CHAPTER 9

OCTOBER 21ST 9:09 A.M.

--LEO--

Leo looked at the grand wood façade of Laurel's house. The air felt crisp as summer was soon fading; dry winds dried his hands that clenched onto his axe. He had gotten out of the car to cleave a path through the wilderness for Boone to take the car in. After two days cramped in it, Leo gladly took the first excuse to get out, even if it meant extreme weedwacking. The car rolled in behind him, parking just inside Laurel's oasis.

"Good luck explaining the hole you chopped through her garden," Tommy joked as he climbed out of the vehicle.

"She can fix it," Leo replied.

Tommy approached from behind Leo, putting his hand on his shoulder. "It's the principle."

Two more car doors shut behind Leo as the car now sat empty on the front lawn.

"Are we sure she's going to be ok with us showing up?" Boone asked.

Leo sighed. "She said she was joining us last time we spoke. Laurel's not the type to change her mind."

"Good. Makes up for the no-show for the war." Tommy retorted.

"Don't say that to her face," Leo instructed.

"Not even I'm stupid enough to do that."

Leo holstered his axe on his back as he began up the steps to the front door, the rest following suit. Leo walked up to the intricately carved wood door and raised his hand to knock. Before his knuckles could strike the surface, the door swung open. Laurel stood leaning against the door; her expression seemed more lighthearted than Leo was expecting, granted that he brought a gang of very dangerous and potentially wanted people to her door.

"Hey!" Tommy said sarcastically.

Laurel struggled to resist the urge to smile as she swung the door wider. "Come on in," she said with a gesture. Leo stepped in, feeling the comforting warmth inside contrast the outdoors. He stood off to the side next to Laurel as the rest filed through.

"Hello, Ms. Laurel," Frank said as his large hands smothered Laurel's in a handshake. "My name is Frank, and we are grateful for your hospitality."

"Of course, Frank," Laurel said warmly as they finished their handshake. "Make yourself at home." She shut the door with everyone now inside and turned to Leo who had stayed next to her the whole time.

"I hope you're ok with us showing up uninvited like this," Leo said.

"I said I would help Leo." she answered.

Leo smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "Thanks Laurel."

Laurel responded with a smile. She began walking towards the living room where the rest had already taken a spot. "Frank seems nice," she whispered to Leo.

"You'll like him," Leo answered. "Just don't swear around him. He doesn't like it."

"Noted." Laurel took a seat on the couch, with Leo right next to her. The couches were sorted into a u-shape, with a coffee table in the middle. Boone and Frank sat on the opposite side while Tommy had the center all to himself, kicking his feet onto the table.

"So, where have you guys been?" Laurel asked.

"Took a trip down to the capital," Tommy said. "Paid an old friend of ours a visit."

"And who might that be?" she asked.

"Roger," Leo said. "CIA headman."

"Yea, good ole' Roger," Tommy said. "He's not longer with us, but luckily Frank had his sights set a bit higher."

Laurel glared at Tommy condescendingly. "It wasn't us who did it if that's what you're implying," Tommy defended.

"So, what happened then?" Laurel questioned.

"If I may," Frank said. "I have prepared the case brief for you all to hear."

"Show us what you got," Boone said.

"May we move to a table?" Frank asked as he pulled out the papers that he stole. "I have some documents to present."

"One second," Laurel said. She curled her fingers and gently raised her hands up, causing the coffee table to rise on taller legs and expand. The group stood and gathered around. Frank laid out the folder and began spreading its contents.

"These come from Rayshe himself," Frank said.

"He gave those to you?" Laurel asked.

"Borrowed," Leo corrected.

"Right..."

"I spent some time in disguise in the White House. And I think I may know what Rayshe is planning. Rayshe was responsible for Regis' murder, he plotted to take control to use executive power for his own plans."

"Could've guessed that as much," Boone commented.

"Just before his passing, Regis had orchestrated a court with Boreas, in hopes for an alliance." Frank spread a few pictures of the planet. "They are a healthy and prosperous civilization. Regis strove for resource trading. Rayshe strives for conquering."

"Rayshe wants to invade a whole planet?" Laurel asked.

"I'm afraid so," Frank answered. Leo's hand went cold as it felt like the blood rushed out of his brain. He felt his heart thumping in his chest.

"Leo?" Boone noticed his troubled demeanor. He waved him off as Frank continued.

