Chapter 25. The Rise
“Pip!” screamed a voice. It was familiar, but more anxious than normal. “Pip wake up! You need to get out of there!”
“Kokorum?” Pip tried to say, only he still couldn’t breathe properly. A sharp pain in his stomach concerned him. It felt like something inside of him was swollen, pushing his guts to an unnatural position. His voice came out more like a weak wheeze. The large periwinkle doors ahead of him were shut tight. “Where is Gull?” he let out.
“You’re there! Oh, thank God!” Kokorum said. “Oh shut up Lucy, of course, there is a god! You’re a miserable drunk!”
“Pip,” Andromeda said. Her voice was tense, and though Pip could sense the emotional storm behind her words, she didn’t let any of it through. “Unless you have a magical fulcrum we don’t know about, there’s no way you can get through that door. There’s nothing you can do for Gull. Raepax has incapacitated him.” The pause in her speech was small, but it was there. She didn’t know if Gull was dead or alive.
“What do I do?” Pip asked. He could feel fear welling within himself. Not fear for himself, but fear for Gull. He told Gull he had his back, and then Raepax appeared, standing between them. He failed him. He should have been ready.
“Pip,” Koko said. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have done anything.”
“We need to get you out Pip,” Andromeda said. “Go back to the spine. You can use my office door to get out of the dome.”
“Spine of the dome,” Pip said. He opened the door and looked up into fierce blue eyes.
“Garen,” Andromeda said in his ear. “Bow your head to him and say, ‘Marshal’.”
“Marshal,” Pip said, doing as Andromeda instructed.
“High Marshal,” Garen said. “You must have just graduated from training.”
“Yes, sir,” Pip said, stepping out of Garen’s way.
Garen looked Pip up and down, “Where are you going?”
“To check the spine, sir,” Pip said, thinking on his feet. “The alarm went off, and it’s a convenient way to move about the dome. Someone could be using it.”
“How do you know about the spine?” Garen asked.
“High Marshal Andromeda told us about it in our training sir,” Pip said.
“Well, I’ve checked the spine,” Garen said. “Follow me to the Realm of the Wizen.” Garen stepped through the door and closed it behind him. “Realm of the Wizen,” he said. The door clicked, and he opened it, showing a small office to Pip. There were a handful of stewards surrounding a desk in the office. One was an older looking man with a thick mustache. He had a regal look about him, he spotted Garen and approached him.
“High Marshal,” the man said. He spoke clearly, and with confidence. “The office is in disarray, someone went through the desk, and items appear to be missing. There is also the residue of a portal, indicative of an escape.”
“I know what a portal indicates,” Garen said. “What’s your name, old man?”
“Krell sir. I apologize, sir, no offense intended.” His apology sounded sincere, but his tone was stern. “Our training class was forced to graduate with the order given by the Wizen himself only days ago.”
“You’re new?” Garen asked. “At your age?”
“Yes, sir,” Krell said.
“Why?” Garen asked.
“Respectfully sir, we still haven’t been able to get into the realm itself,” Krell said.
Garen looked over at the door, Pip could see the greed in his eyes. “Let’s see if I can get in,” Garen said.
“Pip, I need a closer look at the door,” Andromeda said. Pip walked behind Garen, and to the side, Krell took Garens other flank. There was a set of periwinkle doors behind the desk. On closer inspection, Pip could see a small impression on the door itself.
“No…” Andromeda breathed. “He can’t, no.”
“What?” Kokorum asked.
“Zedekiah, he’s…” she cut off again. “The Wizen is dead.”
“How do you know?” Kokorum asked.
“The indentation is there, it’ll accept the fulcrum of the first High Marshal to place their wand, or staff, or whatever there. It’ll make them the Wizen,” she said. “We meet as a council, decide on one, then they put their fulcrum into the notch. It then bestows that person with the power of the Wizen.”
“So the council will meet then?” Kokorum asked. Pip was grateful, it felt like Andromeda and Kokorum were there, like he wasn’t alone.
Garen stepped closer and withdrew his wand. He pointed it at the door and said, “Recludo.” Nothing happened.
“We tried that sir,” Krell said.
“I’m a great deal more powerful than you are Krell,” Garen said. He put his finger into the notch on the door.
“Garen,” Andromeda said. “Don’t do it.”
“Krell, you’re dismissed,” Garen said.
“Yes, sir,” Krell said. The older man turned and walked away without question. Garen took his wand and stuck it into the notch on the door. It glowed a brilliant purple, blasting light and energy into Garen.
“No more trees,” Garen said with a chuckle. “I want a throne room.” The periwinkle doors opened, and inside was a stone tunnel, leading to two heavy wooden doors that looked like they belonged on the front of a castle.
