Atlas Cloud And The Amulet of Thieves (15 page)

“One of them got past me, taking her off guard. She got cut in the face by one of the monsters claws, almost tearing her right eye completely out of the socket.” She said biting down on her bottom lip. “It’s my fault, I lost concentration. I should have had her back.”

“Look at me.” I said raising my voice to her. She was reluctant. “Look at me.” I said again, her eyes pivoting towards mine. “You did everything you could have. We were all taken off guard. No one knew the creatures would attack us. It wasn’t your fault ok? If I was in your position the same would have happened to me. Ingram was just unlucky.”

Gillian returned from patrol, his hand was wrapped up in a bandage, stopping the blood flowing down his arm.

“Any sign of more of them?” Farro said

“No it looks safe for now.” Gillian said. “I think it’s best if we pack up and leave.” He said, swiping his hand through the air.

“Pack up and leave?” Alistair said rising to his feet, confronting Gillian. “My brother was killed.”

“Yes, we don’t have time to sit around and wait for more to come.” Gillian said.

“I’m not going anywhere until he’s buried. I’m not leaving him here to rot and decay with the rest of the beasts in this place.” Alistair said, staring at his brother’s carcass.

“Why should you? Edmund didn’t get anything; I wasn’t even there for him. It’s your fault he’s dead.”

“Gillian!” Farro said.

“It’s true, he caused my son to die and he wants to stay and get the rest of us killed.” Gillian was getting frustrated; his eagerness to set foot onwards was making me feel uneasy.

“Let him make peace. Why are you in such a hurry to leave Gillian?” Farro said

“I thought we were all in a hurry? We’re trying to stop the enemy from getting the amulet. We won’t stop them if we’re here crying for loved ones.” Alistair’s face went dark red. He gritted his teeth and lunged towards Gillian, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and pinning him against a tree. “Take your hands off me, who do you think you are?” Gillian said

“I am the man that has fought for the Apostles for twenty five years, I have put blood and tears into this order. What have you done?”

“Yeah where were you? I didn’t see you when the monsters attacked.” Eli said getting involved with a conversation that was well over our heads.

“Stay out of this boy!” Gillian said wriggling free from Alistair’s grip. You could see everyone’s minds regress back to earlier, trying to pin point where he was during the fight.

“Answer Eli’s question Gillian, where were you?” Farro said.

“I was fighting with all the rest of you. It was hectic out there; you must not have seen me. Look at this.” He said, raising his hand. He pulled the wrapping from it revealing a gouged piece of flesh.

“Where do you think I got this?” He was lying, hiding away from the fighting hoping not to get injured while the rest of us fought for our lives.

“You cut your hand before the creatures attacked; you said you cut it on a branch.” I said. Why would he lie?

“What?” Alistair said

“Yeah he was out in the far marshes with me. He wanted to be alone from the group; he was reading a book when they attacked.” Gillian’s eyes began to dot around the landscape quickly. He was nervous, sweating from every gland.

“What book were you reading, Gillian.” Farro said

“What does that matter? It’s only a book.” Gillian said, trying to deflect the question.

“The creatures didn’t just attack us for no reason. What book were you reading, Gillian?” Farro said again, this time he and Alistair moved closer to him, closing in around him. Gillian felt the walls around him collapse in and could see no way out. Before he could act Alistair pounced, there was a struggle, Alistair trying to grab the book that was hidden in Gillian’s jacket. Gillian managed to push Alistair away, knocking him to the ground, but he had a grip on the book, throwing it to the side. It slid along the ground, stopped by the boot of Farro. Farro picked up the book. His face whitened.

“This is Forbidden magic.” Everyone focused on Gillian, readying their totems. I didn’t know what Forbidden magic was but by their reactions I doubt it’s good.

“You shouldn’t have done that; you all will pay with your lives!” Gillian said he opened his jacket revealing a whip coiled up on his belt buckle. His totem. He unravelled and focused on Alistair.