"Rayshe had been pushing for Regis to do so ever since he had mentioned his desire to communicate with Boreas. Regis wouldn't have it, so Rayshe took it into his own hands. When they portal in for their court with Rayshe, he will have an army waiting to hijack it and sack them."

"Travel will not be possible unless Boreas is here first. How could he be sure they are still willing for a court with Regis dead?" Tommy mentioned.

"I suppose that is something that Rayshe has overlooked," Frank answered. "His eagerness to 'save his people' clouds his judgement. He believes that he is a savior that has been tasked with an almost holy duty."

"By killing billions," Leo muttered.

"Rayshe cares little of the lives that are not of his own," Frank said.

"So, Rayshe wants to conquer and leech a planet that is well beyond Earth's capability to do," Tommy added. "And that's where this key comes in?"

"Precisely my friend," Frank said as he slid out a picture of a golden, engraved triangular object. "This is one of three pieces of what Rayshe calls the key. He believes that with all three pieces and the key assembled, it will lead to the power he seeks."

Laurel reached out and grabbed the picture of the fragment, studying it closely. "I've heard of this before," she started. "I've heard rumors, legends, of a golden key that had been broken and hidden."

"You know about this?" Boone asked.

"Not really," Laurel said. "It was mostly folklore, or at least that's what most people thought. It's believed that it leads to an unrelenting force."

"Didn't take Rayshe to be the urban legend believer," Leo said.

"Rayshe has found a piece, in the Himalayan mountains." Frank stated. He slid out a picture of what seemed like a factory built onto the side of a mountain. "He's already built a research station on the site where he found the piece. He's using that to try and locate the other two."

"Looks like we're going to have to beat him to that," Tommy said.

"Problem is we don't have the slightest idea where to start," Boone commented.

"We don't," Frank agreed. "But Rayshe does," he said while nudging the picture of the facility on the table.

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Leo glanced at Frank. "You're saying we heist the president?"

"I fricking love it," Tommy added.

"As far as plans go, I am aware of its recklessness. But I fail to see better alternatives," Frank clarified.

The group went quiet as they exchanged glances, each of them looking to see if they could find a hint of doubt in the other. All came up empty.

"So, what do you say Laurel?" Leo asked. Laurel looked up at Leo out of the corner of her eye as she smirked.

"How do we get there?" Boone asked.

"Leave that to me," Laurel said.

"Alright then, we leave for Nepal tomorrow morning?" Leo searched for objections.

"So, it's settled."

2 HOURS LATER

Leo leaned against the wood railing on the outside balcony. He looked out to the illusion of snow-capped mountains, a foreshadowing of what's soon to come. Despite the frigid landscape, the air was comfortably warm. Leo relaxed in the artificial nature, letting his mind daydream as it so often did. He heard the soft footsteps of Laurel approaching from behind as she walked up next to him, joining him against the railing.

"Hey," she spoke softly. "You've been standing out here alone for an hour." There was a hint of concern in her voice.

"Enjoying the silence," Leo answered. Laurel nodded as she looked at the mountains.

"Thinking about tomorrow?" she asked.

"Among other things," he said. Laurel rested her elbow on the wood, facing Leo while she twiddled her thumbs.

"Are you nervous?" she asked him.

"No," Leo said firmly.

"Well, I am," Laurel confessed. Leo sensed that she was hoping he was nervous too. To make her emotions feel warranted. Normal. She wore an expression that seemed embarrassed. Like she felt that she wasn't strong enough.

"It's completely normal to feel nervous," Leo comforted. "It's really a good thing. Nerves keep you ready. Alert."

"But you're not nervous?" Laurel asked.

"Never really got nervous," Leo said. "Guess that's just who I am."

Laurel pursed her lips as she looked down at her interlocked hands. Leo wanted to say more, something to put her mind at ease, but he couldn't find the words. Emotions were never his strong suit.

“Well, it is pretty exciting right?” she said. “Getting out there again.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for it?”

“Yeah, of course,” she assured. “Which reminds me…”

“Of what?”

"Come here," she said as she began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Leo asked.

"Just come on, I want to show you something." Laurel walked through the silk drapes that partitioned the balcony to the inside. Leo complied and followed behind her. She led him down a dark hallway going away from the main atrium of the home until it opened to a massive, circular room. The walls were layered with bookshelves, jars, paintings, anything anyone could ever want. Anything a mage would want anyway. Light beamed in from the dome skylight above them, with vines swirling and clinging against the glass.

