Chapter 7
We wait till the room has cleared before leaving. We all walk as a group to the tram station. I hang toward the back as we walk, watching everyone in the group and around us. Something seems a little off to me too many eyes on us instead of the shops and things around us.
My Percom vibrates I quickly look down and stop walking.
Daio Can Not See You! -P-
I look up to see Ursor looking at me. I nod my head off to the side toward a map kiosk that the group is passing. He nods and slowly alters his course as I walk toward it. Standing in front of it I Ursor walks up to me and looks at me questioningly.
Tapping my Percom to the kiosk I say “Daio I am a little lost where am I?”
“Commander Dinester I am having trouble finding you can you give me any points of reference that might help me locate your whereabouts?” Daio responds. Ursor’s eyes widen and he starts looking around.
I respond with “Daio I am currently in front of Alpha312 at the map kiosk. Widen your scans to Alpha3 and record all.”
Turning to Ursor I nod to the group who had moved ahead of us. We start walking when Ursor says. “What is going on?”
I discreetly nod to a few groups around us. “Every low level AE User and Human in a few block radius have disappeared or more like fled. All of the people around us are trying to discreetly watch us waiting for some sign. I can’t tell if it is us they are looking at or the Headmaster or worse his grand-daughter. We need to be ready Kezaban and the Headmaster both have pick up on the fact something is off. But knowing the Headmaster he is going to let us handle this.”
Ursor snickers and I see the Headmasters subtle nod of his head letting me know he heard our conversation. “I will head up to Kezaban and keep an eye on the front. I will have Kezaban to cover the sides. While you bring up the rear.”
Nodding to him I spot something ahead and say “Too late get up there now. You and Kezaban worry about the front I got the rest.” In front of us there are 2 Junior DiCe members standing with a group of Strong AE Users from the feel of them.
Ursor gets to the front just in time as the DiCe group starts moving to our group. I feel powers releasing all around us. I look around me and see a ten people walking toward me. Though everyone else seems to be watching with smiles on their faces. I take off my jacket and walk over to the Headmaster. “Keep the Ladies here and hold this for me.” I say as I hand it to him.
Turning around I walk toward the group and say “Who is up first?”
I feel a wind user coming in from my left fast. He hits me hard and I feel the impact as I hit a wall. Looking around I see he had a decent hit I had flown through a glass window across the square and hit the wall pretty good. I see the group closing in on the Headmaster. I release the hold on my powers till I am at the Headmasters level. I let my AE out more. Watching my hands grow into claws the Darkness spreads up my arms. I feel my horns making their appearance. And shake my shoulder releasing my wings. I see the Headmasters head snap to look at me the fighting in the groups seem to stop as I step out of the building looking down I realize my boots have fallen apart as my feet have taken on a more clawed appearance.
I mutter to myself about losing another set of shoes. I stand straight stretching my neck and arms. I take a deep breath and pull my energy into my furnace and ignite it. I open my mouth, my jaw opening wider than normally. My teeth growing in size. I let out a roar aiming it to the sky and release the fire in me. The Abyssal Black Fire races skyward growing as if feeding on the sunlight. Dark clouds start to populate the sky blocking out the sun. I grin and step pushing off with my strength. My wings stretch out catching the wind just right to pick my feet up off the ground. Carrying me the distance almost instantly. My flight stops as I use the speed and strength to punch the Wind AE User who had hit me. He disappears from sight leaving a dust trail and a boom as he slams through a wall.
Something slams into my back knocking me down before a couple people jump on my back. They proceed to pummel on my back pinning me to the ground. I growl and notice one of them is using earth energy to fortify himself. I inhale sucking in the earth energy. Letting it mix with the fire in my furnace. I work my feet under me and push off tossing the people off me. I slow down time as I rush to my group. I grab Ursor and Kezaban and move them into the center of the group and resume time. Then I start to exhale the Abyssal flames in a circle around the group. The Flames come out slow and sluggish covered in a Deep Earth Brown. As the flame lands on the ground it grows creating a solid wall of Abyssal Black Opaque Crystals. As I finish the circle it merges together and creates a dome around us.
I kneel and shiver as the ripples down my body. I feel all the damage realizing that most of it is all minor bruises I ask “Don’t they know how to hit someone properly.”
Drawing my AE Powers back down I shake my hands, and feet as the wings and claws turn to darkness and fade away. Headmaster Teldona is looking me over as everyone else just looks around stunned. Ursor asks “How long will the crystal hold up to their attacks?”
I run a hand along the crystal and find the indent on it. It will hold until I have had enough time to recover then I do this.” I flick the indent with my finger the crystal shatters but instead of falling to the ground the crystal floats for a second before exploding outward. All of the people around us take a couple slivers each and are thrown back. “It isn’t a stop all a good AE user might realize what is going on a brush the slivers off them in time but usually you end up with this.” I motion around us as there are cries from the people who fought us. The crystals slivers are growing encasing them in crystal. “The crystal will grow until they are encased in it up to their neck. I usually try not to kill so I temper all my spells to be non-lethal though there are some causalities.” I motion off in the direction I had punched the guy.
Looking around I notice the rest of the people who were watching are gone. The Headmaster asks “What if they use their Powers?”
I nod and respond “It makes the crystals grow quicker. Once they are done growing you have to remove the crystals with Negal Stone. I will catch up with everyone in a little bit I need to go find some shoes”
I walk off I notice a few of the looks I am getting from all of the group. Ar’Isa is looking at me with confusion and determination. Cyria has a look of perplexing adoration, and fighting inside herself not to run after me. The Headmaster is still examining me. Ursor is intrigued. Kezaban is too busy studying the crystals on the enemies. So I continue walking leaving them and the crystal covered people in the square.
