MILLENNIUM (Descendants Saga) Page 14
“Who are you?” Gladstone asked, preparing for the worst. After all, it was not uncommon for heads of state to be assassinated by rivals, or even by other governments. “If you’re an assassin, I warn you against any deadly action.”
Gladstone happened to mean what he said. He was, after all, not your run-of-the-mill politician. He happened to be a quite formidable spell caster hailing from Xandrea. He could kill this man in an instant, if provoked to action.
“If I meant to kill you, Gladstone, you would have been dead before uttering a syllable,” the driver said.
Normally, no man would have said such things to William Gladstone. However, he had the sense that this man not only meant what he said, but had the ability to carry out any threat he made. For one of the few times in his life, Gladstone felt unnerved.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Ishbe removed his goggles, grinning at the elf.
“I still don’t recognize you,” Gladstone said.
“You can call me, Black.”
Gladstone couldn’t suppress a gasp. He had never served under this angel before, but Black’s insidious reputation and the great rivalry which existed between him and Lucifer was legendary. He briefly considered trying to escape, but Black could have stopped him. And, if the angel was here for something other than to kill him, he should at least hear him out.
“What do you want with me?” he asked.
“Only to make you aware of a golden opportunity to enrich both yourself and your empire,” Black said.
Something about the way he said your empire made Gladstone feel suddenly elated. Of course, the power that he wielded as prime minister of England made him one of the most influential men in the world. But to call it his empire took matters to a whole new level. He was, truly, the most important man in the world.
“How?” he asked.
“You’ve heard of the Underworld?” Black asked.
“An ancient legend,” Gladstone answered.
“That’s what humans believe about elves,” Black said. “At any rate, the Underworld is quite real and it has been opened.”
“How is that possible?”
“Anything that can be locked can also be opened,” Black said. “The important matter here is that it has happened. The cherubim who created the various terrain and sky and all things that make it habitable to mortals on the spiritual plane will surely be released very soon.”
“What does that mean?” Gladstone asked anxiously.
“They will immediately set out to destroy what they created so long ago,” Black reported. “The cherubim will destroy Tidus, Xandrea, Greystone, Galidel, Grim Hope, and every other Descendant land.”
Gladstone stared at him wide-eyed, his mouth agape, trying to comprehend the destructive power held by these angelic beings. Could it truly happen? Even the idea that his home of Xandrea could be so easily destroyed was mind boggling to him.
Black let his prophecy of doom hang between them for several moments while Gladstone’s mind reeled. He turned the motorcar onto Piccadilly, heading for St. James Square. The automobile rumbled along at a steady twenty miles-per-hour.
After a few minutes more, driving in silence, Gladstone finally turned to Black. “You told me there was some golden opportunity in all of this for me and the empire?”
Black grinned. It hadn’t taken the elf very long to get over his horror and remember that he might somehow be benefited by all of this happening. Mortals were all the same. Whether human, or Descendant, they were all greedy for gain.
“I did say that,” Black began. “What do you think will happen when the Descendant races are forced from their cities and homes on the spiritual plane?”
Gladstone considered the matter for a moment. Clearly, the angel wasn’t suggesting that they would all die. What benefit would that be to anyone? No, they would be forced to move on to another place.
“They’ll have to come into the human world,” he said. Quickly, the repercussions of such an exodus began to occur to him. “But that many Descendant refugees in the world could prove disastrous. How does that do me any good?”
“For a lesser man of state, certainly, it would be a terrible predicament,” Black admitted. “However, for a clever politician, like you, this could be an opportunity to make valuable alliances with powerful Descendants. Offer sanctuary in your empire in exchange for their allegiance to you and Britain. Surely, you’ve not failed to realize the situation spreading throughout Europe. The world is ripe for a major war—a world war.”
“Yes,” Gladstone admitted. “I have seen troubling events taking place. It could happen.”
“It will happen,” Black predicted. “But you could be ready, when the time comes. Besides, think of the wealth these Descendants already have in the human world. That in Britain alone could fill your war coffers for years to come, Gladstone. All you need to do is declare them enemies of the state and seize their funds and property—that is, if they refuse to join with you.”
“And if they try to fight?”
“You possess the army of a nation,” Black said. “Can they take the very land from Britain? Can they take the money from your banks? This is not the spiritual world, and soon they will have to live in this world just like the humans do. It would be very dangerous for them to make enemies and become exposed as monsters to the public. Already, the weapons of war are such that even Descendants are endangered. And with the cherubim free, they will have nowhere to run on the spiritual plane.”
Gladstone smiled for the first time since getting into the car with the angel. “I begin to see your point. This could be a very great opportunity, indeed. However, I fail to see what you would gain by it.”
Black did not hesitate with his answer. “Revenge against these arrogant creatures who hide in their spiritual lands. I want them subjugated. I want them to know that they have been stripped of their power. They’ll have to answer to others now. Instead of being masters of their own destinies, they will become servants to others.”
