Chapter 14: Return of Jack de Lames-Part 1

That very night Jake had another dream, he was in some sort of great building…marble and everything, outside though was breathed in flames as a figure he didn't recognize, the figure was followed by a bunch of other creatures he didn't recognize. Soon he saw who the figure was, it was the person from his dream about Central Park…only this time he got a better look at some other features, the figure had a white porcelain mask on, nicely decorated, and he had a couple of swords at his side.

Suddenly a pair of huge doors opened behind Jake and five other people he didn't recognize stepped out, Jake didn't understand what was going on, but he felt this had some sort of historical value.

"Jack de Lames…you dare defile the halls of the Council with your presence!" one of the five figures protested.

"Oh come now Moryk, such a temper…I thought you dragons would be a bit more civilized than this?" Jack asked in mock surprise. "Now I believe you have something that belongs to me?"

"The Sword of Eons will never be yours Jack…we will see to that." Said one of the older council members.

Jake couldn't believe his eyes or ears…he was witnessing the battle between the Dragon Council and Jack de Lames from 533 years ago. "So be it then…attaque subordonnée, kill them all!" Jack shouted, pointing his sword towards the council members.

Jake at that moment woke up from his dream, he looked at the clock…4:45.

The next morning Michael came over, "My dad's talking with your grandfather about what our next move is going to be, I'd just like to know why they took Christian!"

"Mike…chill, we'll get her back." Jake told him.

Just then Mrs. Long came in, "I just spoke with gramps…appears the Council is a little un-settled about this as well."

"That's it, I've had it!" Michael protested, and went out the door.

Jake quickly went after him, "Mike…where you going?"

"To find my dad…it's time I think I got some answers." Michael told him.

Damien, Gramps, Tem, and Fu were all at the shop when Michael came in, "Okay…I've been left out of the loop long enough, what's going on dad!"

"Michael, listen…I know you care about Christian but—."

"No 'buts' old man, why did they take Christian!" Michael repeated.

"Michael it's a long story…" Tem told him.

"I'm going nowhere fast."

"And neither am I." Said Jake who was walking up behind Michael.

Damien looked at them and said, "Okay…I guess it started but a few years ago, while I was still part of L'Épée Foncée. I was doing some historical research for them…along with 3 others, one being Aiden Blackmen. That's when I came acrossed a tome called 'The Council History'…inside was a written history of the Dragon Council and all its members for over the last 1000 years…quite a rare find really, but the part that had my friends and I most reveled was the battle between the council of five and Jack de Lames. Through rigorous research I found that one of the council members, Calran…was an Ice Dragon, like you and your sister."

"Okay…and what does this have to do with why they took her?" Michael asked.

"Through research we found a spell that could remove the Glyphs of Sealing from his eternal prison…but even if they did, he'd still be dead, a spirit trapped inside a decayed, lifeless shell that was once its body, but we found a ritual that could rectify that, the Ritual of the Three Bloods."

"Three bloods?" Jake and Michael asked.

"Blood of the Family…Blood of the Servant…and last, Blood of the Enemy."

"So that's why they needed Christian or me for so long?" Michael asked.

"Afraid so…and now they have her. It took us time to find the Blood of the Family…researching any other historical document that could give us insight…eventually we found he had a descendant…and it still chills my blood to think those two could've been related, but we used what we found to get it, and now that they have your sister…they now have everything they need to make the ritual work." Damien told them.

Meanwhile Aiden was getting everything prepared for tonight…because tonight Jack de Lames would once again walk the earth. "Be careful with those podiums boys…don't want them damaged!"

"Oui, oui Monsieur Blackmen!" a few voices said back, as they all placed down three stone podiums, all facing in the direction of Jack's sarcophagus. Aiden opened the spell book in front of him and thumbed through it to a specific page, "Yes, tonight our master shall once again lead us!"

Back at the shop Trixie and Spud showed up, "Yo' Jakie…what's going on?"

