Battle of Forces

by Ali Vali

  If she’d never given thanks for drinking the elixir, she would’ve now. She was finally alive.

  Chapter Nine

  “They’ve been in there awhile,” Morgaine said as she paced to the door of the library and glanced down the hall. “Should I go check?”

  Lenore snapped her book closed and smiled at Morgaine’s anxiety. “They and the sword are okay for now, so come sit.” She patted the spot next to her.

  “Okay for now? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Every time I read this book,” she held up an old leather-bound book Rolla had sent along with the others, “I find something I missed.” She ran her fingertips over the pressed dragon on the cover. “Whatever the sword’s secrets are, they’ll stay locked up for some time yet.”

  “I’d have thought you’d have memorized it by now. That thing looks like it’s only got ten pages.”

  “It’s more than that, and it’s in an ancient dialect so I’m having trouble getting through it.”

  “You’re ancient, Lenore, so how bad could it be?” Morgaine sat next to her and laughed.

  “Even you and I weren’t around when Atlantis was thriving. We can control time, but not the forces that drove that civilization to the bottom of the ocean. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think an Atlantean wrote the book.”

  “Why would they have knowledge of the sword?”

  “It doesn’t mention that, and Rolla didn’t say in his letter how he came by the book.”

  “So how long before you memorize it?” Morgaine asked sweetly but sarcastically.

  “The Marmandes think we’re part of a harem, Charlie’s out in the stables taking inventory, and our hosts are busy, so relax. It’s also raining outside, and I hate getting wet if I don’t absolutely have to.”

  Morgaine gave her a huge smile. “That’s your problem, bookworm,” she said as she released the clip at the back of Lenore’s hair so it’d come out of the ponytail.

  “What’s my problem?” For the first time in their long friendship, she felt like Morgaine finally saw her.

  “You should learn to distinguish between getting wet because you have to, and getting wet because you want to.”

  “I can see it might be a valuable lesson.”

  “It is,” Morgaine said, and ran her fingers through her hair to comb it out. “Especially with the right teacher.”

  *

  “I’m not comfortable,” Julius said in Latin, not caring that Travis couldn’t understand him. “If there’s a need for travel, I’d like to do it in my own clothing.”

  Bailey buttoned Julius’s shirt slowly, as if not wanting to upset him any further. “We need to get out of Egypt, so you have to put all this on.”

  The pants hadn’t been so bad and he was pleased with the fit, but the shirt he found binding at the collar and sleeves. He was still in shock from the strange vehicle that’d transported them to the hotel in Cairo. The world had certainly changed while he rotted away in a cave, and he’d found nothing familiar in the fast, crowded, and noisy city. Nothing seemed the same at all, and that alone set him on edge.

  “Your documents will be ready soon, and they’ll be the best money can buy, but it’s not a good idea to stand out.” Bailey stood behind him and held up the suit jacket for him.

  “What news of Asra?” It was as if something was restricting him when he put the jacket on and Bailey fastened the tie around his neck.

  “I’ve got William checking on it to confirm, but his last report said Asra left New Orleans for London. She has an estate outside the city, and since Lenore and Morgaine are with her, maybe she’s gotten a clue about the sword,” Travis said in French.

  “Those two bitches will eventually be a problem, so try your best to find a solution before we lose our opportunity.” Bailey had given him a choice between shoes and boots, so he slipped on the boots, hoping to regain some sense of the man he’d been.

  All those years of dark dreams and nothingness had made him almost wish never to be found, since he thought he’d be insane if restored. When he’d opened his eyes, though, all he could think of was revenge. No one who’d passed judgment on him would be spared. Once he was done with Asra, he’d return here to start Rolla’s suffering, which would last as long as he’d been in that cave.

  “They’ll be easy to deal with, so stop obsessing.” Travis sat by the window and cracked the walnuts he’d brought with him one by one. The noise was as unnerving as the man himself. “Is this special sword in the house?” Travis asked Bailey.

  “The Sea Serpent Sword hasn’t been seen since the great injustice.” Bailey caressed his shoulders as he spoke. “We don’t know why they’re in London, but we need to find out before we waste time we can’t afford.”

  “She’s probably dropping off the bitch she’s sleeping with and her family while she deals with whatever Rolla’s pissed about,” Travis said.

  “Pissed?” Julius asked.

  “Angry,” Bailey said with compassion. Julius truly was a babe in a vastly scary world if he couldn’t understand the simplest of phrases.

  “Travis, eventually I’ll come to see the gifts you possess that made Rolla give you the elixir, but aside from a large penis I’m blind as to why, so let me explain…again.” His attention waned for a moment when the box with moving pictures showed a glimpse of a war before it returned to the talking man. “I’ve been asleep for centuries, though I remember everything about the prophecy, but now, with her access to the archives, Lenore is most probably more knowledgeable about the sword and its prophecy than I am. Consider too how Lenore and Morgaine feel about Asra, and you don’t need anyone to tell you they’ll do anything to stop it from happening. All of them are too weak to bring the prophecy to life.”

