by S. L. Morgan
He placed his hand over her tightened fists. “My lady,” he said with a reassuring smile, bringing her out of a daze. “How are you coping?”
Angeline sighed, looked at Levi and back to Harrison. “Coping?” she said with disgust. “We have no idea of Reece’s condition, and now we are at the mercy of these undressed bird creatures. We should not be coping with anything. We should be finding a way to get them under our control and use their powers to help us.”
“You have easily read my mind,” Harrison returned.
“Angie,” Navarre spoke up. “For the time being, I would ask that you find a way past your anger so you are able to keep your thoughts clear. I have a feeling that this creature is watching you closely. I have no idea why she has taken a hostile interest in you, but it is best if you relax. I must ask you to follow my lead as your emperor and allow me to work this situation out.”
Angeline exhaled loudly, and their conversation was cut short when all of the bird creatures returned to the group like a flash of light.
Celosia sauntered over to Angeline, forcing Harrison and Levi to reflexively pull out their daggers, stopping the woman’s pursuit.
“You may hold yourself as a superior to us, but mark my words: if you lay a hand on this woman, we all will die avenging her death,” Harrison warned.
Celosia recoiled back with a laugh. “You men are so protective of this female, and I can’t help but wonder why?” She eyed Levi. “Is she the one with the power, or do you both hold a special place in your lives for her?”
Levi, who had oddly remained quiet throughout the entire confrontation with the fiery creatures, finally spoke up. “You would do best to heed my friend’s advice and stop taunting the woman and us.”
“Is she the one?” Celosia’s eyes blazed with fury at Levi. “I thought we would be able to sense her abilities, but perhaps she is shielding them.”
“You know very well she is not,” Navarre interrupted. “Now, quit trying to find a reason to destroy the woman. The men are correct when they say that we will die to avenge her if you so choose to foolishly end her life.”
Celosia stepped back and studied the group.
“Why were your birds swimming in the water?” Harrison shot back. “Is it to keep your fiery bodies under control so you do not spontaneously combust with the flames from hell that burn within you?”
“Birds?” she questioned.
“Forget it,” Harrison returned. “Why don’t you use your flaming talents to light us a little campfire? You should try to be of some use while we sit here like idiots and join forces with you.”
“I will gladly light a fire; however, I need something that would continue to burn,” she bantered. “Perhaps you’ll offer yourself as the fuel for my flames.”
“The last—”
“Quiet! Both of you,” Levi ordered, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “If we want to find Reece and Mordegrin, I need to focus. If she is within close proximity to me, she can telepathically impress thoughts into my mind. I cannot hear her over all of your pointless arguing.”
“If this woman is near, I will sense her energy,” Celosia responded. “Unless she has lost her powers, which of course we will then—”
“My wife has not lost her powers, and because you will not stop threatening everyone, we now sit and waste more time in trying to locate her and Mordegrin.”
“Do you not trust that your wife’s powers will be able to destroy The Great One on her own? Should we be resolved to the fact that all of you are on a hopeless mission, and we will remain imprisoned in this revolting world for our eternity?”
Levi sprung up, prompting Celosia and her army to reflexively stand as well. “You speak of wisdom so much? Perhaps you should follow your own advice and keep your insecurities to yourself.”
“Levi,” Navarre calmly spoke. “Perhaps it would be best for you to try to reach Reece in the company of Arrow for now. He can also sense her.”
Levi bit hard down on his lip as he looked at the woman with disgust. “Yes, Emperor,” he said before he stormed out of the area.
“My, my,” Celosia said as she watched Levi walk briskly toward the horses. “Your people are quite bizarre.”
We are the strange species? Try looking at a glittering, scaly bird that turns into a fiery beast at any given moment, Harrison thought.
“Your thoughts are difficult to follow,” Celosia returned.
“If you stopped intruding into my mind, you wouldn’t have to use your bird brain to figure out that I am insulting you,” Harrison countered.
“Listen,” Navarre said. “We need to form a plan, and arguing is getting us nowhere,” he said with a reproachful look toward Harrison.
“How does one form a plan with an enemy that plans to destroy them, whether they succeed or not?” Harrison glowered at Celosia.
Harrison felt Angeline’s hand run up his arm, calming his nerves. He shifted his head to the side, annoyed that they were in this situation and knowing it was best if he allowed his uncle and Rei to work out the plans with the aggravating creature.
“Tell me, Emperor.” Celosia looked past him to Rei and his army, which was sitting quietly around the group. “Who are these other beings along with you? They seem very quiet. I do not trust those who have nothing to say.”
Navarre exchanged glances with Rei, and seeing the expression on Rei’s face, he was not about to offer this creature any information.
Navarre looked back at Celosia. “He and his men are our allies. You need not worry about them unless you should decide to threaten our lives in any way.”
“She is wise not to threaten any of us,” Levi said as he approached. He remained standing as he studied Celosia intently. “I am fairly confident that since you are unable to destroy my wife, she could use her powers to destroy you. That is if she were to learn that we met our demise because of your obstinacy.”
