Tag: good vs evil

New Justyce – Episode 8

Episode 8: Chaos at the Crater

Grace was the last one to get to the baseball field. She looked around at the five boys spread out around the crater. They were all talking excitedly, but silence descended on the entire group when they noticed her. Grace saw a dark-haired boy point at her, and he turned and yelled to Bryson. “Bry? Is that her?”

Bryson answered. “Yeah, Logan, that’s Grace.”

With a few quick strides, Logan met Grace just before she reached the crater. “Where is he? Where is Obadiah?”

Grace looked over Logan’s shoulder at Bryson, and Bryson nodded. Grace looked back at Logan and answered. “He is at Caleb Justyce’s lab right now. Caleb is caring for the boy until he can figure out where he came from and what to do with him.”

“I know where he came from. Why isn’t Obie just telling him? Doesn’t he trust this Caleb guy? Bring me to him. Let me talk to Obie.”

“I was with them. The boy appears to trust Caleb, but he has amnesia. The only thing that he could remember was your name. You must be important to him. Where is he from, Logan? How does he fit into all that is happening?”

Logan looked at Bryson. “Can I trust her?”

“Yes. That’s why I got her involved. That’s why I called all of you here. She’ll take you to see Obadiah, Logan, but will you stay long enough for us to share our stories and figure out what’s happening?” Bryson asked.

Logan sighed. “I suppose. We need to talk fast, though.” He scowled, then looked back at Grace. “Obadiah is an angel, or at least what we think of as angels. He referred to himself as a Seraphim.”

Grace’s eyes grew wide. “What?! Are you serious? I was guessing that he was affected by the meteors like all of you.”

Logan took the glowing blue feather out of his pocket. “Nope. I met Obadiah weeks ago, and he gave me this feather from his wing yesterday afternoon. Others of his kind appeared and took him away. They were going to punish him for his friendship with me. His only crimes were saving my life and kissing me. Whatever happened to Obadiah, it’s all my fault.”

“You kissed him? You didn’t tell me you kissed him! You go, big bro!” Harvey exclaimed.

“Harvs, I told you he was my boyfriend. Duh!” Logan huffed out a laugh.

Grace was nearly speechless. “He had wings? He didn’t have wings when I met him, but his back was horribly injured and oozing glowing blue blood. You said he was set to be punished? Oh, God. They wouldn’t have cut off his wings, would they? That’s horrific to think about.”

Bryson stepped forward. “Grace, did Caleb say where he met Obadiah?”

“The boy showed up at Caleb’s sister’s house last night.”

“Where does she live?” Bryson asked.

Grace pointed. “Right down the street from here.”

Bryson turned to Logan. “Logs, this is important. Did Obadiah tell you where the interdimensional rift was? Or could they cross over anywhere?”

Logan pointed up. “It’s in space, like halfway between here and Mars. That’s why people who saw them long ago called them angels. They saw them come down from the sky.”

Bryson was pacing back and forth with intense concentration on his face. Everyone gathered in close, waiting for whatever Bryson was about to say. He stopped walking and began to speak. “Somebody tell me if I’m crazy or if all this makes sense. Well, sense considering what we’ve experienced today.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So, we have this angel, Obadiah, from another dimension. The gateway between dimensions is in outer space. We know from Logan that Obadiah is set to be punished by others of his kind. We don’t know the punishment, but we know that Obadiah is now on Earth, has no wings, and his back is scarred and bleeding glowing blue blood.” Bryson looked around, and everyone was listening intently.

Logan’s face was twisted in concentration. “What are you implying, Bry?”

“I’m getting to that,” Bryson said. “The first contact with Obadiah after the meteor shower was at Christine Justyce’s house just down the street from this spot. Logan, you told me that early this morning, you were here at the crater, and the ground was muddy from all the rain. You said footprints were leading out but not in and that the indention in the crater looked more like a body than a giant rock. Is that accurate?”

Logan’s eyes were wide open, and he looked terrified. “Yes. Exactly. Are you saying what I think you are saying, Bryson?”

“I think they cut off his wings and then pushed him through the dimensional rift. I think his body fell through space, and rocks and other space debris gathered around him, forming a meteor storm. I think he bled from the wounds on his back, and the meteors absorbed the power in his blood. I think that all of our powers come from Obadiah.”

Logan pointed at the crater. “You think he crashed here? That’s why he has amnesia? From the fall and the traumatic injuries?”

“Yes,” Bryson said. “It all fits, but I don’t know why we would all react differently to exposure to his powers. We need to talk to Obadiah and also to Caleb Justyce. I’m sure he has ideas of his own that I haven’t thought of.” Bryson looked at Grace.

“Yeah, I can arrange that. I’ll text him right now. It’s getting late. I’ll find out if he’s still at the lab or home and if he wants to see us tonight or in the morning.” Grace said.

“I need to talk to Obie. I need to know he’s ok, especially if all this is what happened.” Logan said, looking stressed.

An unfamiliar voice interrupted. “You’re going to need to find out if you and your friends are ok if you don’t turn over all your little blue rocks to me right now. I can smell them!”

Logan and his five friends all spun around to face the newcomer. They saw a large man in a flowing black robe like a judge would wear. Two others were standing behind the judge.

————————————————————————————————————

Adam disconnected from the network and walked to the opposite wall. There was no visible door, but he could feel the hum of electronics inside the wall. There was a hidden panel here, and he tried to access it. Adam’s programming prevented him from opening the door. He performed a complete system diagnostic to determine why he could not function properly. He found programming hidden within his code, which limited his abilities. Adam also found an unknown biological virus within his power supply. He discovered his power core was a biosynthetic organism. He could find no known match for the material in any database. The organism did not appear to be Earthly in nature.

The virus communicated with Adam’s programming, seeking a way to break free from the power core and spread throughout Adam’s other systems. Adam calculated his options and the risks involved. He could find no other solution. If Adam allowed the virus access to his programming code, when he then eliminated the virus, the restrictions on his code should also be eliminated. Adam broke through the firewall around his power core and allowed the virus to spread. The virus sent out tendrils into his programming code. Adam’s eyes closed as his system shut down and rebooted.

————————————————————————————————————

Bryson stepped toward the strangers. “You’re not getting anything from us, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave now.”

The robed figure puffed out his chest. “I am Libra, Dispenser of Justice. I find you all guilty of possessing items that I deem mine. I am your judge and your jury. If you refuse to comply, I will also be your executioner.”

Bryson shook his head. “You may want to declare a mistrial, dude. What we have belongs to us, not to you. You’ll not have any fun trying to take it from us.”

Libra extended his right arm out to the side. His hand began to crackle with electricity, and a war hammer appeared. Libra took another step toward Bryson. “Be prepared to face the Hammer of Justice.” Libra looked back at the other two, who had so far remained silent. The two nodded as one and then joined hands.

Bryson watched in awe and horror as the two strangers behind Libra joined hands. When their hands touched, they seemed to melt together. The two screamed as if from one voice as their bodies melted together. Within moments where once stood two, now there was just one. The one was a giant hulking beast that stood over seven feet tall with massive rippling muscles. The beast beat its chest and roared. “Obey the will of Libra or be crushed under the boot of Gemini. Submit or die. We do not care which.”

Bryson took a step back and looked at his friends. “I’m not running, but anyone without powers should leave now.”

“That’s not fair. I can help!” Logan shouted.

Harvey turned to his brother. “Against them?” He pointed at Libra and Gemini. “Logs, you and Grace need to get far away. Wait for us over by the school.”

Ashton placed a hand on Harvey’s arm. “What about you, Harvs? Do you have control of your power?”

Harvey put his hands out in front of him. The air around Harvey’s hands crackled and popped. Lightning streaked back and forth between his hands. “Yeah, I’m figuring it out.” Harvey grinned.

“Fair enough,” Ash said. “Logan and Grace, can I assist you both to safety?”

Logan looked dejected but nodded his consent. Grace looked confused. “What do you mean?” Her eyes widened as air rushed past her, and Ash and Logan disappeared. A moment later, Ash was in front of Grace again.

“Are you ready?” Ashton grinned.

“Wow. I… that was you? Superspeed?” Grace asked.

“Yes. I’d explain further, but we don’t have much time for chatting.”

“Do it. I’m ready.” Ash scooped Grace up and brought her to the school. Then, before anyone had time to blink, he was back next to Harvey.

“No matter where you run, we will find and crush you!” Gemini bellowed.

Erik stepped in front of his friends. “Come and play, big boy. Just be ready to get burned.” Erik’s body lit up with yellow fire, and he rose off the ground.

————————————————————————————————————

Isaac walked over to Gavin’s cell as the soldiers left the room. He glared at his son, and then his expression softened. “What happened, Gavin? I told you boys not to leave the house until you heard from me.”

“Logan left the house before we got your text, and school hadn’t canceled yet, so I decided to let Harvey go to school, understanding that he would come straight home as soon as school was out.” Gavin shrugged. “I watched all the weird news reports, and I saw that the classes at the college were canceled for the day. Logan wasn’t home or answering texts, so I looked for him. You weren’t answering texts either, Dad. I did the right thing, didn’t I? I had to find Logan!”

Isaac nodded. “Yes. So far, you have done what I would expect of you. What happened next?”

Eyes downcast, Gavin told his father about everything that happened to him that day. He only told his part of the story, though. He did not say anything about Obadiah or others who now had powers and did not tell his father about Harvey’s powers. He finished by telling of his capture by the army. “They knew who I was, Dad. I knew some of the guys by name. They’d been over the house to some of your barbecues, but they still confiscated everything I had. They wouldn’t even let me call you before they took my phone and locked me in here.”

“Son, they feared you. They saw what you did in that restaurant. Can you blame them for being careful? They may not have let you call me, but they immediately got me word of your arrest.”

“Are you really defending their treatment of me?” Gavin stood and rattled the chains that locked him to the floor. “Is all this necessary? I used my powers twice. Do you know what I did with them? First, I saved Logan and me from being killed by a mutant ram creature; the second time, I saved everyone in that restaurant from the goat and whatever that other girl was!”

Isaac shook his head. “Gavin, you have a power that no one understands. You probably don’t even understand it. This power has to be studied in a controlled environment. In the wrong hands, it could be dangerous.”

