by M. J. Sewall
~ Elder Giddeon, after the battle of Uruk
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE - LOYALTY
Cody kept reliving his conversation with the elder.
He’d thought getting glimpses of the old man was bad, but he’d never been so scared to talk to anyone in his life. He now knew what people meant when they said a ‘cold chill’. His spine went numb when he’d heard the elders voice through the mirror.
Mom at work, he’d been going through old scrapbooks. He barely remembered his father. Now, looking at photos of their family trio playing on the beach, in the park, smiling, it brought into focus how serious everything was. Seeing his father’s happy face in old photos, Cody realized how much he had aged. The long hair totally changed how he looked.
Cody had fantasized about reunions before; some were tearful events, most ended with Cody punching his father in the face. He never imagined he would see his dad like he had, in the back seat of the car. He was completely broken.
There was no turning back now. The next hour would be hard. The elder explained they needed proof of loyalty. Cody guessed at what they would ask him to do. He hoped he was wrong.
Cody thought of his mother briefly, but clamped down his mind and decided even a thought of her shouldn’t be exposed to the craziness of what came next. He rode his bike to the brother’s rented house. Cody knocked on the door, and Ehrhardt let him in. “Hello, Cody.”
“Hey,” he tried to keep his voice calm, but his heart was thumping wildly, threatening to betray him.
“Sazzo wants to see you.” said Ehrhardt.
“I guess I should get used to Derek’s warrior name. He’s awake?”
“Yes. But he has a terrible headache, and is in a bad mood. Best do what he says. Don’t make him angry.”
Cody tried to lighten the tension. “I wouldn’t want a sea monster to eat me.”
Apparently, humor was lost on Ehrhardt, who led him toward the bedroom without another word. They passed through the living room, where Cody noticed the books again. “Will you teach me how to use those?”
Ehrhardt glanced at the books and made an odd expression. Should I not have mentioned the books? Cody thought.
“Once you prove yourself, your training will begin. You will be taught magic and how to strengthen your powers.”
Cody liked that they called them powers, it felt more honest than John.
Ehrhardt continued, “All books belong to the elder. He will decide what you learn.”
Cody clarified, “After we kill the others?”
“Yes. Does that bother you?”
“No.” Cody lied, but he had to show strength. He feigned calm as Ehrhardt opened the door. Derek was sitting in a chair, and the dark curtains were drawn. Derek clicked on a table lamb.
“Don’t stare. I know how terrible I look. The bad thing after a big conjuring is that no amount of aspirin will help. Only time cures these things. I remember conjuring a whale once, a long time ago. You know… I’ve just recently noticed how much I tend to make speeches. I sound like a two-bit villain. Funny. Do you know why they call it two-bit? Two bits is a quarter, and…”
“You’re doing it right now, brother,” said Ehrhardt.
“Damn. You’re right. So, Cody, do you know what elder Zamma demands of you?”
Cody remembered the discussion in the mirror, “A test of my loyalty.”
“Yes. Can you guess what it is?” asked Derek.
“I… I think so.”
“You must not hesitate,” Derek got up from the chair, and uncovered a large hanging mirror on the wall. Zamma was there, watching quietly.
“What do I do?” asked Cody.
“Ehrhardt,” said Derek, “Your gun please. It has one bullet. Oh, and in case you change your mind and try to turn the gun on us, we will kill you on the spot.”
“Don’t trust me, huh?” asked Cody, but couldn’t bring himself to make a joke.
“Not yet,” answered Derek. “You see how I used just two words there? I’m getting better at keeping my sentences short. It’s going to take some work, but…”
“Stop talking,” Zamma commanded.
Derek frowned. Ehrhardt handed the gun to Cody, still equipped with the silencer. The German said, “The safety is off. Don’t put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to fire. Then press it into your target. It’s .45 caliber. One shot will do.”
Cody took the gun and looked around the room, confused.
Ehrhardt went to the closet. Two thin wooden doors opened accordion style to reveal David, arms duct-taped to a chair.
