Johnathon watched as Lana fingered the tree shaped pendant, he was still in a bad mood, he thought he and Tyrome were finally even. Here the ass had given them protection for their child; Johnathon knew that Tyrome had more also. He was never going to be able to pay him back at this rate, not concentrating once again; Johnathon started blowing the hell out of everything that was placed in front of him.
Growling he looked back at Lana, “Lana hon?” He finally said to her.
“What’s wrong Johnathon?” She asked completely unaware of the fits he was having, looking at the pendant that she was cradling so lovingly.
“Hon if you could, please put that away? It reminds me of how much of a failure I am to my friend.” Johnathon said. This was a shock to her, hearing Tyrome tell it, he owed Johnathon and would never be able to pay him back. Shaking her head she wondered how the men ever got very far with so many misunderstandings.
Placing the pendant inside her shirt tucked safely between her breasts she heard Johnathon sigh in relief. “I’m sorry my love,” she started, “I was just absently holding it thinking of our child and how wonderful it is we are finally together.”
Nodding Johnathon walked over to her and passionately kissed her surprising not only her but Johnathon also.
“After all the centuries of separation and the misunderstandings, I am more than happy to try and make up for it.”
Lana leaned into his kiss, “Ummmm if it keeps changes such as this in you, than I am more than happy to remind you every day how much I love you!” Lana said with a broad smile.
Tom just shook his head at this rate Johnathon wouldn’t be to concentrate at all.
Sighing Johnathon kissed Lana one more time then went back to work, it was a lot harder to control then he’d thought though after yesterday it did seem that he did have a bit of control.
A pair of eyes watched the proceedings as Tom and Johnathon practiced, ‘I have to inform the council,’ the eyes owner thought. ‘If they keep this up then Johnathon will ascend to the position that his father hOldS, this can’t happen if the council was to ever get out from under the foot of the Timmings.’ Flashing out the spy didn’t see Ben Timmings watching from further back, ‘So, Ben thought, ‘they have taken to spying on the keep.’ Flashing in near Tom, Ben motioned him close so he could let Tom know what he’d just seen.
“Ben?” Tom said when he saw his uncle, “I take it your being here means that something new has developed?” Nodding, Ben told Tom of the spy that he’d seen watching their keep; he also informed Tom that the council hadn’t been too pleased that Ben had sent young Tyrome on ahead to the enforcer school removing him from active duty as a bounty hunter.
“I tell you I caught more than an earful about that for several hours, I watched them all as you told me; it seems that the most boisterous are a certain three mages. I am sure you are familiar with their names. Clondus, Torbert, and no surprise, Alaze Odium.”
This last had Tom hissing then growling, that bastard had been after Evelyn when they were younger and still wanted her even 800 years later.
As quiet as he could Tom told Ben, “I should have killed that bastard when we dueled instead of taking his arm!”
Ben looked at Tom with shock he’d never heard Tom voice displeasure this strongly before maybe this was a good thing after all for ALL concerned. “We need to make plans as of right now, if I know that ass the way I do he’s already got something in the works to destroy Johnathon. This will not happen I will kill that bastard long before he even gets close to Johnathon.”
Ben could only stare at his nephew this was most refreshing hearing Tom speak as emotionally as he was.
“I want you to keep eyes on the spy or spies as I am sure they will send more than one. It appears that I may have to move up the time table and confront the bastard in open chambers.” Tom told Ben.
“Tom!” Ben cried, “That’s what they probably want you to do!” Ben cried.
Tom smiled a half smirk looking at his uncle, “That may be but remember it was my father, your brother that wrote well over half the council rules. Also remember that I helped to write a few of them as well after father was killed. I am more than acquainted with all the rules, I still have a trump card I can play if worse comes to worse.”
Ben nodded he had to admit Tom was always trying to think ahead a lot further than he was. Tom nodded then flashed out appearing in the council chambers; going over everything he was sure he had them all if they didn’t agree to his terms. Within moments all of the members appeared, though a little upset none were as upset as Odium and Clondus.
“I have called an emergency meeting of the council to put to rest all the wild rumors that have been circulating.” Tom started.
“Yes as would I,” a sour faced and most unpleasant sounding Odium, “under Magic law 5000, I ask for the execution of Johnathon Timmings.” So the bastard had read the book after all.
“Magic law 5000? I am unfamiliar with that one.” A younger council member stated.