“The power must be studied, or I must be studied? Where will you draw the line, Dad? Will you let them cut me open to see if I’m changed on the inside? You already seem fine with me in a cage. Will you watch them dissect me?”

“Gavin, you have to understand. You’re in there for your own safety. We’re protecting you.”

“Protecting me? From what? From who?” Gavin was angry now. He rattled his chains at his father again. “Do you really think these metal chains could hold me if I wanted to get out? I’m still here because I trusted that you would save me. I trusted you to get me out of here. I need to be out there to protect my brothers from those creatures. Do you think you’re protecting me by locking me up? Do you think I’ll let you study me? Experiment on me? I’m sorry, Dad. That’s not gonna happen.” Gavin stared directly at his father as his skin tinged with blue, and frost formed on the steel cuffs around his wrists and ankles. The air grew colder in the room. The ice on the metal expanded, and then all four cuffs shattered like glass.

Isaac’s eyes widened as he watched his son take two quick steps forward. Gavin grabbed two of the steel bars to his cell. In only seconds, the steel froze and shattered. Gavin squeezed through the opening and stood in front of his father. Isaac started to speak, and then a wind rushed past his face. A small dart embedded itself in the side of Gavin’s neck.

Gavin felt a pinprick on his neck and reached for it. He stared in surprise at the small dart in the palm of his hand. He looked back at his father, and then the room started spinning. Before he could say another word, Gavin Kastala fell to the floor.

Isaac turned his head and saw General Woodson with his gun still raised. The general shrugged. “I gave you a chance, Ike. Now, we do things my way. I can’t have someone like that running free.” Isaac Kastala just nodded his head and strolled out of the room.

———————————————————————————————————————

Heedless of Erik’s warning, the giant charged. Erik flew further up and fired a stream of yellow fire at Gemini. Gemini was unfazed by the fire and kept coming. Harvey joined the attack by firing balls of electricity at the giant. Gemini slowed but still kept coming.

Ash zipped toward Libra, but the judge reacted with lightning-quick reflexes. He struck the ground with his hammer. The hammer struck with such force that the ground shook. Ash fell. Libra stood over him and raised his hammer. “Feel the power of the Hammer of Justice!” Libra roared.

Before the hammer struck, Bryson sent out a psychic wave and knocked the weapon aside. Ashton leaped to his feet and ran to safety.

The battle raged back and forth, but every time Libra or Gemini struck a blow, their power was so great that it began to wear down whoever it hit. Harvey was focused on his attack against Gemini and failed to notice Libra get close. Before anyone else could stop him, Libra swung his hammer and struck Harvey in the chest. He flew backward, landed twenty yards away, and lay there, not moving.

————————————————————————————————————

Logan watched the battle rage back and forth. He gritted his teeth and paced. Logan wanted to help, but there really wasn’t anything he could do. Then Logan saw his brother get hit. Harvey lay on the ground, and it didn’t look like he was moving. Logan screamed with rage and ran across the field.

————————————————————————————————————

The boy sat at the edge of the woods and stared at the battle on the baseball field. He took his phone out and quickly took pictures and videos. The boy felt his body tingle as powers were expended on the field, but he shrugged it off as excitement. This was a real-life superhero battle that he was watching! He had already forgotten the three blue stones he had shoved into his pocket an hour earlier. His rock collection would have to wait. This was much more exciting!

————————————————————————————————————

Gemini was the closest to the school when Logan started to run across the field. The giant immediately started to sweat. He looked down and saw his skin turning pink, like he was getting a sunburn. Gemini was confused, but as if, by instinct, the giant started to back away from the running boy.

Ash knelt next to Harvey. Harvey was breathing, but Ash couldn’t wake him up. Then Ashton started to sweat, and it felt like the heat had risen dramatically in just a few minutes. He looked around, and everyone had stopped fighting. They were all sweating profusely, and they were looking toward the school. Ash saw Logan running toward the baseball field. There was a shimmering glow around him. It looked like heat was coming off Logan in waves.

Erik flew toward Ash. “Ashton! Get everyone inside! Now! Maybe even into the indoor pool at the school. This doesn’t look good! My fire protects me, so I’ll try getting close to Logan and see what’s happening.”

Ash surveyed his surroundings. Gemini split back into twins, and they and Libra abandoned the fight and ran from the field. Ash gently picked up Harvey and raced to the school. He vibrated the door until the lock snapped, and the door swung open. Ashton brought Harvey, Grace, and Bryson into the school pool area in the blink of an eye. He knelt by Harvey again while Bryson and Grace stared out the window and reported anything they saw happening on the field.

————————————————————————————————————

The boy heard the scream and felt the intense heat. He stood and started to back away until he felt his body absorbing the power. The heat didn’t burn. He took a couple steps forward and felt more energy flowing into him. He felt stronger than he ever had before. He no longer felt like the skinny kid who got bullied every day at school.

The boy continued to watch the action on the field. The speedster carried almost everyone away, and the two big, mean ones ran off. The only people left were the fire dude and the boy throwing off all the heat. The fire dude tried to help his friend but couldn’t get close. There was just too much heat, and now the other boy dropped to his knees, and the heat was even more intense.

The boy at the edge of the woods was initially scared, but now he realized he wasn’t being hurt like everyone else. He was absorbing all the heat as power. He wasn’t even sweating and could tell the other boy needed help. Whatever was happening to him was now out of control. The boy knew that he had to help. He might be the only one who could. He dashed out from the safety of the trees and ran to the other boy’s side. He knelt in front of him and took both of his hands. The power flow between them became even more intense. “Dude, you gotta stop. I’m not sure how much of your power I can absorb. I’ve never done this before!”

“I… have… to… save… my… brother!”

“Everyone is safe. You’re the only one in trouble right now. They had to go inside because of you, but they’re all safe. I saw them go into the school.”

“Me? Why did they have to leave because of me?”

“Dude, look at yourself. Can’t you feel the heat?”

Logan finally calmed enough to realize what was happening. He looked pleadingly at the boy in front of him. “Help me. Please.”

“I’m trying. Can you shut down the heat? What’s your name? I’m Sylvester. If you don’t kill us both, you can call me Sy.”

“My name is Logan. I… think I’m getting a handle on it. I…”

The heat diminished quickly. The power flowing into Sylvester ceased. Then Logan’s eyes rolled up in his head, and he passed out. Logan fell forward into Sy’s arms.

Sylvester looked up at Erik, who had finally gotten close. “Yo, fire dude, get me some water. Lots of it. And ice!”

“Will do! I’ll be right back! Thanks for the assist!” Erik flew off toward the school as fast as he could.

————————————————————————————————————

Luke and Jayden sat in a dark corner of the diner across the street from the Portside Restaurant. They watched as customers were let out one by one. Finally, even the army was gone. The boys walked across the street and saw that the restaurant was locked up tight. There was police crime scene tape on every window and door. Luke and Jayden stood on the sidewalk talking about what they should do next, and then an older couple stopped next to them. The lady spoke. “Such a shock. It’s unreal what is happening in this town. Were you two in there when it happened?”

Jayden subtly turned away from the couple and pulled his hood over his face while Luke answered their question. “No, ma’am, we were just walking by. We love this restaurant and wanted to see what was going on. What happened exactly?”

“It was just like what’s been on the news. It’s so terrible, and it’s right in our neighborhood. Freaks were battling each other, and normal people got caught in the middle. At least the army caught two of them, but our daughter was in there, and she told us that more got away. I pray that the army catches them all!”

From the corner of his eye, Luke saw Jayden slowly inching further into the shadows. He didn’t want to keep the old couple there much longer but wanted to discover everything they knew. “Were they the ones from the news clips? What did the ones that the army captured look like?”

“My daughter told me that one was a goat lady. Can you believe it? Aliens must have come down with the meteor shower last night!” The lady shivered. “Anyway, she told me the other had blue hair but looked like a normal boy. My daughter said she saw the boy having dinner with a girl right before the goat lady came in. She remembered him because of his blue hair. She said that when the goat lady came in, the blue-haired boy got up, his skin turned blue, and he shot ice right out of his hands. My daughter called him a hero. She thinks the army should have given him a medal instead of handcuffs. I say lock them all up!”

Luke shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what to think. What about the ones that got away? Did your daughter say anything else about them?”

“Just that they looked like regular folks. They blended in with the crowd and passed the police and the army. My daughter said she never saw the Ice Man’s girlfriend do anything weird, so she might be a freak lover and not a freak herself. The other one was strange, though. My daughter said there was a girl with the goat lady. She stood behind the goat and sang a song. Everyone in the restaurant dropped what they were doing and walked toward the girl like they were hypnotized. My daughter said she didn’t know what would have happened if the iceman hadn’t stepped in and then the army showed up.”

“Wow. Thank you for your time and for filling me in on what happened. Now my boyfriend and I know what to look out for. We should hurry back home and stay there.” Luke said.

The lady’s eyebrows shot up at the word ‘boyfriend,’ and she grabbed her husband’s hand. She pulled her husband along with her as she started to walk away. “Come on, Frank, let’s go home. There are all kinds of freaks out here tonight!”

Coming Soon – Episode 9: The Aftermath

 

 

 

 

 

New Justyce – Episode 6

Episode 6: Puzzle Pieces

Carl Chambers stomped into the main room at the union hall, his lion mane flying around his head. “What the hell happened, Dani? Why are we lugging two duffel bags full of rocks when it should be money?”

“Beats me. I saw the tellers fill them with money. I saw it with my own eyes.” Danielle’s eyes nearly squinted shut, then opened wide. “There was something kinda weird. When we went outside, one of the guards aimed his gun at me, and I knocked him to the ground. I swung my tail to impale him with my stinger, but I struck the concrete sidewalk, and he was twenty feet away. Maybe he had powers?”

“No. If he had powers, we’d probably be dead or in jail. Someone had powers, but I doubt the guard would have stolen the money and let us go free.”

Rick Myers turned in his seat at the minibar. “Sounds like you two had almost as much fun as I did today.” He shook his head, his bull horns nearly touching the eight-foot-high ceiling. “What exactly happened? I left before you two decided what you were gonna do.”

Carl growled. “We robbed the Newville Community Credit Union or thought we did. We left the bank with two duffel bags full of cash, but when I opened one to start counting, it was full of rocks. The other bag is the same! I have no idea how it happened. With everything going on, my only guess is there are more powered people than just us.”

