Author's Note: Hey, what's up guys? Scarce here, and this month I decided to do a double upload. Enjoy!
Yawning to myself, I rub my eyes, our journey through the caves almost complete.
It's hard to believe that it's been over twenty four hours since I met Bruno, and in those twenty four hours, none of it has gone to slumber.
I believe the adrenaline that once fueled my body has now been used up, leaving me in a half awake state.
But at least now our journey is nearly over.
John's eyes scan over the strong and sturdy marble statue, himself taking a labored breath, perhaps a ting of fear riding on him as we stand next to him.
Even with the age John has under his belt, I'm sure facing a Roman god is something he's never scratched off his bucket list, nor was it something he'd ever want to do. I know I'm in that same boat.
Nothing has changed since my last visit. The same emblem of a fasces still decorates the floor, likewise the bust is still doing the Roman salute, still clad in legionare armor, as if he's some great hero.
Suddenly, a warm and welcoming voice comes from the statue, from Mendacius.
"Ah, John Diehl, the man of the hour, is finally in my grand presence. I've been waiting for you for a long time. Now, would you kindly step on that seal on the floor?" He tells John, referring to the fasces seal on the ground, the place where I was once questioned.
I can't believe that I'm in the middle of all of this.
I just had to go out in the forest to practice, in the same spot, at the same time that Bruno happened to walk by.
This whole mess could've been avoided had I just slept in.
I wish I could just close my eyes, that this is all just a dream, and wake up safe in my bed. I'm not even entirely sure just what is going on, just what is going to happen. I'm being led by Bruno, himself being led by Mendacious, the god of deception and lies, not a very comforting thought.
John turns towards us, his dull eyes staring at us, perhaps expecting further instructions.
All he gets is a weak nod from Bruno, encouraging him to follow Mendacius's will.
It was just an idle thought earlier, but now I know that Bruno is just as blind as the rest of us. He has as much of an idea of what is about to happen as we do.
After a few seconds of further contemplating, John slowly shuffles himself onto the seal.
Suddenly, but expectantly, the same steel cage that once held me, falls down, imprisoning him.
The old man doesn't even flinch as Mendacius releases a loud cackling laugh, his good natured façade gone with the wind.
"Ah ha ha ha ha! You foolish fool, thinking you could trust the god of deception and lies. I have been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Now John Diehl, I shall punish you for what your ancestors did, all those years ago." His voice turns more cruel. "Submit to me! And your punishment shall be less…severe."
John takes a deep breath through his nose, his body slightly shaking.
He must feel like the loneliest man in the world right now. I can only imagine the fear he must be feeling, and can only admire just how well he is able to hide it.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Mendacius impatiently asks. "I'm just dying for the answer."
"Okay, okay!" John suddenly bursts out, the slightest tremble in his voice. "I submit, Mendacius!"
He then turns to us, his gaze on Bruno and I, but his words still on Mendacius.
"Now that you have me, just leave the boy alone. He should have no part in this. Let him go."
Even from the unmoving mouth of the statue, I can still hear the mumbled giggles of Mendacius.
"I do what I want with my subjects, just as I do what I want with my enemies..."
Without a chance for John to counter, a black mist, radiating evil intent, consumes the cage, blocking our field of view.
My spine chills and trembles as I hear a loud moan coming from the cage, as if John were under a great deal of pain. The loud metallic clang of something hitting the bars rings throughout the room, followed by a gaspy wheeze, and then dead silence.
I can feel my heart begin to grow cold and icy as I understand that John may have just felt Mendacius's wrath, whatever that might be.
Slowly, but surely, the mist subsides, revealing John Diehl standing, the cage now gone, facing us with an unamused expression.
He looks completely calm, and undisturbed, with slightly unkempt hair being the only sign of a struggle.
A part of me wants to just run up to John, to hug him, overjoyed that he is alright.
But...I'm not sure if he's alright, or even, if he's there at all.
With his hands behind his back, he confidently walks towards me.
"Congratulations Theodore Sempronia." His voice hollow and unamused, a mix of John's and Mendacius's.
No, it can't be. A possession? Has Mendacius used John as a host body?
"Mendacius?" I ask, my past fear now beginning to mix with curiosity.
