Wizard Rebellion (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 5)

by Rodney Hartman

  The sound of stomping feet continued. Jeena recognized the heavy footfalls of the dwarves. From prior association, she knew their race could be quiet when they desired. Apparently, this wasn’t one of those times. Since her hope for five more minutes of sleep was shot, Jeena decided to get up and start the day. She’d soon be meeting with the ship’s captain to make the final go or no-go decision for the mission. After seven days of discussions, they still hadn’t been able to come up with a functional plan. Jeena began to wonder if she’d left home for no reason.

  Why did I let the Oracle talk me into this? I’m probably wasting my time. Why?

  Jeena wondered if anyone else ever felt like they were wasting their time. She wondered if anyone else ever asked themselves why.

  Opening her eyes, Jeena focused on the bottom of Dren’s bunk. Something on one of the metal bracing-bars caught her eye. She saw four symbols scratched into the metal. Jeena studied the symbols, recognizing them as the writing of the humans of this dimension. The writing was directly above her head as if someone had been lying in the same position as her when they’d etched the letters. She wondered if they’d done it during some sleepless night.

  Doubtful, Jeena thought. Since it’s the children’s uncle who sleeps here, it’s probably a foul word or the name of an ex-girlfriend.

  Jeena eyed the word for a few more seconds. Something told her it wasn’t anything foul. Curious, Jeena recited the words of a translation spell as she simultaneously made an intricate flip of her hand. The letters wavered before settling down into a single word.

  ‘WHY?’

  The single-word question stuck in Jeena’s mind. She continued to stare at it for a full minute.

  Did the children’s uncle write it? she wondered. If so, what was he asking? And did he ever find an answer?

  Jeena thought about the ramifications of the question. Her philosophy teachers had talked for hours on end about how to solve the great question of ‘Why?’ But at the end of all those hours, they’d all failed to give a suitable answer. Jeena was positive she could write page after page quoting the thoughts and teachings of all of the great elven philosophers. In the end, it all settled down to one thing. Every person had to answer the question for themselves. The children’s uncle, if that was who had actually written the question, would have to answer it for himself as well.

  Jeena ignored the stomping feet outside the curtain. The springs of the bunk above her moved slightly. She knew Dren would be getting up soon. Jeena decided to ignore the movement of the human girl for a minute. She concentrated on the single word question; ‘WHY?’

  Finally, Jeena turned her head toward the room’s only desk. She spied her belt and dagger. Drawing Power from her reserve, Jeena recited a levitation spell. The belt with her sheath and dagger floated across the room into her hand. She pulled the dagger out of its sheath and stared at the question again.

  Why indeed? she thought.

  Holding the tip of the dagger against the metal bar, Jeena wrote a single word reply in elvish.

  Jeena smiled. Let the children’s uncle figure that one out.

  The springs above her shifted again. With a devilish grin, Jeena sheathed the dagger and placed both of her feet in the center of her friend’s mattress.

  Kicking hard with both legs, Jeena shouted. “Get up!”

  Bang!

  Oops! Jeena thought. The noise had been the unmistakable sound of Dren’s head hitting the low ceiling. I kicked too hard.

  “Jeehana!” yelled Dren half laughing but sounding a little angry at the same time. “I swear I’m going to get you for that.”

  Definitely too hard, Jeena thought as she hurriedly tried to jump out of her bed. Unfortunately, she rose too fast and bumped her own head on the bottom of Dren’s bunk. A few strands of her hair tangled in the springs. Ignoring the resulting tug, Jeena rolled onto the floor as she made a dive for the door.

  Dren was on the floor in a blink. Jeena thought for a human, her roommate was very fast.

  “I’m sorry,” Jeena laughed as she made for the door.

  “Oh, you’re going to be sorry,” said Dren laughing for real this time. “You’re supposed to be a high priestess. Shame on you.”

  Jeena laughed again. It had been a long time since she’d allowed herself the luxury of pulling a prank on a friend and sharing a laugh.

