Concluding the show, there was a spectacular display of magical ice skating. The dancers all came back out onto the rink, thawing the ice with fire. The crowd had a collective gasp as the dancers start to sink into the water they just created. They switch to manipulating the water into different shapes with wind building up pressure in the theater. Freezing the water into the shapes was next, so they then could start to skate around and on this newly formed ice. The show ends with all of the skaters coming into the middle of the rink to create a sculpture of ice and fire. The ice formed around the fire as the fire boiled melted then boiled the water allowing it to have steam rise up the holes within the sculpture. The steam cooled back to water reaching the top, cascading down the sides of the sculpture only to then freezing shortly after the water reaches the bottom. The whole show was so impressive, and it showed a talent for spell casting almost more so than the skating.
30
Vernon wakes up in a panic as a large sound happens outside of his room. His heart about to beat out of his chest, as he looks around the room trying to find the source of the noise. It had sounded like metal scrapping against metal, and there is a grey swirling mist all around room. The smell of burnt foliage hangs heavy in the air. He reaches for Marie, but she isn’t in the bed next to him. His chest feels heavy with worry as he calls out her name with desperation in his voice.
“Marie!”
There is no response, but he calls out again, more frantic than the first, his voice cracking at the end.
“Marie, where are you?”
Again it is returned with silence.
Jumping out of the bed he runs to the bathroom, finding it empty. He can feel just how rough the waters are outside as the ship, as it sways back and forth. Looking to the floor, he sees wet footprints on the ground leading away from the bed, and out his door. They are smaller than his, and hopes they are Marie’s. He follows them out the door, holding onto the frame of the door way as the boat goes through a large swell, and sees them trail down the hall. The corridors of the ship are dark, with the emergency lights blinking, fluttering on and off. The burnt smell of grass and trees is now thicker and all around, with smoke atop the ceiling.
He calls out again, “Marie are you alright, where are you?”
Silence.
“Hello is anyone there?”
Vernon walks to the room next to theirs, then bangs on the door, calling out to anyone who would answer him. With no answer, he breaks down the door, and stumbles into the room. There are clothes strewn about the floor and bed, but there is no one inside.
The door to the patio had been left open and a wave comes crashing in, throwing Vernon into the hallway, drenching him with freezing water. The adrenaline starts to pump through his veils as his heart beat quickens even more. An icy chill covers his thoughts more than his body, as he thinks the worst, and he feels like something awful has happened to Marie.
He again catches a glimpse of the tiny footprints heading out of the corridor, and follows them up the stairs, to the upper floors. He runs up the stairs three at a time before reaching the top deck. A glass sliding door is shattered, torn off its hinges lying beside where it once stood. He takes in a deep breath, to try and steady his nerves, and walks out onto the main deck.
Heat strokes across his face, just before his throat goes dry, bringing forth a memory he remembers all too well. There isn’t anything that he can see on the ship that is burning, until he looks into the sky. The sky is aflame. It's twirling around like a tornado in the air above the boat. Within the fire-laced clouds he sees the silhouette of a dragon out past the flames, and wonders if this was the dragon’s doing. Had this been Dray-Gon, the one he talked to a few days past or is he seeing things.
Before his mind starts wandering too far down a different path, he shakes his head – clearing free any wandering thoughts, and starts to look back across the ship for any sign of Marie. The flames are twirling closer, and Vernon can feel the heat begin to rise, but tries to ignore it. He starts to run across the top deck to the other side of the ship following the footprints, frantically looking around for Marie.
The pool area in the center of the ship stops him in his tracks. The area is filled with bodies lying out over all of the chairs. Yet no one is moving. He walks up to the closets person. He was a man in his late thirties, and was in fairly good shape. He had dark brown hair, and striking brown eyes. There was only one problem, the man’s eyes were glazed over, like that of a doll.