Gladstone still seemed unsure.
Black grinned at him, stopping the car at St. James Square. He got out and stood by the car. “Besides, Prime Minister, you have been a servant to them all of your life. Now, that you are in a position to rule, why not have them serve you. Turnabout is fair play.”
Gladstone smiled. “I like the sound of that,” he said. “When will this all happen? How will I know?”
“Declare these fools enemies of the state now and seize their property throughout your empire,” Black said. “When they find soldiers guarding what once belonged to them, they’ll be forced to come to you about it. After all, every mortal has to have a place to live.”
Gladstone nodded as he moved over to the driver’s side of the motorcar’s bench seat. “Very well,” he said. “And I thank you for your consideration. I’m sure you know to call upon me, should you require any favor.”
Black nodded. “I’m glad to see that we understand one another.”
The motorcar sputtered a moment and then drove on toward Westminster. Black simply vanished. London carried on unaware.
Locusts
I walked the bank of the swamp cautiously, enduring the intense heat and humidity, swarms of mosquitoes and the leering of hungry crocodilians from the water’s edge. Always, I hoped to see the swamp thin out and reveal the next place I should go, but it only became darker and the undergrowth thicker.
Carrying on slowly, I soon realized that the sounds of living things, which had been superfluous before, had died away without my being aware. I had left the crocodiles and swarms of biting insects. There were no snakes slinking through the reeds and tall grasses now. The sudden silence eerily reminded me of a pond full of mating frogs that stop croaking when someone comes near.
I paused at the edge of a flooded field of short grass. A predatory cat of some kind—perhaps a cougar—was standing very still ahead. The cat was not looking at me, but did seem to be waiting for something.
Out of cover, the cat and the deer both noticed me. Yet, they still did not flee. An odd situation. I studied them. They seemed to know something that I did not.
The doe panicked suddenly. However, the cougar had not moved. The doe ran like it was being chased. The cougar appeared to be seriously considering how it might get out of this field, but it wasn’t moving yet. It did not take off after the deer.
Mesmerized by the scene ahead, I had not noticed the ankle deep water bubbling around me. In fact, now that I paid more attention, I saw that the entire field was gurgling. The cat didn’t like this. The deer had stopped, turned and come back the other way, unsure which direction might lead to safety. I just couldn’t figure out what it wanted to be safe from.
It was running in the general direction of the cougar, yet this predator was no longer interested in the prey it had followed into this field. Both animals panicked now, running past one another in opposite directions. I stayed where I was, still trying to discern what had caused this fear in them.
Something bit me then.
I looked down at my left leg to find a grasshopper—no, it was a locust. It was one of the strangest looking insects I had ever seen. It had sharp teeth cutting through my trousers and into my leg. I snatched it off of my leg by its abdomen. Examining it closer, I found it had features that gave it the appearance of a human face. Long antennae grew from its head like a woman’s hair, and the keratin exoskeleton was thickly plated. I couldn’t squish it between my fingers.
It flopped about and managed to bite me again. I slung it away immediately, but it came back at me. I hit it with a flame from my outstretched hand, causing it to burst and scatter orange mucus from its innards. Some of it landed on my skin, producing a painful, raised welt almost instantly.
I heard splashing across the field. Many more locusts were coming out of the water. They swarmed the deer. It was bleeding from hundreds of wounds all over its body. It tried to stand, but flopped into the water, splashing and thrashing to be rid of its attackers.
On the other side of the field, the cougar screamed out, leaping back and forth, trying to evade the swarm surrounding it. Despite its best efforts, the locusts latched onto the predator, making it their prey. Strength, cunning and speed did nothing to help the cat. It splashed down helplessly into the shallow water, just like the deer on the other side of the field, half consumed by ravenous insects already.
More locusts emerged from the bubbling water all around me. No wonder the animals weren’t making any noise in this area of the swamp. There were no other animals in this part of the swamp. Apparently they all knew better. Even the deer and the cat had attempted to remain still, hoping not to disturb these ravenous creatures.
However, now that the locusts were aware, there was no way to remain still. Even that would not have helped now. I ran across the field, trying to flee the swarm that was already hot on my trail. But there was no chance of outrunning them. I had to stop and fight.
Desperately I raised my extension shield. For a moment, this seemed to be effective. I stood still as more and more came to rest upon the bubble of energy keeping them away from me. However, as the locusts came to rest on my extension, they vibrated their bodies. In seconds, the little beasts were erupting all around me.
My extension bubble was being covered in the same orange mucus that had hit my skin. My strength began to leech away through the extension. Under attack from the acid bathing it—the acid exploding out of the locust bodies—my extension required more and more power to maintain itself. My life ebbed as power trying to regenerate the shield.
I grew weaker by the second. If this kept up, I would lose my extension and be as weak as a kitten when it fell. I had to change my tactics immediately, or I was going to die.
