Chapter: The Faction Secrets

It was nearing midnight as Nyx stepped out of the car. She drew her coat around her body, the cold night air making her breath visible in front of her. The Golden Guard shrugged the black headphones off his ears, still playing Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC, and stood there next to her.

They were standing at the edge of a valley bottom, looking out at mountains and a very, very empty field of green grass. Or rather illusion the empty field of green grass.

"According to GPS coordinates, this is here." Golden Guard said speaking for the first time in hours.

"Now to see if it's here." Nyx took a few steps forward, not paying much attention to the biting wind that swirled around her. After a few seconds of walking, her body collided with a stretchy field, much like the one separating the starting point and the magic portal's location.

One more step and she found herself on the other end of that bubble that kept secret of this place from the rest of the world. Whatever kind of artifact powered the illusion, had almost no effect on the material world.

Nyx gaze upon this place, and her first thought was, impressive. In the middle of the valley was a huge and imposing Indian style temple. The temple was much more gorgeous in person than it was in that photos from mission papers. She was able to see it, despite night darkness.

"We just stand here and stare?" the Golden Guard asked, though clearly in rhetoric based on his tone.

They began walking until they were in front of the temple. It took the combined strength of both of them to open rather heavy wooden door.

When inside, they were a little confused by what they saw. The place itself looked spotless, as if someone had been caring for it, but at the same time, it felt like no one had stepped foot there in a very long time.

The walls, the floor and the ceiling, they were mostly black, making the room that was already quite big, look even bigger than it really was. There was nothing, but twelve ancient statues, all of them of men and women in several fighting positions, all of them different and unique.

They walked through the room which lead them to a long hallway with a stone door at the end. The Golden Guard looked up at the door with a look of pride and confidence. "I've got this!"

Nyx shook her head with a smile, as if it was a joke, watching as the Golden Guard was attempting to kick down the door, and failing. He then tried ramming against it, also to no avail. He drew his revolver.

Unlike normal Faction agents' gun - Chiappa Rhino 50DS, this one has ten chambers, three times the power, is twice lighter of normal revolvers, and is loaded with a experimental bullets, that scoff in the face of physics.

"I love your thinking." Nyx put a hand in front of Golden Guard's revolver, slowly moving it back to get him to undraw his gun, "But violence isn't going to solve anything."

"How do you propose to do that? He asked skeptically.

"Let me take a look," said Nyx. She placed her hand on the door, and began examining it. "We can't open it without breaking the seal." She said, sliding one finger on the center of the door. There was a marking, in the shape of an isosceles triangle. Chauko then made a clicking sound. "Chauko said we should try translate this blurred inscription on walls."

The Golden Guard scoffed, "You're taking orders from a insect?"

Nyx glared at him, "No, I'm taking suggestions. And he has a name. Chauko."

"Whatever." He looked at walls, "Can you read it?"

Nyx approached the wall. There was a symbols, written in the ancient languag. Language of magic from when humans used to use the Ley lines to magic. She had learned the ancient language but didn't really take the time to study every word. Still Nyx could make out what the walls was saying. It was saying blood.

"Looks like we are required to make payment to pass this door."

"Payment?" said the Golden Guard. "We've got to give the door something?"

"Yes," Nyx nodded. "Blood."

"Seriously?" the teen says, slowly approaching her. He doesn't realize he's moving until he's behind the woman. "Why this kind of things always involve blood?"

"Blood is very powerful." Nyx say it like it's obvious, but most of the people she work with, didn't know this. "Also I think this door doubles as a blood oath door."

"Blood oath?" asked the Golden Guard, his interest piqued.

Nyx shrugged, rolling her eyes slightly as if half annoyed she had to fully explain it all. "By opening door, we agree follow the rules of this place."

The Golden Guard looked confused once more. "What rules?"

"Find out soon enough." Nyx replied bluntly, putting her hand inside her high boot and drawing out a short silver knife.

"Let's make this quick." the Golden Guard replied. He turned his left palm skyward and extended his palm to the blade in Nyx's hand. And to his astonishment, he get a little pat on the head.