  Chapter 48 – Secret Tunnel

  ____________________

  Gaston followed his mother’s progress with his passive scan. Both his father and mother had allowed him to place a trace on them. He was familiar enough with the other wizard scouts to follow their progress as well. The only member of the recon team he couldn’t track was Shepard.

  “He’s good,” said Wanda in their shared space. “I’ve told you that before. I don’t have communication with your brother’s battle computer, but I calculate a ninety-seven percent probability Wizard Scout Shepard is in his assigned position at the entrance. As you can see, General Fenmar is definitely there.”

  Gaston didn’t say anything. However, he grudgingly calculated the probability was closer to one hundred percent Shepard was there as well. The man was a wizard scout. While he didn’t particularly like Shepard, Gaston didn’t doubt his brother’s abilities.

  When Jerad’s team was about fifty meters from where the secret tunnel intersected the main corridor, his team stopped. Gaston motioned for Tam and Telsa to remain where they were while he went ahead. He noticed Telsa kneel and face to the rear. Tam took a knee and faced forward. Both women were dressed in their confiscated armor from the fighter-shuttles. Tam wore an armored helmet. Telsa did not. Instead, she wore the hooded cloak and set of magic goggles the gnome mage had donated when they were at Cantonsburg. Gaston momentarily considered advising Telsa to don her helmet, but refrained.

  She’s a wizard scout. It’s not my job to second-guess her.

  Moving forward, Gaston joined Jerad, Emerald, and his mother, kneeling beside them.

  Emerald pointed ahead and whispered, “The exit to the main tunnel is fifty paces ahead. From the other side, the door looks like a column with the likeness of a two-headed troll on it. No other columns bear a similar carving. You can open the door from the other side by pressing all four eyes at the same time.”

  Gaston nodded his head. “Understood.”

  “If you run into vampires,” said Jerad, “make sure Tam and Telsa know their creallium swords will be their only effective weapons.”

  Gaston nodded his head for Jerad’s benefit. Tam and Telsa had already been told a dozen times. He was confident they knew what they were doing. He wasn’t going to insult them by repeating it again. While Jerad was giving Emerald and Janice some final instructions, Gaston looked at the results of his passive scan on his heads-up display.

  “Wanda, you’re falling behind. Make sure you keep my heads-up display updated with the most recent results of my passive scan.”

  “I have been,” said Wanda. “I’ve been updating it twice every second. I didn’t come off the shelf this morning, you know?”

  Gaston frowned. Instead of replying to his battle computer, he touched Jerad’s arm. “Something’s not right. The plots on my heads-up display haven’t moved since we’ve been here.”

  Jerad seemed to concentrate on something unseen. Gaston noticed his mother doing the same.

  “I can’t tell just using my passive scan,” said Jerad. “Are you getting anything, Janice?”

  “Gaston’s right,” said Janice. “Danny says none of the life forms have moved since we got here. I’m not all that familiar with vampires. Since it’s starting to get daylight outside, I guess I assumed they were asleep in their coffins or something.”

  Emerald shook her head. “Vampires are dead. They don’t sleep. Daylight doesn’t affect them? If you remember, you and I fought those three vampires during daylight. They get along fine regardless of whether it’s day or night.”

  The hair on the back of Gaston’s neck stood on end. �
��I don’t like this. Something’s wrong. I recommend we abort the mission until we can figure out what’s going on.”

  Jared seemed to consider his suggestion before finally nodding his head in agreement. “I think you’re right. Get your team heading back toward the entrance. We’ll follow. I’ll let Rick and General Fenmar know we’re on our way.”

  Emerald grabbed Jerad’s arm. “No. We can’t turn back. We’re so close. We need to find the Mountain’s Heart.”

  Janice looked at the dwarf. “Finding the location of your blue gem won’t do us any good if we’re dead. We’ll be back. You said yourself Cancontus has been in possession of the gem for over a century and a half. A couple more days isn’t going to matter. We’ll be back.”

  Without waiting to see if the dwarf accepted that they were aborting the mission or not, Gaston headed back to join his team. Telsa and Tam were both kneeling where he’d left them. Although they weren’t in battle suits, he thought they looked dangerous nonetheless.

