CHAPTER 10 - CAPTURE

Zack rolled out of the bed to the floor. He stumbled as he hastily pulled his cloak over his head. He still hadn't gotten his legs under him. What was happening? Had he been followed to Everred? Had the demon lord discovered the village in the grass? Zack was hoping this was just a freak accident.

He grabbed the javelin leaning against the wall. He rushed out into the cool night air filled with the smoke of the burning building nearby. He blocked his nostrils as his eyes darted around. The other villagers had noticed the fire and were emerging from their homes to investigate.

"Zack? What happened?" Lena had appeared next to him. She was looking at the burning building in horror. "Did they make it out?"

"I don't know. Get everyone else together. Keep them safe!" Lena nodded as she herded the gathering crowd away from the flames. Zack placed his hand on the front door. It was warm. He took a deep breath and delivered a straight kick to the door. It splintered as it burst open.

Fire had spread through the small home quickly. Zack covered his mouth as he looked for for any people that might be trapped. In the back corner of the home was a little boy. He was sitting next to a body on the ground. Fire was blocking his path to escape. Zack made his way toward the boy.

"Hey, kid! Remember me?" Zack put on the most reassuring voice he could muster. The boy looked from the body to Zack. He was crying, but managed a nod. "Good. I'm gonna get you out of here."

"My mommy is hurt," the boy choked out. Zack knew he had to move quickly. He removed his cloak and threw it on the fire between him and the boy. The flames were snuffed out by the thick cloak. Zack ran to the boy's side. The boy threw his arms around Zack's neck. He gave the boy's back a reassuring pat.

"Please help my mom," he cried into Zack's ear.

"I will." Zack held the boy at arms length. His face was darkened from the ash in the air. "I need you to be brave for me, and get out of here." The boy seemed skeptical. His eyes went to his mother. "I'll be right behind you." Zack assured him. The boy nodded and ran out of the house.

Zack turned his attention to the woman on the ground. Her chest was rising and falling. At least she was still alive. Zack had to move quickly. The crackling in the fire was getting louder. He didn't know how much longer the little home would stay standing. He knelt next to the woman's motionless body and placed her arm around his shoulder. He placed his free hand over his heart. The spell filled him with strength, and he easily lifted the woman into a fireman's carry. As quickly as he could, he ran out of the building. When he was a safe distance from the inferno he put the woman down. He looked back to to the house as it caved in on itself. Zack realized he had left the cloak and javelin inside.

"Acts of kindness sure are rare these days," a voice from behind Zack taunted. Zack turned to see the jester, Trick. The light from the fire created harsh shadows on their mask. Standing horrified, in front of the jester was the little boy. Trick had their hands on the boys shoulders, rooting him to the spot.

"I'm guessing that was your doing," Zack growled at the jester. Trick looked from the smoldering remains, and back to Zack.

"Maybe," they said with a laugh. "I knew our paths would cross again. You have something of mine."

"You're welcome to dig for it." Zack could hear the little boy whimpering. He didn't want the deranged jester to harm the boy. "Let the kid go. You can have me."

"Tempting," Trick mockingly scratched their chin. Then, with dazzling speed, Trick was in Zack's face. He had no time to react. Trick's fist made contact with Zack's jaw. Zack fell to the ground. He landed hard and felt his arms scraping as he skidded along the dirt. He didn't have his cloak, so he was more vulnerable to the dangerous jester.

Zack slowly got to his feet. He placed his hand over his heart, but never got the chance to use his spell. Trick's knee was already digging into Zack's stomach. Zack struggled to regain the air he'd lost. Trick didn't give him the opportunity. After the vicious knee, the jester leapt into the air to deliver a heel kick to the side of Zack's head. Everything went blurry as Zack fell to the ground

"I thought you were special," Trick chided. "you have to be, to beat me. Turns out, you just got lucky." Trick giggled. "You made them mad at me! You'll pay for it with your life!" Trick bent over to lift Zack off the ground, when something hit them. They turned to see the little boy had thrown a rock at them and had another prepped. Trick menacingly cocked their head to the side.

"Leave him alone," the boy said attempting to keep his voice steady. He threw the rock. The jester caught it with one hand.

"Eye for an eye?" the jester growled. "He saves you, and you return the favor?" The boy gulped. "It's a shame you both only succeeded in delaying the inevitable."

"You losing?" the boy asked excitedly.

Trick turned back to see that Zack had risen to his feet. Before the jester could move, Zack unloaded the strongest punch of his life. It made contact with the center of the jester's mask, cracking it. Trick was launched backward, twirling in mid air. He rolled to a stop in the dirt, out cold. The boy ran to Zack.

