The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance (The Wielder Series) (9 page)

The reverend Martin James looks over his congregation at Saint James in London after having performed the service surrounding the Holy Eucharist. He knows their concerns and knows he needs to speak to them.

“Before we conclude this service, I wish to address the recent events in light of our mutual faith.”  He look
s out among the congregation and their eyes are riveted upon him.  They need to hear what he has to say. “Let us all know that the words of devils and demons are not words to be trusted.  These are dark times indeed. These creatures show themselves to us and attack us so brazenly.  But let us not be turned by the words of hellspawn.  These are creatures that have been cast down.  These are creatures that are not in the grace of God.  They tell falsehoods to make us, the faithful and good question ourselves. We shall not hear their lies and we will continue to embrace our love of God and his Son.”

There is a crash as
an object flies through the stained glass window falling to the floor and bursting aflame – a Molotov cocktail. Other windows break in similar fashion with the same result.  Flames erupt about the sanctuary.  Reverend James calls for calm and for everyone to take their time making their way to the exits.

Another window breaks and he hears a thump over to
the side.  He looks over to see a grenade.

It was the last thing the Reverend Martin James
ever saw.

Panic ensue
s and the congregation tries to pour out of the church.  They are met by an angry mob screaming epithets such as “Infidels!” and “Idolaters!” But words aren’t the only thing the mob is hurling – they are hurling stones and bricks too.

Many parishioners f
all.  More fall when automatic gunfire breaks out from somewhere in the mob.

The
constables arrive and are also met with violence. Stones, bricks and gunfire assault them.  Re-enforcements come and are met by the same greeting.  The riot carries on for hours.

None of the Saint James congregation
were ever given the chance to repent their ways.

Anyone who knows me knows that
I don’t do a good job of sitting around patiently.  The months that I’ve had to sit around the Techno Mage guild and watch the world unravel have not done well by me.  I feel like a wussy all holed up here because Maldgorath may come for me.

Let him come.  Me and Yayne, my holy sword
, would like to have a meeting with him - even on a Sunday morning.

Things are bad.  Muslims have risen against Christians.  Christians are rising against
Muslims.  Then, to make things worse Znuul and crew showed up at the Wailing Wall and basically called out Judaism too.  It is chaos.

Unfortunately, Maldy’s plan is going off without a hitch.  It’s not that he’s trying to get man
kind to destroy itself.  His endgame is to have the balance of energy in our realm tip to evil.  That way, as it is explained to me, the openings of portals to the Helterzen dimension open faster and stay open longer. Maldy’s endgame, as Edgar theorizes, is to open an army size invasion portal and use our realm as a bridge to T’uel Faeden.

That was why Znuul originally took the deal to come to our little corner of the multiverse.

To open a gate to that hell realm requires someone of clear mind and free will on our end to bleed out, creating a sheer wall of blood that is energized by a specific incantation.  That’s one reason these portals aren’t commonplace.  It basically takes a life from here to allow a life from there to enter.

I am told that’s how Znuul entered our fair world, long ago.  Things must have been very bad for that sacrifice to seem like a better alternative
. The legends tell he was brought over to turn the tide in a war that went sour.  According to that legend he did, turn the tide - in record time.  Of course, then they realized they were stuck with him.  The sorcerer that made the bargain to bring Znuul over later tricked him and locked him away, where he laid for thousands of years.

Until archaeologists uncovered the tomb and Grey bound
Znuul in exchange for release – a move that cost Grey his place in the Protectorate.

Now,
Ahtsag Znuul runs free and Grey Lightbringer is no more.

My review of the lore does raise questions.  When Znuul crushed the ancient barbarian a
rmies harrying the pre-Sumerian kingdom of Hyuukal he used a combination of sheer force, summoned creatures and terror in battle, coupled with disease.  To point, there’s certainly the terror aspect.  But, there has been none of the plague today he used that ravaged the barbarian peoples.  In lore, the beast Znuul would wade into enemy encampments alone.  Here, he acts more as figurehead.

S
hould Znuul now be one of Maldy’s summonlings that would explain much – his behavior would be directed. That’s my theory - and the theory of most whom have either come to know him or the lore.

Of course
, all this is nothing but an exercise in academics.

The phone in my room rings, breaking my contemplations.  Edgar tells me we have new refuge
es and one of them would like to see me.  I ask who and he doesn’t say anything except, “my office, please.”

Looking forward to a change in routine, I stroll down to Edgar
’s office and walk in the open door.  I am greeted by the smiling faces of Edgar and Greg Inosanto, the sword of balance himself, along with two very serious, very well dressed oriental gentlemen wearing Ray-Bans.

“Mac!” Greg shouts out and in a blur is standing in front of me hand outstretched.  I shake that ha
nd and pull him into a man-hug. “Can’t help but show off the power, eh?” I whisper to him.

“If you got it, flaunt it, man
,” is Greg’s unashamed response.

I ask him who
his dapper friends are, though I could venture a good guess – warriors of the Shadows of light.  Basically ninjas, but good ones.  Greg confirms that and introduces me to them.  Both Keji Takamura and Yosuke Tsuchida bow ever so slightly and reintroduce themselves.  The Shadows are the organization within the Protectorate that has taken responsibility for Greg’s “higher training.” I am sure they are here to protect their guild’s investment of time and effort.  Truth is, Greg doesn’t need much protecting.

But still, I guess it’s nice
to have people there to take care of the light-work.

I direct Greg back to
the chairs, via my hand on his shoulder and get seated in front of Edgar, who for the first time in a long while I see is smiling. “You too are peas in a pod,” he offers. 

