CHAPTER 14 - PRICE

When Trick, Lore, and Maxine made it to the top step, a horrifying sight greeted them. Cody was sitting in a chair with a book in his hands. He seemed engross in his reading. Zack was lying on the floor. His cloak had been removed, and he was in his tee shirt and track pants. His eyes were closed as he lay on his back. Blood was streaming down his face and pooling on the ground beneath him. The red substance had congealed in his hair. He'd been lying in his own blood for awhile. His cloak was draped over the back of a different chair next to Cody. Zack's staff leaned casually against the same chair. He looked up from his book and smiled at the horror on their faces.

"Isn't it liberating?" he asked gleefully. "When someone who's looked down on you finally gets their comeuppance? Zack was always the strong one back home. I'm sure he's told you." He smiled at his unconscious twin. "Here, that's not the case. In Lord Mozaro's domain. I'm the strong one. He's weak. As evidenced by that."

"Did he even fight back?" Lore asked. Cody pondered and eventually shrugged.

"No, I guess he didn't. He just kept blabbing about brainwashing, or some sort of nonsense." He waved off the idea. "I responded to that by hitting him until he couldn't talk anymore." Cody giggled.

"How could you do that to your brother?" Maxine asked.

"Who cares if he's my brother? Who cares if he looks like me? He's not me! I have no obligation to him."

"When the brainwashing leaves you, this is going to hurt you, Cody," Lore said. "This will sting more than anything else. Even if you're forgiven, it'll still hurt." Lore looked to Trick.

"Ah yes, the twin jesters. Zack mentioned the two of you. Said you were shades of the two of us, and he managed to brainwash you it seems." Cody said squinting at Trick and Lore. He stepped toward them. "Which one of you is me then?" Lore stepped forward. Cody smirked and then threw his book with all his might toward Lore. The book moved with blazing speed. The amount of power behind Cody's throw was staggering. If it hit Lore, it would break his nose for sure, and possibly do more damage. Maxine jumped in the way and the book bounced off her bracer. It fell to the ground. Cody didn't seem concerned by this.

"Cheap move," she said.

"I know who you're supposed to be, bandit girl," Cody snickered. "Zack always did have the hots for you." Maxine blushed at this.

"I know he does," Maxine said.

"Our version of you never had the heart to break his," Cody taunted. "Do you? Can you look at that miserable heap on the ground and break his heart?" Trick looked to Maxine. Her eyes were turning black.

"Maxine, don't let him get to you," they warned.

"You miserable puke," Maxine growled.

"That's right! Erase me! Just like you did downstairs!" Cody yelled.

"M-Maxine," Zack stammered from the ground.

"Oh, you're awake?" Cody sighed.

"Stay with us," Zack choked out the words. Cody picked Zack up by the scruff of his shirt. Zack couldn't stand on his own. Cody lifted the dead weight with ease, and held Zack up to his face.

"You just never learn! Why must you be this stupid? All it does is get you and people around you hurt!" Cody yelled at him. Zack responded with laughter.

"I love you, Cody." He rammed his forehead as hard as he could into Cody's face. Zack caught him flush in the nose. It caused him to drop Zack and stagger backwards, holding his nose. Zack fell onto his back, still not having enough strength in his legs. Trick and Lore rushed to him and dragged him further away from Cody. Cody regained his composure and looked at the blood on his hand. It was streaming out of his nose and onto the floor.

"I'm going to kill all four of you," he said coldly.

"Easy, Cody," a voice said from behind him. Cody turned and bowed his head. Demon Lord Mozaro had made his presence known. A smoky aura followed him as he entered the room from his penthouse. "An interesting group has made its way into my domain! To us, they are pests, but with the right thought process, they could be useful," he informed his underling. Cody nodded.

"Yes, my lord." Cody backed away. Mozaro stared at the group of adventurers with his pure black eyes.

"Trick and Lore! My favorite jesters!" He sneered at the twins. Smoke was still rising from underneath his feet and surrounded him in a protective veil. His grey skin looked like ash. He stepped toward them, his straight black ponytail swinging behind him. Nobody could move as he stared at all of them. "The bandit girl with the power to make everything disappear," he said to Maxine. She gritted her teeth in response. "You removed that disgusting Goblin King, his minions, and even the plant life in one stroke. Impressive!" He finally turned to Zack. "And you, the boy from another world. Cody has told me all about you." He chuckled. "Nothing much from the looks of you." He held out his hand and beckoned with his long fingers. The nails were sharp and black. The motion focused an energy stream around Zack. It lifted him off his feet and pulled him towards Mozaro.

