Avery stood in front of Fallon’s door, in retrospect considering that he would’ve preferred a drilling from Brian to the task he’d been given. He wasn’t very good at sucking up to people, especially when he’d done nothing wrong. I’ll take that angle, he decided on the quiet. Now that Fallon knows it was Viper and not me who seduced her, then she has nothing to be angry at me for.
Feeling more confident, Avery knocked. He gazed out over Central Park, which backed onto Government House, and was admiring the gardens when suddenly he found himself being yanked in the door.
‘Are you nuts?’ Fallon exclaimed as she closed the door of her apartment behind them and backed Avery up against the wall in the entrance foyer. ‘Every major official of the alliance is in this building at present.’
Despite the confusion, Avery couldn’t help but notice how very different Fallon looked today. She was attired in black skin-hugging attire. Her long, spiral curls were left loose, as they never had been, and bounced wildly about her upper body.
‘I thought you’d never get here,’ she uttered sweetly, and then kissed him with a passion.
After the shock wore off and the kiss rolled on, Avery reclaimed his mind to realise that Fallon thought he was Viper.
This kiss, which he was rather enjoying, was meant for his enemy and not himself.
‘Wow,’ Fallon emphasised as their lips parted, and she gave a shy smile.
‘Indeed,’ Avery agreed, his heart and mind racing. Should he make her aware of his identity?
‘We should go. It’s really not safe for you here.’ Fallon took hold of his hands, whereupon Avery pulled her close and kissed her again.
Fallon was not holding back at all, and it broke Avery’s heart to learn that he’d lost her devotion to another. Avery wanted to stop this encounter; he didn’t want to know how far Fallon would take her affection. Her favour was most pleasing, arousing even, but her enthusiasm only heightened the case of treason against her. Simply by telling him that all the members of the senate were in the building at this time, Fallon was breaching the security of the alliance. Please let this be merely a case of a young girl’s romantic notions and naive curiosity getting the better of her. Please don’t let Fallon be fully aware of the implications of her association with this man.
‘Fallon?’
They were startled from their embrace by the sound of Avery’s own voice, and when Fallon stepped away from Avery to find Avery standing behind her, she moved clear of both of them. ‘Oh shit,’ she muttered. ‘Which one is which?’ Either way, she was in trouble.
‘Give me your hand, Fallon,’ the newcomer instructed. ‘Quickly before he,’ he motioned to the man she’d been kissing, ‘exposes us.’
‘No, Fallon,’ Avery urged, ‘he’ll take you straight to your father.’
Fallon looked back to the newcomer, wary of him until he pulled a NERGUZ module from his pocket.
‘To prevent them from following us,’ he advised, ‘just as we planned.’
‘Avery?’ Fallon looked at him, her face contorting with the disappointment she felt as she backed towards Viper. ‘Why must you always toy with my emotions this way? Are my feelings just a joke to you?’
‘I never toyed with your emotions in the first place. He did!’ Avery waved a finger in the impostor’s direction. ‘And I am not the one about to betray everyone I ever cared about! Where do you get off kissing our enemy like that?’
‘You couldn’t possibly betray everyone you love, Avery,’ Fallon retorted sharply. ‘Because you are the only person you care about.’ Fallon took the module from Viper.
‘Don’t, Fallon,’ Avery warned. ‘That module will also make you subject to Viper’s will.’
‘I know what a NERGUZ module does,’ she snapped, tired of being treated like a naive child and despite Avery’s caution she unclipped the module and attached it to her wrist.
‘This is the control module,’ Viper informed Avery as he handed Fallon the NERGUZ.
‘See, I am not the fool you take me for.’ Fallon took possession of the device.
‘If you choose to trust this pirate over everyone who ever loved you, then you are a fool, Fallon.’ Avery willed the module from Fallon’s grasp, but before it had covered half the distance between them, Viper had willed it back to Fallon again. ‘Remember what En Noah predicted,’ Avery added, in a desperate appeal to get her to see reason.
‘You had your chance, Pan man. Go find a willing wood nymph to toy with instead. I understand they quite enjoy torment.’ Viper pulled Fallon close and she attached the control module to her wrist.
