Atticus & The Blade King

by M K Drake

  Nothing floating, nothing swimming. Just darkness.

  “We should venture carefully. If the beast is home, we need to try and avoid him at all costs,” says Mage Callan. “If we can retrieve the seal and avoid a fight, let’s do so.”

  “Agreed,” replies General Crawford. “I suspect we are rather outgunned for such an encounter.” He is distracted by a set of bleeps emanating from Spitfires dashboard. “What is it?”

  Spitfire projects an image onto the windshield, the green hue contrasts against the blackness of the water vividly, displaying a plateau of rock, and a vast empty space.

  They head there quickly, but also silently, knowing that even though no movement has been detected, it could simply mean the Titan is asleep. Spitfire surfaces slowly into a pocket of air inside this massive chamber and scans the immediate area. “The air is safe here.” Quietly rising from the water onto the land mass they are next to. He waits for his passengers to disembark before morphing into his Samurai-inspired humanoid form.

  “Wow!” exclaims Safaya. “This chamber is as beautiful as it is large.” She looks around at the glowing algae on the walls shining off the water’s surface, and reflecting onto the bare walls. The variations of the colours and shades has her mesmerised. Ahead of them is a large mass of seawater, but about a mile in the distance, they can just about make out another mass of land.

  Spitfire brings up a holographic panel above his arm. “It doesn’t appear that the Kraken is here, but, there does seem to be a large metallic object on the other side of this body of water.”

  “That could be the seal we are after,” states Olof self-assuredly.

  “I can confirm quickly,” states Joyce, as she creates a shield around her body in the shape of a ball and uses her speed ability to spin it and ping her across the lake. In just a few moments she returns and lands back onto the landmass after skilfully ejecting herself from the shield which dissipates around her. She pants as she recovers her breath. “It is there, a giant round metallic plate, just as Hel described.”

  “Can we transport it?” asks Mage Callan.

  Joyce shakes her head. “No, it is too large, even for Spitfire to carry. We could lift it together, but we would need to figure out a way to get it out of here.”

  “Hurry!” Hel’s voice rings out in the chamber, startling the Majjai. “The Kraken is returning. Get to the seal, I will form a portal for you to transport it!”

  Olof looks around, trying to work out the quickest way they could all get across. He stares at Spitfire. “Could you not fly us across?”

  Spitfire shakes his head. “I could not do so safely, the thrust generated could mean we crash. I can only fly at a slow speed inside this confined space.”

  Olof sighs as he looks at the body of water ahead of him, he beckons everyone to stand behind his back. Closing his eyes, he concentrates, moving his hands slowly in a circular motion, building speed gradually as he charges up a massive blast of ice. He begins to strain as the build-up he knows he needs begins to reach its optimum power. Then, with an almighty roar, he unleashes it.

  The blast covers the entire body of water, freezing it instantly. The still waves jutting out like razor sharp blades.

  “I have something for this though!” Spitfire transforms into a vehicle with giant skis and a massive turbine engine, he opens his doors and the Majjai, along with General Crawford do not hesitate to get on board.

  The engine whines as it charges, blasting Spitfire forward at great speed, crashing through the icy obstacles sticking up from the frozen water. In less than a minute they cross to the other side.

  “Quickly! We must try to lift the seal!” Shouts Olof. “Hel! Open the portal!” They waste no time and gather round the large circular object, engraved with old Norse markings and symbols. Spitfire joins in, noticing the heft of the object is substantial, even with Olof aiding them.

  A swirling mass of light, large enough to carry the seal through, appears ahead of them. They all heave the gargantuan object towards it, and after what seems like ages, finally push the seal through.

  “Right!” says Olof. “We should jump through now, before the Kraken arrives!”

  The others nod in agreement, but before they can jump through, Hel appears to block them, laughing. “If you manage to return to me, I will honour my agreement. I will tell you what you need to know. First, you must survive.” Hel’s cackles die away as the portal fades away.

