Chapter 12. Lucy and Koko

Gulliver’s eyelids were heavy, drooping low over his eyes. He strained to open them, but despite his best efforts, he couldn’t get more than a crack of light to shine through. The modicum of light that reached his retina stung painfully and was blinding. His mouth was open, lips dried and cracked. How long had he been unconscious? He tried to move but his muscles screamed in response. He let out a groan, or rather what would have been a groan had his voice not failed. Instead it was a slow raspy breath.

“Looks like he’s almost in the land of the living again Lucy!” said an enthusiastic voice. “I’ll go get Imani!” The sound of footsteps echoed loudly. A loud groan of metal on metal, followed by the sound of a large door slamming shut made Gulliver uncannily aware of his headache. He struggled to move, ignoring the searing pain through his muscles.

After several minutes of struggling, Gulliver had his body moving slightly. He was sitting in a metal chair, arms tied to the armrests, ankles to the legs. He felt something snug around his waist and suspected it too was restrained. He concentrated on getting his eyes opened, but the light blinded him at first. He ignored the pain and looked around; there was a colossal black statue in the center of the room. It was blurred, more a silhouette than anything else. He blinked furiously as the world around him came into focus. He was in a dirty room in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. There was an old metal refrigerator on the far wall to his left, its hinges and interior rusted with the door missing completely.

Gulliver looked at the statue, it was highly detailed. It was taller than a man, almost twice the size. It was wearing a thick pair of goggles and had a tight hood. It had a scarf wrapped all the way to the base of the goggles. Gulliver blinked again, gaining more of his vision. The statue stepped toward him. It wasn’t a statue at all! The black clothing the giant man wore covered him completely. It was a snowsuit that didn’t show an inch of the giants' skin.

Gulliver fought with all his might against the restraints, adrenaline fueling his noncompliant muscles. The giant reached down and grabbed the base of Gulliver's chair and lifted it high into the air, raising Gulliver to its goggles. He couldn’t see through the thick black lenses, and got the distinct impression that he was more of a toy to this giant than anything else.

The door behind the monster of a man creaked open again. Gulliver spared a glance over its shoulder and saw a considerable metal hatch. It was probably big enough for this creature to walk through. In came a man wearing a white suit with black hair peppered with grey. He was sporting a long ponytail which ran down his back. He had a cane in his right hand and the same shrunken heads on his right hip that Gulliver had seen at Imani’s home. With him was Imani, as well as a younger man in a pair of white pants with a white button-up shirt. Gulliver recognized them. They were the two men The Shadow allegedly killed in his compound.

“Lucy, put the man down,” said the man in the suit. “He’s a guest.”

Gulliver meant to speak, but his voice would not cooperate and no sound accompanied the motion of his lips. The giant listened to the man and set Gulliver back down, then went and sat on the rusted refrigerator as though it were a stool.

“I see you’ve met Lucy, he’s a gentle giant unless you upset him.” The man strode forward and said, “Gulliver, I believe the name is?” The man had a drawl, Gulliver was vaguely reminded of the trip he had made to Mardi Gras all those years ago with Biff. “Allow me to introduce myself, you came poking around looking for the village of Kokorum, and I must sadly say there is no such place .” He paused, flicking a piece of lint from his shoulder. “Kokorum is my name, and I’d like to know where you learned it. I know you can’t talk, I saw you try when I came in,” he added a wink for emphasis. “But really, give me your best effort traveler, I’d hate to see you lost in the bayou.” The man leaned in and gently moved Gulliver's hair from his forehead with his cane. “You need a haircut young man.”

Gulliver refused to even begin speaking with the man, he wasn’t going to let a death threat break him. Did Kokorum not know the training the stewards went through?

“He’s stubborn this one,” Imani said. “He drank the entire cup before he fell. I gave him a full stem. The woman, on the other hand? I only gave her a single leaf.”

The woman! “Where is Andromeda?” Gulliver asked, voice cracking and weak.

“I think you’re right Imani!” exclaimed Kokorum. “He is in love with her! He can’t talk, then at the mention of the damsel in distress the heroic warrior summons the strength to speak!”

