by M K Drake
“We’ve just been so busy battling demons recently that we’ve missed much of it, we usually keep very close tabs,” Safaya says, as she quickens her pace to try and keep up with the others.
Atticus helps Joyce onto the bus; he spots her looking at him intently.
“What’s the matter Atticus?” she asks.
He steps inside and sits in a seat near the rear, Joyce follows him and he waits for her to settle before replying, “Worried about my dad. Why did he come to Cairo? He’s been acting so strangely.”
“Well,” replies Joyce, “I’m sure he has his reasons, most likely doing it for you.”
“That’s what worries me, that he’ll take a silly risk when he doesn’t need to.”
Joyce smiles. “Just like you facing a massive dragon nicknamed the Eater of the Dead for me?”
“That was different, your life was already in danger, I had to do all I could to save you,” Atticus snaps.
“Silly Pancake Man, don’t you get it. My dad once told me this, ‘a Father always sees their kids as being in danger, and is always doing everything, at all times, to take away that danger.’”
Atticus chuckles at Joyce’s impersonation of her dad, the attempt at a deeper voice and the scrunched-up facial expression was just enough of a distraction to alleviate his worry, even if it was just momentary. He looks at the front of the bus to see everyone sitting and almost ready to depart. Khan is near the steps and helps Safaya on board and they sit together in front of Joyce and himself. Atticus smiles as Safaya lays her head onto Khan’s shoulder, he wonders how Khan can remain so stoic; he senses Khan’s longing to be together with Safaya, but his sense of duty with the League of Aria’s oath to protect the Princess forces him to be alone. Whereas his own situation he forced upon himself, not wanting to see Joyce hurt, or even be used to affect his own choices caused him to end their relationship. Joyce remains a friend to him, but he still loves her, this is something he can’t hide, and he hopes that Joyce still loves him. Atticus longs for this war to be over, if anything, it would allow him to be with Joyce, and maybe allow Khan to be absolved of his own obligation to make a real, meaningful life with Safaya.
Atticus then looks towards Mage Callan who is speaking to General Crawford, ensuring that Serenity is fine and on her way back to London for safety. It turns out that she was quite reluctant to leave and wanted to join them in Faiyum, but a call from her mother persuaded her to return. Atticus chuckles as the story unfolds.
As the doors of the bus close, Atticus double checks his scabbard for his sword, then leans back on the seat. Joyce follows Safaya’s lead and rests her own head on Atticus’s shoulder. For a moment Atticus thinks about moving away, not knowing if he should allow this level of closeness to re-enter their lives. But he decides against it; it’s comforting, warm. For some odd reason, Joyce actually makes him feel safe, he feels stronger with her, almost invincible; he has fought monsters of legend for her, to keep her safe, tapping into reserves of power he never thought he had.
General Crawford turns and addresses everyone. “Now, we must all be careful, Faiyum is a city in turmoil. Ever since the civil uprising here, this city has been under dispute. A new underground faction has recently taken over, but they have been very difficult for the armed forces to contain.”
“Why?” asks Olof.
“Well, that is one of the reasons my team was sent here to find out. It may be related to this demon Elric mentioned, Shezmu – there has been graffiti sprouting up in Arabic spelling its name, and that its ‘obligation is ending’. Some even state that Shezmu is going to arise to wreak havoc on Earth.”
Elric looks towards Atticus. “Only an Angel can compel a creature such as Shezmu. I believe it was Marcellus.”
“Hmmm,” says the General. “Marcellus was tracked coming in to Cairo, too, but he used transport from our Mecha Knight friends. Are you saying he is an…”
“Angel,” interrupts Elric, stroking his beard. “Yes…, well, a Fallen Angel, to be more precise.”
“This is fascinating. But what is more fascinating is why you have stayed hidden. Do you realise how much insanity there is in the world? Your powers, you could do so much good. I mean, how can you allow atrocities such as that to exist?” The bus pauses in traffic and the General points to a makeshift graveyard near them, at the side of the road. The wooden fencing around it sports pictures of children who have lost their lives in the fighting. “These children did not deserve to die; if the world saw another way, maybe the chaos would stop? Maybe the world would seek to unite and stop fighting against each other and start working towards saving the one thing that actually matters, humanity.”