"I'm impressed. No ordinary teenager could defeat a Cyclops, especially one trained by me. And thinking of summoning The Raven Man to find John Diehl? Genius. Speaking of John Diehl, I never thought he was this old, but I suppose any worn out body is good, when you've been stuck in a statue for a few hundred years." He says, stretching the arms of his stolen body. "Where did he live again? A house of brick, on Green Lane, Hardwicke?"
"You knew where John Diehl was?" I ask.
Why didn't he just tell us? The trip could have been ten times easier.
"Of course I did, I am a god after all. But, you seem confused, boy. Perhaps an explanation would be in order?"
I nod, giving him the okay to continue.
"Do you really think I cared for that bumbling Cyclops? No. He was worthless and weak, unfit and unworthy to stay at my side. All his other comrades were ten times stronger than him. He was the weakest link, a flaw in the system. How could I allow such a thing to live?"
Without waiting for my answer, he continues.
"As you could imagine, I needed a new underling. So, I sent him to the labyrinth under Luna Nova, telling him that I wanted him to report any suspicious activities. I knew full well that your principal would send you and your fellow students down there for a test. I made a decree to myself that whoever managed to slay Polyphemus, I would send Bruno after them. I would then test their loyalty to me, by having that individual bring me John Diehl. Not only would I be gaining a new underling, but I would also have a thorn in my side removed. So, my question for you, Theodore Sempronia is, why don't you stay here awhile longer?"
At this point my mind is a mess of many emotions: fear, confusion, anger, and strangely a hint of curiosity.
If he went through all this trouble, and all these lies just to recruit a new underling, then he must have something big in mind. As much as I would like to see what that is, I'm just a teenager. How could I play a part?
No, I have no place in whatever crazy plans he may have. All I want is to just return to Luna Nova, and forget this ever happened. I've made my choice.
"I'll collect the reward, now." I say firmly, holding out my hand.
I don't want to stay here any longer than I have too. I'll even leave without it if it means leaving faster.
I just want to escape it all. Mendacius, Bruno, John Diehl, I want to go home and forget it all.
"Of course, of course." He nods at my words. "The Mortar of Jennifer the Witch, was it? Or much more, if you stay here, to be trained."
Trained? In just what way? Magic?
"You want to train me?" I ask in disbelief.
"Two of my loyal followers were imprisoned in that statue with me. Vrykolake and Jiang Shi can teach you true magic, not those petty party tricks you learn at Luna Nova. I'm talking about black magic, voodoo, and everything in between. After that, no one can stop us as we carve out our new world order. We shall live like kings, or should I say gods, in Rome. Your family will finally sit at the throne, as they used to."
I was taken aback by this accurate description of my ancestry. I'm very proud of my Roman and Sempronian heritage, but it's not a history that's well known. I'd say even the most rabid of historians would have a difficult time naming them.
"How did you know about my history with Rome?" I ask, my brow raised in suspicion. "How did you know about my family?"
He scoffs at my question, and with a smile says
"Oh please, you think that I wouldn't recognize the Sempronia gens? Plus, that pugio hanging from your hip leaves little questioning to who you align yourself with." He states, pointing at my side.
I eye my dagger, forgetting that it was even there in the first place.
But still, all this talk is disturbing. I joined Luna Nova to restore my family my way, not to play second fiddle to a god.
"Aren't you a god? Can't you just snap your fingers, and make the world yours? No blood or violence?" I try to reason
He drops his smile.
"How does a god obtain their power?" He asks, his eyes lazily glancing over me.
I don't remember learning this in school.
I put my hand to my chin, scratching my head as I search for an answer
"They…um-"
"You don't know?" He cuts me off, regaining his smile. "Allow me to explain. A deity obtains their power based on how many disciples they have. Hence why the Pagan gods ruled the ancient world, and why Christianity rules modern day. Only two people that are alive believe in me. You and Bruno."
Another crude and wooden smile plays on his face, as he asks
"You believe in me, don't you?"
"How could I not?" I answer back.
I honestly wished that this was all just some bad dream. That Sucy slipped me some weird mushrooms into my dinner or something, and now I'm suffering as a result.
"So, join me, and together we can rule the world." He says, making a fist for emphasis.
Of course, who wouldn't want to rule the world? While controlling an entire planet itself seems far fetched, I do often dream of the Sempronians reclaiming their rightful place as a powerful family.
But of course, I haven't believed a word he said. He is the god of deception and lies, after all. I want my family in power, but not as an underling to someone else.
