Scales of Justice

by Brett Humphrey

  My sensitive hearing picked up the sound of a scream in the prisoner’s building followed by the laughter of two men.

  I’m on it, Ishka sent, and I knew the women were protected so I could turn my attention to the rest of my team on the grounds.

  Report, I broadcast and waited for each team member to check in.

  A boat is attempting to enter the harbor, but I don’t want to do anything to hinder its passage unless I know it’s our bad guys. Could either Steve or Enzokuhle do a quick fly-by to let me know if I need to let it go or drag it to the bottom? Brian asked.

  I can probably get there quicker, Steve answered, and we waited until he could get a look at the people on board. They’re part of the group who came through the gate earlier, Steve broadcast. Not only is the boat running without lights, but they’re also wearing the same type of gear and holding weapons. They’re all yours, Brian.

  Playtime, Brian sent, and I could hear the glee in his voice.

  Wow, Steve commented after a moment. Six of Brian’s tentacles just shot out of the water, wrapped themselves around the boat and dragged it below the surface so quickly I would have missed it if I’d blinked.

  Okay people, look alive, I called, someone on the boat might have gotten a radio transmission out before Brian took them under. Meanwhile, Raksaka and Ishka, how are the women?

  They’re going to need therapy after their experiences but the men who were terrorizing them are dead, Ishka answered.

  I’m hidden near the front of the building and if anyone else tries to come close, they’ll be as dead as their teammates inside, Raksaka added.

  Once Akore is dealt with, we’ll take the women down the tunnel to the rocks below the cliffs, I said. Enzokuhle, what’s your status?

  I’m watching the rear of the house to make sure no one comes out until we want them to. I’m also keeping an eye on the troops patrolling the property so Robert will know where to attack to take out the most men.

  How accurate are you with your lightning strikes? I asked the impundulu shifter.

  Very, Enzokuhle answered and by the tone of his mental sending he already figured out what I wanted him to do.

  When we begin, I’d like you to fly over the gate and take out the guards with lightning then knock out the power to the compound. The darkness will give us another advantage since we can see without light.

  My pleasure, Enzokuhle answered.

  Yoli and Carlos, what’s your status? I asked.

  We’re helping Wu keep an eye on Hillaes as she places her spelled charges on the arcane crystals. She’s in her human form and we’re in our wolf form while Wu is in his tiger form.

  Two down, and two to do, Wu sent so Hillaes could concentrate on what she was doing.

  Robert, what’s your status?

  I’m soaring above the property and waiting for my signal. Ten of the soldiers are congregated together near the edge of the cliff. I’m not sure if they’re waiting for the reinforcements from the water that’ll never come or up to something else.

  When I give the signal, take those men out, I sent, and he grunted in agreement.

  Jason and I are in our half forms and are ready to go. I’ll change into my human form when Hillaes has the containment circle ready, and I’ll confront Akore.

  And I’ll watch your back and take out anyone Akore has with him, Jason added.

  Three down, one to go, Wu sent. Wait, a four-man patrol is passing our position and I’m afraid they might have seen something to make them suspicious. We’re going to have to take them out.

  I strained my ears trying to hear noises coming from the attack but they were too far away. This was a relief because if I couldn’t hear anything, neither could anyone from the house.

  Yoli and I had to shift into our human forms to drag the bodies into the jungle. We managed to kill the members of the patrol without them calling out but we’re going to have to hurry to the fourth crystal before these guards are missed, Carlos sent with urgency.

  Do your best, we knew we’d be discovered eventually, but let’s pray that doesn’t happen until we’re ready.

  The next ten minutes dragged by slowly as each member of the team continued to send mental reports on what was happening in their areas.

  We’re finished at the fourth crystal and are making our way to you, Hillaes sent. In a few minutes, I saw the shapes of two wolves and Hillaes riding atop a huge tiger appear out of the darkened jungle across from where Jason and I were hiding.

  Stay here, I sent Jason, then streaked across the open lawn to join Hillaes on her side of the jungle.

  Hillaes climbed off Wu’s back and the three shifters in their animal forms slunk into the darkness to keep watch and protect Hillaes from harm. Hillaes removed her enormous backpack and started removing the items that were stored inside. I used the butt-end of my trident to create a six-foot diameter circle surrounding Hillaes. I completed all but four inches of the circle because Hillaes would do that once she had everything she needed in place to contain and destroy the charm.

  Hillaes worked quickly as she prepared the items needed for her spells.

  Pour the mercury into the trench you created with your trident, she sent then continued chanting softly in a musical language.

  I grabbed the plastic jugs filled with the toxic liquid metal and walked counter clockwise as I poured the contents into the trench. The way the metal flowed was fascinating, almost like it was alive, and it seemed to react to the words Hillaes chanted.

  Please place the jug with the remaining mercury inside the circle then take a step back, Hillaes told me as she took a knife from the sheath at her side and laid it beside the jug. Next, she took a piece of slate out of the backpack and placed it on the ground in front of where she was kneeling.

  She looked at me and I smiled at her reassuringly because I knew she was worried I would face Akore alone and he was still very dangerous.

