Sebastian brought his blade down in an arc towards Socrates and the man tried to parry the swing, but the dragon’s ore blade sliced Socrates’ own blade in half. The old man jumped back but not far enough, and the blade left an inch-deep slice from his collarbone to his navel.
Socrates raised his hand and a scepter flew into it from behind a console and he cast a spell. The energy faded before it reached the pair. “How? They said none could stand against the magic of this scepter.”
“My scepter will not harm me. It is bound to the royal blood of Atlantis and cannot harm any of the lines of monarchs,” Chelsea told him as she and Sebastian continued to walk slowly towards him.
Socrates started backing away and waved his hand. A panel opened and a young girl like those in what he called the toy room was behind it. He grabbed her and backed away from them with a knife to the girl's throat. “Come any closer and she dies. If you're guardians as you claim you won't let an innocent die.”
He backed towards the wall and waved his hand again, opening the passage to one of the secret escape tunnels the command staff used in emergencies. Behind the doorway stood Alexander. He was wearing golden scale interwoven with fine linens and looked like his old self again, not Julius the businessman. He carried a spear and poked Socrates in the back with it.
Socrates turned, caught off guard by the appearance of someone behind him. Faster than he could blink, Alexander’s spear pierced his heart.
“I never could tolerate betrayers or cowards and you are both. You shame your heritage, Socrates. The Athenians were honorable.”
Socrates released the girl and dropped to his knees. “Killed by a fellow Greek. It is fitting. I do not fear death.”
With that, Socrates fell over, dead.
Alexander stabbed him a second time through the heart. He wiped his blade on the dead man's shirt. “In the old days, that would be considered double tapping, I suppose.”
The flames on their hands receded. Chelsea ran over to the body and picked up the scepter. “My scepter. I thought I would never see it again.”
“Alexander, I thought you were content to remain as Julius and run your company,” Sebastian said to him.
“I was simply following the request of my teacher to not get involved but once I found out Socrates betrayed our council I could not sit idle. She will not be pleased but I could not let this stand. My honor as a Greek demanded satisfaction. My people were honorable soldiers be they Macedonian, Athenian or Spartan and such a betrayal stained us. I have cleansed that stain,” Alexander told them.
“I thought Merlin was your teacher. Who is this she you mentioned?” asked Chelsea.
“I believe you now call her mother,” said Alexander. “We need to have a very long talk but first tell me what happened to your eyes?”
“What do you mean?” asked Sebastian.
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” asked Alexander.
Chelsea looked at her reflection in Alexander's polished breastplate then looked at Sebastian.
“What the Hell?” she said.
“I have no idea but I'm guessing mine look like yours and I have no explanation for that,” he said.
“It might just be a side effect of the dragon's soul. That would be my guess. The closer you get to remembering everything then the more of your inner selves come out,” Alexander told them.
“How do you know about the dragon?” asked Chelsea.
“I know many things about you. Probably more than you do. Let's save your friends and talk at Camelot. Regardless of Morgana's wishes, my place it at the table with you not watching from the sidelines. I am Alexander the Great, not Julius the Businessman and while I no longer wish to conquer the world, I do wish to keep it safe and the best way to do that is at your side. Besides, if the world fell who would I sell my war machines to?” he said with a grin.
“The comm is working again,” William told them. “I've brought Boudicca and Nefertiti up to speed and they're evacuating the girls just in case that bomb thing wasn't an empty threat. I am trying to open the server room, but I can't get by these lockouts.”
“Me neither. My codes aren't working,” Michael said.
Alexander walked over to the console and started typing. “The server room is open. Tell your people to get out and I suggest we do the same. If what Socrates said is true, this building is a death trap.”
“You have access codes to military equipment?” asked Sebastian.
“Not at all but I did help a former protégé design the systems and it helps to know where the backdoors in the code are,” he replied.
#
The battle was all but over. GloCom had taken the base. They were wiping up the last few pockets of resistance.
Boudicca and William were at the medical facility. Trish and Anna were both alive. Anna was heavily sedated as both were being prepped for transport now that they had been stabilized enough to move. They had plasma drips going to them and were connected to multiple monitors.
Anna was critically injured. Her left arm was gone, and she had extensive damage from the plasma blast. Her right lung was destroyed and her heart only pumping with electrical stimulation at this point. She had lost a tremendous amount of blood and was on the edge of death. Nefertiti sat with William doing her best to keep Anna alive until she was transported to the surgical unit. Chelsea was with William as well. She had known Anna a long time and was hurting more than she let on.
Trish was awake but groggy.
Boudicca was holding her hand.
“How bad is it?” asked Boudicca.
“I have a lot of intestinal damage but that isn't the bad part. That laser was strong enough to go completely through my armor, both the bioweave and the sarsen. I guess I still have bones inside when I change,” Trish told her with tears in her eyes.
“It destroyed my spine. They said neurosurgeons might be able to fit me with a cybernetic bypass, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes a person’s body rejects it and if it doesn't work I'll never walk again. Even if it does, I'll never be able to fight again. I can't feel anything from my chest down. I'll never be part of the Vanguard again.”
