Chapter 37
Balthazar sat cross-legged on the floor of the temple and meditated before the statue of Poltergeist. He grimaced as if he heard the whispers of angry voices. He took a deep breath.
"Will Gaspar and Melchior at least be spared?" he asked.
Sweat appeared on his brow. He cringed, as if being physically pushed down.
"I understand. Of course they will be made to pay," he said reassuringly.
A hand touched his shoulder. He nearly screamed and picked up his cane. He looked up to see a woman with unkempt silver hair and yellow predatory eyes that registered surprise. She was dressed in a dark brown tunic and a white fur lined cape. One lock of her hair was braided with feathers and a golden sickle hung from her belt.
"What are you doing here?" Balthazar sputtered, trying to stand up. She lifted him to his feet easily with one hand.
"You're pushing yourself too hard, Magus," she said, dusting off the hem of his robe.
Balthazar pulled his robe out of her grip. "I told you never to come back here Fenrir, and I meant it!"
Fenrir smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Magus, can't you just say you're glad to see me?"
Balthazar snorted and turned to face the statue again. "The Raj will be here soon. You had better leave before then."
She paled and dropped her hand. "They almost found me a year back," she said trying to keep from trembling.
He glanced back at her.
"I am glad to see you again young pup," he said his expression softening a bit, "But why return here?"
She put a hand to her forehead and sighed intensely. "I need to know the truth. You always told us that we were special."
Balthazar nodded. "You were given a gift by Poltergeist."
"Did Poltergeist create us to be used by the Magic Academy?" she asked.
He looked at her sorrowfully.
"I never had to courage to ask her," he finally said.
They regarded each other silently.
"What happened to the others?" she asked.
"The ones that Odin freed are in Asgard now," he said, "They rescued the survivors in the Academy."
She stared at him lost in thought. Balthazar quietly played with the carved skull on the cane.
A young boy with black hair with a white streak and a red cape emerged from a dark passage and grabbed her cape. She gazed down at him and smiled. He looked up, his large green eyes regarding her inquisitively, then at the Magus.
"Who is this?" asked Balthazar.
"I'm not sure," she replied, "He's a stray Esper I found hiding in a cave."
"What's your name little one?" he asked.
The boy stared at him solemnly.
"He hasn't said a word since I found him," said Fenrir sadly, "So I don't know his name."
"Well call him something until he can tell you," replied Balthazar.
She nodded and picked up the boy. "I will look for the others."
"Fenrir," said Balthazar, "Will you fight for Eboshi or against her?"
She smiled darkly. "I would only fight for you Magus. Eboshi and the Academy can go to hell!"
She bowed and left through the main passage. Some time after they had gone Marcus found the Magus standing alone in the room gazing at the doorway.
"Uh, Magus?" he asked tentatively.
Balthazar at looked at him evenly, "Ah, what news my boy?"
Marcus shifted on his feet uneasily. "It was a tough battle, but we subdued him."
"Good," said Blathazar, "Make sure it is ready for battle within the week."
Marcus nodded and looked at the doorway.
"Was someone else here?" he asked eventually.
Balthazar gave a creepy smile. "I saw an old friend."
Marcus bowed and got the hell out of there.
Balthazar sat cross-legged on the floor of the temple and meditated before the statue of Poltergeist. He grimaced as if he heard the whispers of angry voices. He took a deep breath.
"Will Gaspar and Melchior at least be spared?" he asked.
Sweat appeared on his brow. He cringed, as if being physically pushed down.
"I understand. Of course they will be made to pay," he said reassuringly.
A hand touched his shoulder. He nearly screamed and picked up his cane. He looked up to see a woman with unkempt silver hair and yellow predatory eyes that registered surprise. She was dressed in a dark brown tunic and a white fur lined cape. One lock of her hair was braided with feathers and a golden sickle hung from her belt.
"What are you doing here?" Balthazar sputtered, trying to stand up. She lifted him to his feet easily with one hand.
"You're pushing yourself too hard, Magus," she said, dusting off the hem of his robe.
Balthazar pulled his robe out of her grip. "I told you never to come back here Fenrir, and I meant it!"
Fenrir smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Magus, can't you just say you're glad to see me?"
Balthazar snorted and turned to face the statue again. "The Raj will be here soon. You had better leave before then."
She paled and dropped her hand. "They almost found me a year back," she said trying to keep from trembling.
He glanced back at her.
"I am glad to see you again young pup," he said his expression softening a bit, "But why return here?"
She put a hand to her forehead and sighed intensely. "I need to know the truth. You always told us that we were special."
Balthazar nodded. "You were given a gift by Poltergeist."
"Did Poltergeist create us to be used by the Magic Academy?" she asked.
He looked at her sorrowfully.
"I never had to courage to ask her," he finally said.
They regarded each other silently.
"What happened to the others?" she asked.
"The ones that Odin freed are in Asgard now," he said, "They rescued the survivors in the Academy."
She stared at him lost in thought. Balthazar quietly played with the carved skull on the cane.
A young boy with black hair with a white streak and a red cape emerged from a dark passage and grabbed her cape. She gazed down at him and smiled. He looked up, his large green eyes regarding her inquisitively, then at the Magus.
"Who is this?" asked Balthazar.
"I'm not sure," she replied, "He's a stray Esper I found hiding in a cave."
"What's your name little one?" he asked.
The boy stared at him solemnly.
"He hasn't said a word since I found him," said Fenrir sadly, "So I don't know his name."
"Well call him something until he can tell you," replied Balthazar.
She nodded and picked up the boy. "I will look for the others."
"Fenrir," said Balthazar, "Will you fight for Eboshi or against her?"
She smiled darkly. "I would only fight for you Magus. Eboshi and the Academy can go to hell!"
She bowed and left through the main passage. Some time after they had gone Marcus found the Magus standing alone in the room gazing at the doorway.
"Uh, Magus?" he asked tentatively.
Balthazar at looked at him evenly, "Ah, what news my boy?"
Marcus shifted on his feet uneasily. "It was a tough battle, but we subdued him."
"Good," said Blathazar, "Make sure it is ready for battle within the week."
Marcus nodded and looked at the doorway.
"Was someone else here?" he asked eventually.
Balthazar gave a creepy smile. "I saw an old friend."
Marcus bowed and got the hell out of there.