A cold chill went down Cody’s spine, “You do want me to kill my own father.”
Ehrhardt nodded. The closet had been covered in thick plastic from top to bottom. Derek said, “The head’s too messy. Put the gun to his heart.”
Ehrhardt pushed the center of David’s chest to illustrate.
David stared at his son. He was gagged, but his eyes spoke clearly. David knew his life was over, one way or the other. He stared into his son’s eyes and tried to communicate understanding and forgiveness.
Derek added, “There is a thick piece of wood behind him when the bullet goes through. The one shot will…”
“You’re over explaining again,” said Zamma from the mirror. “Cody, kill the scum that walked out on your family all those years ago. Kill him to honor all the sacrifices your mother had to make while raising you, alone.”
White-hot anger shot through Cody as he heard the old man lie. I believed it all those years. But hearing the lie spoken, to get him to kill his father enraged Cody. He put the gun to his father’s chest.
Cody visualized every electronic wave he felt around him. In his mind, they flashed a bright green. The lightbulb in the lamp exploded. Ehrhardt and Derek were flung back as they felt a wave of electric charge fill the room. The mirror cracked and Zamma was gone.
Swinging his arm toward the heavy curtains, Cody fired the one shot. He threw the gun across the room. Derek and Ehrhardt were still on the floor, recovering from the electric pulse. They heard a window imploding into the house, and the front door burst open.
Ehrhardt moaned, “What have you done, boy?”
David was unconscious from the electrical pulse. Cody had his pocket knife out and cut the duct tape, freeing his father.
Ehrhardt tried to stand, reaching instinctively for his gun, but the holster was empty. “You stupid boy, I’m going to rip…”
“Caron!” A voice rang through the small house. It was Lucas’ voice, but it wasn’t. “I’m coming for you!”
David was loose except for his gag, and regained consciousness. He got up from his chair and went for Derek.
David lifted Derek to a standing position and punched him in the stomach. Derek doubled over, and David threw him into Ehrhardt. They were a pile of brothers on the floor, as father and son left the small room.
Ehrhardt reached for his second gun in the holster under his right arm. This gun had no silencer.
John, Lucas, and Katie were in the front room, “Car’s outside, go!”
“I want to help!” said Cody.
John replied, “The plan worked. You’ve done enough. Go!”
Ehrhardt came out of the bedroom firing. John deflected one bullet with his sword. Lucas ducked and was headed for Ehrhardt, when two more shots rang out, aimed for the fleeing David and Cody. To Ehrhardt’s surprise, the bullets stopped dead and fell to the floor. A small green flash appeared where they hit Katie’s shield.
Derek stumbled out of the bedroom, nearly pushing Ehrhardt over in the small, narrow hallway. Ariana focused on Derek. He started to speak a conjuring, when his stomach rumbled. Projectile vomit spewed at the wall. Derek doubled over, and a second wave of vomit landed on his shoes.
Lucas tried to kick the gun away. The German pulled back to avoid the move and his elbow connected with the wall. His gun flew from his hand, toward the kitchen.
Zacke stood at the front door, guiding father and son safely
out the front door.
Ehrhardt landed an unexpected left jab and Lucas went down.
The brothers stumbled to the kitchen. Ehrhardt looked for the gun.
Derek had recovered from the stomach pain, and stood the best he could, dizziness threatening to overtake him. He felt his rage rising; he made a low growl and grabbed a kitchen knife.
Ehrhardt didn’t see the gun immediately, but he did see Lucas charging toward him. He grabbed a knife from the block on the counter and Lucas and John joined them in the small galley kitchen.
John used his sword as a defensive weapon to block Derek’s attacks, the length of his weapon little use for attacks in the tight space.
Ehrhardt used every skill to battle Lucas. Lucas’s body was just a skinny fifteen years old, but the warrior inside him made up for it. Lucas grabbed two blades from the block, meeting every blow from the German.
Lucas used the cabinet doors as weapons. When Ehrhardt lunged, Lucas used his foot to swing open a lower cabinet door. It hit Ehrhardt in the knee. Lucas kicked the door for greater impact. It worked. The German stumbled back.