“Now that we are even at all levels let us make our plans so we can resume our search for Reece,” Navarre interjected.
“Don’t be so sure of yourselves,” Celosia addressed the group. “Now, can I finally reveal my plans for us to assist the girl who now requires help to destroy The Great One?”
Harrison groaned under his breath, restraining him from saying anything.
“Your plans?” Rei finally spoke up.
Her fiery eyes widened. “Oh? Excuse me. I did not realize any of you had time to devise a plan while you were running for your lives like cowards.”
“Go on,” Navarre said steadily.
“There is a camp of creatures that we must revert back to human form, as the Great One is using their dark energy to fuel his own. We must release them from his curse. Once we cure as many humans as possible, it will begin to deplete some of the energy The Great One has. Once we start removing the energy that continues to shield him, my people will be able to sense his location on this planet. When we find him, we will assist the woman known as Reece in destroying him.”
“She will destroy him with our help. You can rest assured she will not require your help,” Levi growled.
It was obvious he did not want these creatures anywhere near his wife.
“Without our help?” the woman said as she turned. “I disagree. If that were the case, you all would be helping her right now. Instead, you were almost killed before we saved you. You cannot be so arrogant as to think we are not clearly the stronger species.”
“So we just waltz into a town, perform exorcisms on these humans, and Mordegrin loses power?” Harrison retorted. “Let’s get real, how are we supposed to reverse this curse without any power to do so?”
“Your kind will not do anything to reverse the curse. You will simply be used to draw them out of hiding for us to purify them,” Celosia answered.
“So we’re the bait for a bunch of freak humans?” Harrison returned.
“And if the humans cannot be purified?” Navarre questioned.
Celosia stood, preparing to l
eave. “We destroy them. Come, we have minimal time. We must get to Reece and The Great One this instant.”
The bird-like woman and her army flew close to the ground with Navarre and the warriors following cautiously behind.
Harrison became frustrated again, and this time he didn’t think to keep his thoughts to himself.
How did we manage to find ourselves at the mercy of these things? Harrison thought, frustrated and entirely untrusting of a creature that he knew would kill them, whether or not they succeeded in this mission to help them. How does one kill flaming-birds that turn into evil fire breathing fairies after you’ve already fatally wounded them?
As soon as Harrison started calculating the ways he and the Guardians could rid themselves of these unpredictable and dangerous creatures, Celosia’s voice intruded his mind.
It would be wise to keep your mind clear. Your careless opinions about our kind will ensure that we destroy you.
“Get out of my head, psychopath!” Harrison shouted, forcing the group to glance over at him in disillusionment.
A whistling laugh echoed throughout his mind.
My, what a temper you have, Celosia telepathically taunted him.
A growl of frustration erupted from Harrison’s chest. No individual but Levi had ever intruded into Harrison’s mind, and it was infuriating to have a dangerous enemy inside of his mind.
“Harrison, relax,” Levi spoke out. “Your outbursts are going to cause us greater harm than good.”
Celosia was at Harrison’s side at that moment. “Your friend is a wise one. We want nothing but good to come of this. Now, shall we find and help destroy the Great One, or go back to bickering and worrying over outcomes that may or may not happen?”
Harrison eyed the woman’s humorous gaze. “If I could clip your wings with my sword right now, I would.”
Celosia sneered. “The only reason you are still breathing is that I am allowing it. Your petulance amuses me, for now. Would you like me to set your mind at ease about how you will destroy us?”
Harrison glared at Celosia. “Oh? Please enlighten me, firefly!”
“You cannot.” She laughed and fluttered her wings. “You see, every time we die, we restore ourselves and have more power than before. Killing us only strengthens us.”
“Superb! Now we are taking orders from immortal pixies?” Harrison grumbled. “Fascinating!”
“Why must you insult our kind? We are here to help.”
“You are here to help yourselves while giving us constant death threats. I don’t trust you, and I seek to eliminate those who chose to give me orders by threatening my life,” Harrison stated.
“Forgive my commander, Celosia,” Navarre called out from in front of them.
Celosia glided up to Navarre’s stallion. “Tell me why? Why should I forgive him?”
Navarre didn’t look over to her. “Because it is not in our nature—especially his—to be governed by threats, as he said. Remove your threat that if we fail your people, you will destroy us. If you do, the alliance you seek with us will be more agreeable while we work to destroy Mordegrin.”
“Very well,” she responded. “We will not destroy you and your warriors if you fail us.” She glided ahead of Navarre and glanced back. “We will destroy you, your warriors, and every other living creature in this dreadful world as well.”
Harrison rubbed his forehead. An enemy they could not kill that appeared more dangerous than Mordegrin was now aligned with them and ruling over all of them.
We thought we were stuck between a rock and a hard place earlier, Harrison telepathically informed Levi, knowing Celosia was listening. Now we’re stuck with angry Tinkerbell calling all the shots, or we’re torched!
Levi didn’t bat an eye. If you’d quit taunting her, we might be able to get through all of this alive. We need to stay focused on finding Reece.
Finally, someone of your species speaks sensibly, Celosia telepathically added.
