than anything you could possibly imagine, even with your great powers. No, leave that to someone else. It is true that I often work with matters of the heart, but really, I just like to be helpful. It may surprise you that I do not have that much else to do.”

  I sighed, mostly in relief. Something else still troubled me, and I thought Arlenen might be the person to ask. "Mind if I ask a question first? It's about..." For some reason, it felt hard to say the word. "Love."

  Arlenen’s face perked up at the mention of the word. "Really? Ask away, my boy. I find those are the best kind of questions."

  "Maybe," I muttered. "At first, my mom and dad were so happy to see each other. Almost a little bit too much, to be honest. I mean, it’s like they didn’t care that anyone else was around.” I sighed again and looked down. "Now they seem mad at each other. Every time I look at my mom, well, she just looks hurt. I don't suppose you know what's going on.”

  Arlenen’s cheeriness drained away, and he folded his hands across his stomach. "Rich, I do know, but I'm only going to mention it to you so it doesn't become a distraction. Knowing about the problem is much better than obsessing over some mysterious threat."

  He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “When your father was in the Corridor, he became trapped in the sanctuary room. There, time flowed much more slowly, and little by little, enchantments stole away the memories of the person he was on the outside. He became immersed in a whole new world, none of it real—the most vivid hallucination you could ever imagine. While he was trapped there, he forgot all about your mother, you, and everything that happened before he stepped into that room.”

  Running his hand through his beard, Arlenen paused before continuing, his face looking uncomfortable. “His dreams were so vivid that they have stayed with him, and he’s having a hard time separating truth from reality. In his dream, he had an entirely different family, friends, a community. Can you imagine if you woke up one day and realized everything you thought was true was nothing more than a hallucination?”

  My stomach twisted. I felt as though someone had just knocked me over with a golf club, and not one of the little putters either. No wonder my mother was angry. My father was probably acting like a completely different person. He’d been gone for so long, and he hadn’t been thinking about me and my mom. But then again, could she really blame him for it? He’d been enchanted to forget everything—he didn't know any better. The situation was ridiculously tragic and painful no matter how you looked at it.

  "Your father wants to mount an expedition to save others who might be trapped in the Corridor. Your mother doesn’t want him to step foot back in that maze ever again. In any case, you can see why they’re having trouble. When you're connected to someone with such powerful emotional bonds, everything hurts all that much more. You might say those bonds make us who we are."

  Despite my generally sick feeling, Arlenen’s words sparked something inside my mind.

  Maybe I’d been thinking about my problem too much like building a machine. When I thought about the people I cared for, I didn't think of them as a bundle of different systems, like bones, muscles, and skin. Instead, I thought about how I felt about them. When I pictured my parents in my mind, it was always accompanied by strong feelings like love and gratitude, but also things like frustration and annoyance.

  The same was true about my friends like Aaron, Nadia, or Angela. It was even that way for Mallory. Sure, I had plenty of bad feelings toward her, but also a few good ones. I actually admired how clever, strong, beautiful, and capable she was, even if she used all those things against me. In short, the pictures of the people I knew were made up of both good and bad emotions, like a painter who used both dark and light paints when creating a work of art.

  “I think I’ve got it," I said, my head shooting up. "I need to try it."

  Arlenen scratched his face. "What have you got?"

  "No time to explain, but thanks. Couldn’t have done it without you."

  My eyes burst open, and I drew in a deep breath. I wasn't going to get it on the first try, but at least now I was working with the right set of tools.

  . . . . .

  Nadia knelt beside Mallory in front of two massive black thrones. Each one had been shaped like a massive chess piece, a king and queen, into which a hollow place had been cut for the monarchs to sit.

  Nadia held this position for more than ten minutes, with her head bowed low, arms in front of her, palms touching the floor. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she didn't know how much longer she could stay still without crying out. She started to falter once, but Mallory grunted, and Nadia resumed the position.

  After what seemed like the longest bow in history, she heard footsteps on the stone floor and a herald announcing in a loud voice, “Their majesties, the king and queen of Chaos!”

  Nadia stiffened her muscles even more, not wanting to make a move. She started trembling involuntarily and bit her lip against the pain.

  Finally, a deep male voice spoke. "You may arise."

  Nadia waited for Mallory to break the position and copied her every move as she stood, keeping her gaze slightly averted. She caught a glimpse of the king and queen, who wore matching black armor with golden accents and matching crowns.

