by Shawn Keys
Her enthusiastic sense of wonder drew Zahn back to the earlier days of his life. It brought a smile to his face, and reminded him that this was magic they were talking about. “Oh, he was definitely real. The only question was the level of power he held.”
Carter stepped in to insist, “You see, he held more than the power of relics in his hands. He wielded true magic.”
It was Kaylee’s turn to gawk at them through the screen. “Zahn told us that the only magic was found in these artifacts.”
Zahn gestured at Carter. “Go on. This is your story. You’re the believer. You’d tell it better.”
Carter huffed, but didn’t shy away. He even warmed to the story a little as he went. “Zahn is right that living magic doesn’t exist today apart from relics. But that wasn’t always true. That much should be obvious.”
Angelica nodded. “Someone had to have made the relics.”
Carter acknowledged her logic. “Exactly. Relics are simply imbued with unfailing, everlasting magical essence. They are remnants of a past age where magic was the accepted way of life. Humans used it as easily as breathing. Modern man doesn’t believe that era existed because we can’t find technological marvels that match what we have today. But civilizations of that era didn’t look the same as ours.”
He went on, “When those civilizations fell due to a planet-wrecking disaster only slightly less devastating than the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, their refined knowledge of magic was diminished. The stone age that followed was not kind. But instead of embracing magic for an answer and letting it fuel our imaginations again, the great builders of Qin, Egypt, Mayans, Sumerians and others like them created awe-inspiring marvels of technology. The gods they worshipped were enshrined and entombed inside those marvels instead of being connected to magical gifts.”
Zahn mentioned, “A few magical traditions evolved alongside them. The Oracles of Greece and the Druids of the Celts are two real examples.”
Carter took back his story, “But those traditions also fell. Crushed, in fact, under the relentless wheels and organized power of Roman advancement. Spanish conquistadors. Han imperialists. Arabian chemists. They eroded any magic that survived from the older age. I am not calling this trend any more evil than any other force of history. But that doesn’t change the fact that magic began to die out of the world.”
Kaylee was confused. “But why? Sure, people forgot how. But shouldn’t we be able to figure it out again?”
The old Guardian shook his head. “Magic is not a mundane force. It requires a certain amount of faith and commitment to cultivate. The essence of it can die without nourishment. Families that held magical traditions became hunted as heretics, often called witches and demon worshippers. Soon, the only magic deemed acceptable were those rituals codified in modern religions.”
Angelica jumped in, “Wait a minute. Religions despise magic. They’re the one who started witch hunts and inquisitions.”
Carter offered a dark smile. “Ironic, isn’t it? This was not total hypocrisy. Religions only profess to hate magic born from evil powers. They praise miracles, which are a form of magic, right? Not all those miracles could be fake. Have no doubt: whether you believe Jesus was the Son of a One God, a great prophet, or just an amazing orator with pleasant ideas, he was definitely connected to the magical tapestry that lies behind the world. He created the Chalice known as the Holy Grail, perhaps the most potent relic crafted in the modern age.”
Zahn offered a wry smile. “When it comes to modern- age relics, personally I’ve always wanted to get my hands on Excalibur.”
Angelica laughed helplessly, “This is so crazy that it’s wonderful.”
Carter wasn’t immune to their charm. He returned them a gentle smile. “Our true history is an amazing thing. Now, here’s the important part. As magic began to fail in earnest, Merlin was alive to watch. It broke his heart. His greatest fear was that the essence of magic would vanish completely. If it did, then it wouldn’t matter if we ever wanted to embrace magic again. It would be irrevocably gone.”
Kaylee prompted, “So he made the staff?”
“No. however powerful Merlin may have been, the ability to craft so powerful a relic had faded. It was made by a dangerous mage thousands of years prior. He created it to absorb magic, harness it and allow him to use it at will. He would drain other sorcerers into husks until he gained the power of a demi-god. He ruled a good portion of the world in the ancient times. He also created vast swathes of the world with no magic other than his own. Ripe ground for doubt to fester; he might have been the cause of technology rising to replace magic.”
