Chapter 25
Marcus was still cursing when Julian came back. The white mage crossed the room and dropped another armload of staves and rods in front of the red mage.
Marcus looked up. "How's the arm?" he asked.
Julian rubbed his arm briskly with the other. "It still tingles a bit. I'll be fine."
Marcus nodded and began sorting the staves and rods into different piles. "Are there any more?" he asked eventually.
Julian sighed quietly. "No that's it."
"Good," said Serpentarius walking in with an armload of books. He placed them on the same table as Marcus. He began wiping soot off of the covers.
Marcus stared at an ornate staff with spiral patterns. "I know this one. Belonged to a guy named Michael."
Octavia came in with another pile of books. She added hers to Serpentarius.
"Friend of yours?" said Julian.
Marcus smirked. "Hated him."
"How many?" asked Serpentarius.
Julian shifted a bit on his feet. "Well a few are still touch and go, but so far it's thirty-nine."
"Thirty-nine," echoed Serpentarius. "And how many Espers?"
Marcus and Octavia were now staring at Serpentarius quizzically. Julian briefly met their gaze and then consulted his scroll. "Still forty- one," he said quietly.
Serpentarius nodded and began scrubbing the book covers more viciously. "So which of us are going to pay the balance of this debt?"
Julian blinked, appalled. "Balance? You can't mean that!"
He went on scrubbing. "Why not? It's obvious to me now that Poltergeist has turned against us."
"Don't talk like that!" said Octavia.
He smiled emptily. "Why? Do you plan to fight her? Do you think we can win?"
Octavia shook her head. "You're babbling. Why would we want to fight Poltergeist?"
Serpentarius began to chuckle. There was no humor in the creepy hollow sounds coming from his throat. "Octavia, you bimbo! We don't want to fight her, but we will!"
Marcus slammed the staves on the table with a clatter. "Shut up Ghost!"
Serpentarius stopped scrubbing. "Make me," he said darkly.
Julian stood between them. "Enough!" he said.
Marcus drew his staff from his belt and used it to push Julian off to one side. "Stop trying to protect him. It's clear that Ghost doesn't deserve to be in the Raj."
Serpentarius defiantly met his gaze. "Only the Headmaster can expel me. Want to ask him?"
Marcus nodded and strode off. The others quickly followed him up several flights of stairs into the headmaster's room, which was in shambles. Headmaster Trent was busy clearing plaster from his desk. Several professors were in the room with him.
"Ah good," said Trent. "How's the clean up going Marcus?"
Marcus stood stiffly. "We're almost done sorting the effects. However, Serpentarius has said some disgraceful things about Poltergeist! I ask that he be expelled from the Raj and the Academy as well!" He shot an angry glance at Serpentarius who stood there impassively.
Trent waved a hand. "Out of the question. I need all my Mage Knights. If you need extra help I can assign Ganamede to the Raj."
Marcus looked unhappy at the news. "Sir, please reconsider!"
Trent stared down at Marcus. "Don't question my authority Marcus! We're going to war! We have to teach Asgard a lesson!"
"Has the Confederation approved yet?" asked Julian.
Trent nodded. "General Conrad, Magus Balthazar, and I have agreed that war is our only option. So I want you boys to do me a favor. Go and revive the Atma Weapon."
Octavia gasped. "Atma Weapon! But Headmaster, is that a good idea?"
"We can use the Atma Key." Said an elderly professor sitting against the wall.
Trent nodded. "Professor Donner is correct. With the Key we can control Atma Weapon this time."
"My predecessors could not control the energy power level," said Donner. "However the Key can convert that power into physical power. You can easily subdue it."
"Where do we find the Key?" asked Serpentarius.
"It's with Atma Weapon," said Donner. "Well according the records."
"So where is Atma Weapon?" asked Marcus.
"That we're not sure of that," said Donner. "All we have is a reference to using the Temples as a guide."
"All of them?" asked Julian, scratching his head. "That will take some time. And two of them are in enemy territory."
"Well get started," said Trent. "Use Alexander and Ganamede to cover more ground."
"We could use Golem too," added Octavia.
Donner shook his head. "We're still digging rubble out of the foundations but Golem isn't there."
"Go," said Trent. "Make them bleed."