  “Why that treacherous…!”

  “You expected anything else from her?” Mage Callan interrupts General Crawford before he finishes his sentence. “Now, we need to do what she says… Survive.”

  A silence returns to the vast cabin, broken only by the strains of the water trying to find a way through the ice. The odd noises get louder, and before long a powerful sound, shaking the very cavern, can be felt through the rocks. The very walls scream in pain as the pressure created howls through the crevices.

  The Majjai and the General cover their ears, trying to block out the deathly sounds. Until suddenly, everything goes quiet again.

  “Is it over? Is it gone?” asks Joyce, she desperately looks around, hoping for a positive answer. But all she receives in return are confused stares, longing for the same conclusion that she wishes for.

  Before anyone can even think of a word, or of relief, the Kraken crashes through the ice surface, and looks down upon its new prey.

  The Majjai Journals:

  I’m worried about Monty, he really should have stayed with me. He is awesome, but also confused.

  I had hoped my dragon blood would be more effective than it was, maybe it just needs more time to fully heal him.

  That poison was definitely potent, but I’m glad Khan is up and about now. He needs to take it easy though. He was very upset when he found out that Safaya went with the others, but he needs to learn to be able to trust her as I trust Pali, and Atticus trusts Joyce. They are more than capable to take care of themselves; heck, they could probably kick most of our own backsides without even really trying. I have the bruises to prove it, too, from all the staff combat training with Safaya!

  Pali has a mean round house kick. Crazy girl. Love her to bits though. She isn’t stupid either. She knows me too well now, she probably already suspects how much I miss my little Ngozi. Cheeky monster yes, but I watched her grow up. She is the one that made me realise that I could earn a soul.

  The demon who became a Majjai—and one that was marked, too—what are the odds?

  One thing I’m really glad about is learning to phase my clothes safely when I go into dragon mode, can almost dress myself back up as I change back now!

  I’ve tried phasing other things, too. Tried a chicken, but the damn thing started running all over the place, so much hurt!

  So I tried some apples and oranges instead. They became quite slimy afterwards though. I did give them a really good rinse before putting them back into Olof’s fruit basket. Didn’t have the heart to tell him when he ate them the next day.

  I really hope he never ever reads this.

  Ju Long

  Chapter 15

  Titan’s Fall

  “Scatter! Now!” Shouts Mage Callan, who unsheathes his swords, their blue glow shining brightly as he prepares for the Kraken to attack.

  The Majjai and General Crawford move swiftly, trying to put as much distance between themselves as possible, hoping to confuse the giant Titan.

  The beast rises from the water, shattered ice floating all around it. His height almost reaches the ceiling of the cavern; as he turns his squid like head to peer downwards and to the side, monitoring the movement of the invaders. The air in the chamber moves violently, pushed around by the monster’s writhing body, which also churns the water, creating waves that batter the rocky plateaus.

  The Kraken props itself against the cavern walls with its great arms and lifts one of his giant tentacles from the water aiming the appendage towards Olof.

  The Norse Majjai dives f
orward, creating a road of ice for him to use to slide away from harm. He directs himself up high and behind the spindly back of the Titan, and hurls Mjolnir into the creature’s back with massive force.

  The Titan screams in pain and grabs the back of his neck, losing its balance as he does so, sending a massive wave onto the cavern’s rocky floors.

  Safaya uses her command of water to divert it away and back into the main pool, saving Joyce in the process.

  Joyce nods her appreciation towards the Princess, and follows up by creating a sphere shield within which she encases herself and Safaya. She then uses it to spin around the beast, while Safaya continues to use her elemental abilities to launch water and earth attacks against each of the tentacles being angrily flailing around them.

  Olof swings by again, before launching another attack using Thor’s hammer at the same position against the Kraken’s spine.

  The beast roars again, this time spinning around trying to locate the source of his pain, and with a swift movement, shatters Olof’s ice track, sending the Norseman into the water.