Locusts had completely covered my extension in seconds. Only pinpricks of light were able to filter through the confused mass of locusts and acidic mucus. I could only imagine that the doe and cougar must have been stripped to bare bones by now.
Quick thinking was necessary. Otherwise, I would be joining them in their horrifying fates. And being eaten alive by thousands of tiny mouths full of razor sharp teeth was not my idea of a good way to die.
I rapidly expanded the extension before letting it go completely. I had to have some room to maneuver. The locusts were thrown away, but quickly regrouped, coming at me from all sides.
Fire blasted away from my hands at the deadly insects, scorching them and bursting their bodies. I waved my arms around throwing flames in every direction. Still, they came at me, relentlessly trying to get past my defense.
Several managed to attach themselves, biting me through my clothing. I swatted them away as necessary and kept up fiery attack. However, even more locusts were coming now, erupting through the shallow water covering the field. All of this commotion was somehow setting them off.
I burned through most, even catching them far enough away to prevent their acidic blood from splattering my skin. But still, some of it got through. Painful welts rose all over my body, as droplets found me despite my best efforts.
Running across the field now, I turned every which way, trying not to stumble. My inferno was sapping my strength, though not as much as most attacks I might use. One attribute I had inherited from Southresh was the ability to manipulate fire in various forms. It came more naturally to me than others methods of fighting.
The closer I came to the tree line ahead, at the other side of the field, the more locusts came for me. I was in so much pain by now, from the welts all over my body, that I thought I might fall down in the water and simply accept my death. But I had to get to the children. Only my need to save them kept me going now.
All I knew to do was keep running for the trees. It wouldn’t do me any good, but somehow it seemed safer than remaining out in the open. Fire ushered forth from my hands the entire way. The intermittent bites continued, as well as the mounting pain from sprayed acid.
I maintained this dizzying vigil until I noticed the change in sounds around me. The thrum of beating locust wings had subsided. But in its place was the crackle of burning wood. I peered around through swollen eyelids not quite all the way shut. Several trees were on fire around me. The smell of wood smoke had replaced the pungent scent of dank water and decay.
To my amazement, the locusts had not followed me into the trees. Even now, the remaining swarm was headed back to their wet field. What boundary I had crossed, or special appeal the wetland held for them I had no idea. I was just thankful to be rid of them.
I examined myself briefly. My hands had remained relatively safe because of their fiery emanations. Everywhere else had been hit sporadically by the acidic blood of the locusts. Pain coursed through my body as a result of the welts. Pausing this long made me feel like I might collapse before I ever got moving again.
The children had to be close now. At least, I hoped they were close. Clearly they had not reached the dragon. Had it been slain already and the cherubim released, something cataclysmic should have happened. That meant I still had time to prevent such a thing from happening.
Serpentine
Just as Cole and Sadie had thought, the horses of fire had deferred from following them into the swamp water. Despite all of the frightening creatures and obstacles, the Underworld seemed to run according to some preconceived plan. Boundaries, both natural and unnatural, had been established and these abominations did not disregard them for anything.
Cole had kept his eye on a distant hill shrouded by mist that wasn’t quite big enough to be called a proper mountain. The swamp was sparse, barely a swamp at all. It was as if the previous land, with its elemental warping animals, had merged here with another truly swampy land. They might be passing through the overlap right now.
; “Are you sure this is the right direction, Cole?” Sadie asked for the fourth time.
“That hill is the most prominent feature on the landscape,” he reasoned. “Surely it must be our destination. There might be an entrance to the dragon’s lair.”
They continued until the wetland gave way to a barren plain with only the lone hill remaining to break up the monotony of an ever extending horizon. Emerald colored moss grew in places, completely covering the hill and several smaller mounds nearby. Even after the mists had parted to give them a better view, Cole still could not see any entrance that might convey them further toward the dragon Ishbe had told him about.
“Now what?” Sadie said, looking around for any sign of where they should go from here.
“I don’t understand,” Cole replied. “There must be something to indicate the dragon’s location.”
A terrible earthquake shook the ground. Cole and Sadie cried out as the earth beneath them suddenly shifted, violently throwing them down. Pebbles danced upon the ground.
“What’s happening?” Sadie shouted over the din.
Cole shook his head. The ground shifted again and then split open. Seams widened steadily in a pattern radiating away from the tall moss covered hill.
To Cole’s horror, he saw now that the hill was rising. As it came out of the ground, great hunks of earth were thrown away from it, bouncing and smashing into one another. Clouds above parted as air was displaced quickly. Lightning connected between the hill and sky. The children ran for their lives, trying to escape the conflagration.
I heard the roll of thunder before anything else. Nearing the edge of the swamp I could now see hundreds of yards ahead as something erupted from the barren plain. Great mounds of earth were thrown up. Lightning struck repeatedly as static charges built up and released in the atmosphere.
It was the dragon. I knew it immediately. What else could it be? And it was absolutely enormous—a terrifying sight to behold—as big as our palace back in Tidus. Someone had awakened it, and I believed I knew who that was.