We talk about the current events and of course that
talk turns to Znuul.  Greg’s opinion is that either Znuul is under Maldgorath’s control or an imposter. Either way, he tells us once that creature is in line of sight, it dies.  Edgar nods accordingly and says his guild feels the same way that is, once in line of sight the target is going down.

We share in a bit of macho banter after that and eventually I ask Greg if he came here because he missed me or just couldn’t stand
being around Alistair anymore.  That brings a belly laugh from Edgar along with a couple hand slaps on the desk.

Greg turns to me with a
wicked smile “Either and both Mac.  But truth is that North America hasn’t been hit yet.  We are due.  I am the hunter after all… does me little good to go where they’ve been.  I need to be where they will be.”

That brought about nods of approval from Kejii and Yosuke.  Edgar nod
s and adds, “Quite true, we have teams at the major Diocese.”  I am feeling a little small for not having figured that one out for myself.

Percy barges in and breaks up our little reunion
.  He is out of breath and appearing quite stressed.  “Mr. MacInerny! They’re hurting your Ms. Silithes – the Paladins. You need to come, now. They were sparring and then he just started hurting her – bad.”

Greg chuckle
s a little.  I look at Percy knowing he’s little high strung in all things Sil.  Then I feel it.  Someone is back to the white.  One of mine has been slayed.

Edgar picks up on
my twitch and asks what’s happened. 

I look to
Edgar and then to Percy.  “Not sure, but I think someone just killed my succubus.”

We
follow Percy to the gym area - that is me, Greg and his entourage.  Upon arriving I see that everyone in the gym is staring at the two Paladins and Vets.  She has her hands behind her back and is very stationary in an alert, but non threatening manner.

Paladin Paul
sees us and steps to Vets’ side to address me.  “Can you believe that your demon whore thought she could spar with a warrior of the light? She thinks herself a warrior! She’d be better off acting like a succubus!”  His mocking laughter reverberates through the space of the gym,

Vets turns around to me in a very controlled manner, obviously not intending to portray any threat and then looks sideways at Paul. “This one fights dishonestly, us
ing magics he said he would not use, causing harm and death after the practice was done.  He struck our Silithes down with his glowing sword after disabling her with magics and death blows with the wooden practice sword.” 

She turns very deliberately to Paul the Paladin and tells him
, “You have no honor. Sparring is light contact, not to the death.”

Paul basically tells Vets to go back to hell and smiles at me
, “It’s not like you can’t bring it back.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind smiting that thing again.”

Vets’ tail twitches.
Her eyes are riveted on mine. I know what she’s thinking – let me loose on him.

Paul picks up on that.  “You want some demon bitch? Let’s go.” He sets his sword alight and steps back into defensive pose.

Greg’s laugh takes all our attention. “Damn Pally, you must be afraid to spar with her.” He cocks his head at him. “Want to test real skills?   Put down the cutter and let’s see what you two can do with equal weaponry.”  With that he picks up a wooden sword from the rack and tosses it to Vets, who lets it bounce off of her on to the floor.

“I think he prefers more lethal contact
,” is Vets response to Greg “And I do not have such a weapon with me.  This is after all, only a training facility and my weapon no match for his.”

Paul laughs and walks over to the other Paladin, Stefan, and hands him his sword.  He reaches down and picks up a
wooden sword of his own. “Fine then,” he says “Wood on wood – didn’t make a difference with the whore. Come on whatever demon you are.”  He passes the wooden sword through a few flourishes and falls into his defensive posture.

I nod to Vets
that it’s okay and she reaches out to the wooden sword on the ground with her foot. With a wiggle of her toes and a flick of the ankle the practice sword is in her hand. She turns to Paul, “You will be using your Paladin magics I assume as you did with my friend, despite saying you would not. And I am not Dzemond – I am Vetisghar”

No answer from him, just a smile and a gesture
for her to come on.

So she does.

The wood swords clash as do the warriors. Vets is pushing into him. Paul attempts to redirect Vets with a circular motion, but she bulls past his defense and hooks her leg inside his. She releases her wooden sword and grabs his right wrist, then thunders her forehead into his face - Once. Twice. Three times.  Then the elbow of her free hand cracks into the side of his jaw and his bokken drops.

Paul’s
nose is shattered and his face a gory mess.  Her leg hooked to his leg thunders up into his groin – then again for good measure. Then with no wasted effort or motion, her free arm takes his arm under the elbow and with a twist of the hips flips him over to the ground with a resounding “pop” that is no doubt the sound of his shoulder coming out of socket.

With no wasted motion,
Vets grabs him under the de-socketed arm and by the groin, picks him up and plants him chest first with a thud on the shiny wooden floor in a gorilla slam. Finally, she takes a step back. Paul is gasping for breath and squirming in pain.

Stefan pulls his sword and sets it a glow.
To his shock the sword goes flying out of his hands and Greg is now standing in front him. “Play fair,” is Greg’s warning.

Having finished her business,
Vets walks over to me and almost smiles in her feline-faced way. “Perhaps you should bring Silithes back so she might see this?” 

That’s a g
ood idea; so I do.  Sil’s first reaction is to lunge at the fallen Paladin, but Vets catches her.  There is an unspoken moment between the two and Sil relaxes.

“Bastard
,” mutters Sil. 

Percy starts to say something but is interrupted by Edgar who comes
bellowing over the intercom.  “To the screens everyone!  Znuul and company have landed in the USA.”

Greg points at me, smiles and says
, “See, I told you so.”