by D N Meinster
A bulky black man jumped onto the stage without even bothering with the steps. Clinging tight to his frame was an armor unlike any Rikki had ever seen. It was composed of miniature golden cubes that had been intertwined to cover every inch of his body, from his neck to his feet. Rikki knew they were cubes rather than an engraved pattern of squares because every so often they would spin about as if reacting to an unseen force. But even these rotations did not expose an inch of skin. The same material covered his bulbous head, leaving only his face exposed.
The man had a thin mustache that parted in the middle beneath his slight nose. Under his full pinks lips was a puckered jaw, and his eyes were as dark as his eyebrows were light. He was wearing an aghast expression, or maybe he always looked that way.
"Spira," he said, addressing the woman. "You got the entire square. Not one issue with security."
"Are you having issues?" Spira asked her much healthier looking companion.
"Difficulties shifting," he muttered.
"That's tended to happen of late," she replied.
"Not for me," a third man said, shifting onto the stage.
Rikki's eyes would have bulged, and she would have let out a shriek if she had been able to. She recognized the man who had just appeared, even though half of his face was hidden beneath a pearl white mask. There was a red circle around the eye of this half-mask, and a line that dripped off it like a red tear. The shade was undeniably that of blood. The visible side of his face was more horrible. There were deep scars all about it, and part of his eye socket had been torn away so that most of his eyeball was visible. The eye itself was bloodier than normal, overtaking his gray iris. He had uncut light blue hair that shined like it was made of metal, though there were a few streaks of crimson among the strands. And there were white patches sewn onto the sides of his navy blue cloak, which was a few sizes too big.
This man was named Sarin, and his appearance was even more inexplicable than the sin mage. If his presentation didn't give him away, then the object in his hands would have. He was grasping a spear with a head impaled on its end. Though the face of this decapitated man was not turned toward her, she could see it was adorned with a helmet that only the Guardians of Kytheras wore.
"You didn't have to kill anyone," Spira told him.
"I know that," Sarin replied. "I wanted to."
"You disgust me," the golden-armored man said.
"Don't like the sight of blood, Uterak?" Sarin taunted the man, revealing his name.
"You killed someone who couldn't fight back," Uterak stated. "Why would you do that?"
"Because it's fun," Sarin said, as if he couldn't comprehend how anyone else could not find murder joyous.
"Do either of you buffoons know if we found them?" Spira interrupted.
"That was Ale and Xander's job," Sarin stated, ogling his prize.
Spira searched the audience, looking for her missing companions. Her eyes darted every which way but she couldn't spot them. "Where are they? These Magenites won't stay frozen forever."
As if they heard her, two more men shifted onstage. One of them was bedecked in a two-piece blue uniform with oversized golden buttons running down its center. It was an outdated outfit, but it still gave off an aura of professionalism. His arms were folded across his chest, not even reaching for the slender sword latched onto his belt. His face was covered with a trim blond beard and mustache that were as yellow as the hair atop his head. His eyes had a lively sincerity that the others lacked, though he was presently frowning.
The fifth man had wild orange hair and a clean-shaven face that was marked by freckles. His wide eyes were an emerald green color that didn't quite match the darker green that constituted his felt mantle. Rikki couldn't see any weapons on him, but they could have easily been concealed under the massive fabric that encased him.
"Well?" Spira said, eyeing both of the newcomers.
"We got the smith," the uniformed man said with a twang.
"But the girl's not here," the freckled man spoke.
"Then where do you think she'd be, Ale?" Spira said.
Ale opened his mouth to speak, but not a word came out.
"Go there," Spira commanded.
Ale nodded and started to fade before disappearing entirely from the stage.
"You," she said, pointing at the uniformed man who must have been Xander. "Go back and guard the prisoner."
Xander obeyed and shifted immediately.
"Uterak, help out Ale," Spira ordered. "We need the girl."