Marcus was still cursing when Julian came back. The white mage crossed the room and dropped another armload of staves and rods in front of the red mage.
Marcus looked up. "How's the arm?" he asked.
Julian rubbed his arm briskly with the other. "It still tingles a bit. I'll be fine."
Marcus nodded and began sorting the staves and rods into different piles. "Are there any more?" he asked eventually.
Julian sighed quietly. "No that's it."
"Good," said Serpentarius walking in with an armload of books. He placed them on the same table as Marcus. He began wiping soot off of the covers.
Marcus stared at an ornate staff with spiral patterns. "I know this one. Belonged to a guy named Michael."
Octavia came in with another pile of books. She added hers to Serpentarius.
"Friend of yours?" said Julian.
Marcus smirked. "Hated him."
"How many?" asked Serpentarius.
Julian shifted a bit on his feet. "Well a few are still touch and go, but so far it's thirty-nine."
"Thirty-nine," echoed Serpentarius. "And how many Espers?"
Marcus and Octavia were now staring at Serpentarius quizzically. Julian briefly met their gaze and then consulted his scroll. "Still forty- one," he said quietly.
Serpentarius nodded and began scrubbing the book covers more viciously. "So which of us are going to pay the balance of this debt?"
Julian blinked, appalled. "Balance? You can't mean that!"
He went on scrubbing. "Why not? It's obvious to me now that Poltergeist has turned against us."
"Don't talk like that!" said Octavia.
He smiled emptily. "Why? Do you plan to fight her? Do you think we can win?"
Octavia shook her head. "You're babbling. Why would we want to fight Poltergeist?"
Serpentarius began to chuckle. There was no humor in the creepy hollow sounds coming from his throat. "Octavia, you bimbo! We don't want to fight her, but we will!"
Marcus slammed the staves on the table with a clatter. "Shut up Ghost!"
Serpentarius stopped scrubbing. "Make me," he said darkly.
Julian stood between them. "Enough!" he said.
Marcus drew his staff from his belt and used it to push Julian off to one side. "Stop trying to protect him. It's clear that Ghost doesn't deserve to be in the Raj."
Serpentarius defiantly met his gaze. "Only the Headmaster can expel me. Want to ask him?"
Marcus nodded and strode off. The others quickly followed him up several flights of stairs into the headmaster's room, which was in shambles. Headmaster Trent was busy clearing plaster from his desk. Several professors were in the room with him.
"Ah good," said Trent. "How's the clean up going Marcus?"
Marcus stood stiffly. "We're almost done sorting the effects. However, Serpentarius has said some disgraceful things about Poltergeist! I ask that he be expelled from the Raj and the Academy as well!" He shot an angry glance at Serpentarius who stood there impassively.
Trent waved a hand. "Out of the question. I need all my Mage Knights. If you need extra help I can assign Ganamede to the Raj."
Marcus looked unhappy at the news. "Sir, please reconsider!"
Trent stared down at Marcus. "Don't question my authority Marcus! We're going to war! We have to teach Asgard a lesson!"
"Has the Confederation approved yet?" asked Julian.
Trent nodded. "General Conrad, Magus Balthazar, and I have agreed that war is our only option. So I want you boys to do me a favor. Go and revive the Atma Weapon."
Octavia gasped. "Atma Weapon! But Headmaster, is that a good idea?"
"We can use the Atma Key." Said an elderly professor sitting against the wall.
Trent nodded. "Professor Donner is correct. With the Key we can control Atma Weapon this time."
"My predecessors could not control the energy power level," said Donner. "However the Key can convert that power into physical power. You can easily subdue it."
"Where do we find the Key?" asked Serpentarius.
"It's with Atma Weapon," said Donner. "Well according the records."
"So where is Atma Weapon?" asked Marcus.
"That we're not sure of that," said Donner. "All we have is a reference to using the Temples as a guide."
"All of them?" asked Julian, scratching his head. "That will take some time. And two of them are in enemy territory."
"Well get started," said Trent. "Use Alexander and Ganamede to cover more ground."
"We could use Golem too," added Octavia.
Donner shook his head. "We're still digging rubble out of the foundations but Golem isn't there."
"Go," said Trent. "Make them bleed."