Fairy Opera Chapter 34: Church

 

Church

A man lay dead on the ground. He was one of the members of the Rebellion’s council, a former noble named Jerimiah. It looked to have been about an hour since he was killed.

It was evening, and the sun touched the horizon, casting orange shadows over the houses above. A group of the city’s constables surrounded the body.

Andrew pushed his way through the crowd and knelt down beside Jerimiah’s body. He sighed, and then turned to me. “When you were attacked by assassins, I made sure that all of us walked around with at least one bodyguard.”

One of the constables motioned to Andrew. “We found his guard’s body in the nearby alleyway. It looks like he’d been tortured before being killed.”

Andrew stood up. “We have to stop this. We need to figure out who is sending these assassins after us and put a stop to it.”

“If it’s the Empire, I don’t think we’ll be able to.” I watched as the constables put a blanket over Jerimiah’s body. “Their reach is too far.”

“We …” Andrew pulled me into an alleyway, then looked both ways. “We have the Syndicate on our side. Put your connections to use and ask them to help us out.”

I nodded. “Okay. I’ll call a meeting with the Syndicate bosses.”

Andrew looked over his shoulder. “I’m coming too. I have a few things I want to talk about with them.”

Two hours later, in the underground Syndicate meeting room I had been in before, Andrew and I faced Lightning and Clack across a table piled high with delicacies. Clack took a piece of bird and shoved the meat into his mouth, chewing while smacking his lips.

Lightning leaned forward. “I heard that a member of the Rebellion council was assassinated. Is that what you’re here to talk to us about?”

“Yes. It is.” Andrew folded his hands. “We need to chase down whoever is attacking our members.”

Lightning leaned back. “We can help. But we’re not doing it for free.”

“What do you want?” Andrew was gritting his teeth. He clearly did not care for the two Syndicate bosses in front of us.

Lightning shrugged. “Just a few rights. Agree to remove tariffs on some of the good we move, and we’ll find those assassins for you.”

Andrew sighed. “Okay.”

The whole building started shaking. Lighting and Clack both hit the floor, leaping off their chairs. I felt the distinctive feel of a spell being activated. A portal opened on the ground. Five ninjas rose from the portal, fully equipped, wielding knives. I knew the moment I saw them that there was no fighting them and winning. I stood up and held up my hands.

Clack got up and tried to run. One of the ninjas threw a shuriken at his back. The blades lodged in his back and he toppled to the ground.

One of the ninjas pointed to me. “You are the one our master wants.”

I stepped forward. “Who are you working for?”

“We are not obligated to tell you. Come with us or this entire island will be cleansed.” The speaking ninja motioned with his hand.

Ruby, still in gem form in my shirt, whispered to me. “You should go with him.”

I lowered my chin. “I’ll go with you.”

I stepped towards the ninjas and a portal opened beneath me. I lowered into it, as if the bottom was an elevator. The ninjas lowered along with me.

I turned to them. “If you had this technology the whole time, why didn’t you use it?”

The middle ninja scoffed and did not respond. The portal closed above me and I stood in the middle of a dark room.

The lights flicked on with a thump. I stood in front of a single table, with two chairs. One of the chairs, facing me, was occupied by an Imperial inquisitor. He took a book of documents out from beneath the table and placed it on the surface. Then he beckoned me to sit.

I sat. The inquisitor shuffled the documents.

“My name is Rist.” The inquisitor slid the documents over to me. “I am part of the disestablishment faction within the church of the God Emperor. I have a quest for you, if you are willing to accept it.”

“Where am I? What is this? Why did you kidnap me with a bunch of scary-looking ninjas?”

Rist tapped a pen on the table. “You can ask as many questions as you want. That does not, however, guarantee I’ll answer them. Well, maybe we should start from the beginning. You see, we’ve been watching your little Rebellion for some time now. And for a while, we thought your threat to the Empire to be too trivial for us to concern ourselves.” Rist put the pen down. “But you have one thing that may prove us wrong on that front.” He pointed straight at the fairy gem in my pocket. “Your fairy.”

Ruby transformed and flew out of my pocket. “What about me?” She hovered above the table, her hands on her hips.

“You do not know your own importance?” Rist tilted his head.

“I do not.”

“It is said that every fairy in existence has access to the Panharmonicon. Is that correct?”

“Uh, what’s that?”

“The Panharmonicon. The device that our God Emperor sits beneath, the device that gives him his divinity.”

Ruby landed on my shoulder. “I mean, if I did, why would I tell you?”

“Would you tell me to protect your master?”

At that moment the ninjas who had kidnapped me appeared out of nowhere. Rist held his hands up.

Ruby sighed. “I’ll talk. Yeah, I have access to something like that. But I’ve never used it before and I don’t even know what it’s for.”

Rist picked his pen back up and started tapping the table with it. “Very good. We need you, Ruby, and her master, Rock, to speak with the God Emperor himself.”

I was shocked. Even though I no longer believed in his absolute divinity, I knew that meeting him in person was going to be a big deal.

Rist pointed his pen at me. “You, and you alone, as a technmage, have the understanding of the magical language known as Scode to converse with the God Emperor. With your fairy’s help, we can speak directly to him instead of going through his mouthpiece.”

“Who I assume is not on your side.” I sighed. “Okay. I’ll do it as long as you promise to help the Rebellion.”

“It is a deal.” Rist stood up. “We shall prepare you for your meeting with the Emperor. Be warned, the purification rituals are complex and mandatory.”

We walked into another room, which was much larger than the previous one. Gothic pillars stretched out along the walls, rising into fenestrated arches. Stained-glass windows let in sunlight—which was strange, because I had been kidnapped at sunset. Statues depicting important church figures and martyrs looked at me from alcoves. A gigantic shrine stood at the end of the temple, which was comprised of a golden table, clothed in fine silk, bordered by golden candelabras. The floor was comprised of a mosaic depicting the birth of the God Emperor. The ceiling was covered by a fresco of the first brother touching the hand of the God Emperor. Candles were lit along the edges of the wall, letting off a sallow light. The place smelled of incense.

We approached the altar. Two priests came from side doors holding incense burners, which they swung from side to side as they moved towards the altar.

Rist stopped at the altar. He held up his hand and began chanting in Scode.

“Oh God of mankind, the God Emperor, send your graces to me and prevent my ineptitude. For you are the unicorn one, and you shall be forever embankment-ed.”

I blinked a few times, wondering why Rist had used such strange language, especially since this ritual looked like it was important. Then I realized that Rist’s knowledge of Scode was limited. I chuckled to myself, even though it wasn’t really the place for it.

“Why do you laugh, technomage?”

“The word isn’t Relicalrus (Unicorn). It’s Relialbun (Holy.)” I did my best to smile.

“Did I make any other mistakes?” Rist appeared genuinely concerned.

“Yeah, it’s not “embankment” (Cuppot) but “encapsulated” (Curpon).”

Rist sighed. “Then my training has been incomplete.” He put his palm to his face. “To think that, after studying the liturgy for as long as I have, that I have been making such fundamental mistakes as this.” He sighed again. “But in any case, we must proceed with the ritual. One may not enter the chamber of the God Emperor without being purified.” Rist turned back to the altar and continued speaking in Scode. He made a few more obvious mistakes, but in general I understood what he was trying to say. He basically just prayed to the God Emperor for various things I’d need.

Rist stopped chanting. He looked down at me. “Bring forth the vessel of containment.”

Four monks wearing white robes came through a side door, with a large tub on their shoulders. It was filled with red water, about the concentration of wine. In fact, it was wine.

The bath was placed right in front of the altar. The monks bowed, took a step back, and knelt.

Rist pointed to the bath. “Step in, my child. I shall have you recite the predigation.”

I stepped into the bath. The wine felt strange and cold against my skin. Rist came up to me. He pulled out a scroll.

It was a long spell. Apparently the priests of the God Emperor did not know how to use libraries properly. The spell barely worked and was full of inefficiencies. But, it worked, and it caused the wine tot turn clear. The “essence” of the wine was “sacrificed.” In other words, I was used as a conduit through which the nutrition and alcohol of the wine was transferred to the aether. It was a pointless spell, but it did make everything around me very shiny, so I could see why they had gone to so much trouble to do it.

I was beginning to understand why I was such a special case. The whole firmament of the church of the God Emperor was based on improper knowledge of magic and Scode. I wondered what kind of misconception surrounded the God Emperor himself as well.

The ceremony ended, and the bath was taken away, now full of clean, pure water. Rist waved an incense burner over my head a few more times, then presented me with a new set of clothes. The clothing had a crude enchantment embedded in it that made it shimmer with each motion I made. I had to admit, it was pretty. Then Rist prayed over me one more time, in Scode, and we walked to the back of the altar. The stone slab behind the altar table slid aside, revealing a long tunnel. We stepped into the tunnel. Rist pulled out a scroll and cast a spell that lit all the torches along the passage’s walls.

