Atticus & The Blade King

by M K Drake

  The magic is finite though. If there is no tether, the entity transported is sucked back to their own place in history. It seems this has been designed into the ooze itself. Once a trigger has been activated—or the energy depleted—the entity runs out of…, time…, for want of a better word.

  The tether could be a link to the time the entity is sent to. A loved one, a hated one, something strong enough and tangible enough to keep it there. This is more difficult to hold, the longer the time period that has been travelled.

  We shall hand this over to this new faction of Majjai, the Mecha-Knights. They are a strange bunch, they use metals and lightning fusions to power their armours. But they also use methods of alchemy I’ve not seen before, they call science. I call it flashy potion making.

  I think the ooze will be in safe hands there, as long as they do not try to use it. Something as unknown as that…, trying to reactivate it without knowing everything could be catastrophic.

  Chapter 35

  Dragon Slayer

  After multiple unsuccessful attempts at phasing through the walls and cheat his way to the centre, Ju Long looks around his new surroundings and decides to start walking. The ground here is hard, like stone and rock, uneven, sharp. There are some cracks in the rock high above him, allowing some of the light to break through from the outside. After a while Ju Long decides this is not for him and begins to hover and fly slowly alongside the maze, trying to find a way through.

  “Well, this is great, at least it is warm this time. No crazy icy wasteland, and no Olof to slap the back of my head.”

  Ju Long ponders for a moment, he has barely had a chance to reflect on how close he came to losing Pali. The yellow sickness almost took her, and he had to watch her almost slip away. He has lived many lives, and he has seen a lot of death; he knows he uses his humour to mask his own pain. He has had enough of loss, enough of evil taking lives that do matter, if not to them, they matter to someone. He is aware that both Khan and Atticus know this, they have similar issues, but they only knew the smallest portion of his past. During the millennia he served as Draconus’s general, he did unspeakable things. Now is his time to repent it all, but there is so much blood to forgive. He still fears that, if the Majjai Six knew everything, knew all that he has done... would they still see him as one of them? Or someone more dangerous than Draconus, or maybe even Razakel?

  Ju Long stops and floats back to the ground. He hears something, someone. He has a stalker.

  “Who is there? Olof? Is that you?” Ju Long turns sharply, trying to peer through the passage, but the small shafts of light provide little illumination, and he can see nothing. “This isn’t funny guys! This place is spooky enough as it is!”

  “You? You are the famous Dragonheart? You are the deserter? The demon?” a gravelly voice rasps in the dark.

  “My name is Ju Long,” Ju Long replies, not answering the stranger’s questions. “Who are you?”

  “Your name is not what you say, demon. I know who you are... Drakor! You murdered my village, you, and your dragons!”

  Ju Long wonders how anyone from that time could still be alive, then he remembers how long-lived Elric, King Ismail, even Professor Sprocking are. So perhaps, perhaps this is plausible. “If I did wrong you, I am sorry. My debts are many.”

  “The death of my son? This is a debt to you?” the voice speaks angrily. “It took me many years of searching, trying to discover what a Demon covets? What a Demon fears to lose? Then Loki showed me another way. He told me of your future before you even knew of it!”

  Ju Long stands fast, readying himself for any attack, but something else starts to come over him, a sense of fear. What could have Loki told him? How would Loki know his future... What if...?

  “I can smell your fear now, demon, and I say you will forever be one, no matter how good you think you are. Today, I return the favour.”

  Ju Long listens, intently, first his thoughts flee to Pali, could this voice be talking about their future? But then, Razakel has the upper hand in so many ways there is no guarantee anyone here even has a future. So the stranger must be speaking of his past.

  Ju Long freezes, it can’t be true.

  “Do you remember this little thing?” the voice steps out of the shadows and into the light. In his arms he carries the lifeless body of Ngozi, the princess Ju Long had sworn to protect, the girl he helped raise.

