Atticus & The Blade King

by M K Drake

  Razakel can be seen pacing back and forth, he takes some moments to consider this information before returning to face the others. “This changes things only slightly. I also have some news for you, jester,” Razakel smiles, baring his sharp fangs. “Your own daughter dislikes you enough to have put a bounty on your head. The Majjai are hunting you.”

  Loki begins to laugh uncontrollably. “Ha! I’m sorry. Please…, I need a moment to…, sorry. Ha! How amusing. Let them come. They are insects, playing on levels they are far beneath,”

  Loki returns to his makeshift throne and looks back towards Razakel sternly, all traces of amusement gone. “I am Loki, a god. They are lucky they are still alive, well, at least most of them are. I should send them all to my daughter’s pit, along with that Mage Callan. And besides, I don’t think there has been a decade gone by where my daughter has not wanted me dead. Now if that is all you have for me, cheerio.”

  Alvarez watches in shock as Loki abruptly cuts the communication short, closing the portal without giving Razakel the chance to reply. But he knows what his master would say, he knows there is cause for concern based on experiences they have had already. “You should not under-estimate the Majjai,” he says. “They grow stronger and wiser.”

  Loki’s face contorts in disgust as he watches Scourge scratch his underbelly, he rolls his eyes and focuses on Alvarez. “You give them too much value. I have lived since before humans were even a glimmer in creation’s eyes. The Remnant and Death are amongst the few entities in existence older than I. The Majjai are mere specks on the timeline of eternity. Specks I’m all too happy to see be gone.”

  Alvarez realises it is pointless trying to convince this forced partner, but still has a warning for him. “If you do not fear the Majjai, you should fear my master. Breaking the communication was a mistake. He will be angered.”

  “Hrmph! Oh Alvarez, if the Majjai are merely specks, you, your Shadow Wolf, your Scourge, your Razakel... you are blemishes. So it is you who should be careful in your dealings with me. Remember that.”

  “Even if they release the Blade King? Even if they persuade Kazmagus to return? The Horseman?” Alvarez knows the power of those he has fought in the past, he doesn’t know if he should be amused or impressed that Loki does not see the threat.

  “I have a Kraken. I have a Minotaur. I have a demonic wolf made of shadows, and… whatever that creature is,” Loki says as he points nonchalantly towards Scourge. “I also have you, Alvarez, and if you want to return home one day, learn to be more pious. Just like I will force your master to be!”

  Alvarez can see from the corner of his eye the reactions from Shadow Wolf and Scourge, both aghast at what they have just heard. Alvarez remains silent, looking at Loki knowingly, and grasping the collector vial even tighter.

  Chapter 28

  The Broken Accord

  Hel stands before the gate to Helheim. The ancient Majjai never knew they drilled so close to her secret lair when they were plotting their tunnels. She soon made her presence felt amongst them, striking enough fear so none returned, until now. However, she is covertly pleased that they did. Even if it meant losing the Minotaur, her guardian, her pet, she considers it a worthy loss.

  Hel ponders for some time as she walks through the cavern to the underground river that offers a modicum of protection. She stares at the water, trying to contemplate whether this newfound loneliness without her pet is something she will be able to tolerate until her plan unfolds.

  It isn’t long into her calculation of the different possible outcomes that she senses a presence that she knows all too well. One she has been expecting, and which she must now deal with.

  “I know you’re there, Poseidon! Come out of the water will you.”

  The water level rises quickly, swirling into a pillar, until a large figure of a man dives outward, spinning and landing beside Hel, towering above her. “You know why I’m here. The accord is broken. The Minotaur is free.”

  “Come now. Is that really such a bad thing? Maybe we have been hidden away too long? These humans, these Majjai, they need reminding that this world, this realm, was owned by the Old Gods once.”

  “Fool!” Poseidon exclaims. “Our time is over, we are no longer worshipped. They follow different pillars, some do not even follow anything else apart from those that entertain them. Jesters rule this realm now—your father is amongst them.”

