The Lesser One Arc 2 Chapter 16: Advice is Given

 

Advice is Given

Chris continues to stand, as if waiting for something.

I motion towards a chair. “Sit.”

She sits with the grace born of an elf.

“Marphet told me you would be my bodyguard.” I sit down at the head of the table.

Chris tilts her head. “Yes.”

I open my palms. “Anything else?”

Chris tilts her head. “Not that I know.”

“What is your spirit?”

“Fire.”

“You’re quite cold for someone who uses fire as their spirit.”

Chris appears confused. “Explain.”

“I, ah, I was just saying that your hands were very cold …”

“I understand.” Chris looks at Sebastian, her eyes still mysterious.

Sebastian bows. “It appears we will be working together for the foreseeable future.”

“You his bodyguard?” Chris stares at Sebastian.

“Not specifically.” Sebastian appears a bit flustered. “I prefer the role of combat butler.”

“I see.”

Chris is silent, and so is the room.

Jirgrar stands up. “Then we shall put things into motion. Talk to Mandrake about infiltrating the Dark Silverbones and see if he has anything to say about it.” He snaps his fingers and a portal appears near me.

“That’s it?” I stand up.

“Is there anything else you would like to talk about?”

“No, not really.” I look at the portal. “Well, I suppose it’s time for me to go.”

I step through the portal and reappear at my penthouse apartment above the Esmex building.

Chris and Sebastian step out behind me.

I turn to face them. “Well then.”

Chris’s expression is as cold as ever. Sebastian bows. “Let us return to the ground floor.”

We take the elevator to the ground floor. Both Sebastian and Chris are silent. When we arrive at the limousine outside the building Chris stops.

“This is extravagant.” Her eyes display a hint of emotion.

“Our employer needs to appear in good taste.” Sebastian opens the door for Chris, motioning her to get in.

Chris pauses, and then ducks into the limo. I get in next to her, and then sit across from her on the backward-facing couch. Chris folds her hands on her lap and keeps her eyes on me. I note that, in this moment, she appears very beautiful. Almost like a Greek statue. I can’t seem to feel anything but frost coming from her, however. I am a bit uncomfortable during the entire ride to the Brights’ mansion.

When we arrive I see someone I haven’t met before in the garden. He is holding his hands over a bush, and the bush is morphing in shape as if it were being sculpted. He looks up as we pull into the driveway.

He greets me as I get out. “Hello, Mr. Red.”

I wave. “Hello. I don’t think I’ve met you before.”

The man approaches me to shake my hand. “Blake. Spirit is chlorophyll. I’m one of the Brights.”

I shake his hand. “Markus Red. S-class adventurer. I’d like to speak with Mandrake.”

Blake turns around. “I think he’s free right now. Follow me.”

We follow him into the mansion. Ari, the rather fat woman with a dictionary spirit, is sitting in a rocking chair while reading a book. She looks up as we enter. “Ah, Markus?” She folds up her book. “Just a moment, let me prepare some tea. There are three of you, right?” She puts her hand over her mouth. “Oh, an elf. I haven’t seen one like you outside of a portal before.”

“I have been given corporeality by Sir Markus here.”

I look at her. “Sir?”

“Is that nomenclature insufficient?”

“No, just a bit stiff.” I watch as Ari heats up some water in a rather modern looking tea kettle.

Chris’s eyes narrow. “Is there something else you would wish me to call you?”

“Just Markus.” I cross my arms.

“Very well then.” She takes out a small notebook and writes something in it with a fancy pen, folding it up and placing it in her pants pocket when she is done.

“Tea will be ready in a few minutes, sweetie.” Ari sets some tea cups on a rich wooden table. “In the meantime, do you want me to get Mandrake?”

“Yes please.” I sit down on a comfortable recliner.

Ari cups her hands around her mouth. “Mandrake! Markus is here to speak with you!”

It was a bit unexpected but, looking at it, the action fits her character. Ari sits down on the other side from me and leans forward. “So how’s your love life?”

“Er, uh.” I grimace. “Not good.”

“No?” Ari smiles sweetly. “That’s not a bad thing. Being single really can be better in some ways.”

Mandrake comes out of the second floor hallway and starts walking down the grand staircase. “Markus.” He reaches the bottom step. “Sorry about before. I couldn’t talk to you because we were performing a very important ritual. Now that it’s over I have plenty of time.”

“Tea, anyone?” Ari takes the kettle off the heat and pours a very suave cup of tea.

I take a cup and taste it. It’s really good.

“No sugar?” Ari holds a sugar cube out to me.

I shake my head.

Mandrake sits down in a chair next to Ari.

Ari looks at Chris, who is still standing next to me. “Sit?”

Chris nods and sits down next to me.

Ari looks at Sebastian but he shakes his head, continuing to stand near the doorway.

Mandrake folds his hands in front of him. “Tell me. What are you planning to do about the situation you’re in? Are you going to hand the antimatter to Biren? Have you even made it yet?”

“We’ve made it.” I lean forwards.

