Forever Warriors

by M. J. Sewall

  Back at the water line, as the waves broke on the dark shore, Lucas and John helped each other onto the sand. The others went to help them. The two heaved and strained, finally laid out on the cold sand. The others collapsed on the sand around them, their adrenaline fading.

  “Are you guys alright?” asked Katie.

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” said Lucas.

  “I’ll be fine,” managed John.

  John stood, one hand holding his wound. He’d lost the bandage and there was fresh blood.

  They all stood, and realized the brothers were gone. So was Cody. Even in the moonlight, they could see John’s exhaustion. “You worked together. Thank you all for saving me.”

  Lucas said to Zacke, “Nice throw. Anything else you’re holding back?”

  Zacke avoided the question. “Thanks,” he smiled sheepishly, “It only works sometimes, when I’m stressed, mostly. You can guess why I don’t play sports anymore.”

  Ariana looked out to sea, “Is it going to get scarier than that? I don’t think I can take much more.”

  “She’s right,” said Katie, “John, we’re not ready for this.”

  John wiped excess sea water from his smooth head. “You have to be ready. Derek is a liar, but he is correct about one thing. I haven’t told you everything. It has to be us, because we’re the only ones left to stop them.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - TRUE COST

  As they left the beach in the rented SUV, John insisted he was alright. Everyone could see the blood and knew he’d torn his stiches. They were all silent for a long time.

  John finally spoke, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything.”

  Lucas said, “You couldn’t tell us we may be the last six? Oh yeah, maybe just five; since Cody went to the dark side. We’re the only ones in the world that can stop those guys?”

  “Yes,” said John. “I’ve been searching. There may be a few more Amartus out there. But, I haven’t found them yet. It’s just us.”

  Ariana felt the weight of their situation. “We have to hope our talents, powers or whatever, fully activate soon; before they come for us again.”

  John answered, “Yes. And they will come for us. They have David again. His best talent is finding us. I don’t know why Cody went with them.”

  Katie asked, “Did I hear that right, that David is Cody’s dad?”

  “It was news to me too,” said John. “I had no idea.”

  Zacke sounded exhausted. “Now they’ve got Cody and his dad. How will we fight them?”

  Lucas added, “Why is this all up to just us? What about those Sect guys? Pete was on our side.”

  John said, “Pete was unusual. The Sect are fiercely neutral. They see their roles as chroniclers, sometimes as referees. Never will they fight on either side. The attack at the station might draw them in somewhat, but we can’t count on that.”

  “So we are totally alone,” confirmed Ariana, looking out the dark window.

  John said, “You are the best hope because what is happening here is new. Our numbers have been dwindling for decades. They are winning. But two new births are never born in the same place; it just doesn’t happen. And five warriors total, a mix of ancients and new? I think it’s a first in human history. The River is giving us a sign.”

  “I’d take an instruction booklet over a sign any day, thanks,” said Zacke. “You said we get stronger when we’re together. But what if you’re wrong?”

  “That super-strength was awesome, Zacke,” said Lucas.

  John asked Zacke, “Are you sure there weren’t other strange things? No other talents in your past?”

  Zacke snapped, “We have more important things to talk about!”

  “All your talents should have shown themselves in some way. David said he was a late bloomer. David and Cody being related is also rare. The brothers are famous ancients, since close relatives being warriors is uncommon. These all must be signs. But what do I do with them?” John looked in the rear-view mirror at Zacke. “Don’t worry. I’m sure about you, Zacke. Your very important to what’s happening. I feel it. Your other talent will show itself.”

  Zacke returned the stare. “John. I can’t. I’m sorry guys, I’m done.”

  “Me too,” said Ariana. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  John was quiet for a few minutes. When he spoke, there was a flatness to his voice “I’m not Rageto. I won’t force you into a destiny you don’t want. You must choose to embrace your warrior. But they will come for all of you again. Whether you embrace it, or not.”

  “Then what choice do we have?” asked Katie.

  John said, “They won’t come to your homes.”

  “What? We just stay in our houses forever?” asked Ariana.

