The Memphis Knights

by Phillip Drayer Duncan

  Reaching out a hand, I summoned my sword. Drynwyn jumped from the dead man and flew to me while the dark wizard squirmed beneath me. I caught it in a reverse grip and found it had taken on the form of a dagger. I buried it in the wizard’s throat.

  Warm blood splattered across my face. I didn’t care. I was enraged.

  I heard a cheer from behind me and glanced back to see that the tornado had faltered and dissipated. As I’d expected, the spell required focus. The final dark mage had lost control when he hit the ground.

  The Memphis Knights charged forward again, taking the battle to the demons.

  The final dark wizard also missed his chance. He could’ve killed me then, easily enough, but he’d just seen me murder his friends. He saw the Knights hammering down his demon allies. He saw that he was alone and on his ass. So, instead of taking his shot, he ran.

  Scrambling to his feet, he bolted toward the nearest edge of the dome.

  Waving his arms, a section of it disappeared. Just ahead was an interior door. I didn’t know where in the mansion it led, but I doubted he did either. He just wanted to escape.

  I chased after him. It might’ve been brash and stupid, but again, I never claimed to be particularly smart. And I still wanted blood.

  Running behind him, I threw my sword again. But this time my aim was off and instead of hitting him center mass, my blade planted in his shoulder. He was either one tough bastard or truly terrified, because he managed to keep his feet under him and kept moving.

  I summoned my sword back to my hand and threw it again as he sprinted through the door way. This time I missed completely, and my sword planted in the wall beside the doorframe.

  I called it back to my hand and darted through the door as well.

  I found myself in a long hallway with a number of doors. There was no telling where they went. It was a mansion, after all.

  Ahead of me, my prey was nearly to the end of the hall.

  I threw my sword again. This time I aimed low, hoping to take his legs out from under him.

  My aim was true and Drynwyn slammed into his leg, just above the knee. He screamed and fell to the ground but still continued crawling. He was a tough bastard, I had to give him that.

  He raised his wand in front of him and just ahead a slit appeared in... Well, I guess in reality.

  I’d heard of people creating doorways before, but I’d never seen it done. I knew wizards who were strong enough to teleport. My father had been capable, but I don’t think he could’ve opened a doorway to another place. I couldn’t even fathom the amount of power it would take to do something like that.

  Yet, there it was. Right in front of me.

  My adversary was a strong sorcerer by my own standards. Putting that storm together would’ve required some serious power and focus. This was something else entirely, though. And he was injured. That just told me that whoever was pulling his puppet strings was super seriously scary.

  I wondered if they were on the other side.

  I caught up to him just before he made it to the opening. If he’d managed to summon it a bit closer, he would’ve got away. But he didn’t.

  I stopped above him and raised my sword.

  A figure appeared in on the other side of the portal. I couldn’t see his face, but I recognized his robes. It was the one who’d done the talking in Abner’s murder movie. The necromancer in the black robes.

  The background looked like a dungeon or a castle. Dark stone walls bathed in dim candle light.

  The gray mage who’d led the attack on the wake party moved to stand just behind him on the right. The red robed mage took his place on the left.

  I felt their eyes on me and fear slithered down my spine. Here they were. The dark sorcerers who’d killed Abner.

  The image shifted slightly, and more figures appeared in the background, though I could scarcely make out the details. Save one. I recognized him immediately. How could I not?

  It was the Revenant.

  The wizard in the black robes took a single step toward the portal, his hidden cowl taking up the screen.

  “Blade Mage,” he said, amusement in his voice. “Oh, yes, we can see you, just as you can see us.”

  I didn’t reply. Words seemed a foreign concept to me. I was frozen, like a rabbit who’s found himself at the feet of a hungry wolf.

  Below me, the bleeding mage reached toward the portal, using the last of his strength to try and get to the safety of his masters.