  General Crawford spots Olof fall and runs towards Spitfire, who is already morphing into his helicopter mode.

  General Crawford skilfully jumps aboard as Spitfire takes to the air, turning towards where Olof is already returning to the surface of the water.

  Olof creates a small ice sheet and climbs aboard, then uses it to jump high towards Spitfire, landing on his wing. He throws his hammer again, blasting away an attempted attack from one of the Kraken’s tentacles, just before it is about to smash into Spitfire.

  “Thank you!”

  Olof acknowledges Spitfire with a nod, staying on his wing as the vehicle turns away from the Titan to line itself up for an attack.

  “We must concentrate our attacks now, all directions!” shouts Mage Callan. “Confuse the beast until we can open a window to escape!” The warrior Majjai continues to attack the Kraken from the ground, sending wave upon wave of energy blasts from his swords, slicing towards any tentacles that attempt to reach him. He dodges another attempted blow, somersaults into the air and lands on top of one of the creature’s appendages. Mage Callan, dwarfed by the Titan’s massive body, anchors himself with one of his swords. He then uses his free sword to fire against the Kraken’s torso. The blows barely tingle the beast but are still enough to grab its attention.

  The Kraken swings one of its massive arms towards Mage Callan, who releases his anchor and is about to crash into the ground before being saved by a large mound of earth, controlled by Safaya.

  Mage Callan lands safely. He points towards Spitfire, beckoning Joyce and Safaya to join them in a co-ordinated attack.

  General Crawford is about to launch a barrage of attacks when he hears a crackle over Spitfire’s speakers.

  “General! crackle Can you hear us over? crackle” Colin’s voice can just about be made out above the crackling static.

  “Good to hear your voice Colin!” replies General Crawford. “Can you interface with Spitfire’s scanners, try to find us a weak spot?”

  “A weak spot of what sir?”

  “Switch on the scanners and you’ll bloody well find out, old chap!”

  The radio goes silent for a few moments, before both Colin and Pavel can be heard with squeals of what the General hopes is excitement.

  Pavel can be heard grabbing the microphone on the other side. “Impressive sir! You found the Kraken! Scanning now!”

  The General looks down at the cockpit displays and sees them spark into new life, then one screen begins to render a three-dimensional model of the Kraken.

  “Can you get closer?” Colin asks. “The connection is not very stable. The closer you get, the better the scans.”

  Spitfire rumbles his engines. “Leave that to me!” he says as he soars up and down, dodging blow after blow from the Titan, who has evolved his attacks with smaller tentacle spears being fired out from the suckers on the larger ones.

  Olof sends blades of ice ahead of Spitfire’s path to clear their trajectory, slicing any the beast’s appendages that get in the way.

  Spitfire circles around the Kraken, swooping up and down skilfully dodging the giant sea Titan’s arms and tentacles.

  “Perfect!” Pavel’s voice crackles over Spitfire’s speakers. “There is an open wound on the monster’s back, it is open to bone itself. Strike there!”

  “You heard him Spitfire!” shouts General Crawford. “Fire everything you have!”

  Spitfire swings behind the monster’s back and targets missiles and fireballs at the exposed wound.

  The other Majjai follow suit, continually blasting the Kraken on the protruding spinal bone as the beast swings around violently trying to stop the attacks.

  “We are doing it!” shouts Olof, desperately trying to hang onto Spitfire. “We are winning!”

  “Enough!”

  Below them, Loki appears, accompanied by Scourge and Alvarez. The Norse god lifts a hand and suspends the Majjai where they are, frozen in mid-air. “Well, I was hoping the beast would just finish you all off, but you’re certainly a persistent bunch aren’t you? I always argued against human tenacity.” He looks at Alvarez and nods.

  The demon walks towards the trapped Mage Callan, almost skipping with glee as he does so. “You, Majjai, have caused me far too much pain. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for what feels like eons!”

  “Get away from him!” screams Joyce.