Being caught in the Demon Lord's grip terrified Zack. He struggled to free himself from the monster's hands. He looked down below him. It was from this high up that he finally got a sense of the true immensity of Mozaro. Zack was at least eight feet off the ground. His legs flailed as he tried to escape.

"You are a fighter. Determined. That is clear. Why?" Mozaro asked the frightened boy in his grasp.

"I'm going to free Cody," Zack yelled in the demon's face. This caused Mozaro to smile.

"Why do that? How about you join me, and I can help you find your way home." Mozaro hissed quietly so only Zack could hear.

"You can do that?" Zack asked.

"Of course. You've seen my domain. Bosstown! It is what I make it. I can do anything!" Mozaro raised his free hand emphatically. "That is the power of a demon lord!"

"You're lying!" Zack smirked at the monster. This erased the smile from Mozaro's face. "If you could do anything, you wouldn't have to trick me into joining you."

"You think you're clever, but you are just an ignorant child," the demon lord said coldly. He clenched his fist around Zack. He struggled to breathe as Mozaro crushed him. "An insect, not worth my time!" Mozaro squeezed Zack harder. Zack cried out as he struggled to free himself. He was stuck. Like a venus flytrap closing it's maw around a helpless bug. Cody watched this from below. He saw his brother struggling as he was squeezed. He frowned. This isn't what he wanted. He heard bones snap, and Zack's cries of agony. Cody needed to step in.

"Sir! If we want him to join us, he won't be useful if he's broken!" He called to his master.

"Silence, boy! I'm no longer interested in him as a slave. I want him as a corpse." He gave a final squeeze and Zack's eyes went wide. He went limp in Mozaro's grip. The demon lord tossed his broken body aside. He landed with a sickening thud right in front of Cody. "Besides, this is what you wanted," Mozaro growled. Cody knelt at his twin's side. Zack's bright blue eyes were dimmed, and glazed over.

"This isn't what I wanted. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to prove that I didn't need him. That I had surpassed him!" Cody pulled at his hair. "You tricked me! You said you'd make me stronger!"

"I fulfilled my promise," Mozaro said. "You're stronger by default." Cody lowered his head. He'd made the ultimate mistake. This was all his fault. Tears fell from his eyes and landed on his brother's face. He looked up to the other adventurers that had accompanied Zack. Maxine had tears in her eyes and she was standing tall. She was shaking.

"Trick. Lore. Run." she said. All emotion disappeared from her voice. Her eyes turned a hellish shade of red. Was she going to use her end magic?

"Maxine!" Lore tried to stop her. "Don't do this."

"I do it! They're gone forever, and I forget all of this. It's the best decision!" Maxine screamed. Trick managed to pull their sibling away from Maxine. A red flow of energy burst from her. Cody grabbed Zack and held his body close.

"I want this to stop!" he cried out. "Please stop!" He closed his eyes tight. He didn't feel anything. Was this death? Is this what it felt like to be nothing? He certainly deserved such a feeling. He opened his eyes. He was still holding Zack's body. He looked around the room. Mozaro was standing still. His arms were raised, shielding his face. The aura that had flown from Maxine had stopped. Everything was still. The jesters were in mid stride, running out of the room, the blast right on their heels. "Did I do this?" Cody questioned. He looked at his hands. A golden light surrounded them. "I have magic too!" Mozaro had convinced him that he had none. Only Zack had been imbued with it.

He thought of how he could stop these events from transpiring. He needed to be able to save Zack, and prevent Mozaro from killing him. "I don't know how far I can go back?" he thought aloud. "I'll have to figure it out." He thought about going backwards, and watched as everything in the room began to rewind. Zack's body flew from the ground, to Mozaro's hands, back to his friends. Cody watched a shadow of himself fighting with the group. Eventually it came to a stop with his echo holding Zack up. It was right before he took the headbutt in the nose. Cody felt his nose, and held his fingers up to his eyes. He expected to see blood, but there was nothing. He sighed and walked up to his own body, stopped in time. "Let's get this right this time."

Time resumed, with Zack's head lolled back.

"I love you, Cody!" In an instant, Zack brought it forward as fast as he could. Cody managed to lower his own head, and the twins' foreheads collided. They both grunted at the impact.