  The queen sp
oke, addressing Mallory. “So, Nadia, is it? I assume that because this pawn is here, the plan is moving onward as you foresaw?”

  Mallory bowed. "It is, my lady. Nadia has joined us and has consented to help us secure Heinrich. The next phase of the plan may proceed at any time.”

  The queen chuckled, the sound making Nadia's skin crawl. "I see no reason for delay. Lay out the remainder of the plan tonight and proceed as soon as you are able. We shall await a report of your success."

  The king cleared his throat. "Are you sure there is no other way, Morgana? We have not allowed the Stronghold to be breached in centuries. It sets a very dangerous precedent."

  "These are times without precedent," the queen snapped back. “All the sovereigns have done is rely on precedents, the status quo, and what has that gotten them? They still fight within the Corridor, and they will go on fighting until the end of time if something is not done.” She looked back at Mallory, waving a dismissive hand. “Be gone, the both of you. We have other matters to discuss."

  Mallory bowed a final time, and Nadia copied her. She stayed close behind Mallory as she turned and left the throne room.

  They were not five steps away when Mallory spun, holding out her hand to reveal a pendant on a chain. "Put this on," she ordered.

  Nadia grabbed the black chain and saw that it contained a blue gemstone in a silver setting. If nothing else, it would give her wardrobe a little color. "What is this? Like a welcome aboard present? You shouldn't have.”

  “Oh, a sarcastic dark knight. Like I’ve never heard that before.” Mallory rolled her eyes and then pointed the pendant. “You need to wear that all the time. Keep it hidden, and if anyone asks, make something up. Daddy gave it to you for your birthday or something."

  Nadia took the pendant and tucked it under her shirt. "That's nice, but does it mean anything? Is this like a membership card or something?” she asked, hoping the answer wasn't too sinister.

  Mallory patted her on her arm. "Something like that. It shows that you are one of us, and that’s why it's your lucky day, Nadia. The cavalry is coming. A bunch of Rich’s friends put together a rescue party and are on their way. We’re going to let them in."

  Nadia lifted an eyebrow while unconsciously touching the place where the gemstone hung with one hand. “Yeah? That’s the best way to lose, you know that? Even the king doesn't think it's a good idea."

  Mallory laughed and tossed the hair out of her face. “Well, the king doesn't know everything. We’ll let them in, and allow them rescue you and the others. They'll go back, thinking they’ve won, all the distressed damsels safely home, waiting for some handsome prince to whisk them away to their happily ever after, blah blah blah..."

  This plan was sounding worse all the time.

  “That's where you come in,” Mallory said, staring into Nadia’s eyes. “You will follow, wearing the amulet. Nobody will know about our little arrangement. They're going to take you back through a portal into their own sanctuary, and when you pass through, that amulet is going to leave the back door open, so to speak. To them, it will look like everything is closed up, but we’ll be able to jimmy the lock anytime we want. Then, when we strike, we’ll have the element of complete surprise. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a winning plan to me. All of you nearly worthless prisoners for a chance to strike at the heart of the paladin hierarchy, maybe even the king and queen themselves."

  Nadia gasped, barely able to believe what she'd inadvertently done. She thought her choice would save lives. Turned out she was dead wrong. “I won’t do it. I'll tell them you're coming once I get over there. They’ll figure out a way to shut the gate."

  Mallory grabbed Nadia with both hands, not bothering to be gentle. "I don't think so. You're one of the knights of Nemes now. We own you, and if you get out of line, we have ways of making you suffer.”

  Mallory reached into a bag that hung on her belt and withdrew a black chess piece. She made a fist around it and aimed it directly at Nadia. Suddenly, it was as though an enormous fist curled around her, squeezing her from every side, taking the breath from her lungs and applying pressure all across her skin. She couldn't cry out or even breathe.

  "It’s called Dominion," Mallory said. "Any dark knight can do it to a knight of lesser rank. I outrank you. Got it?"

  Nadia could only give the slightest of nods, but the instant she did, Mallory released her grip, and Nadia dropped to the floor.

  “Oh, and I can do that from far away, too," Mallory said. "You won't be able to run far enough to get out of range, so I suggest you stay in line."

  The wild clanging of bells sounded from somewhere in the distance, and then much closer. The entire hallway was filled with furious ringing, a ruckus so bad, Nadia wanted to clap her hands over her ears. If only she could get her arms to move.