“Where is she?” Gulliver said, voice a growl.

Kokorum laughed heartily as he stepped back, arms held out wide. “It seems to me you care more about your partner than your investigation! Which is it, Higginbotham? The girl, or the man who killed your father?” Gulliver's eyes widened, and Kokorum stepped in closer, mere inches from his face. “That’s right, I know everything about you. From your little crush on the girl, to the magical little wards you keep nestled at your waist.” He produced Gulliver's wand and the pouch of wards seemingly from thin air. He waved his hand, and an old metal table appeared, and he dumped the contents onto the table, dropping the wand beside them.

His voice went higher, mocking, “I know about your heroic quest to find the Courtier and the way The Shadow is just another rung on the ladder. Your vigil to avenge your friend Biff from The Shadow’s cruel murder! What I don’t know is how you know my name!”

Gulliver stared back into the man's eyes, how could he possibly know? The only two people who could possibly know any of that were Biff and Andromeda. If he had tortured either of them, Gulliver would kill him. He closed his eyes and focused hard on his wards, one lifted silently from the table. No one seemed to notice.

“She’s fine,” Imani said to Gulliver. “She woke an hour ago, and now she’s freshening up. She’ll be here soon enough. If you want to wait for her, you may.”

Lucy lept high into the air, arcing above the three of Gulliver's other captors and came crashing down beside the table. He grabbed Gulliver's ward out of the air and crushed it in his gigantic hand. A small puff of brown smoke shot out the side of the monsters closing fist, then dissipated rapidly.

“Ah, I was wondering if you could do that,” Kokorum said. “Unfortunately, anyone who opposes us doesn’t live long,” he added in an all too casual voice.

“I was there,” Gulliver said, voice still raspy. “I was the one who caught him. Bokamoso didn’t kill anyone, he sent you two away. Was it all a ploy? All dramatic effects? Quit threatening me. I know you won’t do anything.”

“Gulliver?” said a woman's voice. Andromeda was here! “Gulliver!” He looked up and saw her rush past the captors and pull out her wand. “Facit!” she said, pointing the wand at Gulliver's restraints. They seemingly tore themselves to shreds, allowing Gulliver to stand and leap for his own wand. At least that’s what he meant to do. Instead, the searing throughout his muscles staggered him. “Gulliver! Not so fast!” Andromeda said. He stood too quickly, then the world spun and darkened around him.

Gulliver's eyes opened slowly, he was in a bed now. “Relax,” said Andromeda's soft, soothing voice. “Drink this, it’s safe. It’ll wash away the fatigue and heal you.”

Gulliver didn’t hesitate, he drank from a small metal cup. The liquid had no taste and turned to a mist when it hit Gulliver's mouth. He inhaled, and the vaporous gas flooded his lungs. The magic ran through him and made him inhale as deeply as he could. He was at maximum capacity when the vapor heated up and began to permeate throughout his body. It was like a hot shower, only over every cell of his being: cleansing him, healing his wounds and wiping away his maladies.

He sat up, vision completely clear. Andromeda was there, looking at him with an expression of gratitude. It was a small room, adorned with a potted plant, old yellow drapes, and a small chest of drawers.

“Where is my wand?” Gulliver asked, not feeling it or his leather pouch on his person.

“They have it,” Andromeda said. “And your wards. They tried to figure them out, but they kept exploding, Kokorum decided it was more trouble than it was worth and put them all back in the pouch.”

“Good. That’s what I designed them to do,” Gulliver said. “Why did they give you your wand?”

“I promised not to fight them, and if I leave, I promised they could make the portal to the Golden Dome,” Andromeda said. “Imani believed me.”

“Wait, what?” Gulliver asked.

“Look, negotiating with people in a hostage situation when your life is at risk? That’s legal,” Andromeda said.

“Alright, let’s go get mine,” Gulliver said, sitting up. He was still in his clothes, in fact, all that seemed to be missing were his wand and wards.

“I don’t know that they’ll give you yours,” Andromeda said, biting her lip nervously. “You did magic without a fulcrum Gulliver, they were really freaked out by that.”

“It’s different,” Gulliver said. “It’s just my wards. They’re tied to me.”

