It's finally done. And for all of those of you who feel the need to point it out, I realize it's taken me over a month to put this one out. I blame the delay on writer's block. It was horrible to know how you wanted to write a scene and be unable to write it. So this has been mostly finished for about the entire time that the delay happened, with the exception of the last bit. But now it's done and we can all rejoice, or do whatever you want really I guess. Since you're here, I'm going to assume that means you're going to read the instalment. Another thing I feel I have to mention is that school is really heavy right now. Early mornings every day (I'd love to have a long, long talk with the person that thought putting pathology at eight o'clock Monday morning was a good idea) and lots of assignments to keep me busy. I only have my classes one day a week and each teacher seems to think that one full week is plenty of time to do a five page assignment. I guess it is, as long as said project isn't multiplied by six because every other teacher has the same idea. Oh woe is me. Anyway, that said, future instalments will be slower coming out, but they will be put out at some point.
I'd like to thank Neo, my editor. He's a wonderful knack for being able to read anything I write and find at least one grammar mistake. It's amazing. Though I'm starting to think he's secretly putting some of them in so he has something to correct. Who knows? I'd also like to mention Kentira, Shade, Aeoros and David. There are others of course, but these are a few of the people that read what I write on a regular basis. I think I'll cut this short now. Safer that way.
This disclaimer is silly at times. I mean this isn't real. We should all know that. The members of Nsync do not have bodyguards that have magical powers. Nor are they being stalked by insane and creepy super powered beings. It's just not happening. I suppose that's why it's called fiction. However, if you are too young, or it's illegal in your area to be reading this. Please leave. If homosexual themes offend you, get a life, and leave. There, all done. Wasn't nearly as painful as I'd thought it'd be.
If you'd like to tell me what you think of the story, and I'd really like it if you did, you can send e-mails to one of two addresses. Mist_dark@hotmail.com or Mist_dark@yahoo.ca Either one of them work. And I have no idea why those silly 'hyperlink' things keep showing up.
Until next time, Rune
CHAPTER TWELVE
"I can't believe you just asked him to play cards with us," Joey said in complete disbelief.
"What?" Justin asked. "We need another player."
"Justin, do you really want to gamble, even in a friendly setting, with a man that can see the future?" Chris asked.
"Oh," the blonde said. "Hadn't thought of that."
"It's alright," Jason said. "I appreciate the offer though. Regardless we have to leave soon anyway."
"Where are you going?" Lance asked.
"Not me," he said. "Us. We're going to pick up an item that should help find what Mara's up to."
"Cool," Joey said. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as I change," the Oracle replied. "These clothes don't allow for enough mobility."
"I have a pair of shorts and a tee shirt that might work," Josh offered.
"Thank you," Jason said sincerely. He followed Josh up the stairs.
A few minutes later they both came down. Jason had changed into a pair of black shorts and a black tee shirt. "Time for a history lesson," Jason said as he sat down. "Cody, Deana and Sean will be a moment. How much do you know about the Aztecs?"
"Not too much," Joey admitted.
"Then you're on par with most of the world," the Oracle told him. "You don't need to know very much to understand this. The Aztecs gained a great deal of their culture by assimilating conquered nations into their own. We're going to be visiting the last remaining temple of one of those nations."
"Which culture?" Lance asked.
"I don't know the name," Jason told them. "And the temple is the only remains of this civilization. Until it's found no one else will know about them."
"Why not?" Chris asked.
"The temple was buried during an earthquake. It's about two miles beneath the surface. There are a series of tiny fissures that allow for air circulation. Which is a bonus because I believe all of us need to breath air."
"Last time I checked," Lance smirked.
The door to the cottage opened and the three bodyguards trooped into the living room. The three of them had slipped out into the woods to make sure the area was secure. They didn't feel it was completely necessary, but it was always good to be on the safe side.
"Perfect timing," Jason said. "We're about ready to leave. Deana, I'll need you to teleport the group of us there. Sean, I want you to make sure none of the traps hurt anyone."
"What do you want me to do?" Cody asked.
"Make sure none of the guys try to touch anything." The Oracle turned and looked each of the singers in the eye. "Under no circumstances are you to touch anything. In fact when Deana teleports us into the temple don't even move. Understood?" He waited for each of them to nod their head. "Good. Unless any of you have to make a trip to the washroom, we can leave."
"What about Sheryl?" Justin asked. "What if she comes back while we're gone?"
Jason smiled mysteriously and picked Justin's cell phone off the table. "Five, four, three," he hand the phone to Justin. "Two," Justin took the phone with a look of confusion on his face. "One."
Justin jumped as the phone rang in his hand. He looked at Jason oddly and then answered the phone. "Hello?" A few minutes later he hung up and set the phone down. "You're going to have to stop that." He shook his head. "Sheryl's going to be later then she thought. She might not get her until late tonight, or early tomorrow."
"And you wanted to play cards with him," Joey muttered.
The air of the temple was stale and cool. At first it was pitch black. A moment after they jumped into the blackness a light pierced the dark. Cody's hand was encompassed in a pale blue light.