“High Marshal, where is the wizen?” Pip asked.
“You’ll address me by my title,” Garen said. “I am the Wizen. Stewards, summon my team.”
“Turn and leave now Pip. Walk with haste, but don’t look back,” Andromeda said.
“Wait,” Garen barked. Pip turned back. “Not you.” Garen pointed directly at Pip. “You’ll stay with me.”
“I have other duties to attend sir,” Pip said. “Would you like me to return once they are completed?”
Garen pointed his wand at Pip and Pip flew through the air towards him. “No,” Garen said with a snarl. “Stay here.”
“Listen to him,” Andromeda said. “I don’t know what he’ll do if you don’t listen.”
“Yes sir, sorry sir,” Pip said, kneeling.
“I like that,” Garen said slowly. “People will kneel when they approach The Wizen from now on.”
“Pip, be careful,” Andromeda said. “I’ve never seen it, but Garen is known for his temper.”
“How may I serve you?” Pip said. He focused himself on Garen. Garen’s emotions hit Pip in a wave. He was angry, enraged even, nervous, excited, and deep down, there was something else. There was a desire to kill; a desire to maim, to destroy.
“You’ll see,” Garen said. The door to the office opened and several men walked in; the same men who Garen had fought beside at the rift. Pip knew their faces, and he knew they knew his. You don’t fight against someone and not remember their face. He kept his head to the ground, holding his silence.
A light came in from the open door. Pip could see the periwinkle doors of the front entrance. Outside, freedom. He considered making a break for it, running, getting outside the doors. Then what? Even on the off chance that he made it past the door, Garen and his cronies wouldn’t let him get far. The door closed and the idea of freedom no longer taunted Pip. Instead, he was left with a sense of his own demise.
“Pip,” Kokorum said. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get you out.”
“Who’s the pipsqueak?” asked a burly voice.
“A steward,” Garen said.
“Complicit in the murder?” another voice asked. This one female. Pip didn’t dare look up to see any of their faces.
“That’ll go forward as planned,” Garen said. “Scarlet is the killer.”
“Um, sir,” said the male voice. “Isn’t it prudent we not discuss these things in front of the pipsqueak?”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s loyal to his new Wizen. Aren’t you?” Garen said. He grabbed Pip by the hair and made Pip stare into his eyes. Pip knew magicians were physically stronger, but Garen’s grip felt like a literal vice.
“Yes, sir,” Pip said. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt light headed. He wanted to run, to scream, to fight. It was like he was surrounded by predators with no chance of escape.
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Garen leaned closer, putting his mouth by Pip’s ear, “Nice sword. I’m glad my ward didn’t kill you. This way I can make things right.”
Pip felt the blood drain from his face and Garen pushed him to the floor.
“Pip, you need to run,” Andromeda said. “Can you use the heads yet? Look left if you can.” Pip turned his eyes to the right. He could feel Garen’s lust for blood, it was focused on Pip. He wanted to kill Pip. Right here and now, he wanted to tear Pip limb from limb. He could feel Garen’s stare on the back of his head.
Pip’s heart pounded in his chest. If he held still, played dead, maybe Garen would lose interest.
“We heard from Raepax,” the woman's voice said. A portion of Garen’s attention left Pip.
“And?” Garen asked.
“He has Higginbotham. He’s bringing him here,” the man said.
Garen let out a deep, rich laugh. A sense of triumph resonated from the man. “Do you have the mind spike?” Garen asked.
“Of course,” the woman said.
“Let’s go in,” Garen said. “Steward, get the doors.”
Pip rose and walked down the hall into the Realm of the Wizen. He opened the massive wooden doors with great effort.
“Hold the doors for them, then once they get by, slam them and run to my office,” Andromeda said. Pip bowed his head and held one of the doors for the group. They all walked past him. All except Garen.
“I insist,” Garen said. Pip could feel the destructive energy in the man welling up. “After you.”
“You have to get out,” Andromeda said, “hit him and run.”
“Yes, sir,” Pip said to Garen. He swung his fist with all his might, which Garen caught with one hand. Not roughly, but as a father grabbing the hand of an upset toddler.
Garen’s rage turned to amusement. He released Pip’s hand and whispered so only the two could hear, “If they saw that, I’d have to kill you. As it is, I have other plans for you. So don’t fight.” Garen smiled at Pip and pointed through the open door and said, “Go.”
It was smaller than he remembered. He had been here to help with tree’s a few years ago, Koko had wanted to see what the big deal was and they were not disappointed. There had been tree’s as far as the eyes could see, Pip was amazed. The room was gigantic, but not as big as the oasis which had been here before. Now, it was like a giant throne room. Torches hung on the side walls, flickering their light across the chamber. There were high narrow windows letting bright sunlight in, casting their golden rays throughout the chamber.