“We are underneath the holy city right now.” Rist began walking. “We will come up in the middle of the throne room. I must warn you, that looking upon the God Emperor himself will cause immense psychological pain. I suggest that you avert your gaze as much as possible to preserve your sanity.”

“I understand.” At that moment I decided that, no matter what, I’d look straight into the God Emperor’s eyes. That would show these people what they really believed in.

We came to a staircase that went up and up and up. Then we arrived at a large wooden door with intricate carvings. The doors opened and we stepped through.

 

35

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Fairy Opera Chapter 33: Sabotage

 

Sabotage

The basement was simply furnished. A short bar stretched across one corner and held a couple of bottles of liquor. Weapons hung on the walls, some of them appearing ancient.

Hammer motioned for us to sit. There wasn’t enough room for everyone. Lator, one of the dark elves who had come with us, bowed. “We shall stand, sir.” He and the rest of the elves stayed standing.

Tae, Jak, and I sat down around the basement table. Hammer sat across from us while Glaston stood with his arms crossed.

Hammer leaned forward. “The Ultimar receives food shipments every two days. We’ve managed to hide a large payload of gunpowder inside two of the shipment crates for the next delivery.” Hammer held up his hands. “I heard that you can use magic. Your mission will be to bring the two crates to the Ultimar’s two skysteel engines. Use magic to lift the crates.”

I nodded. “Okay. I also have invisibility magic, so we’ll be able to get past the guards.”

“Indeed.” Hammer stood up. “We’ll lodge you here until the crates are loaded.”

For the next twenty or so hours, we remained in the basement, which was stocked with everything we needed. About ten hours into the wait, Tae kicked up her feet on the table while sitting next to me.

“You remember back when we stole the geese from Mother Den?” She looked at her fingernails.

“Yeah.” I leaned my head back. “It was kind of like this. We were in and out without being seen.”

“Every time I think about that, I realize that we could have gotten into big trouble if we had been caught.”

“I know.”

Tae let her hand fall. “And I thank the stars that we ended up as well as we did. We really did tear up the streets back then.”

“Yup.” I put my arms behind my head. “Those were the days.”

Tae looked at one of the dark elves, who was sitting and meditating. “It’s funny that we’ve come full circle. This time we’re fighting for our freedom. This time we’ve got big shoes to fill.”

“I wonder what Orion would have thought about all this.”

“He probably would have dived into it just like we did.” Tae shrugged. “I’m sure he’s up there, watching us, making sure that we don’t make any stupid mistakes.”

I chuckled. “I wish he were still here with us, but we have to work with the cards we’re dealt.”

Tae looked up at the ceiling. “Yep.”

Ten hours later we gathered our equipment. Hammer and Glaston entered the basement.

“We’re ready.”

I nodded, pulling out a scroll. Two of the dark elves pulled out scrolls as well. We cast the invisibility spell in tandem. They were worded slightly differently, but they worked. We left the basement without being seen, leaving the inn, traveling the dark streets to the docks where the Ultimar was docked for repairs. The place was industrial in appearance, with a number of cranes and pieces of heavy equipment placed along the walkway. Catwalks stretched between towers.

There were a large number of guards doing their patrol. But since it was night, and since we were invisible, we were able to sneak past them with no trouble.

We boarded the Ultimar. Right on deck, two crates marked with the code symbol were stacked. I whispered the command to lift. Lator cast the float spell on the first crate, while I cast the spell on the second crate. Casting two spells at once drained my mana much faster than just one, so we turned off our invisibility. We wouldn’t need it anyways, as our intel said that there would be no guards inside the ship, as the entire crew was ashore. According to the map of the ship, the first skysteel engine was on the seventh deck, right above one of the coal storage rooms. Which made since as a skysteel engine of that magnitude had to be a hungry beast.

We traveled without incident to the sixth deck. Just as we passed one of the empty bunk rooms, a siren went off. We stopped. The two crates hovered next to us.

“We’ve got to get moving.” We rushed down to the seventh deck and headed for the skysteel engine room.

A white portal opened right in the middle of the doorway. Two beings made from wood and trees, dryads, stepped through.

I put my hand out. “Stop.” The crate I was handling clunked to the ground. “They know we’re here.”

Lator held out his sword. “Should we run? Or should we press onward?”

“Let’s fight.” I rushed at the dryads. The one on the right swiped at me with a fist, which extended far past human limits. The fist went right over my shoulder. I grabbed the vines holding it up and yanked them. The dryad that had aimed at me staggered. One of the dark elves stabbed it in the neck, causing a spray of sap-like blood.

“We have to hurry!”

I turned to Tae. “Take Lator and get to the second skysteel engine. I’ll hold off anyone who tries to come after you.”

Tae gripped my hand. “Let’s meet up at the second tower.”

I nodded. Tae looked at me, then turned and ran with four of the dark elves, including Lator.

Jak and I faced the remaining dryad, along with two dark elves. The dryad shot its arm forward at one of the dark elves. Its arm was twisted into a sword-like point. The dark elf dodged, but was caught in the shoulder, spraying blood everywhere. The dryad latched onto the elf. As it did, its arm began to pulsate. The dark elf’s life essence was being siphoned, traveling through the arm as a deep purple substance.

I hacked at the extended arm. The arm was tough, like the root of a tree, but on the third strike I severed the connection. The injured dark elf pulled back. The other dark elf dragged him away from the fight.

Jak and I faced the dryad. The dryad tried the same trick with its other arm, but I blocked the attack with my sword. I closed in on the dryad and hacked its leg off. More of that sap-like blood spilled onto the floor. The dryad collapsed. I finished it off with a quick stroke.

I turned back to the crate we were hauling. Using another lift spell, I brought it up to the skysteel apparatus. It was a large, metallic behemoth, with pipes flowing everywhere, at the center of which sat a gigantic cube of skysteel.

Skysteel, when heated, allowed for the floatation of skyships. If this thing was destroyed, the Ultimar would sink straight to the skyfloor.

I let the crate down right next to the coal chute. There was a small detonator on the side of the crate, which I set for twenty minutes. Then I backed away.

“You sure are persistent.” Someone spoke from behind me.

I turned around and came face to face with Malgor. Malgor grinned.

I swept my sword through the air. “I knew that didn’t kill you.”

“You made me use my phylactery.” Malgor’s lips curled up. “That hurt. But you won’t beat me this time.” About a dozen Imperial marines came up behind Malgor.

I sighed. “Okay. You got me.” I held up my hands. “Null Bravos. Fire. Backwards. Include Fresco.”

Malgor’s face twisted. Just as he lunged towards me, the crate behind us exploded with force. A shield formed behind myself and Jak, which acted like a pressurized surface, shooting us towards the bulkhead. The explosion tore through the wood, sending us out into the skyfloor. My ears were ringing, but my body had not much more than a singe. We started falling, so I cast a float spell, and our descent stopped.

I turned to the Ultimar, which was listing at port. The entire front portion was falling apart.

“Tae, I good luck.”

Jak stood up and put his fingers to his mouth. A long, loud whistle emanated.

Ruby came out from my pocket. “I’ll rescue her.” She darted away, back towards the Ultimar.

Secondary explosions began rippling through the Ultimar’s hull. Just then, several small figures leaped out from a cannon port. It was Lator, Tae, and several other dark elves.

However, there was no second explosion. While the Ultimar began to tilt at a precarious angle, it was not sinking. We had failed to destroy the second skysteel engine.

I used a wind spell to push us back towards the shore. We turned around the island and landed on a small, hidden alcove. About ten minutes later Tae, Lator, and the other dark elves landed.

Tae collapsed to the ground. “Mission failed.” She sighed. “And we almost died to boot.”

Jak shook his head. “You’ve put the ship out of commission for quiet some time.” He held up his hands. “There’s no way the Ultimar is flying anytime soon.”

“So we bought ourselves time.” I helped Tae back up to her feet. “That’s good enough. We’ll have to figure out another way to defeat the ship.”

“Malgor.” Jak shook his head. “I thought you killed him.”

“Did I not tell you?” I looked at Jak. “I noticed that he was smiling when his body decomposed. I knew he was coming back.”

“Is it even possible to kill a cardinal inquisitor?”

“Probably not without destroying his phylactery.” I sighed. “But in any case, let’s get back to Gagna before we’re caught.” We traveled around the outskirts of the island before we came to where our ship was berthed. We got on board and left, the darkness concealing us. The Ultimar was in flames on the other side of the island, which painted the night sky with a red hue.