  The Majjai drops to his knees. Have his sins finally caught up with him? Ngozi is the one person he holds most deeply in his heart, the girl that truly saved him, the one person he always saw as family... and now she lies in front of him, not moving. “What have you done?”

  “Oh, don’t worry, she is still alive,” the figure says, his armour glittering as the beams of light dance over its surface.

  Ju Long looks more closely. The armour is not made of any metal he has seen, but of something else, something stronger than most blades. And then he knows—it is made of dragon hide.

  “Who are you?” he asks.

  “Well, I should really thank you for at least one thing. When you turned, you helped distract the dragon hordes. And while they hunted you... I hunted them.”

  “You didn’t answer my question!” Ju Long grows progressively angry, he needs to get to Ngozi, needs to make sure she is okay, but he feels so helpless, this person has the advantage right now, and Ju Long is lost.

  “I am the slayer of your kind, dragon! I am Gungarr! King of the Grosjen village you destroyed. Father of Magnus, husband of Freya, your hands still smell of their blood. And you will pay this debt!” Gungarr reveals a tiny, sharp blade and pokes Ngozi with it, waking her.

  “What…? Where am I?” Ngozi asks, wearily.

  Ju Long takes a step forward, but watches Gungarr’s face, warning him not to. “It’s okay Ngozi, I’m here.”

  The young princess turns her head slowly. “Ju Long? Is that you?”

  “It is, do not worry, everything will be okay.”

  “Ha!” exclaims Gungarr. “I promised Magnus the same every day. Every day until you came Drakor! Now, I’m going to kill her, slowly, and you will watch me.”

  “Stop!” Ju Long shouts. “I swear, if you hurt her, I will...”

  “Will what?” Gungarr responds with an even louder, sharper tone. “You took everything from me. I hunted dragons for years trying to find you. Now I have you, I will have my vengeance, and you…, whatever you do to me, I will die happy!”

  Ju Long looks down solemnly, the thought of harm coming to Ngozi pains him more than anything he has known. His muscles shiver and he feels the most fear he has ever experienced. His legs quiver enough to give up his humanity, to let go and unleash the dragon upon this new enemy. But then…, can he blame Gungarr, can he blame a father avenging his son and his wife? Wouldn’t he do the same? Weren’t the Majjai fighting right this minute to save Mage Callan? How can he disagree?

  Ju Long looks back up, directly at Gungarr. “I’m sorry. You are right, I deserve your punishment. But she does not. If you must take a life, take mine. She is pure, she is innocent. Her light was what turned me, her light is what made me vow to never again take another innocent life. It was her that helped me stop any other children like Magnus from dying at the hands of Draconus’ dragon horde.”

  Ju Long bends down on one knee. “Take my head. It is your trophy to show the world that you won, and I was wrong.”

  Gungarr pauses, almost confused, he was not expecting a creature of such humility. The monster that ravaged his village is not the same being that now kneels before him. He then looks at Ngozi, keeping her next to him, but more gently than before. “Perhaps I was wrong about you dragon, perhaps, you have changed.”

  Ju Long remains in his pious position, tilting only his head to respond. “It is agreed then? You will let her go, let her be free, and take me instead?”

  “No...!” Ngozi cries. “Please Ju Long, do not do this, you have always been my brother. You saved me, please, do not...”

&
nbsp; Ju Long raises an arm. “It is okay my little princess, as long as you live, so do I.”

  Gungarr moves away from Ngozi and steps over to the Majjai who he now has at his mercy, a smile spreading across his face. “You see Ju Long, you made her a promise. Like I made a promise, to my wife, to my son!” Gungarr bends down and whispers into Ju Long’s ear. “Now, when you are at your weakest, now while you cling to that single straw of hope, know that you failed.”

  Gungarr turns swiftly, unsheathing his sword, and lunges towards Ngozi, aiming for her heart.

  Ju Long leaps upwards, phases through his opponent and solidifies in front of Ngozi, preventing the blade from striking her, but only by piercing his own chest.

  “No!” screams Gungarr. “You will not prevent me my victory! I had you!”