  “They are dangerous,” said Wanda. “They’re wizard scouts.”

  Gaston wasted no time in explaining the situation to his team. They didn’t ask questions. He wasn’t surprised. Both women were very good at their job.

  “I’ll take point,” Gaston said. “Tam, you’re on my left. Telsa, you’ll be on my right. Remember, if we encounter any vampires, those rifles of yours won’t do any good. Use your swords.”

  As soon as both women nodded their heads, Gaston moved out. He drew his Deloris blaster and clicked the safety off. At the same time, he pulled the phase rod off his left hip and thought the command to extend the brerellium and creallium shaft out the handle. He didn’t activate the rod. He was pretty sure the demon essence would be a dead giveaway. He had a feeling their only hope of staying alive was to avoid detection at all costs. If the vampires even suspected they were in their tunnels, he figured the odds of them getting out in one piece would be near zero.

  “Actually, the odds would be about seventeen percent,” said Wanda. “But don’t worry. It’s only a number. Besides, I calculate only a very slight chance they’ll discover we’re here.”

  * * *

  A never-ending stream of data flowed into the primary processing unit of the demon, Zenthra. All was as it should be.

  “Our opponent’s variables are meekly walking right into my trap,” Zenthra said.

  “Our trap,” corrected a winged, bat-creature with red eyes and finger-long fangs. The bat-creature was standing near one of Zenthra’s control panels. “Beware, brother,” said the bat-creature. “Your ambition may one day lead you to ruin.”

  Zenthra burned with anger but kept his temper contained to a few processing threads. His brother Cancontus thought he was the stronger of the two, but he was wrong. Still, Zenthra knew it would serve no purpose to risk a confrontation now.

  Ha! thought Zenthra while making sure he kept his thoughts to secure threads his brother couldn’t access. All three of my brothers are fools. Only I am wise enough to possess the Dragars’ computer. Only I control the time-gate. Only I am connected to my future self through computers. I am the master of all time. I am invulnerable. Even my brothers dare not destroy the Crosioians’ master computer in the future or the Dragars’ computer of the here and now. One day my brothers will kneel down before me. They will pay for their arrogance. Oh, how they’ll pay.

  “You say nothing,” said Cancontus. “Do not deceive yourself, brother. I will destroy the boxes of magic you call computers if I even think you’re trying to betray me. I can destroy the computer you chose for your avatar with a single thought.”

  “Me, betray you?” said Zenthra trying to sound surprised. “Why would I do that? Our plan is perfect. Even now our opponent’s variables are in the secret entranceway of the dwarves. They’re almost in our trap. They foolishly think that which they seek is still under the mountain.”

  The bat-creature which was Lord Cancontus paced the room. “The Master will not be pleased if we kill his chosen variable. He’s forbidden us from harming him. The Master says his variable will be useful during the final battle.”

  “The Master says many things,” said Zenthra. “Besides, we won’t be harming the Master’s variable. Your vampire servants shall do the job for us.”

  Lord Cancontus said nothing.

  Zenthra sent logic threads to his security programs both in the present and in the future just to be sure all was well. It was.

  Zenthra calculated victory was in his grasp. The Dragars’ primary computer I inhabit is deep below their temple. The entire subterranean complex is encased in creallium. Nothing can enter or exit without my permission. I am invulnerable.

  The security programs of the Dragars’ computer located the blue gem.

  Ah, thought Zenthra. The Dragars are even now loading the gem onto their destroyer. Soon, they’ll transport it to my future self. With the added Power of the Mountain’s Heart, the part of myself which possesses the Crosioians’ master computer will easily take over the galaxy in the physical dimension. All is going as planned.

  “You do not speak, Cancontus,” said Zenthra. “Do you doubt the ability of your vampire servants to destroy the humans and the dwarf? Perhaps you should return to the mountain and oversee the trap yourself.”

  The bat-creature whirled. Cancontus’s long fangs protruded from his mouth. “Do not think to advise me, brother. I may return to the mountain, but it will be my decision, not yours.”

