Ch30: Reluctant Rescue
Once we all took our duties, I assisted Dominico with making the ingredients for the Ultimate Barrier while the others promised they'd defend David with their lives. "I still have no idea how you know all of these events... and you say that David is the heir, and not me? The boy has no magic in him at all, whereas I am a master at magic," Dominico frowned. "Well, Dominico, when did you first meet David? I believe it was from you finding him lost and hungry and you took him in out of kindness, right?" I asked him, making him look at me with a shocked face.
"So you really are a psychic woman... but you didn't answer my question," Dominico frowned. "Well, your family line was the ones that were supposed to watch over David's family line. Yet somehow, as the years went by, the roles became reversed, and much worse off as shown with your cruelty towards him. I mean, trying to force him to eat dog food? That's about as low as you can get without committing murder," I growled at him. "Are you sure that that is what really happened?" Dominico asked me. "You're talking to someone who knows both future and past events of this world a stupid question like that? Just focus on making the barrier, bud," I frowned at him.
It was then that we heard an evil cackle sound out from around us. It was the possessed Jessica for sure. "Guv! She's down 'ere! In the courtyard!" Yangus exclaimed. Dominico looked at me and then looked at the book. "Go! You hold her off from David and I will prepare the barrier!" Dominico exclaimed. "Got it!" I said as I rushed out through the nearest exit, the window, and jumped right in front of an attack that Jess tried to send at Medea: a Kafrizz. "What?! You always interfere with me, don't you, time traveler?!" Rhapthorne exclaimed at me with Jess's voice. "You will not get David, and you will let Jess go right now, evil monster!" I exclaimed as I rushed forward and connected a blow to Jess's arms, allowing me to take the scepter... but just like before, she grabbed hold of it again and then we were in a tug-of-war match for the cursed artifact.
"You WILL NOT INTERFERE!" Rhapthorne exclaimed as he tried to use his thorns on me, only for them to dry up upon touching my skin. "And YOU will give our friend back! NOW!" I exclaimed as I ended up holding her off for a good while until Dominico came rushing out. "Come on, guy! Use the barrier! I'm kinda losing energy here!" I exclaimed as I started to feel weak after the minute-long tugging fest. "GOT IT! Taste my ultimate barrier, bimbo!" Dominico exclaimed as he clapped his hands together and a great bit of energy formed around him. This energy was so great, that it actually managed to blow both Jess and myself away from the blast! And the scepter? Hell, we didn't even see where it landed at! But I knew that it would be Dominico's dog who would get it. That much was clear when he went in the bushes and didn't come back out.
Jess's body began to return to normal as she fell to the ground unconscious. "Jess! Are you okay? Stay with us, girl!" Stella exclaimed as she tried to nudge her awake from her cheek. "Rgh. No good. She's knocked out colder than a wet mackerel," Stella groaned. "We'll take her with us to the Inn. She needs to rest up," Medea said with a frown. "By the way... David... you need to be strong. Someone is going to die today... and there is nothing that can stop it..." I said as a tear went down my face. "W-Who's going to die? Who?" David asked. I didn't answer. I simply turned around and took Jess to the Inn along with the others. I could already feel Dhoulmagus's magic take over Sir Leopold. And once he got adjusted to his new form, David would be killed.
"I think I can use my magic to wake her from her nightmares... do you mind if I do this?" Angelica asked. "Sure, go ahead," I said. Angelica sighed as she strummed her harp, Jess's body becoming cloaked in light as a slight dark energy rose out of her. Her nightmares. And it then got purged by me using a Light-based attack on it. "Mm... Rgh... W-Where am I?" Jess asked as she got up and looked at us. "Whew. Yer awake... we were worried sick," Red said with a relieved sigh. "I... I remember... t-the scepter!" Jessica exclaimed. "What is it, Jess? Moreover, why don't we ask both you AND the 'time traveler'?" Trode asked.
"I'll tell you about what is going on, but not about the true fate of David. Otherwise, the timeline will get screwed up," I frowned. "Okay. What are we up against?" Angelo asked. "Dhoulmagus wasn't acting of his own accord when he took the staff. He was being controlled just as I was..." Jess said. "And the one who controlled them was the demonic being sealed within the scepter: the Lord of Darkness, Rhapthorne," I frowned.
"Sounds like a big one," Yangus frowned. "You have no idea," I frowned at him. "Rhapthorne kept on telling me to do things... specifically to kill the 7 sages, each of which sealed their bloodlines into the scepter to prevent him from escaping. Everyone that he's killed has been a sage. Master Rylus, my brother, the Abbot, and the man in Baccarat were all descendants of their blood... wait... THE SCEPTER! WHERE IS IT?!" Jess exclaimed loudly. "The royal scepter?! Come to think of it, I don't know! We must've lost it in all the hullabaloo!" Trode gulped. "NO! Whoever picks up the scepter will be stuck under Rhapthorne's control! We need to find out where it went!" Jessica exclaimed.