  “I’m surprised to find you alive, Mr. Draven,” the dark wizard said. “And now you know of us. But I wonder what your Cabal will say when you tell them of what we’ve done. Will anyone even believe you?”

  Still I couldn’t speak. The words seemed stuck in my throat. Just the glint of power I could sense coming through the portal was beyond anything I could imagine.

  “Have you nothing to say? Here we are. Everything you’re meant to stand against in the flesh, and all you can do is tremble in fear. No wonder your Cabal thinks you unworthy. What would your father say?”

  That snapped me back to reality.

  “He wouldn’t say anything,” I replied through gritted teeth. “He’d just hunt you down and chop off your fucking heads. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  I slammed my sword down the through the shoulder blades of the dark mage at my feet. His back arched and he cried out, but his scream dissipated in a bloody gurgle as he went limp.

  “I am the Blade Mage,” I said, raising my bloodied sword and pointing it at the portal. “And I’m coming for all of you.”

  “Good,” replied the necromancer. “That’s very good. Perhaps we’ve underestimated you. I look forward to seeing you again.”

  “And I, you,” I replied.

  Below me the, dead mage’s body exploded in a puff of ash. When the dust cleared, the portal was gone, but the dark wizard’s laughter echoed on for a few more seconds.

  Chapter 28

  Stepping back into the main room, I saw the snow globe of death was gone. The chaos of battle had ended but now the Knights and security guards, among others, were in a frenzied sprint to help the injured. There weren’t many. Most who’d come in contact with the demons were dead.

  Uriah and a handful of Knights were headed my way, I presume, to help me deal with the dark wizard. They slowed to a walk when I reappeared from the hall.

  “The mage?” Uriah asked as he closed in.

  “Dead.” I pointed my thumb back toward the hallway. “Just a pile of ash.”

  “Same with the other two,” he replied. “Guess they didn’t want us to identify the bodies.”

  I nodded. “They want us to know about them, but not who they are. Bastards.”

  “You all right?” Uriah asked, watching me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “You’re really asking me that after everything we just went through?”

  “I am,” he replied. “You were fine through all of it, but now...”

  His words hung on the air.

  To tell the truth, I was terrified and the dark mage had seen it. Had called it out, even. I tried to convince myself I’d made a good showing, but I was shaken. There was no denying it. It wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have with Uriah, though.

  I realized I still hadn’t answered him and was about to force a reply, when I noticed a new problem behind him. Back where we’d fought the demon horde, several of the Knights were circled around Axel with swords and weapons drawn. Victor stood in the center and he looked pissed.

  I moved passed Uriah and forced my weary legs to run once more.

  Eilidh stood in front of Victor and as I drew closer, I realized that she was trying to appeal to his senses. Trying to explain that Axel was on our side. “He helped us. He saved my life and likely Uriah’s.”

  “That’s enough from you, witch,” Victor said, whirling on her. “I didn’t ask for your input. You’re as much a suspect as anyone.”

  “Are you serious?” s
he asked. Her mouth hung open in disbelief. She recovered quickly and her voice rose. “You aren’t the only one who lost people. My sisters are dead.”

  “And you’re alive,” he replied, crossing his arms. “You’re the only one they didn’t drag up there. Why is that?”

  “You can’t be seriously accusing me,” Eilidh said, shaking her head.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, approaching the circle. The words came out a little more harshly than I intended and for a moment, I thought that was why they were all taken aback. Then I remember I was covered in sticky dark wizard blood. It was splattered all over my face and clothes. If there was ever a moment where I looked scary, it was then and that was for the best.

  Victor took a hard look at me and said, “And another mage... Great. I should have all three of you shackled.”

  “Axel, you all right?” I asked, ignoring Victor.

  “Of course,” he replied. “Though I wish these guys would make up their minds about whether they want to kill me, already. I really need to pee.”

  “Eilidh?” I said, glancing her way.

  “I’m fine,” she replied with a curt nod.

