Gabe looked closer at him, realizing for the first time that his skin was pale, eyes sunken into gray pits; his frame had lost muscle since they had met, and he seemed frailer.
Michael was not well; Gabe could not be certain if it was the stress, the recent battle with the trackers, or something worse.
“Really Michael?
Do you think your spiteful words will suddenly make me crumble?
My duty is to ensure the safety of this place so we can continue our work.
Maybe it is time you start thinking about the greater good instead of the few.”
Patina was cold and direct with her words.
Gabe felt his face flush red with heat.
He managed to control his anger on the outside, but inside he was fighting the urge to strangle Patina.
The few she was referring to happened to be his friends and the woman he loved.
The thought of abandoning Sophie to evil was unimaginable.
“Send Artis and Peter to my room.”
Michael said flatly, turning and leaving the room quickly.
Gabe scurried behind him, struggling to keep up with Michael’s fast pace.
“Are you all right, sir?” Gabe finally asked as they turned down an unfamiliar hall.
Michael didn’t answer, just continued walking.
Clearly his thoughts were consumed by what Patina had said.
“Sir, who is the council?” Gabe questioned, distracted by the mention of them in Patina’s office.
Michael slowed his pace and glanced down at Gabe.
“No one has told you of the council?”
Gabe simply shook his head and eagerly waited for an explanation.
“The council is made of the eldest and most respected Guardians of our time.
When you are no longer able to do battle, if you served honorably, you might be given the honor of being asked to serve on the council.
They make the tough decisions that some of us are unable to because our judgment may be clouded.”
Michael explained before falling silent once again.
Terrified that Michael might be suggesting that his judgment of Sophie was clouded, Gabe thought best to remain silent and leave Michael to his thoughts, in hopes they would shift in another direction.
Though he was silent, Gabe stayed near his leader in case he may need his assistance.
Even when all three of them had rejoined each other in Michael’s temporary chambers, they still did not speak.
Each one clearly distracted by their own piece in this disastrous situation.
Uri stood and walked to the door in response to a knock.
The other two stopped their mindless busy work to watch as Peter and Artis entered the room.
Artis kept her head bowed as she entered the room, careful to avoid eye contact with Uri.
“Hello.
Please, come in and sit.” Michael said, motioning to a nearby seating area.
The two youths scurried over to a small bench and took their seats.
“Peter, Artis, I know I am not your leader, but I hope you understand we have the same goals.
The longer we allow these demons to terrorize Guardians and go unpunished, the harder it will become to fight this in the future.”
“Michael.” Uri interrupted, seeing his teacher’s objectiveness was still heavily compromised.
Michael looked up at Uri in appreciation for the gentle reminder.
“What we need to do is figure out a way in.
All we have to do is kill Duke Mortiguard and get the hell out of there.
It is not like we have to take on the entire castle.”
Michael explained.
“But the Duke is heavily protected at all times.” Peter interjected.
“When you say heavily protected, what exactly do you mean?” Uri questioned, the edges of his mouth curling upwards slightly.
“Well… umm...” Peter started, his voice somewhat trembling.
“It’s OK son, just take a deep breath.” Michael reassured, placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder.
The young, fit boy took a deep breath and confidently continued.
“We think we may have a good idea based on Artis’ memories about the time the Duke was possessed.
Since that time nobody has actually seen the Duke that we know of except Artis and his closest advisors.
Just because Artis was in possession of the stones doesn’t mean she ever actually saw the Duke though, it wasn’t clear from her memories.
We are just assuming she most likely did.
It could have been one of his lackeys that delivered them to her though.”
Peter explained, Artis still sitting in silence, her head hung low.
“That is why Artis is the key to solving this problem we have.”
Michael added.
“I’m sorry sir,” Artis finally spoke in a crackly, mousy voice.
“I don’t see how I can be of much service.
I don’t remember anything.”
“My dear girl, you don’t have to remember anything.
All that needs to happen is that they remember you.
That’s all.
And I have a sneaking suspicion they will.”
Michael’s eyes were sympathetic as he looked at the girl, but his words still terrified her.
“Now Peter, you’re sure you are confident you can transport both you and Artis back to Iron Gate as soon as we get in?”
Michael asked one last time, trying to reassure himself that everyone was prepared to execute the plan perfectly.
“Yes sir.
As a personal guard to the Madame, I have had extensive training in transportation spells.”
Peter replied confidently.
“Good!
Now I mean it, the second we are in I want you to get Artis and get out of there.
Do you understand me?
I will transport the boys back to Iron Gate with me so don’t worry about them.
You will need to tell Patina everything that happens.
Also, let her know I will contact her once we are home safe.”
“Yes sir.” Peter agreed, nodding.
He was clearly in awe of Michael, a legendary warrior and the leader whose practices and boldness were so foreign to him.
“Alright boys, Artis has probably made her way through the forest and is close to the castle by now.
Are we all ready?”
Michael questioned, checking his own armor for security.
