The man in the blue T-shirt looked at Alex as if seeing him for the first time then nodded to the two men. The men walked toward Alex and grabbed his arms. They carried him up to the stage and set him down. Alex stood directly in front of Mark. Mark’s shoulders slumped and he stared wide-eyed at Alex. Before they could exchange another word, the two men plucked Mark from the stage and placed him on the ground. The man ripped the sword out of Mark’s hands and placed it in his belt. Mark took one last look at Alex before running through the crowd and out of sight.
THIRTY-SIX
Mark dashed through the crowd, pushing people out of the way. Once he was free from the sardine can-like crowd, he rounded a corner onto a less populated street. He ran until he found the familiar two-story building and flew open the door. The man was at the desk once again, but Mark ignored him as he dashed up the steps and down the hall. Once he reached the door at the end of the hall, he began to pound on it furiously.
“Jack! Jack! Open up!” Mark shouted into the door. In a few seconds, the knob turned and the door opened. Jack was standing in the middle of the doorway.
“We are not the only ones staying here, mind you,” Jack hissed. Jack’s eyebrows rose in confusion as he finally noticed the sweating and shaking boy standing before him. Then he realized it was only one boy. Not two.
“Where is Alex?” Jack’s voice rose in alarm. Mark panted heavily and strained to get words out. Jack gritted his teeth and turned around. He waved his hand in front of the door and the room shimmered purple before dying out. “Let’s go!” Jack spun back around and shut the door behind them, locking it. Jack stormed down the hallway and Mark ran to keep up.
“What’d you do?” Mark asked.
“I placed a protection spell over them since I wouldn’t be there to protect them myself,” Jack answered. Jack and Mark rushed down the stairs to find the man from the desk waiting for them.
“You’d better hurry,” the man at the desk said. “That boy is fighting the swordsman. Who knows what he’ll do to him.”
Jack sped past him, breaking into a run. Mark did the same, following close behind him.
“It’s just around the corner and up the street a little ways! We’ll be there in no time!” Mark called to Jack over the shouts of the crowd.
Alex watched as Mark disappeared into the crowd before returning his gaze to the swordsman. What had he gotten himself into now? The swordsman bowed slightly.
“I will enjoy this. You seem to be a skilled swordsman. At least, more skilled than anyone else I have fought tonight. Sadly, I will have to fight you before you may grow even more experienced,” the swordsman said with a chuckle. Before Alex could see it coming, he lunged forward and knocked Alex to the ground.
Alex fell on his back and the swordsman brought down the sword into the stage, just inches from Alex’s head. The swordsman leaned into Alex’s ear and whispered, “It really is a shame, isn’t it?” Alex gritted his teeth and rolled to the side, shoving the swordsman off him. The swordsman flew back and landed on his toes. Alex sprung to his feet to face him. The swordsman bolted forward and jabbed his sword at Alex. Blow after blow, Alex dodged every single one. The swordsman’s smile faded. He was growing impatient.
“I am growing tired of playing cat and mouse, boy,” the swordsman sneered. “Fight back!” Caught off guard and cornered, Alex had nowhere to run. The swordsman brought down his sword with the aim to kill. A wicked sneer was plastered on his face. With only one choice left, Alex unsheathed his sword and brought it up to block the man’s sword. The two swords came in contact. The crowd around them went wild. The swordsman did not back down.
The swordsman put more of his weight on his sword and Alex struggled to keep his sword away from him. Alex caught a glimpse of sorrow flash across the swordsman’s face but he continued to push harder. Alex removed his left hand from the handle of his sword and placed it on the flat edge of the blade. His shoulders threatened to collapse at any second. Alex gritted his teeth and gathered all of his strength. He spun his blade so that the sharp edge was now against the other sword and pushed.