"Put your hand down, Goldie, tickets is on me today." Nyx slighty grinned, making him take note of something in her mouth. It looks almost like the mandibles. But it was impossible... right?

"Do not call me that, I am not six." His eyes turn steely. "And I'm not afraid to spill a little blood."

"You're kid." Nyx replied. After a pause, she added, "You'll be have plenty of occasions to cut himself to draw blood in future."

The Golden Guard narrows his eyes but doesn't argue. Then Nyx slowly ran the blade through her hand. The blood was spleaking from her hand. She clenched the hand into a fist before extending the palm once again and placing it on the center of the door, right on the seal. The symbol began to glow a bright red color and emit a low, pulsating.

When the light finally faded, the seal disappeared and door slowly opening to a winding, stone staircase that led who-knows-where.

Nyx stepped through first, as though to prove the entryway was safe for passage. The Golden Guard kicked the rock and listening for a fall... it hit a bottom after a long time.

"Pretty deep."

Chauko made a sound that could only be interrupted as a scoff and Nyx smiled, "So try not to fall, Goldie."

The Golden Guard mocked Nyx by silently mimicking her, then followed the woman into the dark passageway and down the winding, stone staircase into an unfamiliar place.

As they walked, their footsteps echoing around the stone tunnel, glowing moss in the walls began to light the way. Brighter and brighter, the bioluminescence shined until, suddenly, the mouth of the passageway opened to reveal a cave.

But not a normal cave.

The cave looked like the inside of an old cathedral. You could fit in there maybe 200 people and still have room for a few more. This whole place was based on 13 crystal posts. The entire floor was carved with intricate symbols.

Nyx and the Golden Guard walked to plac where two brass statues stood at the end of the cave, guarding a bench with a object sitting on top. The woman walked over to it and wiped the dust and cobwebs away from the object. It was a long black box, marked with various red patterns.

"Box?" the Golden Guard approached, giving the box a curious but critical glance.

Nyx's tone changed to one of sarcasm as she replied, "This will go nicely in boss' ofice, right?"

"I know the important thing is what's inside."

"Then you want to open it?"

The Golden Guard looked from the black-red box to Nyx with suspicion. "It's not a bomb is it?"

That question makes her surprise, "It's not a bomb. And why would it be a bomb, by the way?"

"I've read the reports of your previous missions." The Golden Guard said with a shrug. "You've got a knack for get into and survival many deadly events. Bomb, stuff like that. They're always in your reports."

"True." Nyx looked at the brass guard that was on the left side and noticed a chain wrapped around its neck with a little emblem on the chain that looked suspiciously like the lock on the box. "But you're standing right here, clearly in the blast zone. And I never risking my partner's life. We are the Fraction. Since each of us serve and act-"

"To uncover the truth about the forgoten past. We always watch out for our people back." the Golden Guard realized, figuring out where she was going with it.

Ever since he was little, his carers has taught this phrase. However, the ones who knew what happens to agents who have failed the Lazarus, they see the irony of it.

"Well, do you want to open this or should l? Nyx asked the Golden Guard as she swung the chain from side to side in front of the teen.

He ignored question as he grabbed the chain from her hand and just reached for box, so his partner watching over his shoulder as he opened the box, a hum slipping from her.

Inside, sat a something that is a witch staff at first glance. But it wasn't staff. Actually, it was more like an recent mechanical version of witch staff. It looked impressive. Yet this mechanic staff lacked a palisman and had a wing with a red cracked orb for the tip.

"Ok... This is the part, where the hero, always sets off the booby trap and has to run for their life," The Golden Guard said still only having eyes on the staff.

"Only it isn'ta movie."

"So you think that nothing will happen."

"That's not what I said."

The two fell quiet, the Golden Guard just shruged "We came here for it."

He pulled staff out of the box. The room suddenly shook as a rumble echoed throughout the room, nearly making the couple lose their balance. Then a hidden doors opened in all walls. Creatures that looked like dead ancient soldiers partly covered with crystal just walked into the cave.