Elric sighs. “Oh, my dear boy, we have tried. But ever since the minds of man have been closed, we have fought a losing battle. The darkness of men’s hearts cannot be fixed by the Majjai alone; it has been tried before, and Majjai were driven out, killed – in the dark ages especially – and accused of witchery and evil. We have lost thousands of good men and women, all because the minds of man were closed. The Majjai numbers are too few to fix things and protect this realm from the demon threat simultaneously, so the world of mortals was left to fight amongst itself, alone. Only mortal man can fix the evils they have caused for themselves in their world. Or maybe…, perhaps…, a league formed of Majjai and Man. Tell me David, do you feel the world of man is ready to fight side by side with the Majjai once more?”
The General looks upon the Majjai on the bus, and then back to Elric. “Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”
Atticus’s eyes widen. General Crawford’s involvement is finally beginning to make sense – Elric allowing him to join this war, not wiping his memories again, going to him for help in getting to Egypt. Elric is trying to bridge the worlds. He is trying to form an alliance between Majjai and Man.
Before anyone can respond, a strange buzzing noise starts to ring around the bus. Olof stands and looks at his hammer.
“It is Mjolnir, it is vibrating!”
“What could it be, Elric?” asks Professor Sprocking.
“I do not know, unless… it cannot happen. I sense the Orb’s power.”
Mjolnir shakes more violently, it flies from Olof’s belt onto the adjacent empty pair of seats, begins to glow a bright blue and then, out of nowhere, Myrddin appears, gasping as if he has been without air for a few moments.
General Crawford quickly draws his gun and points it at the new arrival.
Myrddin smiles, regaining his breath and raises an arm. “Come now, that is no way to greet a friend,” he says as the gun flies from the General’s hand and levitates towards the time-travelling wizard.
Elric fidgets in his seat excitedly. “Myrddin, my old friend, but how?”
“The Orb may have been destroyed, but, fragments still remain. One, it would appear, is embedded inside Thor’s hammer from the impact of crushing it. The Orb is intact in my time, but I am unable to use it beyond the timeline of its destruction, apart from channelling through existing pieces of it. I chanced the largest concentration or piece would be with the hammer, seeing that it was the object of the Orb’s destruction.”
General Crawford stares in bewilderment. “Wait, you, you’re… you’re Merlin!”
Myrddin looks at the General and chortles, then looks towards Elric. “My, you have found an observant one here my friend. Anyway, I do not know how long I can hold a stable connection to the fragments, I need to tell you much, and quickly. The meddling we have done with the Orb, it has affected the Prime Timeline, your timeline! The return to Aria, it was not Sophia that was supposed to die… it was Joseph! I’ve spied fluctuations, but peering into Time Infinite is blurred for me, despite my knowledge of how time intertwines, even I am unable to see into it clearly. But, I have found that time is trying to repair itself and has introduced the Amethyst of Al Hammad into this timeline. This artefact is dangerous, Elric. If it binds with a human, it could be the end of everything.”
“We suspected as su
ch, and more; the fact Joseph has arrived in Cairo cannot be by chance,” replies Elric.
“Indeed,” says Myrddin. “You must stop him, where are you now?”
“We are just approaching the city border of Faiyum,” answers General Crawford.
“Faiyum?” Myrddin’s face turns white, he begins to flicker in and out of view. “You must get out of there now, Faiyum…It’s… a… tra…!”
As Myrddin disappears, the vibration of the hammers ceases.
Before anyone can react a loud snore can be heard just behind Olof; it is Ju Long, sleeping. Olof reaches over and slaps the back of his head, waking his friend with a snort.
“Wait, what?” Ju Long says, startled, “What did I miss? Are we here?”
Everyone stares at him in bewilderment that he was actually able to sleep through everything that just happened.
“What?” he asks again.