Carter gestured at a cup of tea on his desk. Zahn nodded his permission, and the old Guardian took a sip before continuing. “However powerful he was, that old sorcerer-king wasn’t immortal. As near as we can figure, he died in the calamity. The staff changed owners until Merlin inherited it. He gathered a significant number of relics. He was doing his best to protect magic in all forms from disappearing into nothingness. Whenever he saw magical essence being squandered or wasted, he would absorb it. He never intended to eliminate magic. Precisely the opposite. He saw himself as the keeper of magic, hoping for another age when we would embrace its power anew. He was the last true sorcerer that ever existed. A few followed with latent genetic traits like gypsy fortune tellers or incredibly devout monks. But those are mere morsels of magic. Relics became the only true source of real power.”
Zahn finished the thought, “But the staff could change all that. If it’s real, then it holds almost unlimited power to carve out a new destiny for anyone wielding it. But it could also unleash the magic it has stored, and potentially return it to the world. ”
Carter cautioned him again, “Or a careless user could extinguish the last light of magic from the world forever. Some say it could even negate the magic inside the relics as well. I can’t help but think that would be a fate worse than death for our species.”
Zahn understood his concern. “And you think one of us three has solved the riddle. That’s why you were making my life a living hell. Not to mention nearly killing these lovely women as part of a war they never knew existed!”
Carter didn’t back down. “We had no choice but to act.” Jittery nerves made his face twitch.
Zahn’s eyes narrowed in suspicion again. “What’s happened? What’s gone wrong?”
Carter gritted his teeth, but didn’t shy away from the truth. “Not long after we arrived, Ryan Masters was killed.”
Very carefully, Zahn asked, “By who?”
Carter struggled to meet his eyes. “Lars Mueller.”
It was Kaylee who used that guilty expression to put the pieces together. “You hired him!”
Closing his eyes in pain, Carter said, “We enlisted his aid just like we had done with Ash. We knew his reputation as merciless. We needed that sort of hammer on our team. But he took matters too far, too quickly. Then, as soon as Ryan was killed, Lars vanished.”
Zahn cursed under his breath. “Ohh, fuck. You’re thinking Masters really did know where to find the Staff. You’re scared Lars pulled the details out of him before he died, and now that psychopath is going to try and find it.”
Carter nodded. “That’s a big reason why we haven’t only been trying to run you off. We’ve been trying to find out what you and Burt Crawson know, hoping one of you were following the same leads. But you’ve led us on a chase, and Burt’s been impossible to find.”
Zahn huffed. “Be glad you never did. He’s never taken interference with his quests very gently. You would have lost a lot of men.”
Carter reached up to claw a hand through his hair. “This is becoming intolerable. Lars isn’t a relic diver. He finds people . That’s his specialty. But he can follow a trail of breadcrumbs if they are laid out for him. Our worst case scenario was having a monster like that find it.”
Zahn had little sympathy. “Maybe you shouldn’t have gotten in the way of a nice guy like Burt. Don’t know Ryan
, but he probably wasn’t as bad as the one you fed him to.”
“We didn’t want anyone to find it!”
Angelica pointed out the obvious. “Doesn’t seem like a tenable strategy to me. As soon as you knew it was here, the rumors and clues would draw in curious people. Even I wouldn’t be able to resist that sort of temptation, and I’ve only been doing this for a few days.”
Carter groused, “We know that we’ve lost our chance to block the road. Now, we need to find it first. Find it and hide it again. That’ll be the toughest part of all – to hide it even from ourselves so that temptation doesn’t make us want to use it. Even a Guardian with an iron will is still human, and this is power unlike anything anyone has possessed in centuries.”
Zahn wasn’t convinced. The Guardian’s entire philosophy seemed short-sighted and doomed to failure. But this wasn’t the time for debate. He could agree with keeping powerful artifacts out of the hands of a person like Lars. Even if Merlin’s Staff proved to be a fable, other relics were often found in small caches. Collectors rarely had only one. Klein had gathered the animal-summoning necklace and the light crystal in addition to the Fountain. If the information Lars had tortured out of Ryan Masters led him to a powerful cache of relics, nothing good could come of it.