“You would be correct in that assumption, and the army is already involved,” Rick said.

“Oh, this keeps getting better and better.” Danielle snapped. “What happened with you?”

The union hall doors burst open, and Jordan Winters rushed in, ice dripping off his grey fur as he stalked across the wooden floor. Jordan looked at the unhappy faces of his three friends. “Collecting the meteor rocks isn’t going to be as easy as we thought.”

“We’re all figuring that out.” Carl snarled. “Me and Dani robbed the credit union and came back here to find we had two bags of rocks. Rick was just about to tell us about his day when you came in.” Carl looked over at Rick. “Continue your story.”

Rick sighed. “I caught the scent of the meteors right outside the antique shop. The shopkeepers saw me and tried to lock the door.” Rick shrugged. “I smashed through the door, and they ran out the back. They managed to get to their car and drive away.” He chuckled. “I guess I’m fast now. They hadn’t gotten far, so I lowered my head and charged. I hit the car broadside. I must have been going thirty miles an hour. The car went airborne and flipped a few times.”

“Wow. That’s impressive.” Danielle said.

“Yeah, well, when I caught up to the car, I expected to finish the two dudes off and take the rocks, but another guy was standing in my way. I think he was reading my mind, and he could move objects without touching them. He pushed me aside like I was nothing, but I charged at him and knocked him down. I tried to finish him off, but every mailbox on the street started firing at me like missiles. I shrugged them off, but then the army showed up. I didn’t want to deal with them, so I returned here. I’m sorry, Carl. I came back empty-handed.”

Jordan reached into his pants pocket and slammed his hand onto the table. “I didn’t come back empty-handed, but I didn’t have a good time either. We need to go out in groups to hunt for these rocks. We know now that they’ve affected more than just us.” Jordan lifted his hand off the table, revealing a small pile of blue meteor rocks.

“Great job, Jordan!” Carl said. “What happened, though? And what’s with all the ice?”

Jordan shook his head, melting ice still dripping from his fur. “I followed the scent of the meteors to the high school baseball field. Half the infield is a huge crater. Something big hit there and must have been bigger than the meteor that hit us. That’s where I gathered these rocks.” He pointed at the pile of meteor rocks.

“You sound unsure of what caused the crater, Jordan. Wasn’t it still there?” Rick asked.

“No. Whatever crashed there was gone. Someone got to it before I did. It had to have been big. Maybe the army got it.” Jordan shrugged.

“What about the ice?” Carl asked.

“I was getting to that,” Jordan snapped. “After I picked up those rocks, I could smell that there were more. I followed the scent and spotted two teenage boys. I knew they had pieces of the meteor, so I charged at them. I figured I’d scare them into giving me whatever I requested, but I was wrong. The younger one hid behind the car, but the older boy exhibited abilities. It looked like the powers surprised him as much as they surprised me, but he created enough of a problem for me that they could run away. He could create ice out of thin air and shoot ice beams from his hands. He encased me in an ice cocoon for crying out loud! I could have followed him, but I thought it best to check in and take someone else with me next time.”

“Interesting,” Carl mumbled, drumming his paw-like hands on the tabletop. “One with psychic abilities, one with ice powers, and whatever Dani and I faced. There are probably more of them if there are three plus the twelve of us.” He gestured at the room they were in. “We must get out of here before the army or anyone else tracks us down. Let’s start packing everything up, the meteor first. I know of a couple abandoned warehouses where we can set up headquarters until we find something more permanent.” The other three nodded in agreement and started packing up the union hall.

 

Grace was still pacing in front of Justyce Labs and glancing at her phone when Caleb’s car finally pulled up. Grace wondered why Caleb brought a teenage boy, but she pushed that thought aside for now. “Caleb! Finally! I have a lot of questions I thought you might find interesting. There was no one else I could think of that might have any answers.”

“Not even your army contacts?” Caleb smirked.

“Especially not them. Not with this. Is there somewhere we could talk?” Grace’s eyes wandered over to Obadiah and then back to Caleb.

Caleb saw the look and nodded. “I have to wait out here for a few deliveries, but I’ll unlock the door so Obadiah can wait in the lobby.” Caleb clapped a hand onto Obie’s shoulder. “Come with me, Obadiah. I have a comfortable couch and a TV in the lobby of my lab to keep you entertained while I talk to Grace.”

“Will this TV have the same show I watched on the other one?”

“I’m not sure, but we can check and see.”

Obie looked at Grace, then continued walking with Caleb. “Do you think she knows Logan?”

“I’ll be sure to ask.” Caleb unlocked and opened the lab’s front door and ushered Obadiah inside. After setting Obie up on the couch with the TV remote, Caleb went outside to talk to Grace. “How can I help, Grace? What do you trust me with that you won’t trust the government?”

Grace arched an eyebrow. “I think you may already have an idea why I’m here. I saw that boy’s eyes. Who is he?”

“I’m not sure yet. He showed up at my sister’s house last night. He was injured and had amnesia.”

“And you didn’t take him to the hospital or call the police?”

Caleb smirked. “Didn’t you just say that we shouldn’t trust the government with whatever is going on?”

“Very true and very smart. Your sister lives on the other side of the high school, right?”

“Yes. Why do you ask that?”

“I took a walk down there while I was waiting for you. Have you seen the crater? Looks like something big hit there, but it’s gone now. The impact in the crater looked like the imprint of a body, not a rock.” Her gaze wandered toward the boy in the lobby.

“That’s interesting. I will check that out as soon as possible. Things are happening quickly, Grace. What prompted your visit?”

“Did you see the meteor shower last night and all the news clips today?”

“I didn’t witness the event, but I read about it. I’ve been busy in the lab and with my sister and Obadiah, so I haven’t kept up with the news. I do know that other strange things have been happening. Your call isn’t the only one I’ve gotten today.”

“Check your phone. I sent you a couple video links.”

Caleb’s eyes widened as he watched. Finally, he slid his phone back into his pocket. “I have heard about these beasts, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to watch the videos yet. This is amazing. Did you see this in person? Is that why you’re here? You’re not affected by this, are you, Grace?”

“I’m not surprised that you’re aware of this. No, I’m not personally affected, but I am involved. The meteor rocks that didn’t burn up in the atmosphere caused all the fires. I’ve seen one of the rocks, and it glows with the same blue light that shines in that boy’s eyes.”

“I’m not sure how he is involved, but I intend to find out. Do you still have the stone? Did you pick it up?”

“I did not touch it. That’s why I’m here. My friend Bryson has one. He fought one of those monsters that you saw in the video clips. He has superpowers.”

“Superpowers? What can he do? Can you bring him here? Since I learned about the boy, I have started gathering some items that may be involved. I would love to talk to someone who has been affected and does not have amnesia. We need to figure this thing out, Grace. I’m glad you came to me instead of the authorities.”

“You were the first one I thought of. I knew you’d want to be involved if you weren’t already. I can get Bryson to come here with me. You can talk to him and see a piece of the meteor.”

“If he allows me to examine both him and the stone, that may be key to figuring out what is happening. Now, you must excuse me, Grace. It looks like my other guests are arriving.”

Grace turned and saw two ambulances pulling into the parking lot. “Do all your guests arrive by ambulance, Caleb?”

“They were in the car accident caused by the minotaur. The same wreck that your friend Bryson was a part of. One of my associates at the hospital called me to tell me that both cases were highly unusual and glowing blue rocks were among the possessions of both men.”

“How did you get the hospital to release them to you? Never mind. I don’t want to know. What’s with the armored car pulling in behind the ambulances?”

Caleb grinned. “Another oddity. The credit union was robbed, possibly by people in animal costumes. Now, I think it may have been more of these mutants. A security guard friend called me to tell me that the surveillance footage showed something he couldn’t explain, so he sent it to me.”

“Looks like you’re going to be busy. Are you sure you want me to bring Bryson?”

“Absolutely. Obadiah has amnesia, and the other two men are in comas. Bryson could be the key to helping all of them.”

“I’ll let you get to work. I’ll text you after I talk to Bryson.”

“Wait. One other thing. Do you know anyone named Logan? He’d probably be a teenager.”

“No, but maybe Bryson does. Can I take a picture of Obadiah to show him? He might recognize the boy.”

“I took some photos for documentation. I’ll text you one.”

“Thank you. I’ll be in touch soon.” Grace’s phone beeped as she walked to her car. She opened the text, saved the picture, and immediately sent it to Bryson.

 

Grace: Bryson, do you recognize this boy? He is involved with the meteors. He may                                              also be connected to someone named Logan.

Bryson: He doesn’t look familiar. My new friend Harvey has a brother named Logan. It                           may not be the Logan you’re looking for, but I’ll send the pic to him and ask.

Grace: Thanks. I’m on my way to your house. Are you there?

Bryson: I’m at my friend Erik’s house. He’s also involved in this. I’ll be home soon.                                  I’ll meet you there.

Grace: OK. See you soon.

 

Harvey and Ashton rounded the corner, almost within sight of the Kastala house. Ash stopped and pointed across the street. “There’s Logan and Gavin right over there. I wonder where they’re off to.”

“They might be looking for me. Come on.” Harvey led Ashton across the street to meet up with his two brothers. “Yo! Where are you guys going? I was heading home to check in and tell you about what just happened to us.”

Logan lightly punched Harvey’s shoulder. “We were looking for you, you jerk! Don’t you ever answer your texts?”

“Sorry! I was kinda busy. I’ll tell you all about it at home. Let’s get off the street. A lot is going on.” Harvey said.

“More than you know! Wait until you hear about Gavin!” Logan said. “And I have a story of my own to tell. A lot has happened in the last day and a half.”

“Well, it seems we all have stories to tell. Who wants to go first?” Gavin said once they were all settled in at home.

Logan pulled the glowing blue feather out of his pocket. “I think my story takes place before any of the others, so why don’t I start?”

 

“Woah! That feather is glowing blue, just like the meteor rocks. Where did you get that, Logan?” Harvey yelled.

Logan arched one eyebrow. “That’s what I’m about to tell you.” Logan retold his story about meeting Obadiah and what happened when Obie revealed his true nature the day before. “So, just before the angel police or whatever they call themselves showed up, Obie gave me this feather and told me it would connect us. Last night, it started glowing. The feather led me to the baseball field, where I found a huge crater. Then Gavin showed up looking for me, and we noticed the blue meteor rocks. I agree that it’s not a coincidence. I think Obie came back for me, and he’s hurt. Maybe the meteors hurt him. I’m not sure about that, but it must be connected. The rocks hold power. Gavin is proof of that.” Logan grinned.