“Can I look?”

“It’s unstable. Not right now.”

Mandrake opens up his arms. “Well then. What do you need my advice on?”

“I’m planning on using the antimatter to detonate a bomb while as many Darks as possible are in the same place.”

Mandrake whistles. “Kid, you’re in way over your head. Just hand him the antimatter!”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to endanger the entire world by giving a torturous maniac access to enough destructive power to rival the Tsar Bomba.”

Mandrake sighs. “So how are you going to achieve this?”

“I’m going to pretend to join them. Then I’m going to get their trust, and then I’m going to pull the rug out from under them.”

Mandrake raises an eyebrow. “That’s a sallow scheme if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Sallow?”

“Did I use that word right?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure. I have an American accent. I don’t know anything about British words.”

Mandrake raises his palms. “Sure. But in any case, I’ll do whatever I can to support you.”

“How do you think I should go about infiltrating the Darks?”

“Just go up to them and say that you’ll join them. There’s nothing wrong with that method, is there?”

I take a sip of tea. “No. That’s what I was planning on doing.” I pause to think. “I’m going to get the authorities in on this.”

Mandrake’s eyes widen. “You think you can convince the authorities to accept the fact that you’ve just created a class A restricted material?”

“I have a few people who can help me.” I take another sip of tea. “And I want the good guys in on this so that if I get into real trouble I can get help.”

“We can bail you out if you need us to.”

I shake my head. “I want freedom from the law. I want to hedge my bets.”

“Sure. We can’t contact them for you but it appears you have other ways. I’m on board, as far as you’ve told me.”

I stand up and take the last dregs of my tea. “Then I have a phone call to make.” I take out the burner phone I got from Barley, which I have kept with me since the end of the Wales portal incident.

The phone rings a few times and Barley picks up. “Hey. This is Markus.”

“I know.” Barley’s voice is stern as always.

I shift on my feet. “I have information regarding the terrorist attacks that have been happening in London over the past few weeks.”

“I was wondering when you would call. We’ve been staying back, watching you, but I think it’s about time we meet with you in an official capacity.”

“Great. The same place as before?”

“Right. I trust you’ll be able to get there.”

I hang up. “Looks like we’re going to the warehouse district.”

Chris stands up. “Mr. Red. You aren’t seriously considering telling the government that you made antimatter.”

“It’s for the best.” I bow to Mandrake. “Thank you for taking care of me. Now it’s time for me to show what I can do.”

I turn to Sebastian. “We’re leaving.”

Five minutes later we are on the road. Sebastian looks at me through the rearview mirror. “If things go south, we may have to break a few rules.”

Chris folds her hands on her lap. “Agreed. While I do not believe in anything you devils stand for, on this point, you have me.”

I look between the two. “I have a question. What kind of creatures came from the S-class portal?”

“What you call the Wales Portal was connected to a fey grove. All creatures inside of it are of fey origin.”

“Even Mammoth?”

“Especially Mammoth. Our cold world is full of creatures his size.”

“And you guys would be classified as Chaotic Good on the alignment chart?”

“That is something you humans have made up on your own, but it is a good starting point.”

Sebastian clicks his tongue. “How far can a sense of morality get one in life?” He frowns. “I apologize, Markus. Simply put, we devils cannot live without a firm understanding of what we are supposed to do.”

Chris shows just a bit of emotion. “If you are free, you can accomplish so much more!”

“How have you contributed to Wagner’s Right of Way?”

Chris bites her lip. “Even the name is stupid.”

“Your compatriots are out there stopping petty crime and working as law enforcement. How can that be profitable?”

“Wait.” I hold a hand up. “Is that what all the S-class portal beings are doing?”

“Some, yes.” Chris folds her arms. “Others have become doctors. Some have taken to going to conflict zones and providing aid.”

Sebastian’s expression is sour.

“I think that’s a good thing.” I smile. “I think that may be our inroads with the government.”

Chris, for the first time, seems to really notice me. “Of course, sir.”

I shake my head. “Markus. Call me Markus.”

Sebastian says nothing for the rest of the ride.

I look at Chris for a long while. When I feel like I can phrase it right, I speak. “What can you tell me about the Fourth Law?”

“It is a law that governs all beings who come to the plane of your reality. I do not know the specifics, but I do know we were cast out from our homeland and put under a curse. I do not remember much between when I was captured and when you used the Bone of Wisdom to crack the enchantment.”

“So you didn’t do it willingly.”

“No.”

“And now you are back to your normal self.”

Chris looks out the window, her eyes softening. “Yes.”

“You miss someone.”

“My father.” She is silent.

We spend the rest of the ride in silence.

When we arrive at the government secret base, Barley is there to meet me, along with Josh, my handler from the Brine Ward case.

Sebastian lets me out and I walk up to shake hands with Barley. Barley puts his arm around my shoulder and guides me inside. He sits me down on a chair in the briefing room and crosses his arms.

“What do you know?” His eyes bore into me.

Here I go. I do my best to look confident. “This is how it happened.”