“Wards or not, you’ve found a way to use magic without a fulcrum, they don’t want you to be able to have that ability as well as a wand, unless…” she trailed off.

“Unless what?” Gulliver asked.

“Unless you make a vow of constitution that you won’t use magic unless directed by them,” she said.

“No,” Gulliver said. “I won’t make a vow. I’m not giving up my ability to make a judgment call.”

“What do you want to do then?” Andromeda asked. “They won’t let you escape, Lucy is guarding the door. He’s supposed to escort you everywhere.”

“Is he a demon?” Gulliver asked.

“I think so, but I’m not sure. I’ve never seen a human or a magician that big before. Maybe a golem?” Andromeda said. “Either way they wanted to meet with you when you woke. We need to do that, do you want to stay?”

“I don’t know yet.” Gulliver lied. The fact was, Gulliver had to stay. It was the only way to the Courtier, the only way to rescue the premier, and the only way to save Finnigan.

“Let’s check your memory really quickly before we do anything else,” she said. Gulliver nodded, then she pointed her wand at him and said, “Egritudo.”

The familiar sense of Andromeda's healing touch washed over Gulliver as he let himself relax back into the bed. He could feel her, inspecting his body inch by inch, until she was satisfied with his health. Her healing connection to him made Gulliver slightly aware of her intentions. She was suspicious of the potion Gulliver had imbibed, but was convinced of its curative nature. She made her way to his mind, gently touching his consciousness with tendrils of magic Gulliver could not see. He could feel them though; softly, delicately making their way through the folds of his mind. It was less intrusive than it had been when Florence did it, though not more skilled. Florence was exact and masterful in a way no other healer was. Not to mention the fact that she was in a power stance on top of it. That aside, Andromeda’s touch was gentler than even Florence's, and much more welcome.

The memories of The Shadow resisted Andromeda’s touch, but her healing tendrils strengthened and solidified the memories. She delved into the night with the blue-eyed man and wrapped the memory neatly in her healing power. As she did, it faded from Gulliver's view. He could remember something about that night, something that made him feel anxious, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Andromeda reached out and soothed his emotions. He closed his eyes and relaxed at her healing touch.

“Okay, are you ready?” Andromeda asked, placing her hand gently on Gulliver’s. Her soft hands were cool on his skin. He had always had warmer hands than his partner.

He delayed his response for several long moments, stealing as much time as he thought he could before saying, “Ready as I’ll ever be.” Andromeda squeezed his hand then stood, walking to the door. Gulliver stood and joined her. “Let’s go,” he said.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Andromeda led Gulliver by the hand from the room. He had to stifle a flinch when he saw Lucy. Lucy’s waist was at Gulliver's eye level. The giant was still wearing his hood, goggles, and scarf, but adorned himself in a black dress suit.

“Lucy, would you be a gentleman and lead us to Kokorum?” Andromeda asked.

The giant nodded, bowed, then turned and walked down the enormous hall. The vaulted ceilings seemed to fit the giant perfectly, almost too perfectly. Gulliver suspected an enchantment was at work, allowing the monster passage through the home. The ceiling above Gulliver was vaulted, but only by a few feet. It was as though the house itself was trying to stay out of Lucy’s way. Gulliver swore at one point that a bookshelf jumped around a corner to avoid being bulldozed by the man.

The hall led to a pair of french doors which stood open to the outside. Through the doors was a large white balcony overlooking spacious grounds with the sun shining brightly above. The sound of jazz music flowed gently into the home. The french doors gaped and stretched as Lucy passed through, then shot back to their standard size.

“I’ll never get used to that,” Andromeda said, seeing Gulliver's jaw drop. The two Stewards stepped onto the porch, sun shining brightly down on them.

“It’s uncharacteristically warm,” Kokorum said. He was sitting at a glass table on a comfortable looking chair to their right as they passed through the now normal french doors. He was reading a newspaper with an amber drink served neat in a rocks glass held lightly in his other hand. Beside him was a record player, playing music that made Gulliver want to move to its rhythm. “We are celebrating with some Big Easy jazz and cocktails. Can Pip make you a drink?” he said, pointing to his side. Pip stood behind a small bar, smile on his face as he waited for a request.

