The Fenimeldiyaan: Stolen Time - Chapter 13

Back at the shop, Andreas was organising the rescue party for the prisoners. Morgan insisted straight-out that he had to be a part, as well as Angel and Lorelei. Merlin was decided to accompany them, along with Terra, although Olivia, Regina, and the Lightshield siblings would remain behind under the protection of David and Parsivaal. It took many of them by surprise that David had no desire to accompany them, but no one voiced their thoughts. Lana also chose to remain behind, while Fitz timidly offered his services.

Once it had been decided who would be a part of the rescue mission, Angel spoke. “I wish … I wish to lead this endeavour,” she said softly. “I know that you know much, Lord Andreas, but this is our world to fight for. And I am the highest ranking member of Meldin who will be accompanying us.”

“It’s true,” David agreed, his arm still around Regina’s shoulders. “She was the daughter of the old Queen. She knows loads about tactics. She won’t lead us astray. Also, Lorelei …”

“Yes?” The quiet naiad raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“He’s there,” David said, laying emphasis on his words.

If possible, Lorelei’s eyebrows rose even further. “I assume you mean James?” she asked.

“Yes, I mean James.” David shifted uncomfortably, probably wondering how far he should pursue the subject.

“And is he … well?” Lorelei questioned, her voice deadly calm.

“He’s … turned into a dragon. I doubt even you would be able to reach him,” David said.

A trace of Lorelei’s old cynicism returned. “We’ll just have to find out about that, won’t we?” she said calmly. “I won’t give up on him. If you take me to him, I will keep him from coming after you. Beyond that, I can promise nothing.”

Angel held up her hands. “Let me think,” she said.

The others fell silent, watching the dryad as she paced for a few moments. “Chances are,” she said, “the prisoners are being held in the uppermost tower. The dungeons are far too damaged to be used to house more than one prisoner. Correct?”

“Yes,” Joseph said.

Angel nodded slowly. “One staircase, easily guarded,” she murmured. “However, Set is distracted by Gremeldah, which gives us a major advantage. Lorelei, do you have your stone?”

Lorelei produced a blue gemstone, perfectly round, from her pocket. Angel held a green one in her hand as well. “We can connect these to Basil’s,” she said. “Even if he’s still trapped in stone, his gemstone will still be active. I can trace it to him and even transport myself and Lorelei to his side. However, it would only bring the two of us there, and I don’t know what sort of guards he has placed over the prisoners …”

“What about this?” Merlin said. “We go inside and take care of this dragon fellow, either with his lovely wife charming him back to normal or … other means. Once that’s accomplished, the group, minus Angel and Lorelei, proceed toward the tower, while the two of you go up there to ensure the prisoners’ safety. With any luck, the guards will all be on the outside and not within. We pincer attack the guards from inside and out, and free the prisoners while Lady Gremeldah eliminates Set.”

“Although I wouldn’t mind having a shot at that blasted Set, it’s a solid plan,” Morgan agreed.

Angel nodded. “Very well. The rest of you should probably stay a decent distance away when Lorelei confronts James.”

“Good luck,” David said.

“Come back safely!” Lana added.

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Fitzwilliam, Gerald’s estranged brother, had been assigned to guard the prisoners in the tower. There hadn’t been a good deal of conversation or movement. Elaine remained seated beside her husband on the bed, his arm around her protectively, while Apollo sat at their feet, his legs crossed. Basil was in the elves’ standard meditation pose, his eyes closed, his palms resting on his knees, silvery-red blood oozing from his forehead where Set had struck him. Lizzy, Leanora, and David sat at the bottom of the bed, Leanora still unconscious.

Since Fitzwilliam threatened anyone who spoke with bodily harm, silence reigned over the prisoners. However, it was broken when Fitzwilliam abruptly drew his longsword from his back and levelled it at Elaine and Daren. “It be time.” Elaine’s eyes widened. “Me Lord Set has ordered ye to die, starting with her.”

“W-wait!” Daren stammered. “What’s going on? You can’t kill her!”

Had anyone been paying attention, they would have noticed that Basil’s eyes shot open. However, all attention was fixated on Elaine, Daren, and Fitzwilliam. “I can,” the latter sneered. He raised the weapon and went to stab Elaine.

However, he never got the chance. Basil used his gemstone to create a sword and attacked him like a maniac. Daren drew Elaine away, his eyes going wide as the elf hacked and slashed, never giving Fitzwilliam a chance to react. Before anyone could even move, Basil had stabbed forward, impaling the man through the chest and tugging his blade free. Blood shone on the steel. “As you did to your brother, so shall be done to you,” Basil said, no indication of his former, cheerful self in his voice or face. He turned to Elaine. “Are you well, my lady?”

