Chapter Seven:
Owen:
Turning invisible was the best discovery I had ever made. I walked around the base like I owned the place. I just had to stay away from that Lupev guy, he could hear me much like the knights could. That was how he caught me. Dark Knights were nothing to mess around with. This guy could conjure and fight with black fire. He made me look like a first class bitch, and I did not appreciate that.
First things first, though, I had to stop Ryker from being his super straight-laced self. Leaning against the communications building, I waited. All of the radios were accounted for, so I figured he hadn’t made his way over here yet. I was watching a couple of fellows across the way playing a game where they took turns slapping each other. Each slap became harder and harder until, ultimately, one yielded or passed out.
Bloody barbarians.
Glancing up, I spotted a figure climbing down the ladder. His body was covered in leaves and other foliage as he hurried down to the ground. As his feet hit the grass, he crouched, pressing his back against the wall. Ah, there was our great and mighty King of Knights. Though, there was blood on his hands. Making myself visible, I knelt beside him.
“Don’t call this in,” I whispered. He jumped, nearly releasing a yell, and then glaring at me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Ryker demanded. His face was covered in unidentifiable brown liquid.
“You didn’t rub deer poop on you, did you?” I then asked. He glared at me.
“No, it’s mud. What are you doing here?” He demanded again.
“It’s a long story.” I waved off. “We need to get Ivy and get out of here.” I then said.
“Ivy’s here?” He demanded, his face growing red with fury, even through the dirt.
“Yeah, I left her in the cell,” I said, pointing towards the back of the wall. Ryker gave me an indignant look.
“I’m calling this in.” Ryker then said, moving towards the building. I grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
“Ryker, think about this,” I whispered, looking him in the eyes to make sure he was listening. “Look at the walls, the guns, the numbers. Look at the 50.cals mounted to face out. Look at the armory in the center. This is a defending force. This is a trap, and we’re the bait.” I explained. Ryker gave me a long look.
“So if I call this in.” Ryker trailed off, understanding what I was saying. “I’ll report that.” He then replied and jogged off towards the building. Damn it.
“At least let me get it,” I whispered towards him. He stopped and gave me a long look. With a nod, he walked back over to our spot on the wall.
Turning invisible, I walked around the building, retrieved a radio, and brought it back. Handing Ryker the radio, I leaned against the concrete. Ryker messed with the radio dial until the right channel was set.
“HQ this is Team Camelot, over,” Ryker said into the radio.
“This is HQ, go ahead, Team Camelot.” The dispatcher replied.
“There is an unidentified base at coordinates.” He read off a series of numbers. I had no idea how he knew our coordinates, but he always seemed to. That was about the time I stopped listening because I spotted something more interesting. A group of men were loading a body into a bag, while two others dug a grave.
“I’ll be back,” I told Ryker and then turned invisible. Ryker let out a curse when I was gone.
Running closer, I knew I recognized the body. It was General Orion. Did they kill him? I glanced around at the group of men who were placing him in the body bag.
“I heard she just said the word ‘die.’” One of them was saying.
“I was there.” The one digging grunted. “That was all she did. It was horrible to watch.” He shook his head.
“Why didn’t the boss just kill her?” Another asked.
“I don’t know; he seemed infatuated with her.” Another grunted as they dug.
“It’s just that if she’s this young and can do this, what will she be able to do in a few years?” The little guy with the nerdy military issued glasses said.
“This is why we’re trying to get her on our side.” An older one who stood back and watched said. “This is the purpose of our mission, boys.” The younger guys looked at him and nodded. They moved on to discussing the latest baseball game, so I left.
I wondered what they were talking about, but also, the only logic I could decipher from their clues was that they were talking about our dear Ivy. Did our fair and sweet Ivy kill the Admiral? I supposed I should go ask her. It shouldn’t have surprised me that as I walked towards the cells, I noticed that hers was empty. I let out a deep breath. I had wanted her to stay there because it was much easier for me to get across the base invisible than with her. She was gone, which meant that she was up to something.
