Magestorm: The Reckoning

by Chris Fornwalt

  “That’s fine, more for me tear apart.”

  From the stairs came a female voice as Elisabeth barked out her orders while staying a safe distance away.

  “Kill him, then find the mage and bring him to me.”

  She disappeared from sight as Dhane plotted how best to assist his ally. A distraction would likely be his best bet, and then Terrance could finish them off as he best saw fit. So Dhane stepped out into view and began speaking words that meant nothing, but loudly enough for everyone to hear.

  “It’s the mage. Stop him before he can cast his spell!”

  Two stepped towards him while the other two watched, and that was all Terrance needed. Each of the pair suffered a mortal blow from behind. The others turned around and realized the numbers game had just changed, and not in their favor.

  “Guess you guys should pay more attention,” Dhane grinned.

  The sound of a thud hit behind the mage, and a slash of claws knocked him to the ground. His right leg was bleeding from four horizontal wounds.

  “You should follow your own advice, mage.”

  A snarling werewolf loomed over him, clearly ready to finish him off, if not for Elisabeth’s orders to bring him to her alive. Dhane looked to Terrance and winked. The final phase was now in effect, as pre-arranged by the mage and the werewolf.

  Terrance nodded and backed away as the other werewolves moved in on him. Once Dhane was dragged away and out of sight, he flashed a toothy smile.

  “Final dance, make it good.”

  Both of his opponents pounced at once, and he caught them by the necks and caused an awkward landing. It knocked the wind out of them which gave him the leg up he needed.

  A precise blow to the throat sent one scrambling away in a choking fit. Fists flew between the remaining two combatants, followed by claws and snapping jaws. Fur and skin and blood began to fly and soon one of the combatants dropped to one knee.

  “Go ahead then, put an end to this farce.”

  Terrance obliged, snapping the werewolves’ neck. When he looked to the one remaining, his enemy cowered in the corner and begged for his life. A swift punch knocked the werewolf out.

  Xander and Nichole entered from the basement door looking somber. He met the couple with a nod and they glanced around at the carnage left in the lobby.

  “You guys finish your business with Sebastian?”

  “Yeah, we won’t be seeing him again,” Nichole replied. “Where’s Dhane?”

  “Finishing things with Elisabeth. It’s time for us to leave.”

  He turned to leave, but Xander grabbed his arm. Shaking his head as he responded, his words were sharp and simple.

  “We don’t leave without the mage.”

  “His orders. He’s going to bring the place crashing down on Elisabeth. We need to be clear so he has nothing to worry about.”

  “What is his escape plan?”

  “He didn’t specify, but I’m sure the crafty wizard has something up his sleeve.”

  36

  The door to Elisabeth’s chambers opened and she was waiting eagerly inside. The werewolf shoved Dhane forward, causing him to fall to the ground with his injured leg. He looked up as Elisabeth stepped towards him, clearly enjoying the situation.

  “Well what do we have here? The boy who would be king? I think not. You won’t even be the boy who would be a man. You’re a failure, and on your knees is right where you belong.”

  “You sure have a lot of confidence for someone who has lost most of her allies this evening. Do you know where your vampire friends are?”

  The grin he flashed was like a knife stabbing her chest. She knew the vampires were missing, and now the mage seemed confident that they wouldn’t be coming back. At least she could take comfort in putting an end to his life tonight.

  “It doesn’t matter. You will be disposed of tonight, and your friends will be close behind. Oh, and nice work with the video you posted. I should have known you were a pervert who liked to watch other people.”

  “And I should have guessed you were a conniving, backstabbing bitch. But even so, I still can’t believe you fucked your fellow traitor like that.”

  “You don’t know what goes on here. I do what I want, and who I want. I’m the one in charge. That idiot girlfriend of his didn’t have a clue until your stunt.”

  “Clearly it’s you who doesn’t know what’s going on. She knew before then, and even helped me escape from here when Heather was holding me captive.”

  “I knew that fucking vampire was up to something! It doesn’t matter now. None of it does. Now, if you don’t mind Deke…”

  She signaled to the werewolf, a sign to put an end to her half-brother and symbolize the next step in her rise to power. With Dhane gone, there would be no one to challenge her as the next great wizard, or witch as it may be.

  The werewolf stepped forward towards the mage, and was just a second from tearing out his throat, when the door suddenly opened again. This time it was the monster taking up the doorway.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Elisabeth demanded an answer.

  Something seemed to be wrong with the creature, as Elisabeth’s link with him wasn’t working. There was no answer to her commands, verbal or otherwise.

  “Your pet on the fritz?” Deke asked mockingly.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. You still haven’t followed your orders and killed the mage.”

  The monster stepped into the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Deke suddenly changed to human form against his own will. He looked down at himself with confusion before looking to the witch.

  “Elisabeth?”

  Before an answer could come, the monster was upon the werewolf in human form, beating him relentlessly. Screams filled the room unlike anything Dhane or Elisabeth had heard before. Eventually the man was left in a heap of broken bones and flesh. The monster turned to Elisabeth.