"How'd you do that?" he asked looking at his savior in awe. Zack fell to one knee, he was breathing heavy, but managed a smile.

"While I was lying there..." He panted. "While you were distracting him, I was casting a spell on myself."

"You saved me again," the boy beamed at Zack.

"No," Zack said, shaking his head. "This time, you saved me. Thank you." He smiled at the boy, but noticed his eyes were wide. The boy's mouth dropped open in horror. "What's wrong?" Zack asked. He looked at his shoulder and noticed an arrow sticking out of it. Someone shot him! Who? From where? Why hadn't he felt it's impact?

He looked to the downed Trick, and there was someone standing over them. They looked just like Trick. The ears attached to their head were straight. Their outfit was a deep red with orange shapes along their arms and legs. A golden L was emblazoned on their stomach.

"You've failed twice, Trick," the new jester said to their fallen comrade. Zack noticed the bow draped over their shoulder. He looked to the arrow embedded in his own. He still had some juice left from the spells he'd cast on himself. He ripped the arrow out. This got the jester's attention. "That wasn't a very intelligent decision," they said coldly. "That will just cause you to bleed out faster."

"What are you doing here?" Zack asked "Why are you attacking this innocent village?"

"Trick and I had been tracking you since you left Denmall. We were going to kill you where you slept, but your new friend brought you here." The jester took a few steps toward Zack. "More for Lord Mozaro's experiments." Zack felt anger rising inside of him. It boiled over and he burst toward the other jester. Zack threw wild punches, hoping for a similar outcome to the one he got with Trick. The new jester managed to block, or dodge everything Zack threw at them. On one attempt they grabbed Zack's arm and tossed him to the ground. Zack struggled to get back to his feet.

"Who are you?" he grunted. The jester gave a performative bow.

"I am called Lore. I am one of Demon Lord Mozaro's favorite jesters." Lore looked up from their bow and saw that Zack was back to a vertical base, his fists raised. Lore laughed a hearty laugh. They raised their palm and motioned for Zack to come forward. Zack obliged and rushed toward the jester, fist raised. Zack put everything behind the swing of his right arm. Had he connected, he'd have broken bones. The jester managed to duck at the last second. They thrust their palm forward and caught Zack in the chest. He felt as though he'd been hit with a baseball bat. He tried to breathe, but air neither came nor went. Zack toppled to the ground clutching at his chest.

Zack's eyes blurred. He watched as Lore came closer. Even with their face covered, Zack could still make out the malicious intent in the jester's stride. Lore suddenly stopped in their tracks. They tried to back off quick, but were hit with a torrent of water. It struck the jester in the chest and sent them high into the air. Zack coughed up blood and passed out.

When he woke up, Zack was in a cold sweat. Maxine was standing over him. She smiled when he woke up. She placed her cold hands on his cheeks. It shocked his system. She gave him a few playful slaps.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he pushed her hands away. "I'm up!"

"I'm glad you're up," she said in genuine relief. "You coughed up blood twice."

"Where am I? Where are the jesters? What knocked them out? Is everyone safe?" Zack started rattling off questions as fast as he could. Maxine held up her hands to stop him from continuing.

"Jeez, Zack!" She rolled her eyes. "One at a time."

"Sorry," Zack said sheepishly.

"Everyone's fine," she said crossing her arms. She had a smug smile on her face. "Our jester friend was introduced to Lena's water magic. Guess they weren't expecting another magic user here!"

"Lena's a magic user?" Zack said in surprise.

"Yeah, and that attack took a lot out of her, so she's resting. That leaves you and me to interrogate the two jesters."

"What?"

"You want to find out why they're here, and what Mozaro is planning? Now's our chance," she said clenching her fists. "I've got them tied up in separate buildings. I say we start with the one in orange. That one seemed like the dumber of the two."

"I don't know how to interrogate anyone!" Zack threw his hands up in frustration.

"Just follow my lead," Maxine said confidently.

The two went to the building where Trick was being kept. The jester was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Their mask had cracked, and half of it had fallen off. Outlines of their facial features were visible under the orange cover.

"This is a grave mistake," they threatened.

"You're tied to a chair. Shut up!" Maxine ordered. She walked up to the jester and stared down. "I'm not talking to your creepy mask. Time to see your real face." Zack leaned forward as Maxine removed the facial covering from Trick's face. A mop of long black hair fell in front of their face. Trick gave a vigorous head shake to remove the hair from their eyes. "What's your name?" Maxine asked. The jester smiled.