Waving his hand Tom Timmings made the large book appear again and started to read. “It is hereby the decision of the council that the unskilled and wanton use of wild magic is outlawed. The said use of wild magic will be punishable by death, the execution to take place immediately under the watchful eyes of a sub-council male member of the Timmings family.” There were several gasps as each realized that Tom Timmings had the ultimate say in almost all they did.
Tom looked at Odium who wore a sick and twisted look of delight on his face at the thought of the death of Tom’s son. Tom just started to smile and looked directly at Odium, “So you really want to go that way huh?” Tom asked, when Odium’s face gained a sick and wicked smile, Tom just smiled back with the same intensity.
“As many of you know my father and grandfather wrote well over 75% of the council book. What you may not know is its entire contents. My family has been possessors of the wild magic for many, many centuries now; we were all trained and can control it far better than most can their normal magic. As you heard only the wanton use of it is cause for death.” Tom stated.
Laughing Odium pointed an accusing finger at me, “What would you call the destruction of the council chambers or the injury of almost half its members? I call for his death NOW!”
Still smiling Tom looked at him then the rest of the council, “Under several articles of the council book I can call for the disbanding of the council for the illegal capture and examination of my son. Nothing allows the council to act without first advising the sub-council, what their actions are and will be. If councilman Odium continues to push this issue I will have the council disbanded in disgrace, his title removed and his council memory removed.”
Looking straight into Odium’s eyes, Tom said, “Your play councilman.”
The color had drained from his face as the rest of the council shot looks of death at him, “I…I didn’t know!” He shouted.
Looking at him Tom growled, “It is over Alaze, she didn’t want you then and most certainly doesn’t want you now. You should research for more before you make a move like this, you’ve lost again accept it and move on.”
Turning his back Tom started to leave. There was a sudden commotion behind him then a shouted warning, Tom felt rather than saw the huge fireball that flew at him. Tom stopped as did the fireball, turning he saw that Odium was laughing wickedly, that is ’til he saw Tom sigh and shake his head slowly. Tom slowly pushed the fireball back at Odium; terror on his face grew as it engulfed his shields.
“Councilman Odium, you are hereby stripped of your title and stripped of your mage standing on the council.” The fireball suddenly snuffed out, reaching in Tom started to snap several of Odium’s powers, the council all gasped as they saw what Tom was doing.
“You are sentenced to a year without powers, after that, come after my family and I will have the right to kill you,” drawing closer to him Tom quietly snarled, “It will be most unpleasant and might take a long time to accomplish.”
Letting the man drop in a heap Tom bowed to the council and advised, “I believe you need another council member, oh.” Tom started when he turned his back to the council, “Clondus, if you were allied with this excuse for a mage I advise you to think real hard before you make another move.” With that Tom flashed out leaving an open-mouthed council staring at the weeping heap of flesh on the chamber floor.
Ben had been in hiding the entire time a huge sense of pride on his face, Tom had not only kept his cool but had done everything by their own rules to brook no objections later. Though he had to admit as another smile lit up his face the removing of the idiots powers had been a bonus. ‘Huh,’ Ben thought, ‘so his brother had taught his son to remove powers. So now there were three he knew of well two,’ Tyrome was still learning, but he could block almost all now, so pretty close.
Tom appeared in the practice yard and erected several targets, then started to blast the hell out of them. Sighing Tom knew this wasn’t going to be enough. Opening the power slightly, Tom flashed out to the same remote islands that Johnathon had destroyed; bringing the islands back Tom started the whole sale destruction of all of them again. A few minutes later he heard a voice behind him, “Hell and you said I was reckless!”
Almost lost in his rage Tom turned and fired at Johnathon, Johnathon smiled and his shields flared as he held the blast ’til it extinguished.
Tom’s mouth dropped open; that was the most advanced skill of control Johnathon had shown and without Lana there!
“Yeah I finally figured what you had been doing to build up my control, I started a few exercises of my own, and it has helped quite a bit. So feel better?” Johnathon smiled as he looked at the intense look on his father’s face.
“More than you’ll know, so have you been able to open it yet?” Tom asked looking at the power that Johnathon was showing.
“Almost half way now, ’bout 5 or 6 hours now. I heard what you did in the chambers; here I thought you were an unfeeling asshole all these years. That you were training me out of duty, I want to know about grandfather. I’ve heard that his control made both of ours look like a joke.” Johnathon told Tom.
Tom nodded and said, “Almost, I am close now, if you remember our fight I didn’t bring out everything ’til the very end I didn’t have to. Remember with the lock once you open it your power is slightly amplified, though at the end I have to admit you were starting to overpower me, I barely got it all the way open when you hit me.”