About a week later we docked at Gagna. Andrew came up to greet us.

“Did you do it?”

I shook my head. “We didn’t. They caught us with a magical alarm. Plus, the skysteel engines were defended.”

Andrew gritted his teeth. “So we’re doomed.”

“No. We managed to destroy one of the engines. The Ultimar is out of commission for at least four months.”

Andrew sighed in relief. “Good. That’s about how much time it will take to assemble our forces.”

My stomach grumbled. I turned to Tae. “I’m tired of ship’s food. Do you want to go eat something?”

Tae nodded. Her, Jak, and I returned to the Green Dagon, where we ordered a large plate of pork and several bowls of stew. The fare was as delicious as ever.

Lator came into the diner, with several dark elves behind him. He bowed. “I thank you for saving my fellow.”

The dark elf next to him, which was the one I had cut off from the dryad’s siphon. The elf bowed. “My name is Hex. You saved me, so I shall repay you in kind.”

I waved my hand. “You don’t have to go that far. I only did what anyone would have.”

Hex looked up. “I shall pay my debt.”

Lator lifted his head. “We shall be awaiting your command.” He turned on his heels and left the room, followed by his retinue.

I turned to Jak. “I guess I did the right thing.”

“You fought those two dryads like a warrior.” Jak lifted his chin. “Be proud of yourself.”

We continued to eat and talk about normal, everyday things, which was a nice break from all of the dark topics around us. When we were done eating, Tae motioned to me. “We haven’t gone shopping in quite a while. Do you want to go see what the market has to offer?”

I nodded. “Let’s go.” Tae and I left the inn and walked across town to the market. Tae dragged me in between shops, while I carried all the things she bought.

I was happy, though. I wasn’t dead and I had bought the Rebellion time to recoup. And that was the best thing I could hope for.

 

 

34

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Fairy Opera Chapter 32: Boarding Party

 

Boarding Party

The Grand Mahogany flew straight towards the Ultimar. Through the chaos of a skyship battle, we managed to thread our way up to the Ultimar. Holding onto a rope, myself, Tae, Jak, and a dozen of our best fighters waited for the perfect moment to cross the gap. When the moment came, I gave a signal. Yelling out a battle cry, we flew across the gap, depositing ourselves onto the deck of the Ultimar. A dozen Imperial sailors surrounded us.

“Here we go!” I pulled out a fire scroll and blasted away a handful of enemy sailors. Several of them tipped over the edge of the ship and fell screaming to the skyfloor.

The real battle began. I slipped underneath an attack from one sailor, stabbed another sailor through the arm, twisted, sliced the leg of another sailor, and rolled to dodge an attack. My back slammed against a mast. I staggered, got up, and just in time I blocked a strike aimed at my neck. I engaged with my assailant. He wore a tricorn hat and held a cutlass in his right hand. He appeared to be a very important person on this ship.

We exchanged blows. My sword was better-suited to the situation than his cutlass. I caught his blade in mine and tore it out of the man’s hands. The sailor backed up a few paces, turned, and ran away. I swept my blade through the air.

Tae came up next to me. “We’re getting there. I think we’ve distracted enough of the crew to give our friends a chance.”

“Time to go down and disable some cannons.” I looked at Tae. “Are you ready for this? I can’t guarantee you’ll survive.”

“I never expected to.” Tae wiped her mouth. “Let’s go.” We grabbed about six of our warriors and headed down the hatch to the second floor, where the top row of cannons were housed. We rushed through the room and engaged with anyone we saw. There were dozens of sailors in there, but only a quarter of them were equipped with weapons. We tore through them. The cannons on the top deck were disabled. The remaining sailors retreated back down to the next level.

We received some reinforcements from a different ship that had sent boarders onto the Ultimar. They were some of Baphomet’s troops, dark elves with scary-looking swords.

We charged through the room and leaped through the hatch at the room’s back to enter the third deck. The sailors were waiting for us, at least two dozen of them.

We engaged. Swords clashed, blood flowed, and I caught the tip of a blade with my shoulder. Blood ran down my arm. We continued to fight.

The dark elves proved to be adept at close-quarters fighting. They gave no quarter and shredded through the defenders. We managed to break through the block of defending sailors and attack the men manning the second floor cannons. At this point, I was surprised that both myself and Tae were still alive. Injured, but alive.

We pressed forward. There were ten decks on the Ultimar. I wasn’t sure if we could go through them all with our forces dwindling after each encounter.

“Secure this level.”

The sailors manning the cannons ran away and hid on the next level down. We secured every entrance and exit.

“Ruby.”

Ruby came out from my pocket.

“Fly over to a nearby ship and request reinforcements.”

Ruby flew up. “Sir!” She left through a cannon port.

We gathered our strength and bided our time on the deck.

About five minutes after Ruby left, the sailors of the Ultimar attempted a counterattack. They poured through the hatch below and the door to the bunks. We faced them, swords drawn. Our forces clashed. Swords clanged against each other. People screamed. Blood flew through the air.

The enemy soldiers and sailors pushed us back to the entrance to deck two. We were losing ground and manpower.

The wall to the second deck burst open and two dozen dark elf sailors leaped through the breach. Ruby flew over their heads.

“I’ve returned, Rock!”

Our enemies were taken by surprise and retreated after a quick, brutal skirmish. They went back through the doors from which they came.

We took the time to treat our wounded. I used a few healing spells to treat the minor injuries, but I didn’t have enough magic skill or power to heal the major injuries. We did the best we could to care for those sailors.

When everything was secured, we turned to the next deck. We would need to be more careful, as they were expecting us. Also, there could be a number of inquisitors on this ship, and even one of those would give us a hard time.

Just as we finished securing the area, just as I had thought, two inquisitors entered the deck. They split up.

Five of our dark elf soldiers rushed the inquisitors. The inquisitors, in a flurry of blades and magic, pushed them back, killing two of the elves.

We faced off, neither side closing in. I held up my hand. “Null Slick. Produce oil!”

A massive puddle of oil spread between us. I took a match out of my pocket. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this.” I dropped the match into the oil. The oil burst into flames, which quickly spread to the rest of the deck.

The two inquisitors looked at each other. They nodded and then pulled out scrolls of their own.

“Apropos! Apropos!” I countered their magic. The inquisitors leaped over the flaming pit of oil and landed right in front of me. As the flames started devouring the walls, the inquisitors fought. We traded blow for blow. Even though the inqusitiors were outnumbered, they managed to hold their own against our advances. The fire turned massive. I held up my hand. “Let’s get out of here!”

At that moment something exploded. The deck ripped upwards, throwing myself, Tae, and several other elves out of the ship through the breach in the wall. The entirety of the Ultimar was flaming. It made a sharp turn away from the battle.

I knew that this wasn’t enough to put an end to the megaship. It was merely wounded.

But I was falling towards the skyfloor. I needed to fix that. I pulled out a scroll and cast a group float spell. Myself, Tae, and the five elves who had fallen out with us stopped descending. I sat on the current of air holding us up and breathed deeply.

“That’s not enough to bring the Ultimar down.” Tae gritted her teeth.

“But they’re withdrawing.”

They were. The fleet that had attacked Gagna was disengaging and retreating from the battle. The skyfloor was littered with sunken ships, but the Ultimar and the majority of the Imperial force was removing itself from battle. About ten minutes later the battle was over. Our forces did not pursue. The Ultimar, its deck still flaming, was covered in sailors attempting to mitigate the damage. They were doing a good job of it, too.

“They’re coming back.” I shook my head. “With even more firepower. We’ve got only a small amount of time to prepare.”

“I’d suggest that it will take about three months to repair that ship.”

I sighed. “Sure.” I used a spell to push us towards the island. When we arrived on shore, the dock was in an uproar. Injured sailors were being brought to the hospital. The ships that were most damaged were receiving immediate triage. Some of our ships had barely made it back from the fight. Members of the Rebellion council raced in between the dock buildings.

Andrew came up to me. “You did it. You saved the Rebellion with your actions. We’re going to give you an award as soon as possible.”

“Give awards to the men and women who fought with me as well.”

Ami rushed through the crowd and hugged me tight. “Rock, you’re an idiot. You almost got yourself killed.”

Amber, coming behind Ami, stopped a few feet away from us, her hands held behind her back.

Amber rocked from one foot to the other. “You’re strong, Rock. You saved me and now you’ve saved everyone else.”

Ami pulled away. “Don’t do anything stupid like that ever again.”

“I can’t promise that.” I turned away. “We’re fighting a war now, and everyone knows that. There’s no way that I’ll avoid going into battle many more times.”

