by Eric S Kim
He found his parked SUV in the middle and was about to open the car. But a faint flapping noise from the distance stopped him from using his car key remote. He stood absolutely still. The flapping noise erupted from the garage for the second time. Lionel turned his head and spotted something in a darkened corner of the garage. A small shadow had swept past the floor.
Lionel called out, “Who’s there?”
The noise had already stopped. Lionel kept his hand on the pistol in his holster. He didn’t panic. He remained cautious as he crept toward the darkened corner. He expected something hiding behind the wall. The flapping noise occurred again, but at an even lower volume this time. Lionel could only assume a pair of wings that moved behind that wall. He thought of various birds or little dragons that he had encountered in his lifetime. And the only one he could think of was the vulture in Green Brigalvic.
Lionel brought out his pistol and made a sharp turn. “Stay where you are!”
Sidsum the Vulture backed himself into a corner and raised his wings high. “Don’t shoot! I don’t mean any harm!”
Lionel didn’t lower his weapon. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Sidsum brought his wings down and stepped closer. “I had a feeling that I’d find you here.”
“What do you want?”
“I’m here to give you a warning. Something stirs in the cities surrounding us.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“They’re out there looking for you. You can’t show yourself in public. You have to hide!”
Lionel finally lowered his weapon and crouched down. “Who’s looking for me?”
“The Nevinoth Dragons. I know that you’ve been hunting them down, but you don’t know their true purpose. They’re searching for you. You and your entire squad! Vilroz has been waiting for this since the weekend. Don’t go outside, or they’ll take you away!”
“Vilroz?”
“The leader. He’s the one that gathered the rest of the Nevinoth and brought them here. They’re hiding, but they’ll strike when the moment is right.”
Lionel could hear the echo of a car drawing closer.
Sidsum gasped. “It’s them!”
Lionel tried to calm him down. “No, it’s not. It’s an employee.”
The wall on the far end of the parking garage revealed a pair of headlights moving from left to right on the concrete.
Sidsum tried to whisper, but his dread had gotten in the way. “You can’t go out there. It’s dangerous. They’ll know you’re leaving the building and they’ll capture you.”
Lionel put his pistol back in the holster. “Come on. Get in the car.”
Sidsum didn’t move. “What?”
“I’m taking you back at the station. I don’t want these people knowing that you’re here with me.”
“But what if Vilroz is right outside?”
“Trust me. It’ll be a quiet ride back to the station.”
Lionel led the vulture to his parked SUV. He made sure that no one else had noticed them in the parking garage. So far, the only ones present on this particular level were the Blackjack and the vulture.
Lionel opened the passenger door. “Stay low to the ground. I don’t want any civilians to see you.”
Sidsum stood on the floor in the passenger side as Lionel exited the parking garage and returned to the streets of Santa Ana.
6:18 PM
The Kelverik Talisman fit rather well on Florencia’s arm, but that was not her primary focus. Everything around her had grown gray. She and the two witches had to take a long walk through murky colors provided by the power of the talismans. Whenever they moved past pedestrians that talked with a friend beside them, their voices always progressed to a more echoey tone. It was an unpleasant sound in Florencia’s ears, but she had to tolerate it if she didn’t want to get caught by the authorities.
They had reached Brea Mall. It a massive structure with multiple buildings connected to it. Most of the parking lots were half-full, meaning that there would be countless civilians striving for their next purchase. Florencia, Daisy, and Meredith had gathered near one of the front entrances to the mall. Before checking for surveillance cameras in the area, they hid behind a wall away from the civilians. They disabled their invisibility and the colors of the world returned to normal.
Meredith whispered to Florencia, “We might as well break the glass sooner than later. If Dennis is brought back to Shadow Service without a scratch, then he’ll tell them that we’re here. We can’t delay this any longer.”
Florencia had already agreed. “Well, we can’t just stay here and wait for it. Let’s go.”
The three women brought themselves away from the wall and used the front entrance to enter the mall.
6:23 PM
Edward was carefully placed in Florencia’s purse. She opened the zipper halfway to give the young man some air and a clear view of what was about to unfold. She and the two witches walked past various civilians who minded their own business. Almost all of them didn’t think much of the three women who entered the mall. Despite the events regarding the Nevinoth Dragons, these people would do their best not to let these intruders interfere with their personal lives. Everyone knew just how powerful Mystic Lightning Defense had become over the years, and they would always try to trust the company during an interesting period in modern history.
Florencia followed Daisy and Meredith from behind. Brea Mall had two stories of stores: the second floor had a glass barrier that made it clear to someone from the first floor to see what lay above them. There were more people on the second floor than on the first. Florencia had grown cautious as she looked around for a security guard. She knew that they’d be notified of the witches’ whereabouts when Mystic Lightning would eventually get a hold of them. She tried to walk faster, but the two witches didn’t change their pace. Florencia became a little impatient. She wished that she would just find the aquarium right now, and not a few minutes later.
She checked her purse and found Edward resting comfortably around the many items stacked within. He had already taken a seat on her wallet.
