Intertwined Fates 24: Fight

"I have a fixed location on all the energy signatures. They are all grouped in this mansion," said Anton showing Michael the map of the city.

"Joseph! Get ready to go. We have a location," called out Michael.

"Sure, give me a few minutes and we will be ready to go," said Joseph.

"What are the energy signatures from?" asked Michael.

"They are life force signatures. They did cast very black magic. It's a banishment spell, only they have the requirement of so much life energy, so whatever it was it was big," said Anton.

"Ready to go," said Joseph carrying his helmet under one arm and carrying his shining sword in the other.

"Good, I'll stay here and keep a watch on things. Bring back Markus alive Joseph," said Michael.

"I will, look forward to this. It's been too long," said Joseph placing his helmet on and taking a swing with his sword.

***

"What did you find Christopher?" asked Joseph

"They have two guards walking around the perimeter and another whose energy readings match what Anton said is one of the targets," said Christopher.

"Let's go get Markus," smirked Joseph.

***

"It's those shadows again," said James

"Aaron should be back soon," said Gloria. Gloria turned her head to the fence line for a moment then she heard James' sharp cry of pain she turned and saw a large tall muscular man thrusting his sword deep inside his chest. James quickly cindered and the hulking vampire moved towards her with feline grace, she screamed as a ball shaped object flew through the window and shattered it before emitting a bright flash, it being the last thing she saw as the hulk shoved his sword through her chest.

***

"What the hell happened here?" asked Joy as she surveyed the broken glass and dark piles of ash.

"Aaron! Jake! You guys around?" called out Carl. "Got no idea, Joy, something bad though."

"This way guys, Laura is in the library," said Aaron as he approached them, blood leaking out his slashed shoulder.

"What happened Laura?" asked Carl as he saw Cindy tending to the bleeding gashes Jake had suffered.

"The queen's guard, the Sabre, found us here. Apparently their chief sorcerer found our location by tracking our life energy that we used in closing the rift and banishing the demons. they thought we were Miranda's people," said Laura.

"Something they assumed wrong, didn't they?" said an ancient voice from the doorway.

"Who are you?" asked Carl.

"I'm Shiva, the Queen's seer," said Shiva.

"Aaron, that is the woman I told you of," said Laura.

"I see lots of things and you, Aaron, are going to be a great warrior. You already have the mark of a warrior," said Shiva commenting on the curved scar now on his face.

Before Aaron could respond she turned to Jake and said "You will have many challenges ahead of you. Be strong or they will destroy you," turning to Carl before Jake could respond to that. She said, "Your journey has already begun. The reason for my visit here is to pass on the knowledge of the next stage of your journey."

Shiva stepped closer to Carl and placed her hand on his neck and said, "I need your hand, Joy." after taking hold of Joy's hand she closed her eyes and a shock ran through Joy and Carl as their bodies stiffened.

***

"This is what I need to show you. It's much easier to do it this way then to explain it," said Shiva. Standing outside a dark forest next to Carl and Joy, who were both looking around, she smiles sadly at them.

"You both need to find this forest. You may take companions with you. They can possibly help you," said Shiva then the landscape melted away and changed to the center of the dark forest in front of a cave like entrance dug into the ground.

"This is where the most ancient sorcerer in Europe lives. He will help you with what you need. You must seek him out he is your destiny." After leaving an imprint of what the sorcerer looks like into their minds, the landscape melted away to nothingness.

***

Carl and Joy's eyes blinked open as Shiva released them.

"Are you alright guys?" asked Laura.

"Yeah, we're fine," said Joy.

"There is one more thing I must tell you however. If the vampires of the court are to accept you, you must hold to the traditional values. Ranged weapons are seen as highly cowardly and dishonourable, so I would suggest that you train your melee weapon skills," said Shiva. "I must leave you now, you will all find your way."

"Well that was certainly interesting," said Kally from the corner of the room,

"Yeah, it was. Are you ok, Kally?" asked Joy.

"I'll be fine; just a little shaken," said Kally.

"Well, Shiva would be speaking truth because I did find references of a powerful sorcerer living in a dark forest somewhere in Europe," said Laura.

"So we really are looking for a Merlin?" asked Carl.

"It would seem that way," said Laura.

"Wait how did you know that, Laura? We didn't say anything," asked Joy.

Laura blinked and said "I don't know. I had a flash of some old wizened guy living in a dark cave in some dark forest."

***

"Markus, what do you wish done about Miranda?" asked Alexei

"I don't know, Alex, but something does need to be done. She's tried to poison you all against me. Gregor came to tell me about Miranda's treachery, how she killed Peter and Igor and he only just managed to escape from her," said Markus.

"Well then we need to put her down. She's a danger to us," said Alexei.

"Something more then death needs to be done to her," said Markus.