Ami sighed. “Then bring strong people with you. I don’t want you to die.”

Andrew motioned towards us. “We’ve got things to do. Come with me.”

Tae and I followed Andrew. Jak returned to assist with the ships that were still coming in damaged.

Andrew brought us to the castle. He took us into the war room, where a number of Rebellion leaders and generals were discussing something. They all turned to look at us when we entered.

Nalko waved me over. “We’re tracking the Empire’s fleet. They’re headed towards Richmak. There’s a significant port there where they’ll probably repair the Ultimar.”

“We’re planning to strike them while they’re down. You’ve demonstrated your prowess. We want you to lead the mission to sabotage the Ultimar and prevent its repair.”

“Okay.”

“We’ve gathered the fastest ship in our inventory, the Blink.” Nalko turned to his comrades. “You’ll take a small strike force and do as much damage as you can to the megaship.”

I nodded. “Okay. Can I choose who comes with me?”

Nalko nodded. “You’ll have full control over who comes with you. However, this mission is a volunteer mission, and they have the right to refuse you.”

I held out my hands. “There’s just two people I want to ask and they’ll both say yes for sure.”

“Okay. We’ve gathered the best warriors we have, as well as some of the elves from the Lord of Darkness’s army.” Nalko grimaced. “And I hate to say this, but the Syndicate has agreed to assist us with agents at your destination.”

“Okay. When do we depart?”

“As soon as possible. We want to give them as little time as we can.” Nalko turned back to the war table. “God speed.”

Two hours later we were on board the Blink, heading out in the direction that the Ultimar had gone. We followed their trail for about a week. Tae and Jak were on board, as well as a dozen dark elves and a dozen of the best warriors the Rebellion had to offer.

We came to the island of Richmak and waited until nightfall to approach the docks. Using our Syndicate information, we slipped into a small, hidden dock.

Two Syndicate men greeted us at the dock. They bowed.

“Hammer, at your service.”

“Glaston, at your service.”

Both men were dressed in ordinary clothing, and appeared utterly benign in every way. They turned around.

“We’ve already got the explosives you’ll need to blow that ship sky high.” Hammer led us out of the dock and into town. “We’re going to hole you up for a day in a secret room at the town inn. The Ultimar is still under surveillance. Once they relax their guard, we’ll move in.”

We came to a dilapidated inn. Hammer and Glaston led us through the door and into the common room. The place was sparse, with everything covered in smoke stains. A simple chandelier hung over the room’s center. A single barmaid was cleaning the table. She looked up when we entered.

“We don’t have enough rooms for you all.”

Glaston put a card onto the table. “Some fine wine, please.”

The barmaid lifted her eyebrow. “Certainly.” She pulled a lever underneath the table and a door to the basement opened.

Glaston motioned to us. “After you.”

 

Fairy Opera Chapter 31: Approach

 

Approach

I leaped off the rooftop and landed right in front of the archer. He was a rather tall man with red hair and a long beard. He took his bow and hung it on his back, extending his hand. “You’re Rock, right?”

“I am. Do you know me?”

“Everyone knows you, man! You’re the youngest member of the Rebellion council!” The archer tapped his chest. “I’m Richard. I came here from Rigamole Island to join the Rebellion. I saw you were being attacked by those assassins, so I helped you out.” He looked up at the rooftop. “We should probably retrieve that body.”

Ten minutes later, I was speaking with the island’s constable force. They searched the body of the assassin but found nothing besides their clothes and weapons. Whoever had sent them had done a thorough job of obscuring their identity.

Andrew pushed his way through the ring of constables. “Rock! Are you okay?”

I nodded. “I’m fine. This man here, Richard, really helped me out.”

Richard bowed. “Sir Andrew. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“You saved Rock?”

Richard pointed at his bow. “I’ve always been a really good shot with this thing.”

Andrew grabbed Andrew and I and pulled us out of the crowd. He dragged us across town until we came to the castle. We entered and came to a small safe room built into the castle walls.

Andrew pointed to some chairs. “Sit.”

We sat.

Andrew leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Now tell me. Where did those assassins come from? And why did you shoot first without asking any questions, Richard?”

“I saw that Rock was in trouble. Is that a bad thing?”

Andrew sighed. “No. It’s not a bad thing. But it proves that we’ve attracted the attention of some unsavory orginizations.”

I raised my hand. “I could ask the Syndicate to track them down.”

Andrew glared at me. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, the Syndicate promised to assist the Rebellion, so—”

“The Syndicate? I did not hear of this! Why am I hearing about this now?” Andrew’s face was flushed.

“Yeah, I think I was supposed to tell you that sooner, but I got sidetracked by those assassins.”

Andrew fell back into a chair and wiped his forehead. “Well, since the Syndicate offered, we cannot refuse. Perhaps they may be helpful to us.”

“Of course they will. They’ve got ears and eyes everywhere.” I shrugged. “They’ve got a lot to contribute.”

Andrew turned his face towards the ceiling. “Well then. Now that we understand that, what are we going to do about those assassins?”

“Interrogate them, of course.” I looked at the door. “I mean, what else would we do with them?”

Andrew rubbed his face with his hand. “They’re probably dead already. There’s no way a smart person wouldn’t put some protections into place in case their assassins failed.” He looked at me. “I’m glad you survived, but how were you able to hold your own against them?”

“I had a good master who taught me how to fight.” I rubbed my hands together. “I think it’s safe out.”

“I’m going to assign a bodyguard to you at all times.” Andrew put his chin in his hands. “I’ll give you a choice of who it will be.”

“If Tae and Jak can work as my bodyguards, then I’ll definitely take them.”

Andrew seemed to relax. “Good, good. Just don’t ever get separated from your friends and you’ll have a better chance at survival.” He checked his watch. “In any case, I have some business to attend to.” He looked at Richard. “Thank you for saving Rock. I’ll be giving you your reward sometime soon.”

Richard shook his head. “I don’t need any reward. I’m good, thanks.”

“It’s your decision.” Andrew got up. “Follow me out of the castle, and then meet up with Tae and Jak as soon as you can. I won’t take any chances now that we know someone is after your life.”

I nodded, following Andrew out of the castle. As soon as I hit the streets, I returned to the Green Dagon and found Jak and Tae enjoying their lunch.

“What happened?” Tae looked at me. “You promised to eat lunch with us today.”

I shook my head. “I was attacked. By two assassins. This guy, Richard,” I tapped Richard’s shoulder, “Saved my life.”

Tae raised an eyebrow. “I knew we shouldn’t have let you go alone.” She looked me up and down. “You don’t appear to be injured.”

“No. I was lucky this time.” I sat down at the table. “Andrew has asked that you guys stick with me as much as possible in case more assassins try to kill me.”

Tae pointed her fork at me. “Which is exactly what I would have asked.” Tae shook her head. “Now that we know someone is after your life, we’re sticking with you wherever you go. This island isn’t safe anymore. People know that it’s the Rebellion’s stronghold. Thus, we’ll attract a lot of attention to this place.”

I grabbed some meat off of the communal plate and started eating. “Richard, do you want to eat with us?”

Richard sat down. “Can I? I’m quite hungry at the moment.”

The four of us finished our meal. Then Tae reached into her pocket. “I got a letter from Jastle this morning. I was waiting until you came to open it.” She used her dagger to slit it open. There were several pages within.

Tae read it over. “Looks like Jastle is making progress with the distribution and creation of the anti-zombie medication. He says our profits are high and we’ve got enough income to greatly expand the business. He also asks how you’re doing.”

I took the letter and read it myself. Tae had made a good summary of the contents. I folded the letter up and slid it into my pocket. “The potion and medicine business will provide a large amount of funds for our Rebellion.” I took out a piece of paper and started writing a return letter. I asked Jastle to be as aggressive as possible with our expansion strategy. We needed as much treasure from this venture as we could get. The Rebellion was going to get quite expensive.

After I finished the letter, we left the Green Dagon and walked across town to the post office. However, we found that it was closed.

“Right.” I sighed. “We’re not part of the Empire’s post network anymore.”

“How about we just send the letter on the next ship to Billerstrang?”

“That’s a good idea.” Ever since we had separated from the Empire, trade had boomed around the island of Gagna, for the sole reason that we were charging significantly lower tariffs on goods passing by. Gagna held a spot right next to a consistent flow of trade winds. Though the Empire would be coming after us soon, for the moment they were too busy fighting in Illum to worry about a small island declaring its independence. Even the ships we had stolen from the Imperial dockyards wasn’t enough to get them to pay attention to our cause.

Which, when I thought about it, meant that the Empire was probably sure that it could crush us as soon as its forces were done invading Illum. We were sitting on a precarious station.