  I turned to Victor. “Axel is a friend of mine. He helped us.”

  “I told you I didn’t want any other mages from the Cabal in Memphis,” he said. His voice had a dangerous edge. “You defied my word and broke our agreement.”

  “I didn’t know he was coming, but it’s a damned good thing he did. If he hadn’t shown up, Uriah and I would both be dead. No question. Maybe you didn’t see that from the sidelines?”

  “The sidelines?” he repeated, his facing turning a dark shade of red. “You think I wouldn’t have helped if could?”

  “I’m not suggesting that at all,” I replied, shaking my head. Then I pointed at Axel, then to Eilidh, then to myself. “But we were stuck in here with your Knights. And we fought with them. Remember that.”

  “He’s right, Victor,” Uriah said from beside me. His voice was soft, but there was an edge in his tone as well. A sort of calm before the storm. “They saved us. Without them, more lives would be lost. As far as I’m concerned, they’ve proved themselves.”

  Victor laughed at the very idea. “They’re mages! They can’t be trusted. Everything you saw could’ve been an illusion.”

  “Does the blood on my face look like an illusion?” I asked. I was beyond being civil at this point. Sure, the Knights had lost their leader. Victor had lost his best friend, but now, we’d all suffered and I wasn’t taking any more of his shit. “You saw what they did. If you were as smart as you are angry, you’d put in a call to the Cabal right now and have them send the biggest, baddest wizards they have.”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Victor asked, shaking his head. “You’d just love to bring more magic into this. We’re the Memphis Knights. We don’t need mages!”

  “Pride cometh before the fall,” I said, glaring at him.

  “That’s enough,” he replied, jamming a finger at me. “I’ll forgive your betrayal because of what you’ve done here. Uriah vouches for you, so you and the witch can stay. Your friend is going in our custody and if I get so much as a tingling of an idea that he was involved, I’ll execute him myself.”

  “No, you won’t,” I heard myself say. “And no, he isn’t going into your custody.”

  “Excuse me?” he asked, taking a step toward me. “Who’s going to stop me?”

  My sword was still in my hand. The flames made a whoosh sound as they burned a little brighter, like turning up the dial on a propane heater. At the same time, the sigils running the length of my staff leapt to life as well. In as calm of a voice as I could manage, I said, “I am.”

  The Knights around me seemed unsure, but all raised their weapons just the same.

  “For fuck’s sake!” Uriah shouted, stepping between us. “We owe these mages our lives, Victor!”

  The older man looked from me to Uriah. “You would stand with them before us?”

  “No, you, old fool,” he replied shaking his head. “But I won’t let you kill them either. Not after they risked their lives to save us. Look around you. They killed the wizards. Not us. We need them.”

  They held each other’s gaze for several seconds and finally Victor relented. “Fine, Uriah, but any trouble they cause is on your head. The Blade Mage and the witch can stay. The other one leaves the city tonight. Understand?”

  Uriah glanced at me.

  “That’s fine,” I replied. “I’ll ensure Axel leaves tonight and doesn’t return.”

  “See that he does,” Victor said. “If I see him in my city again, I’ll consider it an act of war on the part of your Cabal.”

  “Victor,” I said, trying to calm my voice. “Let me reach out to the Cabal. We need help. Stronger help than Eilidh or I can provide. The Archmage could send the Shamuses or a special forces team.”

  Victor didn’t reply.

  “At least the Kingsnakes,” Uriah said. “We’ve worked with them enough.”

  “It makes sense,” Allistair said from where he stood by his father. “We’re out of our league here.”

  “No,” Victor said, scowling at the lot of us. “God will show us the way. He always has. We don’t need purveyors of dark magic to see us through this time of tribulation.”

  “Victor, we can’t face these mages alone,” Uriah said, shrugging. “You must see that.”

  “What I see is a mess of undisciplined Knights,” Victor replied, his anger rising again. “It’s God’s wrath that has brought this down on our house! I loved your father dearly, Uriah, but he was lax as a leader. He abandoned the old ways and look what it’s cost us!”

