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Action, adventure, a little romance and a twist. What more could you want? R&R Please! |
| “Are you sure?” “Aye, Major. Saw it with my own eyes.” John and Weryn had gone back to the spot they had camped out the night before, the spot that gave them a view of all the camps. Lady Tyrn had showed up sometime before dawn with the Head Mistress. John had sneaked in to tell her his plan. She hadn’t been happy at first but slowly came around to his way. John had left with the signed document just before dawn and had delivered all of the documents to Lord Vaunder. When it all came down to it, he trusted the Lord the most out of all of them, even his own Empress-in-waiting. Weryn had been watching the Kalian king. “He visited the Head Mistress the moment she came in. There was a sound ward up for the entire hour the meeting took place and then he left. I would have missed him if I hadn’t noticed the two Slayers that were with him. He had dressed up like a slave, white robe and all. Looked awfully suspicious. Ah--sir?” “Yes?” “Has it ever occurred to you that there could be more than one traitor?” John gave a loud sigh and nodded. “More than once. But you and Mia both have told me that all the evidence points to one culprit.” He checked the sun; it was just coming up to its zenith. The Summit would start soon and John still felt like he was bumbling around in the dark. Most of it would be the Lady Luck’s doing. They didn’t have enough men to spare to watch all the camps if they were going to take on the Head Mistress and protect the Leaders. He had nine Hunters, including himself, and three Slayers. When the word came out that everyone knew the Head Mistress’s plans, the royals present would be expendable. If he was to watch the camps, it would be four Hunters he’d have to use and they had counted at least twenty-five Tekal Slayers--he'd need every one of them he could use. John had figured a Hunter could take on two, possibly three, Slayers. He had told himself repeatedly since waking up that he would kill the Head Mistress first before everything hit the fan. This time he wouldn’t make any mistakes. “Any word from the Dayton Clan?” Mia had told him she had sent a letter to her father back at the Vaunder’s Estates, asking for men to the Summit immediately. Weryn shook his head. “They may come in at the last minute, but I wouldn’t count on it.” “’Prepare for the worst, expect the best’” John quoted with another sigh. “Master… We have a problem." “What now,” John growled as he turned his attention to the center of the town where a large pavilion had been constructed for the Summit. Mia had been stationed to watch the pavilion. His enhanced vision latched onto Cedrick. “Mother of Gods,” John cursed. Weryn turned to where John was looking and hissed, “She is going to use him.” The Head Mistress and a small army of Slayers and Mages came upon the pavilion as if to lay siege. “Major. I’m counting at least twenty more Slayers.” John slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand. “Nothing is ever easy.” All the other leaders were approaching the pavilion which gave John only minutes to think of some miracle. “Everyone. Cloak and head to the pavilion. Take two leaders and guard them--except the Kalian. We have reason to believe he is the traitor. Nina, Waylon, and Dylon. Take to your positions.” Waylon had healed enough to walk but he still wasn’t fit for close quarters combat. That’s why John had them stationed around the Summit as sharpshooters with their energy. Hopefully, with enough chaos, they wouldn’t have enough time to defend themselves against an energy attack. “Let’s go Weryn.” They cloaked and made their way down the hill, into the town. “Master, the Head Mistress is demanding for you. She is threatening to kill Cedrick if you don’t show yourself.” “Just bloody perfect,” he muttered under his breath as he and Weryn passed the last of the buildings and into the courtyard that housed the pavilion. “What are you blabbering about?” Lord Vaunder demanded. All the nobles were seated. Lord Vaunder and his other Lords of Ghourd were all together at one side, the three Caprian Kings and King Hugar were at the other end with Lady Tyrn sitting across from the Head Mistress. “I know John Wyden is here,” she half shrieked. “And I know it was his idea having all of you sign this agreement!” John’s papers he had everyone sign were stacked neatly on the square table that dominated the pavilion. All the Lords and Kings were seated around it. Some of them weren’t as calm as Lord Vaunder. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” one of the three Kings of Capri said. “We agreed to this because we all felt that an additional layer of security was needed. Speaking of which, what are you doing here? You have never attended a Summit before, and why do you have so many men with you?” She ignored him and his questions. “John is a traitor who is trying to undermine this establishment. I demand to know where he is.” When no one spoke she threw her hands up into the air. “Fine. If you want to play stupid… Cedrick dies if he doesn’t show himself at the count of ten. One.” “This is ridiculous,” Lady Tyrn exasperated. “King Jacob is right, you shouldn’t be here. And th-“ “Two.” John came to a stop just inside the pavilion’s threshold. Pulling out his da’kka, he stalked to the Head Mistress. He would kill her. He had only ten spans to cross. Cedrick’s head rolled lazily upward. Blood coated him like a second skin. The Ghourdian’s finger nails had been pulled and most of his fingers were broken. Anger bubbled inside John. “Three.” “Kill the bitch John!” Cedrick cried. “Four.” “There!” one of the robed Mages said, pointing right at John. Shit on a stick. The Head Mistress pulled Cedrick up by his neck, her nails covered in his blood, to put Cedrick between John and her. “Show yourself John, or he is dead. Now.” John decloaked and the royals around him gasped. Cedrick mouthed something but John didn’t catch it until he did it a second time. “Sacrifice me. ” “So did you tell them what you have been planning?” John asked her calmly. “Do they all agree with your plan to kill the rest of the Slayers in this world before you send everyone here to their graves?” “Stop with your demonic lies,” she said with a too sweet of a smile. “You and your kind will die. One way or another. There is no point to this.” Tallen stepped up from behind the Head Mistress, pulling his sa’dka out with fluid grace. “You--“ There was a spark of hatred in him that John hadn’t seen before. The Head Mistress’s sweet smile changed to a grim one. “Our laws are clear, demon. You will die by his hand for the death of Slayer Celia Tecard. Do not fight your destiny.” Oh. No. John made an involuntary step back. “No. She can’t be.” Tallen glared at him, his intent to kill John clearly on his face. “You can’t fool me. I saw how you almost got away with helping those demons. You will die now.” His last mission flashed before John’s eyes. Shit. “Tallen, don’t listen to her. She has bee-“ John had barely gotten his da’kka up to block Tallen’s thrust. Vaguely John heard every royal there standing up. “We are coming!” Mia’s voice echoed his head like a thunder bolt. “No! Stick to the leaders. They have priority. I can take Tallen. Nina, Dylon, Waylon--get ready to attack those mages. Weryn, protect the Lady Tyrn.” The stream of commands came from John almost instantly as he back peddled away from Tallen’s strikes. “He’s lied to us!” The Kalian king cried over the sounds of steel against steel. “He is no noble!” John leapt on to the huge table while simultaneously taking a cut at Tallen. The slick sound of steel cutting flesh met John’s ears. The Ghourdian noble was too angry to concentrate and John was running out of options. Celia wouldn’t want Tallen dead. It was the least he could do. Damn my sense of honor. “Tallen, you know me,” John breathed as he backed away from the edge of the table. Tallen grasped his left shoulder before stepping up onto the table with him. “I’d never hurt Celia, I loved her.” Tallen cried out wordlessly as if John had stabbed him--which he guessed he had, metaphorically. Celia would never love Tallen, John knew. “You will have to kill him,” Weryn said over the mindlink. Tallen charged him blindly. He blocked four of his wild thrusts and found his opening. With a sweeping leg, he sent the noble flailing to his back before plunging his sa’dka into the man’s stomach. “I didn’t kill her and I won’t kill you.” John said as he stood up. Turning to the Head Mistress he said grimly, “But I will kill her.” “Kill him!” the Head Mistress shrieked at the small army surrounding her, pointing at John. Immediately, five of the Mages dropped to the floor like puppets that had lost their strings. John sensed a paper thin weave of spirit in the air and sent a silent thank you to his sharpshooters. Three more mages dropped before they knew what hit them, and every one of the Head Mistress’s men paused. No Mages were left alive when John jumped off the table and landed with a thud. “King Hugar is the traitor! Get out of here!” John roared. All the royals there froze in shock. As one they all looked at the Kalian king who was trying to back away from the pavilion without anyone’s notice. “Son of a whore! I knew it!” one of the Caprian King’s cursed. As one they all went for him but the King hurriedly danced away from their lunges. Turning, he fearfully ran for his life. Almost comically, all the other nobles ran after him, even Lady Tyrn. When none of the Slayer’s went to follow, John leisurely cracked his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Donnie’s team and Mia’s team flank him on either side. John could have cloaked but he wanted everyone’s attention on him. Pulling out his da’kka he held it out horizontally in front of him before nodding toward the Head Mistress. “Prepare yourself.” As if that were the cue, thirty or so Slayer’s rushed him. It was--poetic. He laughed almost hysterically as he brutally fought his way