"Christian's been taken by L'Épée Foncée…that's what's going on, and they're going to be using her in some whacked-out ritual to bring back Jack de Lames." Jake told them, "But we have no idea where they might be having it done."

"Well…not that this is any of our concern, but we saw a couple of van's and a bunch of red cloaked guys down by one of the warehouses at the docks." Trixie told him.

"Yeah, it was like a Valentines Day Parade…only, without the little boxes of heart-shaped candies." Spud added.

Jake suddenly went to tell Gramps, Tem, and Damien about what his friends had discovered. The next thing they did is Damien made a drawing of the outside of the warehouse and asked Trixie where the guards were posted. "Well I think we have ourselves a chance to make a battle-plan now…we'll get our chance to put it into to motion tonight."

"We'll finally get Christian back." Michael cheered.

"And Rose, don't forget her." Jake added.

"That's if she didn't decide to join L'Épée Foncée." Damien told them.

Later that night Aiden Blackmen walked up onto the platform where the podiums and Jack's sarcophagus had been placed, in front of it all was a sea of crimson cloaks watching. Aiden looked at them and said, "533 years…fellow members, that is how long it has been since Jack de Lames, our leader fell at the hands of the Council…but tonight we shall despair that time no longer, tonight we perform this ritual to bring our master back!"

Aiden was met by a roar of cheers, Aiden walked up to the first podium to the right of the sarcophagus and pulled out a small vial of black-colored blood, "Blood of the Family…given from the descendant, your ancestor shall live again…" a drop of the blood hit the top of the podium and it immediately shot a pillar of light energy up into the air, Aiden then walked over to the next podium which was facing out at the coffin and the audience in front of him, "Blood of the Servant…" he said, placing a knife up to the palm of his hand, "willingly given…your master shall grace the world again…"

He then walked over to the last podium and said, "Bring out the Ice Dragon!"

Just then three figures (one of them was Braces) carried Christian who was writhing and twisting trying to break free, when they got her up there Aiden put her hand on the podium and cut it open, "Blood of the Enemy…given upon request, you shall resurrect your foe…"

When all three podiums were a light, the light shot out of a hole in the front of each podium which looked like a skull (the beam coming out of the mouth) and hit the sarcophagus.

"The three bloods have been given, now to release our master!" Aiden shouted.

Immediately all the members of started chanting something, Aiden opened the spell book he'd had earlier and started to recite what was written, "Des eaux foncées profondes aux rivages glacials, par la commande de Calran, libérez ce que vous cachez au monde une fois de plus…"

Suddenly there came a roar from outside as Jake, Michael, and Damien crashed through the roof and landed on the floor below.

"Now don't think you couldn't start the party without us?" Jake mocked.

Aiden looked at them, "Stop them while I complete the spell to undo the glyphs…Je vous commande par les puissances antiques de libérer…"

Jake and Michael tore through the lines of all the soldiers trying to stop them from getting to Aiden, suddenly the beams from the podiums started glowing red, "Dad said that's not a good sign when that happens!"

"J'implore des profondeurs du Bas-Monde…libérez mon maître …libérez mon maître …"

Jake and Michael were no more then behind Aiden when finally the light from the podiums sub-sided, but the coffin now gave off the red glow as a ghost-like flame, in a flash of white light the glyphs disappeared.

Aiden looked at them and said with an evil smile, "You are too late!"

Suddenly all of L'Épée Foncée stopped fighting and kneeled onto one knee in the direction of the sarcophagus as it slowly slid open, Aiden fell to both knees and had a look on his face as if he was in euphoria. Suddenly a dark figure rose from the spiritual pyre surrounding the sarcophagus, his red eyes and yellow irises turned to face all those before him. His decorated mask refused to give away any expression on his face, his armor gleamed as he slipped out of the coffin.

"No…" Michael said below his breath, Jake looked ready to fight, Damien stared with horror in his eyes, "We're too late…he's back, Jack de Lames lives again!"