As Uri, Gabe, and Peter looked down at their battle readied bodies, the uneasiness was evident.
At last Uri broke the silence.
“You really think this is going to work?” Uri inquired, trying his best not to reveal his fear.
“It has to.” Michael replied.
“Artis seemed pretty nervous when she left.” Uri argued.
“I don’t think she is going to be able to pull this off.”
“I wouldn’t worry about her.” Michael chimed confidently.
“Michael!” Uri exclaimed.
“How on earth are we not supposed to worry about her?
I know she is still a Guardian, but really, she did just have most of her memories wiped away.
I’m not exactly confident she can find her way through the forest alone.
Can you tell me how you’re not worried about her executing this plan convincingly?”
“Uri!” Michael quickly snapped before the boy could ramble on any longer.
“I prepared her.
I told you not to worry because she is not going into this a scared and naive girl.”
“Wait, what?” Peter asked, confused by what he was hearing.
He wanted to know exactly what this man meant when he said he had ‘prepared’ his friend.
“Peter, the reason I need you to return to Iron Gate immediately is not only because I want to keep you and Artis safe, but it’s also because Artis is not… well… I guess the best way to describe it is she is not in her right mind.”
Michael explained.
“What do you mean not in her right mind?” Peter snorted.
“What he means is he messed with her head!” Uri’s outrage was clear by his tone.
“Uri stop!
Do you want to get that poor girl killed?
It was quite clear she was in no state after Patina wiped her memories to go into that high stress and dangerous of a situation.
There was no way I was sending her in there like that.”
Michael replied sternly.
“Will someone please tell me what is going on here?” Peter shouted, grabbing onto a nearby table to steady himself.
“Artis was in no condition to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes and she would have gotten herself, and most likely us, killed if I didn’t take action.
Luckily, Patina’s mind wiping spell created the prefect blank slate for me.
In Artis’ mind she really is possessed, she is the traitor, and she is there to deliver intelligence to the enemy.
Had she thought any different, they would have seen right through her.”
Michael was confident in his explanation which made Peter an eager and willing participant easily.
“How did you convince her to use the summoning stones once she is in?” Peter finally asked, trying to make sense of how the plan would play out knowing this new information.
“She thinks they are artifacts that the demons will be able to use to transport in and out of the manor.
While she tries to explain them to the Duke, what she will in fact be doing is summoning us.
We’ll be there before he can figure out what hit him.
The hope is they are alone in the Duke’s chambers by then.”
“So when we get there, if Artis is under this spell, how will she know she is not actually possessed?
If she thinks she is on their side what’s to keep her from trying to hurt any of us?”
“That’s why you have to grab her and take her back to Patina immediately, genius.”
Uri interjected.
Gabe watched as the conversation unfolded.
He felt sorry for Artis and Peter.
This was not their fight they had been dragged into, but such was the life of a Guardian.
If their help was required to cure Sophie then so be it,
Gabe thought.
“Do you really think we’ll have enough time to kill Mortiguard before Baal senses me?”
Gabe asked, his desire to save Sophie was still stronger than his fear of Baal.
“No, that’s why we will have to work fast.” Michael replied.
“You’re not exactly making me feel more comfortable with this plan.” Gabe rang his hands together as he spoke to Michael.
“Me either,” Peter added, clearly worried by the convoluted plan Michael had hatched.
“Look boys, our options are limited.
We have to do the best we can with the manpower we have available to us.
Peter, you have one mission.
Get Artis and get out of there, understand?”
Michael asked, placing a hand on the scared boy’s shoulder.
Peter simply nodded in response and looked back to the ground, his lips silently mouthing the words,
get Artis and get out, get Artis and get out, get Artis and get out.
“Gabe, Baal will know the moment we leave this manor.
I can create some confusion around you, but it won’t take him long to cut through the charade.
You need to understand, our only chance is to get in fast, destroy Duke Mortiguard, and then I will transport the three of us back to Rampart immediately.”
Michael’s words caused Gabe’s ears to begin to ring.
Before he could fully comprehend them, he started to feel woozy.
It had begun.
Artis was inside and she had used the summoning stones.
There was no turning back.
Gabe looked over at Michael whose face was beginning to fade into a white fog.
He reached out in an effort to catch hold of his trusted leader’s hand but in a flash he was gone.
When Gabe opened his eyes again he was in a long, dark corridor.
The hall was stone and dimly lit by a few weak torches.
Gabe could hear voices in the distance muttering.
Frantically, Gabe looked around for his fellow travelers, but much to his dismay, he was quite alone.
The walls were covered in paintings of dignified looking members of royalty and Gabe felt as though they were all staring at him.
About every twelve feet down the wide hall, off to the sides, were perched full suits of armors; each one slightly differing from the next.
If he weren’t so terrified that the plan had gone so wrong, Gabe thought this stuff would have been interesting to look at.
In his present state, however, they only seemed to lend to the creepy feeling.