"Thank you, child." Jason said. "There is a sigil on that pillar. Activate it and we should have enough light to see by."
When the bodyguard touched the pillar the room filled with light. They were standing in a one-room temple. It was a very long room and almost looked like a hallway, except it was too wide. Pillars were spaced along the walls to support the ceiling. Between each of the pillars was a statue with its arms spread upward in exaltation. At the far end of the room was an altar with a book lying closed on it.
"Is that it?" Josh asked. "I was expecting something a little more impressive."
"The book has more information then almost any other tome known to man," the Oracle assured him. "Remember, don't move or touch anything. Sean, make sure nothing hits them."
Jason stepped away from the group and closed his eyes. He took two deep breaths and then sprinted forward. There were three very soft whistling sounds followed by three 'thunks'. Three darts had been shot across the room and were embedded in the statues on the opposite side of the room. Jason kept running for a few more steps and then slid to a stop. A spear shot behind and in front of him at chest level, barely missing him. The instant the spears passed him he took two more steps and dropped into a handstand. Darts shot upward in a wave as he moved out of the way. His eyes were still closed, and had they been open he would have seen the stunned look on the rest of the group's faces.
"Dear God," Joey breathed. "He's Laura Croft's brother."
Jason held the handstand without moving for a few more seconds. Abruptly his legs dropped to either side so that he was doing the splits upside down. Another volley of spears shot inches above his legs. Sean raised his hand and the spears dropped to the ground when they came too close to the group.
The Oracle flipped to his feet and went into a summersault. He came back to his feet and started running again. The builders of this temple had been very fond of spears and darts as defensive measures. Jason kept ahead of them, but just barely. Each was triggered and then an instant later the projectile shot from a statue. He skidded to a stop again just in time to prevent himself from running into the altar. He leapt on the altar to avoid the two metal blades that snapped out of the floor. He grabbed the book and flipped backward over the blades. A heavy stone block landed on the altar where he'd been standing a moment before.
No one said anything as he made his way back across the temple. The traps had all been sprung and he took his time. He looked a little out of breath, but he had a faint smile on his face that said he was pleased with his endeavour.
"We can go now," the Oracle said as he walked up to them. "I think I've done all of the damage that I can here."
"That was..." Justin started.
"Amazing," Josh finished.
Jason blushed. "Thanks. It's in the timing. Well that and knowing when the traps are going to spring is also helpful."
"No doubt," Chris said. "Not that watching that wasn't entertaining, but you aren't going to do that again any time soon, are you?"
"Not if this book has what I need," Jason assured him. "I really don't like being shot at."
The four spirits hovered in the air lazily just in front of Mara. Each of them resembled a person, but just barely. The outline was there, but the details were missing. It was sort of like looking at a shadow. If you looked at them, they were barely visible, but if they were seen from the corner of the eye it looked like a real person.
"These four will do the job?" Mara asked the spirit summoner.
"Yes," the man told her. His voice sounded strained and tired. His physical appearance suggested much the same. "I will be able to control these four to do what you want, but no more then that. Once they've completed their tasks I will have to release them. The strain will be too much."
"Yes, fine, whatever," Mara said irritably. "But you'll be able to hold them long enough?"
"Providing that 'long enough' isn't too long," he responded. "No more then two days."
"That's all the time we'll need," Mara assured him. She could barely contain the excitement that was growing inside her. She was so very close to being able to complete her plan. A plan that she had worked on for over two hundred years. It hadn't been easy, but it was going to be worth it when all was said and done.
Mara pulled herself out of her thoughts when the spirit summoner coughed. "Go to the boat with them. Once we have our bait we'll be leaving." She checked her watch. "And we should have him shortly."
Chris lightly traced his finger over the tattoo on Cody's left shoulder. He didn't say anything while he moved his finger along the inked skin. "Why do you have so many of these?"
"Tattoos?"
"Yeah."
"They're part of my power as a Fay," Cody explained. He moved forward a bit on the bed and then rolled to face Chris. "They were made as talismans. If I need to I'm never without my resources." He looked down at his chest. "And it makes it really hard to take my powers away."
"That would make it a lot more difficult," Chris laughed. He had another question on the tip of his tongue when the sound of someone running up the stairs filled the room. He groaned softly to himself. "How much do you want to bet that they're going to knock on our door?"
To prove him right the door rattled heavily as someone knocked on the other side. "Guys," Justin said quickly. The door opened and Justin stuck his head inside. His face was obscured because of the light in the hallway, but his tone carried the message. "She's got Sheryl downstairs." He was gone before either of the men on the bed could respond. The heavy knocking could be heard from the other doors down the hall.
Cody got out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants. He walked over to his suitcase as Chris pulled on a shirt over his boxers. The bodyguard pulled a small rod out of a side pocket in his luggage. A barely audible click could be heard and the rod extended into the staff that Chris had first seen Cody with.
"I'd tell you to stay here," Cody told him. "But I know you won't listen. Be careful. Let Sean, Deana and I do any fighting that might have to be done. Understood?"
"Yes lover," Chris replied. He kissed his boyfriend and then walked toward the door. "I promise to be careful."