He asked aloud, “So what’s the problem? You have a scrying pool. Find him and stop him.” Not that I wanted to get caught, but why didn’t they locate us easier?
Carter scoffed, “Your knowledge is impressive, young man. But you clearly don’t know everything. Scrying breaks against powerful magic like an ocean wave on rocks. Sorcerers of the past were difficult to see. Minor relics throw up a haze. Ancient relics create interference that is nearly impossible to penetrate. You can get an impression of the general area, but nothing more. Truly ancient relics have a shield the size of the entire world. You can’t even localize them. Our scanners are learning quickly, but they don’t have the training or the willpower to pierce shields that surround anything stronger than toy-relics.”
“And you are certain Lars is carrying one?”
Carter frowned. “Not certain. Locating a person also requires knowledge of them. A face and name can be enough, but sifting through the possibilities takes time. Like so many monsters, he has kept the most personal details of his life secret. It is possible he is not under a shield of magic. If so, we have not found him yet.”
Zahn said, “Then tell us what you know of the Staff. Maybe we can help you beat him to it.”
Carter denied him instantly. “We will not make the matter worse! I told you, no-one is worthy of possessing it! Help us by protecting the world. Use your skills to find Lars.”
Zahn’s jaw clenched. “I’m not an assassin. He might be despicable, but I’m not going to track him down so you can slaughter him, either. Do your own dirty work.” He raised the pistol again. “I don’t have Merlin’s Staff. I don’t know where it is. I didn’t come to LA in search of it. Do you believe me?”
Carter smirked at the irony of being questioned at gunpoint. But he grudgingly admitted, “I do.”
“Then leave us alone. For what it’s worth, I hope Lars never finds the Staff. For the sake of everyone’s safety, we’ll keep clear while you fight over it. In exchange, you keep your goons away from us. Pull your tentacles out of the lives of Angie and Leea. Leave us alone.”
Carter growled, “You’d risk the end of the world?”
Angelica called him out, “You never wanted us involved in the first place. You’re desperate. I can hear it. Your team isn’t getting the job done, so now you think you can drag us in.”
Kaylee added, “But only on your terms. Terms that don’t suit us at all.”
Zahn finished, “So, yes, we’ll take that risk. In my mind, you’re all chasing a fable anyway. The day you offer me a shred of proof otherwise, maybe you’ll change my mind.” He glanced up at the tablet. “Anything else, ladies?”
They flashed him smiles and said, “See you soon.” The connection ended.
Zahn grabbed the device and slipped it back into the hidden pouch. He gestured with the tip of the pistol. “I’ll cancel the barrier, but you’re opening the door.”
The old Guardian didn’t have to ask why. He went over to the exit and waited for Zahn to negate the magic.
As soon as the hardened energy faded, the door snapped open. One of Ash’s goons had been leaning on it with his shoulder, trying to force it open. He stumbled as it suddenly worked.
Ash and a half-dozen others with various guns were right behind him .
Before they could storm the room, Carter threw up his hands. “Wait! Stand down! The situation’s under control.” He spun to face Zahn. “No trouble from you either! We have a deal!”
Ash and Zahn locked eyes over the sights of their guns. For a long moment, neither moved.
Then, Zahn broke the stand-off. “Hear that, Ash? That was an order from your boss. Now I’m willing to bet you’re a loyal minion. That’s what passes for honor among mercenaries, right?” He lowered his pistol off aim.
Ash snarled, her finger twitching near her trigger. “Are you sure about this, Sir?” She didn’t sound very deferential toward Carter; she felt she had the right to be a little insubordinate to him.
There is something more between them than employer and employee , Zahn was sure.
Carter snapped at her, “He doesn’t have what we want! He has given me his word not to seek it. We’re not murderers, Ash. Let him go.”