Elaine nodded, though her face was a ghastly-white. She clung to Daren and didn’t say a word.

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“We be here,” Anwyn said as they translocated into the courtyard of the castle. Angel and Lorelei, neither of whom had translocated before, looked vaguely disquieted. However, neither voiced their thoughts.

A roar made Morgan flinch. “And that’s …?” he guessed.

Lorelei put up a hand. “Everyone, stand back,” she ordered.

The others obliged, backing up as the dragon slammed into the ground. Scars and old, dried-up blood covered his scales, and he bared his teeth at Lorelei. She extended her hand slowly, towards his nose. “James,” she said. “I know you recognise me. It’s your wife. You may be from the future, but you would never forget me, would you? I love you.”

The dragon approached cautiously, sniffing at her outstretched hand. He did not pull back when she laid her fingers on his snout, gentle and slow. The dragon slowly morphed into a man, tall, muscular, about twice Lorelei’s age. Scars and blood covered his body and his destroyed armour. “Lorelei,” he said, his voice raspy and weak. “I’m sorry …”

“I knew I could bring you around,” Lorelei whispered, laying a hand on his cheek. She didn’t even care that he was older than when she’d left him.

“No. You … did not,” he gasped. “Please … you must. You’re the only one who can get close enough to do it. P-please.”

“J-James, you can’t ask me to do this,” Lorelei cried, her eyes going wide and filling with tears.

“I will stop you — if you do not,” he said, and his face began to take on scales again.

He left Lorelei with no choice. Using her water magic, she drew the moisture around her into a wickedly-sharp knife and stabbed it into his chest. He laid his head against her shoulder as both of them dropped slowly to the ground, Lorelei clinging to him desperately. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Lorelei sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

James made no response. He was already dead. She cradled him to herself, unable to do anything else.

Angel closed her eyes briefly before turning to Anwyn and Terra. “Stay with her, please?” she said. “I didn’t know … I didn’t think she’d have to do this.”

Anwyn nodded. Terra had his eyes locked on her, his own face tight with pain. “It is my honour, Lady Angel,” he said.

She turned to Andreas, Merlin, Morgan, and Fitz. “I’m going to Basil now,” she said. “Good luck.”

Merlin nodded as she pulled her gemstone out of her pockets, closing her eyes. A flash of green light took her from sight.

Morgan moved his attention to Andreas, looking grim for the first time in his life. “Ready to end this foul business once and for all?” he asked.

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Angel staggered; travelling via the gemstones wasn’t the most comfortable way of going around. However, a hand grabbed her arm, and she found herself looking into the familiar golden eyes of her husband. “Basil!” she cried, flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him.

When they pulled apart, Basil was smiling widely. “You came! Thank God you’re alright. David told me you escaped, but I had to find out for myself. Thank God you’re alright!”

Angel looked around, doing her best to marshal her thoughts past her sheer relief at finding her husband safe. When he hadn’t been in the temporal prison, she’d assumed the worst … “Is everyone alright?” she asked.

Nods all around. “We’re going to get you out,” she promised. “We have a plan.”

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Dark energies surfaced within Gremeldah, attracted by the shadow tendrils which Set had unleashed.  She fought to control them, finding it difficult to concentrate on constructing the remainder of the temporal prison.  She had taken the precaution of building it from strands of darkness instead of light, in the hope that Set might not notice it amongst his own darkness.

Instead of dodging the shadow tendrils, she cast a rebounding spell to send them back to their source.  Using the dark powers gave her a thrill beyond any that she had ever experienced before.  Her heart beat faster and the room seemed too bright for her demon-enhanced eyesight. 

Set took a step backwards, noticing that the Chronomage’s eyes had turned black to match his own.  He could feel immense power radiating from her.  Somehow she had become stronger and darker than she had previously been.  Keeping up his bravado, he readied another strike.  “So it’s a duel to the death then?  How fitting!  I was going to let you watch me dispose of those troublesome Colnians and Vordellans, but you’ve forfeited that privilege.  And don’t think that those new demon powers of yours will give you any advantage over me.  You’ve no idea how to use them!”

“Ah, ye ain’t the only one who can learn new tricks” Gremeldah mocked.  “In fact, I’ve learned plenty from ye.  I be a quick learner and ye be an over-confident fool.  Watch and learn, me Lord!”

She adjusted the last equation and the darkness descended, trapping them both inside the temporal shadow-prison.  She unleashed her own tendrils of darkness, sending them weaving through the air in random patterns. 

