Winds of Magic Chapter 4

 

Chapter 4

“I didn’t want to,” said Malcom, walking towards the stairs, his hand on the hand rail. His cloak flowed behind him. “I had no true desire to team up with that idiot Galmor. But Almog has to be awakened. Terrible things are about to happen in the future and I am going to stop them.”

“And for that you need to sacrifice my friend?” said Jade, her eyes becoming intense.

“Not sacrifice,” said Malcom. “Offer her to the god.”

“Almog destroyed the city the last time he was released,” said Tetra. “He was an A class disaster.”

“And reviving him will prevent an S class,” said Malcom. He began to walk down the grand staircase. “You know that only a monster can fight another monster. Who cares if the city burns, if the world is saved?”

“There has to be another way,” said Rei. “There has to be another option besides dooming this city to destruction.”

Malcom reached the ground floor. “And how are you going to stop me?” he asked.

“Like this,” said Tetra, holding out her hand. A blue laser erupted from her palm and aimed for Malcom.

A barrier shot up and blocked the shot. Another figure appeared on the balcony, running out of the hall.

“Galmor,” said Malcom.

“You called me an idiot,” said Galmor, his face twisted. “You’re going to pay for that.”

“After we deal with these meddling kids,” said Malcom. He began typing into his casting device. Balls of electricity popped into existence around him and danced through the air. They encircled us and closed in, hemming us into a circle.

Jade threw up as many barriers as she could, but could not stop the electric balls’ approach. Each barrier she put up shattered in turn.

Rei fired off icicles towards the two enemy magicians. They dodged with quick motions, and not a single ice missile hit its mark.

Malcom typed a complicated code into his device and rose into the air on a cushion of ionized energy. He swept his hand and an explosion of white sprayed across the room, cracking and damaging the statues along the walls.

“Hey!” yelled Tetra, preparing to cast another spell. “Those were Renaissance originals!” She fired off another laser that cut through the bannisters along the balcony of the second floor. Wood splinters flew everywhere.

Galmor ducked to avoid the shrapnel. A wave of material rose beneath him, controlled by Jade. The wave tossed Galmor off the balcony where he fell onto Malcom. The two tangled for a moment before they could regain their composure.

Rei formed a shield of solid ice that surrounded them. Jade also formed her own barrier of energy to bolster the first shield.

Malcom tried to break the barrier with a blast of his energy weapon, but couldn’t. He sat down with a dazed expression on his face.

“We’re reporting you to the authorities,” said Tetra, approaching the trapped wizards. “If you tell us where Tally is, we’ll make sure they treat you better.”

“Hah,” said Galmor. “You think we’re going to tell you where she is?”

“She’s gone,” said Malcom. “Swallowed by the Signet.”

“What do you mean, Signet?” said Tetra.

“It’s gone now,” said Galmor. “We lost our window of opportunity. You’ll never be able to find it again.”

“We failed,” said Malcom, “But that doesn’t mean Almog isn’t going to awaken.”

“The Signet,” said Tetra. “To find Tally, we’re going to have to find this Signet?”

Malcom coughed. “And you never will.”

Police sirens wailed, coming closer. Six cars pulled into the mansion’s driveway and a dozen officers came out, backed up by five magicians. They entered the mansion foyer and surrounded the two men.

Galmor chuckled. “You’re too late, officers,” he said. “Nothing will remain for you to find.”

A man in a suit and a fedora approached us. “You’re high schoolers, aren’t you?” he said.

“Yes,” I said. “We came to try and save our friend.”

“I would chastise you for putting yourself in danger like this,” said the detective, “But you did manage to beat them without getting harmed.” He paused. “I recognize one of you.” He nodded at Rei. “You scored in the top five in the entire country on your physical exam.”

“This is my childhood friend,” Rei said, pointing to me. “He is the one who made this possible.”

“I’ll remember that,” said the detective. He extended his hand. “Detective Laymon. At your service.”