  “I wouldn’t think of advising one so powerful as yourself,” said Zenthra in what he calculated was a placating voice. “I’m a mere computer. You, on the other hand, possess the body of a powerful vampire lord. Although, why you chose a Crosioian to convert into a vampire lord is a mystery. However, you’re obviously so much more knowledgeable than me, so who am I to naysay you?”

  Lord Cancontus bared his fangs. “You are no one. Never forget that. When I am the Master, I may allow you to rule the sister galaxy in the physical dimension. However, never forget it will only be because I chose to do so.”

  Zenthra devoted several billion logic threads in an attempt to think of a way to open a gate to the demonic plane without the help of any of his brothers. He came up with nothing. His best chance at overthrowing their Master and assuming the role himself was by using his fool brothers. One day, he’d no longer need them. He’d be the Master. One day, he’d be a demon lord of the Dark Council. It was only a matter of time.

  However, Zenthra thought, the time isn’t now. Until that time, I need to continue playing my part.

  “I am your humble servant,” said Zenthra. “We needn’t quarrel, brother. The Dragars will transport the blue gem to the physical dimension in the future. The time is close at hand for us to open a gate. Let our brothers, the Dalinfaust and Efrestra, continue to pin their hopes on the two gates in the land of the elves. When they least expect it, we shall use the dwarves’ gem to open a gate ourselves. We shall summon forth the demon armies. We shall conquer the three galaxies. The Dark Council will be forced to reward us. Our brothers will kneel before us and beg for mercy.”

  Zenthra laughed as he envisioned not just two, but all three of his brothers kneeling before him. He would punish Cancontus most of all for being fool enough to trust him.

  Lord Cancontus didn’t join in the laughter. “Do not deceive yourself, brother,” said Cancontus. “We must be careful. If the Dalinfaust discovers our plans, it may well be us who will be begging for mercy.”

  Zenthra laughed again. “You worry too much, brother. The overflow of DNA gas from the Dragars’ temple has been permeating the physical dimension long enough. Soon, magic will work there just as effectively as it does in the magic dimension. The Dragars only need to sacrifice a few hundred thousand more dragon eggs to complete the task. Once the Dragars can use their magic weapons in the physical dimension at full effectiveness, we’ll use the fools to conquer the Empire, the Crosioians, and all the other pathetic species in the physical dimension. Our plans ar
e perfect. What could go wrong?”

  Chapter 49 – The Dalinfaust

  ____________________

  The Dalinfaust retrieved his scan from underneath the Dragar temple and back to where he was in the future. He’d heard and seen enough. He laughed. The sound echoed off the walls of the large cavern.

  “May I ask what’s so amusing?” asked a dark elf standing near a small pool of water at the back of the cave.

  The Dalinfaust raised his dragon head to its full height. He preferred black dragons to all of his other avatars. Other creatures were so easy to intimidate when he was in a dragon form. He looked down at Lord Crendemor.

  The Dalinfaust thought Lord Crendemor failed to look suitably intimidated. The dark elf’s attitude irritated him. The Dalinfaust chose not to answer the dark elf right away. Instead, he turned his attention to a dark-haired female elf chained to a boulder in the center of the cavern. The virgin elf no longer had enough of her mind left to be properly afraid. The Dalinfaust reached out with a claw and scrapped its tip down the elf’s side. The female elf screamed in agony. The Dalinfaust pulled his dragon lips back in a smile.

  Apparently, the elf’s mind isn’t totally gone after all, he thought. Perhaps she’ll provide a few more days of amusement before I finally eat her.

  Sufficiently appeased by the elf’s scream, the Dalinfaust looked back at Lord Crendemor. He wondered if he should just kill the arrogant dark elf and be done with it. After a few beats of his dragon’s heart, he decided to let the dark elf live a while longer. I’ll allow him to live until he no longer appears useful.

  “My amusement or lack thereof is no concern of yours, elf,” the Dalinfaust said. “I let you attend my little torture sessions because it amuses me for the time being. Don’t mistake your attendance as a sign you may speak without first being spoken to. Do you understand?”