Fallout (Tales of the Other Universe Book 2)

by J. G. Taschereau

  “You sure are full of questions, stranger,” she said. “Like I said, the staff isn’t the source of the magic, the spellcaster is. It’s just a tool. But a staff does have the power to use more magic than a wand. Wands are limited in how much they can conduct, but that limit is usually reached by the time a mage goes through the Rite of Carnea anyway so it doesn’t really matter that much.”

  “And if a mage doesn’t go through the rite?”

  The witch nodded, seeing where Adam was going with his line of questions. “Then she would be stunted in her abilities as a mage. A spellcaster who never evolves beyond the level of an apprentice can build her knowledge of magic and improve her skills a tremendous amount, but until she completes the rite she will be limited by the power of her wand.”

  The glow of the lights in the hall began to dim. Adam looked around as the room grew darker, relying more on the light of the fire in front of him at the center of the platform. Everyone began to speak softer and most turned their attention to the stage. Applause and cheers came from the far end of the platform as Adam leaned forward to get a look. In the dim light he could only see a group of people standing at the end. One of them stepped up to the stage. As everyone else grew quiet, Adam realized that it had to be Dee.

  The flame in the cauldron flared up as if it had been summoned out from the pot. A soft, slow melody came from somewhere in the back of the stage as musicians provided a commentary to compliment Dee’s performance. The growing flame illuminated Dee as she moved closer with delicate footsteps like those of a cat. Only as she stepped closer could Adam get a good look at her, and he almost didn’t recognize her. Some of Dee’s hair was braided and hung down in front of her wrapped in silver clasps. The rest flowed behind her and whipped around with each of Dee’s movements. Her normally conservative clothes were replaced with what he imagined was a traditional outfit that left her quite exposed. She was without a shirt aside from sparkling white top that covered a portion of her bust and left her midriff bare. A near transparent gown of similar appearance flowed over her legs and stopped above her bare feet. Clinking silver jewelry seemed sewed into the lining of the fabric and jingled with each of Dee’s careful, slender movements.

  Adam couldn’t help but gawk at her. He had always appreciated Dee’s beauty, but now he found himself captivated by it. The sparkling fabric hugged against her hips and flew about as she turned on her feet. Dee lifted her bare arms over her head and she spun, letting her hair float around her as she lowered her hands. Adam could see now that each one of her movements she seemed to be somehow controlling the flame without speaking a word. He had thought the mages needed to speak their spells aloud, but Dee was having an influence on the flame while remaining silent. Adam recalled the effect his aura had on a candle’s flame the night before. The same principle seemed to be applied now but on a much larger and more controlled scale.

  The music began to speed up, and Dee matched it with her movements. She made deliberate and effortless footsteps as she moved around the fire, commanding it to rise and dance about with the flow of her hands. Her hips moved to the rhythm of the music and seemed to be having their own influence over the fire. His eyes traced the curves of her body all the way up to her face, which seemed calm but focused. Dee had kept her eyes closed since the dance began, yet she had not once tripped or moved in a way that would have seemed out of place. He was impressed by how in control and relaxed she seemed despite being surrounded by hundreds of people watching her.

  The fire rose higher and began to flicker away from the confines of the cauldron. Dee inched closer and closer to the heat as the music intensified. As she did, the flames began to move through the air rather than just straight up. Adam was captivated by her movements as her hands flowed through the air and the fire encircled her like water. Each time it got closer to her, she moved around it and it around her as if the fire itself was her partner in the magical dance. Her steps took her across the stage now, moving carefully but quickly as she danced with the fire. The audience cheered her on, but she never acknowledged them. Her focus was such that she may not have even heard them.

  The fiery music began to crescendo and speed up further as Dee matched the tempo with her steps. She was withdrawing towards the cauldron now. The clinking of the silver clasps mixed with the crackling of the flames as they got close enough to nearly kiss her now glistening skin. At last the music reached a climax and with an exaggerated movement Dee threw her arms up and the flame followed with them, rising high before falling back into the cauldron with a roar. A brief coda slowed the tone to its original pace as Dee took a few more steps before spinning in a slow bow to kneel down on the stage.

  The audience erupted in applause and wild cheers and even Adam couldn’t help but express his awe in the performance by clapping like a mad fool. Only now did Dee show any kind of exhaustion as she took several desperate breaths while staying in her kneeling position. She recovered and got back to her feet, smiling to the still applauding crowd. As the audience’s reaction started to die down, she picked up on another sound that had been hidden by the applause. At first she couldn’t put her finger on it and it was hard to focus on because of the noise in the great hall. Adam heard the sound as well, and it wasn’t long before the other mages started to hear it and quiet down. It was then that Dee recognized the rapid sound of gunfire and a look of horror came upon her face.

  The mages of Erebia village, with the exception of a few, had never before heard the sound and began talking amongst themselves with hushed confusion. Adam jumped up from his seat and turned his attention towards the direction the sound had come from. The great hall became almost quiet as others listened outside. Another burst of gunfire came and went. It sounded like it was coming from the direction of the village center, and it was getting louder.