through the hoard of Slayers, screams echoing all around him. After the first five seconds, everyone from Tekal became acutely aware that John wasn’t the only one fighting them. Pulling a sa’dka from a falling Slayer he’d just killed, John rounded on the next man. Then a woman. Then another--and another. Blood splattered his face after each swing and screams of agony filled the air. It was a blood bath. Energy started being tossed around like sand on a windy beach. John felt pressure from all around him as the energy dissimulated around him. A thread like energy took a Slayer in front of him just as John blocked a hard cut to his head. The three Devotees that were hitting Tekal’s people from afar had already taken ten of the Slayers before John was even three spans into the fight. Akara cried out as a Slayer stabbed her and then John herd Weryn join in with the groans of agony. Blocking a cut from his right, John dropped under a familiar Slayer’s guard and killed him. Like sensing his cloaking power for the first time, John felt another feeling. Having no time to experiment, he blocked two attackers. Whirling his sa’dka around to tip one of his attackers off balance, he plummeted his da’kka into the falling Slayer’s partner. Reaching for the new power, he gasped as his hands began to glow green. Embracing it, he felt his movement quicken. And then he Accelerated. Weryn was a heart beat behind him and then John was butchering anyone within his grasp. Coming out of the Accleration, five more bodies fell to the ground. Only two minutes of eternity had passed before only three Slayers were left, both backing up to the Head Mistress who still held Cedrick by the neck. John recognized Nicolas as one of the three and a growl escaped him. “Who killed her?” John demanded as he advanced the four people in front of him. All four of them made an involuntary step back. “Who--killed--Celia!” “Now,” the Head Mistress growled. Weryn and Will behind him gave out a gasp as hundreds of Hunters appeared all around the pavilion, encircling it. “Fugia Clan!” Mia said the two words as if it were a curse. “What is the meaning of this?” Visibly, both the Head Mistress and Nicolas relaxed. “Your death is inevitable John Wyden,” the Head Mistress said, ignoring Mia, as she threw Cedrick into John. Catching him, John whispered, “Everyone to me. Now.” His companions backed closer to John, uncertain. “Got some crazy plan or something?” Weryn asked half jokingly, half fearfully. The hundred or so men and women that made the ring around the pavilion started to close in. “Waylon, Dylon and Nina. Start running away from here as quickly as you can. That’s an order. And make sure King Hugar doesn’t escape.” The Head Mistress started to advance on them. “What is the sudden confidence, John? Have you finally accepted your fate?” “Aye. Killing you.” Her face, already peppered with blood, went scarlet with rage. “How dare you! Kill him!” “John…” Donnie said cautiously as everyone around him tensed. Closing his eyes, John reached for the sudden new power. If I could just… Yes. Yes. That’s it! He opened his eyes to find Nicolas only a span away from him, the Head Mistress a step behind him. They had frozen, eyes wide. Energy surrounded his whole body and he felt his clothes begin to ripple as if caught in whirlwind. His allies backed up closer to him, increasingly uncertain, as waves and waves of his spirit began to swell from John. And then, like a pulse, a wave of energy shot out from John and was sent across the pavilion and into the town around them. And then another. And another. Each one increasing in intensity. “What--What is this!” Nicolas cried, slowly backpedaling from John. The two other Slayer’s just stood there, mouths agape. “Your funeral.” It was the last thing the Head Mistress, Master Slayer Nicolas, and the hundreds of Fugia Clan members heard. Like a thunder bolt, energy crackled down to John from the heavens and then a dome of energy expanded out from him and the people that were backed up into him, towards the people surrounding them. If it wasn’t so beautiful, John would have guessed that most of the people there would have ran. He knew they would had they known what it was. Hell, he didn’t know what it was--just that it would kill all those that touched it. And kill it did. Expanding out, it gathered energy around the area and started to grow exponentially. Slamming into the Head Mistress and her group, they vanished under the green haze just before someone let out a blood curling scream. The scream hung in the air as if they had all Accelerated and the dome swelled out, taking out the Fugia Clan in one swipe. The scream lasted for heatbeats until the dome dissipated just before the town's buildings. “May the Gods have mercy on us!” Will cried out, nothing was left of the bodies but their blood. Lots and lots of blood. Like paint. Like Boria. As if he had suddenly become weightless, his eyes closed and the ground came rushing up to him. |
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