Set made a counter-attack and soon the two sorcerers were embroiled in a frantic duel.  Neither one of them seemed to be gaining the advantage.  Tendrils of dark energy filled the prison.  It was impossible to tell which belonged to Gremeldah and which belonged to Set.

The shadows took on a life of their own, ignoring the commands of their wielders.  They expanded until they had filled the entire prison.  Both Set and Gremeldah found themselves trapped, unable to break the threads of darkness which ensnared them.

Gremeldah could no longer see and her strength was rapidly fading.  In desperation, she whispered a final prayer to Baejaal, God of Lost Causes — the last hope of a dying soul.  “If I be destined to perish here, make it count for something.  Let some light come out of all this darkness”.

A moment later, the temporal prison exploded, no longer able to contain the darkness within.  Blinding light rushed in to fill the void and the remains of the prison crumbled into sparkling dust, resembling the sentient sand of the Sartorian deserts, except that it was pure white.  Of Set and Gremeldah, there remained no trace.

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“Think I’ll have a go at climbing the wall”.  Andreas pointed up to the highest tower, the one which Angel had described as being the most likely place for Set to be holding his remaining prisoners.  “The rest of ye can take the stairs and I’ll meet ye inside”.

“Are you out of your mind?” Morgan yelled.  “That’s too dangerous, even for an expert climber like you”.

“Can’t resist a challenge” Andreas replied, removing his sandals and stuffing them into his rucksack.  “If ye reach the tower afore me, I’ll buy ye lunch and dinner at Ezun’s Diner every day for the next three months.  Ye’d best get going!”

He wedged his fingers into a tiny gap in the stonework above his head and pulled himself up with one arm.  He then stuck his leg out sideways, planted his toes into another gap and proceeded to climb higher. 

Morgan turned away, too scared to watch.

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The staircase up to the tower seemed to go on forever.  Morgan sweated and panted, wishing he had Andreas’s stamina.  The others had gotten ahead of him, so he made a supreme effort to catch up, not wishing to be left behind.

He heard footsteps coming from behind him and turned, seeing two guards on the stairs.  Gathering his powers, he aimed twin fireballs, striking the men down before they could get any closer. 

When he and the others reached the top of the stairs, they saw Andreas crushing the neck of a guard and heard the sound of bones snapping.  Two others already lay dead on the ground nearby, one bearing a knife wound to the heart and the other with his head twisted the wrong way round.

“Looks like ye’ll be buying yer own food for the time being, Morgan” the little Spy Master remarked, letting the dead guard drop to the floor.  “There be a fourth guard somewhere, but he ran off, presumably to bring reinforcements.  Best be prepared for a fight”.

“They have to come up these stairs” Merlin commented.  “Two of us should be able to deal with them, while the other two rescue the prisoners”.

“Good enough” Andreas agreed.  “Meself and Fitz will go for the prisoners.  The wards around the prison be weaker, presumably due to the fact that Gremeldah be keeping Set busy.  She should have him trapped by now”.

“Should” Morgan repeated.  “I don’t like the sound of that and I’m not sure we can trust her.  She helped Set before, so she might team up with him again”.

Andreas shook his head.  “She won’t.  I’ve been inside her mind, remember?  She be all eaten up with guilt over what she did.  She wants to redeem herself, no matter what the cost might be.  She feels like she’s got nothing left to lose”.

He turned his attention to the studded iron door, using his crystal senses to seek out any weaknesses in the structure.  Fitz watched closely, his face screwed up in confusion, having no idea what the Carpathian was doing.

“Can’t you just pick the lock?” Fitz asked.  “Surely using sorcery on the door will take more effort?”

Andreas pointed to the lock, being careful not to touch it.  “Ordinarily, I’d agree with ye.  Picking locks be one of me specialities.  But in this case, tis wired to a detonator.  Any attempt to pick the lock would blow the whole tower, taking ourselves and the prisoners along with it.  Instead, I’ll have to manipulate the internal molecular structure of the door itself.  Twill take longer, so ye may have to help the others if they get over-run by guards”.

Morgan sighed and took up position next to Merlin.  It was not long before the clatter of boots could be heard from down below.  The reinforcements had arrived.  Morgan readied two fireballs and waited for the guards to come into view.

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Morgan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Merlin, the flames licking at his fingertips. The younger sorcerer had a more relaxed posture, fairly vanishing into his black robes. However, the air around them seemed to pick up, tugging at the young sorcerer’s dark hair. “I don’t think this could get any worse,” Merlin commented.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Morgan said, trying for a cheery voice. “If Andreas blows up the tower, I’d say that’d be worse.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, mate,” Andreas called over with a laugh.

