Chapter 10
"Left here," Mr. Tanaka said. "Then there will be an underground garage on the right."
Percival nodded as he turned. He only hoped that they would get there in time to save Merlin. The police car pulled into an alleyway and drove through the entrance to the parking garage. A security guard flagged him down. Percival held up his badge. "I'm here on official police business."
The guard nodded. "Go ahead."
"Thanks."
For all intents and purposes, this appeared to be a perfectly normal parking garage. There was a toll booth. Cars lined the parking ramp all the way around.
"If we park up here, we'll draw less attention," Mr. Tanaka said. "The entrance is not open to the public and is guarded."
"I have a badge," Percival reminded him. "And a gun."
"True, but they'll have magic."
"What do you suggest?"
"You let us in," Gwaine said. "They think you're working with them still, right?"
"Yeah, but Perc is a police officer."
"Tell them he's on their side and was hired for added security."
"It could work," Percival said.
"All right," Mr. Tanaka replied. "We'll try it. I have an idea of where they're holding your wizard."
"Warlock," Percival and Gwaine responded at the same time.
The police car was parked in a corner. The three got out and walked quickly down the ramp. It was several floors before they finally arrived at an unmarked beige door that blended in nearly perfectly with the wall. If they weren't looking for it, the door would have been easy to miss.
"The guards will be right inside," Mr. Tanaka explained. "Let me knock first."
The Japanese man approached and knocked on the door. It opened slowly.
"Ah, Mr. Tanaka. So good of you to join us. What's this?" the guard asked, looking around.
"They are allies," Mr. Tanaka answered. "Extra security personnel. One of them is a trained police officer. Mr. Sato thought they might be needed tonight with our proceedings."
"That is good. You may enter. Please, follow me."
The guard ushered them both through the hallway, which was dimly lit by one light in the ceiling that flickered. Only one of three bulbs in the light remained. Through the dingy corridor, they were led to a dark room. The guard flicked on a light switch and there, Percival could see Merlin locked in a cage of some sort.
The warlock sat up at the noise. He gave no sign of recognition.
"We are nearly ready to begin the ritual," said the guard. "We are only waiting for..."
There was a sudden green flash of light in the room as Morgana and Baba Yaga appeared, along with the sleeping Endellion in tow. Morgana gasped as she saw them.
"What are you two doing here?"
"Long time no see, Morgana," Gwaine said, grinning.
The guard raised his hand to activate a beeper alarm that he carried in his pocket, but Gwaine quickly knocked him out cold. As the guard fell, he dropped his taser, which the former knight picked up. It was better than nothing, although he wished for at least a knife.
"Look out," Merlin shouted as Baba Yaga began to cast a spell in the draconic language.
Percival took out his gun and aimed at her. He fired.
"Fool! Do you think mere bullets can damage me?" Lightning danced on the Russian witch's fingertips.
The bullet struck her in the chest. She laughed and tossed a ball of lightning at him. He hit the ground.
"What the..."
"She's a dragon," Merlin exclaimed. "You have to get me out of here."
"How, mate?" Gwaine asked as Morgana lobbed an energy blast at him. He pressed himself flat against the wall to dodge it. The blast hit the adjacent wall and created a large burnt hole.
The warlock looked at the red-haired young woman who was currently sound asleep on the floor. He sensed strong magic coming from her, even stronger than that of the dragon. Could it be? He looked at her with magical sight. Her aura was the color of flames, and even looked like flames licking the air.
"Wake up the girl," he shouted. "She's the phoenix!"
"You will not stop us," Morgana declared, one hand on the staff of Hermes. In her other hand, she held a black gem.
"We must perform the ritual now," Baba Yaga exclaimed. "Give me the gem!"
Percival slowly crept towards the girl on the floor behind the witches, being careful to not make a sound. Morgana handed the jewel over. The Russian witch held the black gem, the dark blue gem, and the purple gem up in her hand. She began to chant in the draconic language again.
Meanwhile, Gwaine realized what Percival was doing and made as much a distraction of himself as he could.
"For Camelot," he yelled, charging Morgana with the taser.
As Morgana cast a spell at him, Percival shook the girl gently. Endellion's eyes remained shut, so he shook her again. Finally, the girl blinked and looked at him. Percival put his finger to his lips and shook his head as Gwaine dodged another energy blast.
The phoenix and Percival crept towards the wall. As they did, the jewels in Baba Yaga's hand formed a shimmering sphere with black, blue, and purple swirls. Tiny gold flecks in it glittered in the dim light.
"Now that we have the Sphere of Titans, you will not be able to defeat us," Morgana shouted.
