Chapter Nine Segment

A few minutes later, the group had made their way down the dimly lit hallway and to a room that looked well-lit. Regal had a bad feeling about the situation. It seemed that this entire "mission" was a little too easy. And now this room...The museum was more vacant than a covert military facility was supposed to be. What could possibly be waiting for them in this room that stuck out so much more from the others?

As they approached the mysterious room, the group traded worried glances with one another and said nothing for fear of alerting someone inside. Regal held up a hand, beckoning the group to stop just short of the entryway. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Shields that only someone with magical training could see covered the bodies of the group. To all but Alice and Regal it would appear that nothing had happened. But they saw the blue aura, in its dim magical glow, covering each person like a second skin. Blue auras were characteristic of the Inner Circle magic that Regal was so adeptly trained in. Since Regal's power came from within and he would need to conserve energy for other spells, the shields would guard against surprising blows but only for so long.

"Good idea," Alice said, understanding what had just occured.

The others stared at them looking completely puzzled.

"I put shields on all of you," Regal whispered. "If someone strikes them enough they will break, but they'll save you from a blow you don't see."

"Well aren't you a big old bag of tricks," Xavier said dryly.

"Shhh! Cut the chatter!" Hawk said, taking up a position next to the opening of the room.

When everyone else settled into position, they took a collective deep breath and rushed the room. Much to their surprise, the room was empty. Or almost empty. Floating in a field of light flowing out of a pedestal in the middle of the room was a triangular and metallic object with odd writings inscribed on it.

"No touching until we figure out if it's a trap or not," Hawk said after several moments of silence.

Regal approached the artefact. "I'm just going to look at it," he assured them.

A few minutes passed and Hawk had finished checking the room. Regal was still studying the artefact, confounded by the old dialect on the triangle. The old...Zealonian dialect?

"We've got a problem," Regal said, turning towards the group. "The artefact...These markings...They're distinctly Zealonian!"

"How's that possible?" Tanner asked, his eyes betraying both fear and awe, but Regal had no answer to give him.

Finally, Alice approached the pedestal. "There are no traps?" she asked.

"None that I can detect," Hawk stated blandly.

"Nor I," Xavier said in his smug tone.

"No one asked you, pirate," Hawk countered in a voice gushing with contempt. Why did these two dislike each other so much? They had just met minutes ago.

"Well," Alice began, reaching for the artefact. "We might as well take it and figure it out later!" Before anyone could protest or stop her, she grasped the artefact. As soon as she touched it, it began to glow a faint green. Not a magical glow, Regal decided, noting that everyone else seemed to see it as well, but actual light.

A few moments later, black smoke began to fill an area to the side of Alice. As the smoke began to take a human form, Regal sensed a red aura. Red could mean only one thing: Outer Circle magic. But how? Why here of all places? The others wouldn't be able to sense it in the same fashion he did. Even Alice would not be able to see this particular aura. It was only because Regal ahad studied this type of magic in Zeal that he was able to identify it now. Unfortunately, he would have the discomfort of being the only one who would know how terrified they all should be.

The black smoke materialized into the shape of an old man who, with his smokey body, barely had any discernible features.

Suddenly, the smoke began to speak. "I suppose I should thank you," it said in a voice filled with darkness. "I never could activate it on my own after all."

"That voice..." Tanner said, fear causing his voice to crack.

"Hawk nodded. "The emperor."

"Isn't that a little formal?" the smoke asked. "I mean, I know all about you so you should at least call me by my first name."

"Which is?" Alice asked in a shakey voice.

"Vext," the smoke replied. "You've all been of great use to me and I thank you for it. I could not have activated this artefact without your help. Hawk, the lightning fast freedom fighter. Xavier, the enigmatic and dangerous pirate. Tanner, a filthy street urchin. Regal, the talented mage and archaeologist. And even little Alice, who's part in this play is far from over with. I'm going to take what's mine and kill you! But don't worry, Alice, you can stay alive a little while longer. After all, I still have a use for you."

Without further warning, the smoke raised its hand and pointed it at Hawk. Soon after, she flew backwards. Vext huffed out a sigh and then laughed maniacally.

"Shields!" he screamed. "And high-level ones too! She would be dead right now if not for you, Regal! I wonder if you've kept any power to yourself. I daresay you might need it. And with her speed consumed, I think she might need all the protection you can give her!"

"Speed...out?" Tanner asked hesitantly.

"You don't know her secret?" Vext asked. "Her speed is powered by a mobile unit. She can only use so much so often and she drained it taking care of my cameras in the lobby."

"How do you know so much?" Xavier asked. It was the first time one of their group seemed to be collected since Vext had appeared. Until now, they had been stunned and silent. Even Regal. If they survived this, he would have to figure out how Xavier could appear so calm in the face of such great danger.

"Why tell someone who's going to die?" Vext asked in an amused tone. Regal decided to use the time the two were spending in conversation to prepare and hopefully cast a powerful spell. If he managed to complete it, he supposed he could immobilize Vext, but it was untested and he had no idea what the real result would be - especially if it collided with Vext's Outer Circle magic. From the ancient texts Regal had scoured through back home, he figured that Outer and Inner Circle magic could not be combined and could meet with devastating results.

"Maybe I've got an ace up my sleeve. Maybe you're so sure that you'll win that you'll humor me," Xavier continued.

It needs more time!

Xavier pressed on, "What did you mean when you said that Alice's part in this wasn't over?"

Still more time!

"You think that I would tell you?" Vext asked. "I've come too far and sacrificed too much to risk compromising anything! No, Xavier. I will not tell you. The time for talk is over. Now you die!"

Finished!

Just as Vext raised both hands, trying to finish off Xavier with some powerful spell, Regal channeled his spell through his hands and towards Vext's. There was a blinding white light and then it subsided. For a while afterwards, Regal couldn't see, hear, or sense anything. Finally, he snapped out of it and saw...Trees?