“I will heal you. It will take time, but I can regrow the damaged parts. We will need to go the great henge. Gaia will see you through this,” Boudicca told her.
“I hope so,” Trish said still crying. “I don't want to lose you. I never let anyone inside until I met you and I can't lose that.”
“Why would you lose me if you could not walk?” asked Boudicca.
“I will be an invalid. I won't be a Vanguard anymore. I'll be nothing,” Trish said despondently.
“My love, you will never lose me. I don't care if you're in a wheelchair or covered in stone with lava for blood. The measure of a person isn't in their body it's in their heart,” Boudicca told her holding back her own tears trying to be strong for Trish. “If death had taken you I would have found him and beat him until he brought you back to me.”
“Listen to her. She'll do it,” said Alexander as he walked up.
“Trish, meet Alexander. He's decided to join us after all,” Boudicca told her.
“You're the one who finally conquered the savage warrior queen. If you're strong enough to do that a little thing like a laser won't stop you for long,” he said with a smile. “I won't take much of your time. I just wanted to meet the woman who conquered the one I never could.”
“He's cute. I can see why you used to spend time with him,” said Trish as she started coughing. “The way I hear it you two conquered each other often.”
Alexander laughed. “No, my dear. I never conquered her. She is a force of nature and only another force of nature could do that. As for the Vanguard, well I think you'll be back to work soon enough. If Boudicca says she can heal you then she can. We may not always have seen eye to eye, but her power should not be underestimated. I would love nothing more than to stay and catch up, but I must go. There is a long discussion I must have with your lea
ders and I should not put it off. I will see you at Camelot my friend if I may be so bold as to call you a friend.”
“I'll be there as soon as I am able and yes, you certainly can,” Trish said weakly as Alexander left.
Boudicca spoke telepathically to Alexander. “Do you know where Merlin or Morgana is at? I need someone who can teleport,” Boudicca said.
“What do you need my dear?” Alexander replied telepathically.
“I need to get her to the great henge, but she is not able to be moved without their machines,” Boudicca told him.
“Morgana is not available now and I do not know where Merlin is at. I can teleport you there myself if you trust me enough to let me take you,” Alexander told her.
“I’ve never really trusted you at all. Trusting you with her life is difficult,” Boudicca told him.
“If you know anything, you know my sense of honor. I swear to you on my honor I harbor no deception and will get you both to Stonehenge unscathed,” Alexander told her.
“Thank you, Alexander. You don’t know how much that means to me,” Boudicca told him. “Can you return in an hour? Let her rest a while longer.”
“In one hour, I will return,” he told her and left.
“You're smiling. Do I have to worry about losing you to the suave Macedonian?” said Boudicca.
“Not at all. He just reminded me of something I forgot,” Trish said.
“And what would that be?” asked Boudicca.
“Something Sebastian has always told us. It's what makes us stronger than Mordred. We are a team. We are friends. Mordred has servants, slaves, and minions. We have each other. Whether you heal me, or I have some circuitry in my back or I spend my life in a wheelchair I'll always have my friends. We can get through anything together,” Trish said as she drifted off to sleep.
#
Alexander walked up to Sebastian and Chelsea. They were at GloCom's mobile command center talking with General Morrison as the military was prepping to pull out most of their forces and leave an occupying force to keep the base under control until it could be properly mothballed.
“Julius, good to see you again,” said the General.
“It's Alexander. I can't deny who I am any more than you could. Like yourself, I am a warrior and to deny that is to deny ourselves,” Alexander said.
“We were just finishing up here. The General's son wants to join the Vanguard, but we had to clear it with GloCom command and the President. Her envoy just signed off and the General is okay with it, so we have a new member,” said Sebastian motioning to Michael.
“If you'll excuse me gentleman, I have a presentation to repair. Everyone thinks being in charge is all fun and games until you're being grilled by the press about military actions when they have neither the information nor training to actually understand the answers,” said General Morrison. He looked at his son a moment. “You make me proud son.”
“I have big shoes to fill. You’re the fourth general in our family. I don’t know if I’ll ever achieve that, but I’ll try to be as great a man as you have been,” Michael told him. “I’ll make you proud.”
“You already have. Be yourself and do what your grandpa here says, and you’ll be fine,” General Morrison told him.
“Grandpa? That’s not exactly accurate. It’s…difficult to explain,” Sebastian replied.
General Morrison laughed and patted him on the back. “I’m just messing with you, son. I don’t really know how all this stuff works. You’ve got a good soldier joining you. GloCom’s loss is your gain. I hate to see him go but I believe your group is going to be the one that pulls this through.”
Michael and his father saluted each other, and they left the general's office. The three of them stood outside in the cool morning air talking.
“First order of business will be getting you started on magical training. We are stretched thin right now on skilled people to train you, but I'll make it a priority. I'm thinking William would make a good fit once he's back from the hospital. They said Anna will be there several weeks,” Sebastian said to Michael.