Johnathon was nodding taking in everything his father was telling him, the fact that his father had defended him in the open council chambers had spoken volumes to Johnathon.
An hour later, Tom had Johnathon performing a number of harder and harder tasks. When each went better than he thought they should, the pride on Tom’s face started to show. “I’d say you have no less that 90% control now, one last test for today. I want you to open the shield as far as you can.” Nodding Tom watched as Johnathon began to open the magical power shield over his power, nodding Tom saw that he’d already mastered the smooth opening of it. At half Tom smiled very good, at 3/4 Tom was even prouder. Finally almost all the way open Tom saw that Johnathon was starting to struggle to keep it open, so this was the first time he’d got it open that far, excellent!
“Alright Johnathon back it off and the barrier will close” Nodding Johnathon did as his father said and the power slowly at first then faster began to decline.
“Very good you are almost completely ready now, another day or two and I think you’ll be ready.” Tom told his son. Johnathon looked shocked he thought it would take at least two months of training not five and a half weeks. Looking over at his father to make sure he’d heard right he saw his father shake his head yes.
That night, in the darkness many powerful mages moved through the forest towards the keep. The older looking leader of the men wore a grim and cruel look that reached all the way to his eyes. Smiling a wicked smile he started to surround the keep with a power lock down spell no one had never broken, but just in case he had more than enough powerful mages out here to kill the keep leader and his son. Smiling he thought of the keep leader’s wife and daughter, ummm they would be sweet beneath him when he took them by force laughing he had so many toys he was going to stuff them full of. After all the things theses do-gooders had done they were going to suffer and suffer greatly.
The next morning Tom felt the magic ring erected around the keep, smiling this spell felt familiar. Reaching out Tom touched it and opened a hole as easily as ripping a piece of paper. Laughing ’til he felt the extremely powerful force outside the ring. Hmmmm it was a good thing Johnathon had as much control as he did this would make things a little easier when they went to battle.
Calling Johnathon Tom advised him what was going on then he sent message to Ben. The council was advised that there would be a massive amount of death out by the keep so they might want to prepare. Ben asked if they needed him and Tom thought for a bit. “You have to use the power Ben; yes I know you have it, Father told me not too long before he died. I know your control is far greater than his was I can’t even feel yours.”
Sighing Ben decided he’d been hiding long enough and this was his family, or what was left of it. Tom also contacted Lord Vidon to let him know, he could hear Vidon growl when he heard that his friend and neighbor was under attack. Tom asked him to keep out of it, these mages were of a higher caliber than most that Vidon had been against, Vidon laughed and told Tom not to worry he was far more powerful than Tom thought.
Stepping out near the barrier Tom addressed the massed group. “What is the meaning of this? You are trespassing on my family’s land leave now while you still can stay and I cannot guarantee any will leave alive.
There was a lot of snickering then about ten of the mages opened up striking Tom’s shields, Tom just yawned and looked bored.
“Don’t let the son of a bitch goad you! You’ll exhaust your power and be an easy target!” The leader yelled from the extreme back of all of the men. ‘So,’ Tom thought, ‘that’s where you are, need to remember that for later on.’
Tom waved a hand at five of the ten and they were instantly engulfed in flames, dropping they were dead within a mere minute. Smiling, Tom thought ‘Well that’s five, it might even make a difference later,’ “Please, I don’t know who you are but you have no chance even with this many!” Tom yelled trying to convince himself more than them even with Johnathon it was going to be a struggle. With a savage yell many more opened up on Tom. Smiling Tom opened his power to 3/4 the jump didn’t go unnoticed.
“That’s it men he’s almost at full power even he can’t last forever!” Tom fired killing another six then three more, even more started to fire at him, ‘Damn it,’ Tom thought, ‘I can’t kill them fast enough!’ Suddenly there was a huge blast and twenty of those in front of him disappeared.
“I’ve got your back father!” Tom heard Johnathon shout as he took another twenty out reducing the blast hitting Tom to less than half.
Tom and Johnathon started to use cover killing as many as they could each time. When the ring finally collapsed Tom smiled and erected his own barrier, this shocked those on the back side, and now the full force was in front of them. An hour later Tom and Johnathon had both been hit several times and were bleeding from several places. They were holding their own when an errant blast hit Tom knocking him out, there were several wicked laughs.
