Chapter 10: The Governor's Sacrifice
Ace sat in a corner of the yard all by himself, staring at his sister. It had been twenty minutes since Omaron had been defeated and twenty minutes since Leia got a new spell. Garry saw his little friend sitting in the corner moping and decided to cheer him up.
"Come on, little dude!" said Garry with extra cheerfulness. "Let's go back to the table."
"No!" pouted Ace. "I don't want to!"
"Why not?" said Garry, looking annoyed yet amused at the same time.
"Cuz Leia gots another spell! I want one too!" blubbered Ace, beginning to cry.
"Aww come on little dude!" said Garry punching Ace in the arm. "It's not like you won't get another one. Leia just got hers before you did, that's all."
"But it's not fair!" sobbed Ace. "I want it now!"
"I tell you what," said Garry, "why don't you come over to the table, and then we can work extra hard during the battle for your next spell, OK?"
"Really?" said Ace looking at his partner with open adoration. "OK. I'm hungry anyway."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
When Ace and Garry finally joined the table, Leia gave him an apologetic look but turned her attention back to her father. Zeno was giving a lecture about the upcoming battle.
"OK people, here's the plan. Since I was a spy for Zatch before Omaron attacked us, we may still be able to see Ghoust. He thinks I'm his little informant about Zikon. As long as he hasn't received word, he will let us near enough to attack." instructed Zeno. "Ghoust is a ghost Mamodo and so he can appear and disappear at will. With his spells, he can turn invisible, erect shields, and even possess people and Mamodo." Here, Zeno looked menacingly at the assembled audience. "Our strategy calls for the release of Governor Misho if he's being controlled, or removal if he's being manipulated."
"You are boring me, Zeno." said Brago with his usual tartness. "Can we just get the damned thing over with?"
"Very well. There is one thing to remember though." said Zatch suddenly. "If at all possible, we need to keep Ghoust here for interrogating. Leia and Ace, I believe you two have spells that freeze an opponent? Yes? Then LET'S GO!"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Almost 45 minutes later, a seemingly harmless ragtag bunch of homeless people were standing in front of Governor Misho's office doors. Zeno knocked and said the password to the Mamodo attendant inside. "Zikon shall reign supreme darkness over us all."
To the weak attendant inside, there seemed to be only his Boss's informant, Zeno. When the door opened, Laila located the human slave that was forced to be the book owner. With a hushed "MIGRON!" from Albert, the confused Mamodo was returned to the Mamodo World, before he could even shout or warn Ghoust.
Zeno strode forward to a second door, recessed in the wall, that apparently led him to a concealed room where Governor Misho and Ghoust were residing. Zeno shot Dufort an annoyed look and turned back to the door. Dufort nearly dropped his book in order to make Zeno's spell activate so Lirei stepped forward and punched the door off it's hinges with a Go Boren!.
Another annoyed look from Zeno and the group rushed in all together. A collective gasp ran through the assembled group. They were looking at the Mamodo World.
Through the stunned silence, Tia noticed a small movement in the underbrush down the hill they were standing on. "Megumi! Fourth Spell! NOW!"
Megumi rushed to open her book and shouted out the fourth spell. "GIGA LA SEOSHI!" An orange barrier like dome shot up around the bushes that Tia was staring at with intense concentration. With a grunt, Tia said to Ace and Leia, "Make sure when I release this barrier, Ghoust and Misho don't escape, got it?"
"We're ready!" said Leia and Ace simultaneously, as Garry and Kimmi pulled open their own books. "Ready!" said Garry. "Let's go!" said Kimmi.
With a sigh, Tia released the barrier that was keeping Ghoust in with his attacks. At the exact same moment, Garry shouted, "JIKERNA MA JIGRON!" while Kimmi shouted "MIKERDA MA MIGRON!"
The two spells hit one target each. Governor Misho was frozen trying to jump out of the way by Ace's darkish purple aura while Ghoust was trapped by Leia's light purple aura. Neither of them could move.
"Why isn't my Spell Book glowing anymore?" said Garry, looking confused. "The spell's still active and going strong."
"You just stepped into the Mamodo World, you idiot." said Brago. "Spell books are only optional. The spells are being sustained by the Twins' power alone now."