  Hel hisses sharply towards Poseidon, defiantly flicking her cloak over her shoulder. “My father is a fool, and will be dealt with. I’ve set that in motion. The Minotaur has earned his freedom. But his taste for it will surely wane. He will return to my side—and if he does not, these recent intrusions reminded me how enjoyable it was flexing my own abilities for once. I missed it.”

  “Nobody wants a war Hel. Not even Hades, but you need to ensure the Minotaur does not bring attention to our ways. Razakel is getting stronger. And we do not need a distraction right now. If Razakel succeeds, we will need to leave this realm.”

  Hel turns away from the Greek god, sensing he may actually have an inkling of what she covets. She decides to test if he does. “You think he will defeat the Majjai? I do not. And when he falls, we need to be ready.”

  Poseidon raises an eyebrow. “I fear you are playing a dangerous game. Know your place in the universe. Your delusions of grandeur are a risk to all existence.”

  Hel smiles, she has her answer, and now has a new factor to add to her plan. “Do not worry. We should all simply be prepared. I suggest you return to Olympus. Talk to Zeus, and urge him to speak to Odin. With what is coming, with what is about to happen, our two factions must be allied.”

  “I will talk to Zeus. You can be sure of that. I will also be keeping a much closer eye on you, too. Be careful,” Poseidon says, then dives back into the river.

  Hel smirks, welcoming the silence. “Everything is happening as I envisioned. Soon, my lord. Soon, we shall be together again,” she says to herself before returning to her Hell gate, cackling.

  A Majjai History: Vol 3 Chapter 19: Gods and Deals

  It is not uncommon for deities of different lore to co-exist in a somewhat peaceful manner.

  Much of this is due to bargains, tokens, and promises of gifts. Sometimes in exchange for certain favours, other times because they become bored and just want to see what happens.

  You see, the Old Gods have been around for such a long time that they believe they have seen it all. They see beings such as Razakel as merely a blip on their infinite timeline.

  They should be careful, however, as some have grown so used to existence that they often underestimate threats. They frequently expect the Majjai to take care of things in these recent times.

  In the past, the Majjai fought in great battles against some of the Old Gods. There are scrolls in the Tomb of Kazmagus that tell of the first Majjai taking on the likes of Odin, Ra, and their subordinates.

  One fight in particular, against Anubis, caused many issues, and some feel it was this that caused many of the Old Gods to leave what they felt was a petulant species alone, and deal only intermittently with only their worshippers.

  They stay afar mostly, watching, waiting. Some Majjai believe they are now done waiting, and want to take a more active part in today’s proceedings. Whether that is a good thing or not is yet to be seen.

  The boredom of the old gods has forced some to feed off each other to extend their lives. Hel and Hades have each profited from this.

  In fact, if any two factions seem to collaborate more than any others, it is the Greek and the Norse, whereas the Egyptians and the Mayans appear to have discovered some parity in their collusions.

  We do not hear much from the Old Gods from South Asia or from the Far East, I doubt, as the coming battles intensify, this will be the norm by the end of the war. Everyone will need to pick a side soon. We can only hope they ally with us.

  Chapter 29

  The Tale of the Blade King

  “Proteus?” Atticus asks.
“You’re the second to say that to me. Kukulkan also mentioned this name. What is it?”

  The Blade King looks around himself, still adjusting to his new surroundings. He looks back towards Atticus, as if trying to analyse him up and down. After several moments, he says, “You are not ready. This knowledge will come to you when you are.”

  Closing his eyes, he turns his head to the left, towards the entrance to Wysardian Manor. “You have an Awakening Chamber here? The one Kazmagus built with his own hands?”

  Elric nods. “We do. We have much to discuss, we can take you to see it later, right now...”

  “No!” Alfatun says curtly, it is almost a shout. “I must see it this moment. Take me there now.”

  Atticus looks at Elric, memories of Kazmagus’s unhinged return still fresh in his mind, and tilts his head to indicate that it may not be wise to do so.