  It wasn’t until now that she noticed something black on his skin. The realization of what was going on came quickly and painfully. The monster had pieces of the council room table stuck into it. That was why the werewolf changed unexpectedly. It also meant Dhane now had the upper hand.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” she exclaimed as she backed away from the approaching monster. “Keep him away from me!”

  “You’re right. I couldn’t have him do the same to you.”

  The monster lunged at her and grabbed her tightly in his arms. She struggled and cursed at him but couldn’t break his grip. Dhane gave his final direction and the creature dragged her into the small area the monster normally stayed in and closed the door.

  A sad smile came to his face as he said a silent goodbye to the creature. He walked to a corner of the room, furthest from the monster’s area, and closest to the middle of the Grand Hotel. Dropping to his knees, he put his hands on the floor and began spouting incoherent words.

  He finished and a pulse was sent through the entire hotel. It touched every floor, every brick, every piece of furniture. What it returned to him was a sort-of sonar look at where everything and everyone was. Now that he was sure his friends were no longer inside, he could begin his final spell.

  The words were now so familiar he could speak them in his sleep. There was really only one question left, and it was about to be answered. How big could a spell be made; could he really consume a building with one?

  There was only one way to find out, and so the words flowed from his mouth, his eyes closed, he concentrated for all he was worth. Hopefully this would be the last spell he would ever have to cast.

  Cassandra waited anxiously outside the hotel for Dhane, along with Amber, Samantha, Xander, Nichole, Terrance, and Tyler. A low rumbling sound began to come from the building, and the ground began to shake. They could all sense the immense force of magic that was being unleashed inside.

  “Dhane!”

  Both Samantha and Cassandra screamed and tried to run for the hotel, but the others held them back. Demian arrived just as
the building began to sink into the ground. The two witches were hysterical, screaming for someone to do something.

  “Demian, you have to save your friend,” Samantha cried.

  He lowered his head and shook it, eyes closed, refusing to help. It was at that moment that they realized this had been Dhane’s plan all along, and the vampire already knew. The truth was, he didn’t know exactly what would happen, but he had sensed a degree of finality in the mage’s plans. Clearly he was exhausted, after trying to fit in, trying to help his friends, and trying not to become his father. He simply didn’t have anything left to give them, other than their freedom.

  The building groaned and creaked as it shook under the strain of being pulled underground. The spell could barely hold up, failing occasionally in spots, which resulted in cracks forming in the structure. It continued to sink, however.

  For more than ten minutes, the group watched in horror at the devastation. It became clear to several of them that they had no concept of the power Dhane actually had. The building was nearly completely underground, with only the top of the roof remaining, when suddenly it stopped with a horrible bang. The mass had merged into the solid ground, and everyone inside was now gone.

  The silence of the night was only broken by the cries of two witches who had collapsed to the ground. The rest of them stood around in shock. Sirens broke the quiet and were approaching quickly. Their battle was finally over; it was time to go.

  Epilogue

  Three months later…

  Cassandra was dusting the mantle as she spoke over her shoulder to her friend. The house was quaint, but a perfect size for her and Amber. There was a small garden in the back yard which kept the werewolf busy, along with the flowers out front. She was more the outdoor girl than Cassandra, so the witch kept the inside of the house clean.

  Beyond the back yard was a large wooded area, not too far from where Dhane had been left for dead. It gave them some privacy, though their neighbors weren’t too far away.

  “Things are going great here,” Cassandra said. “We are talking about adopting a dog, but we’re not sure how it will react to Amber, especially when she changes.”

  “Yeah, that could be some unwanted attention, especially with the police still asking questions about the Grand. Shouldn’t be too much longer that we have to lay so low.”

  Samantha leaned against the back of the couch and looked out the window at the colorful flowers soaking up the sunlight. The evening would be here soon, along with cool winds to counter the hot days.

  “So how are things going with Demian?”

  The grin on Cassandra’s face made Samantha blush. She fought her own grin but failed, so she turned and looked back out the window as she answered.

  “Things are going well. He sort of makes me feel like a teenager, being a bit naïve and such, but he’s so polite and nice and gentle.”

  “Gentle?”

  Now Samantha turned very red as she realized what she meant, and that Cassandra knew as well. Since she wasn’t about to talk about her sex life, she tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

  “Yes well, I never thought I would date a vampire. And after what happened to Lila, I was even more sure I would never do it. He’s just, I don’t know, irresistible?”

  “Irresistible? Really? I never thought I’d hear that word associated with him. He does seem to be very sweet, once you realize he’s not really creepy.”

  “I’m just glad I’m not limited to dating him at night. That necklace he got from…”

  She stopped, not wanting to say his name. They hadn’t spoken about him again since that night, each missing their friend who gave everything to set them free. It wasn’t that long ago that she couldn’t stop herself from crying when she thought of him. At least she could control her sadness now.

  “It’s okay, you can say his name.”