‘Goodbye,’ she said, and this word activated her NERGUZ as they vanished.
Avery tried willing himself after himself, which naturally didn’t work. He needed to know what Viper looked like, and now that he’d been made aware that his enemy was part of his own soul-mind, a little past-life regression should solve that problem.
But first Avery had to convey this latest piece of bad news to Lahmu, which would be the icing on the cake of the Governor’s already emotionally taxing day.
‘This is definitely the place.’ Viper strolled into the stone circle, which he’d seen numerous times in the chronicles of the Sage he’d left back in the Dark Age. ‘Mahaud’s implements were once buried under that tree.’ He pointed to an ancient elder tree that stood outside the circle.
Gazelle gazed about at the beautiful lush countryside and the mysterious landmark in which they stood, feeling a little overawed. ‘So, this is where Tory Alexander and Maelgwn Gwynedd first met?’
Viper had told her all the stories from the Chronicles he’d studied in the pursuit of information about Mahaud. Her brother had been sickened by all the good deeds and heroic adventures of the Chosen Ones, whereas Gazelle had found the legends rather romantic and inspiring.
‘A most unfortunate occurrence for the Dark Lodge,’ Viper lectured his sister with a stern look of concern on his face. ‘Let’s get those torches in place.’ He looked to his helpers, who were all cousins, aunts or uncles of the Falcon, Leonine and Delphinus breeds. Every one of them had traces of their Nefilim roots in their appearance, which made them a race unto themselves. With Mahaud’s aid, the children of Dumuzi would be a race to be reckoned with and they would thrive as rulers and not outcasts.
The already dismal day turned stormy as the ritual site was prepared.
Gazelle stood far away from the action, her face upturned to the sky to catch the light, drizzly rain that fell in a gentle, endless wave. She’d never experienced this kind of weather before: sandstorms, dust storms, meteor storms, yes, but a rainstorm, never. She wanted to go to Karleashian to experience such a climate, but as she’d always had precious little say in what she did, her dream had remained just a dream. Gazelle never imagined that she might actually get something out of this dreadful crusade of her brother’s.
As the four torches were lit at the north, south, east and west end of the stone ring, the wind came up and the day grew even darker.
‘Oi!’ A middle-aged man approached the site, eyeing over the unusual costumes and elaborate make-up of the trespassers. ‘What do you lot think you’re doing? This site is not open to the public at this time of year.’
‘Who are you, old man?’ Viper queried.
‘I am the custodian of this site.’ He pulled a rifle from underneath his trench coat and, not liking Viper’s tone, aimed it at the birdman. ‘And I advise you and your friends to move on.’ The custodian was startled as his gun left his possession and flew into the clutches of the man he’d threatened. ‘How did you do that?’
‘I’m a God,’ Viper smiled, and shot the man dead with the rifle. ‘Whoo-hoo!’ he cried, surprised and exhilarated. ‘Their weapons sure are loud.’ The pirate wandered over and prodded the custodian with his foot. ‘They sure do work, though.’ Viper eyed over the rifle and decided he’d keep it. It would be a fine antique back home. He slung the weapon strap over his shoulder and, grabbing up the dead man, V
iper dragged him into the circle. ‘He’ll do just fine … save me hunting someone up.’ He dropped the body and placed the crone’s talisman around the dead man’s neck. ‘I suppose she would have preferred a living being, but …’ he shrugged ‘… we can’t always have what we want.’
Viper ordered all his people beyond the radius of the circle. He joined his kindred and from beyond the crone’s would-be grasp, the pirate recited the dark invocation.
Gazelle blocked her ears and turned away, as a dark seething red and black mist began to rise from the earth inside the circle.
The mist gathered over the dead body and entered it through every available orifice.
Viper’s people gasped and took a step backwards as the dead man began to stir and rise. Their leader only smiled and held his ground, eager to speak with the crone.
When the man dragged himself to a standing position, he looked up, his eyes of glowing red inspiring another gasp from the onlookers.
‘Is this body the best you could do, Viper … it’s dead!’ The corpse ran a hand over its body and then held out fingers that dripped with red fluid. ‘And bleeding.’
The unearthly voice of the crone, and her stench, did nothing to inspire confidence amongst those gathered, but Viper stood undaunted.