"My name is Trick."

"What's your real name?"

"That doesn't matter," the jester taunted. Maxine reared back to punch the jester, who didn't flinch. Zack grabbed her arm and held it back.

"Wait! That's just what he wants!"

"He?" The jester raised an eyebrow.

"Sh-she?" Zack blushed, but the jester laughed again

"She?" they asked tauntingly

"It doesn't matter," Maxine said. "I want to know what you're doing here!"

"I wanted my javelin back," the jester shrugged. "I intend to get it back."

"Still tied to a chair," Maxine reminded them.

"Lore will find a way to get me out of here. Lore is always one step ahead of everyone."

"Lore is also tied to a chair," Maxine said getting more frustrated. The jester didn't blink at this information.

"Maxine, can I talk to you for a sec?" Zack asked.

The two left the room.

"That jester is getting under my skin," she said angrily.

"Have you been looking at their eyes?" Zack asked.

"I've been thinking about punching their face," Maxine growled.

"They don't blink much, and their eyes are glazed over. Like they're on another planet altogether."

"I said they were dumb," Maxine shrugged.

"This isn't intelligence," Zack insisted. "It's something else. Like they aren't even in control of their body."

"You think the jester is being controlled?"

"I wouldn't put that past a demon lord, would you?" Zack scratched his head. "Even if that's the case, how do we reverse it?"

"If that's even what's going on." Maxine raised a good point. Zack was going on a hunch based on Trick's glazed over look. "You also clocked them in the face. They could be concussed."

"How would we reverse it if it is brainwashing?"

"Convince the jester that their reality isn't real. Make them come back." Maxine suggested.

The two went back into the room. Trick was grinning from ear to ear. They cocked their head to the side, causing their thick black hair to fall back in front of their face. They started to giggle as Zack got close to them. He stared into the jester's green eyes. Their pupils were fully dilated.

"You're not really here are you?" he asked. The jester frowned. "That demon is forcing you to do all this, right?"

"What?" The jester softened their voice.

"You remind me a lot of me." Zack offered a weak smile. Trick blinked slowly. Confusion was crossing the jester's face. Was Zack making a breakthrough? "I've always been kind of reckless too. I'll be focused on one thing and just go for it. Even if that one thing is a javelin." Zack chuckled. "My brother was always saving me, and I took that for granted." The jester had leaned back. They were beginning to fidget uncomfortably. "Is Lore your sibling?"

"H-how?" Trick's cocky demeanor was gone, and suddenly they looked frightened. "How did you know?"

"I'd be willing to bet you guys are twins," Zack said confidently. Trick closed their eyes tight. Through gritted teeth they admitted that Lore was in fact their twin. The jester suddenly threw themselves backwards. They landed hard after going over the back of the chair. Zack and Maxine kept their distance.

"What happened? Where am I?" A meek voice came from the chair. "I can't move!" The voice was becoming more panic stricken. Maxine gingerly stepped toward the jester. "Who are you? Why am I tied up? Where's Lore? Where am I?"

"They remind me of you too," Maxine said to Zack. "One at a time," she gave the same order to the jester. She carefully lifted Trick's chair back to an upright position. The once smarmy jester was now replaced with a child, lost and afraid. Zack stepped close and stared at Trick's eyes. They were filled with fear, no longer glazed and lethargic.

"Where am I?" Trick's eyes were welling up with water. Zack sighed and started untying Trick's restraints.

"Zack! What are you doing?" Maxine yelled.

"Trust me," Zack said. "It it were me, I wouldn't attack" Zack paused his untying. "You're not going to attack are you?" Trick shook their head vigorously. Zack freed the jester and rejoined Maxine. They both recounted everything that had transpired to Trick. They looked ashamed at their involvement with the demon lord.

"How do I repay everyone? Even if I was brainwashed, I still feel responsible," Trick lamented.

"Lore is still brainwashed," Zack said. "They're in the other building. We need you to help us free them from the mind control."

"Lore…" Trick paused "Is crazy smart. If Lore's brain is convinced that the brainwashing is reality, then that's what's reality."

"Well we're not going to get anywhere staying here," Maxine said. "We don't know how much longer we'll have before Enza comes looking for key members of his raiding party." The others nodded and they went into the building next door. Sitting in the middle of the room was the other jester. They didn't seem too surprised to see Trick with them.

"Lore.."

"You've failed again, Trick." Lore shook their head in disappointment. Maxine went to take off Lore's facemask. Zack held her up.

