Everville: The Rise of Mallory

by Roy Huff

  “So how exactly do we fit into all of this?” Anika asked.

  “I’m not sure yet, but The Keeper said that Jacob is working with Mallory and that Jacob is also working with someone here. We need to find out who that is and what he’s up to. That’s where we can start,” Owen replied.

  “I’ll see what I can find out,” Avery said.

  “How is Cleophas doing, by the way? Can we meet with him sometime soon? Maybe we can get the other members of the Echo Club together and meet with him,” Owen said.

  “He’s been better, but I’ll see him later this evening and we can talk it over later,” Avery replied.

  “I did have something that I wanted to talk with you guys about, as well,” Avery continued.

  “What’s that?” Anika asked.

  “It’s about the campus café. You already know about the bo staff making in the back, but there’s something else. The barista, Adaline, as well as the owner, have a long held connection to the Echo Club. After talking with Cleophas, I have learned that the café serves as a way to keep tabs on those who have connections to the various realms in the multiverse, including Everville and The Other In Between. The café also uses different methods of suppressing those who aren’t connected to Everville and the other realms from the unusual things that go on from time to time,” Avery finished.

  “That explains a lot,” Anika replied.

  “It sounds like we should pay Adaline a visit at the café. The other day, Jacob almost knocked over Anika on the way out. If Adaline is an agent for the Echo Club, then maybe she can give us the goods on what Jacob has been up to,” Dante added.

  “I think that sounds like a great idea,” Owen said.

  “I agree, but you go on without me. I’m meeting Cleophas at his home tonight, but it’s already getting late. Why don’t you find out what you can and then we can talk again tomorrow,” Avery replied.

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Anika chimed in.

  An hour later, they had arrived at the campus café and were in the back talking with Adaline.

  “So do you know what Jacob was up to?” Anika asked Adaline.

  “I know he met with a young guy and gave him an envelope. They were definitely up to something,” she continued.

  “Avery said that you have different ways you can suppress people’s awareness of the strange events related to those connected to different realms in the multiverse, but he also said something about you having different methods of keeping tabs on people,” Owen continued.

  “Yes, that’s true. The secret ingredient in the coffee allows us to suppress people’s awareness related to the strange events, and the artifacts on the wall and in the back can pick up strange things and strong energy from different people.

  “Unfortunately, those who have a special connection are immune to the effect of the secret ingredient in the coffee, but we can still pick up certain things from the artifacts.

  “There is also the issue of the bo staves. The staves themselves help channel a small amount of power, not nearly as much power as there is in the element, but enough that can tip the balance when it is needed. We have devices in the back that use different artifacts to mold the staves, and those same devices monitor the energy from all known artifacts and bo staves in the area.”

  “So you must have know about Jacob and the beetle that held the element within it,” Owen replied back.

  “Well, that was a unique situation. The element contains so much power that it blocks our ability to see it. That, I suspect, is also the reason why I was not able to see what was in the envelope. There is something that is blocking the other artifacts’ ability to monitor Jacob and the young man he met with. Whatever it is, it can’t be good. You’re more than welcome to stop by anytime and use our equipment in the back. I’m not sure if it’s going to be able to help with the current situation surrounding Jacob, but you never know,” Adaline replied.

  “Thanks, Adaline. I’m sure we’ll be back again soon. It’s nice to know we have more allies on our side,” Owen said in response. “Alright. I’m going to head back home. I feel like I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of energy in one day,” Owen then said wearily.

  “Well, Owen, I hope things work out with the dean and all. I myself still have a lot of makeup work to do, so I better get back to my dorm and start working on it. Unlike you guys, I don’t think I can sleep anytime soon,” Dante responded.

  “Good luck to both of you. I’m going to grab a slice before I head back to the dorm,” Anika said.

  With that they went their separate ways and mentally prepared themselves for the next morning. Avery, however, had just arrived at the home of Cleophas.

  “Avery, it’s good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Cleophas. Did you take your medicine?”

  “Yes, Avery. I took my medicine.”

  “I heard the dean came by and paid you a visit.”

  “Yes. That’s right, Avery, and I told him everything that bastard Jacob did to me and all that he’s been up to.”

  “I think that’s the problem, Cleophas,” Avery responded.

  “Oh dear. I see what you mean. I didn’t mean to… I mean I didn’t,” Cleophas muttered.

  “Yes. I know what you meant, Cleophas. It’s not your fault. Listen, I spoke with Owen, Anika, and Dante earlier today and they wondered if it was a good idea to meet together, not just them but the other members as well. What do you think? Do you feel up to it?” Avery asked.

  “I don’t see why not. I mean, I’m not as sharp as I used to be, and I go off the rails sometimes, but I think there’s a few things I can teach them before I go completely senile,” Cleophas replied.

  “It’s settled then. I’ll take you in the morning.”

  CHAPTER 7

  GROWING PAINS

  Back on the ice-planet, deep in the border worlds of the multiverse, Mallory was ready to start making his move. The element within the dragon was now substantially larger and Mallory’s power was increasing right along with it.