My Percom vibrates after I am out of sight.
Blackout is lifted I am still working on it -P-
Frowning I continue walking looking for a shoe store.
Chapter 8
After walking a couple blocks I find a shoe store and walk in. Looking around I find a pair of boots that look good. Sitting down to try them on I feel a presence behind me, a high level MAE User. I start to slip the boots on and say “Are you a lackey or a boss?”
I hear a feminine giggle “You are a surprise wrapped in an enigma deep fried in a conspiracy. We find it quite surprising that no one seems to know anything about you and the monks on that tiny island would have rather died then talk about you. We were rather surprised by that but enough talk of that. I am a …. Commander to my General one of four. I was sent to deliver a message. Stay out of our way or a lot more people will be hurt than those you have already lost let this be a warning.” I feel her turning to leave.
“So the monks are dead?” My anger starts boiling I can feel my furnace ignite.
“From what I have been told deader than a doornail and a few even fought I heard it was quite an exquisite fight and delicious torture afterwards. Let it be a …” I lose control of my anger and am in front of her in a heartbeat. I see her eyes widen in surprise as I grab her by her throat. Squeezing I raise her off the ground before slamming her into a wall.
“You will return crawling to your “General” and you will pass on this message he messed with the wrong person. I will be coming for him personally. I will go through each and everyone one of his lackeys. I will bring his “Army” to the ground. You will tell him this and then run in fear because now I know your face and I will scour the world to find you. Then you will know true terror.” I growl at her and throw her through the glass window and out into the street.
She coughs and stands. “You think you can threaten me?” I feel her release her Presence and power.
I pick up the boots and set them on the counter. Looking at the cashier I say “Please hold these for me I will be right back.” I step out ignoring the glass as I step into the middle of the street and tap my Percom before saying “Daio, DiCe Authorization, Commander Dinester, notify all Di’Ce members in Alpha3 that there is a minor disturbance between DiCe Commander Dinester and Suspicious Female MAE User Back up is not required.
Daio Responds with “Acknowledged Commander Dinester, I see you and am monitoring you.”
I look at the female and watch as she finishes transforming she is a Slyph MAE user. Her thin gossamer wings start flapping very quickly as she launches into the air. I shake my head and release my power level so I match her. I shake my body feeling my wings manifest and the claws return. I spread the Black Abyssal wings wide and crouch down lifting my wings up. I push off and down thrust my wings I am gone from her sight. I appear in the air above her and watch as she looks around for me letting my anger fuel my flames. Looking at my black clawed hand I breathe the fire out onto my hand. And smile as she turns around looking at me I retract my wings and fall at her she quickly starts to run away from me. Her green gossamer wings keeping her barely in front of me. I widen my wings then quickly narrow them, letting them catch the airflow off her wings. Overtaking her I watch as she dives and stops herself. As I turn around I watch and growl. She grabs the air around her and forms them up into spears. She throws them at me I pull my wings in and roll diving at her. The spears nick my wings and break or bounce off. As I get close she decides to start running again but it is too late, I am too close. With the fire on my hand I reach out and rip her right wing clean off her body. She Scream in pain and fear as she falls plummeting to the ground like a meteor. I fly after her.
She impacts on the ground crumbling the street under her. I land on the edge of her crater and walk into the crater she is crying in agony trying to cover the torn skin where her wing was. I know it will take time to regrow. I smile evilly placing my foot I roll her over onto her stomach and hold her down with my foot and reach down I wrap my fire bound hand around her last wing. Ripping it off I smile at her scream. “You asked who am I to threaten you? My name is Heath Mortimer Dinester, and I am Death.” I release a deep rumbling roar at her. “Now crawl back to your General and deliver my message then run far and fast for after today I will be on you nipping at your heels.” I laugh deeply as I turn around and walk out of the crater. The wings and claws dissipate as I walk away.
Returning to the store I pay for the boots. I start to put them on when I feel someone next to me. Annaliese sits and says “Is it wise to let her go?” Looking at her I nod
Quietly I say “How much do you know?”
She looks away from me and says “I put two and two together and came up with six I didn’t know who to trust in the DiCe. But now I realize I was foolish and should have brought it up to Ursor. I haven’t said anything to Kez. He is a little too talkative and a very hot head when it comes to things like this. He would not be quiet about investigating things like this. Who else knows?”
I shake my head “Kez huh? Ursor knows he brought me in on it. The Headmaster knows as do some of the administration. They noticed it first and brought Ursor in on it because the Old Senior Commander was questionable I guess. This year hasn’t started and there are already incidences. Ursor and I have talked about it we were going to bring Kezaban in on it too.”
She nods and asks “What about Commander Flesot?”
I quickly shake my head and say “him and his brother are both acting … wrong too many times they have more … important meetings. They have dropped off the grid too many times?”
“Dropped off the grid?” she looks confused
I look at her then around us. “Someone is manipulating the information. There are times that Daio can’t see or hear areas. Blackouts which shouldn’t be possible. She started to notice that call in weren’t matching the information she was receiving.”
“That I didn’t know. Might explain a few things. So what are we going to do about it?” She looks at me.
“We are working on it. Give us some time until we figure it out we have to move quiet and stalk our prey. Come on lets go to lunch.” I stand and start walking as she joins me heading back to the group.