"Crystal zombie?" The Golden Guard asked Nyx, his tone was rather annoyed.

"Machines." she corrected, meeting her companion's eyes again. "Created with magic help but they are still machines."

The mechanic soldiers coming closer and closer, surrounding them.

"Remember aim for the head, not the heart." Nyx said, before she pulled two heavily curved shorts swords out. The blades were white with a bluish line running up the middle of each blade. The handles were red with black straps around them.

"Are you serious?" Golden Guard asked as pulled his gun, "Swords?"

"You can call me old-fashioned, but there's nothing more reliable than a good sword." Nyx argued before continuing on, "I'm actually betting that I will shatter more zombie than you."

"I'll take that bet." Golden Guard pulled the trigger sending a light imbued bullet right through nearest mechanic-crystal soldier's head.


Meanwhile, in another part of world, Profesor was inside his giant underground laboratory developing experimental...

"I'm Profesor of the Faction, and this is magic vine experiment 2-03 of which our organisation retrieved from a dragon crypt in Paris with the Lazarus' knowledge and order."

He said to camera taking one of the black vines in a capsule before putting it into a machine.

"In this stasis Capsule is a preserved vine sample weighing approximately six pounds." Profesor said before turning on the machine.

"I have postulated that these vines are a form of magic energy that does not occur naturally in what we call typical earth conditions." He said as the capsule glowed purple.

"This machine should transfer the energy from the vine into a battery using electrical currents, reverse magnetic polarity, and a little-known phenomenon I call the Lazarus-effect." Profesor said seeing the results.

"It's working. It's registering..." he said before things started to get out of control. The machine began to make a sound, very disturbing sounds.

"Update on log. The energy lost stability when it goes through machine."

Thats when purple lightning shot out at him making the man shutting the capsules down.

"Experiment 2-03. The lack of progress."

"I hope this little failure don't have a power to discourage you." The Lazarus said walking into Profesor's laboratory.

"Hallo, alter Freund. And No. A setback is really just a set-up for future accomplishment." Profesor smiled as grabbed the capsules, "So what can I do for you?"

"I want to know if basilisks are ready for their missions."

"Well... Numer 5 should be ready in a couple days for her mission. And number 3 is already ready and waiting only for transport. So, when Agent Nyx will return from-"

"Agent Nyx has been officially removed from participate in this operation." the Lazarus interjected suddenly.

Profesor gaped at him, completely baffled. "If Nyx had made a mistake, I can pretty much guarantee that I could-"

His boss raised his hand to silence him. "Agent Nyx've never failed and that hasn't changed."

"Then why?"

"I have found her a special assignment. Long-term." the Lazarus explained, his tone calm.

Upon hearing this Profesor asked his friends "Is this related to the Golden Guard and your latest discovery, mein Freund?"

"For someone who keeps repeating the phrases "a place where curiosity inevitably kills the cat", you sure ask a lot of questions."

Profesor turned and looked down to where the voice was. He saw a small, red skinned demon with scarlet eyes and yellow sclera, as well as a pair of conjoined hands that gave off the impression of hair tied into a bun. She was dressed in standard Faction agent uniform, but a silver snake-like pin was a sign of high-ranking position.

"Was machst du?"

The Lazarus has answered the question, "Kikimora is your new partner and the project manager, from this day forth, Profesor."

Profesor forced his mouth shut for a few seconds, not wanting to say anything he'd regret. Kikimora being tolerable, and was no doubt useful for the Faction. Especially given the fact that she is only Faction member that came from the Magic Realm. Still their relationship was "strained" ever since first meet.

"She will take care of number 3." The Lazarus stated, in a voice that no one dared argue with. "We also need to start the first phase of our Mangiaenergia-319 project. So, I expect numbers from 4 to 13 will be ready by the end of week."

Profesor typed in the data into his lab's mainframe. And frowns as he saw the results. "Ich fürchte, sir, it's going to require the higher dose of essence."