  The juvenile dragon continued to grow in size, as well. It was now more than three times Mallory’s height. The dragon’s ridges on the front and sides of its head were now fully developed. Impenetrable, grayish-brown scales covered the entire length of its body. It still only had one set of razor-sharp teeth, but the second set was starting to push its way through. Its claws were fully formed and capable of slicing open any living thing it chose, but the dragon was still small in comparison to the size it would eventually become. When it was fully mature, it would reach a length of around five hundred feet. For now, it was still less than twenty feet, and Mallory felt fully in control.

  Mallory’s key to power relied exclusively in his mental connection to the beast, but he had a plan that he hoped would soon ease that limitation. The element had increased sufficiently for Mallory to start making some changes to his immediate environment.

  “Let’s see,” Mallory said aloud to himself. “I’m going to start with the temperature. It’s way too cold on this planet. Let’s make it a comfortable 72 degrees.”

  Mallory gave the dragon its mental cue. Seconds later, the planet’s temperature increased by a hundred degrees above what it was before. The snow and ice started to melt quickly, so much so that water started to rise above Mallory’s feet.

  “Okay. Let’s put this water where it belongs, in the rivers, the lakes, and the ocean,” Mallory said aloud while sharing his thoughts with the dragon.

  “Now, what else do I want to do? Let’s add some vegetation,” Mallory continued.

  Lush green vegetation appeared, but it was too much. The temperature started to drop quickly. The dragon’s powers were currently limited to no more than one big action at a time. Since the binary sun was distant and Mallory didn’t yet want to anger the Alarians by moving their sun out of position, he would have to keep the dragon’s focus on maintaining the temperature at a comfortable level until its power grew sufficiently to focus on
more than one thing at a time. Mallory would have to pick his actions wisely and be prepared for a blast of cold during the time the dragon was occupied.

  Mallory paused for a moment to think about what he needed next. He knew that he would need Jacob’s help in constructing several devices, one for himself and the others for the Alarians. He would also need to transport one of the devices to his location once it was constructed. Jacob was already working on that.

  Mallory decided that he would have the dragon create spacious living quarters for himself along with an annex to the outside where the dragon could stay to accommodate its growing size.

  “Alright, dragon, let’s do this thing right,” he said while picturing it mentally for the dragon’s benefit.

  A chill swept the air as the dragon’s control shifted to making the luxury residence for Mallory. The cave was quickly transformed into a spacious and beautiful wood and brick house that blended seamlessly into the cave.

  The outside of the cave entrance enlarged substantially to allow for the eventual growth of a fully mature dragon, including space for it to move around. It was a massive enclosure that would allow the dragon room to do whatever is was that dragons needed to do.

  A much smaller arch connected Mallory’s new residence to the dragon’s lair so Mallory could access the dragon as needed. It had a separate entrance farther along the side of the cave.

  The residence was replete with a large dining area, a study room, and sleeping quarters. The wood and brick were made of subtle grey, tan, and brown tones. The structure was also designed to harness the natural warmth from below the surface.

  Now that Mallory’s residence was built, he figured it was time to finally give the dragon a name. He would call it Rathlar.

  “From now on, your name is Rathlar,” Mallory said aloud. He communicated it telepathically to the dragon at the same time so that it would recognize the sound.

  Rathlar took a deep breath and then exhaled out its large nostrils. It was the first time Mallory could see any emotion in the face of the dragon. From what Mallory saw, Rathlar was very pleased. Rathlar opened is mouth, revealing its large pink tongue. The scaly skin on its mouth lifted up in what could only be described as a happy grin.

  Rathlar was exceedingly happy, but Mallory was the one who felt empowered. He was certain Rathlar had given himself over completely to Mallory’s every whim. Still, Mallory’s lust for power would not be satisfied until he had actual possession of the element, and he would have to deceive the dragon and keep those motives hidden while he prepared for the eventual fruition of his plan.

  Back in Easton Falls, the young man, Eli, who met with Jacob earlier at the campus café, took the envelope from his briefcase. The envelope itself was lined with a material taken from different artifacts specifically designed to hide the contents from nosy spies like Adaline and members of the Echo Club.

  Eli opened the envelope, revealing a single piece of white paper and a list written in black ink. It contained about a dozen different things that would be needed to construct several devices that would harness the power of the element from the multiverse.

  Unlike the beetles, which had been used to contain the element, these newly constructed artifacts would also need to be able to draw the element from the vast expanse as it was created. This required much more powerful artifacts, many of which would be difficult to find, while others would be equally difficult to steal.

  Eli had his own spies, both in the school administration and embedded within the clubs at school. He was going to have to use those connections to get access the artifacts. The list, though, was only a partial list. Mallory was going to need his own artifact to both channel and contain the element. The list that Eli had was for the creation of the artifacts that would be used by the Alarians.

  At Jacob’s home, he was busy constructing the solitary artifact that would be used by Mallory; the others he left to Eli. He had most of what he needed, including pieces of the broken staff that had contained the beetle. There was one key piece missing; however, it was the glass jar that contained a small amount of the element. Zee had possession of it in the crates that were brought over by Odious, the handler of Samil’s estate. Jacob would have to find a way to get to it.