Vernon takes a few steps back almost tripping over another chair as he does. On his way to the ground he catches a glimpse of the foot prints again, and drags himself up off the ground to continue tracking Marie down, hoping she didn’t meet a similar fate. The footprints end once he reaches the aft of the ship. This had been the part of the ship they planned to go if they got separated. He had never left her side, so why would she have come here.
He turns the corner on the starboard side of the ship now looking down the stern, and there she is. A rush of relief takes over his body, and Vernon releases all of the tension that had been building. Marie turns to face Vernon. A sweet smile comes across her face, as the fires above and around the ship begin to subside. Vernon returns the smile, taking a step toward her.
The flames come piercing through the hull of the ship, close to Marie, and congeal into an oozing mass of hot liquid. It pulses while morphing into a spear that sinks into the middle of the ship. The shifting of the flames rocks the ship, throwing the two of them to their knees. Vernon takes his eyes off Marie for a second as he falls, catching himself with both hands.
When he looks up, his heart sinks into the ground. Marie is floating in midair, held up by the tip of the spear, oozing flame out of her back. Vernon tries to run to her aid, but his feet won't obey his commands to run to her. He tells them it isn’t too late, we just need to reach her, to just listen to him so he can save her. The upper decks next to him get ripped away with dark flames, and wind tearing away metal.
A winged figure lurks below decks holding the spear, with two sets of green eyes that focus on him. Faint light from the oranish red spear illuminates a humanoid figure attached to the wings, it’s face still shrouded in darkness.
The winged figure laughs.
Vernon’s heart skips a beat, because he knows this laugh, and is terrified by it. He was told that he would be safe, and wouldn’t be pursued – so it couldn’t be him.
Tyler said it was all covered, but there he was. The figure ascends from the darkness, and the light of the moon within the night sky revealing his face. The ship breaks apart around him, as he flexes his wings, floating in the air before him – holding spear, revealing his fears to be true.
It’s Adonis.
Marie is raised high in the air, and screams in pain, as the spear twists in the wound. Adonis joyously laughs like a maniacal madman, as her screams of death reaches his ears. Fear takes over Vernon's body. His mind goes blank, forgetting all his training, forgetting all his powers, his spells, he stands there trembling at the sight. Marie reaches out to Vernon as the ooze begins to engulf her, her screams pierce his heart.
“Vernon, help me!”
Tears streak down his face, as he tries to breath. His chest is heavy, tight. He tries to say words, but they only squeak out.
“No, Marie, no…no.”
Marie is swallowed whole before the spear is emblazed in azure flame. Vernon sinks his head as Adonis levels the spear at it.
He utters in a victorious tone, “I will now have my revenge. You. Are. Mine.”
31
Vernon wakes up in a cold sweat screaming, heart racing, tears streaming down his face, but alive. Marie is startled awake.
“Vernon, what’s wrong?”
Vernon takes a look and Marie and can’t help but to burst into tears. His lips quivering as he tries to say the words.
“You’re safe, thank God you’re safe.”
He grabs ahold of her and squeezes tight, tears streaming down his face.<
br />
“Of course I’m alright, what happened?”
Vernon tells Marie what happened in his dream, and how real everything felt. He had never had a dream so vivid before, or had been able to remember it so clearly, after the fact. Then there was Adonis. He knew that he had been frightened by the whole ordeal but never realized how badly. He had been training for the last four years in a new place with a whole different set of people that he barely knew but now that Marie is there by his side again, he started to worry about how long their peaceful happiness would last. Vernon can feel the well of tears begin to build behind his eyes, and reaches out to touch Marie's face. Her face is warm on his hands, and soft, with that, the well of tears breaks free again.
He takes her in his arms once more, and tells her, “I love you more than anything in this world. I want, and need you to know that. You are my dream fulfilled, and my life. I will do whatever it takes to be the best husband I can be and protect the two of us.”
“I love you too Vernon, and I feel the same way. That is why I spent the last four years learning how to make armor and gadgets, to protect that which I love most, you.”