  It’s okay, I’ve already survived two of his attacks; I’m sure I’ll survive this one, too, I sent so only she could hear my thoughts. Besides, I’m getting married in a month and don’t plan on dying before that happens. I grinned and she laughed softly.

  I don’t believe An’Ceann would let us fail at the end of our mission, Hillaes added then nodded to me. Akore will know the moment you remove the charm from your pocket dimension and will come looking for the power source. You know what to do but please, be careful.

  Will do, I sent then prepared to set everything in motion. One way or another, Akore would pay for his crimes tonight and the scales of justice would be balanced. I fully planned on surviving this encounter, but I knew I would do whatever I needed to do to wipe this evil sorcerer from the face of the earth. I wanted to spend my life with Jason, as his wife, but I knew we would be together in An’Ceann’s kingdom if something happened to me. I fought back tears as I thought about what it would do to Jason if I died but I knew what I had to do.

  Ready? Hillaes asked and I nodded.

  I opened the pocket dimension on my necklace and reached inside to grasp the charm that I’d pulled from the wreck of the Flor do Mar. As long as this charm existed, Akore would still be able to draw enough power through it to remain alive on Earth, continuing to bring death and destruction in his wake. The moment I pulled the charm from the pocket dimension there was a surge of power and I knew Akore was already gaining strength from this thing in my hand.

  Even though I knew I was acting at shifter speed, it still felt like I was moving in slow motion. I moved closer to where Hillaes was kneeling in the circle, careful not to step in the mercury filled trench, and gently tossed the charm on the ground near her knees. The moment the charm passed over the trench, Hillaes used her knife to complete the circle then poured the rest of the mercury into the gap, sealing the circle with the liquid metal.

  When Hillaes spoke the words to cast the Integrum spell, there was a brief flash of silvery light then she disappeared and the power from the charm was snuffed out like t
he flame from a candle.

  Wu, Yoli and Carlos would keep Hillaes safe while she worked to destroy the charm while the rest of us kept Akore and his men away from her. I reached into the pocket dimension for the special arcane crystal Hillaes had given me before we separated this morning. Even though I didn’t have the magic necessary to cast a spell, Hillaes had set this up so I could use the power of my mermaid voice to do what I needed to do.

  I held it up to my mouth and sang the three words that would not only signal the rest of my team that it was time for us to attack, but it would also trigger the spells Hillaes had placed on Akore’s arcane crystals. Protect the Weak.

  The effect was immediate as there were four flashes of light from different areas on the property followed by the sound of a rushing wind. I braced myself as the magic released from the large arcane crystals rushed towards the nearest collection receptacles, which happened to be the crystals I was wearing around my neck. The crystals heated up as they absorbed the energy swirling around me, and I cried out in surprise at the amount of pain that caused. I could feel my shifter healing working overtime to deal with the damage caused by the super-heated crystals.

  Thankfully, I was prepared in case this happened and pulled a large yellowtail from the pocket dimension and popped it in my mouth, knowing it would provide the extra nourishment and strength I needed. It only took a moment for my body to finish healing and I was grateful when it was over.

  You’ve got soldiers heading in your direction from the main gate, Steve warned.

  It’s going to get bright for a bit, Enzokuhle broadcast and I watched him fly above the ten men hurrying in our direction. He clapped his wings together and there was a rumble of thunder and lightning shot out from his body and streaked towards the men on the ground. The lightning branched before it hit the ground and each man was knocked off his feet when hit by his own personal lightning bolt.

  None of the men would be getting back up and Enzokuhle flew closer to the gate and clapped his wings again. The same thunder rumbled, and lightning again streaked from his body hitting the gates and the vehicles parked near the main house. When the lightning hit the gates, there was a flash of blue light, brighter than the lightning that reminded me of the arc from a welder’s torch.

  Each of the vehicles rocked when hit by lightning, sparks flying from the engines. Enzokuhle flew closer to the house, repeated the clapping, causing lightning to strike the building. Sparks shot from the transformer leading to the house, cutting all the power across the entire property; the smell of ozone and burning rubber was prevalent across the grounds.

  My turn, Robert sent, and I turned in the direction of the men on the cliff’s edge who had just started to move towards the main house. They must have been in shock by the destruction of the lightning storm but in a few moments, it wouldn’t matter to them. One of the soldiers must have sensed something coming for them because he raised his weapon and shot bullets into the sky. He would have needed something much larger to pierce Robert’s wyvern scales.

  Robert landed on the lawn in front of the men and sprayed half of them with his acidic venom. Unlike drakes and dragons who can spew fire from their mouths, wyverns have highly toxic and acidic venom. The men who were hit by the venom died immediately and didn’t even have time to scream. The others had enough time to scream after they watched their companions collapse before Robert whipped his tail around and knocked them off the cliff. Those who weren’t crushed by his tail whip would die when they landed on the rocks below.

  Robert launched himself off the cliff so he could climb back into the sky to take care of the other soldiers who were across the compound. There were muffled screams coming from the area around the prison building and I knew that Raksaka was eliminating any soldiers who came within his range. Naga venom works almost instantaneously so the soldiers didn’t suffer as they died however, when I thought of the weighted bodies in the water below the house, I wondered if the soldiers got off too easy.

