Chapter 23
Chahzuu tried to spring to his feet and move somewhere beyond the reach of the creature standing above him. It was too late. A dark swirl had started centering Nemesis’ breast. Chahzuu couldn’t move. The same field that had captured him before had him now.
He tried to struggle, to draw on the energy of his own crystal. He felt something start to give as fire burned in his chest. Chahzuu opened his eyes and stared up at Nemesis who was looking back down in surprise.
“You’re pathetic attempts won’t work. I don’t know how you’ve done it, but this time I’ll finish what I started!”
The flexibility in the field Chahzuu had started to feel disappeared and he felt it constricting tighter around him while the swirling in Nemesis’ breast grew to a dark burnished red, giving his face a demonic glow.
Nemesis stepped forward and put a finger to his temple. It was plain he wanted to drain him again. This time Chahzuu was prepared. The crystal fired until he thought he’d be consumed and Chahzuu, not quite sure what he was doing, threw up a block.
Nemesis clenched his eyes in concentration. Chahzuu felt him battering against his shield. He prodded, pushed then felt him gathering to smash at his block.
The blow came; a powerful mental hammer that battered time and again. Chahzuu’s mind was reeling but the block held. Chahzuu looked up at Nemesis and allowed a smile to cross his face.
Fury reflected in Nemesis’ countenance. The swirling at his breast increased and grew to a deep crimson. Chahzuu could feel the anger, could feel the frustration. And there was something else. Fear!
“There’s more than one way to get around the crystal you’ve somehow brought back to life . . . along with yourself. I’ll just have to remove it, physically. Then you’ll be as open as before. You don’t have to be alive to be drained, you know. The brain works for just long enough after the rest of the body has ceased.” A sadistic smile crossed his features. “For now, though, let’s see what you’ve brought me.”
Nemesis leaned down and removed the script pouch he had draped over his shoulder. Alarm flashed through Chahzuu and Nemesis must have sensed it because he looked at Chahzuu and smiled again.
“Ah. Something important I see. Well, once again, you’ve dropped it into my lap. I won’t mind seeing you again if this turns out to be something good. Don’t count on a third time. I rarely repeat mistakes.”
He up-ended the pouch and the two Articles of Power dropped into his hand. Nemesis hefted them then looked at Chahzuu. It was plain he felt the power just as Chahzuu had.
“Important indeed. What are they?”
Chahzuu remained silent. He couldn’t speak even if he wanted to. That was Nemesis’ fault too. Instead Chahzuu focused his hate and anger, and directed it, trying to make it into a mental blow.
“Trying to hurt me with your mind?” Nemesis shook his head. “You’ll never be that strong I’m afraid. As for these, don’t worry. I have all your memories, remember. All I have to do is search them, then I’ll know everything you know about these little items here. First, let me take you to a more comfortable place.”
Nemesis raised his hand and there was a flash!
Chahzuu found himself lying on a slab in a subtly lit room. It was a room of the ancients. He’d been in enough of them now to recognize his surroundings. He couldn’t move his head, but his eyes panned as much as they could. The walls were smooth stone. The light seemed to flow out of them illuminating the rest of the room. The roof was darkened with those tiny pinpricks of twinkling light. Nemesis was standing over him, the Articles still in his hand.
“I don’t suppose I can wring from you how you found your way into the Passage, but I’ll know soon enough. Now to see what these little pretties are.”
Chahzuu watched with trepidation as Nemesis closed his eyes, trying to focus on what used to be his memories. He could only hope that when he’d been drained any memory or thought of the Articles of Power had been so subsumed, so fragmented that Nemesis wouldn’t be able to make sense of them.
Nemesis continued to stand with his eyes closed. Chahzuu tried battering at the shield in the same way he’d observed Nemesis battering at his. They were too strong. Nothing he did gave way.
“It’s no use. I’ve tied you too tight,” Nemesis spoke, finally opening his eyes. He looked down at Chahzuu. There was something in his eyes that he couldn’t read.
“I can’t seem to make sense out of these items here,” he hefted them. “Once the crystal is removed, I’m sure it’ll become clear. Your recent memories will tell me everything you know about them.”
Nemesis hesitated a bit then mumbled, as if speaking to himself. “Maybe these are why my masters were so anxious to secure this place.”
Chahzuu was astonished. Nemesis had masters? Who were they? What did they want with his world? If they were Nemesis’ masters, then they must have even greater powers.
And Chahzuu couldn’t be sure, but when Nemesis mentioned his masters, he sensed a brief flash of fear.
This doesn’t bode well, Chahzuu thought. Why aren’t the Guardians doing something about this? Then he remembered the ‘Nothingness’ the Guardians were fighting to hold back. Are we truly on our own? How can we fight those more powerful than even Nemesis?