  “You’d dare put this on my father’s shoulders?” Uriah said, his voice little more than a raspy whisper. “You’d blame him for this? He was the first of us slain!”

  “You heard the witch!” Victor said, screaming. “He was bedding her! He turned his back on us!”

  For a second, I thought the two of them would come to blows.

  “Dad!” Allistair said, raising his own voice. “We don’t know the details.”

  “We know enough,” Victor said, shaking his head.

  An awkward silence fell over us. I still worried that Uriah might strike the Senechal. The other Knights within earshot were uneasy and bore their concern openly. Even Allistair seemed unsure. It had come down to it, then. They were split. Were it to come to blows, my gut told me that half would be with Uriah and the other half would be with Victor. This was exactly what the dark mages wanted.

  Sharing my own concerns, Brother Barajas, the big and silent Sergeant at Arms spoke up, “This is what our enemy wants. They want us at each other’s throats. This is neither the time or place.”

  “He’s right,” Chaplain Brother Webb said. Despite his age, the older man moved himself to stand between Victor and Uriah. “Think of the club, brothers. We’ve all suffered here today. Let us not fight further. Let us seek attention for the injured and sanctuary within the walls of our clubhouse. There we can figure out the rest.”

  Moving in closer and lowering his voice, the Chaplain Brother continued, “Look at your Knights, boys. They are all scared. You two are their leaders. Show them that we still have strength.”

  Victor nodded and glanced to the older man. “Of course. You’re right. We can pick this up later.”

  “Uriah,” the Chaplain Brother said.

  Uriah’s eyes were still locked on Victor’s. “This conversation isn’t over.”

  Victor snorted then turned back to me. “Your friend leaves town tonight.”

  I nodded but didn’t reply.

  The argument over, at least for the moment, everyone began shuffling around aimlessly. By that point, every injured person had a mob around them. It was one of those times where everyone felt like there was something they should be doing to help, but there wasn’t anything to do, save clean up the mess. No one seemed real interested in dealing with the dead just yet. Mr. Love
would take care of that, though.

  I noticed him standing off to one side. His expression was blank as he stared around the wreckage of his mansion. Every few seconds one of his people would run over and ask him a quick question, then they’d run off to whatever it was they were trying to do.

  He noticed me watching him and offered a little nod. I nodded back and moved toward him.

  I stood alongside him for a moment, studying the wreckage. Finally, when I couldn’t take the silence anymore, I said, “So, I guess this isn’t how you planned on tonight going.”

  “That’s an understatement,” he said as he pulled a silver cigarette case from his jacket. “I didn’t think anyone would be bold enough to try something like this here. Attacking my guests in my own home... Someone is going to pay for this, Blade Mage.”

  I nodded my agreement. “First we have to find out who they are.”

  “I’ll find them,” he said as he lit his smoke. “I am a well-connected man. It is my busy to know these things.”

  “Well, if you do figure out who’s behind this, I’d really like to know as well.”

  “Dark mages,” he said, taking a puff off his smoke. “In my house... Madness. Whoever they are, they clearly aren’t afraid of my influence. Nor the Knights’ or your own. They’ve openly murdered members of the Colonial Coven. The other mage groups will help hunt them. They must know this.”

  “And they must not care,” I replied.

  He gave me a hard look. “Which means they know they can hide from them.”

  I nodded slowly. “I share that concern.”

  “It would seem one of the great mage guilds has rats, Blade Mage. This doesn’t bode well for anyone. An attack out in the open like this...”

  He let his words die on the air and I didn’t bother with a reply. Simply put, there hadn’t been an organized attack of dark mages like this in years.

  “Whatever they’re planning,” he said, again giving me a knowing look. “It’s bigger than just the Memphis Knights, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” I said, shrugging. “But I don’t know what it is.”