Levi looked over at Harrison and narrowed his eyes. I am still confident that Reece can and will destroy her at will. Let us remain focused on that.
So sure of your treasured gift, Celosia cut in. We shall see if your only hope to save your lives at the end of this is true. If we are not set free, we will do everything in our power to destroy her while you watch.
Harrison watched Levi tightly clench Areion’s reins, but both men remained silent with their thoughts. It was pointless to continue going in circles with this creature.
Once they approached a desolated city, fire and smoke filled the air while buildings burned all around them. Celosia and her army transformed into the fiery birds and bolted up into the sky above them.
The humans who appeared had decaying flesh with pitch black eyes, wandering around in circles until they noticed the arrival of Navarre and Rei’s armies.
“Fresh food!” a woman in a torn dress proclaimed, prompting more and more of these transformed humans to walk out of buildings toward them.
“So much for the friendly fireflies keeping their word and helping us. Where are they going?” Harrison responded.
“Do not kill them!” Celosia’s voice echoed from the skies.
“Unless we are going to be their next meal, I see no other option!” Rei shouted as his lion leaped into the air. Rei lashed out at a human with his chained whip, and his warriors instantly followed his actions.
In that instant, Rei, his men, and the beasts they rode were consumed by streams of fire, sending their ashes floating to the ground. Navarre raised a hand to stop the Guardians’ attack on the death-like humans that were salivating as they came closer.
Before the transformed humans could take another step, they were engulfed in flames, burning them where they stood. Harrison watched in amazement as the human creatures remained silent while the fire quickly covered their bodies, and his jaw dropped when the fire burning them dissipated into black smoke.
“Impossible,” Harrison said, leaping from his horse.
The humans that were cursed creatures of Mordegrin’s were now normal, their clothes not even showing as much as a tear in them. All of the Guardians dismounted their horses and assessed the humans that were standing there, confused.
“Who are you?” the woman who previously approached asked.
“We are known as the Guardians of Earth,” Navarre responded. “Do you have any knowledge as to what happened to you?”
The woman looked intently into Navarre’s eyes, and her eyes widened. “You sent a messenger to warn us from this! He told us something like this would happen, and we laughed at him.”
“Yes,” Navarre responded. “Do you remember what happened to you and these people?”
“A dark cloud,” she stammered as her eyes grew distant. “Then,” she covered her mouth and dropped to her feet, “my family! NO! They were killed. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“You must try to calm yourself,” Navarre informed her, kneeling in front of her. “We are here to help. We will help you find your family.”
“You can’t,” she said through her sobs. “They tried to flee, and they—”
“They imploded,” Celosia simply stated as she walked up to the woman.
After the woman had looked at Celosia, she screamed and instantly threw herself into Navarre for protection.
“Do not fear,” Navarre reassured. “She and her kind have helped to restore you to your natural form. You were turned into a dark creature from the one who has taken over the planet. You are free from his curse. Are there more like you, perhaps in other cities close by?”
Before the woman could speak, blood trickled from her ears, nose, and mouth.
“Harrison, quickly!” Navarre ordered him.
Harrison took Navarre’s place holding the familiar woman. She was one of the staff who stood in the room with the leaders at the White House as Harrison was mocked by them for his warning. He felt nothing but pity for her now, knowing that she witnessed firsthand the dangers he tried to warn
them about.
Her weary eyes peered up into his stern ones. “We should have—” She coughed, more blood apparent now.
“Remain calm. You will be fine,” Harrison lied.
The woman’s body went limp in his arms as she oddly smiled. “We should have listened…” were the last words she had spoken before Harrison felt that there was no life left within her body.
He gently set her on the ground, enraged. He gripped each side of his head. “Where are you, Reece?” he roared angrily.
“An utter failure!” Celosia proclaimed as she sauntered around the humans who were dying all around them. “These beings from Earth are not strong enough to withstand the purification fire we offered them.”
“If we cannot save them, we must put them out of their misery this instant,” Navarre returned authoritatively.
“Yours are a compassionate kind. I can appreciate that,” Celosia said as she turned into the fiery bird again.
The others followed and darted past each of the humans wailing in agony. As the creatures passed each human, fire consumed them and turned them to ash at that moment. Black dust and particles filled the atmosphere around them as Celosia returned to her shimmering bird-woman form again. She approached where Harrison, Levi, and Angeline stood at Navarre’s side, staring in shock at the scene before them.
“They suffered no pain.”
“You believe that incinerating someone would be a painless end? Are you insane?”
Celosia offered Harrison a cheeky grin in response. “I can easily help you understand that they died a peaceful death.”
“Enough!” Navarre interrupted. “What are our plans now?”
Celosia eyed what was left of the group. “You and your people are only good for one thing,” she brought her fiery eyes to Levi, “and that is to find the one that can kill Mordegrin. We must press on and find her.”
“Then we—”
Navarre was interrupted by a squealing sound from the sky above so loud that it sent Angeline to the ground cupping her ears. Harrison, who felt as though his head would explode at any moment, knelt down next to his wife and brought her head to his chest, covering her ears with his arms. Finally, the noise stopped.