Marie kisses him on the lips, rubbing her fingers through his hair.
“It will all be alright. Your mother and I had a talk about this years ago. She and Tyler made sure that he wouldn’t come after us. Even though I don’t trust Tyler, I trust your mother. You should too.”
Vernon lets out a sigh of relief. “I guess you’re right, but it was all just so real.”
They both lay back down, with Marie curling up next to Vernon, her back to his stomach, and he wraps his arms around her. He can feel himself calm down, heartbeat steady, and his breathing return to normal. It still takes him another hour, but he goes back to sleep.
A few hours later the alarm goes off, waking them up. It was time to leave the ship, along with the rest of the passengers. Grabbing their luggage, and making sure there is nothing left behind. They are more than ready to get the hell off the tiny ship they had been on for the last seven days. Vernon thinks back to the first day, about how massive he thought this boat was, and how there was no way he would feel cramped – only have his opinion change within a few short days. He shakes his head, chuckling.
Marie looks over at him, wondering what he is chuckling about. With the episode that happened last night she was still worried about him.
She asks, “What are you laughing about over there?”
“First impressions. I just remember seeing this ship seven days ago, thinking how big it all was, only to now want off this tiny tin can as quick as I can.”
Marie giggles, relieved it isn’t something else to worry about.
“I agree with you completely, now hurry up and help me finish packing so we can do that.”
They open the door to walk into the hallway. This triggers memories of the nightmare, still fresh in Vernon’s mind. He takes a half step out, hesitating slightly for a moment, but just shakes off the nerves. Marie looks at him with a worried expression, deciding to leave him be. She does however make a mental note for later, in case this happens again–so she can get onto him later if it keeps happening.
They are directed to different sections of the ship based on upon what type of room you stayed in. Since Marie and Vernon had a suite, they were lead to a small theater in the forward of the ship, along with all of the others who stayed in suites. The theater they were waiting in was close to where he had entered on the first day. An announcement came over the speakers to tell passengers how departure would work. They received overlay notifications on what group they were in, and what order they would be getting off the ship in. Everyone sat in the chairs, waiting for their section to be called so they could depart the ship. The whole process was going faster than expected. The crew was organized and on point, getting the passengers off the ship quickly – even with it being there first time to do so – it ran just like it had been practiced hundreds of times before. Within twenty minutes they are off the ship and down the exit ramp.
Vernon, and Marie walk over to their car, luggage in hand, smiles on their faces. With the luggage loaded they get inside, and set the destination for their home in New Atlantis. Vernon looks over to Marie, and asks.
“So are you ready for the rest of our lives?”
32
With the passengers off the ship, Vargas’ plan could now be placed into action. Charles had sent him a copy of the message he sent to the Johns. It was to meet in the ship’s store room after the passengers were off the ship. He looks out his window, and can see the mass of people leaving for their homes, and new people ready to take the second voyage.
Vargas sent Maldone a message shortly after he arrived in the storeroom, to tell him he was retrieving the stolen goods. There wasn’t going to be much time until Maldone and his crew got into position to secure to area, he hopes. The Johns were going to be tough on his own, but he didn’t want anyone else there. They might run if they thought it was a trap.
He waited behind boxes of unused food, and watched the door through a crack in between them. The storeroom was mostly used boxes, and open space. There was a chill in the room due to the refrigeration keeping everything below fifty degrees. Looking around there wasn’t going to be much cover when the fighting started, which he was sure it would.
The Johns walked in. Each looking around, cautious.
Vargas steps out from behind where he was hiding, gunlet drawn at his side.
“Hey you three, fancy meeting you here.”
They turn to face him. “Hmph, so you did convince the scrawny bastard to give us up.” Big John snarls.
“Well you did threaten to kill him, where else was he supposed to turn.”