"Understood," Uterak said. He closed his eyes and clenched his body, but nothing happened. He loosened himself up and tried again, but still failed to fade away. "I'm still having trouble shifting."
"Then walk," Spira insisted.
Uterak hopped off the stage and started sprinting to the back of the square.
"You know where to go," Spira said before Sarin shifted.
"Magenites!" she shouted, once again addressing the crowd. "Enjoy these last moments while you can, because soon, the Door will open." She gave a horrific smile before shifting off the platform.
Though the source of their condition was gone, Rikki was still unable to move. While she struggled to break free, someone else beat her to it. She was blinded by a bright light and then saw Hatswick rise up and take center stage. He waved his staff toward everyone onstage, then turned and did the same for the audience. But he didn't stay to make sure all the attendees were mobile. He shifted out of the square as soon as his second wave was complete.
Rikki's entire body felt very hot before it started tingling. She slowly moved her fingers, and once certain she was no longer a statue, flung herself out of the chair. She became dizzy for a moment but leaned against her staff to keep steady.
There were a few delayed cries from the audience, and their wails grew louder as more and more awoke. Rikki didn't pay them any attention, though. Her focus was on Doren and his father.
Halstrom seemed to be in a daze, unable to fully conceive the events that had unfolded. He didn't budge from his chair and may not have realized that he could once again move.
Doren was much more energized, having shot out from his chair once he realized he could. But he was standing around, lost at what to do.
Rikki approached her friend. "We're not going to let them all get away, are we?"
Doren looked at Halstrom and then toward Uterak, to see if he was still discernible in the back of the square. "They have a head start," he said, unable to make him out.
"Then we better get going," Rikki urged. She took one glance back at the helpless King and his High Council, and then charged forward, off the platform.
It took longer than it should have for Doren to rip the shield off his back and follow Rikki off the stage, toward the back of the square.
Aros did not want his lips to leave Leidess'. He did not care that they were missing the start of the Celebration or that he may miss an opportunity to see the King. He would kiss her until she pulled away, and she did not seem inclined to do that.
Aros had been in love with Leidess for almost as long as he had known her. They had easily bonded as friends, but it wasn't until they had almost graduated that their relationship became something more. He had less time to spend with her now, thanks to the obligations of an apprenticeship, but every second with her was extraordinary. He'd go to places insignificant to him, like the Door, simply because that's where she would go. Today, they both wanted to go to the same place, and he was starting to feel guilty the longer they lingered in Ratch's shop.
He wanted to stay here, in this moment, but there were other opportunities for a repeat. The Celebration was a once-every-hundred-years experience that they could never revisit. They didn't have the lifespan of a mage.
Aros went on kissing her for a few minutes more, waiting to see if she would recall what they were missing. When she didn't, he was the one that pulled away from her.
"What's wrong?" she asked, taken aback that their lip-lock h
ad ended.
"You know we're missing it," Aros told her.
"The Celebration!" she shouted, remembering their original destination. "Look what you do to me, Aros. Making me forget."
"Hey," he said with a smile. "We can still catch most of it. It's supposed to last until sundown, isn't it?"
"Probably."
Aros grabbed Leidess' hand and dragged her toward the exit. He reached to open the door, but she tugged him back.
"We can't go yet," she said.
"Why?" Aros asked.
"Look what's on your back."
Aros twisted his head to the right and was able to make out the hilt of his clawblade in the corner of his eye. "Oh right. Not a good idea to bring weapons around the King." He reached to take off one of the blades.
"Don't," the voice whispered.
Aros froze. He hadn't heard the voice in days. Why did it choose this moment to come back?
"What's wrong?" Leidess asked, concerned that Aros had stopped moving.
"I heard the voice again," he told her. "Why won't it just leave me alone?" He didn't want to hear it anymore. "Who are you!" he shouted.
"What did it say?" Leidess calmly inquired.
"It said 'Don't.'" Aros lowered his arms away from the blade. He turned to face Leidess. "Why do you think it said that? Why does it say anything?"