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” the woman said to Garen. Pip lowered his gaze once more.
Garen strode across the hall. There was a giant golden throne, on which the man sat. Pip couldn’t help but think that Garen looked at home on the throne. “Kneel over there,” Garen said to Pip, pointing to the side of the hall.
“They’re going to kill me,” Pip whispered as he moved.
“No,” Kokorum said. “This is the seat of law for magicians.”
“Be ready to run,” Andromeda said.
“Kokorum,” Pip breathed. “If I don’t make it..”
“No!” Kokorum yelled. “You’ll make it!”
The sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance. “Garen, you actually pulled it off,” Raepax said as he stepped out of the tunnel. “You got your throne. And now, you get Higginbotham.” Gull was unconscious on Raepax’s shoulder. At least Pip hoped he was unconscious. All he could really say is that Gull hung lifelessly.
“Raepax, you did it,” Garen said. “After our last encounter, I was certain you were going to your death fighting Higginbotham.”
“Hardly,” Raepax said. “Of my payment?”
“The funds will be sent over immediately,” Garen said.
“And the other?” Raepax asked.
“You’ll get your time in The Archive,” Garen said. “But first, the mind spike.”
“He can’t do this!” Andromeda cried. “It’s illegal!” Garen took the spike, which was a dark purple crystal about the size of a forearm and walked toward Gull.
“Mind spikes are illegal!” Pip yelled. It echoed through the chamber, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the wake of the sound. Garen looked sidelong at Pip, then laughed. It was a deep throaty laugh.
“Pip, they’re distracted. Run!” Kokorum said.
“No,” Pip breathed. “I can’t leave Gull.” He knew it was true. Part of him wanted to run, but not without Gull.
“He doesn’t matter!” Kokorum said. “Just leave him!”
Raepax dropped Gull onto the floor on his stomach. Gull didn’t move at all.
“No,” Pip mumbled. “You wouldn’t understand, but I can’t leave him.” Garen knelt over Gull and placed the mind spike against the back of his head. Pip threw himself forward and kicked Garen directly in the face, the magician wasn’t prepared for the blow and fell over Gull.
A pair of steely hands grabbed Pip and pulled him back. “Easy pipsqueak,” the male voice said. He held Pip in an almost bone-crushing grip.
Garen stared at Pip, “You’ve got a real set on you kid,” he said, wiping blood from his lip. He got back to a squat and rammed the mind spike into the back of Gull's neck at an upward angle. The thing had to be near the top of Gull's skull. Pip struggled against his captor, but couldn’t free himself at all. The purple shard vanished within Gull's neck and head, leaving a red patch of skin, but no puncture.
“Pip!” He heard Kokorum say in his head. “The heads should have at least some juice now." He reached for the shrunken heads at his belt and felt the power flow through them. The spirits within unleashed at his touch and ripped his captors arm from Pip’s body and sent the man flying. Pip guided the spirits, and they blasted Garen off of Gull.
“Get away from him!” Pip screamed, running and standing protectively over Gull’s lifeless corpse. “You don’t get to hurt him again.”
Garen circled around Pip, so he was no longer between Pip and the exit. “I don’t want to,” Garen said. “I want to heal him.”
“Pip,” came Andromeda’s voice. “Gull isn’t dead. But you need to kill him. Now!”
“No!” Pip roared at Andromeda, tears blurring his vision.
“Pip, you don’t understand!” she said. Panic and pain in her voice.
Garen didn’t know about Andromeda’s voice in Pip’s head, so he said, “We can save him.”
“Do it!” Pip said. “But if you try anything I’ll kill you.”
Garen laughed. Hard. “You don’t understand kid.” He pointed his wand at Pip. Pip sent a spirit at Garen. Garen casually flicked his wand, and the spirit froze in place. “You think I haven’t seen that trick? In my line of work?”
“Pip,” Andromeda said, her voice cracking with pain. “It takes at least two magicians to freeze a spirit. Garen is too powerful, get out now.”
“Virtutem haurire,” Garen said, pointing his wand at Pip. An incorporeal whisp jumped from each of the shrunken heads, towards Garen’s wand. As the whisps flew past the two spirits, it pulled them into Garen’s wand with them. “You’ll find your heads are useless now. They won’t recharge. Human.”
Pip’s stomach dropped. Garen knew he wasn’t a magician? “You’re going to kill me,” Pip said.
“No,” Garen said. “He is.” He pointed at Gull’s lifeless corpse. “Heal him.”