Who's to say that he just won't betray me-
"Just think of what I'm offering you." He says, cutting off my train of thought. "A chance at immortality. To restore your family honor, to cave your name in the history books, a great deal of wealth and influence. How can a person such as you not be interested?"
I think hard. It's like my body is a war with itself.
One side of me wants to say yes, to have wealth and fame. However, another side is saying no, my more humane side.
My mind goes back to what Bruno told John Diehl. Not making a decision is a big decision. If I say no, then I would be confronted by the very thing that I went on this quest to avoid, an angry god.
But if I say yes, imagine all the people I've come to know at the school. They would all suffer.
I may want my family to be restored, but I'm no sociopathic power hungry villain. I'm just a teenage boy with large ambitions only trumped by my nose.
"No." I say with assertiveness.
He drops his smile for a second time, and replaces it with a scowl.
"I'm afraid you have made the wrong choice. You had the opportunity to remain my ally, but you have only become a rival." His fists clench as his teeth grind together. "I offered you immortality, but instead you chose death. Foolish boy..."
I can't help but ball up my own fists in kind at his words.
No one threatens me, not when I'm fighting for something so great.
I will die eventually, yes, but not until my family has power once again!
"Watch your mouth." I retort to him, sending him a death glare. "I may have made the terrible decision of setting you free, but now that you have revealed your plans to me, I cannot and will not let you leave these caves. I may have been the one that set you free, but I'll send you back into the statue."
He suddenly breaks into a fit of uncontrollable, dry laughter.
My stare at him continues to hold as he clings to his sides, and continues to guffaw.
Once he's finished, he looks at me with wild eyes, and asks with a sick smile
"And just how do you plan on doing that, boy? Not only am I a god, but you're outnumbered two to one."
"No, Mendacius! It is you who is outnumbered!" I hear Bruno suddenly cry out.
Mendacius flips around towards Bruno.
"And what say do you have, dog? Have you forgotten that I gave you life, and that I can so easily take it away? Are you prepared to throw away everything I've given you for this pathetic creature?" He demands.
Bruno lets out a snarl at his words, his face sharp, muzzle pointed at Mendacius like a spear.
"This 'pathetic creature' has done more for me in the few days that I've known him, than you have in years!" He barks, his tone growing more disapproving now. "Gods are supposed to look out for people, to love them, and help them find their way, not plot and scheme for power. I am not the traitor here. It is you who became the traitor when you stopped helping people."
The hairs on Bruno's back grows as sharp and fierce as his expression.
"No, I'm done with you. You will not touch him!"
I stare at Bruno, overwhelmed by his loyalty and friendship towards me.
I can't believe I thought I couldn't trust him.
Mendacius is right here. Bruno has only known me for not even two days, and all of a sudden he's ready to take up arms with me, fighting against his former master. Now that's man's best friend.
Mendacius grinds his teeth in rage, so hard that sparks practically fly.
"Well, I see that this dog bears his fangs." He says, his venomous voice full of malice.
He turns to me.
"I suppose I should thank you for Bruno's betrayal. I knew it was only a matter of time before I needed to dispose of him. He merely served as my link to the physical world while I was bound in that marble prison. But one question, how do you plan on beating me? I'm immortal!"
"You mistake immortality for invincibility." I say.
In a huff, he snaps his fingers, and suddenly a wand is conjured into the palm of his hand. Unlike our metal school wands, this one is a traditional thin wooden construct.
He smiles, before saying
"Just because there are two of you, do not assume that you have the advantage."
Refusing to be intimidated, I pull out my own wand.
"Try not to hurt him." Bruno whispers to me, taking my right side. "If we can get Mendacius out of that body, John will come back to us."
I nod to the dog, agreeing to his request.
If there's even a chance to get him back, I would gladly take it.
John Diehl was willing to sacrifice himself for my safety. I owe him that much.
I'm sure that old man would love to come back.
We begin to slowly circle each other, sizing each other up, daring the other to make a move.
In a sudden flash, he strikes first, sending a single fire ball towards me.
I instinctively block it with my ward spell, myself barely catching myself as I fly back, his power great.
He sends two this time, both stopped by my magical shield, them reflecting off, shattering against the cave wall.
In a swift stroke, I send a lightning bolt his way, himself deflecting it with great ease.
He smirks, before saying
"It's a shame you won't be around to see my new world order."