"Hold on," he said. He knelt close to Lore's face. Their white mask only had the crudely drawn smile. "You remind me of my brother, Lore. Always looking out for your reckless sibling," as he said this he looked at Trick. "I bet you guys are twins." Zack tried the same tactic that worked on Trick. He reached out and pulled off the headpiece. Lore had shorter hair than Trick, so Zack could see their eyes. They were glazed over, but Lore hadn't flinched.

"Of course we're twins. Did our matching jester outfits give it away?" Lore asked sarcastically. Zack would need a new strategy.

"Lore, what's happened to you?" Trick asked, concerned.

"Nothing, Trick." Lore glared at their twin. "I'm more concerned about you. You allowed us both to be captured, and now you've been brainwashed!" Lore started clicking their teeth. "Lord Mozaro will be angry. You'll be punished again. You know I hate having to punish you, Trick!"

"I've had enough of this!" Maxine had snapped. She hit Lore in the cheek with a mean left hook. The jester fell backward over the chair. Trick didn't take kindly to their sibling being sucker punched. They got in Maxine's face.

"Why did you do that?" Trick was incensed. Zack managed to pull them away from Maxine. Lore was on the ground laughing maniacally. Zack tried to calm Trick.

"It's okay." he said, trying to soothe the seething Trick. "We need to calm down."

"How am I supposed to be calm?" Trick asked.

"If you're not calm then we'll never save Lore," Zack said forcefully. Trick thought about this for a moment, but nodded. "I was able to free you by treating you like me. Lore is just like Cody, so I need to think of what I would say to Cody?"

"Who's Cody?" Lore called from the floor. "You're wasting your time! I'm going to personally see that Lord Mozaro burns all of you!" Lore went back to laughing.

"I'm gonna pummel them!" Maxine was getting irritated by the tuants.

"Just wait!" Zack exclaimed. He was trying to think.

"What's the problem?" Trick asked.

"Cody was always so smart. I could never talk to him on his level. He was always dumbing himself down for me." Zack was pulling at his hair in frustration.

"What always brought him down?" Maxine asked. "What could you guys always talk about where smarts didn't enter into it?" Zack racked his brain in an attempt to reach an example.

"Well, he was different whenever we were with our friends, or our mom. He never tried to sound so smart when he was with all of us." That's when Zack had an epiphany. His eyes widened. Trick seemed confused.

"What?" What is it?" they asked nervously.

"Where are you from, Trick?"

"Summerville, why?"

"Ha. Of course," Zack chuckled. He lifted Lore's chair and looked right into their glazed-over green eyes.

"You seem sure of yourself," Lore taunted.

"Kara wouldn't like what you've become, Lore," Zack said softly. "She wanted you to look out for Trick. For you both to look after each other." The jester's sneer was gone. They looked angry.

"Shut up," Lore growled.

"Even Arka tried to equip you two and make sure you were ready for your adventure!" Zack yelled.

"I said, shut up!" screamed Lore.

"They were excited for you to both adventure because you're both magic users!"

At this Lore stood up, with the chair still tied to their torso. They sped toward Zack yelling as if they were possessed. Before Lore could reach Zack, they were stopped in their tracks. Zack had closed his eyes, prepared for the impact. When he opened them, Lore was trapped in a gravity field that held them in place. Zack turned to Trick, and noticed that an ethereal white glow surrounded their hand.

"Thanks," Zack said. Trick simply nodded. They slowly released the field surrounding Lore. Lore was untied and sat still on the ground, staring at their feet.

"Lore?" Trick stepped forward.

"I'm sorry," they said quietly.

"It's okay," Zack said. "You were being brainwashed."

"I know," Lore admitted. They looked up, and tears were streaming down their face. Trick knelt beside their sibling. Lore had turned a shade of red, matching their outfit. "There was a part of me that knew we were being brainwashed, and I knew something was wrong, but I was so scared about what would happen to us if I did anything about it. I didn't know if I'd be able to save you too," Lore put their head in their hands. "I was a coward!" Trick leaned in and embraced their sibling. Zack could see Lore's eyes widen at the show of affection. It was one they did not feel they deserved based on their treatment of Trick. Zack stood up from the ground and nudged Maxine's shoulder.

"Let's give them a minute," he said.

"What?" she started to argue, but stopped when she saw his serious face. She scoffed. "You trust them?" Zack nodded. "Just like you and Cody, right?" She sighed. "You seem to know what you're talking about. Zack and Maxine let Trick and Lore have their reunion in piece. They had a lot of planning to do.