“No thank you,” Andromeda said politely.

“A mint julep for the lady and a sazerac for our newly awakened guest,” Kokorum said.

“You got it!” Pip said enthusiastically.

“Imani tells me you’re partial to cider Gulliver,” Kokorum said. “I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but I think you’ll find that our cocktails are a fair shake better than anything you’re used to.”

“You really think I’ll drink anything you’ve made? You’re a madman Kokorum!” Gulliver said hotly.

“Oh no no no my welcomed guest!” Kokorum said, dropping his newspaper and holding his hands out as though to protest his innocence. He didn’t release his finger and thumb from his drink. “You’ll drink what Pip makes. In fact, you already have. Who do you think made your little tonic?”

“How do you feel?” Pip asked, face beaming. “I hope it worked. I’m the one who taught Imani to drug people so they can’t use magic.” The young man's face looked as though it was going to split if he grinned any wider.

“Pip, the drinks?” Kokorum said, leaning onto an elbow. “Further, only Lucy and Pip call me Kokorum, to everyone else I’m just Koko. Please, sit with me.” He motioned to two of the empty seats near him. Andromeda moved forward and sat, Gulliver following. He wished she wouldn’t comply so easily. He wanted to find his wand and unleash hell on his captors.

“Feel free to watch him make the drinks, it’s an art form. Pip is actually a human, I was at Mardi Gras, and this young man made a Sazerac that was magical, and that’s not just a turn of phrase!” Koko saw the skeptical look on Gulliver's face and went on. “You’re skeptical, and right you are to be young man, as I too was skeptical!” Koko said. “Wait until you taste it, you’ll see what I mean.”

“Boss, you gotta let them try it before you talk it up! Lucy didn’t even like it!” Pip protested, worry painting his face.

“Oh nevermind what Lucy likes! He hates all manner of the,” his eyes lingered on Andromeda for a moment, “Finer things in life. Only drinks straight liquor on most days. Anyways, try the drinks. As a token of good measure, I’ll give back your wand if you don’t like ’em.”

“And my wards?” Gulliver asked.

“Is that what you call them?” Koko marveled. “I was really pulling for ‘magic marbles’ myself, but alas, you created them.” Gulliver didn’t like this man. He was flamboyant, he was arrogant, and he acted too familiar with Gulliver than he should.

“They are my personal property,” Gulliver said.

“Oh, you really think using words like property is going to dissuade me?” Koko laughed. “My boy, you’ve been drugged, kidnapped, and swept halfway around the globe! The word property doesn’t apply to you. See, you’re mine now. I own you, and therefore, I own your wards. Besides, it’s made a nice addition to my collection. Now back to the point, would you have believed it if I told you a human could use magic?”

“Bokamoso was a human,” Gulliver said flatly.

Koko furrowed his brow and said, “I know, but he was,” he paused as though looking for the right word, “Endowed with a certain, shall we call it power? Not Pip though, I suspect he uses magic much like our kind does when we brew potions and other concoctions.”

“Here you are, mister Gulliver. Miss Andromeda,” Pip said, handing them each their respective drinks. He stood expectantly, waiting for them to imbibe. Andromeda braved hers first, eyes widening with delight as the drink made its way passed the crushed ice and over her lips.

“Pip!” she exclaimed. “This is incredible!”

Gulliver found himself annoyed that she lost composure so quickly, and reluctantly took a sip of his own drink. It was delightful! His cider was good, but it wasn’t magic good. This drink permeated through him, bringing emotions to the surface he hadn’t felt since he was a boy. The nostalgia almost overcame him. He stared into his amber drink, served in a rocks glass, no ice, with a lemon rind floating merrily in the liquor.

“And your sazerac?” Koko asked, grinning at Gulliver.

“It’s perfect,” Gulliver said. “Thank you Pip, you’re a master of your craft.”

Pip beamed wider than ever, then bowed deeply to the two of them. “You flatter me, it’s my pleasure.”