"Your right. I'm going to die an old man before that happens." I tell him.
If there's going to be any new world order around here, the Sempronians are going to be the ones to start it!
I send another blast of magic his way, the fight turning into a fencing match, both of us parrying each other's attacks.
While Mendacius and I exchange spells, Bruno is standing and watching.
Good, that's smart. He's not a magic user, so if he were to jump in right now, it would only go very badly for him. He must wait for the right moment to strike.
Maybe he can pin Mendacious, and somehow we can force him out of his stolen body.
Mendacious, tired of the stalemate, forms an ice spike from the water in the air, and hurls it at me.
I duck, the sound of it shattering against the stone floor echoes throughout the cave.
In mid duck, I shoot a bolt of lightning at him.
He lets out a moan, as it collides with his stomach, his shirt suffering from a large burnmark.
I want to congratulate myself. I can't believe I got the first hit!
"Godly powers, huh? I'm not impressed." I snark at him. "A boy just struck at a god."
"Don't get cocky, boy." He warns me. "For even if you strike me down now, gods never die!"
He emphasizes this threat, by blasting three yellow beams of magic at me.
Blocking the first two, the third one slams into my chest, myself feeling a large jolt against my chest.
He laughs at this.
"Hahaha! You mortals with your weak, limp, pathetic, frail bodies. Do you honestly believe you can beat me?"
"I think I'll do alright." I say, taking a defensive stance.
"I admire your courage." He admits. "But I'm going to shake it down to nothing but the teenage invincibility complex. You see the wound on your chest, you feel the throb of pain spreading around your body? Only more will follow, I promise you that."
With godlike speed, and a flick of his wand, I see a flash of fire erupting from his wand, followed by a searing pain flooding through my hand.
I cry out in pain, dropping my wand.
Looking at my hand in horror, what was once a normal hand is now a throbbing red mess. Blisters are already beginning to grow as flakes of skin and hair are now burnt black.
With the cold air only adding to the intense pain, I clutch my now injured hand to my stomach, gritting my teeth in agonizing pain.
Wasting no time, Mendacius swings his wand around his head, conjuring a whip.
A loud crack rings through the room, followed by a stinging sensation across my cheek.
Blood drips from the fresh wound, as the process is repeated, this time against my arm, and another against my chest.
As I scramble to back away, I trip on my wand, and fall on the cold stone floor.
Mendacius take advantage, and whips me again in the face, splitting an eyebrow.
I bury my face in my arm, protecting my eyes.
Across my body, all over my arms and head, the strikes and cracks of the whip reign over me. Searing pain, almost like fire, burns across the wounds.
The rhythmic blows suddenly end by a shrill cry and a low growl.
Upon removing my arm from my face, I see Bruno's teeth thoroughly embedded into Mendacius's calf.
Bruno's dagger like teeth continue to gnaw at his leg, while Mendacius struggles to get free.
A few violent jerks come from Mendacius, and a horrible tearing sound comes from his leg, his appendage becoming free from Bruno's jaws, a chunk of pant leg held in the dog's mouth.
While Mendacius continues to suffer from his leg blow, Bruno spits the piece of clothing out of his mouth, trotting over to me, grabbing the sleeve of my shirt with his mouth.
"Get up! Get up!" He cries at me, dragging me away from the god.
A little disoriented from the whip, I chuckle out
"Hehe, you bit him on the leg."
Getting my reference to our earlier promise to try and preserve John's body, Bruno shouts at me
"I saved your life, idiot!"
Mendacius continues to soothe his injured leg with one hand, and with the other holds his wand.
He turns back to us, deep anger and betrayal in his eyes, all the emotions collinating into malice towards my hairy companion.
"After all I've done for you, this is how you treat me?! You ungrateful whelp!"
Bruno points his tongue at the the god like a child would, saying
"That's what you get for putting me in the body of a dog and forcing me into a life of servitude! Whatever you do to me now, I won't regret! I'll die a free man, not a dog! Come on, what are you waiting for?! Let's see your godly powers!"
I'm taken aback by this display.
Such an outburst by a dog, no, a free man, that simply watched by the sidelines for the majority of this fight.
He spent the better part of his second life stuck in the dog's body, forced to play servant to his master.
And now, he sees the chance to rebel, to break away the chains and join me in my fight against Mendacius.
For his and my sake, we better win. There's no going back now.