"Impressive," Leo commented.

"It's where I've been training these past two days," Laurel said. "I've gotten rusty lately." Leo stood next to her as he took in the architecture. Leo wasn't much of a critic when it came to art, but Laurel was talented unlike any other.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Leo asked.

"Partly," she said. "There's something else I've been working on."

"What might that be?"

"Not really working, honestly. More just brainstorming, trying, scrapping, and retrying when in reality it's very low effort." Laurel rambled. “Been studying a few things as well.”

“Doing your homework I see,” Leo remarked sarcastically.

“You know I’ve always been a good student,” she responded. “Finally dusted off some of these old books. You want to see?”

Truthfully, Leo did not care to look at books. But it was Laurel asking, so that helps.

“Sure, why not,” he conceded.

“You don’t have a choice anyways,” she said, levitating off the floor, a faint aura of pink magic emanating from her feet.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah really.”

Laurel rose up, gliding towards Leo. She held out her hand, inviting him to grab on. As soon as his palm came close to hers, it latched on like a magnet, allowing her to easily float upwards, towing him alongside. He felt weightless as he ascended. Looking down, he say the same magic glow beneath his feet.

As they went higher, the walls stretched, the ceiling rose, and rows upon rows of books shelves expanded, revealing more knowledge, magically sealed within the home.

“Is the house getting bigger on the outside too?” Leo asked.

“No. Dimensional transcendence,” Laurel replied.

“I don’t know what that means.”

She stopped their ascent, letting go of his hand. The air beneath him felt solid; the empty space becoming a platform to whatever his mind desired, allowing him to walk up, down, and all around.

Laurel floated over to the bookshelves, pointing at it, and flicking her hand back, sending a book flying at him. It was encapsulated my pink magic as it flew to him, which disappeared upon his retrieval.

The Laws of Dimensional Transcendence

”Do you have a book for everything?” he asked.

“Not everything,” she clarified. “Actually, my selection is fairly limited,” she explained while browsing. “Nearly every book about every phenomenon natural or unnatural was at the Universal Library. I know the librarian. Really old codger. Funny though.”

“Is there a book about our golden key there?”

“I’m not sure,” Laurel answered. “Even if it was, the library doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Why?”

“Well, it never really existed in the first place. But Saul, the librarian, was the only person who could enter its realm. Along with whoever he invited with him. But he’s been dead for some time now.”

“There’s just no way of accessing that information anymore?” Leo questioned.

“It really is a shame,” she said, tossing books aside that magically levitated away, flying to a new bookshelf as she reorganized. “He felt as though he was the only rightful protector of the library. And if its secrets fell into the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic. So, he took it to the grave.”

“Hmm,” Leo mumbled.

“Hmm, indeed,” she matched, her voice echoing down to him as she was a decent ways higher than him. “Come here.” Laurel reached down with an open hand, then snapped it closed. Leo was suddenly yanked up to her, wind blasting by him rapidly before stopping instantly right next to her.

“Sit,” she said. He felt a force push against the back of his legs and his chest simultaneously, forcing him into a seated position; the air accommodating to the request, forming an invisible seat.

“What the-“

“Look at this one,” she said, sliding over to him like she was on a floating, rolling chair. She stopped right beside him, leaning in and showing him a book.

Hardwell Regis’ Capture and Rescue

”It’s about us,” Laurel said.

“Someone wrote this?” Leo said, fascinated. He took the book from her gently, examining it closely. She spun in her ‘chair’, stretching her legs out and resting them across his thighs.

“Yeah, it’s all about his capture and all the details surrounding it and what not,” she explained to him. “It talks about you, Tommy and I. It was really fun to read. I think you would like it. Although, they got the events of Singapore wrong.”

“Who wrote this?” he asked. She shrugged casually.

“You don’t know?”

“The origins of these types of books are really muddy. It’s almost like the universe complies the history and evidence from peoples personas and psyches, and it manifests itself into writing. An invisible scribe, maybe an omniscient spirit. I don’t know.”

Leo felt his stomach drop. His blood went cold.

“I guess they couldn’t be omniscient if they get details wrong,” she rambled to herself. “That’s how most of the books show up to the Universal Library. They appear suddenly with details about the ever expanding history of the worlds. Saul made a little drop box right where they appeared. He was a busy guy.”