Suddenly, the air grew immensely hot, as a jet of flames was aimed at Baba Yaga.
"No," she roared in her dragon's voice. Quickly, she cast a shield spell so the flames would not hurt her. "What's this? You cannot be awake!"
"Oh, but I am," the phoenix replied, glaring with eyes like rubies. "Release Merlin, or I will burn you."
"Perhaps your mother's memories did not include very many dragons," Baba Yaga said, returning the glare. "It takes a lot of fire to harm us."
Endellion switched to her fire form then, but a smaller version. Her true form would take up much of the room. "Well, then it is a good thing I have a lot of fire."
Baba Yaga handed the sphere to Morgana. "Finish the ritual. I will take care of her."
"As you wish." Morgana started to chant as Baba Yaga threw chain lightning at the phoenix. She rose into the air, and the two former knights ducked to avoid the spell's effects. Some of the lightning touched the bars of Merlin's cage. It glowed red as an anti-magic shield was formed around it.
Endellion lobbed a fire ball at the dragon, who cackled as she absorbed it. Morgana kept on chanting. Gwaine ran at her with the taser, but she telekinetically threw him against the wall. He dropped the taser as he lost consciousness.
Percival raised his gun. However, his target was not Morgana or Baba Yaga. He fired and shot the lock on the cage. It hit and swung open.
"Thanks," Merlin said, stepping outside.
"No problem," Percival replied.
"Astrice," the warlock shouted.
A red beam of energy shot out of his hand and struck the sphere that Morgana held. The witch cursed as it glowed bright red and became to hot to hold. She dropped it, but it did not break. Instead, it rolled towards the far wall and stopped when it hit the cement.
"You will pay for that," Morgana vowed.
Enraged, Baba Yaga sent a blast of ice toward the phoenix. "You will not defeat me!"
"There is something you do not realize, Pyralis."
"What?" the dragon shrieked. "How do you know my name?" she thundered.
"You have, perhaps, forgotten that you knew my mother. She fought you all those centuries ago."
Baba Yaga glared at the phoenix. "Who was she?"
"Her name was Halia. She fought you in the Siege of the Shadowlands."
That had been over two millennia ago. Unrecorded in any history book save those kept by the magical community, the Siege of the Shadowlands took place against the backdrop of ancient Europe. Back then, there were few cities, just small villages, larger villages, and castles.
The Shadowlands were a mystical land in-between the veils. The sidhe and humans had been at war for centuries, and the humans had chased the fae folk back into their native Shadowlands. However, not content to stay in their lands, the humans had ventured further. The sidhe had lashed out, causing a few minor skirmishes that did actually get recorded in history books. But, of course, there was no mention of magic since the humans won.
It had been a huge battle in the realm of the sidhe. The dragonlords had used their dragons against the sidhe magic, but the sidhe had one thing more powerful: a platoon of phoenix. You see, one phoenix was more powerful than half a dozen dragons, and so the humans did not stand much of a chance. The sidhe chased the humans out and magically sealed the border to the Shadowlands. It remained closed to this day.
The dragon roared then, but Merlin used his dragonlord magic against her. He shouted in the ancient language, commanding her to stop.
"No," Baba Yaga screeched.
Merlin cast another spell. Roots rose up from the floor and entangled themselves around her legs. Morgana made a run for the orb, but Percival raised his gun again and shot her, this time in the leg.
"Will you never learn?" the former knight asked.
She tripped and fell. As she did, her fingers brushed across the orb and it rolled away from her. "I will not be captured by the likes of you," Morgana sneered. She grabbed the golden staff that she had dropped, cast the teleportation spell, and vanished in a flash of green light.
"Blast," Merlin said as she teleported out.
"I'm sure we'll have another opportunity to catch her," Percival replied.
"I will take Baba Yaga to the Druidic council. Take the phoenix to my house. She needs a place to stay for the time being."
He nodded. The warlock chanted the teleportation spell and vanished with the dragon.
"Why did you shoot to wound? She would not have given you the same chance," Endellion asked, as she regained her human form.
"Just because I'm no longer a knight doesn't mean that I don't have honor. Besides, capturing an enemy alive is preferable. That way, they can be questioned."
He helped Gwaine get back to his feet.
"Ugh," the former knight said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Come on," said Percival. "My car's outside."
Mr. Tanaka had left, presumably while the battle was still going on. There were no guards left in the hallway. When they got to the parking garage, Gwaine held the door open for Endellion.
"It's all right," he said as she hesitated. "It's just a car. It won't bite."
"I've seen cars from a distance," she replied.
"Well, now you get to ride in one."
As Percival drove the car out of the garage, Endellion wondered just what the future had in store for her.