"Still a hardhead," Cody whispered.

"I'm gonna get you out of there," Zack growled back.

"Then follow my lead, and give everyone your strength!" Cody tossed Zack on the ground and backed off. He held his arm up to his forehead. "I'm killing all of you now!" He made his threat, which brought a familiar voice from above him.

"Easy, Cody." Mozaro made his way down the stairs. The black smoke that surrounded him flowed down the stairs with him. "An interesting group has made its way into my domain! To us, they are pests, but with the right thought process, they could be useful," he said. This was Cody's opportunity. He needed to give Zack time, provided he understood what Cody wanted him to do. Zack was always dumb...although, Cody was pretty dumb sometimes too. He smirked at his realization. He stepped in front of Mozaro.

"My Lord, I don't think it's necessary for you to be down here," Cody said. "I can handle these four."

"Oh?" the demon cocked his head to the side. "These are no ordinary adventurers."

"I know sir. I know how strong they are! They've all fought difficult opponents to make it this high in the spire. They'd be worthy allies." Cody kept his hands behind his back. He didn't want the demon to see his sweaty palms shaking nervously. Mozaro nodded to himself as he pondered Cody's words.

"I'd still like to see what I'm dealing with." He stuck his ashen arms out to grab Zack, but this is where Cody intervened. He focused his attention on Mozaro

"Zack, now!" Cody held Mozaro in place with his time magic. The demon's eyes where entirely focused on Cody. Rumbling came from under his feet, as the smoke billowed from under him. Zack used the time to give spell boosts to Maxine, Trick, and Lore. With the might of a hurricane, Lore fired an arrow straight at the demon lord. Right before it struck, Cody removed the time field. It embedded itself right in Mozaro's shoulder. The demon lord roared in pain, causing the entire spire to rumble. This didn't stop the onslaught. Trick then used their own magic to hit Mozaro. He was enveloped in a gravity field and pushed back into the exterior wall of the spire. The demon was woozy upon crashing into the wall with such force. The spire wobbled more viciously. As Mozaro tried to steady himself, Maxine ran toward him. She leapt at him achieving amazing heights and stuck her foot out. It connected with the demon's jaw and sent him through the exterior wall. Mozaro roared as he fell hundreds of stories to his demise.

Cody looked out the newly formed hole. They were so high up, all he could see was the low hanging clouds. After a few moments, he felt a pressure in his chest lifting. Apparently the others could feel it too.

"His domain! It's been destroyed!" Lore said excitedly. "Mozaro is gone!" The excitement of their accomplishment struck each of the four adventurers. Maxine lifted Zack off of his feet. The two were jumping in celebration. Trick and Lore leapt in to join them. The smiles across all four faces was bright and wide. Cody wiped his eyes on the back of his hand smearing the black smudge all over it. Cody scoffed at the paint, angry at his mistakes. He turned back to the hole in the wall. The cold air filled his nostrils and ran through his hair. It sent a shiver through his body.

"Hey," a voice to Cody's left said. Cody looked out of the corner of his eye to see his brother staring at him, eyes full of concern. Just like they always were. Cody just closed his eyes. He didn't think there was anything he could say to Zack to make up for what he'd done. "Guys, could you give us a minute?" Cody heard him ask the others.

"Sure. We're going to go loot Mozaro's penthouse," Maxine said with a hint of excitement in her voice. Cody heard the six footsteps making their way up the grated staircase to the deceased demon's penthouse. He finally opened his eyes to face Zack. His twin was sitting against the wall. Cody struggled to look at him. Fresh blood was still dripping out of the various cuts on his face and neck. "You alright?" he asked. Cody laughed.

"You're asking me."

"Well, yeah. You're my little brother. I have to look out for you. Are you okay?" Cody couldn't bring himself to play along with the joke.

"I'm not okay, Zack. I messed up in the worst way." Cody sat next to his brother. "I was so angry with myself for not being able to solve this problem. I took it out on you."

"Mozaro brainwashed you," Zack began. Cody didn't allow him to finish his thought.

"It's all suggestive. I was so willing to let him. I thought this world was against me and that you didn't respect me."

"I don't," Zack said flatly. "Where's the fun in that? I wouldn't fight a demon lord for someone I respect." Cody closed his eyes and grit his teeth. Zack tried to pull him in, but Cody ducked away, and rose to his feet.