  Adam jumped up to the platform and ran over to Dee. “They’re coming this way,” he said. “Stay here and help these people. Do whatever you can to keep everyone contained in the hall and use that protective light spell or something to make a barricade around it.”

  “You can’t fight by yourself,” Dee said.

  Adam started off towards the exit as Dee reached out for him.

  “Greg, wait! I can help you!” she called.

  “Help them!” he answered. The spellcasters made a path for Adam as he charged by them and out into the cold night air. Inside, Dee accepted that she would need to be of use helping her people. She held her hands up to get everyone’s attention.

  “Everyone, please listen to me! The village is in danger!” The worried chatter of the crowd now grew into a frantic panic. “Please try to stay calm. Anyone who is ready and able should be prepared to defend the hall at the front. Everyone else should get to the back end. We need to create the strongest barrier around the hall as possible, so anyone who specializes in those types of spells go to the front door. Everything will be just fine if we all stay calm and work together.”

  She headed to the back of the room where her wand was being held for safekeeping. As Dee starting walking through the crowd to get to the front door, she found her grandmother standing in her path, supported by her staff.

  “You’ll make a fine leader of this village someday, Diatyallah,” said Baraluneska. Dee nodded with a confident smile and headed with Baraluneska to help the other mages secure the hall.

  Chapter 16

  The Last War of the Wolves

  Adam snuck through the village streets, keeping out of the light of the floating orbs. He was going to have to scout around to find Oracle’s agents. There hadn’t been further gunfire since he left the hall, which was probably for the best. There was no reason for another massacre to occur in Erebia Village as had happened in the palace. He would just have to find them and dispose of all of them using his elemental powers as soon as possible.

  The big question on his mind was how they had tracked him to Erebia Village in the first place. With its secluded location, there was no way that Oracle
’s gunmen had come to Erebia by accident. They knew full well he was here, but there was no way they could have known. Not even Adam had known he was going to end up in Erebia when he left the palace.

  He made his way to the village center. It was quiet there aside from the gentle flowing of water from the fountain. Adam looked around, keeping his eye out for any sign of movement. As he circled the fountain he found something else: the bodies of two wizards. One had managed to call his staff out, but he had been unable to cast a spell before he was gunned down. Adam could understand the mages’ desire to remain hidden: in an era where weapons existed that could bring down the most powerful of wizards with little effort, their way of life stood on the edge of a knife and they could all be wiped out if certain interests were so inclined to do so.

  There was a metallic click somewhere ahead of him. Adam dropped to a crouched stance and looked ahead before he would launch an elemental attack. He saw someone standing ahead in the path, a silhouette in the light of the full moon. This new arrival had his hands at his sides and didn’t carry an assault rifle like those who had attacked the palace, nor did he wear any kind of body armor. Instead he wore a thin jacket that trailed down past his waist, nearly covering up the longsword fixed at his side. Adam’s eyes widened and he rose to his feet gradually, eyeing the man in front of him. He was no Oracle agent; he was the current commander of the Khazaki, Sean Walker, the man Adam had left in charge before leaving for Magid.

  “Sean,” Adam said, dumbstruck. He was the last person Adam had expected to see. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came looking for you,” the swordsman answered. “It’s been a long time since we last saw each other, hasn’t it? Three years now?”

  “Not so long when you consider the length of our history,” said Adam. He kept his guard up, knowing that there were still enemies abound. “How did you know where to find me?”

  “I was told by His Holiness, the Creator Most High,” Commander Walker explained. “He came to us and told us all what had happened in Magid. He told us quite a bit. Now we’re here for you.”

  “It’s not safe here, Sean,” Adam said. “My enemies are in the village. They have advanced weapons from Gravell. If more of the Khazaki is here, they’re in danger. They can’t defend themselves against those kind of firearms.”

  “The Khazaki are not at risk of being under fire, Adam,” Commander Walker said. His tone became very grim. “We are the only others present in the village tonight.”

  Adam didn’t understand. He looked down at the bodies of the wizards at his feet. “Then you’re the ones with the weapons? Why are you shooting the people of this village? They’re civilians, Sean.”

  “They got in the way of our mission, Adam,” the commander replied. “That has always been our code: anyone who impedes in the way of our justice shall be put down for the sake of that justice.”

  “What justice is there in killing civilians? And for what? I thought you came here to find me.”

  Commander Walker drew his sword. “We did.”

  Adam heard the sound of metal scraping against wood coming from all around him. He turned and saw more members of the Khazaki, their bright blue jackets visible in the moonlight, all drawing their swords as well. Some also held compact automatic weapons that they aimed towards Adam. As he stood surrounded, Adam was frozen in place, the terrible reality of his situation finally sinking in. The Khazaki had not come to help him. They were here to assassinate him.

  “What’s the meaning of this, Sean?” he asked.

  “You’ve been found guilty of treason, Adam,” the commander said.

  Adam narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care how Oracle is trying to spin my mistakes in Magid, but nothing I did constitutes treason, nor do you have the authority to act on behalf of a foreign government.”

  “We are acting on the authority of the Republic of Gravell,” Commander Walker replied. “It was in those courts that you were found guilty.”

  “I committed no treason in Gravell,” Adam declared. “I left to take the throne of Magid with the blessing of the Commissar.”