Good.
Turning, I went back to Ryker. He was still against the wall, behind a stack of crates, whispering into the radio. I sat next to him and turned visible. He jumped but then gave me a nod as greeting.
“Alright, I told them about the situation. They said to clear out.” Ryker whispered, turning off the radio.
“Sweet.” I nodded. “Just so you know, I lost Ivy.” I then thought I should say. Ryker gave me a long glare.
“What do you mean you lost her?” He demanded.
“Well, when I went back to the cell to get her, she was gone.” I shrugged. “Did you know Admiral Orion is dead?” I asked.
“What?” Ryker demanded.
“Yeah, they’re burying him right over there.” I pointed to the spot where the group of men were still working. Ryker turned to look at the spot and then looked back at me.
“It’s a strange world you live in.” He commented. “We need to find Ivy, they’re going to air strike.” He said, starting to stand.
“Or.” I pulled on his arm, keeping him in place, “You could radio in, tell them we can’t get out, and then we could have some fun.” I whispered. Ryker gave me a look.
“What’s your plan?” He asked. I grinned. I knew he wouldn’t want to leave Ivy behind, but he also hated to waste time looking for her. This was the best of both worlds.
“Well, I’m going to go listen in on some conversations. Why don’t you make escape impossible?” I grinned at him. I could see the wheels turning behind Ryker’s eyes. Every once in a while, I could get him to be mischievous with me; this might be the perfect scenario to do it.
“Fine. Don’t do anything stupid.” He said after a moment. I gave him a fist bump and then turned invisible again. He turned back to the radio.
I wanted to study that Dark Knight some more, but I had no idea how to get close enough to him without him sensing me. That would have to be a solution for another time. Instead of stalking him, I mingled among the common folk. I wondered what drew them there and what they thought the cult was. Most of them, I was surprised to find, were human. They had joined the lower ranks of the Cult under the impression that they were a doomsday organization.
The end of times is near, apparently.
The higher ranking were creatures of Mythos, most of them knights, but some wizards, witches, and trolls thrown into the mix. No fairies, which grabbed my attention because fairies, as the oldest creatures in Mythos – even older than the humans – tended to be at the center of these types of things. Lupev was referred to as Boss. I guessed he was the commander of the base but not the top. He told Ivy straight out he would have killed her if someone hadn’t told him not to. I wondered how far up this went. Word spread like wildfire of what Ivy did to Admiral Orion.
“One word? That’s it?” The cook whispered to one of the administrators in the galley.
“Die, that’s all she said.” The administrator whispered back picking up her tray.
In fact, the Queen of Sorcery had already made quite an impression on these people. The fellows who had seen her remarked on her looks, as most men did when they saw her. Others discussed her calm poise and her daring demeanor. All of them, however, ag
reed that she must die soon. Then, I stumbled upon a conversation that I hadn’t expected to hear. I was at the front of the base near the medical building when a group of doctors stepped outside for a smoke. Ironic, I know.
“So the place is abuzz with this Queen of Sorcery chick, who is she?” One asked the other.
“She’s supposedly like the Chosen One or something.” The doctor replied back. I stopped in my tracks as I heard that, turning to face them.
“What does that mean?” The other chuckled.
“You know the teachings of the Cult.” The doctor whispered, “The Queen of Sorcery will bring balance to the universe and all that jazz.” She waved off.
“Sure, and she can also make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.” He snorted.
“That’s why they won’t kill her.” The doctor pressed. “They need her.”
“Too bad she’s on the wrong side.” The other guy sighed.
“I think that is what Lupev is doing.” The doctor whispered.
That was when my imagination went wild. What if, just for a moment, Ivy did not escape the cell on her own? What if she was with Lupev being brainwashed or something equally as horrific? I didn’t think about my actions. I turned and marched towards the Command Office. A group of soldiers ran in front of me.
“Prisoner escape!” They sounded the alarm. Were they talking about her or me?