***

"Is everything set my love?" asked Miranda.

"Yes. Markus fell into to the trap so predictably," smirked Gregor.

"Where is Alexei?" asked Miranda.

"He is in with Markus now, trying to 'convince' him to kill you," said Gregor.

"Good, let's give him a few more minutes before we make our entrance," said Miranda.

***

"If that's all, Alex, I'll figure out what to do from here," said Markus.

"Yes sir," said Alexei.

Then the door opened and Gregor walked in with Miranda. Markus smiled with glee and said "You found her Gregor?"

"Yeah, cowering away," said Gregor smirking.

"Well now, Miranda, I offered you everything and yet you go behind my back and betrayed me and try and poison my friends against me," cursed Markus.

"Let's see, Markus, shall we? Peter was a threat to me. He was quite suspicious of what I had been doing but not suspicious enough it was too late. Then...I killed him," said Miranda simply. "And Igor was a power mad lunatic. He was going to betray you anyway."

"And I killed him, not Miranda. He threatened our plans," growled Gregor. Markus' eyes widened in shock at the betrayal at the news.

"Why Gregor?" asked Markus.

"You're too weak and too vain to lead anything," said Gregor, Markus thinking that Gregor was still a lowly vampire threw a bolt of psychic energy at him expecting Gregor to drop to the floor in agony. That is not what happened, instead Markus felt his attack being repelled by a kinetic shield Gregor threw up.

"I have new powers. I don't have suffer simpering fools any longer," sneered Gregor as he launched his own blast of energy. Markus gasped in pain as the net of energy wrapped around him tightly, keeping him locked into place.

"That's right, Markus, it's been a week since Gregor has been getting support for Miranda. Nobody trusts you anymore they all think your weak," said Alexei. "And also getting your people's names right is essential to trust. It's Alexei, you've never gotten that right!"

"Now its time for me to say everything I've been wanting to Markus," said Miranda as Markus struggled against the power web Gregor had him locked in. "I had always been ambitious. It was a great opportunity when you approached me that night. I started working on all those plans and I started getting real feelings for Carl once I had married him."

"If you had not been so greedy for money it would have all worked out fine, but the prophecy that the Queen's seer saw is coming true. It would have worked the way we wanted to if it had not been for your greed. Carl is very meticulous, so he easily found the trail and then divorced me a week before I was going to tell him about everything. But then again you were never part of my plan, I was going to give Carl half of the energy and keep the other half, then dispose of you," sneered Miranda.

"However you just simply handed me a back-up plan when you introduced me to Gregor," said Miranda placing a hand on his shoulder.

"After the injuries that Aaron's betrayal gave me, you started to pull away from me, not wanting to be near me and instead just assigned Peter, Igor and Gregor to me. Igor was very easy. It was plain to see that Igor was very power hungry and he was just looking for the right time to strike. A little too power hungry for my tastes however. I needed somebody strong, loyal and dependable. That was all of Gregor's best qualities," said Miranda looking into his eyes.

"I had to remove Peter because he was becoming really suspicious of our activities and I knew that he would have told you, so he needed to go. He didn't abandon you like you thought. I killed him," said Miranda. "I knew that Igor most possibly intentionally got me to open the rift. Quite ingenious switching the spells over actually. I wouldn't have known the difference as I haven't had over 200 years of magical experience. I think it was his intent all along to gather the energy from the spell. He only came undone when he let Gregor in on his plan. Gregor then told me about it."

"After the ritual, which we gained all our new power, was when I disposed of Igor. The demons knew what he was up to but we had the spell more properly hidden," said Gregor putting his hand on her shoulder.

"And why chose Gregor over you? Very simple answer there, Markus. You neglected me. I thought you actually loved me, but you loved the power I could have brought you more. You are so vain, Gregor is different though. He still finds me beautiful with all these scars on my face, even though it won't be the Queen we are going to be ruling over. We will be ruling our own family together," said Miranda.

Markus struggled vainly against Gregor's power web as Gregor handed her a silver dagger. "Now I know this will not kill you yet. I've decided to give you time to think over how wrong you were, what you did to me. This dagger will serve its purpose quite nicely," said Miranda approaching Markus' vainly struggling form.

Miranda slammed the dagger through the middle of his chest, his eyes blazed wide as the shock of the impact registered. "Being immune to silver poisoning doesn't make you immune to the burn of silver. Think of how you lost everything you could have gained,"

When Gregor let the power web loose, Markus let out a loud yell of pain as smoke rose from his chest.

"Coming, Alexei?" asked Miranda.

"Yes, I'll be right out," smirked Alexei.

"Now we have to figure out what we are going to do about Queen Regina," said Gregor.

"Why don't we leave the old hag to Carl and Joy to deal with?" asked Miranda.

"That would be a good idea. Then we can move in," said Gregor.