As the police took down the barriers and put Malcom and Galmor into restraints, Detective Laymon brought us out into the garden. “Lady Tetra,” he said, bowing towards Tetra. “I do hope your family will find it in their good graces to forget how slow we were to respond.”

“It’s fine, officer,” said Tetra, waving her hand. “This place is insured.” Even so, she appeared pained.

“Even thought it’s condemned?” said Rei.

“Our family is nothing if not cautious,” said Tetra. She frowned. “And we still haven’t found Tally.”

“The Signet,” I said. “That’s where she is.”

Detective Laymon’s eyes narrowed and his expression soured. “Where did you hear about the Signet?” he said.

“From those two bozos,” said Tetra.

“Do not mention this to anyone,” said Detective Laymon. “Nothing. Not a word. This is a government level secret. You do not have the clearance to know about it. Even I know nothing more than that its name is a black stain on the world of magic.” He paused. “Are all of you applying to Rockwell Magic Academy?”

“Yes,” said Tetra.

“Yes,” I said.

“Of course,” said Rei.

Jade nodded, her eyes piercing.

“I’ll make sure to give you all an official recommendation. You did good today, kids.”

“We’re not really kids anymore,” said Rei.

Detective Laymon chuckled. “To me you are. Anyways, you’re going to be minor heroes after this incident. It’s not often that four high schoolers—or barely out of high school students—beat two top class mages without taking any losses.”

“Thanks,” said Tetra.

“So,” said Rei. “York and I were planning on doing some karaoke. How’s about you guys join us?”

“You sure?” I said, to Rei.

“They’re our friends now,” said Rei, smiling at Tetra and Jade.

“Ahaha,” said Tetra, holding her hand in a high-class manner. “I wouldn’t mind doing something crass like karaoke if it’s with you.”

“She means, gladly,” said Jade.

“Yeah, I got that,” I said.

We looked at each other.

“We’ve got this handled,” said Detective Laymon. “The ritual magic specialists are on their way. Go have some fun. You’ve earned it.”

“Come on, let’s go,” said Rei, motioning.

Tetra took out her cell phone. “Mark? Yes, please. Have the limo here in ten minutes.”

“Limo?” said Rei. “Isn’t that a bit much for an outing with friends?”

“Ahaha,” said Tetra. “I’d like to thank you. Please, accept this.”

“Okay, sure,” I said, grabbing Rei’s hand. She looked at me and sighed.

“Sure, like York said,” said Rei.

We walked to the mansion’s gate and waited for the limousine to arrive.

“Your magic is very pretty,” said Tetra, to Rei. “Where did you learn to cast like that?”

“York is very good with Siege Code,” said Rei. “He programs all my magic spells for me.”

“Hm?” said Tetra, looking at me as if she had just realized I was worth something. “You are?”

“Yeah, I do Siege programming on the side,” I said.

“I work as a Siege programmer as well,” said Jade. She did not appear to be boasting about it.

“Who do you work for?” said Rei.

“Asmodeus,” I said.

“Asmodeus,” said Jade.

Jade and I looked at each other.

“Perhaps, do I know you?” said Jade.

“I doubt it,” I said, sensing that I should keep a cap on my identity for a bit longer. “It’s a big company that employs a lot of programmers.”

“Your Siege code is very beautiful, if you’re the one who designed Rei’s magic,” said Jade. She seemed to suspect something, but did not speak up about it.

The limousine pulled up at that moment.

“Please, get in,” said Tetra. A man in a suave suit stepped out of the driver’s seat and opened the door for her. Tetra motioned to us.

We got in. The limo was amazingly plush on the inside. Tetra opened a refrigerator and took out some expensive-looking beverage bottles.

“I apologize that I cannot offer you a sample of my whisky collection, but we are minors, after all.”

“Whiskey?” said Rei.

“Indeed,” said Tetra. “My father is keen in his eye for quality when it comes to spirits. We have on our staff a world-renowned sommelier.” She handed me a bottle of what appeared to be orange soda. “This will do for now. Orangica.”