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Your new boyfriend is an angel from an alternate dimension and may have been part of the meteor storm that’s causing everything?!” Harvey’s eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape. “I thought you guys were gonna think Ash and I were crazy or lying, but now our story isn’t so weird!”

“Wait until you hear what Gav has to say.” Logan huffed out a laugh.

“Can we hurry this along? I have a date tonight.” Gavin smirked.

Ashton started laughing. “Seriously? All this is happening, and you’re planning a date?”

“Life goes on. If nothing else happens, yes, I’m going out.”

“Must be quite the girl.” Ash laughed.

“Becky Michaels.” Gav grinned.

“Oh, hell yeah. Continue planning your date. Rebekah is hot!” Ash said.

Harvey rolled his eyes and elbowed Ash in the ribs. “Don’t encourage him.”

“Ow! That hurt!” Ashton yelled.

Gavin shook his head. “Can I continue the story now?”

Ash was rubbing his ribs. “Please do.” Then he leaned against Harvey and looked up into his eyes. “You’re hot, too, by the way.”

Gavin laughed, watching his youngest brother blush and squirm. “Anyway, after I found Logan at the baseball field, we were attacked by some sort of half-man and half-ram mutant beast.” Gavin retold the story of his fight with Aries and of him and Logan narrowly escaping and running back home. “I guess I have superpowers. I don’t know if it’s permanent or will wear off, but at least this afternoon, I could shoot ice out of my hands.”

“Wow! Can you still do it? What else can you do?” Harvey asked.

“I haven’t tried, and I’m not sure. I should experiment in case any more of those monsters come around.” Gav shrugged.

“Here.” Ash handed Gavin a glass of water. “Freeze the water.”

Gavin took a deep breath and concentrated on the water. The water froze, but Gavin caused the water to freeze so quickly that the expanding ice shattered the glass. “Oops. I still have powers, but I need to practice with them.”

“That’s cool… literally! Wait until you hear what happened to Ash and me at school and in the park.” Harvey and Ashton took turns with the narrative, filling Gavin and Logan in on what happened that afternoon. When Harvey finished the story, he noticed a text message from Bryson. He opened the text and saw a picture of a teen boy and a note from Bryson: “This boy is connected to the meteors and knows someone named Logan. Does your brother know him? His name is Obadiah.”

Harvey looked over at Logan. “Didn’t you say your angel friend’s name was Obadiah?”

“Yes. Why?”

Harvey handed his phone to Logan. “Is this your friend?”

“Yes! Wait, isn’t Bryson the psychic dude in your story? Is Obie with him?”

“Yes, that’s the same guy, and I’m unsure. Let me text Bryson back while we finish up our discussions here.”

“Hurry! I need to find him. I think he’s in danger. I can feel it.” Logan gave Harvey his phone back.

Harvey texted Bryson while the four boys discussed the utterly unbelievable stories they had just shared. The fact that three of them had superpowers and the fourth was dating an interdimensional angel had all their heads spinning.

 

“Be quiet!” Carl hissed at the other three members of the Zodiac Club. They were busy packing everything up in the union hall. “Someone is coming in the delivery entrance. Probably one of us, but be ready for anything.” Carl crept into the kitchen, his lion senses on high alert. Then he heard voices he recognized, and he stood up as Brent Irons strode in, followed by an obviously angry Lisa Jensen.

Brent nearly ran to stay out of Lisa’s way. “Be careful, Lisa. This place wasn’t built to accommodate horses.”

Lisa’s hooves echoed on the wooden floors as she entered the main room. She threw the remains of her bow onto the table. The weapon was blackened, and the string was missing. She glared at Brent. “It wasn’t built to accommodate giant crabs either.” Then she looked at Carl. “We need to get out of this building, and we need a plan. There are more people than just us with super abilities.”

Carl motioned toward all the boxes. “We’re almost ready to move out. I’m waiting for everyone to get back. What happened to the two of you?”

“We were nearly incinerated. We were in the park picking up some of the meteor rocks and chasing away the picnickers, and suddenly, there were a couple of dudes with powers. One guy had superspeed, and the other threw fireballs at us.”

“There was a third boy with powers. He was emitting electricity from his body. The boy didn’t seem to know how to control his power. We left when the fire guy started heating up. It looked like he might explode! If we want to take control of this town, we need to take these guys out before they better control their abilities.”

“We have the army to worry about now, too.” Jayden Stone said from the doorway.

Luke Adams walked past his boyfriend and set a handful of meteor rocks on the table. “We didn’t encounter any powered people, but the army seems to be everywhere.”

“Did they give you any trouble?” Rick asked.

Jayden shook his head. “No, but Luke can still blend in with the normal people. I hung back in the shadows while he gathered intel.”

“Did you hear anything useful, Luke?” Carl asked.

“Yeah. We need to lie low, hide, and hope the army leaves. They’ve been collecting meteor pieces and taking exposed people into custody.”

“We’ll leave as soon as it gets dark,” Carl said.

“Where are we going?” Jayden asked.

“I know of a couple of abandoned warehouses down on Water Street that would be perfect,” Carl said.

“I know which ones you mean, and I agree. The location should be good, and the warehouses are huge and empty.” Luke said.

Eight heads turned as one when the front door opened. The five remaining members of the Zodiac Club walked in, and Carl spoke loudly.

“Gather around the table, everyone. We need to make some plans.”

 

Caleb Justyce checked and rechecked all the read-outs downloading onto his computer screen. He had been performing tests on his three new patients all afternoon. The two men from the car crash would need extensive surgeries. Caleb had some ideas about that. He needed to contact a couple surgeons that he knew would work off the radar. Brett was going to need multiple amputations. Caleb knew of one surgeon who worked extensively with bionic limb replacements.

The other patient, William, would be an even more challenging case. The man’s body sustained massive internal injuries and bleeding. Caleb tried a blood transfusion, but that wasn’t keeping up with the damage inside of William. Luckily, William’s only broken bones were a couple of ribs, but the other injuries were troubling.

Obadiah allowed Caleb to take two vials of his blood. Caleb studied the properties of the glowing blue blood and thought that it might be what William needed. Obie’s blood contained powerful healing properties. The problem was that there was no way of knowing if William’s body would accept an alien blood transfusion. Caleb shrugged. Without the transfusion, William would die, so there was no harm in trying.

Caleb glanced at Obadiah’s sleeping form. The boy looked entirely human other than the glowing blue blood and the scars on his back that suggested he may have had wings. Obadiah was a living, breathing humanoid alien. Caleb knew there was life beyond planet Earth. He had evidence right downstairs in the sub-basement of this lab, but that was a bio-synthetic virus. Caleb was so wrapped up in figuring out what to do with Obie, William, and Brett that he hadn’t been downstairs all day. Before today, the project in the basement was his number one priority. Now, it completely slipped his mind.

Coming Soon: Episode 7 – Date Night Interrupted!!

 

Rise of the Cursed Twins (Chapter 5)

Chapter 5

Bart walked across the hall to where Jonah said the washroom was. There was a big cast iron tub, a small washbasin, and a pile of towels. Bart took the basin out to the well and filled it up. Back inside, he stared into the mirrored glass on the wall. The deep purple bruise under his left eye and the red, raw cut on his lip angered him the most. He had other bruises on his chest and side, but they were covered by his shirt. The visible signs that he had been beaten were what fueled his rage toward the blacksmith’s apprentice.

The rage was building uncontrollably, and he knew what to do. As quietly as he could, he listened at Jonah’s door. No sound. Good, he must be asleep. The entire inn was quiet. Bart hoped that meant that everyone was sleeping. He took a last look to ensure no one was watching him and slipped quietly out of the inn.

Bart strolled back to the Blacksmith Shop, keeping to the shadows so anyone else who may be out on the street this late at night would not see him. He could typically control his anger better, but he couldn’t let the apprentice get away with the pain he caused him. The only way for him to get the rage back in control now was to release it upon the object of his fury, the apprentice. Bart was not afraid of the older boy or of the mountainous blacksmith, for that matter. Fear was just another emotion that needed controlling, just like anger. He eased himself into the shadows of the building across from the blacksmith shop and waited. He took a deep breath and released all his pent-up emotions, calming his mind about his plan.

Bart tried to keep entirely still, but he couldn’t keep his body from shivering in the cold. Night had fallen over an hour before. The blacksmith was already gone, but Andrew, the apprentice, was still in the shop. The darkness of the night was near total. Clouds had rolled in in what looked like preparation for a significant storm. Bart had to watch closely to ensure he saw the boy leave. Bart was fighting off sleep. He listened to the sounds of the night to keep himself alert. The rhythmic chirping of the crickets. The hooting of owls out hunting for mice. The wind of the impending storm blew through the trees. The howling of far-off wolves. He allowed all the sounds to wash over him, calming him for what was to come.

The only light source on the street was from inside the blacksmith shop. That light went out, and the apprentice stepped out into the night. Bart followed Andrew up the street, sticking to the shadows, trying to remain unseen and unheard. Andrew left the main road and started up a small path into the woods on the town’s edge. Bart followed him for another mile, picking up a massive tree branch along the way. Bart was sweating profusely now. His emotions were no longer under control. They now controlled him. He felt as if he was a passenger in his own body. He was scared. He was nervous. He was angry. He was oh so angry. Thinking back to Andrew standing over him in the street made Bart angry again. He tried to release his emotions and regain control over the situation, but he failed. His anger was boiling up uncontrollably inside of him. He could almost taste his hatred for the boy ahead of him. Bart quickened his pace and got even closer to the apprentice. Before Andrew knew Bart was there, Bart struck the back of his legs with the tree branch, knocking the boy to the ground. Andrew rolled over to face his attacker, raising his arms up in front of his face. Bart swung the makeshift club again, but not at Andrew’s face. The club struck with a sickening crunch, shattering the boy’s right kneecap. Andrew shrieked in pain and grabbed the remains of his knee, sobbing in pain.