“Your death will bring a smile to his face.” He said licking his lips. Before Alistair could unsheathe his totem, Gillian cracked his whip at him, striking him in the chest, the whip breaking the sound barrier and his ribs at the same time. Alistair flew backwards, falling to the ground winded. Farro stamped the ground with his staff creating a seismic wave that bolted towards Gillian. He was fast to react, deflecting the wave upwards away from danger, he retaliated quickly. He spun around swinging the whip in the air. He flung it forwards wrapping it around Farro’s leg. Eli darted forward, sword at the ready. He sliced at the whip, the sword had no effect. Sending lightning bolts from itself, blasting Eli back, out of play. The whip’s tail coiled around Farro, closing around his body, suffocating him. It was like a boa constrictor and it wasn’t letting go. Farro was powerless.

“Why are you doing this!?” Alistair cried out. Gillian focused back on Alistair.

“Why am I doing this? Because you stole my son from me.” He said. “He is stronger than all of us, he is better than us.”

“How can you say that?” Alistair said.

“Because it is true, I have seen the strength he possesses.”

“How?” Alistair said.

“This is a long time coming. Watching you fail, everyone dies around you Alistair and you are blind to it. Cain is all knowing and he has been kind enough to share his power.” Gillian said still holding Farro tight.

“He will never share his power, he has tricked you.” Alistair said.

“That is a lie, I am more powerful than you can ever imagine. I am stronger and faster than ever!” Gillian said, raising his fist into the air. He was mad, drunk with the raw power. “And when he crosses he will become a god.” Gillian said. He gritted his teeth and threw Farro across the camp, unravelling in the air. Farro spun until he crashed into the ground.

“He will never cross.” I said, readying myself for the inevitable retaliation. Gillian’s eyes glowed with hatred for my words. He lashed out with his whip, creating a line of fire that headed straight for me. Before I could attack, I jumped out of the way, stopping the attempt to burn me alive in its tracks. Rolling to safety I sprung to my feet, firing bolts of orange light at him, trying to disarm him. It did nothing; it grazed his shoulder, his face not even wincing. He held out his other hand, gripping the thin air. I could feel my neck become tighter and tighter, my throat almost closing up completely. He raised his arm, taking me with it. I was two or three feet off the ground. My lips becoming blue, my vision blurring. It felt like he was squeezing my soul out of my body, it was so hard to breathe; I sucked in as much air as possible hoping not to black out.

“Something is different about you Atlas.” His eyes inspecting my body, he could sense the dark blood that was flowing through my veins. With a quick whip of his totem, he ripped open the left side of my shirt, revealing the infected part of me. “You kept this quiet Atlas, to think I was about to kill you. But it’s your lucky day, I am going to let you live and let the Master’s blood take over you and change you.” He loosened his grip, and I fell to the ground, landing on my back. He slashed at the ground with his whip, fire erupting from the crevasses. He was surrounded by flame; I could see his face through the embers. He was smiling at me, an evil grin, one that I will never forget. “I am Legion and we are many.” He said and then he evaporated into darkness, like a cloud of smoke from a forest fire.

And then they were gone. The fire extinguished itself, leaving scorched marks on the ground. My vision was improving the sunlight bursting through the world’s atmosphere, greeting me. I was in over my head, my ego destroyed by the power of his magic. Betrayed.

19 –BURNING MADNESS-

“You’re infected.” Alistair said, scraping off the dirt from his clothes. I didn’t say anything back to him. I didn’t know what to say. “Why didn’t you tell us?” He said.

“Leave him alone, Alistair.” Farro said his face was filled with pity for me.

“He’s a liability; it has spread through his body already. He could change at any moment.” He said. I had a deep feeling of regret in my stomach, I couldn’t handle the trauma.

“Don’t worry about me, worry about your trusted friend who just tried to kill us.” I said getting angry and changing the subject. He didn’t say anything; but sat down on the floor, his head in his hands.