Jack and Mark stopped running once they reached the crowd surrounding the stage. The crowd had grown since Mark had first been there. But then again, no one had ever lasted as long in a battle against the swordsman as Alex had, according to the spectators around him. Ahead of them Alex was leaning against the railing of the stage, struggling to keep the swordsman from slicing him in half.
The swordsman’s sword cracked and, all at once, broke in half. The swordsman fell backwards and the top half of his sword flew into the air. The broken blade landed in a dark alley with a loud clink. The swordsman stared in bewilderment at the bottom half of his sword. Never in his lifetime had his sword ever broke.
“Alex! We’re here!” Mark cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted. Alex looked over the crowd in surprise until his eyes fell over the boy waving his arms wildly in the air and the man in a top hat and cloak looking at him with startled eyes. Mark and Jack.
The swordsman glanced from his broken sword to the boy before him who had broken it. The boy was distracted, searching the crowd. The swordsman saw his chance and took it without hesitation. In one swift movement he was across the stage and looming over the boy.
Alex barely had enough time to move out of the way before his sword came crashing down. The end of the blade scraped against Alex’s cheek and he stumbled backwards. Alex brought his hand up to his face and felt the blood oozing out of the cut. The swordsman spun around and ran at Alex again. He flipped the end of the blade so that the pommel of the handle was facing him. He brought the sword down and Alex attempted to dodge again.
Alex was fast, but not fast enough. The pommel of the handle hit hard against Alex’s spine and he sprawled forward onto the stage. The swordsman ran toward him again, prepared to finish this game. Alex looked up as the swordsman jumped into the air and began to fall back toward the earth, with the sharp end of the blade pointing down. His trench coat fluttered in the wind and his broken sword glinted in the purple moonlight. Something about him changed. The way he moved became more dangerous and less forgiving. Lunacy glinted in his eyes.
A bright purple light filled their vision. When their sight finally cleared, Alex found a dark purple force field surrounding him. He looked up to find Jack floating above him with his arm outstretched to the swordsman.
“That is quite enough swordsman! You and I both know that he is but a child!” Jack shouted. Anger and a deep hatred lurked within his voice. The swordsman did nothing but laugh. Jack floated back to the stage and the barrier around Alex lowered. Jack and the swordsman glared at each other. For the first time, Alex noticed something that he hadn’t seen before. Around the swordsman’s neck was a leather collar. In the middle of the collar was a red jewel.
Alex caught a glare of red in the corner of his eye and he turned to face the crowd. After some searching, he found the man in the blue t-shirt standing in the very back. In his hand he held a larger version of the stone on the swordsman’s neck. He held it close to his mouth, smiling evilly. The man began to speak onto the red jewel and it flashed a brighter red as he spoke. The swordsman began to speak.
“Move, outsider. I must finish him,” the swordsman shouted. His grip tightened on the broken sword, preparing to fight. All at once Alex understood the situation. Jack opened his mouth to speak but before any words could escape a breeze rushed by him.
Alex flew past Jack with his sword at the ready. Alex kicked the broken sword out of the swordsman’s hand and brought down his own. The swordsman was shocked but couldn’t gather himself in time to dodge the boy.
In one single swift motion, Alex brought his sword down and cut the collar around the swordsman’s neck. The leather ring fell to the ground and the red jewel shattered into a million tiny pieces. Alex landed behind the swordsman in a crouch and stood, turning around and sheathi
ng his sword. The swordsman fell to the ground, unconscious.
Alex did not hesitate for a second. He leapt off the stage and flew at the man in the blue T-shirt holding the strange jewel. The man stumbled backwards and fell but quickly stood and dashed into an alley. Alex followed.
The alley was dark but Alex could just barely make out the outline of the man. Alex landed on the ground and walked toward him. Once he reached him he grabbed the collar of the man’s shirt and pulled him close. The man’s right hand was hidden behind his back. Alex grabbed the man’s hand and pulled the jewel from his grasp.
“How were you controlling him? With this? Why?” Alex held the red stone close to the man’s face. The man leaned back from Alex’s hand. He didn’t look the least bit threatened. A smug smile crawled across his face.