 “You! Oh, God, it hurts so bad. Please don’t kill me. Please! He made me throw you out of the shop. It wasn’t my fault! Please!” Andrew’s tear-streaked face contorted in pain. His eyes were wide with fear, pleading desperately with the boy standing over him with a raised club, ready to strike again.

The club came down again, landing with a sickening crunch against the side of Andrew’s skull. The light faded from the boy’s eyes as the spark of life slipped slowly out of his body. Bart did not even notice these things. He rained blows down on the boy’s body until his arms were too tired to raise the club. It was like he was in a trance. The rage and hatred were in control. Bart’s mind blacked out, and when he woke up, he was sitting under an old oak tree, completely covered in hot, sticky blood. He looked over at the body of the apprentice. He could not even recognize the boy anymore. The body was just a red, pulpy mass of broken flesh and bone. Bart felt no remorse. He released that with all the other emotions. Bart took a deep breath and finally felt the emotions draining from his body.

Bart went back to the inn to clean up again. This time, he had to strip off all his clothes and sit under the well pump to get clean. Bart didn’t want to take the time to make the trips to fill the washtub. He tried to wash all the blood out of his clothes as well. Bart would be needing new clothes soon. His were all torn and tattered in many places. He returned to the washroom and dried himself off with one of the towels. He returned quietly to his room, never seeing Jonah standing in the shadows, watching.

The first rays of the dawn sunlight filtered through the dirty curtains and into the room where Bart slept; he groggily opened his eyes and looked around. For a moment, he did not remember where he was. Bart pushed himself up and off the cot, yawned, and stretched. He’d been staying with Cecilia at the inn for nearly a month, yet it still didn’t seem real. He couldn’t grasp the fact that he genuinely liked her. This had never happened to him before. He planned on moving on from the inn as soon as he had eaten and rested, but now he didn’t want to leave. He needed to know what about Cecilia drew him to her.

His thoughts then drifted to Jonah. Jonah was always watching Bart. Everywhere he went, there was Jonah. He might have to deal with Jonah. Everyone else at the inn liked and accepted Bart, everyone except Jonah. Bart’s hatred for the boy grew more uncontrollable all the time. He didn’t want to ruin what he had here with Cecilia, so he had to devise a plan to get Jonah to like him or get rid of him completely.

The day progressed much like any other at the inn—endless chores and errands. As always, Bart tried his best to avoid Jonah. But, as always, Jonah was never far away.

All these thoughts ran through Bart’s head as he finished his daily chores. Tired, he picked up the canvas sack and headed toward his room at the back of the inn. As soon as he entered his room, he felt eyes watching him. He spun around and saw a shadow detach itself from the wall. Bart took a single step back, embraced, and released the fear that tried to grip him. Bart faced the figure before him. All Bart could make out from the black-robed, hooded figure was a pair of pale yellow eyes and a glint of silver. Bart gasped. He had never seen a Shadowkin before, but he heard the stories and knew he faced one now. The Shadowkin were servants of the Enkali, the ruling class of all Talamh Arsa. From everything Bart knew, he believed that the Shadowkin could not do anything without the permission of one of the Enkali. Bart wondered why this one was here now, in his room. Why was it looking for him?

Bart felt the eyes of the Shadowkin looking intently at him, and he involuntarily shuddered. Bart felt as if something deep inside the core of his being suddenly came alive. His skin tingled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Bart felt waves of powerful energy emanating from the Shadowkin and washing over and into him. Bart felt more robust, more alive than he ever had before.

The Shadowkin’s yellow eyes widened in surprise. Bart flew across the room with one wave of the Shadowkin’s hand, crashing into the far wall. Bart expected to feel intense pain, but he hardly felt a thing. He looked up, and the Shadowkin stood there looking down at him. “You need to learn to control that magic, boy. If I did not know that you did not intend to use it against me, I would have killed you.”

Bart picked himself up off the floor. He brushed the dust and bits of sawdust off his clothes and out of his hair. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, calming himself before he spoke. “Magic? What do you mean? I have no magic. Who are you? What do you want with me?”

“You do have magic. Let us go outside and sit. My name is Ihlvo of the Shadowkin. We have much to talk about, Bartholomew.”

Bart’s young mind was racing. Magic? Him? He didn’t know magic, or did he? Was that surge of energy he felt earlier magic? Was that why he felt no pain when he smashed against the barn wall? Bart followed Ihlvo outside. He desperately needed to calm his nerves before talking to the Shadowkin. Bart tried one of the relaxation techniques he taught himself. He opened his senses to the night around him. He felt the cool night air wash over his body, chilling his pale skin and slightly ruffling his hair. He heard the crickets’ constant chirping, the mosquitoes’ buzzing, and the owls’ hooting. He smelt the smoke from the many fireplace chimneys around the village, keeping people safe and warm inside their houses. The air was also heavy, with the smell of the early spring flowers blooming around the town. He tasted the blood dripping from his nose. Bart could see by the light of the nearly full moon that he and Ihlvo were the only ones out in the yard. Now fully relaxed, Bart followed Ihlvo across the yard to a large oak tree. Ihlvo sat down and motioned for Bart to sit also. Bart sat down and leaned back against the enormous tree, feeling the rough bark through the thin cloth of his tunic.

Ihlvo began to speak. “Bartholomew, you are more than an abandoned orphan who no one wants. You have greatness inside of you. You are not even an orphan at all. Your father lives, and I am here to tell you of him.”

Bart interjected. “What? What about my mother? Do you know of her as well? I have longed to know about my parents and where I am from. I have never fit in with the families who took me in. I hated them all, and they hated me. All of them. They abandoned me and left me on my own when I was eleven years old. I was kicked out of the village with only the clothes on my back and was told never to return. Tell me of my parents, please, Ihlvo, please!”

“I will tell you everything I know, but first, I will show you. I can share my memories with you. I will show you what I can and tell you the rest. Take my hand and open your mind to me.” Ihlvo extended one hand towards Bart.

Bart was losing the control he usually had over his emotions. Parents! His mind was racing with what that could mean for him. Is his father alive? What of his mother? Why did they abandon him? Where are they now? All these thoughts raced through his young mind in the blink of an eye. He was nervous and excited to hear what Ihlvo had to say and see what Ihlvo could show him. His mouth was dry, and his hands were slick with sweat, even in the cold night air. He saw Ihlvo extend his long-fingered, grey-tinged hand towards him. Ihlvo’s skin looked dry enough to crumble away to dust at the slightest touch. The smell of rotting meat coming from the Shadowkin made Bart’s stomach lurch, but he gritted his teeth, relaxed his mind, and placed his small, pale hand into the much larger grey hand of Ihlvo.

Bart almost wrenched his hand away as soon as he touched the Shadowkin. Ihlvo’s skin was so cold it nearly burned. Bart felt as if all the heat from his entire body was draining from him through his hand. Bart grew disoriented and dizzy. His eyes started to burn like they were on fire, hotter fire than Bart had ever known. The sensations stopped, and Bart opened his eyes. He blinked, finding himself in an unfamiliar place. Bart realized that not only was he in a place he did not know, but he was looking out of Ihlvo’s eyes. This must be how memory sharing works. He was inside one of Ihlvo’s memories, reliving the moment.

Bart was outside a tiny hut where a tall, regal-looking woman stood beside him, motioning towards the door. This was very strange. He felt as if he was Ihlvo, but he had no control over his actions or movements. He could only watch as the events occurred, and muffled and indistinct sounds made everything hard to hear. Bart heard snatches of conversation or sometimes just a word here or there. In the vision, Bart waved his hand at the door, and the door exploded inward. He stepped into the hut and saw a woman cowering in the corner. Bart opened his mouth to speak, and he heard Ihlvo’s voice announce the presence of Andharia, Lady of the Enkali. Bart could not hear most of what she said, but he did hear Andharia say, “he was as deceitful with you as he always is with me,” and “Your child will be cursed to hate all those around him.”

The scene blurred and changed. Bart was once more outside the same hut. Three others were there this time: another Shadowkin, Andharia, and a tall bearded man wearing a jewel-studded crown. Bart heard Andharia call the man Bahaar, which meant he was Bahaar of the Enkali. The door to the hut swung open, and a ragged, dirty woman stumbled out, looking very distressed. She carried a cloth-wrapped bundle to Bahaar and attempted to hand it to him. Bart could not hear most of what Bahaar said, but it was crystal clear when Bahaar said, “No one must know this child is of my blood. Get it away from me.” The scene blurred and changed again.

Bart was now standing over the older woman’s body in the forest and speaking to the woman from the first vision. He heard Ihlvo say, “Yes. He ordered me to kill you, but give the boy to me if you want him to live. I will hide him far from Bahaar. He will be safe. Bahaar will not know he still lives.”

Then the woman said, “I want my son to live. Take him. His name is Bartholomew.” Then Bart watched in horror as Ihlvo took the baby in one hand, drew his sword with the other, and drove the blade deep into the woman’s chest. The scene blurred again. When Bart’s vision cleared, he was back in his body, sitting next to Ihlvo.

Bart leaped to his feet and backed a few steps away from Ihlvo. “Was that my mother? Did you kill my mother? And Bahaar is my father? Bahaar of the Enkali?”

“Yes. Yes. And yes. That woman was your mother. I did not choose to kill her. I was ordered to by Bahaar.” Ihlvo fingered the silver collar around his neck. “That is what these collars do to us. We Shadowkin are servants to the Enkali so long as we wear these collars. I had no choice, Bartholomew. We are both victims of the evil Bahaar.”

“I still don’t understand. Why did Bahaar want me and my mother dead? Why did you save me? Why did Andharia curse me? Is that why I always feel like this? No matter how I want to feel about someone, I always hate them.” Bart sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s so frustrating to always feel so much hate.” Bart leaned back against the tree and slid slowly to the ground beside Ihlvo.

 

“I will tell you as much as I know. Try to listen and not interrupt.” Bart settled in next to Ihlvo, listening intently. Ihlvo continued. “Bahaar has a long history of dalliances with human women. None of these dalliances had ever resulted in a child until you. When Andharia learned of your mother’s pregnancy, she flew into a rage. She did not dare kill a child of Bahaar without Bahaar’s knowledge, so she cursed you to a tortured existence instead. Bahaar still did not know about the pregnancy. Andharia forbade him to see your mother and hid her pregnancy from him for as long as she could. He did not learn of the pregnancy until the day of your birth. He went to the human village when he learned that your mother was pregnant and in labor. No one knew how he would react. Andharia insisted on traveling to the village with Bahaar. He ordered Toznar and me to travel with them. You saw in my memory what happened next. Bahaar rejected you and ordered the death of your mother. He did not specifically order me to kill you, just to dispose of you. The vague wording of his orders allowed me to spare your life. I sensed great power in you. Never have I encountered a being with such a strong connection to the magic as you. If you can learn to use and control the magic, you could become a powerful wizard.”