“Alright,” Koko said, sipping his drink. “Let’s get to it, you’re here looking into our terrorist movements. You want to know what we had to do with the incident in Mexico where you misplaced the premier of China. While I’m not at liberty to discuss our endeavors here to the fullest, I’m going to offer you a trade. I’ll give you the information you want, and all I want in exchange is to show you what happens within our organization. I think when you see what we do, you’ll be able to help us somewhat. Though, no one can replace Bokamoso’s efforts here.” Koko looked into his glass, then polished it off in one gulp.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was so important that Bokamoso risked getting caught?” Andromeda said.

“It wasn’t a risk,” Koko said with a chuckle. “The Courtier wants Bokamoso, the safest place for him is in Castra Nocte. The Courtier threatens everything we stand for. I’ll help you find him, but I won’t confront him with you. Not even Lucy there can do a damn thing against The Courtier. This is my agenda. Not playing it close to the chest, I can’t afford to now that Bokamoso is gone.”

Gulliver felt his heart begin to race as Koko spoke, could this first lead be the answer? The path to The Courtier? “How do we know we can trust you?” Gulliver asked.

“If we are honest, I was hoping my transparency alone would be enough,” Koko said.

“We accept,” Andromeda said quickly, flashing Gulliver a glance that told him to stay quiet. “On the condition that we will not break international law, and if we see you do it, we will apprehend you.”

“Will you now?” Kokorum asked slowly.

“By any means necessary,” Andromeda said, taking another sip from her drink.

“You’ll find that Bokamoso was correct in saying we broke no laws. I’m not concerned,” Kokorum said.

“You’d better hope for your sake that’s true,” Andromeda said. “I know a lot of laws.”

Koko stared at her, amusement in his face at first. But when Andromeda stared back at him, his expression turned to appreciation.

“And you young man?” Koko said to Gulliver.

Gulliver stared at Andromeda, and she back at him. She knew it was his only choice, but maybe Gulliver could get more out of this. His wand for starters. “I accept,” he said. Wait, he accepted? Gulliver couldn’t believe his own words.

“Good!” exclaimed Koko. “Lucy, give this man his wand. He’s with us now.” Lucy lumbered forward and produced Gulliver's wand from thin air, and handed it to the steward. “I must ask though,” Koko said, “how did you use the wards without a wand? Another fulcrum?”

“When you used an enchantment to make the house warp around Lucy, magic is happening, and you’re no longer using a wand. Same principle,” Gulliver said.

Koko laughed. “Ah, Didicit’s writings on magic of a wanded origin. I didn’t think you’d tell me how to make them.” Koko smiled to Pips as the barkeep handed him another drink. “We are on call, you’ll understand what that means, but be ready to leave at a moment's notice.” With that, the man drained his refilled cup, closed his eyes, and listened to the music.

Bokamoso sat quietly in the cell, letting his eyes lose focus as the boredom overtook him. He wasn’t afraid. He had no need for fear. He was the most powerful being in the Golden Dome; the shadows were around him, through him. In the middle of the day was one's shadow not at its darkest? That’s all this was, noon, not a cloud in the sky, the wizards all thought he was contained. Now he sounded like Kokorum. He missed the eccentric little collector.

He refocused on his surroundings, and the sudden snap back to reality sobered his tired mind even if only slightly. The bars in front of him created a strange optical illusion with the bars of the vacant cell opposite. In fact, Bokamoso had made a game of slightly moving his head, causing the front bars to shift in his vision ever so slightly more than the rear bars. It would make a front one line up with a rear one, then seemingly move to be in front of the neighboring rear bar.

He shook himself, trying to fight off the tired even more and decided to stand. His muscles ached as he rose. He chuckled to himself, better bored and sore in a cell than dead.

The temptation to make the shadows dance reared its face again. He was sure he could be subtle, no one would see. The magic dampener didn’t pick up on what he did. In the interrogation room it fizzled out the enchantments on his clothing. He chuckled again, all the stewards panicked because they thought he had used magic. The thought brought peace to Bokamoso, and he stretched, pain stinging in his muscles as he worked them.

“Bokamoso,” he heard. Well, he didn’t hear it, it was in his mind. It was that old familiar voice, Nanny. Others in his village knew her as Imani or even the medicine woman. He knew her as Nanny and his grandmother. He didn’t respond, she always called twice to him. “Bokamoso,” she said, there was something in her voice, something off. It was almost a pleading.