“Watch out! Brace yourselves!!” the driver of the bus shouts out to everyone, but it is too late.
There is an explosion under the bus, sending it flying into the air and spinning across the road after it lands, crashing into the side of an old building.
As the dust settles, a small group of masked soldiers appear, chanting a single word, “Shezmu! Shezmu! Shezmu!”
Chapter 27
The Rescue
Atticus looks around, he can feel liquid – blood? – trickling sideways across his forehead, indicating that he is definitely not upright at the moment. He checks on Joyce who is lying next to him, she appears to be breathing fine. He uses the little strength he has to look around the inside of the bus, still filled with dust from the crash. Everyone appears to be showing signs of movement.
He tries to peer through the front window and can see that the bus is on its side, through the misty veil of disturbed sand ahead he spies some figures walking towards the stranded vehicle. He tries to use his gift of insight to delve into the minds of their captors; closing his eyes he begins to concentrate, moving his consciousness into the air and floating towards this new enemy. But before he can get too far, a vision of a giant demon, its head resembling a scaly, lion-like face, blocks his way and begins to speak to him.
“Oh, no Atticus! I cannot allow you to do that, my followers are protected by me, Shezmu, and you – you have been expected. I taste your blood through this connection, it is interesting, I look forward to savouring it whole!”
Atticus’s consciousness is thrown back into his body with violent force, he wakes gasping for air and grabbing his head trying to ease the pain. As his head settles he can see Shezmu’s followers getting ever closer, and spots two of them throwing small canisters into the cabin.
The metal objects begin to spin quickly as they land, emitting a vast cloud of smoke; Atticus tries to cover his mouth, but the gas is too strong and it is not long before he and the others are starting to sleep soundly.
As Atticus’s eyes close, he can just make out Ju Long, desperately tapping on the bracelet that Mage Avipaul gave to him, before also succumbing to the gas. Atticus tries desperately to stay awake, forcing his eyes to remain open, but they soon cloud over, and all he can see is darkness.
# # #
Atticus awakens with a start, face down, but elevated from the floor. It is dark in this chamber, but some torches are lit in various spots on what looks like a surrounding rocky wall some distance from him, casting vague shadows. Attempting to move his hands, Atticus discovers that they are bound by something cold and sharp, he turns his head as much as the restraint around his neck will allow him to, peering around to try and catch a glimpse of the others. General Crawford, he is also moving, and appears to be whispering something. Atticus is unable to make out the words, but it does appear he is having a conversation with someone. He can make out one name from the General’s lip movements, ‘Colin.’
Thud!
Atticus is whacked on his back by one of the captors, but Atticus is unable to get a view of the aggressor.
“You boy! Stop moving!”
Atticus complies, but still wants to know exactly what he is up against. “Who are you? Why have you attacked us?”
“Majjai, always moaning. Our master was tricked by one of your kind – a Fallen Angel disguised amongst you. He promised the Amethyst in exchange for guardianship of the Pharaoh’s Scrolls, but he lied. Now our master will soon be free, and with his new allies, will wreak his revenge.” The owner of the voice crouches down. “I am the leader of this clan, servants to the great Shezmu. He will drink your blood and eat your hearts; it will empower him, and he will reward us well.”
“You know, old chap,” General Crawford calls out. “We’d have a much better conversation if you untied us. What is this material? It isn’t rope.”
The clan leader sniggers. “It is the solidified mucus from Shezmu’s spawn, taken after they hatch. It’s quite unbreakable for such beings as you, especially with the inhibitor crystal in place here.”
“Inhibitor crystal?” asks Atticus.
“Yes, it blocks your Majjai powers, prevents you from teleportation and using your powers of strength – only beings as powerful as Shezmu can utilise such things. Using it in this chamber amplifies the block he has already placed upon all of Egypt. Your powers of teleportation are choked here, your tunnels are useless.” He laughs. “There is no help coming for you.”
The others are starting to wake up, they each struggle at first to try and break free from their restraints but also find it impossible.