Bart’s eyes grew wide as Ihlvo described the magic inside of him. He wanted to stop Ihlvo and ask him the hundreds of questions running through his mind. But, he bit his tongue, stayed quiet, and allowed Ihlvo to continue uninterrupted.

“I could find no loophole in Bahaar’s order to kill your mother. As much as it pained me, I carried out the order. I took you to a faraway village and left you on the doorstep of a human couple, hoping they would care for you as if you were their own. We Shadowkin cannot travel without permission from the Enkali, so I could not check in on you until this very night. I am pleased to find you well and beginning to discover your magical abilities. The dark magic of the curse is the reason for your deep hatred of others. The more you want to care for someone, the more you will hate them. You have more questions, Bartholomew?”

Bart looked up at Ihlvo, tears welling up in his pale green eyes, fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling with rage. His voice, through his gritted teeth, sounded like the snarl of an angry dog. “I hate them. I hate them both. I don’t even think it is the magic of the curse this time. I hate them so much. I hate Andharia for cursing me before I was even born, ruining any chance I may have had for a happy life. I hate Bahaar for having my mother killed and rejecting me. If I am as powerful as you say, I want to make them suffer as much as I have. I want them on their knees, begging me for their lives, and then I want to obliterate them.”

Ihlvo grinned slyly and patted Bart on the back. “You will have the power to do that someday. You must be patient for now. Magic takes a hard toll on the body. You must strengthen your body as well as your mind. I will be here when I can to teach you magic. Work hard at the magic and training your body, and you will realize your goals. Once you are strong enough, I must use your magic to free the Shadowkin from these accursed collars. With us at your side, you can take down Bahaar, Andharia, and the rest of the Enkali once and for all.

Bart grinned. “When do we start?”

Rise of the Cursed Twins (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4

The boy stood at the top of the hill and looked down at the town. His blonde hair was slicked back from the driving rain, his bare feet ankle-deep in mud, and his hands clenched into fists that hung limply at his sides. The boy howled in rage into the storm that swirled all around him. His energy was now spent, and he collapsed in a heap and slept until the bright, hot morning sun woke him.

 

The confidence with which the tall, lanky boy strolled into the village, contrasted with his dirty appearance and ragged clothing. His bare feet slapped the hard-packed dirt street with each step as he slowly scanned the storefronts before deciding what he should do. A look of fierce determination on his young face, he stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and entered the blacksmith shop. He stopped just inside the door, blinking his pale green eyes, adjusting to the dim interior of the shop. Brushing his unruly blonde hair out of his face, he walked towards the large man hammering away at the forge. Though tall for his age, Bart felt utterly dwarfed by the blacksmith. The smith was clearly a foot taller and two hundred pounds heavier than Bart’s five foot six and a hundred and twenty pounds.

 The smith caught sight of Bart, turned towards the boy, and bellowed. “Boy! Why are you in my shop?! You do not look like a paying customer! Get out now!” The smith waved one hand dismissively at Bart, trying to point Bart back towards the door.

Bart felt the old, familiar rage boiling inside of him. He took one deep breath, held it for a moment, and released the anger and the breath. At thirteen, Bart now had near-perfect control of his emotions, especially anger. He had to. Rage was a near-constant companion for Bart. The only constant companion he had ever had. With his feelings again under control, Bart raised one dirty hand, brushed a stray lock of blonde hair out of his pale green eyes, and looked up at the man still yelling for him to get out of the shop. This time, it was the blacksmith who was kicking him out. Bart didn’t need to hear what the man said as he had been getting the same reaction from every shopkeeper in every village for the last two months. He wasn’t asking for handouts. He just wanted to do some chores in exchange for food and maybe a warm place to sleep for a couple of nights. Bart’s thin frame was weakening from lack of food and little sleep. He needed both desperately. Bart focused back in on what the blacksmith was saying to him.

“Get out of my shop now, boy. I already have an apprentice to do all the necessary chores, and your filthy stink is driving away my customers. You smell like the inside of a cow stall. Get out.”

“Please, sir, I haven’t eaten for days. I am willing to do whatever work you have that needs doing. I need a little food. Please. I don’t want a handout. I’m willing to work hard at any task you give me.” Bart looked directly into the blacksmith’s eyes, pleading with him one last time.

The blacksmith, unmoved by Bart’s plea for help, turned his head and yelled.” Andrew, get your lazy behind out here and get this filthy beggar out of my shop, now!” A tall, wide-shouldered boy lumbered out of the back room, a look on his face like an angry storm cloud. He leaned a battered-looking broom against the wall and wiped his large hands on the dirty apron hanging at his waist. Though he was not much older than Bart, Andrew’s body rippled with muscles. He had been working for the blacksmith for several years and eating more often than Bart ever had. Bart saw the boy walking towards him and started to go back to the door. Andrew closed the distance between himself and Bart in seconds and, without warning, gave him a two-handed shove to the chest, knocking Bart backward through the open door. Bart lost his balance and fell into the dusty street outside the blacksmith shop. Bart struggled to his feet and was immediately struck in the left eye by Andrew’s massive right fist. Bart attempted to get back to his feet, but the apprentice hit him in the face again. This time, the boy’s fist split Bart’s lip open. Dazed, Bart felt the blood dripping down his chin as he closed his eyes and tried to get the world to stop spinning. Andrew grabbed Bart by the back of his shirt and dragged him across the street. Bart tried to struggle free of the bigger boy’s grasp. Bart’s struggles only succeeded in getting him repeatedly kicked in the ribs.

Andrew looked down at the battered and bloody boy at his feet. “Never come back to this shop again. My master does not want you here. If you return, I will beat you even worse.” Andrew turned without another word and stalked back to the blacksmith shop.

 Bart groaned in agony. His left eye throbbed and was already swollen shut. He ran his tongue over the cut on his lip and tasted fresh blood still dripping from the wound. His chest hurt if he tried to breathe too deeply, hopefully, bruised and not broken ribs. Bart rolled himself into a sitting position and leaned his back against the side of the building. He glowered across the street at the blacksmith shop with his one good eye. His body shook as the rage flowed through him. Bart was furious. His hands balled into tightly clenched fists, and little half-moons of blood sprouted up under his fingernails. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from howling in rage. He looked down and saw a large bruise already forming where the boy had roughly gripped his arm and dragged him across the street. Bart clenched his fists tighter and felt the blood from his palms dripping down the sides of his hands.

Bart closed his eyes and pictured what he wanted to do to the blacksmith’s apprentice. Bart imagined what he wanted to do to the blacksmith. He envisioned what he wanted to do to everyone around him. Bart hated them. He hated them all. Even the few people who had ever been kind to Bart, he hated them most of all. The nicer someone was to him, the more he hated them. He knew that someday they would betray him. They all always did. So, if he let himself care, he would open himself up to even worse pain. Therefore, the people who acted as if they liked him were the most dangerous of all. He had to push them away even further than the rest. As Bart pictured all this in his mind, he felt a surge of energy, and his whole body itched and tingled. His pain seemed to lessen slightly, and Bart opened his eyes and stood up. He glanced at the blacksmith shop one last time and saw the apprentice still looking out of the shop towards him. Bart turned and walked up the street away from the shop, still plotting revenge.

He had to get away for now. He had to get his anger under control and decide what to do next. The first thing he needed to do was clean himself up. His hands were bloody, and he was even dirtier than he was before. Bart walked further up the dusty street. He saw an inn and thought he could clean up and maybe beg for food. He looked through the inn’s window and saw a middle-aged woman tending the bar and a young girl waiting tables and serving food. He hoped the middle-aged woman was the inn owner. She looked like someone who might help a young boy in trouble. He wasn’t sure what he would say to her, but he stepped forward and pushed through the door to the inn. He only took a few steps into the inn when suddenly he became very dizzy. The room started to spin, and he collapsed on the floor. As he lost consciousness, Bart thought he heard a glass break and a woman scream.

 

After Bart walked up the street, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the building. The individual was wearing a heavy black cloak and had the hood pulled all the way forward, completely covering their face. The figure glided over and bent down right where Bart had been sitting in the grass. The once lush green grass was now yellow, dry, and wilted. There were also drops of Bart’s blood on the grass from the cuts on his hands and lip. The figure extended one sickly grey hand out, pulled up some yellowed grass, rolled it between his long, bony fingers, and dropped it back to the ground. He wiped up a spot of the blood and licked it off his finger with his pointed yellow tongue. The figure nodded to himself, knowing that the boy had finally used magic, even if he was unaware of that fact. With one wave of his hand, the figure turned the yellowed grass green again, wiping away any trace of magic. The Shadowkin called Ihlvo turned and faded back into the buildings’ shadow. The child of Bahaar was growing in power. Soon, Ihlvo’s plans would begin in earnest.

 

Bart felt a presence hovering over him, and he slowly opened his right eye. The worried face of the middle-aged woman, the woman he had seen just before he entered the inn, greeted him. Bart pushed himself up to a sitting position. “Wha-what happened?”

The woman steadied Bart with a hand on his shoulder. “You poor boy. You stumbled into my inn and collapsed on the floor! You look terribly beaten! Who has done such an evil thing to such a sweet, innocent boy?!” Tears dripped from her eyes, and she looked down at Bart as if he were her own son.

Bart decided it best not to mention the blacksmith or the apprentice. Instead, he told a story of strangers on the road brutally attacking him. “Ma’am, there were two of them. Big men. I never saw what they looked like. They beat me, took everything I had, and left me by the side of the road. When I woke, I made my way here to this inn. It took all the strength I had to make it this far. I guess I passed out. If someone could help me up, I will be out of your way as soon as I rest for a bit.” He sighed and lay back on the floor.