As the pair of them left their room they noticed that Justin had roused the rest of the people in the cottage. Everyone was coming out of their rooms in various states of undress. Deana was slipping a pair of tiger claws on and Sean was holding some vicious looking throwing stars. Jason was the only Fay not holding a weapon and was leaning slightly on Josh since the Oracle wasn't fully awake yet. The trip to the temple had worn him out more then he'd originally let on.
"Who is the woman Justin? And where exactly are they?" Cody asked.
The young man was doing a remarkable job of not panicking outright. He took a deep breath before answering. "It's the woman that attacked Sheryl in the club. I saw them in the driveway coming up toward the cottage. I heard the door open when I knocked on the last door."
Cody nodded. "Deana, I want you to jump us all into the living room. Everyone be prepared to defend yourselves if necessary." He looked pointedly at Chris when he said the next part. "And if you aren't one of the bodyguards I don't want you fighting if you can avoid it. Understood?"
Deana waited for everyone to nod their agreement. "Get closer together. When we're in the living room spread out. We don't know what else she might be able to do."
There was a flash of light and an instant of disorientation as the group was suddenly standing downstairs. Sheryl was being held roughly by Katra. Sheryl had several bruises forming on her face and arms.
"You certainly took your time," Katra said. "Did you enjoy your little conference?"
"Let her go," Cody said. He motioned for the group to move back. Deana and Sean moved out on either side of him. Jason stood slightly off to one side behind Cody. He kept rubbing his eyes and looking just behind Katra.
"And why should we do that?" Katra smirked. "What do we get out of it?"
"Your lives for one," Deana offered cheerfully.
"Shit," Jason swore softly. "She's one of Mara's."
The Oracle's head snapped backward as Erin appeared behind Katra. Behind the red haired woman stood Kyle and Ian. Erin had her gaze focused directly on the Oracle. Both her eyes and Jason's were glazed over.
"Damn it," Cody swore. He raised his staff and leapt into the air. He met Ian halfway and the pair went down in a heap. Both rolled to their feet and attacked each other with calm fury.
Katra tossed Sheryl aside and charged at Deana. "Time for a cat fight I think," the blonde mused. Deana appeared behind Katra in a flash of light. The tiny woman slashed at the taller woman's back and then disappeared again before retaliation could be administered.
Kyle had stepped around his sister and was looking at the singers with obvious distain his eyes. "I question why my services were even needed here." Scorn dripped from his voice.
"Because you're going down," Joey said. The singer charged Kyle. Joey whimpered an instant before he dropped to the floor. He curled into fetal position and cried.
"I don't think I will be," the red haired man smirked. "I'll just entertain myself until it's time to leave." He looked over his shoulder at Sheryl. "Drop the façade and do something useful."
"I don't follow your orders," Sheryl snapped back. The woman pulled herself to her feet as the bruises on her body vanished.
"Sheryl?" Justin asked softly.
"Oh please," the woman muttered. "You were good in bed dear, but love isn't something I've felt with you. I'm here because Mara wanted me here. It was fun while it lasted though." She raised her arms, "this should be fun."
The cottage shook. The floor cracked and buckled upward as a fissured ripped the floor in half. Cody and Ian had to jump backward from one another to avoid being caught in the gapping hole. The tattoos on Cody's shoulders flashed blue for a moment and a pair of wings grew from the bodyguard's back. He spread them experimentally and then glided across the rapidly growing chasm to continue his fight with Ian.
A ball of fire formed in Sheryl's hand she pulled her arm back to throw the missile. She let out a cry of pain and surprise as one of Sean's throwing stars nicked her arm. The star flew past her body and then curved to come back at her. Several more of the tiny projectiles filled the air immediately around her and Kyle. The pair of them dodged the stars as best they could while looking for person responsible for them.
"There," Kyle shouted. The man pointed to the other side of the fissure where Sean was letting another star fly toward the pair.
Sheryl nodded and closed her eyes for an instant. The ground shook again as the walls vanished. As did the ceiling. The fight was now continuing on the floor of the cottage that was floating in an abyss. The floor cracked again and splintered into fragments. Sean's fragment tilted wildly and the bodyguard lost his balance. He hit the floor and tried to grab the side as he slid downward. His stars abruptly stopped flying around as his concentration was adverted.
A gunshot ripped through the noise created by the fight. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward the sound. Erin held a gun in her hand and was smirking at Jason. The Oracle was holding his side as he stumbled backward. He slipped off the edge of the fragment he had been standing on. Without a sound his disappeared into the blackness below.
"We're done here," Erin snapped. "Get him and we're getting out." The woman pulled a pendent out of her pocket. She paused for an instant and then rippled as she vanished.
The world rippled and the abyss faded away. The cottage returned without any noticeable damage, besides furniture being tossed around. Sean stopped frantically clawing at the floor and got to his feet. Katra, Ian, Kyle and Sheryl were gone. Jason lay unconscious on the floor with a small pool of blood forming next to him. And Chris was gone.
TBC
There. What did you think? E-mail is above. Let me know.
Rune