‘Come, come … I didn’t cripple it or anything and besides, it’s just a temporary arrangement,’ Viper explained. ‘I thought you might like to select the body you shall inhabit permanently, and I assume you want one in an immortal state? After seeing what has happened to your cohorts in the past, I am hardly stupid enough to offer up my person. You may select any of the Chosen for your purpose, and I shall fetch them for you. But myself and my people are to be your students, Mahaud, not your puppets.’
‘A thinking man.’ The dead man’s mouth curved to a grin. ‘I knew you were of the elite the first time I laid eyes on you, Viper. You shall be a Lord of the Dark Lodge, the like of which mankind has not seen since our victory in Atlantis.’
‘I am not familiar with that victory?’ Viper frowned.
‘Of course you’re not … the Chosen would never record one of our victories for reference. But I know all and intend to do a little publishing of my own.’
‘The Dark Chronicles,’ Viper smiled. ‘That is inspiring.’
‘But first we must fetch me a body.’ The witch hobbled awkwardly towards him, as a dead vehicle was far heavier to uphold than a living one. ‘And we must acquire the dark potion of immortality for you, your people and my new Chosen body.’ As she reached the edge of the circle, Mahaud turned her carcass around to view the ritual site. ‘I do like what you’ve done with the place … a most pleasing ambience. Your tools were well selected.’
‘I shall always do my worst for you, Mahaud, for as long as we agree,’ Viper vowed, with a mischievously challenging grin on his face.
The crone nodded, understanding the threat. ‘I believe you shall discover that we think so much alike …’ she stepped beyond the circle ‘… it’s scary.’
At the same stone circle in Oxfordshire, back in the early sixth century, Taliesin sat in meditative consultation with the King Stone, which was further afield from the main circle of stones known as the King’s Men.
Taliesin had willed Noah and himself forth from the Snowdon Ranges to this site beyond the borders of Prydyn and the young Prince of Gwynedd had flown the Dragon overland and caught up with them about an hour later.
Whilst the Merlin was quizzing the elemental who was the guardian of this site about the possibility of sending Noah to twenty-second century Gaia — or more specifically the year 2108AD — Taliesin had the prince digging a hole outside the circle in which to bury Mahaud’s utensils.
Maelgwn seemed a mite disgruntled about the chore. The lad had tried ordering the Dragon to dig the hole, but the Otherworldly creature had insisted that, on an empty stomach, it couldn’t possibly assist.
The Dragon had a taste for nefarious criminals and low-life human souls. The beast’s digestive system was like a one-way ticket to the sub-planes; for any soul Rufus swallowed would never again incarnate. The crone, Mahaud, would have been very much to the Dragon’s taste, but whilst she remained in a spirit form the beast could not touch her. None of the human souls present were evil enough to be of interest and so the Dragon remained hungry and at leisure.
‘Can I help?’ Noah offered his services to the grumbling lad.
Maelgwn stopped his furious shovelling. ‘Who art thou, that the High Merlin would aid thee upon first meeting, friend?’ The prince said ‘friend’ in a rather forced tone, as if undecided if this was the case.
‘I am a friend to ye both in the future,’ Noah replied simply. ‘And I have come to be here in the course of my service to our mutual cause.’
Maelgwn wasn’t too sure whether to take the claim literally or regard it as a prophecy. ‘Then thou art a wiser man than I, to be aware of a cause to which I am ignorant.’ The boy rose from his digging, sounding sceptical but not unfriendly.
‘Live as many years as thou hast already and I promise all will be clear to thee by then,’ Noah granted with a confident smile and motioned to the hole in the earth. ‘May I?’
With curious nod, Maelgwn offered Noah the shield with which he’d been digging.
‘No, thanks.’ Noah held out a hand and, manifesting a steel-headed shovel, he commenced work.
Maelgwn was well used to the High Merlin manifesting the strangest objects at will, and so did not blink an eye when Noah did the same. ‘A well crafted tool.’ Maelgwn admired how efficiently the shovel did the job. ‘May I try?’
‘Surely.’ Noah handed his tool over, gratified to have enthused the younger man into finishing the task.