  "Oh, here they are now," Mallory said in a singsong voice. "Let's get you ready to go. You have quite the performance ahead.”

  Mallory forced Nadia back into her cell and had her dress in the clothes she had worn when she got there. As she dressed, she hid the amulet under her shirt.

  Satisfied, Mallory gave her a wave as though they were a couple of friends saying good-bye at school. "See you later, Nadia. Even if you won't see me."

  The door shut, leaving Nadia alone in the near darkness. She sat on the edge of her bed, not daring to lie down. She wasn’t going to look like a sleeping beauty when the knights burst in to save her. The last thing she wanted now was a kiss. She felt disgusting, dirty, and awful. Would Rich ever understand when he found out? Probably not. She only hoped she’d get the chance to explain herself to him before somebody else did.

  Luckily, she didn't have to stew very long. Not even ten minutes later, the door to her room exploded inward and skidded across the floor. In the doorway, she saw a paladin in armor, pretty short for a knight, and realized that she recognized him. She'd seen the guy with Rich at school, and then he’d helped them take out the Hydra with their lemonade guns. Wasn’t his name Aaron or something?

  "Hi, Nadia," Aaron said, breathing hard. He lifted his broadsword with two hands, so he must have kicked in the door. Pretty strong for a little guy. "It's checkout time."

  Nadia looked around and raised both eyebrows. "Checkout time?"

  Aaron deflated a little bit. "Yeah, the place looks more like a hotel room than a prison cell. Checking you out of the hotel of evil...Never mind. Just come with me. We’re not going to be able to hold the portal open forever."

  Nadia followed him down the hall. At first, he didn't really seem to know where he was going. They came to a dead end, which didn’t seem to bother him at all. He just raised his sword with both hands and struck the wall. It blew apart as though it had been made of paper instead of huge black stones. After seeing him do it a second time, she had to ask, "What is that thing?"

  Aaron grinned back over his shoulder, looking like a kid who got exactly what he wanted for Christmas. "It's got some fancy name from days of yore, but I like to call it the claymore claymore."

  Nadia gave him a blank expression, and he chuckled again before explaining. "No, there's not an echo. The first claymore is a kind of landmine, the sort that makes things explode. The second claymore is the name of a two-handed broadsword used by medieval knights. So there you have it—a claymore claymore!"

  Though the name was kind of corny, the sword, whatever they called it, was pretty cool. They ran through wall after wall until they clobbered one and saw stars and clouds beyond it. Nadia breathed in her first mouthful of fresh air in a long time. The problem was, they were several stories up and surrounded by water and sharp rocks.

  Aaron slid the sword into a sheath on his back, reached into a pouch strapped to his side, and withdrew two
metallic gold boxes, each about the size and shape of a smartphone.

  He tossed one to Nadia and kept one for himself. On the surface, she could see a pair of feathery wings like she’d seen on angels in old paintings. "What's this? This make phone calls to heaven or something?"

  Aaron held up his box. "Put your thumb in the middle like this and press hard. That should answer your question.”

  She did as she was told and yelped as the tiny box unfolded into a pair of gold wings. They looked exactly like the ones drawn on the box. "You’ve got to be kidding me! What do I do with these?"

  Aaron expanded his wings and used the provided straps to secure them on his back. "It's called an Icarus device. I wish we paladins could take credit for these, but they're actually on loan from some friends of ours who are sort of fighting the same battle. They assured me that these are beginner wings that do most of the work for you. Take a running leap, and you’ll be flying in no time. Just don't fly too close to the sun!"

  Aaron laughed. Nadia had heard about Icarus before, so she got the reference. It just wasn't really that funny.

  She looked around, hearing voices coming their way. The other dark knights wanted them to escape, but they had to put up a show of trying to keep them in. If she jumped out the hole in the wall, she might fall on the rocks and die. Then again, if she made it, the dark knights were going to use her to do terrible things. Both of those seemed pretty bad. She might as well go for the escape plan and try to figure out a way to double cross the dark knights later.

  Without any other instructions from Aaron, she got a running start and jumped from the window. Her wings engaged right away, catching her from falling before she hit the rocks. She heard Aaron give an excited yell and found him at her side a few seconds later. "We opened the portal about a mile away," Aaron yelled, pointing to a faint light in the distance.