Lupev emerged from the building. I stayed very still, keeping even my breathing light.
“Find our prisoners and bring them to me.” He ordered. So he didn’t take Ivy. Slowly, I turned and went the other way, across the base from him.
As I walked towards the other side, I noticed it was much less populated than before. That was when I saw all the bodies lying everywhere. Going to one, I rolled him over. He let out a loud snore and then stretched his body. They were all asleep?
“Sleep,” I heard a whisper behind me. Ivy was standing behind a group of them. Suddenly, they all started to sway, falling to the ground.
“Ivy dear,” I called, turning visible. She turned and smiled at me.
“Look, I helped.” She said, pointing at her work.
“I see that.” I nodded.
“I figured Ryker wouldn’t want me to kill them all.” She said, biting her lip. By the wide innocent look in her eyes I could tell she was looking for validation in her decision. She just stunned me sometimes, so much so that it took me a moment to reply. Mostly, I was just thanking the universe that she was on our side.
“Putting them to sleep was a good call,” I said, reaching for her. She took my hand, and I led her to a safe spot behind some crates.
“Did you find Ryker?” She asked, looking up at me.
“I sure did.” I smiled. “Listen, the only ones left are the ones close to Lupev.”
“I know. He can hear us or something.” She whispered. I nodded.
“I’m going to go distract him. Do you think you can put the rest of them to sleep?” I asked, patiently. She nodded, smiling widely. I knew she was having a power crisis and just wanted to be helpful. The truth was, we were her protectors, not the other way around. We served her because of how special she was. I knew that since the first day I met her.
“I can do it.” She nodded.
I turned invisible again and made my way back towards the Dark Knight. My heart pounded in my chest as I grew closer. This guy had some mega power. I literally saw all of the universe and this guy still scared me. A few feet from him, he stopped raising his nose in the air.
Could he smell me?
“The Emrys boy is close.” He said to one of his cronies. “Go find the Queen.” The group of them ran off.
“You come to rechallenge me?” The Dark Knight demanded.
“That’s right,” I called, not turning visible. His head snapped in my direction.
His fist was encapsulated in black flames. The power coming off of him was suffocating. I had never felt anything like him. He had discarded his metal armor, only wearing an odd suit underneath. I sensed the magic coming off of it, but it was foreign to me. I darted around behind him.
“Why are you so interested in Ivy?” I demanded. He turned his head again.
“Show yourself, boy, I don’t answer to the wind.” He growled. I wasn’t going to show myself. I wasn’t an idiot.
“Tell me,” I said from a different direction. He turned around.
“Show yourself, and I will.” He bartered. I thought about that for a long moment. I figured the worst that could happen is that I just turned invisible again. Standing about ten yards away from him, I materialized. His eyes widened as I appeared in front of him.
“Tell me,” I demanded again. “What is your interest in Ivy?”
“She is our greatest hope and our impending doom. With her, will we fall or thrive.” He said like he was reciting something.
“If you want us to switch sides, you’re going to have to do better,” I called over. He gave me a long look.
“If you wanted to switch sides, you would have done it already.” He commented. I didn’t understand what he meant. It was like the most frustrating puzzle. I could see all the pieces, but I couldn’t put them together. “You’re loyalty to the Pendragon line will be your ultimate demise. They are a cursed family that taints the greatest of wizards. It would be best for both you and Ivy to distance yourselves from him.”
“And what side would we be on then?” I asked. “What would we stand for?”
“Life, justice, honor.” He replied, “All of the foundations in which you claim to rest on now, but you’ll actually be serving them.”
“Do you work for the old man, the one with long white hair and beard?” I asked. Lupev gave me a long look. Slowly he shook his head. I didn’t think he was lying. So where did the old man fit into all this?
The distant sounds of helicopters rang into my hearing. I kept my eyes on the Dark Knight in front of me.
“Ryker brings a terrible fate to those people.” He said and then turned.