"It's all right, Profesor." The Lazarus looked oddly peaceful and said "I'll make sure got everything you need." then walked out.

Profesor watches the door, it locks behind him. Then turned to Kikimora who was watching some of blueprints on wall.

"Well, Kiki, it looks like we're alone."

"Then, will you take me to the basilisks, or should I found this part of your lab on my own?" Kikimora asked Profesor.

He looked over her as if he had a sour taste in his mouth, before tilting his head to motion for demonic woman to follow.


"And 57." the Golden Guard pulled the trigger one last time before shut the door. The seal on it came back to its place.

"Not bad." Nyx replied with a calm smile as they slowly went outside, "But I scored 65."

"Swords are still lame." His response floats alone in the cold air.

"I like your honesty, Goldie." she declared look up at the sky, it was a bit distorted by magic cover. "So, our dance partners are gone. That means there's only one thing left to do. Found artifact that powers those cloak of invisibility."

"You and your incest search the temple. I'll secure the staff." Tucking his gun back into his side-holster, the teen agent started walking towards the place where was car, with mechanic staff in left hand.

Nyx lifted an eyebrow at him, but followed Chauko up the stairs back to inside of the temple.

After several minutes, the Golden Guard reached near the border of the this valley. He can even saw a car, standing in a darkness.

"Where do you think you're going?" a mystery voice asked.

"You know I'm… wait a minute! Who said that?" The teen asked, after realizing the voice did not belong to Nyx.

Wind began to blow out of nowhere, creating a small whirlwind in front of him from which came out someone the Golden Guard was not expecting to see.

A stoutly built old man with a strong jaw, long gray hair, big bushy gray eyebrows and brown eyes. He wore a reddish-burgundy robe with a brown-colored sash. The robe had golden wave designs on the silver cuffs, as well as oval patterns on the back of the sleeves. To complete the look, he had a large iron amulet around his neck.

Don't have to be genius to see that amulet is artifact responsible for magical phenomena here.

"I warn you, put that staff back in box from where you took it from." His voice was smooth like skipping a stone on water and deep like the roar of a tiger. "Then leave and never return."

The man found a gun leveled at his forehead in less than two seconds, the Golden Guard's eyes locked on those of his possible victim.

"Okay, I've got a much better idea." He smirk, "You give me your amulet, and maybe your head will not boreahole."

The man stares at him for a long hard second. "You just sealed your fate, naive child."

Before the Golden Guard pull the trigger, the man hits him and send teen flying and drop the staff. As the Golden Guard about to stand up the man charge at boy, holding his right arm out with sharp knife in his hand.

Right before the man could cut him, the Golden Guard moved to his right. The Golden Guard got up and shot him in the back. This shot should've killed him. But he turned around and want to kick the teen in the stomach. He duck at the very last moment. Then kicked sand in a man's face.

The man yelled at the sand stings his eyes, and couldn't see the teen points a gun at him. The Golden Guard shot him in the face. Twice.

And then a second later the man fell backwards, blood spattered across some of the flowers.

The Golden Guard smirked, walked away to picked up staff. "And that takes care of-"

"Ow."

He know it was impossible, he kill this man. But he still turned around.

The teen's eyes widen when he watches the man got up off the ground... and then spit out these two bullets. He had blood on his face but no sign of gunshot wound.

"It looks like really is it third time lucky." The Golden Guard sighed as raise his gun.

"All right, kid, playtime's over." The man said as throw knife and knocked the gun away.

The Golden Guard has a brief moment to reach for his spare smaller gun in his leg holster before he felt something hit his smack dab in the left side, searing pain across it.

"AAAAAH!"

Blood dribbled from the boy's side, the warm liquid splashing against the grass. The Golden Guard crouch down with his right fist touching the floor.

The man charged at him with full speed, the Golden Guard see him coming put his arms together as a shield. When the man hit boy, he was sent flying.

His back hit the tree a few feet awey and felt the wood crack and indent upon his impact. He groaned and fell to the ground.

"Is that your best shot?" He said, looking at man blearily.