The guards came dashing up the stairs. One didn’t even make it to the top — he was met with a blast of wind from Merlin, sending him flying backwards. Morgan blasted a second as he came up at the top, disintegrating him. He tried to roast another one, but the man leaped at Merlin, and he was forced to switch targets.

When the much-larger guard slammed into Merlin, they both went flying backwards. Merlin grabbed onto the man’s hands, trying to keep the sword away from his throat. In his moment of distraction, Morgan was also attacked but managed to draw his rapier and fight back. Their weapons clanged together as the remaining two men went towards Fitz and Andreas.

Immediately, Fitz drew the sword Joseph had lent him and started driving the two men back. He was as skilled as his father at fighting, and perhaps even faster on his feet. He easily and contemptuously fought off the two men, impaling one through the chest before shouldering the other back down the steps. “Almost done?” he asked Andreas.

“Nearly,” the Carpathian said, obviously intent on his work.

Merlin finally got the soldier off of him by blasting him with lightning. The man collapsed, and together, the sorcerers finished off the last of the men. “More might come later,” Morgan panted, brushing sweat from his forehead. Sword-fighting had never been his specialty, but his magic felt odd … more powerful.

Merlin nodded, brushing off his overly-large robes. “Andreas …?”

The door swung open, and the little man gave a sweeping bow. “Ye were saying?” he said with a sly grin.

Merlin chuckled. “You really are an odd bird,” he commented. He motioned to the three of them. “Go on,” he went on. “I don’t have anyone waiting for me, and I can send up a flare if there’s anything I can’t handle.”

Morgan nodded, and he, Andreas, and Fitz went into the room. Immediately, Morgan was slammed backwards against the wall by a shadow, and Fitz was jerked back. The door was struck closed, locking Merlin out of the room. “What the devil?” Fitz cried.

“Did you miss me?” Jezebel laughed. “Did you honestly think that I would sit by after you finally got rid of Set for me? I’ve been dying for that idiot to die for some time now. And he certainly is dead. Sadly, so is your little Chronomage friend.”

“Liar!” Basil suddenly yelled out. The prisoners were held in a cage of shadows, aside from Apollo. The healer was bound by the black tendrils, pinned to the ground. “Gremeldah isn’t dead. She can’t be!”

Jezebel smirked at Andreas. “I’m sure you can imagine the explosion of energy that was created when Gremeldah’s temporal prison exploded with her and Set inside,” she said sweetly. “Enough to tear apart any slow-time envelopes in the general vicinity … including the one holding Gerald Hunt.”

“What have you done to him?” Elaine cried.

Jezebel shrugged. “He could be anywhere in time and space,” she said. “But let’s make this a little more fun, shall we?” More shadows wrapped around Apollo. Andreas took a threatening step forward, and Jezebel made the tendrils forming the cage sharpen. “Another step and everyone in that cage becomes a pincushion,” she threatened.

“L-Leanora!” Fitz yelled, seeing his sister caught inside.

“Fitz!” she shouted back. “You’re alright!”

One of the shadows plunged into Apollo. He doubled over soundlessly, and Jezebel jerked forward. There was an odd ripping sound, and River Meer collapsed to the floor — seemingly from nowhere. Apollo coughed dryly, and River gasped, as if she hadn’t been breathing. “Didn’t you know?” Jezebel said disapprovingly. “He absorbed her into himself and produced a copy — a living, breathing copy. But it lacked a soul. When Set murdered her, he was only killing a copy.”

“Don’t you dare touch her,” Morgan snarled, red licking at the edge of his eyes.

Jezebel laughed. “I don’t have to.” The shadows covered River and Apollo, and when they cleared … the two had vanished. “I hope they enjoy whatever world I’ve sent them to.”

“NO!” Lizzy screamed, covering her face.

Andreas went to send an energy strike at her, but Morgan beat him to it. There was the sound of tearing flesh, and Jezebel seemed to lose all feeling in her body, collapsing to the floor. Morgan stood there, blood staining his rapier. Surprisingly, his eyes were as green as ever. “You do not threaten my family,” he snarled.

Silence. The black cage was dispelled from around the prisoners, and Fitz threw himself at Leanora, embracing her. Everyone else was silent until Morgan finally turned to Andreas. “You can find them, right? Trace them through their translocation thing?”

Slowly, Andreas shook his head. “She didn’t translocate ‘em,” he admitted. “I can’t trace what she did.”

“You … you mean …” Morgan seemed unable to finish, his green eyes filling with tears

“We’ll find ‘em,” Andreas promised, laying a hand on his shoulder.