Derek was pushed into Lucas. Derek lunged for another knife, and was sparring with both Lucas and John. The younger brother backed up, near Ehrhardt.
Derek jabbed his left hand at John, but overextended his reach. John used the chance to duck to one knee, and sliced across Derek’s stomach. It wasn’t deep, but Derek dropped one knife and held his wound.
Lucas slashed a deep cut across Ehrhardt’s arm. The German yelled in surprise. He and Derek backed out of the kitchen together, John and Lucas aggressively pressing the attack.
Ehrhardt looked worried as John advanced. There was no time for magic. The fighting was too fast.
Ariana and Katie stood outside the kitchen, unable to help. They feared they would just get in the way. Zacke started the vehicle in the driveway, making sure David and Cody were secure. David had removed his gag, Cody next to him.
“Do you have a license?” Cody asked Zacke.
Zacke shrugged, “Learner’s permit.”
Back inside, the fight was now in the small dining room, which was empty except for a table, a few chairs, and a large mirror on the wall. John tried to glance to see if Zamma was there.
Ehrhardt was done messing around, and growled with rage as his jabs and slashes got more aggressive. The brothers were still backing toward the wall of the dining room. Lucas had landed a few thin cuts on Derek, and Ehrhardt had slender lines of blood showing through his shirt sleeves.
Then Lucas bit the inside of his lip and tasted blood.
Ehrhardt saw the change in the boy’s face, recognized the ancient berserker Viking warrior, shining through Lucas. He could see a shadow of all the past faces he had known of his enemy, flashing, super-imposed over the boy he was now fighting. A chord of fear went through Ehrhardt.
They all knew what was coming next. The berserker rage, about to spin out of control mentally, become unhinged. Ehrhardt knew he might not survive; remembering the times he had not.
Derek shouted, “Zamma help us!”
Lucas made a final lunge at Ehrhardt, but both men were pulled backward off their feet. They floated off the hard wood floor and were sucked into the mirror. They disappeared as though it was an open window.
Lucas leaped at the mirror, to follow them, but it was just a mirror again, and shattered. They were gone.
The ancient in Lucas became unglued, insane. John backed away and grabbed the books lying there, fleeing the house. The girls ran out with him, frightened of what Lucas had become. John ran out the front door, and closed it behind him.
They all went to the SUV and stood there while they heard destruction unleashed inside the house. John looked around uneasily for neighbors. Luckily, no one was on the otherwise sleepy street.
Ten minutes later, there was quiet and Lucas stumbled out of the house. He righted himself and tried to pretend nothing had happened. Lucas made it to the car.
David said, “Son, take this necklace off.” Cody took the charm necklace from his father’s neck. It felt strange and heavy.
John snatched it out of his hand. “This needs to be destroyed. I’ll see to it.”
David leapt out of the vehicle. Before anyone knew what was happening, streams of lightning bolts fell upon the house, like a waterfall made of electricity. The house caught fire in several different places. David climbed back into the car to stunned silence.
David fell back against the seat. His breathing labored, he managed, “I wasn’t sure I could still do that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX - LAST CHANCE
Ehrhardt laid on the floor. “Thank you, Elder Zamma.”
Derek and Ehrhardt were in Zamma’s chamber. The cold dusty stone floor was a welcome change from the heat of the fighting. But the rest only lasted a moment as they were lifted like rag dolls and flung up to the ceiling, pinned by Zamma’s power.
“You were attacked, tricked by a boy, lost my books, lost the Witness again, and all you have to say is thank you?” said Zamma in a cold, hard voice.
Derek squirmed against the ceiling, “Thank you… very much?”
“Enough!’ shouted Ehrhardt, “They are nearly activated, strong, united. We are only two, What do you expect?”
He pushed against Erhardt’s throat with an invisible hand. “I expect success.”
Derek said, “Elder Zamma, let him go. Stop acting like Darth Vader. I have a plan to finish them.”