He opened his eyes and reached out to the shadows. The darkness filled him and the face of Nanny appeared in his mind. “Nanny!” he thought to her. “Nanny, what is the matter?”

“You went through with it?” she asked.

“Yes Nanny, I had to,” Bokamoso thought. “You saw the Courtier. This is the only way.” Why didn’t she understand? He braced himself for a lecture, but the old woman curled up and began sobbing.

“Boka…” she said through a sob. Bokamoso’s heart began pounding in his chest, his head got lighter as he saw his grandmother weep. He had to go to her.

“I will come to you!” he cried in his mind.

“No!” she snapped. She pulled a small totem from the chest of her blouse and brandished it threateningly at Bokamoso. “I will use this Boka!” she sobbed. “I will!” His stomach dropped. She had promised to do it, to temporarily strip him of his powers. He had been given the totem in the netherworld for this exact purpose.

“I will not use my powers,” he thought. “I promise that to you Nanny.” The bridge of her nose wrinkled as she wept, eyebrows corrugated. “What is wrong Nanny?”

Her voice trembled as she spoke. “My baby!” she sobbed. She put her hands over her face as she cried. “My beautiful baby Jamila!” She wept, and Bokamoso felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. The cell suddenly felt much smaller.

“What happened to mama?” he asked, not wanting the answer. Nanny sobbed harder, not able to speak. Bokamoso could feel his power welling inside of him. He couldn’t control it for much longer if his emotions kept rising. His power was the fuel for this communication, and it began to grow outward, invading Nanny’s reality.

Nanny looked up at him and started when she saw the shadows spreading out to her. “No!” she snapped again. “You sacrificed yourself and my beautiful girl!” She outstretched her empty hand and began to radiate light. So much so that the cell in which Bokamoso stood began to brighten.

“Nanny! Nanny stop!” he thought at her. She closed her hand into a fist, and the light dashed into it as it closed, returning his cell to normal.

“You, child! You have sacrificed yourself, and in so doing sacrificed my baby! Come back to me baby Boka! Don’t leave your old Nanny alone!” she pleaded, sobbing again. “Win! Beat The Courtier and come back to your Nanny!”

“I will!” Bokamoso cried, not just in his mind. His voice echoed throughout all the other empty cells. He wiped tears from his cheeks, unaware of when they began to flow.

A loud clang sounded, and the door out of the cell block opened. Bokamoso looked at Nanny. Her eyes were wide as she pointed the totem at her grandchild. Bokamoso experienced a falling sensation as he was ripped backward in the vision through a dark tunnel, Nanny fading further and further from view. He found himself sprawled on his side, laying in a heap as more tears fell from his face onto the stone floor below. He felt alone, cold, naked. He reached for his power, and it was gone. He was helpless.

A pair of magicians entered, wands pointed at Bokamoso. “Kneel Shadow, face away from us and put your hands behind your back.” The man's voice was arrogant. The way he moved, he walked, put off a feeling of being better than everyone else. It was Garen. “Wait are you crying?” he laughed. “Pathetic!”

Bokamoso complied, doing as instructed. “Finally, I have waited too…” he began before he was struck hard in the back of the head and driven face first into the hard cell floor. His nose was crushed by the impact and sent blood shooting into his throat. He tried to bring his hands to his face, but they were secured tightly behind his back. Reaching for the darkness Bokamoso strained, but it eluded him. The damn totem!

He took a deep breath, but instead inhaled a lungful of blood. He coughed it up and breathed more carefully, shallow and slow. Garen lifted Bokamoso to his feet and turned him roughly from the room.

“We are taking you to Castra Nocte,” Garen whispered. “Let’s see how long you last there?” Bokamoso resolved himself, not flinching. Castra Nocte was where he needed to end up, and for all intents and purposes he was safer there than anywhere in the world, but the thought of being locked in a cell made him feel ill. Still, deep down, he was ready. That didn’t stop the blood from trickling back into his lungs again, bringing on a fit of coughing more violent than the first.