  They shared a smile, followed by an awkward silence. After a few minutes, Amber entered the room, carrying a cup and wearing absolutely nothing. She handed the cup to Samantha with a smile.

  “Here is your tea, Samantha. I hope you will stay for dinner. I’ll start cooking when I get back from my jog.”

  Amber walked over to Cassandra and gave her a kiss. Once she disappeared down the hall and the back door clicked shut, Samantha looked to the other witch with a funny look on her face.

  “Does she really go jogging naked?”

  “Yes, but not in human form. She’s right though, you should have dinner with us. Bring Demian along.”

  “I’ll have to take a rain check,” Samantha responded after taking a couple drinks of tea. “We’re going to the fair with Xander and Nichole. Between the darkness and the flashing colored lights here and there, nobody will be able to tell that he’s not quite human.”

  “That’s great. Another time then. I really am glad you’ve found someone, and I hope you are together forever.”

  “Thank you, Cassandra. I hope we can all live happily ever after.”

  They smiled to each other and hugged before Samantha departed. Both of them were happy to have a chance at a normal life, but they were both sad at the cost of their second chances. To gain their freedom, they lost a friend.

  Okinawa, Japan…

  The ferry was beginning to near the island and a man wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and jeans sat quietly in a seat waiting for the ferry to dock. Next to him sat an elderly couple, obviously on a sight-seeing trip. Each was clinging to a disposable camera and taking in everything with amazement.

  “Are you a tourist as well, dear,” the old woman asked the hooded man.

  “No ma’am, I’m here visiting a friend.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Well I hope you have a very nice visit.”

  “Thank you, and you do the same.”

  The ferry docked and the man waited patiently for the elderly couple to exit first. Grabbing a cane from under his seat, he limped off the boat and to the ground. After a few minutes, he spotted his friend as she approached.

  A lovely young Japanese woman hurried to him and threw her arms around his neck. As she kissed him deeply, he held her close against him, a reunion he thought might never happen.

  “You got my message,” she smiled. “I wasn’t sure if it would get to you, or if you would really want to come.”

  “I did, and not wild horses, nor werewolves, nor vampires could keep me away from you. I’m just glad you still recognize me.”

  “Of course. The scar makes you more distinguished, rugged. How long can you stay?”

  The couple, hand in hand, started walking away from the ferry. Their grips were tight, determined to never allow the other to leave ever again.

  “How is forever?”

  “Perfect, just perfect.”

  THE END

  Eshmun Asylum, city of Crimson Valley –

  The assistant administrator, Alice, stood up from her desk and came around to the other side where the man she had been interviewing sat. The man stood as she approached, towering over her at nearly six and a half feet tall, with muscles struggling to stay concealed in his shirt. His dark skin and clean shaved face and head went well with the modest suit he was wearing. It wasn’t really his style, but it fit the part he was playing. Extending her hand to shake his, she smiled widely.

  “It will be a pleasure to have you join our staff. Now, as I said, your primary duty is security guard. However, there may be need for you to help the orderlies at times with patients, especially the violent ones we sometimes house.”

  “That’s no problem at all, ma’am. Anything I can do to help will be fine.”

  “I’m so glad. Let me show you around Mr. Walker.”

  “Please, call me Terrance.”

  She nodded and led him out of the office and down a hallway to the front desk. After introducing him to the staff there, they continued floor by floor, meeting the staff and going over the various inmates.

  “We start on the lower floors with the easies
t to handle, and as we go up, they get more violent or delusional. That way, if someone escapes from their room, the violent ones have to get all the way down to the bottom floor to escape.”

  “Makes sense I suppose. Try to keep the worst inmates contained as best you can. Is everyone here committed, or are some here voluntarily?”

  “All committed currently. We don’t really have room for anyone who can survive on the outside. We do have additional therapists available to see them on an out-patient basis. If somebody asks for help, we’ll try to give it to them somehow.”

  Terrance returned her smile. She seemed authentic in her compassion. Now that he was working there, he could make sure the rest of the staff felt the same way. If not, something might have to change.

  BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

  Alice looked up at the flashing light as the intercom began spouting for assistance on the sixth floor. They were about to head there anyway, so she yanked his sleeve to signal him to follow her and the rushed back to the elevator.

  Reaching the top floor, they found a violent scene as a female patient swung a broken table leg around like a weapon. The end was broken to a sharp point and it looked like she was prepared to impale anyone that tried to touch her.

  “Get back,” Alice shouted at the orderlies nearby.

  They obeyed and backed away from the woman, but remained ready to charge her. Alice stepped forward, hands out to show she meant no harm. The patient watched her closely while backing away.

  “Please put the weapon down, we don’t want anybody to get hurt.”

  “No, you’re wrong, we do want someone hurt. The vampires must die, they all must die. I know what they’re trying to do to me. They’ll never invade me again!”

  Alice could see her words weren’t helping and the patient was actually getting more agitated. Suddenly the woman lurched forward, her wooden stake held above her. Alice was about to die. She closed her eyes and flinched.