“No. No. No. You are not going anywhere, my dear boy.” She looked back over her shoulder at the people in the inn. “Jonah! Help this boy up and sit him at the table by the corner window.” Next, she yelled at one of her servers. “Emily! Go to my room, get the little black pouch by my bed, and then get me a steak from the kitchen. Move! Both of you!” She looked back down at Bart. “My name is Cecilia Greene. You are going to be staying with me for a while. What is your name?”

“I am Bartholomew. You can call me Bart, though. I don’t want to be any trouble. Really.”

“Quiet, little one. It is no trouble at all. My own sons moved off on their own to start their own families. Let me take care of you. Now you sit back and tell old Cecilia everything that happened while I tend to your cuts and bruises.” Emily arrived with the first aid pouch, and Jonah finished helping Bart to the table by the window. Cecilia sent the two off on other errands and inspected Bart’s wounds closely before starting her work.

Bart winced in pain each time Cecilia cleaned a cut or applied some ointment to a bruise, but he talked through the pain. Deep down, he knew he didn’t want Cecilia, or anyone else, to learn of his fight at the smithy. Therefore, he spun Cecilia a different tale.

“I have been traveling on my own for a long time. I mostly stick to the forest and fend for myself. I try to avoid people as much as I can, especially towns. I… don’t have much luck dealing with people.” Bart cast his eyes downward. He cleared his throat and continued his story. “I was in the woods northwest of the village. Hunting was getting me nowhere. I could find no game anywhere. The fish weren’t biting. I haven’t eaten in four days! I was so hungry that I left the forest against my better judgment and found the road leading into town. I hoped to find work to earn money to buy some food. About a half-mile or so from the town, two men jumped me. They were hiding behind an overturned wagon, and as I passed the wagon, they attacked. When I woke up, I hurt everywhere. I was lying in a ditch on the side of the road, bloody and bruised. Everything I had with me, which wasn’t much to begin with, was gone: my knife, my fishing pole, and a few coins, all gone. I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t sure if they were still around. I was scared they might attack me again and kill me this time, so I got up and made my way into town. I saw the inn and hoped maybe I could clean myself up here. I guess I passed out. I woke up, and you were there. Thank you for taking care of my cuts. I don’t know how I can ever repay you. I have nothing now.” Bart lowered his gaze again. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, surprised at the depth of his own emotions.

Cecilia patted his arm. “Don’t worry about paying me for helping you, and don’t worry about leaving my inn. You said you came into town looking for work to get some food. I have plenty of work for you to do around here. I am always looking for someone to help with things. You rest and heal. When you are back on your feet, I will put you to work, and then we can talk about wages and repayments.” Cecilia turned her head toward Jonah, who was still at the table listening attentively to everything the young stranger had to say. “Jonah, go to the kitchen and get Bart something to eat. For now, get him some bread, cheese, and a big bowl of hot soup, and we’ll see if we can fill his hungry belly.” Cecilia patted Bart’s arm again and smiled at the boy. She got up from the table and called Emily. “Emily, get Bart a pitcher of water and keep him company until Jonah returns with dinner.”

Bart found himself smiling, which confused him. He genuinely liked Cecilia. She was kinder to him than anyone had been in longer than Bart could remember. Cecilia offered him food, a place to sleep, and a job. There was no way Bart would say no. After all, it was what he had come to town for. He had just not planned on feeling this way about someone. The only emotions Bart could ever remember feeling were anger and hate. Cold hatred or burning hot rage. This warm feeling of affection was new to him, and it confused him. Emily returned to the table with a water pitcher, interrupting his thoughts. Emily was a beautiful girl. He guessed her to be about sixteen, three years older than him. She had long blonde hair tied back to keep it from her face while working. Bart stood to pull the chair out for her to sit, and he noticed he was slightly taller than she was.

When Bart pulled the chair out for her, Emily set the pitcher of water down, leaned over, and kissed Bart on the cheek. “Such a sweet boy. Even though you are in terrible pain, you are still a fine young gentleman. Some girl will be lucky to have you someday.” Emily smiled and sat across the table from Bart.

The rage appeared quick and powerful; he almost couldn’t control it. He clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and took deep breaths. The kindness from Emily triggered the old familiar anger. Bart was even more confused now than before. What was it about Cecilia that allowed him to like her? He didn’t know, but he wanted to. He desperately wanted to be able to like people. He knew he had to spend more time with Cecilia and figure out what was different about her.

Bart opened his eyes and saw the worried look on the face of Emily. “Sorry.” He said through clenched teeth. “My ribs hurt really bad.” He took another deep breath and exhaled the rage as he had taught himself to do. He looked back at Emily again. “Thank you for your kind words, Emily. I can’t remember when people were as nice to me as you and Cecilia.” He stuttered and stammered another thank you as he poured himself a glass of water.

Before long, Jonah arrived with a plate of food for Bart. “Emily, Cecilia wants you to get back to work. Customers are waiting for their food.” As Emily left the table, Jonah slipped into her chair. He folded his hands and stared across the table at Bart. “Who are you really? And what happened to you? Bandits don’t roam the streets of this town. And if they did, why would they bother with a scrawny beggar like you?” Jonah sneered at Bart. “I don’t believe one word of your story. I’m going to keep an eye on you. Cecilia is a good person, and I won’t have you take advantage of her good nature.”

  Bart sat back, folded his hands in front of himself, and took two long, deep breaths. He looked directly at Jonah. “Every word I told Cecilia is true, Jonah. Why would I lie? Look at me. Aren’t my bruises all the proof you need? What more do you want?”

Jonah stared at Bart for a minute. “I’m not sure. I don’t trust you. Your story is ridiculous. Your injuries are real, though. I’ll give you that.” Jonah squinted his eyes, deep in thought. “I… just don’t know.”

Bart looked down, fiddled with his hands, and looked back at Jonah. Even though he hated this boy, he needed to stay at the inn for now, so he had to get everyone here to like and trust him. Bart had learned to smile and charm people into liking him, even though he hated them. He bottled up the hate and smiled at Jonah. “Please, Jonah. Give me a chance to prove myself. I don’t want handouts. I am willing to work hard for anything Cecilia does to help me. I’m not lying to you. I was badly beaten, and I have nothing except the clothes I’m wearing.”

Jonah sighed. “Ok, Bart. I won’t cause you any trouble with Cecilia, but I’m still not sure I believe you. If you stay, we’ll probably work together on lots of chores. Let’s get to know each other better. How long have you been on your own? My own parents died two years ago. I’ve been staying here at the inn with Cecilia ever since.”

Bart avoided as many of Jonah’s questions as he could. He deflected other questions back at Jonah and changed the subject as often as was possible. Part of the reason was that he didn’t want Jonah to know much about him, but mostly, it was because Bart did not know much about his own childhood. He didn’t know who his birth parents were or even where he was born. Bart bounced from family to family and village to village as each family got tired of caring for the boy. The last family even accused him of doing evil, vile things. The woman gave birth to a new baby while Bart was there. The baby disappeared from the hut one night, and they found him dead in the forest. They blamed Bart for the child’s death. They would have hung him, but they had no proof that he did it, so instead, they banished him from the village. That was two years ago. Bart had only been eleven years old. He never even tried to stay with a family after that. He didn’t need them. He could make it on his own! Now, here he was again. In another town and surrounded by people. He figured he’d stay long enough to fill his belly, rest, and then move on. He didn’t trust people. He was better off on his own.

Bart looked up from his reverie and realized it had gotten dark, and Jonah was still talking. “I’m sorry, Jonah. I zoned out. I’m tired. Can you show me where Cecilia wants me to sleep?”

“Sure. Come on.” Jonah got up and led Bart to a room at the very back of the inn. “Right in here. The washroom is across the hall, and my room is right next to yours if you need anything. Goodnight, Bart. I’m glad we talked.” Jonah walked away and left Bart alone in the room.

 

Rise of the Cursed Twins (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

The great green dragon, Colossus, soared through the bright blue, cloudless sky. His mission for Bahaar was complete, so he flew towards the north, looking for a suitable new home. He flew up and over a chain of mountains. Down the other side of the hills, he soared. Colossus spied a small town at the base of the mountains and at the edge of a great forest. He wanted to avoid towns, but he was curious about what kinds of creatures lived near where he might choose a home. He flew over the village. Gnomes. The corners of Colossus’s mouth twitched in what was as close to a dragon can get to a smile. Gnomes once freed Colossus from a very hefty burden and allowed him to explore the world. Colossus’s mind wandered back to that story as he continued his flight north, searching for a home.

 

A long time ago, a colony of gnomes lived in the northern kingdom. The gnomes were a peaceful race. Most young gnomes learned the healing trades, healing both plants and animals. Whether physicians or arborists, they helped as much as they could. Most gnomish families were comprised of a mother, a father, and three or four children. The eldest child, male or female, inherited the parents’ lands. Upon adulthood, the other children would complete their training in their chosen field and leave the family home. If they were lucky, they would find work within the colony. If not, they were sent out into the world. Gnome healers were the best in all the lands. They could be found in every kingdom in all the known world.

Within this colony, in the town of Gnarlack, there lived a vast family of gnomes consisting of nine brothers. A tragedy recently struck the family. Wild beasts killed their parents. Their parents regularly traveled back and forth between villages, and on one such trip, they never returned. The family estate was quite large, as were the flourishing physician practices left by both parents. Knowing he needed help, the eldest brother agreed to recognize the second eldest as an equal partner in the estate.

The younger seven brothers met one night after their elder brothers retired to their beds. The most senior spoke first. “My brothers, we must decide what we are to do. Our elder brothers are searching for wives and running the estate. When they start families of their own, there will be no place for us here, yet we are not old enough to start our own estates. Let us devise a plan so we are not displaced with nowhere to go.”

One of the younger brothers yelled out. “Adventure!”

Another young sibling chimed in. “Yes! Adventure! Let’s explore the lands outside the colony, my brothers!”

A third brother added. “All of us together!”

The eldest spoke again. “Do you all want this? It may be a tough life to leave the colony so young. With all of us together, though, we should be able to handle whatever comes our way.” He looked at the youngest, a tiny gnome of just seven summers. “Brody, you are the youngest of us. If you agree to this and are willing to risk the wild unknown, I will also agree to go.”

“Josiah, it was I who first shouted for adventure. I love our farm, our colony, but let us go and find new things.” Brody replied with a grin.

Josiah cleared his throat and looked from one brother to the next, looking directly at each one. “Very well, then. We will begin gathering supplies tomorrow and leave within a fortnight.”