We found a ship bound for Billerstrang. I handed the letter to the captain and told him who it was for. I also paid him a gold piece for the service.

When that was done, we returned to the city.

A messenger came up to me. “Sir Andrew requires your presence at a meeting of the council.”

I acknowledged him and we went to the castle. Ten minutes later I was standing in the council room.

Andrew held out his hands. “Now is the time for us to craft our declaration of independence. I know we are going to be come a Republic, governed by our citizens, with freedom of religion and speech for all. We must figure out how to make this interest known by any interested party.”

The council meeting basically boiled down to the writing of a singular document that would declare what our intentions were as a new country. About two hours later, when the meeting was over, I left the castle and started walking down the street to the market with Tae and Jak.

Just then, a siren blared. People on the street started hurrying.

Ruby flew up to me. “Rock! Get to the castle’s lookout tower!”

I nodded, casting a jump spell on myself, Tae, and Jak. I grabbed Tae and Jak and leaped into the air, landing on the top of the lookout tower. Tae gripped me with her arms, her hair blowing in the wind.

In the distance, I saw something that made my stomach drop. It was the Ultimar, along with over a dozen Imperial frigates. They had come. It was far too early—we thought they were still fighting in Illum.

But they were here. I gripped Tae and watched the ships come closer.

The cannons on the edge of the island opened fire. The ships piloted by the army of Baphomet sailed out from the docks and headed to engage the Imperial fleet.

A brutal engagement followed. The twelve elven relic ships slammed right into the formation of Imperial frigates and initiated intense close-quarters fighting. The ships that we had stolen from the Empire also joined the fray. The Ultimar, however, was too powerful. It ripped through our ships like paper and sent four stolen Imperial frigates to the skyfloor in under ten minutes.

I knew Andrew would want me in the command room. I grabbed Tae and Jak and leaped off the observation tower, landing no a balcony. We rushed through the interior of the castle until we came to the war room.

The entire council and several Rebellion generals were standing around the battle table. Messengers rushed in and out, bringing battle reports. We were losing ships and men, fast. The Ultimar was pressing forward, so that it could unload its cargo of marines onto our island.

Andrew gritted his teeth and slammed his fist onto the table. “Why were we caught off guard? We can’t end up like the first Rebellion! We must fight!”

“But how are we going to defeat the ship? There’s no way we’ll be able to take down something of that magnitude!” The speaking general swept his arm through the air. “We’re doomed! We should start the evacuation process!”

I walked up to the table. “I’ll handle it. I’ll bring a strike team on board the Ultimar and destroy it from the inside. There’s no other way.”

“How are you going to disable such a large behemoth of a ship?”

“We’re going to kill the skysteel engine.” I put my fist into my palm. “We have to act now. Make your decision.”

“You go.” Andrew nodded. “Take whoever you can. Help save us from this disaster.”

I nodded, bowed, and left the war room. Tae and Jak walked alongside me.

“How are you going to even get aboard that thing?” Jak rubbed his hands together nervously. “There’s no way we’ll be able to damage it, even if we attack the weakest spot.”

I shook my head. “We must act. There’s no other way to save the island and the Rebellion.”

Jak sighed. “Then I’m coming with you.”

“Me too.” Tae grasped my shoulder. “We’re not letting you do this alone.”

I lifted my chin. “We’ll gather a few skilled soldiers and do this. We’re running out of time.”

We ran to the docks. The Grand Mahogany was already going underway. It seemed that our crew had wanted to join the fray already.

We hopped on board and the ship headed straight for the maw of the beast, the Ultmar.

 

32

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Fairy Opera Chapter 30: Deal with the Devil

Deal with the Devil

For about two days we discussed our strategy to steal ships from the Empire’s dockyards. Using maps and gathering information from people who had actually been there, we were able to form a simple plan that, hopefully, would allow us to procure a large number of vessels. Our trump card would be the army of Baphomet. Two thousand of the Death Lord’s best warriors would distract the enemy guards while we absconded with their ships. The army of death’s ships were large enough to fit all the sailors we would need to pilot the stolen vessels.

We gathered the army together on the third day after their arrival. The army was comprised mostly of dark elves. They followed Muco’s commands exactly, like clockwork.

We loaded onto the twelve relic ships and sailed off towards the island of Maruk, where the Empire’s shipyards were located.

About a week later we came within visual sight of the yards. There were hundreds of ships berthed in the various harbors and docks, along with a number still under construction.

Baphomet’s ships had magic infused in them, giving them the ability to go invisible. The twelve ships in our fleet disappeared from the sight of the guards at the island.

The two ships carrying our sailors split from the main fleet and headed for the dock area.

The ten remaining relic ships headed straight for the main harbor. Lining up, they commenced a bombardment, tearing through the castle and its defenses. The guards of the dock we were targeting ran towards the fight. The dock was defenseless.

I leaped off of the Specter Sailor and ran towards the ships that were unprotected, on the dock. Their sailors had noticed us approaching and were preparing to defend. There were very few guards remaining, as most of them had run towards the diversion.

Two knights on horseback galloped out from the city. We faced off against them. We were short on anti-cavalry weapons, but I had a trick up my sleeve.

“Null Aqua Regia! Disperse ten meters!” A spray of slippery oil came out from my hand and covered the ground in front of the horsemen. Both horses slipped on the oil and dumped their riders.

As our other sailors attempted to capture the ships, we engaged the knights. Both knights, still slipping and sliding across the oil slick, tried approaching us.

“Null Ice! Cover this ground!” From behind the knights, an Imperial inquisitor cast a freeze spell. The oil froze and the knights regained their posture.

I pointed at the inquisitor. “I’ll handle him.”

Tae and Jak looked at each other. “Got it.” They engaged the two knights.

I walked up towards the inquisitor. He pulled out a scroll and began casting another spell.

“Apropos!” I countered his spell.

The inquisitor drew his sword. We engaged. Sparks flew between our blades as they clashed against each other.

The inquisitor tried to cast another spell. I countered it. I pulled out a scroll and began to cast a kill spell. The inquisitor countered it.

We continued exchanging blows with our weapons. I nicked the inquisitor’s shoulder. The inquisitor staggered backwards, affected more by the nick than I would have expected.

He gritted his teeth and stared up at me. “You are playing with the wrong people, boy.” He staggered backwards. “You will live to regret this move.” He ran away and turned into an alleyway. I did not give chase. He was not our mission.

I turned back to the shipyard. The two knights had both been defeated, their bodies laying on the ground in pools of blood. I checked the surroundings and made sure that we were clear. Tae, Jak, and I boarded one of the Imperial ships and prepared it for flight. We had brought seasoned sailors with us for this portion of the mission.

The guards had noticed that the other attack was a diversion and were converging on the docks. There were over a hundred of them, their boots pounding the ground, their armor clanking.

“Hurry, hurry!” I did my best to crank out the sails. Our sailors scrambled across the deck, up the rigging, and around the skysteel engine. The guards got closer.

Just as they entered the dock proper, we were ready. We cast off. Twenty Imperial frigates pulled away from the docks, filled with our sailors.

The ten relic ships that had been drawing attention slipped away, following the rest of our new fleet. We got far enough from the island that it could be considered “mission accomplished.”

I was on one of the stolen vessels. The whole crew cheered, hugging each other and tossing their hats into the air. We had succeeded, almost. Now we had to defeat our pursuit. But I had prepared for this. The Empire sent out its remaining ships to chase us. The twelve relic ships formed a guarding line between the Imperial ships and our stolen vessels. Each relic ship was equipped with an extremely powerful cannon, capable of tearing through any regular ship with ease. They opened fire on the pursuing Imperials and tore our pursuit apart within minutes. The dozen or so pursuing ships floated down to the skyfloor, their decks and rigging on fire.

“Whoa.” I was amazed by the power of the relic ships. There was no denying their power.

Now that our pursuit was gone, we changed our heading and began the return home.

It took about a week more to reach the island of Gagna. The docks had been expanded while we were gone, and the island now had enough berths for our ships. We parked the vessels at the new dock and disembarked to the cheering of a crowd. Everyone was in high spirits.

About half an hour after leaving a meeting was called between the Rebellion leaders, of which I was now one. We sat around the table. Andrew pulled out a sheath of papers.

“Let us now discuss the troop procurement program.” He turned to Recophis. “Are the recruiting efforts going well?”

Recophis folded his hands. “Yes. We’ve gathered almost ten thousand able-bodied men to our cause. However, the island of Gagna is running out of space to handle them all.”

“Even with the barracks we bult?”

“I’m afraid so.” Recophis held out his hands. “We’re going to need more housing. Our food storage is being hit hard as well.”