“Is there a book about my homeworld?” Leo suddenly asked.

“Your homeworld?”

“Hjallarhelm. Where I’m from.”

“I know.”

“Is there a book about it?”

“Uhh.” She looked up, her eyes glowing pink as every book on the vast, cylindrical book shelf flew out of the shelves all at once. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of books levitated around them.

“No, not here,” she said. All the books collectively slammed shut. A loud boomed echoed, and they returned to their shelves.

“Do you want one?” she asked.

“No. I’m okay,” he said.

“Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind,” she said. “I can see if I can find something.”

“It’s okay, really.”

“Okay..”

“This is very cool, though” he said, changing the mood back. “Thank you for showing me.”

“It’s not everyday you find a book with you as the main character,” she said.

“Yeah, really,” he chuckled. “Have you read it all the way through?”

“Bits and pieces. At some point I will.”

“I think I might do that too.”

“We can read it together?” she asked, with a hint of shyness in her voice.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Leo agreed

“That’s date number three then,” Laurel said softly, looking away to hide her burning up cheeks.

“Yeah…”

“Oh! I almost forgot,” she said suddenly. She jumped up, sliding her legs off of Leo’s and stood up straight. With a snap, they rushed back down to the floor, the ceiling shrinking down with them. Despite the velocity, they touched down gently, now securely on hard ground.

“I’ve been working on something. I want to get your opinion on it,” she revealed.

"You've been worked of an outfit?" Leo guessed.

Laurel looked at him shockingly. "How did you know?"

"I know you," he answered.

Laurel scoffed as she began to walk to the back of the room. "Tommy would call it a super suit," she said as she approached a freestanding whiteboard with smeared gibberish written across it. Laurel grabbed the hem of her black sweater, pulling it up slightly, revealing the skin of her waist before she stopped.

"Turn around," she told Leo. He obliged, taking the opportunity to let his eyes wander more at the paintings Laurel had up. She was a nature person, and the art reflected it.

"Ok, now you can look."

Leo turned to see her wearing a dark purple robe. The robe was cut to reduce its size; the sleeves were cut above the elbow and the body cut at the waist. Laurel coupled that with charcoal-colored leggings with faint hexagonal patterns in them. To top it all off, she had on a pair of black leather boots that went high up on her ankle and we tied tight.

"I took my old apprentice robe and chopped it down," Laurel said. "Made it a little darker toned too."

Her beauty struck Leo. Although he had always known she was attractive, his mind was always too preoccupied to notice. Leo studied her outfit, and how despite its simplicity, she was enthusiastic about it. She looked nervous, but she chose to show him first, a gesture he appreciated even if he couldn't find a way to show it. As he looked at her, he couldn't help but let a small smile crack his face.

"You think it's funny," Laurel said, her cheeks flaming up red.

"No, no. Not at all," Leo assured. "I think it looks great."

"You do?" Laurel smiled.

"I do," he said as he walked up to her. He put his hand on her shoulder, pressing out a wrinkle in the robe. She looked up at him, her brown eyes twinkling as they hit the rays of light from the ceiling.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I feel ten times better now." Laurel said.

Leo held eye contact with her, letting the moment hold. Eventually, his smile faded.

"Why are you doing this Laurel?" he asked.

Her face suddenly changed to a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you agree to help. Join us. I know I already asked before-"

"Because you asked me to help and I want to help," she clarified.

"I know. But are you doing it for me? Because I asked you?"

Laurel sighed as she shifted her gaze back and forth between Leo's two eyes. "You've always been the one to help somebody," she started. "You don't say it very much, don't say very much at all frankly. But you are a good person in there," she said as she put her hand against his chest. "Why?"

"Why?" Leo asked. Laurel nodded her head. "I don't know..." Leo answered. "It's what I've always done... Why do you ask?"

"Because it's admirable," she said. "It doesn't go unnoticed. Everyone should take a page out of your book. I should've a long time ago. So, yes and no. I am not doing it for you. Not just because you asked me. I'm doing it because I want to be more like you Leo." Laurel said, her hand gently squeezing his chest.

If Leo had any concerns about Laurel's motivations, they were gone now.

"Those people deserve to live just as much as we do," she finalized. Leo put his hand over hers on his chest.

"Well put," he said. Her smile started to return to her face. "Thank you, Laurel."

She slipped her hand out from under his, delicately brushing loose strands of hair off his forehead and back into position.

"Of course."