  “You deciphered the prophecy by accident, so don’t delude yourself into thinking you’re a genius. We got this far. Don’t lose your head now.” Travis laughed loudly. “After all, you just got it back.”

  “Would you like me to show you the Clan’s ultimate punishment?” He moved faster than Travis to the sword on the bed. “Either respect me or get out,” he said with the weapon pressed against Travis’s neck.

  The sight of the blade against Travis’s skin brought it all back in vivid detail. Since Julius had woken, he’d had trouble remembering.

  Genesis Clan’s Compound in Egypt, AD 453

  “The Hun is dead,” Asra said as she moved around behind Julius, out of his sight.

  “His many sons will avenge him.” Julius tried to relax because whenever he flexed against the ropes Asra had tied him with, they tightened and stayed taut even when he stopped. His hands and forearms were numb, but once Rolla arrived, he’d have her insolent head on a platter.

  “He and you didn’t have enough time with them, and your puppet loved the power too much to share. With Attila gone, none of his people or his family will be able to pull the tribes together like he did.” She poured herself a cup of wine and sat across from him, staring at him as if she was studying something important. “Strength in war comes only in numbers, and that advantage is gone, along with your chance to anoint yourself a god.”

  He cocked his head back and gazed at the ceiling of the great meeting room and the series of paintings Rolla had commissioned that told their history. How many times had he sat in here in a seat of honor for their discussions and debates? That would have to count for something, in his opinion, as the others decided his fate.

  “Will this be the highlight of your life—humiliating me, I mean?” He kept his body loose but barked the question at her. “You’re nothing but a well-trained dog who strives only to please his master.”

  “The rest of my life will be a bore if the most exciting thing I accomplish is capturing you.” She laughed and stared at him over the rim of her cup. She was starting to irritate him, but he’d never give her the satisfaction of showing weakness. “That was as hard as relieving myself in the morning.”

  “Not this, idiot. I meant
you’ll live only to serve people like me forever. Is that all you want for as long as there are sunrises?”

  “First, why would you care?” She put her cup down and leaned forward closer to him. “You should’ve learned from your recent activities that for any army to be effective, we must all play a role. Those who don’t have an interest in doing so become farmers and such.” He flinched when she stood but accepted her offer of wine when she held the cup to his lips. “Can I ask something of you?”

  Perhaps escape wasn’t out of his grasp yet, if she softened toward him. “Ask whatever you wish.”

  “What did you hope to gain with Attila?” She sat once he’d drained the cup.

  “To rule the world,” he said, relaxing again because of how irresistibly easy this had suddenly become. With Asra’s reputation he’d expected more than this simple-minded question.

  “Then what?”

  He focused his attention again to see if she was only toying with him while they waited for the others. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I can’t make the question any simpler.” She moved her head from side to side, and he heard a crack each time. “When I found you I rode with a force of men from the north with superb fighting skills. With my sword and ability, I could’ve talked their entire nation into following me, as well as gotten others to join me on a path of conquest, if that’s what I wanted. I’d never need someone like the Hun to fight for me,” she said sarcastically, as if to insult him even further. “If world domination is what you wanted, you should’ve unsheathed that ornate sword you’re fond of and earned it. For the sake of my question let’s say you had beaten the masses until they worshipped at your feet. What’s left to challenge you after that?”

  “To mold the world into the vision of perfection should be the Clan’s goal, not only mine. What good is having all this knowledge surrounding us for eternity if we don’t use it for that?” He closed his eyes to slits, but that only made her smile. “Instead, we hide away like frightened women while the world is in chaos.”

  The doors opened behind him but Asra didn’t get up. He’d had enough of her smart mouth and simple ideas. Even the tunic and leather britches she wore were simple, and to consider her a warrior was laughable. No warrior went anywhere without his sword, and the only one between them was his.

  “If the world can only be perfect with your vision, then thank the gods I’m blind to it.”

  Asra finally stood, so he tried to turn enough to see who was behind them. “Are you here to beg forgiveness, Rolla?” He was pushed to the head of the table as the Elders took their places. Rolla, Morgaine, Lenore, Zanga, and Nalic were the seniors entrusted to judge those who went beyond the scope the Clan placed on all immortals. The only member not voting today would be Julius himself, but he wasn’t too concerned since so far the harshest punishment had been confinement to the compound in Egypt to serve the Elders. He could handle that, since it’d keep him close to the archives.

  “We’re here to tell you our decision, and forgiveness has nothing to do with the verdict.” Rolla briefly glanced back when Asra moved to stand at his right side. “Your actions have put a blight on our existence and have possibly changed fate for generations to come.”

  “You have no right to make judgment until I’m heard. Have you all forgotten I’m part of this group?”

  “It’s you who’s forgotten himself, Julius. You came to us as Harg, and we welcomed you to our clan,” Zanga said. “You disregarded all that in your quest for power.”

  “You are no brethren of mine. From the first day, I was superior to every one of you, and I won’t rest until I repay you for this humiliation.” The door opened again and Bailey squeezed through, his face wet with tears. Bailey had been the only one he’d missed in his years away from this place, but it had been too dangerous to bring him when he’d started his travels to meet Attila. Bailey had stayed close to Rolla but had sworn allegiance to him. No matter what happened with the panel, Bailey would be his salvation.