"You were about to put your swords away?" she wondered aloud. Aros nodded. "Then maybe you should listen to it."
"Taking orders from a disembodied voice doesn't sound like a good plan, Leidess," Aros said.
"If you don't do what it says, it may bother you more," Leidess warned.
Aros wasn't sure what to do. He was ready to rip the clawblades off his back because the voice had told him not to. But he also usually listened to Leidess' intelligent advice. As he considered which voices to obey, the debate became irrelevant.
Rushing into the store, without having to even open up the door, was the smoke thief. Still as black smoke in the shape of a boy, it turned its head from Aros to Leidess, examining the situation it had run into.
"You see him too, don't you?" Aros asked Leidess.
"I see him," she answered. "It's magic. Has to be."
Aros gradually lifted his arm toward a clawblade on his back. He tightened his hand around the hilt and waited for the smoke thief to make its move.
"What do you want?" Leidess asked, advancing on it.
The smoke thief pointed a finger at Leidess and then started to expand. The smoke that comprised the thief's body began swirling around like a cyclone. It brought up a wind inside Ratch's shop as it spun faster and faster, kicking up dust and jingling all the items that hung on the walls.
Aros withdrew his clawblade and aimed it at the twister, ready to strike when the smoke settled.
When the whirlwind ended and the mass of smoke dissipated, left standing in the spot where the smoke thief had been was a man with wild orange hair and a felt green cloak. He looked up at Aros, displaying his freckled face.
"You," Aros said, remembering when he ran into this man before.
"Put that away. You'll hurt yourself," the man said in a high-pitched cackle.
"Are you a mage?" Leidess asked him.
"Not exactly," he answered.
"Then how?"
"No time for questions," the man stated. His arm disappeared inside his green cloak and reappeared clutching a dagger. "Now stand down, little boy, before I have to hurt you."
"Not a chance," Aros cried, and he charged at the man with his clawblade.
The man tossed his dagger straight at Aros' head, but Aros deflected it with a swing of his blade. He raised his clawblade up and propelled it down toward the man. But the man was agile, and he twirled out of the way so the blade only hit air.
The man's hand reached within the fabric again, and when it resurfaced this time, the dagger was pressed against Leidess' throat. "Not a move," he said.
Aros stood still, but he was ready to pounce the moment he saw an opportunity.
"I'm only here for the girl. You can get out of here with your life."
"Why me?" Leidess asked.
"This isn't question time!" the man barked. He dropped the dagger and wrapped his arms around Leidess.
Aros hurtled toward the man, but even with Leidess in his possession, he was swift enough to dodge the clawblade.
The man shut his eyes and gnashed his teeth. When he opened his eyes to find Aros still in front of him, he swore.
Leidess began squirming to get out of the man's grip, but his grasp was too tight He lifted her legs off the ground and darted to the shop's exit. He kicked open the door and ran out onto the streets, with Aros only a few paces behind him.
Aros chased the kidnapper down the empty streets. The man was fast, but Aros was determined. He rested his clawblade back onto the magnets and pushed himself harder than he had ever done. His arms were pumping at his sides and his sandals barely made contact with the ground as he kicked forward with every step. He was not going to let this man take Leidess away.
The kidnapper glanced back and was startled to find Aros so close on his tail. His speed picked up, but so did Aros'. Aros considered throwing a blade at the man, but he was concerned it might hit Leidess. No, he had to tackle him to the ground to get him to stop.
Aros could feel the fatigue creeping into every muscle in his body, and he knew he couldn't go on like this for very long. He had to catch up soon or this kidnapper was going to get away again. How was he able to maintain such speed without getting tired? It was unnatural.
Aros was about to motivate himself for one more burst of speed, but instead skidded to a halt. The kidnapper had stopped moving.
"I've got two coming up behind me," he heard a voice say that was definitely not the kidnapper's.