  Mage Callan looks towards the young Majjai with kind and calm eyes. “It’s okay.”

  Alvarez cackles. “And to think, I do not even need to morph into my Destroyer guise to do this. It is almost unsatisfying, but I know better than to give you any chances.” The demon sniffs Mage Callan’s face. “Ha, even now, your lack of fear persists! It would be almost admirable if it wasn’t so futile!” Alvarez slaps the swords from Mage Callan’s hands and picks one up. “Any last words?”

  Mage Callan retorts defiantly. “I do not afford words to cowards.”

  “Very well! Goodbye!” Alvarez looks directly at Mage Callan, smiling, before thrusting his sword through him and turning away, laughing, behind the cries of anguish of the other Majjai. “Snack time!” he says through his cackles while turning toward the giant Titan.

  The Kraken does not hesitate, and in one swift motion, scoops up the dying Mage Callan and swallows him whole.

  Chapter 16

  The Death of a Mage

  The Majjai stare in disbelief, struggling to break Loki’s hold. The shock of what they have just witnessed numbs them from the inside.

  “No!” screams Joyce, agonisingly “You monsters!”

  Loki sniggers, and scowls towards the Majjai. “Your hypocrisy disgusts me. You weep for your own, but think nothing of the death and destruction that occurs at your hands?”

  “We do not randomly kill, we defend!” Safaya replies as she also struggles to break free.

  Loki laughs again. “Ha! Says the very Majjai that killed her own sister,” The Norse deity steps away, and walks towards Olof. “You do not understand your place in all of this. You are simply pieces on a board; you Majjai, the demons, even Razakel. You think that the life of a creature like a Screamer is worth less than that of a human? Why?”

  “They are created to destroy, they have no souls!”

  Loki spins to listen to General Crawford. “Hmm, just like the soldiers humans send into war General? Blinded by orders from faceless and feckless leaders, for gains that are rarely for the greater good? Greed has taken over the souls of man—and therefore taken over your honour. Do you truly deserve the gift of a soul? Do any of you?”

  Olof clenches his hammer, but can do little else but speak his own mind to Loki. “We fight for honour, for what is good!”

  “Bah!” Loki returns his focus towards the Norse Majjai. “You fight for what you are told is good! You kill without remorse, you take lives because you are told to. Just as your enemies are ordered to do. Following commands out of fear
or misplaced loyalty. An endless cycle of death that entities like my daughter and that abomination of a Horseman that calls himself Death relish. They savour it, they need it. And you all fall into line, without questioning why. Fools!”

  “Why should we believe anything from a deceiver of gods?” Spitfire says, behind sparks and sizzles of electricity, as he also strains to release himself.

  Loki stops his pacing. “The machine has a voice? Tell me, does Elric keep you around just to appease his own guilt? A metallic pet, a forgotten memory. He sent you to die, and still you serve him?”

  “I serve what is good and fair!”

  “Well, that’s ridiculous really. The Majjai as judges of what is good. Do you know how many your first, your Kazmagus, how many he killed? How many he tortured?” Loki snorts, flicks his heavy robe and turns back towards the other Majjai. “Your powers were discovered by the spilling of blood! Of Norse and Greek deaths, of Angels being murdered… and yes, of Demons being slaughtered. All for his thirst for knowledge. And you were all born from this. When those you call monsters tell their children tales to keep them in line, who is their nightmare? Who is their monster?”

  He pauses, taunting them for an answer he is fully aware they are ignorant of.

  “It’s you. Majjai. Humanity. Your blanket judgement that you are good, and we are bad. The biggest joke in all of this is that you still kill each other, and for what? Land, money, carnal pleasures, mere tokens. You value your own lives pitifully, and when a belief, or a skin colour, even gender, is different, your true nature comes through—and with it, the true worth you put on your own existence. If you are able to put such little value on your selves, imagine how others feel when you deem them even less! The Horseman was weak when he was turned. My focus will not falter.”