They were ’til they felt Johnathon’s anger grow as did his power, taking out quite a few, Johnathon managed to get Tom under cover. Another shot hit Johnathon in the arm effectively numbing it, still firing Johnathon wasn’t sure if he could hold out much longer when there was shouting at the back of the enemy’s lines.
Johnathon felt the Vampires before they even arrived, then Ben was beside him, lifting his father, “I’ll be right back,” he told Johnathon.
Out in the lines many screams started to sound as several of the mages disappeared, back to back the mages finally started to get a handle on thing but their forces were now at half what they had been.
Lord Vidon looked at the carnage before him; his men had grabbed half of the men and ripped their throats out. Damn it they were starting to defend now, and then he felt an extremely powerful power land next to Johnathon. Good he was there finally, for the next hour things grew somewhat quiet, there were still a great many mages out there, and many of them had substantial power. Ben appeared next to Johnathon crap! Johnathon was bleeding from his face arms legs chest; though Ben smiled, Johnathon had killed quite a few. Leaning down Ben whispered to Johnathon, “You stay here I’ll show you why your grandfather was feared.”
With that Johnathon felt Ben open his power all the way then he felt the shield meld with the power, what the hell? Ben felt as powerful as he’d been when he fought father! Ben started to float then rose above the trees. Lord Vidon felt him and withdrew all his men. Ben’s face was a mask of hatred and rage; his eyes were like fire his hands were glowing as the power started to concentrate there in them. In a booming voice Ben looked at all the men, “I’ll give all of you a chance to walk away, you have this one chance, and then you are dead, think about it you have 1 minute!”
Several of the men talked among themselves then flashed out, Ben smiled so they weren’t all idiots! The rest that remained laughed and pointed at Ben opening fire at once, shrugging it off Ben’s temper started to grow as did his power. All the men on the ground laughed and fired even harder, when nothing happened they started to get worried. Ben started to smile and pointed at each man as each started to scream, and then die. The leader flashed out, damn it he thought the plan had been perfect! Five minutes later Ben settled next to Johnathon the smell of roasting flesh was everywhere, gently Ben lifted a now semi conscious Johnathon and flashed to the keep.
Evelyn screamed in rage when she saw Johnathon covered in blood though a good bit of it was his fathers. Lana growled looking at the many cuts and burns on his body, Johnathon tried to sit up and nearly fell.
“Sit still; let your mother heal you I have to go after the leader. You are good son, and your father trained you extremely well but he didn’t know everything, but we can discuss that later.” Ben flashed out to a keep a few miles from theirs and began to look around hmmm nothing, appearing in several more that he suspected Ben was a little disappointed. Sighing, Ben thought, ‘Well one more than I’ll have to rethink who might have been behind this.’ Searching around he finally felt the power signature he’d been looking for then, huh it was gone? What the hell was going on? Feeling the trail he started to follow it as it led back toward his family’s keep! Appearing in the sitting room Ben saw that he’d been right about the energy but had to be sure.
There with his arm around Evelyn’s neck was the patriarch of the Pompoff family!
“So it was you after all Bernard!” Ben said as the older man tightened his grip on Evelyn.
“Hello bastard,” the old man said to Ben, “’bout time I got a chance to kill a few of the whores in this family!” The old man laughed, licking the side of Evelyn’s face, “Isn’t that right you fucking whore!”
Johnathon was still on the divan beneath them and hadn’t moved; suddenly he sprang up and ripped the man’s throat out. “NO ONE touches my mother, you son of a bitch!” Johnathon growled as the man fell on the floor blood pumping out as his death rattle started. Johnathon smiled at his mother and a shocked Ben; then the world went black, damn he thought, ‘this sucks!’
Two days later Johnathon awoke with a jerk, where the hell was he? Looking over he saw Lana asleep in a chair next to the bed. Reaching out he felt the entire council was there, as was Ben, and … Tyrome? Groaning Johnathon tried to get out of bed, almost falling as the room began to spin Johnathon groaned again this time Lana awoke.
“Ah my love you’re finally awake!” Shouting the others came in, Tyrome at the back; shaking his head it seemed that a lot of things that had happened were still fuzzy. A moment later his father limped in, “I’m proud of you son you took a beating but you saved us all ’til Ben and Vidon arrived.”
“Thank you father, Tyrome why are you here?” Johnathon asked almost afraid of the answer.
“Checking up on an old friend I heard you were hurt, besides Ben asked me to help.” Tyrome said.
“One day I will repay you for the help Tyrome.” Johnathon said.
Tyrome just smiled, ‘You already have Johnathon,’ he thought, ‘many times over.’
THE END