  Ju Long stands slowly, pushing Gungarr away from him, extracting the sword as he does so. “You lost the moment you threatened her. You should have taken the deal I offered. But, I won’t kill you, I know why you did what you did. But the hate needs to stop, or it will never end.”

  Ju Long clutches his chest, the sword has cut deep, and the pain is excruciating, but he knows he needs to stand fast, and continue to protect his princess.

  Gungarr smiles. “You have been tested, Dragonheart, but you will still fall!” He raises his sword again, and swings forward, ready to slice off the head of his enemy. Just as he is about to make contact, he grins, but then he freezes in mid-swing. Grunting, he pulls at his sword, but he is unable to continue his attack as he and his blade remain stuck in mid-air.

  Ju Long watches, confused, he is not doing any of this. Then he looks around to see Ngozi, hand aloft, glowing blue.

  “You have Majjai powers?” he asks her.

  Ngozi grins widely. “There is so much I need to tell you,” she says, as she waves her other hand, creating a portal that she throws Gungarr through screaming.

  As the portal closes, Ju Long falls to the floor, still bleeding.

  Ngozi kneels next to him, takes his hand, and speaks softly. “You have saved me so many times, brother, it is now my turn to repay the favour.” Then she pulls a vial from her belt and helps Ju Long drink.

  “Thank you,” Ju Long says, trying so hard to stay awake. But his energy is diminished and he has lost much blood. The healing potion begins to warm him, making him more drowsy. He stays awake as long as he can, holding the tiny hand of his saviour, until he can do so no more. With a sigh he embraces the warm darkness blanketing him, barely aware of a strange green glow he notices from the corner of his closing eyes.

  The Scrolls of Kazmagus: Catalogue Translation ID 389.12: Dragonheart sighted

  We had a visit from a Pharaoh named Mekh. We knew the purpose of his visit before he even arrived. Some form of vortex.

  What is more interesting is that Mekh initially appeared to us not through normal means, but via a communications crystal which was released when we cut open a Hellhound. He apparently battled the beast and defeated it, then implanted this inside, hoping that one day it would be discovered by others fighting this war.

  We shared our location with him, and he travelled a great distance to tell us what we initially thought was a fanciful story. One of a demon dragon, who now has a soul, and protected his daughter. We needed to corroborate this story, so sent word to our contacts in Egypt for clarification. And it seems like the tale was true. And of all the dragons it could have been, it was Drakor.

  We thought this story to be a fable, a wishful thought, the idea that demons could ever be turned to good. But it seems we were wrong. The legend is indeed true. But for this to happen, another would have to sacrifice their soul to give to the beast, I did wonder who would do such a thing, but the Pharaoh told us the name of a warrior Majjai that we had not heard for many years: Ju Long.

  This Majjai had the gift of a soul giver, and as we pieced together the parts of the tale, it all finally made sense. There are many tales of his honour and his humour. It is a soul worthy of a dragon, it is also certainly an act he would do.

  Unfortunately, it seems, in our distractions and with the rise of Razakel, we have lost sight of what is also important—to help humanity. It holds so many treasures. And the legend of the Dragonheart saving a gifted child is one of those.

  It is known that Ngozi, the baby that is said to have been saved, is a Seer, a powerful type of Watcher. Seers can almost see the future, and in some cases, even manipulate the past, if they are strong enough. But that is not all. Mekh wishes for Ngozi to come under our care, for, ever since she was in close proximity of the time vortex, she has exhibited Majjai abilities.

  This is extremely odd, and unheard of without a totem, even more so without access to an awakening chamber. Could she be the first of this prophesised Majjai Six?

  We have agreed to look after the child, with her powers, she will certainly be important. Maybe she can help us learn about the Majjai Six.

  Chapter 36

  A Sister’s Curse

  Safaya spots a lit torch on the wall to her left, and smiles immediately, thinking that whoever designed this maze should really reconsider providing such a tool to an elemental, especially to one as powerful as her. She waves a hand, borrowing from the fire, and creates a floating ball of heat and light which she directs ahead of her.