"No. It's not right. You can't forgive me for this. I wanted to hurt you myself. I broke the brainwashing because I didn't want you dead." Cody was shaking at his admission. "Those feelings were based on deep insecurities."

"Okay, then," Zack said. He stood up, and crossed his arms. "I forgive you, anyway."

"You idiot!" Cody yelled. "Did you not hear me! Do you not feel your own face! Look what I've done!"

"Yeah, I am kind of an idiot aren't I?" Zack yelled back. "I may not know everything you do, and I'm pretty reckless, and I guess I just trust in luck over what makes the most sense. I've got a good gut!" He smiled. "Still, I don't need my gut to tell me that you saved us. This could have been a lot worse. I think you saw how bad it could be."

"I can't forgive myself," Cody said. "I don't feel right."

"I understand," Zack nodded. "I just want you to know that I'm glad you're back and I want you to stay with us. Don't go away." This time Cody allowed himself to be hugged by his twin.

"How did you get so good at this," Cody asked with water streaming down his face.

"I met someone just like you," Zack said. "Come on. Let's go join them."

Zack and Cody made their way up the stairs to join the other three. When they reached the landing they were both taken by surprise. There was very little furniture in the room. There was a large mirror that took up an entire wall of the room.

"What is that?" Zack asked. Trick, Lore, and Maxine were standing in front of it.

"Mozaro used it to view his domain," Lore informed them. "I didn't think this mirror existed."

"He probably knew we were in Everred, and that we turned," Trick added.

"He did," Cody said meekly. "It was his plan for you to come here." Cody looked at the other three. They gave him hard stares. Cody looked away from them.

"Zack? He good?" Maxine asked.

"Yep," Zack said eagerly.

"Good," Lore said. "I'm glad you got through." Cody looked at the jester in disbelief. The trio went back to staring at the mirror.

"Wait," Cody said. "Just like that?" He was shocked that they also forgave him. He understood that Zack would forgive him because of the type of person he was. He didn't know Trick, Lore, or Maxine at all.

"Zack says you're good," Lore said definitively.

"Now help us find stuff," Maxine ordered. She began rifling through various objects laid out on tables in the room. "These are some crazy powerful artifacts," she said excitedly.

"Hey, I found something!" Trick called. They found a closet door and opened it up. They were still grimacing from their stomach wound. The others joined them at the door and saw a man hooked up to a machine. He had a vibrant aura around him. Various colors swirled in the aura as it seeped from the man and was sucked up by the machine he was hooked to.

"What is this?" Zack asked horrified.

"It's a mana machine," Lore said. "Mozaro must have been using magic user's stores of mana to power his domain."

"Should we get him out of it," Trick asked. The jester didn't waste time looking for ways to power down the device. They were determined to free the man, regardless of the answer they received.

The group agreed to free the man from the machine and after some searching, found a power source. They removed the man from his shackles and removed him from the closet. They gingerly laid him down in the main room. Zack placed his hand on the man, and gave him a strength boost. Within moments his eyes began to open. He sat up and rubbed his scalp. He had no hair atop his head, and none on his face. The bags under his eyes were pronounced against his dark brown skin. He'd likely been kept awake by the machine for many days. He looked at each one of his rescuers in turn.

"Have you freed me?" He asked. His voice was raspy from a dry throat. The group nodded at him and a bright smile crossed his face. He showed off two rows of sparkling white teeth. He did his best to embrace all of his saviors. "Oh thank the heavens above!" He released the group from his tight grasp. "I'd never thought I'd be free of that demon!" He excitedly stood to his feet, Zack's spell giving him the juice to do so. "Forgive me. I'm just so excited. My name is Malayo. I am the governor of Bosstown!" His eyes darted to the various wounds on Trick and Zack. "You two are injured!"

"I'm fine," Zack and Trick said together.

"Nonsense," Mayalo waved their protest off. "That damned Mozaro was using my healing magic, and large mana reserves to power this domain. It's starting to return and I can't think of more deserving recipients than my saviors!" Mayalo proceeded to heal Zack and Trick's wounds. The cuts disappeared and they both thanked Mayalo. He informed the group that Bosstown and indeed the entire realm was in their debt for defeating Mozaro. "You're always welcome here, heroes!"

"We did it," Zack said to the group. "What do we do now?"

"I think we can all go home," Trick said clasping Zack's shoulder.