  Elric sighs. “Very well.”

  As Elric leads them back into the Manor, Atticus keeps a very close eye on Alfatun. To be trapped for so long within a prison, even self-imposed, would most certainly affect even the strongest of minds. For a moment he considers using his Gift of Insight to delve into the Blade King’s mind, but stops when he notices Alfatun staring at him. Atticus almost feels like Alfatun knows exactly what he is thinking, and decides it is not wise to think much right now. At least not until this king of blades has recovered properly.

  “Here we are!” Elric says as he opens the entrance to the Awakening Chamber.

  Atticus remembers this room well. This was where he was first truly tested by the Majjai Six. He reflects back on that moment, remembering the strange journey he went on, and again ponders on the true source of the energies the Majjai have tapped into. He recalls a vision of a giant rock, so large it would probably class as a small planet. Could this be the Remnant he has heard so much about? He wonders even more as the Awakening Chamber begins to reverberate; it is as if the has sensed the presence of the Blade King.

  Alfatun walks to the centre of the chamber and raises his arms outwards, parallel to the floor. He is immediately imbued in a golden light that swirls around him, shining brightly. Above him the awakening portal opens, sending a blast of blue energy down towards him. The light is blinding enough to force the Majjai and General Crawford to cover their eyes.

  The moment soon passes and the portal closes abruptly, forcing a vortex of energy back through it as it disappears.

  Atticus uncovers his eyes along with the others, and stares at Alfatun, who now is wearing lavish dark clothing, with empty scabbards all upon his person, and a cloak made of metal scales.

  Alfatun breathes in deeply before addressing the room. “My apologies. After being trapped for so long. The quickest way for us to progress was to come here directly. I now know when I am, and what needs to be done. Tell me, you still seek the head of Loki?”

  Atticus remembers his earlier thoughts, his doubts about the Majjai delving to the depths of being assassins for hire, in spite of the fact that Mage Callan’s life is a currency that is priceless to him, to Serenity, to Joshua. To his team. It is wrong to do Hel’s bidding.

  “We seek Loki,” he says finally. “Whatever he is planning needs to be stopped. We will take him to Hel, and she can take him. All we want is Mage Callan returned to us.”

  Alfatun strokes the long beard that flows down towards his chest, the bottom woven together, the ends tied tightly. He ponders Atticus’s words. “Interesting,” he says after a moment. “Myrddin did say there may be fluctuations. You are learning Atticus. But... there is still more you need to learn.” He looks to Elric. “I sense the yellow sickness has already taken a life? This needs to be addressed. But first, I must tell you all some things.”

  Alfatun conjures the chairs at the edges of the chamber towards them and indicates for everyone to sit. “Myrddin visited me only once. I warned him, he should not meddle with time, but he taught me to control the visions I received through the Staff of Mages. And believe me, I no longer doubted his need to create the Quantorbium.”

  “The Orb of Time is no more, it has been destroyed,” Safaya says.

  Alfatun smiles gently. “Destroyed, yes. But, is an object that travels beyond the realms of time and space truly ever gone?” He raises an eyebrow, questioning the logic that is presented to him. “The fluctuation here is the return of Kazmagus. His presence in this timeline was not foretold through my visions with the Staff. It is his level of power, along with that of another entity that is perhaps even more powerful...” the Blade King stares directly towards Atticus with a stern and purposeful look, “this is the cause of the yellow sickness.”

  “Why?” Ju Long asks. “Why would this cause the sickness. Can you fix it?”

  “My dear friends, remember this: energy, this universe, our powers. They all stem from a finite amount. We are in existence purely because of this finite energy. If energy, if power, if resources were limitless, if they were truly without boundaries... why would Razakel waste his time here? The balance of power, of energy needs to be readdressed. The consequence of Atticus and Kazmagus both existing together, now, has caused an imbalance. The yellow sickness is a direct result of this. Those not of the Six, those without the mark, are being drained. It is nature attempting to correct the imbalance.”