  She examines the walls and the earth, trying to sense a way through this maze. Closing her eyes, she commands the air, creating a gentle breeze which hugs the floor, and swirls through the corridors ahead of her.

  “There you are,” she whispers, thinking she has her route to the middle of the maze mapped out.

  The others often accuse her of being far too confident at times; even her brother King Ismail asked her if she is still as stubborn and headstrong as she has always been. She remembers quipping back that she is like that because of him, and also of Attossa. She pauses at the recollection of the nightmare all those centuries ago. The night she had no choice but to kill her sister before she killed their brother in the jealous rage over Safaya’s abilities and her right to the throne that had turned Attossa evil and twisted.

  Safaya shakes her head, trying to move away from these dark thoughts. She remembers happier times, when they were children playing in the fountains with their father. She smiles a rare smile. Those were joyful times, before things changed, before Safaya was thrown into the future to keep her safe, under the protection of The League of Aria.

  “Khan...,” Safaya whispers with a sigh. “You stubborn man, but, you will say the words, because... I’ve said them to myself many times, you just haven’t heard.”

  The Princess continues her journey, lost in thought, worried about Khan. She worries about her brother as well—being alive all those years has left him so frail; she wants to spend as much time as possible with him, fearing that there is not much of it left.

  Safaya takes one more step forward, and about to pass through an opening when she stops suddenly... something is behind her. But whatever it is, the Princess cannot sense what, until she hears an all-too-familiar voice.

  “Sister! Turn and face me!”

  Safaya turns slowly, to see Attossa standing there, burned, scarred, and broken. “Attossa? How can this be? You…, I... you were dead!”

  “No thanks to you!”

  “You tried to kill me! And our brother!” Safaya screams angrily. “You dare deny that?”

  “I deny nothing. I paid my price in Duat! I fought monsters worse than you, and won. I reached Horus, and he judged me unworthy, because of you! My existence was to be taken, I would have no afterlife, I would become nothing...”

  Safaya knows much about Duat, the Egyptian underworld, where the dead are judged, but this is the first she has ever heard of someone escaping it. “How are you here?”

  “Loki bargained with Horus and Apophis. They gave me to him in return for a favour I know not of. He has planned this for a very long time, keeping me hidden, training me for this day, for this moment. For this revenge!”
>
  Safaya stands aghast. How could Loki have known they would be here right now, how could he know the future so vividly.

  “I see so many questions in your eyes, sister,” Attossa teases. “It’s a pity you won’t have much time to have them answered. Are you ready?”

  “You are no match for me Attossa, even with whatever powers Loki has given you. I’m not the same person you fought all those years ago.”

  Attossa laughs loudly, cackling so sharply that the sounds echo throughout the maze, cutting the rock, causing the walls to splinter and shoot outwards.

  Safaya prepares herself and causes a vortex of wind to divert the stone shards away from her and into the ground. “Sister please, our brother is alive. Let us stop this; we can be family once again. Remember the fountains? Remember when we played together?”

  “All I remember is the monster you became, how father loved you more than me!”

  “Is that what you thought?”

  Attossa pauses, then spits out her reply. “Your words are poison.”

  “No, your actions are—and were! But despite that, father loved you with all of his heart. He told me this every day; he would no longer play with me after you left. His heart was broken.”

  “Lies!”

  “No! Even after you started the war. And on the day he died, he told me how much he missed you. That even despite what you had done, he never stopped loving you,” Safaya bows her head, recalling her father’s honour; he had the biggest heart, he loved unconditionally. She closes her eyes, coaxing a tear to fall slowly down the arc of her cheek, glistening for a moment against the faint light from the fire flickering around her, and she knows what she must do.

  “We forgive you Attossa. And I am sorry for not telling you how much I loved you then—and how much I love you now. These are words I do not say enough,” her mind drifts briefly to Khan. “Not enough to you, not enough to others...”