“Egrutido,” the witch said, pointing her wand at Gull. She cackled. “There’s too much for me,” she said. “Nice work Raepax! I can’t heal him all the way now, but I can make him work.” Her face scrunched with consternation. Bones snapped back together beneath Pip. He looked down and saw Gull’s wrist, crushed and mutilated, slowly take shape. Gull slowly began to move.
“Pendant?” Garen said to the witch.
“I have it. Oh please! Let me have him! His power is so big! I could have so much fun!” she pleaded.
“You can have him after I’m done,” Garen said. The witch stomped her foot and threw Garen a small necklace. It had a purple crystal the same shape as the mind spike, but much smaller.
“Gulliver, rise,” Garen said. Gull slowly got to his feet. His face was still bruised and bloody, and an unnatural bend in the middle of his shin shot out at a strange angle. He stared at Garen lifelessly, mindlessly.
“No!” Kokorum screamed. Andromeda was silent.
“Gulliver, kill him,” Garen said, flipping his hand casually.
Gull’s blasting cone was out before Pip could flinch, and Gull bellowed, “Molentis!” The man directly to the left of Garen was crushed into a pulp, sending its deathly spray across everyone in the room. The witch cackled, and Garen actually laughed.
“Will he learn to think?” Garen asked the witch.
“In time, he is a blank slate, and you have the override key. For the next while he’s going to be just like this,” she said. “You need to be more specific.”
“Gulliver, do you see that man there?” Garen said, pointing at Pip. Gull looked at Pip, then said, his voice broken and raspy, “Yes.”
Pip drew the paladin’s sword.
“Kill him,” Garen said.
Again, Gull moved almost faster than Pip could see and bellowed, “Molentis!”
There was a flash of light from the sword that seemed to blind everyone else in the room, yet Pip could see clearer than ever. He felt his love for Gull, his concern for his friend well up in his chest. He swatted the spell deftly from the air with the shining blade. Gull put his free hand up to block the light from his eyes.
“A paladin!” The witch screamed, trying to hide from the light behind one of Garen’s stewards.
Gull aimed his blasting cone around the room and shot out several of his wards. They were invisible to the naked eye, but through the light of the paladin’s blade Pip could see them clearly. They rotated in the air around Pip, each shooting blasts of magical energy at him. The light around him condensed and created a protective shield, deflecting the magical attacks. The ricocheted magic left deep gouges in the stone wherever it hit. Garen put up a barrier, but his cronies hid behind the golden throne.
Three tremendous silver wards emerged from Gull's blasting cone. They began to tangle in the air. Gull was chanting as he moved his wand in intricate motions. Finally, the wards had become one and moved forward into the air as fast as a moving car. It crashed into Pip’s light shield with a deafening screech. Pip staggered back and fell to a knee. The ward moved up and above Pip, then plunged down directly onto Pips shield, making Pip crash hard to the ground. His knee gave a sickening pop as he fell.
The sword slipped from his grip and the shield of light wicked out. Garen yelled, “Wait!”
The ward vanished, no longer illuminated by the sword, but Pip knew it was still there hanging in the air above him, ready to crush him. Gull stood, face calm, blasting cone pointed at Pip.
“Have you ever seen a steam roller, Gulliver?” Garen asked.
“Yes,” Gull rasped.
“Do that. But start at his feet,” Garen said.
“Kokorum,” Pip whispered. “I can’t get out. I’m scared.”
“Pip,” Koko said. “I’m with you. I won’t leave you alone.” Pip heard the crack in Kokorum’s voice. The man was holding back tears. Pip didn’t have much time. He had to say goodbye.
“I’m scared for you. Be strong.” He inhaled sharply, his body was trying to weep. For his lost love, his lost friend, and even a little, his life he was about to lose. “Don’t go back!” Then, he cried. He cried for Koko, he cried for Gull, he even cried a little for himself. “I love you,” he said to Koko.
“I love you too,” Koko said. He was crying too now.
A crushing sensation began at his feet. Pip watched in horror as they flattened under the invisible force of Gull’s ward. He screamed, the agony was too much. The sensation moved up his legs, the pain growing. Far off he heard the distant scream of a young man. He could hear the terror in the man's voice, then he realized that was his voice.
What started as agony now seemed to be nothing compared to the new pain. Blood leaked from the sides of his legs as they were crushed, but it was swept toward him by the ward. It felt like the pressure in his chest and head were increasing. He felt his eyes bulge slightly as he screamed. Blood vessels burst, he assumed around his eyes because of the way everything went red. He assumed in his ears because of the loud pops he heard, followed by a complete lack of sound. He didn’t know. He was just pain. Then, mercifully, things went dark. He closed his eyes and thought of Kokorum for the last time. Then, nothing.