  “Justice, not revenge,” I muttered to myself as I transformed to my completely human form and left my hiding place in the jungle. The waning moon was less than a week past full and moonlight reflected off the crystals sewn into the dress I wore. The glittering crystals momentarily reminded me of a school of fish swimming with sunlight streaking through the water and reflecting off their scales. I stood in plain sight, my hand tightening reflexively on my trident the only outward sign of my distress, my heart pounding as the adrenaline rushed through my veins.

  We have movement from the main house, Steve called from his position overhead and I tightened my grip. There are five men walking towards you. The one in the middle fits your description of Akore, but he doesn’t look as decrepit as you described the last time you saw him.

  The soldiers near the prison are all down so I can slip behind the group without being noticed, Raksaka offered, and I agreed.

  Yoli and I have our sights set on the two on the right, Carlos called, and I let him feel my gratitude through our mental connection.

  I’m here, too, Jason agreed, and he sent me the physical sensation of his arms around me.

  I stood still and waited for Akore to come while the rest of my team dealt with the remaining guards on the property. I kept my emotions locked down tight because I didn’t want anyone to know how scared I really was. I knew I was protected from Akore’s death spell but had to let Akore try to steal my life-force if we were going to destroy him. This was the part of the plan that Hillaes and I hadn’t shared with anyone else. I knew Jason would try to stop me, which is what I would have done if our roles had been reversed.

  When I carved the charm out of the Flor do Mar, my life-force became part of the spell keeping Akore alive. Hillaes hypothesized that as Akore drained my life, he would be depleting his strength at the same time, eventually destroying the original spell. If my life-force was emptied completely before Akore’s strength was diminished, I would die. My only hope was that my shifter nature would protect me, and I could deal with Akore before he finished with me.

  The rest of the troops have been dealt with, Steve reported, and I sent him a mental thank you.

  Akore stopped when he was twenty feet away, the men with him spread out in a half-circle in front of where I was standing. It took him a moment to recognize me, since the last time we faced each other I was riddled with bullets in a heap on the ground. When he figured it out, he looked at me with unadulterated hatred. If looks could kill, I’d be dead.

  “You,” he ground out. “Why can’t you stay dead?”

  “Maybe you’re not as powerful as you think you are,” I sneered, attempting to anger him to keep him off balance.

  “Kill her,” Akore shouted, but before his men could raise their weapons, Raksaka struck one from behind and Jason threw his trident at the man who sat next to me in the café. I’d done a good job of describing him to my team. The one bitten by Raksaka dropped to the ground while the one skewered by Jason’s trident was knocked off his feet by the force of the blow; neither would be getting up again.

  While those two were still falling, Robert swooped and snatched the other two, one in each talon. Before Akore could turn to see what happened, Robert was winging his way out to sea where he would drop the men off for Brian to dispose of. It was almost comical to watch Akore look first one way then the other as he noticed his men were gone, and I wasn’t facing him by myself.

  “You’re finished Akore. Your men are dead, your arcane crystals have been destroyed and I have a team ready to put you down like the rabid dog you are. Surrender and I will execute you quickly, more quickly than you deserve," I commanded.

  Of course, he wasn’t going to do that, not that I thought he would.

  He shouted Mortem and even though it felt like I’d been hit by a rogue wave, I wasn’t affected by his death spell. I jumped towards him, covering the twenty-foot distance with a leap and knocked him to the ground, my trident pressed against his chest. “Your death spells don’t wo
rk on me,” I gritted as I used my strength to press the trident into his heart, but the points were stopped inches away due to his personal shield spell. Akore couldn’t hide his surprise as he looked at the instrument of his death inches from his chest but narrowed his eyes and held his right hand towards me and muttered a spell; I screamed.

  The pain was immense and like nothing I’d experienced up to this point in my life. When I was little my parents took me to see the eruption of an underwater volcano near our palace. They warned me that the pillow lava formed quickly because the cold water created the hard crust but there was still magma inside the cooling shell. When they weren’t looking, I placed my hand against one of the nearby round pillows and must have pushed too hard because my hand broke through the thin layer and touched the molten rock inside. The pain of that experience was nothing compared to what I was going through now.

  My entire universe narrowed down to the point of my anguish and it took every bit of strength I had to continue pressing the trident into Akore’s chest.

  “Tonight, you die,” I gritted out as I felt myself shift into my half-form.

  Akore roared when he realized his spell was draining his magic as he was draining my life-force. He tried to disengage the spell, but we were locked together and were both affected. His eyes widened in terror as he looked at my face and I knew he saw his death reflected in my black eyes.

  The pain intensified, which I didn’t think was possible, and my vision narrowed so Akore and I were the only two beings in existence. I kept pressing the trident and felt it move an inch closer to Akore’s chest. My arms began to shake from the strain and my breathing grew labored with the effort to stay upright.

  I—I—won’t give up, I mentally shouted because I no longer had breath in my lungs to form words.

  I’m with you, Jason’s mental voice broke through my agony and the same message was repeated by every member of my team.