The meeting continued, with various Rebellion leaders sharing their worries and successes. When the meeting was over, I left the council room and, with Tae and Jak next to me, walked down the street, which was much more crowded than before. The Rebellion’s headquarters was here. We were so close to declaring our independence. The city’s mood was bright, a hum of positivity thrumming through the people. With our newly stolen ships, it was almost time for us to start our campaign.

I turned to an alleyway that was supposed to be a shortcut to the Green Dagon. We were now housed in the castle itself, but the Green Dagon’s food was still pretty good. I ate there whenever I could find the time.

Just as we passed by a small door, a man wearing a hood stopped us.

Tae and Jak took a step back and assumed fighting stances. I held up my hand.

“You’re with the syndicate?”

The man lifted his chin. “Boss wants to speak with you.” He slipped a piece of paper into my hand. “Also, your next pit fight is in five days.”

Tae put her hand on her forehead. “Ah, right. You signed a deal that you would fight in that stupid arena.”

The cloaked man backed away. “Do not be late.”

I looked at the piece of paper. There was an address and a time, as well as a stipulation that I would have to be alone.

I turned to Tae and Jak. “You can go now. I’m supposed to go to this meeting alone.”

Tae and Jak looked at each other. “We can’t let you do this. There’s no way this isn’t a trap of some sort.”

Ruby came out from my pocket. “I’ll protect him. Don’t you worry about Rock.”

“Thanks, Ruby.” Tae looked down at her feet. “Be careful, Rock.”

I nodded. “I’ll see you after this meeting.” I turned back and walked across the town, alone, through the boisterous crowd of new soldiers and regular citizens. I came to a small staircase underneath a bar. The staircase was old, made of brick, and worn down by decades of use. I walked down it and came to a door. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness. The door had several faded posters on it.

I opened the door and came into a private room with a bar on one side and several plush couches scattered throughout. The lighting was subdued, moody almost. Several men in suits sat around a table playing cards. Two of them were Lightning and Clack. They nodded at me.

The two other men looked very important. The one next to Lightning waved me over.

“Sit.”

I sat. The man was big and buff, with a scar going down his cheek. He put down his hand of cards. “My name is Charcoal.” He pointed to the other unnamed man. “That is Big Ben.”

Big Ben nodded.

“I’m one of the Syndicate’s seven dons.” Charcoal brought up a cigar and puffed it. “These two lackeys,” he pointed to Lightning and Clack, “have filled me in on all the details. Apparently you are adept at the fighting ring. You also are a member of the council of the newly formed Rebellion.” Charcoal held out his hands. “I am here for one reason and one reason only. To tell you that the Syndicate is throwing its weight behind the Rebellion.” Charcoal put his hands down. “But I do understand that most of the other leaders of the Rebellion would object to such a partnership.”

“They would, yes.”

“I was told that you cooperated with us, so I thought you would be our best way to get into the internals of the new Rebellion.”

“So what do you want?”

“We want a world where people are allowed to worship whatever god they want. Do you know the real reason why the Syndicate exists?”

“I do not.”

“The Syndicate was formed by practitioners of Charism. We were pushed underground two hundred years ago when the God Emperor purged all other religions. Though we have taken to a life of crime, we are still noble in our intentions.”

“I did not know that. I imagined you were in it just for the profits.”

Charcoal took a long puff of his cigar. “Sometimes that’s how it feels. But in reality we want freedom to worship our own god. We just run crime rings on the side.”

“Okay. What help can you give the Rebellion?”

“Manpower, treasure, and information. The three things that a military needs to be effective. We’ll insert our agents everywhere and get you the advantage you need to start a new world order.”

A servant brought a plate of rice and meat onto the table.

Lighting and Clack looked at each other, and then at me.

“Our boss is sincere.” Clack lifted his chin. “We’re here to help you achieve your goal, no matter what we have to do.”

Charcoal tilted his head. “I heard about your escapade stealing those ships from the Empire. That was a grand, daring plan. I can’t believe you had the guts to do something like that. That’s the action that convinced me you’ll be able to pull this off.”

“All right. I get it. I’m not opposed to working with you.”

Charcoal lifted his cigar. “Also, we’re suspending your pit fights. We don’t want you getting injured or killed for no reason.” He glared at Clack and Lighting. “I don’t understand how someone could look at such a tactician as you and decide that the best course of action is to throw him into the pits.”

Clack bowed. “I am deeply sorry, sir.”

“And you should be.” Charcoal took a plate and put food on it. “Please, enjoy dinner with us. Then you can return to your friends.”

We ate. The food was very good, as expected of a mob boss’s dinner. When we were done, I left the speakeasy and returned to the upper level. I walked towards the Green Dagon, where I imagined Tae and Jak would still be.

Ruby came out of m pocket. “That was scary, Rock. How did you maintain your calm in that situation?”

“It wasn’t hard. I just kept my chin up.”

Ruby sat on my shoulder. “You know, after being with you for a while, I noticed that you’re always really calm in situations like this.”

“It’s no use to overreact to things.” I shrugged. “In any case, it won’t help me to be nervous in these kinds of situations.”

A small piece of flying metal—a shuriken—embedded itself into the wall an inch from my throat. I dove to the ground. The crowd around me started screaming. Two men dressed in ninja clothing leaped down from the top of a roof. They pulled out swords, taking up offensive positions on either side of me.

“Null Operatus.” I cast my buff spells. My body glowed with a green light.

The first ninja waved his fingers, as if to say “come at me.”

I pulled out a scroll and cast fireball at him. He stepped aside and dodged the attack with masterful dexterity. The fireball exploded onto the wall of a nearby building.

The ninja behind me rushed me. I ducked underneath his sword and gave a back kick, twisting my body, smacking the ninja in the side of the head with my palm. The first ninja struck at me. I pulled out my sword just in time to block him. The second ninja grabbed me, holding me to his chest. I used a grip break and slammed my elbow into the ninja’s stomach, sending him reeling. The first ninja brought out a second sword and swept them through the air with impressive speed.

The second ninja threw a shuriken at me. It hit me, embedding itself in my back. I staggered.

Ruby flew off my shoulder and into the face of the second ninja. As that ninja was waving his hands, trying to dislodge her, I stabbed him through the stomach. The second ninja gripped the sword in his stomach and kept me from retrieving it. He collapsed.

I was unarmed against a ninja with two swords. The surviving ninja rushed towards me.

I broke and ran. Using my enhanced speed and power, I leaped onto the rooftop, and started running towards the castle. The ninja chased after me. We leaped from rooftop to rooftop. Just as I was about to reach the castle, the ninja tackled me. I kicked him away. But there was no turning my back on him now. Just as he was about to attack me, an arrow flew out of nowhere and struck him in the neck. He teetered, collapsed, and fell off the roof.

Down below, an archer with a bow gave me a thumbs-up.

 

31

***

Fairy Opera Chapter 29: Death by Fire

 

Death by Fire

Malgor held up his hands, sword pointing up. “Your master was a great fighter. He taught you well.”

“You killed him.” I gripped my blade. “You stabbed him through the stomach.”

Malgor laughed. “And I would do it again! Your sister, too. She was supposed to be a bride of the God Emperor. Now she’s marked to be destroyed.”

“I’ll kill you before I let you touch my sister again.”

Malgor pointed his sword at me. “You’ll have to defeat me in combat first.”

Beside me, Jak and Tae were battling the two guards, their movements dancing around Malgor and I. The crowd around us was cheering, their raucous voices rising above the sound of blades clashing.

Malgor took a fighting stance. He came for me. His blade struck right at my center mass. I blocked the strike and his sword slid along the length of my blade, scraping the metal, stopping at the hilt. I used the hilt of my sword to push Malgor’s blade upwards. Malgor twisted around me and elbowed me in the back. I rolled forward. Malgor leaped at me. I rolled to the side.

Malgor’s blade impaled the ground, which was comprised of hard-compacted dirt. I rushed at him while his sword was stuck. Malgor leaped backwards, his sword still in the ground. Just then, one of his guards came within reach of him. He kicked his guard down and grabbed the guard’s sword.

Tae stabbed the guard through the chest moments later. Malgor swept his new sword through the air. He charged at me.

We traded more blows. The sparks between our blades flew in all directions. Malgor tried kicking me. I got my foot underneath his, causing us to teeter. I disengaged and backed away.

Malgor stepped back as well, his chest rising and falling. His eyes were full of fury. “I’ll catch you one day.” He stepped away, pulled out a scroll, and started chanting. I understood his intentions. He was teleporting away.

“Apropos!” I pointed at Malgor.