The two brothers place their hands on Big John’s back, and the hairs on the back of Vargas neck stand on end as their combined magical power surges. Vargas raises his gunlet, firing off a round. Big John holds out his left palm, and a flash of emerald shines across the air between the brothers and Vargas. The round collides with the shield, long green cracks run out from the point the bullet flies through, and into the hand of Big John.
He screams.
Vargas pulls the trigger a few more times, and the Johns dive in different directions. John and Big John roll toward Vargas, as Little John runs out of the room.
They close in quicker than he can gather up his mana, swinging at him with glowing red hands. Vargas side-steps Big John’s punch, while stepping into John’s.
It lands in his gut, which feels like he a hole was just punched through his stomach. Vargas flies back a few feet, clenching his teeth in pain.
He gathers up his mana, running it though his body. He quickens his body, knowing he can’t hold it for long before he has to act. Big John’s left fist is pouring blood, but he still has it clenched tight. They move again, this time quicker than before. Blurs of motion fly to either side of Vargas. Even with his heightened reactions he almost can’t see them.
On instinct, he calls forth lightning at his feet, stretching it out to the other side of the room, riding the current. The brothers stop in mid-swing, and blur again toward him.
Vargas gathers mana in his left hand, running it up his fingers, and snaps. A web of lightning lashes out from his fingertips. John and Big John fall to the ground as the bolts strike them.
A gun shot rings out.
Vargas looks up to see Little John standing in a doorway, gun in hand. He reaches over to his right shoulder and looks at his hand covered in blood. Quickening his mind, he looks for an exit. He turns to see he is standing next to one of three doors exiting the storeroom.
He runs behind him. Three more shots ring out, none of them hitting their mark. Little John can be heard talking to his brothers, getting them off the ground. Vargas is breathing heavily. He needs to pull out his wings, but doesn’t know if that will be enough. They were moving so fast, and he wasn’t ready for that.
If they beat him, he didn’t want them to get the Pilot
HaLO he had on him. He wasn’t sure if they knew what it looked like, since Charles had it in his possession. Grabbing it out of his pocket, he undoes the latch, and puts it on his left wrist, next to his HaLO.
Checking the rounds left in his gunlet, shows only four shots left. Little John had a weapon from somewhere, and the other two could move quickly, hitting like a train. If he only had backup, then he could out maneuver or flank the three of them, but he didn’t. Yeti and Amber are waiting dockside to make sure they don’t run, on Vargas’ order.
Great job self, you just might die right now.
“Thanks, that’s all I need right now, a sarcastic inner voice.”
Big John’s voice rings down the hall. “You’d better not run Paladin, or I can promise you a slow death.”
Vargas sticks his head down the hallway, catching a glimpse of the brothers standing shoulder to shoulder, automatic weapons in hand. Gun fire thunders down the hallway, riddling the corner and wall with bullet holes.
“This is a rather bad situation you have yourself in, is it not?” a man’s voice says from behind Vargas.
He turns as fast as he can, gunlet drawn and pointing in the direction of the voice.
“Oh my, I am sorry, but I am here to help.” The voice says from behind him again.
“Great, now I really am hearing things, this is what I get for talking to myself.”
“I am quite real, I am the Pilot Program, you may call me Solomon.”
Before his eyes, in the middle of the gunfire, a man stands before him. Black skin, with purple lines running vertical and horizontal as if looking at a circuit board off a computer. Golden red eyes stare at him.
Solomon bows at the chest, “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Yea, nice to meet you too, but I’m kind of busy.”
“I can see that, but I can offer you some assistance. If you’ll allow me.”
The gunfire stops. Vargas steps into the hallway, mana flowing throughout his body. He begins his second technique, and pulls forth mana from all around him, forming skeletal wings on his back. His left arm is outstretched with the newly gathered mana, ready to be released.
Cypher Theorem Series Box Set: Books 1-3, The Zero Class, Shadow Moon, Dragon Fire: A Science Fiction Fantasy Page 38