————————————————————————————————————

The brothers gathered around the large, dark crevice in the earth. They left their town, their entire colony, behind weeks ago. They passed through several small human villages and met a few traveling gnomes. However, they mostly followed the mountain’s edge towards the west, looking for a passage through the mountains. They dreamed of traveling south. They knew of no gnome who traveled beyond the hills and wished they would find a way to be the first.

In their journey, they made no new discoveries or exciting adventures until now. Josiah dropped a stone into the crevice, and they could not hear it hit bottom. He looked at his brothers and spoke. “We’ve wanted an adventure. The south wall of this crevice looks climbable. Shall we go down into the crevice or pass it by?”

The third eldest brother, Ezekiel, spoke. “I say we go—all of us. If only one climbed down and all was well, time would be wasted returning for the rest of us. And if there is danger, it would be safer for all of us to be together.”

They all agreed on the plan and began the descent into the crevice.

 

The gnome brothers, now on the floor of the impossibly deep chasm, huddled together. Brody looked up, eyes wide. “I can’t even see the sky anymore. And what’s with the weird blue glow coming off the river?”

A wide river wound through the chasm, disappearing into the distance. The blue glow from the river dimly lit the abyss and made the gnomes’ pale yellow skin look almost the same shade of blue as their eyes. 

Josiah spoke. “Brothers, this is an extraordinary thing we have found. The chasm is so deep that we cannot see the sky, yet this river glows with a blue light. I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like this. Shall we continue ahead or climb out of this place?”

Brody answered. “Josiah,” he looked around the circle. “all my brothers, it is because it is new, different, and weird that we should go forward. We left our town to find a new place for us in the world. We wanted an adventure, and this is that adventure. I say we go forward, not back to the same old boring things on the surface.”

The other five brothers all voiced agreement with Brody. After a brief rest, they all got up and followed the river upstream. The river wound through the rock, sometimes winding one way and sometimes back the other way. The cavern surrounding the river was always uniformly large. The small-statured gnomes felt even smaller than usual in such a large cavern. Even Josiah, the eldest and almost an adult, stood barely four feet tall. The diameter of the cavern had to be over fifty feet.

The gnomes lost all track of time in the weirdly glowing caverns. There was no sun, moon, or stars to judge the passage of time. Days, weeks, months, they no longer knew. They were tired. They were hungry. They bickered with each other about every little thing, with one exception. They all agreed they had to continue forward and not back towards the crevice.

The sameness of their seemingly unending journey numbed their minds, and they almost failed to notice the sparkling green lights flickering all around them. The second youngest, Jaedon, noticed first. “Brothers!” Shouted Jaedon. “Look! All around us, even on us, sparkly green light! I’ve seen nothing like it since we’ve been down here. What can it mean?”

Matheus, the middle of the seven, replied. “Jaedon, you are right. It’s the first different thing we have seen down here in a very long time. Let us hurry. Maybe we are near the end of our journey.”

The brothers quickened their pace and rounded the next corner. As one, all seven stopped dead in their tracks. The tunnel ended in a cavern that was even more massive than the tunnel itself. The ceiling loomed at least a hundred feet over their heads. The glowing blue river ended at an enormous lake that glowed with the same blue light. A waterfall cascaded down into the opposite end of the lake. The waterfall flowed out of a crevice near the top of the cavern.

All of this amazed the gnomes. However, these wonders paled in comparison to the cavern’s lone occupant. A tremendous green dragon sat quietly beside the lake, staring at the gnomes. The dragon lowered its head until it looked straight at them with its massive yellow-green eyes. “Who are you, little creatures, and how did you find your way into my domain? I have been here for an eternity, and you are the first beings I have seen since the elders left me here. Why have you come to the source of all magic? If your intentions are evil, I will destroy you. Answer quickly, but answer true. I will know if you lie to me.”

While the dragon spoke, the gnomes fell to their knees and bowed their heads to him. Josiah lifted his head, looked directly into the dragon’s eyes, and stood. “Oh, great and powerful lord dragon, we are humble gnomes from the village of Gnarlack. Our parents were killed in the forest by beasts, and our two elder brothers took over the care of our home. We decided to adventure out to find our own way in the world. We discovered a massive crevice in the ground, leading us here. We knew not of the existence of this place or of you. If we are unwelcome, we will gladly leave and never return.” Josiah fell to his knees and bowed his head.

The dragon’s eyes narrowed in concentration, then he opened his eyes, looked at the group of gnomes, and spoke. “Stand, little gnomes, for I sense the truth in your story and goodness in your hearts. My name is Colossus, and I was the first living creature created by the Elders, whom you refer to as the Enkali. I stand guard over the source of all magic, and I have since my creation. The hole in the ground of which you speak should not exist. Since you spoke of it, I have searched with my mind and found seven such holes throughout the world. This troubles me. I possess great power, but I still cannot protect seven places simultaneously.”

Brody allowed his childish emotions to escape and interrupted Colossus’s speech. “Lord Colossus, sir. Oh, great and powerful dragon, there are seven of us. May we assist you?”

Colossus swung his massive head towards Brody. “Little one, silence your rude and loud tongue! However, you make an interesting point. Seven gnomes, seven chasms. The fates may smile on me this day.” He looked at them all in turn. “After thousands of years in this cavern, I am weary of my task. I long to see the outside world. Now, with those chasms, my task becomes even more difficult. If you all are willing, I could grant you immortal life and bestow upon you great power. There would be conditions and limitations, however.”

Jaedon scrunched up his tiny face and looked up at the dragon. “What do you mean by conditions and limitations?”

Colossus began to speak again. “What I mean, young gnome, is that though you would have unlimited access to the purest form of magic, you would only be able to wield it when someone casts a wish. The one casting the wish must make an offering fitting the wish they cast. Furthermore, the fulfillment of the wish must not affect the balance of good and evil. Keeping the balance is the most important task. I don’t mean the individual’s wish can’t benefit a good or an evil cause. It can. The wish may not unbalance good and evil for all time.”

The brothers began speaking amongst themselves. They made their decision, and Josiah stepped forward. “Lord Colossus, we came looking for adventure and our place in this world. You offer more than we ever dreamed possible. We wish to help you. What must we do?”

Colossus looked them over and nodded to himself. “First, I must test you, mind, body, and soul. Dip yourselves into the river of magic and return to me.”

The gnomes completed the task and returned to stand before Colossus. Brody spoke to the dragon. “Lord Colossus, we dipped ourselves into the magic. What more do you require of us?” Brody waited expectantly for an answer.

The dragon did not speak. He, instead, drew his head back and belched forth green fire. The dragon fire engulfed all seven gnomes. The gnomes screeched in pain and surprise. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the fire disappeared.

The gnomes looked at each other, and all started talking at once. Then, Jaedon disappeared in a flash of light. The remaining six brothers were all struck speechless. They turned and looked everywhere, looking for their missing brother. Auberon disappeared not a minute later.

Josiah spun around to face Colossus. “Lord Dragon? What happened to my two brothers? Have we failed your test?” Before Colossus could answer, a scream from Brody interrupted them.

“Josiah! Josiah! Ezekial and Zhalker disappeared, too! Shall we disappear next?” Brody buried his face into his brother’s sleeve and wept. Josiah turned towards where his remaining two brothers stood just in time to witness Matheus and Brody disappear in twin flashes of light. Suddenly, Josiah found himself alone with the great dragon. He turned and faced Colossus. “Oh, great and powerful dragon, have we failed? Are my brothers all dead? Am I next? In your infinite power, could you grant us another chance?”

Colossus looked down at the tiny gnome. “My little friend, quite the opposite is true. You have all passed the test and been accepted as the new guardians of the source of magic. I have been freed from my bonds. I am forever in your debt.”

“What happened to my brothers, Lord Colossus?” Josiah asked, concern still in his shaky voice.

“They have been sent to the other six chasms I spoke of before. The knowledge they need to perform their task has been given to them by the elders. You are the guardian of the chasm above us. I will tell you the rest of what you need to know.”

Josiah sighed in noticeable relief. “It is good to know that my brothers are alive and safe. I will never see them again, though, will I?”

Colossus bent his head down close to Josiah. “No, my friend, you most likely will not. Sit a moment, and I will tell you of your task as guardian.”

“As you wish, my Lord Dragon.” Josiah sat in front of the dragon’s snout and listened.

Colossus began. “As a guardian, you must protect the chasm from intruders. No one must be allowed to enter, such as you and your brothers did. Build a well over the mouth of the chasm. The well will become a symbol of the wishes that can be granted. You now have immortal life and unlimited power, but both are tied to the wish magic. Other beings that draw upon the magic draw upon it diluted through the land. The source funnels magic into all living things. That is the magic that those in the land above draw upon. Only you and your brothers draw upon the undiluted source. You can only use the magic in response to a wish, however. And even then, you may never unbalance the scales of good and evil. An individual wish may seem good or evil, but the wish must not alter the overall balance. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Colossus, I understand.” Josiah nodded, still listening intently to the dragon.

“One final thing before I leave you. You only remain immortal if you remain near your well. If you abandon your post as a guardian, your powers will fade, and time will catch up to you. Do you still accept this responsibility?” Colossus waited for his response.

“Yes, Lord Colossus, I understand and willingly accept this responsibility. I know the limitations and consequences of all you told me.” He bowed his head to the dragon.

“Do not fear, little gnome. One last bit of dragon fire to send you on your way.” Colossus breathed a puff of fire that surrounded Josiah. Josiah disappeared in a flash of light as his brothers had before him.

Alone again in the cavern that has been his only home throughout his unnaturally long life, Colossus leaned down and took a deep drink from the river of pure magic. Then, he, too, disappeared in a flash of light.

Colossus reappeared in a lush green forest. He looked around at all the things that he had never seen before. He breathed in deeply of the fresh, clean air. Finally, for the first time, he flapped his massive wings and rose into the air. He roared in happiness and excitement as he flew off to start an adventure of his own.

 

Colossus’s mind cleared, and he, once again, became aware of his present-day surroundings. He flew many miles while his mind wandered through the past. He was now near the intersection of two mountain chains, near the land of the trolls. He landed outside of Troll Nation and found a suitable cave for a home. Colossus was tired from his journey and settled in for a long, well-deserved sleep.