Malgor’s spell fizzled. I chased after him, through the crowd, as he attempted to flee. He leaped onto the top of a building. With my magic buffs, I was capable of that as well, so I leaped up and followed him. Malgor continued to flee across the cityscape, the two of us playing a game of tag as we bounced between rooftops.

Malgor stopped on the top of a tenement. He held out his sword.

“You’re persistent.” He took up a fighting stance.

I leaped onto the same rooftop. “I need to defeat you. You kidnapped my sister and killed my master. I won’t let you escape this time.”

Malgor laughed. “I can escape if I want. I’m just stringing you along so that my guards can make short work of your friends.”

“They can hold their own.” I held my sword out. “Let’s finish this.” We came at each other once more. Malgor attempted to trip me, but I dodged his attempt and slashed at his shoulder, cutting deep into his flesh. Malgor cried out and backed away quickly. Blood dripped from his clothing.

I rushed him. My sword penetrated his chest. Malgor dropped his sword.

“You have not yet defeated me.” Malgor’s eyes burned bright red. “I will return, more powerful than before. You have not seen the end of me.” His entire body was engulfed in flames, which ate him and left nothing but ashes. I knelt down and let my sword clatter to the rooftop. Malgor was gone.

Tae and Jak ran through the street below the tenement. I leaped down and met with them.

“Did you manage to defeat the guards?” I wiped ash from my hands.

Tae nodded. “The crowd attacked them as soon as Malgor left. That made it easy for us to rout them.”

“I defeated him. He’s not dead, but I defeated him, and fulfilled my contract with Baphomet.”

“What do you mean, he’s not dead?”

“He used some sort of magic to revive himself somewhere else. But I was triumphant.”

Tae sighed. “Then we’ll have to work with that. We have time, after all. Our army is coming and we will be able to declare our independence once Baphomet’s troops arrive.”

Jak shook his head. “I don’t think we should rely on that.” He shrugged. “But we can talk about that later. For now, we need to speak with Andrew.”

About an hour later, the three of us were standing in Andrew’s office. Andrew stood against the window, looking out at the city.

“Now that we’ve spurned the Empire by killing one of their cardinals, we’re going to have to move up the timetable.”

“I’ve secured us a large force from Baphomet.”

Andrew grimaced, which I could tell through his reflection in the window. “I would have wanted to not get him involved, but at this point we do not have much of a choice.”

“His army should be arriving soon.” I looked at the table in the room, where a half-eaten teacake sat next to a cold cup of coffee. “You’re stressed, aren’t you?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Andrew sighed. “In any case, I appreciate your help. The council has decided to elect you to office.”

“Wait, me? I’m just eighteen!”

“But you’ve done more than most people will do in their entire lives. You defeated a cardinal in single combat. You really don’t have to be humble. Plus, and this is major, you are a technomage. Your magic skills will be invaluable to help us win this war.”

I bowed. “I thank you for the honor. I will do whatever I can to live up to your expectations of me.”

Andrew turned and looked at me. His face was considerably kinder than a moment before. “I appreciate your resolve and accept it. Welcome to the Rebellion, Rock.” Andrew looked at Tae and Jak. “The council has also decided to elect you two as members of its senate.”

“Senate?” Jak tilted his head. “Does that mean you are meaning to create a democracy?”

“Did we not make our mission clear?” Andrew turned back to look at the window. “We wish to end the reign of the God Emperor because we believe that a government should be for its people and by its people. The previous Rebellion did not believe this, and I think that is why they fell so easily. They did not have a grand idea that they were fighting for. There was really not going to be much change if the previous Rebellion had won.”

I grinned. “I’m more excited than ever to be a part of this. I appreciate everything you’ve done. I want to be a part of this new world.”

Andrew smiled. “Good.”

A butler pushed open the doors. “Sir, a fleet of ships has been spotted on the horizon.”

“That was fast.” Andrew looked at me. “Could that be the army you were speaking of?”

“I believe so.”

Andrew straightened his tie. “Then we shall greet them. Anyone patronized by the Lord of Death himself must be presentable.”

We left the castle and headed back to the docks. The citizenry had routed and captured all the guards of the force that Malgor had brought to the island. Andrew spoke for a moment with one of the council members on the matter and then followed us to the dock.

Twelve black ships were sailing towards our island. Each one flew the flag of Baphomet. When the ships entered the harbor and docked, Muco was one of the first people to disembark. He came up to me and grasped my hand.

“It’s good to reunite with you, my friend.” He turned to Andrew. “Hello, Duke.”

Andrew bowed. “It is nice to meet with a representative of Baphomet under such cordial conditions.”

Muco rubbed his hands together. “We have brought with us two thousand of the best undead warriors our master could muster. With this force, you will have an advantage against the army of the Empire.”

“Are those relic ships?” Andrew surveyed the ships as they were docking.

“They are indeed. You have a good eye.” Muco put his hands on his hips. “We will handle our own lodging and supplies. You needn’t overburden your resources.”

Andrew smiled. “Thank you.” He turned to the council members beside him and introduced them one by one. When the introductions were over, Andrew called a council meeting.

Half an hour later we were in the council chamber. I sat at the table, with Jak and Tae standing behind me. Ami was there too—since it was safe on the island now, I wanted to show her how much I had grown.

The conversation drifted around the rules of the new guardianship country and how to best raise an army. A number of the council members were landed lords with a sizable force of their own; they had refrained from mobilizing them due to the Empire’s ever-watchful eyes, but now seemed like the perfect time to gather our forces and strike.

The conversation turned to money. I offered to sponsor the Rebellion off the profits of my medicine business—which I had received word from Jastle that it was doing well and making record profits. As long as that business remained, we would meet our funding goals.

So we discussed how we were going to counter the Empire’s various strategies. Then the meeting devolved into a heated debate around the nature of democracy. When the meeting was over, I left the council room, and with Ami, Jak, and Tae, returned to the Green Dagon inn.

Amber was sweeping the floor of the common room when we entered.

“Hi.” I waved at her.

She nodded.

The barmaid motioned towards me. “She wanted to help in return for our help. I couldn’t say no to such a face.”

I came up to Amber. “Are you doing okay? You really don’t have to be up and moving so soon.”

Amber shook her head. “I wanted to do what I could. I can’t just sit there and live off your kindness. I need to repay you.”

“Okay. You do that and I’ll do what I can to be kind to you.” I introduced Ami to Amber. Then we sat down for dinner.

Jak folded his hands and leaned forward. “What do you think about the Rebellion’s strategy?”

“About the island hopping campaign?” I shook my head. “We’d need to procure more ships than we have available at the moment. I think they missed how hard it is to transport a large force by air.”

Jak leaned back. “Then you have a proper grasp of the situation. I was thinking you were with them in believeing that, somehow, the ships we have at the moment will suffice.”

“Where are we going to get more ships?”

“I’ve been thinking. The Empire’s shipyards are about two week’s sail from here. If we could raid the yards and steal a number of vessels, that would greatly bolster our capabilities.”

“Ah.” I grinned. “That really is a good idea. And with Baphomet’s soldiers, we’ll be able to field enough men to pilot them all back home.” I put my palm on the table. “Then it’s decided. This is what we’re going to do. I’ll put this plan past Andrew and we’ll figure out where to go from there.”

Jak took a long draught of his beer. “You’ve grown a lot, Rock. Before this journey started you were a simple country boy, and now you’re a military commander with the magic power of an army.”

“I’m not that strong. I mean, I owe everything to Orion and Jastle. They’re the ones who knew everything and taught me what I needed to know.”

Jak shrugged. “I’m just saying that no ordinary boy could have done what you did. You’re an amazing warrior, tactician, and magician.” Jak grinned. “And I’m glad to be on your team.”

 

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Fairy Opera Chapter 28: Army of the Damned

 

Army of the Damned

“Step aside!” A convoy of Imperial representatives moved through the city’s main street. A dozen knights on horseback guarded two carriages. The citizens of Gagna stepped aside, bowing as the convoy passed.

I hid at the back of the crowd. Through the window of the second carriage, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face. It was Malgor. He sat inside with several other individuals.

The carriage stopped at the gates to the keep. Malgor stepped out and waited in front of the doorway.

The gates opened and the convoy entered, closing behind them when they were through.

The crowd dispersed and went about their daily business. I knew that something bad was going to happen in that castle. The leaders of the new Rebellion were inside.

I decided to sneak in. It would just be me; I would use the same tunnel that allowed us to sneak in the first time. I headed to the spot where the tunnel started and entered. The door slid shut behind me. I lit a magic lantern and held it up. The place was the same as before.

I followed the tunnel to the wine storage room. I was less careful, as I knew that Andrew had probably deactivated all the magic traps.

I made my way to the meeting hall. Through the door, I could hear voices. I cast an invisibility spell and hid next to the doorway, pressing my ear against the wall.