“Talk!” Alex shouted into the man’s face. Alex clamped his hand tighter around the large stone. Fury burned in his eyes.
“You are quite the interrogator. But I will not comply,” the man laughed. Suddenly, the man’s body began to dissipate into smoke. The man’s shirt seeped out of Alex’s grip. Where a man once stood, floated a blue and gray figure made of smoke. The man continued to laugh as the smoke drifted above the alley and into the night sky.
Alex growled and tightened his grasp on the jewel. His hand tightened until his knuckles turned white. Finally, the stone collapsed under the pressure and the jewel crumpled to a sparkling red powder. Alex stared wide-eyed at what he had just done as the powder poured through his hands onto the ground. Shaking his head, Alex dropped the remaining red dust and stormed out of the alley.
Alex ran back to the stage and jumped up. Jack was staring wordlessly at the swordsman, still motionless on the stage. Alex bent over and picked the swordsman up, draping him across his shoulders.
“Could you grab his sword? Or at least the bottom half of it anyway,” Alex said as he nodded toward the broken sword lying on the stage. Jack nodded and picked it up. He walked to the edge of the stage and floated down to the pavement. The crowd had lessened, leaving only a few groups standing and staring in astonishment. Mark stepped forward and followed Alex as he walked back down the unpopulated street.
Jack went ahead of Alex and opened the door to the two-story building. Alex walked through and offered a nod of thanks before walking to the shabby couches surrounding the broken table. Alex laid the unconscious swordsman on the couch and stretched his back. The man at the desk stood up from his seat and marched over to the trio.
“Are you insane?” the man fumed. “How dare you bring this lunatic into my inn!”
“Sir, you don’t understand. This man was being controlled!” Alex positioned himself in between the man and the couch.
“Oh yeah? With what? Where’s your proof?” the man asked skeptically.
“Right here,” said Alex as he fished the leather collar out of his pocket and held it up to the man. The man’s eyes widened at the sight of it. He snatched the collar from Alex’s hand and inspected it, his curiosity growing. He glanced up at Alex and sighed, handing the collar back to Alex.
“You should have a professional check that out. Stuff like that is dangerous,” declared the man softly. He turned away and sat back down at his desk. Without another word, he unfolded his newspaper and went back to his reading. After a moment, Alex handed Jack the collar and walked to the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jack asked.
“To get the other half of his sword back. Watch him?” With a final nod, Alex opened the door and stepped back outside and into the warm night air. Jack looked from Mark to the collar in his hand.
“What just happened?” Mark asked. “Weren’t you just trying to save Alex from this guy? Why are we taking care of him?”
“I haven’t a clue,” Jack answered. Jack sat down on the table across from the unconscious swordsman. He smiled to himself. Maybe there was more to Alex than he had thought.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Alex turned the corner onto the crowded street and began his search for the sword remneant. For thirty minutes, he scoured the area and came up empty. He looked carefully on the ground around the stage where they had fought, around the nearby booths and performers, on the stage itself. He didn’t remember seeing the sword fragment land, but he recalled hearing a clang when it landed. It sounded as though it landed someplace with walls and definitely outside. Alex’s eyes traveled up into the starry night sky.
He didn’t have to think too long before he realized where it had fallen. An alley!
Alex ran to the empty stage and jumped up. Alex stood in the same spot he was in when he cut the sword in half, right up against the railing. The sword had flown toward the right, Alex remembered. There were two alleyways in that direction. Alex jumped down and walked toward the one closest to the stage. He came up empty.
Alex walked to the second alleyway. He was a few inches from the alley entrance when he heard voices. Alex slammed his back against the wall and peeked around the corner. It was dark, but he could barely make out the shapes of five teenagers. He figured they were around sixteen and seventeen. They were deep in inaudible, whispered conversation. Alex strained to hear what they were saying.