  “They came to my work,” said Zacke. “What if they come for our families? It’s a small town, you know. What if they attack our parents at the grocery store? They don’t seem to have any boundaries, John.”

  “I don’t know,” said John, holding his side.

  Katie yelled, “What do you mean you don’t know? We’re in high school, John. You throw this crap at us, people try to kill us and you don’t know what to do?”

  John stopped the car, and pulled to the side of the road. “You’re right. This isn’t fair. You were born into a struggle that goes back eons. The River controls much of our lives. It has chosen you. This is not a movie. This is real. Strange and unbelievable, with dangerous things happening. But real. You are the last chance to defeat people who have tried to kill you. We can win. That I know. Your strength grows when you’re together.”

  “But we’re not together,” said Katie, “Cody chose to go with them, being stupid like I was. What does that mean? What do we do about that?”

  John got back on the road, “We rescue them. David and Cody both. Then we set the terms for a final battle.”

  “Cody doesn’t want to be rescued. And we have no idea where they are. He said he, like, blows up cell phones, so we can’t call him.”

  “After a few hours Cody will want to be rescued. The brothers have a hard time hiding their true nature. Cody will sense it quickly. And then, we take them.”

  They all looked at each other, wondering if John was going crazy, or if this was just a new kind of normal.

  ***

  Pulling into the city, Cody was still asking questions. Ehrhardt was driving, and Derek was sitting in the passenger seat, nodding off. The conjuring had taken its toll. David had woken up with a headache and once again found himself in chains, the charm around his neck.

  David cried out when he’d first seen his son in the car. Cody wouldn’t speak to him. David openly sobbed.

  “Stop your sniveling, Witness,” said Ehrhardt. He nudged his brother, “Wake up Sazzo. We’re almost there.”

  “He’s really out of it. Has Derek ever done that before?” asked Cody, trying to ignore his father’s sobs.

  “Never a squid. I watched from the car.” Ehrhardt explained. “The larger and more fantastical, the harder it is on him. I’ve seen him conjure a pack of wolves, Elephants, an alligator, a swarm of locusts.”

  “The locusts were fun,” said Derek sleepily.

  Cody asked, “Those were all real, right?”

  “Oh, yes. Quite real,” confirmed Ehrhardt.

  David pleaded, “It’s not too late to change your mind, Cody. Be angry with me, hate me, but don’t join them. You don’t know…”

  Derek slammed David’s head into the back of Erhardt’s seat.

  Cody was startled by the sudden violence, but didn’t say anything.

  Ehrhardt said, “You speak again, Witness, and we gag you. Don’t talk to the boy.”

  “He’s my son.”

  Derek slammed his head again. “You are not in the position to bargain or demand, Witness.”

  “Why… why do you call him ‘Witness’?” Cody tried not to look at his father.

  Ehrhardt replied, “Oh, just a pet name. He has Witnessed many things. Maybe we should
make you our biographer, Witness.”

  Derek added, “Name’s more exciting than David, anyway.”

  They arrived at the house and Ehrhardt asked, “Can you make it to the door, brother?”

  “Yes. But once inside I’m going to sleep for a while.”

  “A good while, brother. Giant squid? Very impressive,” Ehrhardt said, actually smiling a little. The smile sent a chill through Cody.

  “Ah, shucks. Thanks bro.” replied Derek.

  They marshaled David into the house, turning on the lights as Derek said, “Sorry kid. We’ll talk more when I wake up. You’ll have to chat with Ehrhardt here. Pardon the sparse living conditions. It’s a furnished rental house until we finish our business here. Hotels ask too many questions when you have a prisoner.”

  “Go rest, brother,” said Ehrhardt.

  “After I secure the Witness in his room,” Derek said, as he lead David down a hallway.

  David looked back to his son, but Cody looked away.

  When Derek and David were out of earshot, Cody asked Ehrhardt, “What will you do to him?”

  “Use him to find the others again,” Ehrhardt answered. “He’s very useful that way. We have an elder we must consult. He will let us know what to do with the Witness after. Elder Zamma doesn’t like disobedience.”