“I’ve heard of that!” said Rei.

I paused, searching in my pocket for what I knew was there. The flash drive I recovered from the bottom of the lake.

That would have to be dealt with. But, for now, I had to enjoy the time I had with friends.

We pulled up next to a karaoke shop and the driver let us out. We entered the building.

The man behind the counter had pimples and wore a tacky hat and uniform. He looked up and eyed us with a bored expression on his face.

“For four?” he said.

“Four,” said Tetra, putting down a credit card.

“Hey,” said Rei. “I was going to pay.”

“I’m the one with a net worth of over a million dollars,” said Tetra. “Let me do this.”

Rei backed up. “Sure, sure. Thanks.”

The clerk signed us up in room five, giving us a key. We went down the hall and entered our room.

The karaoke room was just like every other, with sofas surrounding a table and a TV at the room’s end.

Tetra sat down and began entering songs into the song selection device. “What do you want to sing?” said Tetra. “Does anyone want to do a duet with me? How about ordering something to eat?”

“You’ve obviously been here before,” said Rei, sitting down.

“Ah, yeah,” said Tetra.

“She comes here alone,” said Jade, sitting down next to Tetra.

“Ahaha …” said Tetra. “Not alone, just … Um … Independently.” She grinned. “But not anymore. Come on. Order something, I’ll pay for it.”

We spent the rest of the night playing and singing. When we were done Tetra dropped Rei and I off at our houses.

“I will hope to see you when school starts,” said Tetra, as the limo pulled away. “I do believe I know a good magician, or magicians, when I see one.” She rolled the window up.

“Well that was fun,” said Rei, as we headed into my house. We stopped at the threshold. Rei seemed to be holding back something she wanted to say.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.

Rei looked like she was about to say something. Then she pulled away. “Okay,” she said. She turned around and went to her house next door.

I watched her for a moment and then entered my own home. The lights were out and it was dark. I sighed, cleaned myself up, and then studied a bit before going to bed.

Winds of Magic Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The three of us went through alleyways in the downtown area until we came to a recently emptied lot marked by a construction company’s sign. Jade pointed to the empty space.

“This is where she was kidnapped,” she said.

I walked into the center of the field. “I can feel some leftover resonating angles that tell me your friend went …” I pointed. “That way. Up. Over the rooftops. Surprisingly fast.”

“How can you tell?” said Jade.

“York has a knack with these things,” said Rei. “He’s the best magical tracker in the city.”

“And yet you scored so low on Rockwell practical exam?” said Jade.

“Where did you hear that?” I said.

“I have my ways,” said Jade. She started walking in the direction that I had pointed. When she reached the wall of the adjacent building, she slammed her foot into the ground and flew up onto the rooftop, which was three stories high.

Rei was about to do the same when she caught herself and looked at me. With a sideways glance, she held out her hand.

“I’ll leave this to you,” I said. I took hold of her offered hand.

We jumped onto the rooftops, propelled by a blast of frozen air, landing with a graceful flourish. We then ran along the roofs of the downtown buildings until I sensed that the trail changed direction.

We returned to street level with another leap. The trail led to a park in the middle of the downtown area that was jeweled with a lake that had a dozen swan-shaped love boats on it. I stopped at the bank.

“Beneath the water,” I said. “There seems to be a disturbance in the ether at the bottom of the lake.”

Jade held up her hand and a blast of air swirled around her arm. “I can make us a breathable pocket of air,” she said.

A laugh echoed from behind us, filled with high-born nosiness, like a princess. I looked towards the source of the sound to see a girl with bright blonde hair that was permed into ringlets. She held her hand near her mouth as she laughed. Her dress was very high quality, of a brand that probably cost ten times what I earned in a month. She approached us.

“What do I see here?” she said, stopping before Jade.

“Tetra,” said Jade, without much emotion.

Tetra gave a small curtsy. “I did not expect to see you here, my rival,” she said, her voice haughty.

“I don’t care who you are,” said Rei, “But we’re looking for Jade’s friend. Please don’t interrupt us.”