“I'll teach him,” said Alexander.
“You?” asked Sebastian.
“Why not? I'm a Master of magic and trained by an Atlantean. The man has Atlantean blood, yours if my senses are correct though I'm still not sure which iteration of you he's descended from,” said Alexander.
“General Adamson,” said Michael.
“General Adamson? One of the heroes of the Unification War?” asked Alexander.
“One and the same,” said Michael.
“I served on the American front. Once we launched our dreadnaughts and started the war in earnest, that war moved so fast I never noticed that you were General Adamson, or I would have maneuvered myself into a transfer to your command,” Alexander said.
“You served in the Unification War?” asked Sebastian.
“My friend, I have served in every war. Since the end of the dark ages, I have made it a point to fight for whatever side was the good side although sometimes that was a gray area. You probably don't remember but we've served together twice. Once during the Revolutionary War for the old United States. We served under General Washington and fought at Valley Forge then again in World War II. We were British pilots with the Allied Powers,” Alexander told him. “I also served with Chelsea once during WWIV. She commanded a hovertank brigade during the siege of Los Angeles and I was one of her pilots. I never got to meet you in that iteration.”
“I don't remember. I'm sorry. It's good to hear you have been fighting the good fight. The world needs more people that do that,” Sebastian replied. “I hate to change the subject, but we need to have that talk.”
“We do. What about teaching Michael?” asked Alexander.
“Alexander, you have to understand I have to speak with Morgana first. The last time we spoke I knew you were hiding something but spending all this time as her secret apprentice? If she confirms your story then absolutely,” Sebastian told him.
“I would expect nothing less. Trust is good, but verification is better. Morgana will verify everything I told you once she gets back from Antarctica,” Alexander told him.
“Antarctica? What is she doing there?” Sebastian asked.
“I thought she told you. She is speaking with the dragons. Absillion granted her an audience and she's been there since,” Alexander told him.
“Let's all head back to Camelot and wait there. We can talk and catch up, Alexander and Michael need to get familiar with the castle,” Sebastian said.
“You haven't verified my story. Are you sure you want to invite me into your base?” asked Alexander.
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Regardless of which you are Camelot is where I am going to be. Either way that logic would dictate you should be there as well,” Sebastian replied.
“Then I'll meet you there tomorrow morning. You've been through a lot. Go home and rest, spend some time with your wife and clear your mind. Though you lost a lot of people tonight, you didn't lose anyone close but several of your friends were gravely injured and you should take some time to unwind. Drink some tea. It's soothing. Don't ask Morgana how to unwind if you see her before I get there. She'll tell you to drink coffee. She has quite a caffeine fetish,” Alexander told him with a laugh.
“I'll try that, but Chelsea and I aren't married,” Sebastian said.
“I was at your wedding or at least one of them. You don't need a government document to tell you what you already know,” Alexander said.
“You're the second person to tell me that,” said Sebastian.
“Who was the first?” Alexander asked.
“My dad,” Sebastian replied.
“I miss Abraham. I had no idea at the time his newborn son was you. I saw him in the hospital shortly after the fight that sidelined him. If you’re half as tough as him you’ll be all right,” Alexander said laughing. “I’ll see you at Camelot.” He disappeared.
�
�You knew dad?” Sebastian asked him.
Alexander looked remorseful. “I did. I met him by chance in a bar in Paris. He was a fun man to share a drink with. I have some good stories about that weekend. He knew how to party.”
Sebastian took a deep breath. His father's loss still hurt him. “That he did. I look forward to hearing them.”
#
The young woman sat on the bed crying as her mother tried to comfort her.
“You are not at fault. You did what was necessary for the good of the village,” her mother told her.
“I’ll never marry. No man would have me after…” she said still sobbing.
There was a knock at the door of the hut.
The old woman walked to the door and opened it then spit on the man standing there.
The man calmly wiped the spittle from his armor and spoke. “My Lady, I cannot undo what was done and I don’t have the power to prevent it from happening again. I only came to apologize for the actions of the Master and try to undo as much of the damage as I can.”
“Undo? That bastard raped my child. She is tainted and will never wed. She will die alone as a spinster forever carrying the stain of that bastard’s actions,” the old women said, the anger and venom in her voice obvious.
“I would offer you payment, if you’ll accept it, for any dowry that she might have obtained or any lands she might have gained from a marriage. I know it’s an insult after what happened, but it is all I can do. I truly wish I could offer a better solution,” Captain Arthur told her.
“Your Master rapes my child and you wish to buy my complacency. I don’t know which the worse insult is,” the old woman said as her daughter continued to cry in the background.
“Good woman, I know it is in an insult. He took her future from her and I only want to try to make whatever life she can salvage a comfortable life,” Captain Arthur replied.
“You wizards are all the same. You treat people like property. You don’t care who is hurt. We’re just pawns and toys to be used and played with then tossed away,” she said.
The Vanguard Page 17