  “Your chosen name in this life is Julius, but he will cease to be as of now,” Rolla said as he read from the scroll he’d unfurled.

  “What are you babbling about, Rolla?”

  “Harg of the Highlands, the Clan finds you guilty of interference, and your sentence is sleep.” Rolla looked up at him, then Bailey. “If those loyal to you wish to free you from the darkness that awaits you, their search will be long and unfruitful.”

  He tugged at his bindings again, not caring about the pain. “What do you mean?”

  “Your head will be severed at the neck,” Rolla said as he waved in Asra’s direction. She walked to the corner and returned with a sword, and Julius almost forgot his sentence when he realized what it was. His need to rule the known world was more than about power; it was also to find the sword in Asra’s hand. Time had run out, and he’d face the darkness without knowing how this bitch had acquired his prize.

  “Your head will lie in darkness where the sun rises, and your body where the sun sets,” Rolla said.

  His last real thought was how beautiful the sword was as Asra held it with both hands and swung it at his head.

  Then everything went dark.

  *

  When Julius had felt the sun on his face again he’d been grateful to Bailey for not breaking his promise. To assure their success, Bailey had waited until the year of the dragon’s awakening, but they still had a lot left to accomplish before they could perform the ritual.

  “Do whatever it takes, but hit Asra and the others as soon as possible,” Julius repeated as he put his sword away.

  “You’ve been a husk all this time, and you can’t wait a few more months?” Travis asked.

  “If you can’t speak to me with respect,” he said, having to think of the English words but wanting the practice, “then get out of my sight. When I have the sword you’ll be a sheep like the rest.”

  “Without me you don’t have a chance, so enough with the grandiose threats. If I leave you’ll have Bailey, and that’s it. If winning is contingent on who can suck a dick better than anyone else, then he’s your man. But if not, give it a rest.” Travis stood as if daring him to make a move toward him, which he didn’t. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. I don’t take orders from you—try to remember that.”

  Travis walked out and slammed the door, and the only sound once he’d gone was the talking box. It was too late to replace Travis, but Bailey was tempted to try.

  “What’s his problem?”

  “He was invaluable in helping me find you, but he did it for his own reasons, I think,” Bailey said as he laid his head on Julius’s chest.

  “Everyone has his own agenda, my love,” he said, wanting to keep Bailey happy for now.

  “Mine is to be with you, that’s all. I never wanted you to leave to join the Hun, but you did because the sword was the most important thing to you. I beg you to forget it now, and we can find a quiet place to settle and be happy together.”

  “I want that too,” he said, trying to sound sincere, “but Rolla and the others will never allow it. The only hope we have of never being separated again is to finish this.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll lose you again.”

  “Our time is finally here, and no one will keep me from my destiny or you.”

  Chapter Ten

  “That was different,” Piper said, and laughed. Kendal was pressed against her back and they were both still breathing heavily.

  “Did I hurt you?” Kendal kissed the back of Piper’s neck before releasing her so she could straighten up.

  “If this is the result of showing me your collection, I might own more swords than you do.” When Kendal didn’t laugh, she turned and put her arms around her waist. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know what came over me.” Kendal’s shirt was still on, but every button was missing, and her pants were pooled around one ankle.

  “I love that you love me, but that you really want me doesn’t upset me. I’ll s
peak up if I’m not comfortable with something.” She moved Kendal back an arm’s length and smiled. “By the look of you, it’s you who needs to be afraid. I’m not sure what came over me either, but if we concentrate we might be able to figure it out so we can try again.”

  This time Kendal did laugh as she kicked off the only shoe she had on, along with her pants, so she could bend to pick up the sword they’d carelessly dropped when the overwhelming feelings had come over them. Kendal started to place it on the nearest empty pegs, but Piper almost called her back to see if the same sensations would happen again. Kendal must’ve had the same thought because she held it a little longer before she put it up.

  “It was the sword, wasn’t it?” Piper asked as she studied Kendal’s expression.

  “I’d have to say yes, but as long as I’ve had this, I’ve never experienced that before. It must have been a combination of the sword and the girl.” Kendal unbuttoned her cuffs and rolled up her sleeves. “Want to try an experiment?”

  “Is that a line I’m going to be hearing for years to come?” She hoisted herself back on the table and crooked her finger in Kendal’s direction. “Because I’ve been falling for your lines since the day we met.”

  “Is that a complaint?”

  She fanned her fingers across her chest. “Me, complain?” she said in her best Southern accent. “I sometimes wonder now how I lasted as long as I did against that devastating charm of yours, but I’ve never been happier.”

  “Which brings me back to my question,” Kendal said as she picked up the sword again and faced her.

  “Whatever you want, Asra, just ask me.” She opened her arms so Kendal would hold her. “Just ask me, baby.”

  “I’ve never been one to pray to the gods, but because they sent you into my life it may be time to start.” Kendal placed the sword next to Piper, who felt the same strong energy as before even though she wasn’t touching it.