Mendacius conceals his anger with a light smirk, asking Bruno
"Fine then, how about I show you an example?"
He points his wand at Bruno, the dog slowly levitating, as Mendacius hoists him into the air.
"The end is near." The god mutters.
Bruno kicks and screams as he is helplessly slammed against the stone wall, releasing a sickening crunch and the horrible yelp of an injured dog.
"No!" I scream at the god, my face twisted in the horror I just witnessed.
In response to my shout, Mendacius, still holding Bruno in mid air, throws the injured dog at me.
The hairy body slams against me, myself barely managing to catch him, Bruno's sheer force throwing me to the hard ground.
I wince to myself, managing to catch myself on my knees, the badly injured Bruno in my arms.
I turn towards him, his body unmoving, but still warm, unconscious, but severely hurt.
"B-Bruno…" I whisper to him, wetness beginning to grow in my eyes.
No response, only a shallow and painful weeze.
My body shakes with fear, the cold weight of Bruno's body growing as he begins to shut down. The ragged breathing only grows more labored and weak as time goes.
"You better stay." I hear Mendacius scoff at me. "The funeral is about to begin."
Twisting my head up, I see the horrible face of Mendacius.
Now, even if it was originally John's, just by mere association, the figure standing before me radiates nothing but corruption and self serving apathy to the most extreme level.
Slimy smugness and arrogant superiority are all I see know. An evil enemy that is unfit to be with even the more horrible of thieves and murderers.
My mouth twists into a deep scowl, myself putting Bruno at my side, standing up to face the demon.
He smiles at this.
"Looks like I'll be digging two holes..."
I don't want to hear anymore from him!
In blind anger, I snatch up my wand, ignoring the pain from my burnt hand, throwing and casting every last spell I know.
"This ends now!" I scream, continuing my blind bombardment.
He makes use of his godlike speed yet again, and either blocks or dodges each and every spell.
Every spell that he dodges or blocks only proves to enrage me further, my vision growing blurry and red, my movements growing more spastic with less restraint.
I charge at him, covering my steps with suppressing fire.
Not expecting this sudden rush, Mendacius makes a hasty defense, trying to block my attacks.
Thanks to Mendacius's sloppy defense, I manage to hit him in the leg, the force knocking him on his hands and knees.
Using this to my advantage, I savagely sprint towards him, screaming
"Vega Varulus!"
Using this spell, I augment my leg muscles with magic, striking him in the face. The power flips him onto his back.
"Yeah, now you're starting to understand. I'm more than just your average wizard." I say with pride in my minor victory.
Just a few more of those, and I'll be back at school before the first period starts.
He spits out a mouthful of broken teeth, before looking up at me and…laughing? No, not his usual sadistic laugh, but one that resembles a child winning a game of hide and seek.
"What's so funny, Mendacius?" I demand, just his very expression of joy boiling of blood.
He lets out a few more chuckles, before saying
"It's just funny that you think you can still win. For until now, I have but toyed with you."
I snarl at him, saying
"Your speeches are beginning to bore me."
He loses his happy face, angered at my refusal to show fear.
"Well then, let me end your suffering." He mutters, before kicking himself back up, wand in hand.
I back up, covering my strategic withdrawal with more lightning than any storm can produce, the entire room resembling more of a hellish landscape of purple and fury than a dark and dingy cave.
I slice at the air with my wand, sending a bolt of lighting blitzing towards him
I hit him in the shoulder with the destructive spell, the entire limb spazzing for a brief moment as electricity zaps through, charring it slightly.
His wounded arm hangs limp and useless, his wand lying on the floor.
Through gritted teeth, he growls out
"You've played a good game, boy. Come, strike me down if you dare. Kill your friend, John, free me from this old body."
I'm taken aback by his sudden words, the smirk now plastered on his face as he clings to his damaged arm, without a wand or other weapon to threaten me.
As much as I want to save John Deihl, it seems all but impossible.
Bruno is gone from the fight, and all my anger and rage is directed towards the one person who has caused great pain to myself and my hairy friend, but has also expressed his desire of domination, destruction, and depravity, the one right in front of me.
As much as I want to free John, to imprison Mendacius back in the statue once again, I have no idea how, what spell to perform, if any, what incantation to say, if any.
I have no direction to go, except forward, and the only way forward is to first deal with this threat in front of me.