She whispered, “How are you doing down there?”
Edward just gave her a thumbs-up.
Florencia added, “It’s going to be over soon. You just have to wait a little longer.”
The three women finally found what they had been searching for. The aquarium was located near the center of the mall, on an intricately designed intersection. It was massive, perhaps the size of an elementary school classroom. Several children talked amongst each other as they surveyed the limited maritime milieu. Florencia, Daisy, and Meredith stood on the most secluded spot in front of the aquarium. It had numerous types of fish swimming in circles. Florencia had no interest in any of them. She already spotted the one stingray that floated near the bottom of the manmade coral reefs. It was a lonely creature, a slow-moving nomad in the sea of uninformed inhabitants. It swam in its own little circle.
Florencia whispered to Meredith, “I don’t know how long it stayed on the other side of the glass, but I don’t want it to suffer anymore. I want her back in her original form. Loretta has told me that she could do it, but I’m hoping that you follow the same instructions.”
Meredith replied, “I’m just as well-versed as she is.”
Florencia examined the people around her. There must have been several who sat at the nearby benches, while over a dozen more stood around to either visit the aquarium or have a casual discussion with each other.
Meredith added, “We might have to wait until the mall closes.”
Florencia shook her head. “That’s four hours from now. We can’t wait that long.”
“It wouldn’t be wise to have these people around. There must be a diversion.”
“Well, you’re a witch. Try to make one far away from here.”
The booming voice of a man echoed across the mall. A public address system had started up with an abrupt announcement.
&n
bsp; “Attention, this is not a drill. Please stay calm and evacuate to the nearest exits as soon as possible. I repeat. Please evacuate to the nearest exits.”
The civilians had grabbed their belongings and started to leave the aquarium. The children screamed while the adults tried their best to walk a steady pace towards the exit. Nobody panicked. They followed the instructions with ease. They did, however, look around for a potential disaster waiting to happen before eventually leaving the aquarium for good.
Florencia, Daisy, and Meredith stayed put. Daisy already embraced the realization. “They know we’re here.”
Meredith didn’t join the crowd. “We can’t leave. They’ll find us.”
Florencia checked the other side of the glass. The stingray still roamed the narrow corners below the fish. She still didn’t consider the woman as an important figure in her life. Florencia backed away. Some of the civilians stayed behind and still tried to choose which exit to take. Florencia and the witches would have witnesses after all.
Florencia sighed. “Do it now.”
Meredith pulled out a green gemstone from her pocket. It was an Ivisian Emerald, a hexagon-shaped jewel with an ancient insignia in the center. Meredith pressed the emerald against the glass and uttered an exotic ancient language with her deeply commanding voice. Florencia turned around and found several more civilians walking past the aquarium, completely oblivious to what had just transpired here.
Meredith’s voice started in a whisper, and gradually advanced toward a higher volume. During the slow crescendo, the Ivisian Emerald in her hand began to glow. The green beams of light seeped between her fingers. That was when at least two civilians had stopped and took notice. Meredith’s choice of words became clear in Florencia’s ears.
As the green gemstone continued to glow, the stingray in the water suddenly squirmed violently in the sand below. Meredith didn’t stop saying the certain phrases required for the transformation. The stingray pounded the sand with its body, which wiggled in an aggressive manner. Its tail swung in different directions. More civilians had gathered near the aquarium. The glowing green light had caught their attention. Meredith shouted the last foreign words. The stingray was about to change. It grew four legs and a furry tail. It grew larger in size and produced a black nose in the front. Its skin was replaced by red and orange fur. The fish around it swam away in fear.
Florencia held her breath. The creature in the aquarium was no longer a stingray. She was now a fox, the original mammal that she used to be in the past. With eyes wide open, she struggled in the water. She desperately scratched at the glass. With limited time, Meredith put away the Ivisian Emerald and brought out another item in her other hand. She had a small pile of blue powder in her open palm. She pressed the powder against the glass, which immediately formed small cracks on the surface.
Daisy shouted, “Stand back!”
Florencia, the witches, and the civilians moved away from the glass as it shattered. The loud cracking sound was followed by water spilling out of the newly formed opening. The water landed on the floor and spread across the intersection. A female civilian shrieked as the water soaked the shoes of every person in the area. Florencia waited as the fox, along with the fish, exited the aquarium and dropped to the floor. The fish flopped around as their home had been erased by witchcraft.
Most of the civilians had already run away in fear. Florencia stayed behind and made certain that the fox that finally escaped the aquarium was healthy. The canine had her eyes open, but she barely moved her body. Fortunately, she could still breathe through her nose. She was able to move two of her feet, but only slightly. Her blinking was a sign of her steady consciousness.
Florencia got down on her knees and rubbed the fox’s head. “Limara, can you hear me?”
The fox’s fur remained wet and its tail slowly moved a few inches.
Florencia tried again. “Limara, listen. You’re free. You’re no longer in the water.”
Limara slowly lifted her head up. She stared at the woman that wanted to pull her away from her prison.
“…Who are you?”