Raising his hand, he made a spear entirely out of his dark fire magic. It was a beautiful and deadly manifestation. Taking a few large steps forward, he threw the spear, launching it over the wall. An explosion rang in the distance; the blast of the helicopter lit the night sky and then fell to the ground. I kept my face still. I didn’t want him to see the shock or the disgust that I felt.
“Have you ever killed anyone, Legacy of Emrys?” Lupev then asked me.
“No.” I shook my head.
“Ah.” He nodded, giving me a knowing smile. “That’s what wrong, your soul is still too pure.” He pulled his gigantic sword from his hip. The metal was like nothing I had ever seen before; black but glittered in the light like flames. He held out the handle of the sword, offering it to me.
“Go ahead then. Kill me.” He said.
This was a trap. I knew this was a trap. There was no other logic than that. Still, I wanted to hold that sword. Reaching forward, I took the weapon. The weight of it pulled me down. I couldn’t lift it. Lupev let out a big laugh.
“You see Emrys, I’ll always be stronger than you.” He boasted and then stepped forward. I scrambled back as he picked up his sword and pointed the blade at me, the point pressing into my chest.
“You can’t kill me.” I reminded him.
“He said nothing about you.” He grinned, the light shining off of his fangs. His eyes erupted in flames as I saw his muscles tense to stab. I had utterly underestimated this foe. Well, at least I wasn’t going to die. With my magic, the sword would slide right through me as I became intangible.
Huge bolts of red and gold lightning struck the towers of the fort. Lupev jumped, turning to see the commotion. Ryker stood behind him, Excalibur sparking in his hand.
“Oh, the King of Knights.” Lupev turned and gave a slight bow. Huge bolts struck the buildings inside of the fort causing power surges. The stadium lights exploded, making the area much darker than before.
“Releas
e him,” Ryker said to the Dark Knight. I had never seen magical lightning like this. The individual bolts were so thick that a blast would crush an entire Humvee, burning it down to a pile of twisted melted metal in an instant.
“Why don’t I just kill you both?” Lupev chuckled.
I took the moment to turn invisible. Retrieving my piece of the staff, I ran around to stand next to Ryker. Turning visible again, I manifested the full length of my staff, blue lightning joining the red and gold. As I released my powers, the winds started to pick up, and drops of rain began to fall.
A short thick knife shot between Ryker and my head, shooting for Lupev. The Dark Knight dodged but the blade, encased in green magic, turned to chase after him. A spark of green magic flashed behind us. Glancing over, Ivy had taken down a couple of soldiers who were sneaking from the rear. Now they were fast asleep. The base was quiet now; had she gotten all of them?
The Dark Knight flashed his magic, and the knife fell to the ground. He turned and glared at the three of us, his sword encased in black flames. Raising his hand, I felt an influx of magic. After a moment, I heard the horrid shrieking of those bat creatures that had attacked us at the Knight Convention that morning. They were coming up from the south.
“Go, I got him,” Ryker said, glaring down his opponent. Lupev smiled menacingly, his eyes igniting in black flames. I glanced at the tattoo on his back.
“He’s too powerful,” Ivy argued.
“We have to have his back, Ivy,” I said to her.
She gave me a long look and then turned back to Ryker. The two exchanged a glace, and Ivy nodded. Without a word she turned, running a few yards forward to engage with the gigantic bat creatures. They actually resembled what we imagine a pterodactyl might have looked. Unlike bats, they had scaled burnt red skin and sharp-coned heads. They bared their three rows of razor-sharp teeth as they charged down on her. She raised her hand, the ring glowing green. Turning, I watched as Ryker ran forward to engage with Lupev. Excalibur clashed with the weird sword the Dark Knight wielded. The two’s magic sparked against each other, the force so great a blast of air rushed around me. It was then that I realized that though I was afraid of Lupev’s power, Ryker was not. He stared down the Dark Knight, both of them grimacing at each other as they battled over the force of their swords. A bolt of red lightning crashed between them, sending the Dark Knight flying back.
Master of Magic Page 11