Looking back at Ace and Leia, sweat was starting to bead on their foreheads. "Can we please tie them up now? I can't keep this up for much longer!" shouted Leia with an added "Me too!" from Ace.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Ten minutes later, Governor Misho and Ghoust were back in the Human World, with Ghoust's dark gray spell book well out of reach of Governor Misho. Kiyo, Zatch, Li-en, Wonrei, Wonen, Zioch, Lirei, Zaela, Albert, Laila, Dufort and Zeno stepped up to Misho to get some answers while Sherry, Brago, Megumi, Tia, Kimmi, Leia, Garry, and Ace kept watch over Ghoust to make sure he didn't escape.
"Governor Misho, can you hear me?" asked Zioch.
"Of course I can you dolt. I'm right here."
"Don't get bitchy with us you ass," said Wonen defensively. "It's twenty against two here, and we can destroy both of you."
"Tell us what we want to know and you will be freed from Zikon's control by Lirei here." said Kiyo, quickly averting a disaster in interrogation.
"Control? You think I'm being CONTROLLED?" Misho began to laugh, a horrible, gruesome laugh that chilled Zaela to the core. "I'm very much able and willing in this case you fools! Zikon will destroy you all for this insolence!"
Everyone who heard this remark shared a worried look. The fact that the Governor maintained his free will was disturbing. "But why?" asked a bewildered Albert.
"For power, of course. When Master Zikon becomes King of both Worlds, he needs a few people to help him learn the workings of this world and to help him rule. I was promised the United States." Misho was grinning insanely.
Suddenly, a maniacal laugh escaped Ghoust's lips. "FOOLS!" Ghoust had managed to shimmy over to the magical doorway and place a finger in the Mamodo World while everyone was distracted by Misho. With this connection, Ghoust's powers were unlocked. A menacing hiss later, and Ghoust had disappeared, presumably to the Mamodo World and his Master, Zikon.
"DAMN HIM!" yelled Zeno furiously. "Now he's going to reveal me!"
"It's not like we could have done anything better than we did," said Dufort. "At least we caught the Governor."
"That's not all we did." said Wonen with a grin. "We got his spell book!"
"You're right!" exclaimed Zatch. "The only way for him to use his powers in this World is through that book. With us controlling his book, he can't use any spells here."
"Why don't we burn it then?" asked Wonen, motioning Zioch over to the desk where the book lay as he opened his Spell Book, looking for the Zeoshi spell.
"NO!" screamed Kiyo, jumping to protect the book. "As long as this book is here, he can't use any spells here without his partner. If we destroy the book, it returns to the Royal Archives, able to be reused and reactivated, for the same Mamodo."
"Oh! I get it!" said Albert. "If we keep the book, he's still registered with one and so can't get another one to use!"
"That's exactly right," said Zatch, pulling out the register eagerly. "An even better thing is that we can track the whereabouts of the Mamodo if we have his book."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Misho looked on in horror as the yellow-haired Mamodo picked up his gray Spell Book and seemingly placed it in the air above the little black register. The book flipped open and a hazy image of the invisible Ghoust appeared. The image solidified as Ghoust became tangible again. "I must warn the Master of the enemy's progress." said Ghoust.
"Perfect!" Misho heard the auburn haired Mamodo child say. "Now we can see where Zikon is AND where Ghoust it at the same time!"
GHOUST! DO NOT MOVE! thought Misho frantically, hoping that his proximity to the Mamodo World portal and Ghoust's ability to sense thoughts was strong enough to detect them. THE ENEMY CAN SEE YOU! DO NOT MOVE!
Misho's frantic thoughts were interrupted when Sherry turned to him and said, "As for you, I think the Governor has suddenly been found insane, don't you Brago?"
With a fearful look, Misho shrank into himself as the ten Mamodo, six Humans, and four Hybrids advanced upon him with malevolent looks in their eyes. Ghoust, if you can hear me, tell Master Zikon of my sacrifice. Maybe he can… "AHHHHHHHHH!"
TADA! There it is! How good was that! I hope it wasn't TOO violent... There is going to be so much more things better than this! I can't wait til I publish Chapters 12 and 13. It's a two parter! Enough of that, though! I can see you all drooling through the screen! ;)