Florencia wanted to laugh with pure delight, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She whispered to Limara, “Don’t worry. We’re going to get you out of here. We’re going to keep you safe.”
A security guard had arrived on the scene. She shouted, “Hey, none of you move!”
She was about to use her pistol, but Daisy would never let her. The witch produced a forceful pushing motion with her right hand, and the guard immediately flew back. She collided with the wall behind her and fell to the floor. She had been knocked out. The remaining civilians screamed and fled the scene in a hurry.
Meredith pulled at Florencia’s arm. “Come on! We have to leave!”
Florencia carried Limara in her arms. She ignored the wet fur that drenched her skin and clothes. She told Daisy to take her purse and keep Edward safe from within. The three women finally retreated from the aquarium.
They had found a narrow corridor situated between two stores. An exit sign was located at the far end of the hall. The three women ran as fast as they could toward it. Florencia cradled the fox in her arms. She made sure that her grip wasn’t too tight.
Limara raised her head. “Where am I?”
Florencia had to catch her breath for a moment. “I’ll explain later!”
Meredith shouted, “Use your talismans!”
Florencia brought her right arm closer to her face. She spoke the right words needed to engage the invisibility brought on by the oval-shaped turquoise. She never turned around to see who would chase her and her associates. As ran across the corridor, the murky gray hues had returned. Everything around them became slightly blurred. The loud footsteps in the corridor had garnered a bigger echo. Daisy and Meredith pushed open the doors in front of them.
Florencia followed them to a section of Brea Mall that was completely unfamiliar to her. They had come across a parking lot filled with cargo vans and eighteen-wheeler trucks. Two SUVs had appeared from the far corner and sped straight into the middle of the parking lot. Florencia, Daisy, and Meredith stepped aside. Despite their invisibility, none of them desired to be caught in a possible crossfire if the Blackjack Troopers had to use force. The two SUVs stopped right on front of the double doors. The Blackjacks got out, the captain ordering his squad to infiltrate the mall and search for the witches that fled from Texas and entered California. Florencia didn’t recognize any of them as those in Squad A-X-9. This must have been a completely different squad that joined in on the hunt for the Nevinoth Dragons all around Orange County.
Meredith whispered to Florencia, “We should go to the abandoned building. The same one from before.”
Florencia already knew which one the witch had just mentioned to her. She still carried Limara as she and the two witches made it out of the mall alive. The three of them departed from the area. They sped across massive throngs of civilians who had gathered in the parking lots. Hammerhead Investigators and Kingsnake Officers searched through the crowd, presumably for the women that broke the aquarium. The three women managed to evade them from start to finish. They didn’t touch a single person as they fled the scene. They would be on their way to a much safer destination.
THIRTY
6:37 PM
As soon as he entered the NESF Station, Lionel brought Sidsum into the lounge. He had no interest in having another drink. Instead, he took a seat on the sofa as the vulture stood on the coffee table. His claws tapped against the wooden surface whenever it took a step. Lionel didn’t want any diversions from the original topic. He kept himself concentrated on the crucial information that Sidsum had lived through.
The vulture asked, “Are you sure this place is safe?”
Lionel didn’t let go of his patient behavior. “You are protected here. Trust me.”
The Blackjack leaned in. “Tell me. Where were Vilroz and the others hiding all this time?”
“The Amazon Rainforest.
That’s the only place that Gorvex has no interest in. Believing it to be a harmless landscape is his biggest mistake. The Nevinoth Dragons have been living there for quite some time. Maybe a decade or so. They had to stay in their animal forms to ward off any suspicion.”
“I can understand that.”
“That’s all that Vilroz has told me. I’m sure they had to live off of snakes and tarantulas to fight off starvation.”
Sidsum ruffled his feathers. “I wouldn’t imagine what tarantulas taste like. Probably like burnt plastic or something.”
“You’re a vulture. You eat everything.”
“I have my preferences.”
Lionel rolled his eyes. “Alright, so how did they find out about the Varivorian Artillery? That was supposed to be a top-secret mission. How much did you tell them?”
Sidsum squawked. “I only told them what they needed to know.”
“Just like that?”
“I was being held hostage. I had no choice. I had to tell them the truth when they found me in the Mojave Desert.”
“That’s where they had been hiding since yesterday?”
“That’s where they’ve been planning their attack. They were hiding in Sequoia National Park, but a bunch of Mystic Knights spoiled their fun.”
“Yeah, I heard about that.”
“I’m really sorry, but I didn’t want to die.”
“No offense is taken.”
Sidsum whispered, “Listen to me. These dragons are determined to take back the artillery. They already know their true purpose, and they don’t want them in the hands of your world leader. It’ll be the end of the Nevinoth Riders as we know it.”
“Nobody knows about it yet. I, my squad, certain members from Mystic Lightning, and the California Chairman are the only ones who know about it. It’s so secretive that even the press is oblivious.”
“Well, then the secret is going to be ruined. People will find out why these dragons are here.”
“We have special weapons of our own. We’ve already taken down two of the dragons, and Sorivo eliminated several more with his own jaws.”