  “Your crimes date back a long time, Adam, back to the first few weeks you spent with the Khazaki when it was still in the command of Andrei Moscov. We know about everything now: your infiltration of the Khazaki, the murder of Andrei Moscov, and using the rebellion going on at the time to give reason to overthrow and assassinate Seb Ommati to take command of the Khazaki yourself. You may have had a decorated career in the forty years that followed, but the despicable actions you carried out to gain power cannot go unpunished by us.”

  Adam’s blood ran cold. He stared at his successor in total surprise. “Who told you all of that?”

  “It doesn’t matter who told us,” said Commander Walker. “Do you deny it?”

  The village center became quiet as the Khazaki waited for Adam to answer. “I killed Seb Ommati because what he was doing was contrary to the kind of justice that Moscov wanted. He burned the city nearly to the ground just to cover up his criminal connections and gain as much power as he could. You were there, Sean, you should remember what we were fighting for.”

  “And Moscov?”

  Adam clenched his fists. “I respected the man, and I tried to carry out his wishes as best as I could all these years. His death was an avoidable tragedy. Every day I wish that I could go back and change what happened. The past can’t be changed, and I’ve done all I can to try to make amends for his loss.”

  Commander Walker was unmoved. “Is that your confession, Adam?”

  Adam stood firm. “It is. I can try to blame it on my anger, but it was with my hands that Andrei Moscov was murdered. If after all I’ve done to bring Khanka into an age of order I’m still seen as a criminal, if the country is so insistent on me answering for that crime, then I will do so. But not until you answer me, Sean: how long has the Khazaki that we rebuilt been in the hands of criminals and terrorists?”

  “We have always served the best interest of the state, Adam. You know that well.”

  “Is coming after me now really the best interest of the state? Or are you answering to someone else? Someone with a personal stake in my death?”

  “I see no reason to answer that,” Commander Walker said. “Our duty is only to serve the law and carry out the decrees of the Republic of Gravell. We know you well enough and know that you are far too dangerous to be arrested and returned to Khanka alive. As such, we will carry out your execution here.”

  Adam saw the armed men in his peripheral vision ready their weapons. He was trapped all around them, and a volley of bullets would take him down just it had at the stock exchange building. Were he any other fugitive, he would have no chance. But being a Legend, the Khazaki would not be able to permanently keep him down. His identity was not a mystery to them, and their plan to kill him with guns and swords was not well thought out.

  “You know me well enough, Sean,” Adam said. He hadn’t bothered to draw his weapon or even show any sign of aggression, knowing he’d be fired upon the second he tried. “You must know that you won’t be able to just gun me down.”

  “Of course. I know what you are, Adam. We fought together for forty years and although my face may reflect that fact, you still appear as young as you did the day we met, even if you are much older. For a long time no one thought that your kind could be killed. It’s granted you the luxury of never having to worry about not coming back from a raid. Yours is a mysterious kind, Adam, but you should know as well as I do that not even the gods are truly immortal. We’ve been told the way to kill a Legend, and we will apply that knowledge against you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Sean! Mortals can’t kill Legends. You’ve seen me get back up time and again when I shouldn’t have. Do you think that somehow it’ll be any different for you?”

  “It’s not as difficult as you make it sound,” said Commander Walker. “It’s actually simple if you think about it. You can regenerate your body and heal your wounds bec
ause there’s something inside of you Legends, even more life sustaining than a human heart. As long as it stays intact, you can regenerate. So all we have to do is cut it out of you.”

  Adam scowled at the man he once called his second-in-command. “Easier said than done, Sean.”

  “You’re a formidable opponent, Adam, I’ll give you that. But I’ve brought the collective of the Khazaki’s force here from Khanka. You can resist all you’d like, but do you really expect to stop us all before you take a single fatal hit?”

  “Sean, I’m begging you. Listen to reason, stop all of this and just listen to me. There are people who want me dead, likely the same people who ordered you to hunt me down. The way they told you to kill me won’t work. They’re setting both of us up, because they’re going to benefit no matter what happens here.”

  “It’s not a soldier’s place to question orders, Adam. As the former commander I thought you would understand that.”

  “And I thought I taught you to think for yourself and not just follow orders, soldier.”

  Commander Walker raised his hand up to alert the gunmen. “I’m sorry, Adam. This isn’t personal. We are only interested in justice.”

  Adam stood still, locking his eyes with Sean’s. The commander had aged a lot from the twenty-something year old Adam had first stumbled upon decades earlier. Yet he never lost that resolve for the brand of justice Andrei Moscov fought and died for. Even against all reason, he refused to compromise.

  “I’m sorry too, old friend,” Adam said.

  Commander Walker dropped his hand and the surrounding members of the Khazaki opened fire on their former leader. Before they even saw their signal, Adam made his move, calling on the ground beneath his feet to surge upwards and carry him high out of reach of the gunfire. The bullets buffeted the pillar of earth as Commander Walker stared in amazement. He had just watched some feat of magic that he never knew Adam capable of. He had expected that this confrontation would not be won easily, but this unpredicted element would only add a new dimension of difficulty to the task.