  They heard one door close, and then a second; Derek must have gone to bed. Cody noticed a few old books laid out on a side table. He made a mental note to ask about them later.

  “How long will he sleep?” asked Cody.

  “Hard to say,” Ehrhardt replied. “Would you like a beer?”

  Cody wasn’t sure if this was a test, “Umm. Sure?”

  “I know your age.” Ehrhardt went to the kitchen. “The best thing about being one of us, is that we don’t play by the same rules. Also, America is backwards. You can join the army at 18, but not drink until 21? Ridiculous. In Germany, we drink at 16. You will like German beer.”

  He pulled a Weihenstephan from the fridge and grabbed one for himself from the counter. Cody smiled. It was the first time he didn’t have to sneak a beer.

  “You Americans drink beer too cold,” said Ehrhardt. “This is not my favorite, but the best I could find for sale locally.”

  “I guess I kind of get how this works,” said Cody, “but It’s still weird. So, you’re German and Derek is so, like, California dude. But your ancient warriors are brothers.”

  “It’s true. That’s always the strangest part. The finding each other again across the world. Of course, when we grew up, this time, me in Saxony and he in San Francisco, we were just living out regular teenage lives. I was planning to be a lawyer. Derek was… well, Derek didn’t have much of a purpose. Just liked to chase girls and play video games.”

  Cody asked, “How did you find each other?”

  “We Rageto are more organized, that’s why we are winning the great struggle,” explained Ehrhardt. “We have elders that help find us. We are unlike the Amartus, the foolish children stumbling in the dark. We use magic to strengthen our powers. They rely on their feelings and their vague notions of each other. Eventually they run into each other. But by then, we are there to convince them to play for our team.”

  “But to have a brother from another country. It’s just strange.”

  “True.” said Ehrhardt, taking a long gulp. “We never know where the River will deposit us. Or, in what bodies.”

  Cody examined the walls. They weren’t covered in pictures, but magazine and newspaper articles. Some were framed, others were tacked up with push pins. Cody got up with his beer and looked at them.

  “That’s Derek’s idea. He’s very sentimental. Takes them on all our trips.”

  Cody saw the pattern “These are all stories of disasters, death.”

  “Yes. The best skill we have, is that none of the inferiors know we exist. We are the masters of our own fate. We won’t let anyone control us. We are the ones that control. We live privately exciting, but publicly quiet lives. We also get to witness history as it unfolds. We even unfold some ourselves.”

  Cody looked around at all the cuttings. Indian Ocean tsunami 2004, Haiti earthquake 2010. Airline disasters. Several framed items with individual police stories. “So, your brother likes disasters? Whoa, is that the…”

  “Hindenburg? Yes.” Ehrhardt shook his head. “No one likes disasters, or loss of life. It’s not good for us, but sometimes action must be taken.”

  “What do… Wait. You mean, you guys did all this?”

  “Yes, Cody,” said Ehrhardt, joining him by the wall of memories. “Sometimes, we had no choice. You see, when there is a new ancient detected, re-birthed from the River, we are there. But as you’ve seen, it’s hard to control their new powers. That makes these re-births very dangerous. Sometimes we must destroy them. Sometimes inferiors must die as well.”

  Cody looked at the front page from 2004. The headline cried, “Over 200,000 Dead.” He looked back to Ehrhardt, who finished his beer, got another and sat on the couch.

  Ehrhardt stared at the same headline, “Yes. Terrible mistakes are sometimes made. Inferior life lost. But we pay for that, I assure you.”

  “You said that before. What do you mean?”

  “I don’t believe in God. Any creature that would make a world like this, is a deity I will not worship. But be it fate, or cosmic forces, the River; whatever you call it, it has a terrible sense of justice. We are punished for taking inferior life the next time we are re-birthed.”

  “How exactly?”

  “Sometimes it’s a terrible deformity. Imagine having amazing powers, but born blind. Or missing both legs. Then sometimes… sometimes you are born into cruelty. We both have a lot to be angry about, concerning fathers.”