  “So…, what is the solution?” Pali asks, grasping her arm where the yellow sickness has infected her.

  Alfatun sits back and places his large hands onto his thighs. “If two entities are not meant to co-exist, one solution would be to destroy one of them.”

  The others gasp as Atticus stands. “Look. If that is an option. If that will save lives, then take mine.”

  “Be calm,” Alfatun says, waving Atticus to sit down. “I said that is one solution. There are other options. Another of the reasons I needed to be in this room was that I had to speak to the Remnant. It is the source of all Majjai power, and it has given permission to restore balance by accepting my soul swords.” Alfatun waves his hand, forcing the ground in front of him to rise, creating a table upon which he places a large crystal. “Bring the Sword of Ages and the Sword of Al-Amir.”

  Atticus and Geoffrey promptly hand over their blades and watch.

  Alfatun places them carefully next to the crystal and holds his right hand above them. The crystal begins to spin slowly at first, but gains speed rapidly, creating a high pitched whine that becomes louder and louder.

  “Unfortunately, I also learned something else. The Remnant told me another tried to use magic of white light. And it told me that it was you, Atticus.”

  Atticus looks around to the others, confused. “Yes. It was an accident. Razakel killed my mother. I was angry.”

  Alfatun shakes his head. “Unfortunate. But this is why I have to do what I am doing now.”

  The whine being emitted by the crystal is now so loud that it is deafening the others in chamber. One by one the Majjai succumb to the noise, collapsing to the floor.

  Pali is the last to fall, her entire body now covered in yellow.

  It is some moments before they wake from the attack.

  Atticus and Alfatun, along with the swords of power, are nowhere to be seen.

  A Majjai History: Vol 3 Chapter 26: The Seer Staff of Mages

  We keep hearing mention of a powerful totem, One that only the strongest of Majjai could dare hold or even think of interacting with.

  It is formally known as the Seer Staff of Mages, but also goes under the names of the Mage’s Eye, the Eternal’s Wand, and the Staff of Mages.

  The last non-Eternal being we believe to have handled it is the Blade King, Alfatun. Based on information found in the scrolls, the relic gave the ancient Majjai certain visions, and based on those visions, Alfatun created certain safeguards and checks to help us defeat evil.

  The staff itself is shrouded in mystery, we think it was created when the Old Gods ruled; it is possible some even saw over its creation.

  The Eternals were the key designers, this much we know,
and are among the few beings that can wield it properly. It allows them visions into Time Infinite, and allows them to see a linear order within it.

  Some, who have had privileged views of the design itself, believe it can do even more—that perhaps it can even give visions of every timeline or possible timeline, from its beginning to its end. However, only the most learned of Eternals could ever hope to comprehend what they are shown. This is also only true if the theory of the multiple universes is fact, which is yet to be proven.

  Any non-Eternal, or indeed, an Eternal who is unable to read the visions properly (which are many), will merely be served mixed images and confused moments of their timeline.

  We do not know much more, although one design component mentions elements of the Remnant and the Hearthstone of Creation being blended to create the crystal eye. If this is true, then it is no wonder many covet such a device. It would be important for us to find it first!

  There are rumours that it can control the Hearthstone Rock, as long as it is not in use by another. We wonder if those that created it saw something in Time Infinite that would deem this useful? And if so, how could it be useful to us? The staff appears to pose more questions than answers right now, it is an unknown element in this war.

  Chapter 30

  The King’s Teachings

  Atticus slowly opens his eyes to a burnt-scorched sky. He squints as a flash of bright lightning paints the orange clouds.

  Looking around him he spots the Blade King sitting on a black rock, carving something. Placing a hand on the gravel beneath him, he slowly pushes himself up, making sure he is not injured anywhere. Shaking his head to regain his focus, he begins to think how can he creep up on this Majjai, try to disable him and get back to his friends. He is about to take his first step when…