The door slammed open and Joseph Lightshield ran in, gasping for breath. “A-Andreas!” he cried. “You need to come, now! It’s Elsa — she’s … she’s … she’s asking for you … and Gerald.”

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Back at the old shop, Elsa glared at Andreas.  “I should have known better than to trust you.  You always drag us into dangerous situations, promising that it will be fun.  Now Gerald’s gone … wherever … and you tell me you’re sorry!  You swore to protect us but you end up doing exactly the opposite.  I’m through with you, Andreas Cesario!”  She grimaced and her hand went to the dagger on her belt.

“Ye’ve every right to be angry with me” Andreas admitted.  “Go ahead and kill me if ye think twill make ye feel better.  But getting rid of me won’t bring Gerald and the others back”.  He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Save your patronising lectures for your students!” she raged, letting go of the dagger and raising her fist to him.  “I know killing doesn’t solve anything.  I have a policy of not killing people, remember?  Though in your case, I’m prepared to make an exception!”

She lashed out with her fist but he caught hold of her wrist.  He did not seem the slightest bit affected by her angry outburst, a fact which served to irritate her further.  She tried to wrench her hand away, but could not escape from his firm grip.  He gave her a sympathetic smile and put his other arm around her shoulders, sending out comforting emanations.  Only then did he let go of her wrist.

She struggled out of his embrace and turned her back on him.

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Basil felt uncomfortable when he noticed Anwyn approaching.  In the past their encounters had always been awkward and he doubted that this one would be any better.  “Lady Anwyn, good to see you again, though I wish it could be under better circumstances”.

“Aye, indeed, me Lord” she concurred, dipping her head in respect.  “None of us came out covered in glory on this mission.  We lost some good people and that never sits well with the Inner Circle.  We’ll make sure that their families know and we’ll conduct proper memorial services for them all”.

“That’s very decent of you” he acknowledged.  “I too admit that I made some mistakes.  I could have handled certain situations with more tact”.

Anwyn gave him a look which penetrated to the depths of his soul.  “Ye mean Gremeldah, I presume?”

“She deserved better from me”.  The elf’s voice sounded strained and he struggled to maintain his usual stoical demeanour.  “She made a mistake in trusting Set but we all know that Set would have found another way.  She was merely a convenience to him.  No shame falls on her.  Many strong and resourceful people have succumbed to his influence”.

“Gremeldah Dowd will be remembered as a courageous servant of the Vyrdigaan Order and the Sacred Order of Chronomages” Anwyn informed him.  “If not for her sacrifice, more of us would have been lost in taking Set down.  Now there be no way for him to return.  Nothing remains.  What we call his straan … his soul and his consciousness if ye like … has been blasted into oblivion.  Same thing that happened to me first husband, the healer Selonicus Linderies”.

Basil grimaced.  “And to Gremeldah, presumably?”

“Aye, the same thing” Anwyn confirmed.  “Haedyesh.  Inriamorum.  Though she will never enter Haedestryah’s halls, the Goddess of the Beyond knows her and will always remember her as a true heroine of the Fenian Galaxy.  Tis little comfort for ye, since ye don’t understand our ways”.

“No comfort at all” Basil answered.  “Now, I must take my leave of you.  Myself and Angel have to bring our people home”.  He turned away from her and tried to concentrate on practical matters to keep the feelings of guilt from overwhelming him.

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Anwyn went over and joined Andreas, who was in the midst of making arrangements for translocating people home.

“How did yer talk with Lord Basil go?” he asked.

She sighed and shook her head.  “About the same as all the other times I’ve spoken with him.  Anyways, I suppose we should report back to Uncle Jude and think about who to bring on the mission to rescue Gerald, Apollo and Queen River”.

“I’m coming!” Elsa insisted.  “He’s my husband after all, and I can’t trust you to bring him back in one piece.  I don’t want him to end up like Gremeldah”.

Andreas ignored the insult and smiled at her.  “Twill be good to have ye along, me dear”.

Elaine and Daren stepped forward.  “We’re signing up too” Elaine insisted.  “Someone has to keep you out of trouble, sister”.

“I hope you’re not thinking of going without me!” Morgan accused.

“Wouldn’t dream of it” Anwyn answered, patting him on the arm.  “And we’ll make sure ye get a decent meal.  I’ll make ramistaahl and spiced poultry stew for ye”.

Morgan’s round face lit up at the mention of food.

They took a few minutes to say their farewells to those who would be going back with Basil and Angel, then Andreas and Anwyn translocated them over to the Inner Circle enclave in the Geryalah province of Varathusia.

THE END

Story written by R C Fletcher and Xanxa Symanah © 2018 Symanah Publishing