  Cody asked, “Yours left, too?”

  “Oh no. My father was a builder. Houses and office buildings. A good German businessman. Everybody liked him. No one knew that he beat us. No one found my mother’s body when she went missing. But I knew. I knew because he killed her in front of me.” Ehrhardt gulped his beer. “Turns out there are worse things a father can do to his only son.”

  There was a long silence.

  “I’m… I’m sorry,” Cody offered.

  Ehrhardt was still lost in memory, “The last life, the one where I earned that monster of a father, I had only killed a few thousand inferiors. But this life I’ve killed a quarter million more. What horrors await me next time?” He was no longer speaking to Cody, lost in his own dark thoughts.

  Cody had only taken a few sips of beer, which now felt sour in his stomach. “Well, I’d better be getting home. I’m surprised my mom hasn’t called already. Can I use the bathroom first?”

  “Sure.” Ehrhardt’s phone went off. Before he answered it, he pointed Cody to the bathroom. “through there.”

  Cody took a deep breath when he locked the door and spotted the mirror. It was a cheap looking model from a department store. It was leaned against the wall where a built-in mirror had been. Cody quickly put the small mirror face down on the counter.

  All that was left of the larger mirror were a few shards in the corners. He wondered what could have broken such a large built in, but was relieved he wouldn’t see the old man again. He finished going to the bathroom, washed his hands and opened the door.

  Ehrhardt was standing there. He slipped his phone into his shirt pocket, “Elder Zamma wants to meet you.”

  Cody asked, “Now? I really have to get home.”

  “It’s alright, Cody. He’s already here.” Ehrhardt made Cody go back into the bathroom. He tipped the small mirror back up.

  Cody’s heart raced. It was the same old man he’d seen in other mirrors. This time he had a bandage over one eye. The old man was smiling. Another cold chill shot through Cody. These guys shouldn’t smile, he thought. The elder’s voice was old, but clear. Like he was in the same room.

  “Hello, Cody. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE - PARENTS


  As usual, Zacke didn’t know what to expect when he got home. He hadn’t bothered to call, knowing his dad would be out of it by now. When he opened the door, he saw the glow of the kitchen light and soft 1950’s jazz music playing. He went into the kitchen to find his father finishing the dishes. “Hey Zacke.”

  Zacke looked around for beer cans, “Hey Dad. You… you feeling okay?”

  He chuckled softly. “You mean because I’m not drunk?”

  “Sorry,” Zacke said, “I’m not trying to start anything.”

  “I know son. It’s okay. I know how I’ve been. And I know it’s not enough, but I’m sorry. I’ve been selfish.”

  Zacke shifted his weight from one foot to another. “It’s okay, Dad.” But it wasn’t okay. Month after month of the same old dad behavior, and now ‘just like that’ he was going to change overnight? Zacke felt anger flare, but battled a quick internal battle; he did want his dad to change. If this was the start… “So, what’s different today? Why now?”

  “Because it’s time. I’ve been wallowing in your mom leaving for too long. I’ll try to do better. This thing just hit me harder than I thought. After all this time, you’d think….” his dad trailed off. “…Well, no excuses.”

  “I’m really...” Zacke avoided his father’s eyes, “I’m really sorry, Dad,”

  “No! Not this again,” his dad said louder than he intended. He quickly softened his tone. “Don’t blame yourself, Zacke. It’s not your fault. Your mother… well, she’s sick. It’s not okay what she did, what she called you. Don’t blame yourself for that.”

  Zacke didn’t know what to tell his father. Not telling his dad everything felt like a lie, which made him feel even worse. Zacke answered, “Dad, don’t blame yourself either.”

  “I’m trying to stop feeling sorry for myself. Booze just masks the problem. I know that.” His dad took a deep breath. “So, no beer tonight. I can’t promise I won’t screw up again. But, hey…” he stepped aside. “…I did the dishes.”

  Zacke smiled. His dad changed subjects. “You see your brother? It just goes to voicemail when I call his cell.”