The man stood over him, another knife in his hand, "Let your soul rise to et-aaggh!"

A hand shot out from the shadow behind the man and grabbed the man. Nyx emerged from the darkness slowly choking the life out of the man.

"Amulet protects me from death." He croaked. If he was telling the truth, then he still feel pain. "You can't take it from me, neither kill me. Servant-monster."

"You want to bet?" Mandibles just popped out of Nyx mouth as she gazed into the eyes of man.

His eyes became bloodshot, his breathing becoming hoarser. Nyx raised him high in the air and planted a kiss on his lips. The man's panic lessened as he allowed whatever the woman was to infiltrate his mouth.

The Golden Guard grew confused. It wasn't until he saw that dust was piling up past the man's ankles. His eyes widened as he saw that the man was being sucked dry of the life. More of his body crumbled like soggy cookies. He was still deeply enraptured by Nyx's kiss and continued it even when his face was receding, revealing his muscles and eye sockets. His body completely disintegrated when the last of the life was robbed from him.

The Golden Guard stood here watching the scene in awe. This isn't the first time he've saw someone is killed. He grew up in the Faction... but for the first time in his life, saw somone sucked the life out of other person.

Nyx breathed a sigh and picked up a amulet before turned to her partner, "Are you okay?"

He winced. With a start, Nyx realized that her mandibles were still out, and quickly retracted them back into her mouth.

"What are you?" the Golden Guard asked, he had always known Nyx belongs to a group of special agents but he thought his companion is human.

"The Faction agent, like you." Nyx smiled, and it was pristine and free of the giant insect mandibles that people seemed to find so distressing. "I'm just slightly modified by Professor."

"Professor took the mandibles out of large vampire-bug and put them in your moouth?" Golden Guard know a man called Professor, of whom little is known. In fact, no one knew anything at all about him, other than the fact he's the Lazarus' right-hand man. And mad scientist.

"No, silly." continued Nyx, her voice remaining eerily steady, "He made that I was born this way."

It's silent for a moment until the Golden Guard says, "So, you are like Warden Wrat."

"Kinda." Nyx responded truthfully, thinking about her "brother", they might be different but still share some genes, "But I'm better than he is."

"You definitely do look better than him. This vampire-kiss was pretty cool, by the way." the Golden Guard wasn't really impressed, but she just save him so then at least he should say something nice.

"Want to see what Chauko can?"

"I'd rather get back in your car and find a first aid kit." He said when adrenaline faded and then he feel dizzy from blood loss. Pain's set in, too.

He started going towards the car, but Nyx grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. Before he said something, Chauko crawled out of her sleeve and went up onto boy's arm. Then the insect-like creature spat a glows green substance on teen's deep wound.

The Golden Guard still frozen in place, felt a slight tingling and numbing sensation go across his side. The wound pushed itself back together from the inside out, and within moments; closed without as much as a scar.

"Maybe you're not as useless as I thought." He told Chauko. Instead of a verbal(crickets) answer, a slight pinch boy's hand was Chauko's response, which cause a soft wave of laughter to emerge from Nyx's lips.

"Okay, Goldie. It's time to go home."


The Lazarus walked through the long corridors of the Faction headquarters in the direction of his special room. He still had a few things to do and he wanted to take advantage of the fact that it was still early.

He walked through the last tunnel which lead him to a long hallway with a iron door at the end. He spinning the lock pulling it out before spinning it clockwise twice and then spinning it counter clockwise once before he pushed it back in.

The door unlocked with a soft metalic sound as the Lazarus took the key out of it. He walked into the room where lighting was dimmed.

It was dark, round room, with a narrow walkway around the edge, several bookshelves on the upper level, roundels on the walls, a high, curved ceiling, a white double door in one corner. A six sided control console with a tall glass column in the middle that disappeared up into the ceiling, and two other control consoles on either side of it.

The glass column wasn't a normalna formation. It wasn't static. A quiet whispering sound seemed to come from it, almost like wind chimes. And most importantly, the palisman was trapped trapped inside it.