They abruptly dropped the full ten feet, from ceiling to floor. They landed on an ancient rug, but it still hurt when they fell. Ehrhardt’s and Derek’s gashes oozed fresh blood.
“Stop bleeding on my rug,” said Zamma.
“Then heal us, oh loving elder.” Derek held up his bleeding arms. “Holy shit! What happened to your eye?”
“On the beach, I was viewing the scene through a small mirror. When it cracked, it did this to my eye.”
“Why don’t you heal it?”
“I tried. Something is strange about the boy’s mirror ability. I can’t explain it. Hopefully the Vitaeizicon will have the answer.”
“Well, could you heal us, at least?”
“After I hear this plan,” said Zamma.
They both slowly rose to their feet, brushing off the dust. The brothers winced in pain.
“Have you forgotten your manners?” asked Zamma.
Ehrhardt fumed, “You expect us to bow when we are injured?”
Derek put a hand on his brother’s arm, suppressing his own anger. They bowed together, refusing to let the elder see how much it hurt.
“Astound me with your brilliant plan, Sazzo. And don’t tell me you were planning on attacking their school dance.”
“Umm…” Derek said, changing tactics from plan A, “Okay, I have another plan then. Firstly, I didn’t lose your books.”
“No? where are they?” asked the elder.
“In the trunk of the rental car,” Ehrhardt said angrily. “We left decoys out in case the boy was lying. He was, so it’s a good thing we did.”
“Fine. And your plan?”
“We can’t turn any of them,” said Derek, “that’s obvious now.”
Zamma agreed, “Exactly. I want you to wipe them out.”
“Now wait,” said Derek, “There’s another solution. We bring them here for a consuming.”
“That’s too dangerous,” said Zamma.
“A consuming requires a relic, and a rare spell,” Ehrhardt reasoned, “Plus the subject must be awake. So, we can’t knock them out.”
“No.” Derek said, “But they can be bound. They are not fully activated yet. Their real strength, is numbers. They will be alone, powerless and subdued.”
Zamma considered it, “There is such a spell in the Vitaeizicon. I would need that book.”
“Brother, your plan is overly complicated. The Amartus are nearly wiped out,” said Ehrhardt, “let me kill them all. We can’t let this attack, this betrayal, go unpunished.�
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Derek replied, “Come on brother, we can do this. There are only four Rageto elders left. A consuming would give elder Zamma an advantage over the others, a way for him to finally rule them all. These kids are powerful. You would get all their powers added to yours. Not to mention, I could bring you Pentoss. You could give him a true death.”
The elder stroked his chin. “Which means my fate would be reversed, and I would not suffer a true death after all. This damned wound would finally heal.”
Ehrhardt shook his head. “This is a mistake, brother.”
Zamma challenged Derek, “You can’t beat them in the field, and they’re not even fully activated. How do you propose to get them here?”
“One at a time, of course,” said Derek. “They are still on the run. They’ve attacked us, so they know we’ll come after them.”
Ehrhardt said, “Yes, they suspect you’ll attack at this coming home dance.”
Derek smiled, “So we will. But not how they expect. They think there is safety in numbers. We will turn that against them.”
Zamma stared. Ehrhardt seethed. Derek smiled his most charming smile.
“I will allow you to try. This dance is on Saturday, yes?” Zamma went to a large hour glass and began casting a spell. At an Elder level, the brothers knew he didn’t have to speak aloud. They had no idea what spell he was casting.
“I will heal you and you can rest here. Plenty of time to get you back to California. The portal was destroyed from the other side, so you’ll take the other jet. But, if this doesn’t work, if anything goes wrong, then Caron; you will reduce the entire city to dust. I’m lifting my ban from 2004. Nothing survives.”
“Understood,” said Ehrhardt, still bleeding on his own shoes.
Zamma finished the spell. “No more failures. This glass will run out at one minute before Saturday turns into Sunday. You have until then.”
“And then what?” asked Derek.
Zamma said simply, “Both of your brains implode.”
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN - MEETING