“What is it… going to have a blast…where’d… from… sharp… broken… sword?” The words were vague, and he only caught a few of them but the last word caught his attention. Alex dared to lean forward and peered deeper into the dark. In the middle of the alley was a patch of light from a nearby lamp, but the group was on the other side of it, hidden deep within the dark.
“Let’s hold onto it!” said one of the figures in an excited and shrill voice.
“What are you so excited for? Why would we want to keep this thing?” Another figure bent down for a second before standing up again. In his hand was a long thin piece of metal with a sharpened point on one end while the other was broken and jagged.
“We could mend it and turn it into something! Maybe turn it into a dagger of some sort?” the one with the shrill voice replied. The figure holding the sword turned his head slightly and whispered to the others before tossing the broken blade to the ground.
“Hey! We know you’re there! You can come out now,” the figure shouted as he turned around and faced Alex. He had been discovered. With a sigh Alex stepped around the corner and into the shadows of the alley.
“Who are you and why were you watching us?” the figure demanded. Alex didn’t answer.
“He asked you a question, I suggest you answer him!” the one with the shrill voice interrupted. Alex sighed again.
“Look, this is all just a misunderstanding. You see, that sword, I was looking for it. It’s mine.” Alex took a few steps forward and gestured toward the blade lying on the ground. The group of teens took a step back behind the broken sword. The figure who had dropped the sword looked down at it and then at Alex with a smirk.
“What’s so special about this, huh?” he asked gruffly. He shoved the sword with his foot. “It’s broken. It’s useless. Just move on.”
“I need it,” Alex said as he took another step forward. This time the group of hidden figures did not step back.
“You don’t need it. It’s broken,” the figure insisted.
“Yes, actually, I do,” Alex said as he stepped forward again.
“Okay, dude just chill! It’s just a hunk of junk now! Why would you need this kind of thing? It’s useless.”
Alex stopped walking toward them. The tips of his sneakers were barely touching the strip of light in the middle of the alley.
“You’re wrong,” Alex said.
“Excuse me?” the figure asked. He stepped into the light. The teen’s hair was a bright red and squashed beneath a blue beanie. His shirt was white, and a black sweatshirt hung loosely around his waist, just above his jeans. He was taller than Alex by a few inches. 5’7 maybe? A frown was displayed across his fac
e and his eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
“I said you are wrong,” Alex repeated. “Just because something is broken does not mean it is useless. It can be mended, and if it can’t, it can be made useful in some way or another.” Alex stepped forward into the light and smiled. “Although, I can’t say the same for you.”
The boy before him shuddered and stepped back. Alex followed him with his eyes as he moved. The boy nodded to the alleyway entrance and the group of teens took off running. After they had gone, Alex relaxed his shoulders and the muscles in his face. I can’t believe that worked. Trying to be intimidating is difficult. Alex ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the large purple moon.
Alex rubbed his eyes and brought his attention to the broken blade before him. He picked it up and turned to the crowded street.
Jack sat by the window, watching as people walked by. Mark had fallen asleep on the sofa long ago. The swordsman remained unconscious. Jack turned to the man on the sofa as he stirred. The swordsman rolled to the side and brought his hands up to his face, covering it. He groaned. The man shot to his feet and looked around the room. His eyes fell on the man sitting by the window.
“Who are you?” he asked in a guarded tone.
“Jack Pandemonium, at your service.” Jack merely tipped his hat in greeting.
“Where am I?” the swordsman asked.
“An inn. There is no need to be so on guard,” Jack said as he nodded to the sofa. The Swordsman hesitantly took a seat. He reached for the pommel of his sword to find nothing but air. He looked to his sheath in surprise. Where was his sword? The swordsman glared at Jack. Jack smiled and pointed gingerly toward the table between them. Upon it lay the first half of his sword.
The first… half? The swordsman’s eyes widened. Where in the world was the other half of his sword?
The Abnormals: Book One Page 25