"Hello again, little one." The Lazarus voice was cool with just the faintest hint of compassion, which made it sound infinitely crueler.

The palisman looked at man with such hatred...

"I would have preferred it, if it hadn't come to this," the Lazarus sighed in disappointment, almost like a parent scolding a child, talking mostly to himself, his voice wilting. "We both know this. Things would have been much smoother and easier had he been alive."

Then the palisman made this really terrible high-pitched squeal. The sound was horrendously loud - vibrating through whole room.

And yet the Lazarus stand still. He even smiled when he felt the blood coming out of his ear.

Then the various voluminous engraved glass elements in room started crashing, but not the glass column in which palisman was trapped. However it was not something extraordinary. That the wall is made out of Azbantium, a mineral four hundred times tougher than diamond.

"Your determination impresses me, but you should understand, at long last, that the Faction need you and that you're not leaving here without my permission."

The high-pitched squeal was cut short as the Lazarus pressed the button. The palisman remained silent for a moment. Then was ready, make that dangerous sound.

"Save your strength Unniass, you will need it." He gave palisman a smile. It wasn't a kind one. "And I need some essence."

He pulled the lever, and then the machine went "beep". Unniass' exclamation of pain echoing on the secret room's walls.


Douxie's eyes snapping wide open, he found himself lying down on running water. Sitting up in shock, he looked around to try to ascertain what happened.

"What? Is this a sewer? How the hex did I get in here?"

Standing up, the young wizard gave the grimy, filthy walls a cursory look, before looking down at the water that reached his ankles.

Looking up, Douxie saw two sets of pipes, a cluster of arm-thick pipes, with a glowing... something... shining from them, and a single, thicker pipe, leaking some bluish-white water from a few points.

His focus was pulled by what sounded like a gut-shot animal coming from the end of a tunnel.

Walking towards it out of curiosity, Douxie found himself crossing through various different pathways, the shining pipe always in sight of him, as the desperate for pain became louder, and more regular.

A crystal cage came into sight for Douxie, huge, grated birdcage, taller than him, strapped in black chains, and with only a piece of paper instead of the lock with the Faction symbol on them.

Then a goldish-white pair of eyes light from the cage.

Douxie can't shake the feeling that this eyes ring a bell. Like he'd seen them before...

He gasped and walk forwards, only to be yanked back by two hands on his shoulders. One hand covered by iron gauntlet. The second hand covered with scars. Both as cold as a death.

Douxie gulped when he looked at reflection in the water.

It was dark, ripples in water. But the young wizard saw two tall characters standing behind him. Man on the left wear a white suit, his face was hidden from view where he stood in shadows. The other figure wore a gold mask with long, upward horns that bore hollow eyes that almost felt like they could see through Douxie's very soul. Their entire body was covered by a large white cloak with golden trim at the very end.

The strangers were mumbling some weird, unrelated words. Whatever was inside the cage closed its eyes.

Douxie knew something bad is going to happen now. So he pressed the symbol on his charm bracelet just as he feels something cuts through his back and went right through him.

.

..

...

Douxie woke up startled, sitting up in bed with his eyes wide and his heart pounding inside his ribcage, as if it was going to burst from it.

Flashes of the weird dream passed once again in front of his eyes.

Taking deep breaths, he tried to slow heart down, though it was not easy. He felt Archie jumped on the bed.

"Douxie?" The cat-familiar asked as he turned around towards him, "Is everything ok?"

"Yes. It was… a nightmare." Douxie blurts out unthinkingly but it is the truth.

Archie's ears flopping slightly as his exclamation but then he looks down at the ground instead of meeting his eyes. The familiar know from experience that wizards' dream can be prophetic. "What was the dream?"

"I..." Douxie paused, his mind's a total blank. "All I remember is pain... and a tall figure wearing a mask."


Author Note: And that's it for this chapter. I hope you like this one.

Also thank you all for ideas for Luz's dragon name. I did not know what to choose. I like them all... So, I'll pull name out of a hat. In next chapter we see who'll win.

See ya ;-)