“What if I had news for you?” said Tetra, the back of her hand facing her cheek. “News that could change everything.”

“Tell me,” said Jade, not seeming to be affected by Tetra’s obvious prodding.

“Your friend is not under the lake,” said Tetra. “I followed her to a mansion in the outskirts of town.”

Jade looked over at me. “Then what is under the lake?” she said. “I believe York.”

“York?” said Tetra. She looked at me with a haughty expression on her face. “That’s your name? A mere commoner like you has the ability to track signatures?”

“Commoner?” said Rei, under her breath. “Where are we, eighteenth century London?”

Tetra put the back of her hand against her mouth. “You are standing before Terta Pearlash, daughter of Morian Pearlash, CEO of Peak Industries.”

“Peak—” said Rei, with obvious surprise.

“So you’re a rich girl,” I said.

“Of course I am,” said Tetra. “How else would someone like me look so elegant?”

For some reason everyone appeared to take her statement seriously. I, however, couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“What?” said Tetra. “Do you not believe me?”

Rei put her hand on my shoulder. I understood what she meant. The girl was, despite her obtuse manner, the daughter of a very powerful person. It would be unwise to make her unhappy. I sighed.

“I believe you,” I said. “Can you help us, then, with your knowledge?”

Tetra seemed vindicated as her smile curled upwards. “There’s something else that you don’t know about underneath the lake, that I suggest you do not disturb.”

“And how do you know this?” said Rei.

“Because my father has people who work on this,” said Tetra. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “I can be of much assistance to you.”

“I’m still going to check what’s under there,” I said. I turned to Rei. “Give me that bubble of air.”

Rei formed a bubble of ice that surrounded me. She could not manipulate air exactly, but by aiming certain facets of her magic at precise places between molecules she could compress an amount of air inside a localized position.

I dove into the lake. The water, pressed away by the field around me, did not touch my clothes. I could see quite far through the liquid surrounding me.

At the bottom of the lake was a bubble of shining material. I landed on the silt floor and walked towards it. There, inside of it, was a flash drive on top of a strangely positioned wooden desk. I walked through the bubble with no problem and picked up the drive. I swam back up to the surface.

When I popped out of the water, Rei rushed to me.

“What did you find?” she said.

I showed her the flash drive.

“Is this it?” she said. “That’s all you found?”

I shook my head. “It was strange. I didn’t sense anything besides the marker I saw before.”

Rei took the flash drive and slid it into her pocket. “Tetra knows where Jade’s friend went,” she said. “This flash drive may prove useful, but we need to see what’s inside it first. For now let’s focus on the urgent matter at hand.”

I nodded. The four of us walked through the downtown and to a mansion that was at the outskirts of the developed area. It was large, crested with an iron gate and walls that separated it from the outside world.

“This place has been abandoned for ten years,” said Tetra, as she punched a code into the panel at the gate’s edge. “Our family owns it, but ever since a high level of radon was detected inside of it it’s been condemned. The only reason why it hasn’t been demolished is because my grandmother doesn’t want it gone.” She pouted a bit. “It’s been at the edge of the law for a while now.”

The gate opened. Tetra paused. “Now do you understand how much use I can be of to you?”

Rei made a face. “Yeah. I appreciate it.”

Jade said nothing, her grey eyes watching the gate open. We stepped onto the grounds, which were still meticulously maintained. Walking up the path that led to the house proper, we passed statues and fountains that were still running.

“How did the kidnapper gain access to this place when it was closed off?” said Rei. “They can’t possibly have just jumped the gate.”

“That’s exactly what happened,” said a voice, coming from behind a wall. A figure stepped out from behind it. He held out his hand.

He was burly, with a bald head and thick mustache. A gigantic scar ran down his cheek and across his neck. His eyebrows were tiny. His eyes contained a deadly glint. The casting device attached to his arm was of a top model, one that had just been released.

The bald man began activating his casting device.