“Ten years I’ve known him. Ten years he fought beside me. I trusted him and he betrayed me. And it is all my fault.” Alistair said. Farro brushed off his clothes and tended to his wounds, there was a long gash on his ankle that went all the way round his leg, the whip must have burned into his skin, leaving a permanent scar to be seen and never forgotten.

“He has been seduced by the ways of Cain. It is not a sudden process. The death of his son was only the tipping point.” He said

“But how? He has been fighting Legion for so long.” I said

“Yes he has, he has been fighting Legion for over ten years, seeing his family die before him, except for his son, until now. His loved ones stripped from him from an enemy seemingly unstoppable.” Farro said his face grimaced in pain as he ran his finger across the scar. He mumbled some words and a faint yellow light glowed from his finger, gliding across his leg, healing as it passed through the scar. It stopped the bleeding but couldn’t fix it completely. Gillian must have used a stronger spell than it looked.

“I didn’t realise he was so powerful, he could have killed us all.” Alistair said.

“He has become a follower of Cain now; he has been consumed by hate and malice.” Farro walked over to me, leaning on his walking stick much more than he used to. “Magic at its core is emotion. Anger is a powerful emotion, Legion are consumed by it, they breathe and eat it. This means they are formidable enemies, ones that show no mercy or compassion.”

“Then why did he spare us? If he had the power to kill us then why didn’t he?” I said

“I don’t know, maybe he was ordered not to, or maybe there’s something waiting for us at Highwell Manor.” Farro said his eyes looking at the ground, hoping that the latter was wrong.

“How can we even stand a chance if they are that powerful?” I said starting to well up. The pent up stress and constant obstacles was getting to me. I tried to hide my emotion as much as I could but I couldn’t anymore. It was as if it was trying to escape me, bubbling through me.

“We cannot stop now, we have travelled so far, and there is more at stake than our lives.” Farro said.

              “But they are too strong, how can we defeat them?” Eli said

“He took us off guard; we were not at full strength. We must carry on!” Farro said raising his voice. He has been fighting this evil his whole life, he will not stop until they are vanquished. Eli turned to me; his face was full of fear. He has experienced the dangers we have faced so far, knowing full well that ahead was a much greater one.

“Atlas we’re not going are we? Tell me were not going.” Eli said. I paused for a moment, looking at both Farro and Eli. I wanted to go home, eat pizza and play video games. But that was before. I know now that this is something more important than just me and what I want. There is a tyrant that threatens everything I love and care for.

“I’m going.” I said, standing beside Farro; he flicked me a short smile. It was a smile of relief.

“What?” Eli cried out in protest.

“We have to, if we don’t no one will. And what if he crosses the mirror and butchers our world? Think of Ma and Pa.” I said. Eli’s face contorted as he was torn between the two decisions. But he knew what was more important. His fear submerged down into his gut and he swallowed hard.

“Ok.” He said reluctantly.

“Are you with me Roko?” Farro said. She didn’t hesitate.

“I am always with you.” She said. Ingram hobbled over to the group, her left eye badly damaged. She tried using magic to heal it but the eyes are the hardest to fix. You can heal broken bones and torn muscles, but the eyes are the window to the soul, a window into who you are. It cannot be repaired with spells and sorcery. She was blind in one eye but she still stood tall.

“I am with you all; I want payback for what he caused me.” Ingram said, clenching her fist. Farro smiled and gently hovered over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulder and whispered to her.

“You are magnificent, Ingram. But this is where the journey ends for you.” Her lip started to quibble.

“You will do battle by my side, but not today, you have done enough.” As much as we all wanted another magician to help, she was too badly hurt. Until she fully recovers and learns to live with the scar, she would only do harm to the mission. Ingram knew it and didn’t say another word, she nodded to Farro. “There is something I need you to do” He said, her face lit up, eager for any involvement in the cause.