Malgor: “We welcome you into our system of governance, Sir Ballahad, duke of Gagna.”

Andrew: “I thank you for your acceptance. Please, have some tea.” I could tell that he was holding back his emotions.

Malgor: “I would like to speak with you about a certain, group of individuals, who were spotted on this island not long ago.”

Andrew: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Malgor: “Surely you know of the crew of the Grand Mahogany.”

I shuddered.

Andrew: “Yes, we have heard of their exploits. But why do you think they’re here?”

I immidiately thought back to the fact that our ship was sitting in a covered warehouse for long-term safekeeping. If the Grand Mahogany had been sitting out in the open at the dock, our story would have gone sour. Malgor would have had a reason to purge this island.

Malgor: “I have eyes, Sir Ballahad.”

Andrew: “I do not appreciate your accusations.”

Malgor: “Then we shall investigate on our own time. Perhaps then, you will understand how serious we are.” Footsteps came towards the door. I stepped away.

The door opened and Malgor strode out, followed by two guards. He looked straight at me for about a second, then turned away. I stood stock still and held my breath. Malgor walked down the hallway and around the corner.

Andrew poked his head out the door. “Rock. I know you’re there.”

I turned off my invisibility. “How did you know?” I entered the meeting room, the door shutting behind me.

Andrew motioned to a seat. “You triggered one of my warning spells.” He sighed, sitting down in a plush chair. “I didn’t disable everything down there.”

I sat down. “So what are you going to do?”

Andrew shook his head. “I do not know yet. We can’t fight them outright. The Rebellion is not ready to show its claws.”

“Then how are we going to keep him from finding anything out?”

Andrew buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know. I don’t know why he’s here or who called him here.”

“He probably has spies.”

“That’s a given. We planned for that. We’ve been doing everything as secretly as possible.” Andrew leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“Then we’ll move the timetable up. We’ll kick him off the island and declare our independence.”

“We don’t have the forces!” Andrew stood up and started pacing back and forth. “There’s no way we’ll be able to gather enough manpower!”

“I have a plan. To get an army quickly.”

Andrew stopped pacing. “How?”

“The Lord of Death.” I crossed my arms. “In our travels we met with the Lord of Death, Baphomet. He’s angry at the Empire for stealing his souls. If I can contact him, he could provide a large army for us in a pinch.”

“Really? You’d make a deal with him?” Andrew gritted his teeth. “But there’s really no other way. Okay, I’ll authorize it. The Empire is building a zombie army. We’ll build an army just like that to fight against him.”

“Then I’ll call my contact.” I pulled out a long distance communication spell. “Null Canus. Contact: Muco.”

The spell shimmered for a few seconds. Then Muco spoke.

“Rock. What’s the occasion?”

“Can your master provide troops for our rebellion? We need some soldiers as soon as possible.”

“My master might not like meddling in the affairs of mortals. I will ask him. If he agrees to meet you, he’ll be there in about a day. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No. Thanks for setting this up.”

“It’s no problem.” Muco disconnected.

I turned to Andrew. “My contact says that he’s going to open negotiations with the Lord of Death.”

Andrew sighed. “I hate to be doing this. But I need to speak with my associates to see what they have to say about this.” He turned away. “You can exit the castle the same way you came in. Malgor is probably watching every known exit.”

I nodded. “Right. I’ll be extra careful.”

I left the room, applied an invisibility spell, and exited the castle the same way I entered. Once I was out on the street I made a beeline to the Green Dagon. I entered and saw Tae and Jak sitting at a table.

Jak turned to me. “Where have you been? The cardinal inquisitor is here!”

“I was speaking with Andrew.” I sat down. “We agreed that we’re going to advance the Rebellion’s timetable.”

“But our forces are not nearly ready!” Jak grimaced.

“We’re going to ask Baphomet for forces.” I held out my hands. “I don’t know what he’ll want in exchange, but I think there’s a good chance he’ll help us out.”

Jak sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Okay then. You contacted Muco?”

“I did.” I rested my hands on the table. “Now all we do is wait.”

“It’s best if we don’t go outside.” Tae nodded.

“I agree. We can stay in here. The tavern owner is a sympathizer and won’t give us up.” I stood up. “I’m going to go check up on Amber.” I walked up the stairs to the second floor and entered our room. Amber was sitting on the bed, holding a small plush toy in her hands. When I entered she looked up.

“Sir Rock.” She placed her toy on the bed. “What do you need?”

“Are you doing okay?”

“I’m doing fine, sir.” She bowed. “I am a bit thirsty.”

I handed her a cup of water. “You can take water from the basin if you want.”

“Oh. I thought you wouldn’t want me touching everything.”

“You’re part of our crew now. You can have what we have.”

“Is everything okay? You seem distracted.”

I shook my head. “We’re not doing too hot. One of the cardinal inquisitors is searching for us.”

“Are you going to fight him?”

“We are. We’re going to try our best to kick him off this island.”

We talked for a few more minutes and I returned to the lower floor.

About a day later, a man wearing a black suit came into the eatery and sat down across from us. He pulled back his hood to reveal deep crimson eyes and pearl-white skin. Taking a document from his satchel, he leaned towards me.

“We’ll take care of things from here on out.” He handed me the document.

I took the document and looked at it. It was a contract, signed by the Lord of Death himself, with a spot for me to sign as well. I read the details. The Lord of Death wanted a certain magic spell created. If I created the spell, he would provide me with an army “beyond my imagination.”

Baphomet wanted me to create a spell that would “synthesize a soul.” I finished reading the document and decided that it was a fair trade. I signed the document.

The man in the suit took the document and put it back in his satchel. “You will need to prove your willingness to commit to the cause. Defeat the cardinal who searches for you in combat and my lord will reward you. This cardinal, Malgor, has snubbed my lord one too many times. If you wish to be an instrument of Baphomet, then you shall be of use to him.” He bowed and left the room.

I turned to Jak. “Sorry for not consulting you about signing that document.”

Jak shook his head. “You are intelligent enough to decide whether or not something like this is worth it. You are our captain for a reason.” He leaned back in his chair. “Defeat Malgor.” He sighed. “I don’t know how we’re going to go about that.”

Tae tilted her head. “Do you think you’ll be able to create that spell?”

“It may take me a while.” I stood up. “We’re going to need some help to defeat Malgor.” I looked at the door. “We need to talk to Andrew about this.”

Jak nodded. “I’m going with you.”

Tae stood up. “Me too. You’re not going alone this time.”

We all nodded, leaving the inn and traveling in the midst of a crowd along the main street to the castle. Multiple Imperial knights were guarding the streets. It looked like Malgor had established security here. It was good that none of the knights knew what we looked like. We passed by them without incident.

Suddenly the crowd parted. Malgor stepped out from between two guards. He drew his sword. “Leave them for me.” He pointed his sword at me. “I remember you! You were the ones who stole that girl from me! Where is she now?”

“She’s safe.” She remained on the Grand Mahogany in its shed, protected by our sailors.

“Then I’ll make you talk.” He stepped towards us.

I pulled out scrolls and cast my buffs. My body lit up with a blue glow.

Malgor also cast buff spells.

I motioned to Jak and Tae. “You guys take care of the guards. I’ve got the inquisitor.”

Jak and Tae nodded, splitting off.

I approached Malgor. Malgor rushed at me with his sword. “Null Decivio!”

“Apropos!” My spell countered Malgor’s spell. I dodged his sword and cut his arm with my own blade.

Malgor spun around and sliced at my neck. I ducked underneath the attack and kicked Malgor in the leg. Malgor leaped backwards, did a flip, and landed on his feet. He rushed at me again.

“Null Devicio!”

“Apropos!” Two colored blasts of energy converged and exploded in between us.

Malgor stepped back while maintaining his fighting stance. I swept my sword through the air.

We clashed again. Our swords rang out as they collided.

Malgor pulled out another scroll. “Null Back! Library!”

A wave of high-pressure energy shot from Malgor’s hand and missed me by an inch. I rolled away and blocked a strike, stepping aside and hitting a spectator.

I recovered before Malgor could take advantage of my slip. Malgor swung at me with huge swings, knocking me back each time. Sparks flew.

I aimed a kick at Malgor’s leg and my foot connected. Malgor stumbled, backed up, and wiped blood from his shoulder.

I went on the offensive. Blow after blow, I struck at Malgor. He blocked each of my attacks. I had him pressed against a wall.

Malgor kicked off the wall and flipped over my head, landing behind me. I ducked underneath his strike from behind and turned to face him.

Malgor was breathing heavily. “Not bad, kid.”

“I’ve been practicing.”

 

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