Rei beat him to the punch, sending off a blast of cold air and sharp icicles. The bald man dove, rolling across the ground to avoid the attack. He then managed to finish his casting sequence and sprayed poison across his field of vision.

Jade threw up a barrier using her own casting device and the poison splattered against it.

The bald man rolled to the side and fired off several poison-tipped arrows from out of his palm. They punched through Jade’s barrier.

Jade hit the floor and the arrows whizzed over her head. She twisted around and slammed the earth with her fist, sending an undulating wave of dirt and rock towards the enemy.

The bald man typed furiously into his casting device and the wave of dirt froze in place. Rei charged the bald man with a sword made of ice. A shield appeared out of nowhere in the bald man’s hand and blocked the charge. Rei flew backwards as if shocked by electricity.

Tetra fired off a beam of intense laser energy that sliced through the background as it aimed towards the bald man. The bald man blocked it with his shield for a few seconds, until the beam of light began to burn through it.

The bald man backed away from us, his shield melding in his hand. As soon as Tetra’s magic faltered, he jumped two stories into the air and headed for the mansion.

Rei copied him and flew up into the sky. She threw a lasso of cold water at the bald man and caught him, bringing him smashing down onto the pavement, where he stayed, beaten.

I approached the bald man. Rei held an ice blade at his throat.

“Who are you?” she asked. “Why are you here?”

“And where is Tally?” said Jade, also holding a blade in her hand, this time formed out of pure barrier energy.

The man coughed up blood. “I won’t tell you anything,” he said.

“Then we’ll turn you into the authorities,” said Rei.

“Ahahaha,” said Tetra, laughing like a princess. “I’ll handle this.” She walked up to him and put her palm on his forehead. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll draw your memories out of your head for you. I’ll tell you now, it won’t be pleasant. It won’t kill you, but it might leave you with a permanent, I’ll call it, intellectual disability.” Her grin was almost maniacal. “Tally is my friend too.”

The bald man seemed to give up. “Fine,” he said. “I was tasked with guarding the ceremony. Your friend—” he spit this word out—”Is going to have the pleasure of being a sacrifice to awaken Almog.”

“And?” said Tetra. “Where is she?”

“Inside the mansion,” said the bald man. “On the second floor. The ballroom. That’s where they’re performing the ceremony.”

“And who is leading it?” said Tetra.

“Galmor,” said the bald man.

“Good,” said Tetra. “You behaved. Sleep.” The man’s eyes rolled back into his head and he was out. Tetra stretched her arms above her head. “What are we waiting for?” she said. “Let’s save Tally.”

The four of us crept towards the mansion’s entrance.

“I can’t promise there won’t be booby traps,” said Tetra. “It’s been a while since anyone but the gardener was here.”

“I can detect some of them,” said Jade, her voice as calm as ever. “My magic has a sensory function.”

“Good,” said Tetra. “Keep it on.”

“There,” said Jade, pointing. “A booby trap. Looks like a wire activated flechette round.”

“I’ll take care of it,” said Rei. She typed into her casting device and the whole wall froze solid in an instant. It cracked from inside and disintegrated into pieces. “That ought to do it.”

“Let me remind you that this is my family’s property,” said Tetra, appearing a bit miffed. “Even if it is condemned, any damage to this house will be an affront to my grandmother.”

“Fine, fine,” said Rei. “Come on. Let’s go in.”

We entered the foyer, which was decorated with a gigantic chandelier. Statues lined the walls, along with paintings that were probably worth millions. The place had a feeling of old dust.

“Watch out!” yelled Tetra, and a ball of energy slammed into the space where I had just been a moment before.

“Who do we have here?” said a voice, coming from the second floor balcony. A man in a deep purple robe appeared from out of a hallway.

“Malcom,” said Jade.

“I knew it would be you,” said Tetra. “You’ve teamed up with Galmor, haven’t you?”

Malcom held out his hand and a fireball appeared in it. “Well, now that you know, I’m going to have to kill you. And I don’t believe in clean killing.”

We prepared for another battle.