  “Hey, Jacob,” Mr. Hughes said as he walked into the room. “Looks like Drusilla and Owen won’t be around for next semester. I told you we would take care of it,” Mr. Hughes commented.

  “It’s not good enough. They weren’t expelled,” Jacob snapped back.

  “Well, losing a semester will teach them a lesson, but I’ll see what else I can do,” Mr. Hughes replied.

  “Until then, I need you to get something for me. There was something else that was stolen from me,” Jacob said, lying.

  “What was that?” asked Mr. Hughes.

  “It was another antique container, a small jar filled with liquid, that was given to me a while back by a friend at the university. Owen and Drusilla stole it from me, and they gave it to Zee. I’m pretty sure I know where it is. I sent out some investigators to keep an eye on Zee’s place, and they took pictures of it. It should be in one of the crates here,” Jacob said as he showed Mr. Hughes the picture.

  “Do you think you can get it for me?” Jacob asked.

  “Well, I can’t very well just walk into Zee’s home and take it, like Drusilla and Owen did to us,” he replied.

  “No, but you can get someone from the estate who has a key to get it when Zee is gone. I don’t think the handler of the estate, Mr. Odious, will do it for you, but I think you know several people in his office who can get a spare set of keys to go and take a look, and since the jar is not Zee’s to begin with, he won’t miss it,” Jacob finished.

  “I’ll talk to some of my connections and see what I can do,” Mr. Hughes added.

  After he left, Jacob continued assembling the artifact. All he needed now was the jar so he could add some of the element.

  Several hours later, Mr. Hughes returned home.

  “Well, Jacob, I’ve found someone who is willing to do it. Mr. Odious will be out on business matters tomorrow before lunch, and they’ll take the key then. I’ll have them watch the house until Zee leaves and they’ll look for it then.”

  “Thanks. Now I can get back what’s mine,” Jacob said, knowing it wasn’t his in the first place.

  Back on the former ice planet, Mallory was growing impatient. It was time, he decided, to check on Jacob’s progress with the new artifacts.

  Mallory once again entered Rathlar’s mind and initiated a connection to Jacob in the earthly realm. This time, Jacob’s image appeared on the shapely bricks on the inside of Mallory’s new residence.

  “Mallory,” Jacob said, “I see you’ve got new digs. Nice.”

  “How are the artifacts coming along?” Mallory asked.

  “I should have your artifact ready by tomorrow. I’m missing just one more key ingredient. I’m going to have that taken care of in the morning. The others may take a while longer. I’ve sent Eli to get the materials needed, but we’ll get them soon enough,” Jacob finished.

  “Good. I’ll contact you again tomorrow,” Mallory replied as he severed the connection.

  Mallory’s slimy body had already grown accustomed to the warmer temperatures that Rathlar was making for him. By the time the conversation was over, the temperature had dropped enough to make him shiver. He squinted his eyes and wrinkled his slimy forehead displaying his anger and impatience.

  Rathlar reheated the planet once his focus left making the connection to Jacob. After allowing his body to warm a few moments, Mallory spoke aloud to the dragon.

  “This minor inconvenience will soon be over. Once I have the artifact, we can grow our power equally between us, and then we’ll no longer be limited to just one major action at a time.”

  Mallory had now perfected his plan regarding how he was going to gain unlimited power. The first part was nearly complete, but he would have to enlist the cooperation of the Ala
rians for the next phase. Once he had all the artifacts he could begin.

  First though, Mallory would need to ensure that he had enough power for himself before he gave the Alarians their artifacts. The problem, though, was that The Keepers used their mastery of the cave within Vermogen to limit the containment and dispersion of the element to only the worms.

  Mallory would need both the cooperation of Rathlar and a specially designed artifact to channel the element to the new artifact. Once that device was made, Mallory would no longer be restricted to relying solely on the dragon to channel the power. He could be free to make his own restrictions, and that is exactly what he planned to do.

  The next morning in Easton Falls, Mr. Hughes’ connection waited ten minutes until after Zee left to use the key to the front door that was left for the handlers of the estate. He was told he was taking something that shouldn’t be there, and he did have the key, but he wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints—just in case. He took a second look at the picture of the jar and the boxes where the jar would most likely be located, and then entered Samil’s former home.

  He looked around several of the rooms, first going into Zee’s bedroom and then looking in some of the closets. He walked through one of former Professor Samil’s art galleries and took a moment to look at the paintings, which drew his eye. He had to force himself to look away from some of the exquisite artwork and then continued on into the next room.

  Finally, he located several boxes. He rummaged through the boxes one at time, looking at each object with care, taking longer than he needed. He found it difficult not to spend too much attention inspecting them because of the unique, antique qualities.

  After a while, he made it through a second box and began sorting through a third. Halfway through, he found what he was looking for. It was exactly the same as the one in the picture, just more detailed. He lifted up the jar and noticed the shimmering liquid inside. He didn’t know what it was, but it certainly looked important.