"There's only one behind me, but he's determined and I can't shift," the kidnapper replied.
Aros could see there was a very large man in a golden outfit right in front of the kidnapper. The man's face remained obscured until he craned his neck to get a look at Aros.
"I can't either," the golden-clad man stated. "You take the girl. I'll handle these Magenites."
"And where exactly am I supposed to take her?" the kidnapper asked.
The kidnapper's comrade walked over to a nearby door, clenched his two hands together, and smashed it open. "That way."
The kidnapper disappeared inside the brick building with Leidess still in his arms.
Aros ran after him, but the golden-clad man stood in his way. He held out an arm to stop Aros from going forward.
"Don't bother," he said. "You'll never see her again."
Aros reached back and pulled both of the clawblades off their magnets. He readied to attack the man.
"Kid, you should give up now." The golden-armored man was ready to take on Aros without any weapons, but then turned his head to see his pursuers finally catch up.
Aros glanced down the street and saw two people growing near. One of them was a woman dressed in white, with striking magenta hair and a staff raised in one of her hands. The other was a boy around Aros' age, wearing green and yellow, with a bronze shield guarding his chest. They stopped a few feet away from Aros and studied the situation.
"Who are you?" the magenta-haired woman asked Aros.
"Who are you?" Aros shot back.
"Ugh," the golden-clad man growled. He held out his arm, and the armor on it seemed to come alive. There were hundreds of tiny cubes spinning about until they transformed from gold to silver. These silver cubes rose out of his arm and formed an immense mallet, with an elongated cube for a top. But a sharp blade manifested on one of its sides, making it part hammer and part axe. The man snatched this massive weapon out of the air, his arm fully coated despite the cubes that had just floated out.
Aros backed up a few paces, his eyes entranced on the colossal axe.
"You three can introduce yourselves in the Old Bastion. Just know that it was Uterak, servant of Neantha
l, that put you there!" He swung his axe straight at Aros.
Aros raised both his clawblades to bear the brunt of the hit. The axe slammed into them, propelling Aros backwards, but leaving him unfazed.
Uterak's pursuers regrouped around Aros. "I'm Rikki," the staff-wielder said. "That's Doren." She nodded toward her companion. "And you are?"
"Aros."
"Okay, Aros. We may die right now, but it won't be anonymously."
"I'm not going to die," Aros boldly stated. He raised up both his clawblades. "Not until I get her back." He charged at Uterak, blades-first.
Uterak was prepared for the assault. His axe hung at his side while he watched Aros get closer. When Aros readied his first swing, Uterak swooped up his axe and slammed its flat side into Aros' shoulder.
The force of Uterak's attack sent Aros flying sideways. He crashed to the ground and lost his grip on both clawblades, which fell beside him.
Rikki sidestepped over to him while keeping her staff directed at Uterak. "Don’t do that again."
Uterak twirled his axe in his hand, proud of the hit he had landed. "Who's next?"
"You should know better than to taunt a mage!" Rikki yelled. Blue embers engulfed the top of her staff. A huge fireball shot out from them and soared at Uterak.
The flames engulfed Uterak's chest before dissipating, but the Thalian showed no signs of a burn on his armor or in his expression.
"What kind of armor is that?" Rikki asked, perplexed by its resilience.
"It's not from around here," Uterak replied. A creepy smile formed on his face, and he tightened both hands around the axe.
A bronze shield smacked into his side but bounced off like it had hit a solid wall. Uterak stared at the shield, and then at the boy who had thrown it.
"Rikki! Help!" Doren cried.
Rikki extended her staff towards Doren's fallen shield and sent it flying back into his hands. She then tilted her staff sideways and quickly straightened it out, a motion that picked Aros off the ground and put him back on his feet, like he was being pulled up by invisible strings. His clawblades then floated into the air and landed in his palms.
Aros was slouched over and could still feel the pain from Uterak's blow. He looked on as Rikki ran toward Uterak and thrust her staff forward.