Atticus senses something. It starts off small at first, but grows quickly, a stinging sensation within his chest, he gets a sudden vision of Joseph in torment, as if his very soul is battling for survival. He tries to reach out to him, but is unable to get close enough. He tries once more, reaching out with his mind, but is blasted back with a purple flash shooting out from his eyes.
The clan leader laughs again. “Ha! You are foolish to doubt my words, boy. Your attempt at escape was futile.”
Atticus tries to shake his head, but is unable to move too much without snagging his skin on the substance binding him. “But, I wasn’t trying to esca…”
The clan leader sends another blow into Atticus’s back. “Silence! Lord Razakel gave us an aide, one who was able to feed us information. You, Chosen One, this being has a distinct interest in you.” He raises an arm towards the corner of the cavern, and Atticus looks toward a point where the shadow is not being affected by the flickering torches. “Behold, Shadow Wolf!”
Atticus begins to panic, Shadow Wolf’s blood-thirst is immense now; he can sense the longing for more blood in his formerly human adversary’s intentions. There is not much time, Atticus thinks, as he strains to see better, finally spying Shadow Wolf slowly emerging, morphing out of the darkness and into his beastly, werewolf incarnation. The young Majjai Six commander then glimpses the clan leader pulling out a large sword from a sheath on his hilt before walking over to Ju Long. “Leave him alone!”
Atticus’s shout forces Olof to look upwards, he tries to struggle free, but even with his might he is unable to. The hammer of Thor, it is not of Majjai origin. Olof closes his eyes, concentrating, trying to feel for the presence of the hammer, hunting for the godly Norse device. He finally finds it, but it is far from them, still at the crash site. He concentrates harder and calls the hammer to him, hoping it will not be too late.
The clan leader does not notice anything as he focuses on Ju Long. “You…, you are strange. You are not like the others, I sense demon in you. A concoction of your blood and heart will be a delicacy our master rarely gets to enjoy. I will take your heart first.” The clan leader calls out, and about ten other followers emerge carrying bowls, already prepared to take the blood and organs of their prisoners.
Ju Long coughs and splutters, still waking up from the earlier gas attack; he stares as the clan leader edges the blade ever closer. “Wait, you know. You guys should really think about this. Heck, dragon blood is probably not even that tasty. And you kn
ow…, my friends, they will get a bit annoyed if you hurt me.”
The clan leader laughs. “Ha! Your friends? But, they are all restrained, without a means to escape,” he says, pointing around the room at the Majjai held into their positions against the rock.
Ju Long chuckles. “You’re funny.”
The clan leader begins to get frustrated, unable to fathom why, under the threat of certain death, this Majjai is laughing. “Silence, you fool! Meet your death with dignity! Your friends cannot help you – all they can do is watch you die.”
Ju Long stops laughing and looks the clan leader square in the eye. “I wasn’t talking about these friends… I was talking about those.” he flicks a look behind the clan leader’s shoulder.
The clan leader turns around slowly.
“Hello, Ju Long,” Mage Avipaul and the rest of the Bhandari Clan, stand in the doorway, armed and ready. In one swift movement he takes his sword and dismembers three of the clan followers in an instant; they crumble and fade into a pile of ash onto the sand-covered cavern floor.
The clan leader, now much more terrified, looks towards Ju Long, who simply smiles back before speaking.
“I think you should run now.”
More of Shezmu’s followers pour out of the darkness, climbing through holes hidden in the shadow, all trying to run away. Mage Avipaul signals his followers to remain still, as he himself deals with those that were foolish enough to attempt to harm his protégé.
Atticus can see some of the battle, and tries to look around to see more, when suddenly, behind him, he hears something breathing heavily. In all of the chaos with the Bhandari Clan’s arrival, he had forgotten about his enemy, about Shadow Wolf.
“Atticus, watch out!” screams Joyce, who can see the mighty, wolf-like creature raise his hand and extend his claws, prepares to swing it downwards and gleefully strike a killer blow. Shadow Wolf salivates at the thought of finally having vengeance on his nemesis.