‘I just want this episode over with, so I can pursue a quiet life.’ Maelgwn explained his disgruntled mood and Noah could relate to his reasons for dreaming of a monk’s lot.
‘Serenity stems from within and not from that which surrounds us.’ Noah knew it was indeed Maelgwn’s lot to go and study under the priests of the Roman faith for a time, but the young prince was also destined to return to Gwynedd and become one of the most legendary Kings of his time. ‘And what would become of Gwynedd in thy absence?’ Noah posed. The bitter look on Maelgwn’s face brought home the grim reality of the era that Noah was only passing through.
‘Clearly, my bastard brother wants the throne far more than I do. So long as I am next in line to be King, there will be unrest in Gwynedd.’ His jaw tightened a moment before he continued digging. ‘I have saved my father’s kingdom and released him from prison. And, without so much as a word of gratitude, he lectures me for involving myself with Otherworldly forces to subdue the threat.’ Maelgwn took out his anger on the earth he was cutting into. ‘I was not the one who picked the Merlin for my tutor; it was not my fault my mother insisted.’
‘But,’ Noah hesitated to mention the fact, ‘I understand Caswallon lost his Queen in the uprising and must be grieving her loss —’
‘I loved her far more than he ever did!’ Maelgwn hollered in response, tears bursting from his eyes, which he quickly wiped away.
Maelgwn’s adverse reaction stunned Noah and he suddenly felt terrible for churning up the lad’s pain. The Sage was so used to discussing the affairs of the past in a clinical fashion that he knew he would have done better not to lecture. He was no great emotional counsellor as Tory Alexander was, but he found comfort in the fact that she would be along in fourteen or so years to alleviate the pain of this fine young man.
‘Cadfer and his scum defiled my mother’s dead body,’ Maelgwn uttered, full of hatred and disgust. ‘I want no part in this world any more.’ The prince’s anger gave way to exhaustion, and he collapsed to sit on the side of the hole he’d dug. ‘I am afraid I will never understand it or my kindred,’ he mumbled, being haunted by the dreadful memories still so fresh in his mind.
The Sage crouched down beside the bemused prince to offer a little encouragement. ‘But thou art
one of the few who can change thy world for the better.’
The lad fixed him with a look that implied Noah’s view was naive. ‘I have seen enough horrors in the past few days to know that there is more evil in Gwynedd than good. To imagine that will change in my lifetime is a fool’s dream, merlin, and I am no fool.’ The lad’s tears stopped as his resolve hardened. ‘For all my efforts of late, what have I achieved?’ Maelgwn got up, and deciding the hole was deep enough, he fetched the crone’s utensils from his Dragon’s back. ‘The world be a sadder place for the loss of my mother.’ He returned and cast the evil tools into the earth. ‘Some change.’
‘It seems the summer solstice shall be our best chance of success,’ Taliesin called ahead as he wandered over to join them.
As Maelgwn could not understand the language that Taliesin used to communicate with the stranger, he returned to shovelling dirt.
‘I am sorry, High Merlin,’ Noah apologised, ‘but I could have told you that.’
‘Good.’ Taliesin sounded only semi-annoyed by the claim. ‘Perhaps you can advise of the hour, as the Key Stone and myself seem to be in dispute.’
‘Well,’ Noah ventured, ‘I understand the midnight hour has always served your purpose. I —’
‘I knew it!’ Taliesin smiled, gratified. ‘Goes to show these earth elementals don’t know everything,’ he whispered aside to Noah and then resumed his normal tone of voice. ‘The Key Stone thought midday, for extra power, but my argument was that midnight is for banishing magic and that’s really our desire — to banish you to the future.’
‘Indeed,’ Noah agreed, not really knowing very much about ancient earth magic. ‘So how long until the summer solstice?’
‘Why, it’s only a few days away,’ Taliesin advised, seemingly delighted. ‘Which makes your predicament all the more synchronous, don’t you think? Here am I wanting to test my aptitude for wielding the ancient’s technique for time travel and then the universe spits you forth to serve my end and I yours … which does seem to confirm that I am adept enough in the eyes of the Masters to accomplish our aim.’ The Merlin was smiling, until he noted something amiss. ‘Where has the young Prince of Gwynedd gone?’