Ash gritted her teeth, finally lowering her rifle. As she did, the rest of the goon squad followed her lead. Her eyes flickered to the pistol in Zahn’s grip. “That’s mine.”
Blandly, Zahn answered, “You don’t say? I found it lying around after an unknown intruder illegally entered and searched the cottage of my friend and then tried to kill us all. I’d say ‘finder’s keepers’ rules apply.”
Carter stepped in before she could bite back. “Enough you two!”
Ash turned away in disgust. “Fine. I’m sick of his games, anyway.”
Zahn swallowed a snarky ‘that’s because I’m winning them’ comment, deciding that would only be punching a wounded bear in the nose.
Whatever he might have said instead was lost. One of the scryers by the relic-pond called out, “Master Guardian! I’ve found him!”
None of them could resist rushing to the table. They looked past the scryer’s shoulder into the fog-shrouded water. Even Zahn went along with the crowd.
Carter went right to the man’s side. “You’ve found Mueller?”
“Yes, Master Guardian. Can you see?” He called to the others, “Center on me! Don’t lose him!” The other views in the pool started to coalesce, looking at the same image from six different perspectives.
Zahn could make out enough detail to situate himself. A semi-wilderness, ocean in the background, and a tall tower with an iconic structure. Zahn had never met Lars Mueller. Some people didn’t look like what was in their heart. Lars did. Tall, with muscle built on muscle. Ferocious features that were half-feral. Messy, stringy hair more suited to werewolf than a man. The man was a monster inside and out.
Carter knew the location, too. “What is he doing at Point Vicente Lighthouse? Nothing in any Staff writ would lead you there…” He drifted off, darting a look Zahn’s way.
Zahn mocked him silently, Knowing the Staff can’t be here doesn’t narrow the possibilities down all that much. He kept his peace, not wanting to get tossed from the room.
Carter pressed the scryer, “What is he doing?”
“Waiting, Sir. He was in the open standing perfectly still. Smiling, like he was trying to meditate.”
Zahn was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
Ash was as well. She had the privilege to voice her mind. “Was he difficult to find?”
The scryer shook his head. “Quite the opposite. He suddenly became remarkably clear. Like he is broadcasting his mind to the world.”
Suddenly, Lars’ eyes clicked
open. His gaze pierced the veil between them, staring right back at the scryers who had found him. “Took you long enough.” He turned in a slow circle, catching the eye of all six of the watchers. “All here now? You’ve been trying to get my attention.” His canines showed past his lips like fangs. “You have it.”
Zahn hissed Carter’s way, “Cut this off.”
The Guardian growled back lowly, “Not when we have him!” He fired a glare at Ash. “Tell me we have a strike team close by.”
Ash was already on her cell phone. “Seven minutes out.”
Inside the scrying vision, Lars extended what looked like a bamboo rod out to his side. It was a yard long. At one end was an intricate mesh, like a spider’s web made of thread, beads and gems.
One of the goons snorted. “What is that? A butterfly net? ”
Ash’s phone fell away from her ear as she recognized the style of artwork. “No. It’s a dreamcatcher.”
Zahn’s warning cut through the air. “Ash, kill the pool’s power! Their minds are exposed!”
The warning was far too late.
In the span of the next seconds, Lars swept the dreamcatcher through the air as if grabbing ghosts. Then, he swirled it in the opposite direction, releasing what he had taken.
The smoke from the pearl went dark as shadow. The visions in the pool collapsed as the six scryers screamed in unison. Two of them collapsed to the floor. Three more staggered against the relic-pool, fingers bent into claws. The last tumbled into the arms of one of the goons. The scryer’s eyes streaked red. His head fell back and he howled.
Zahn’s blood went cold. The howl hadn’t been human.
The scryer coughed a spatter of blood into the face of the mercenary. His jaw jutted forward with a hideous crack. Teeth sharpened and protruded out from a mouth becoming five times larger than a normal man. Flesh ripped as the skin around the scryer’s skull tried to keep up with the violent changes and failed. His natural scruff coarsened into matted fur that exploded from every pore.
