Chapter 2

The time in the Principal's office passed in a blur. Before he knew it Jake was walking back along the very path that he was on when he had summoned the air and defeated Tiny. He heard a shout and turned. It was Will.

"Hey Jake wait up", Will exclaimed.

"What do you want", replied Jake gruffly.

Will was stunned by this answer "I thought we were friends"

"Well", Jake said dryly "we were friends until you decided to betray me to that idiot of a principal."

Will was yet again stunned by Jake's answer. "But Jake, he was only trying to do the right thing."

"Trying to do the right thing", Jake scoffed, "Tiny didn't even get in trouble, I was blamed for the entire thing. Apparently if I didn't anger Tiny in the first place, this never would have started. He was the one who pushed me, and when he sent his goons at me I only acted in self defence."

"Jake, look", William began.

"I don't want to hear it", Jake shouted, "I was wrongly accused of something I didn't do so don't try to tell me that I am wrong."

After saying this Jake stalked away on the path he usually took to get back home. William could see the fury written on every line of Jake's body and knew that if he followed, Jake would summon that power and sent him flying into the oncoming traffic. So instead of following he just stood there and watched as his ex-friend was slowly lost from sight. He stood there for 5 minutes after Jake's form had vanished into the distance. Then he put his body in motion, turned around and walked around the long way. He would end up on the same road as Jake would walk in but it will take 20 minutes to do so and by the time he reached that road Jake would be in his own home doing his schoolwork, sleeping or watching TV.

Jake arrived at his house 15 minutes after the argument with Will.

His mother saw him as he walked up the stairs and shouted up "how was school." When Jake didn't answer she tried a different question "Where is William, don't you guys usually do your homework together on Wednesdays."

"William had to go home early", Jake replied.

Jake's mother opened her mouth to speak then pondered that decision shut it. If Jake wanted to tell him something then he will tell her in his own time.

Jake continued walking up the steps when he reached the top he turned left and looked at a door marked Will and Jake's room "DO NOT ENTER". Underneath the "DO NOT ENTER" was a small note written by Will "IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES"

A small smile entered Jake's face but faded away at the thought of Will. Sighing he turned back the way he came and entered his own room. He collapsed onto his bed and snuggled under the covers. 5 minutes later he fell asleep.

He woke 30 minutes later to the sound of his ringing phone. He flipped up its cover and looked at who was calling him. He groaned as he made out the name "WILLIAM". He hesitated and after a moments pondering he touched the answer button. He put the phone to his ear. "JAKE", William's voice sounded urgent and strained. "What is it Will," Jake answered. "There are some scary men in black armour with some very sharp weapons who are asking where you are." Immediately, Jake was on his feet and fumbling around for his clothes. "What do you mean?" He asked. "I was walking along Jacobsen Avenue, when I was knocked to the ground by something. I think I was knocked out for a few seconds. Anyway, when I came to, all these guys had surrounded me and were looking down at me. One of them, a big tall guy, asked me in a raspy voice that sounded like his voice box had been smashed and cut "Do you know where Jake Vainer is." I was about to say that I had never heard of anyone by that name when he added, "don't lie, we know if you are lying to us, and if we find out that you are then you will join these people." Then he stepped aside to reveal half-a-dozen corpses." William's voice sounded shaky now. "Jake, you don't understand, it looks like they were tortured to death; they had been bled almost white. It was terrible." "Its ok William, I'm calling the police now, and it's ok."

Jake was already out of his house and sprinting down the road to get to Jacobsen Avenue. He was hoping that he or the police would be able to get there in time.

Then a terrible thought occurred to Jake. "Wait a minute. If they had captured you, then how have you taken the time to call me?" Even as he said this, a terrible thought popped into Jake's mind. No, he thought, William would not betray me to save his own skin... or would he. William's next words confirmed Jake's worst fears. "Because they have trapped me and are pointing their weapons at my throat, promising a slow and painful death if I do not co-operate with them." Jake slowed to a sudden stop and hesitated what to do next. His mind was made up for him when he heard sirens.

A police car pulled up in front of him. "He is just through here." An officer came up to him and said "were you the one who made the call." "Yes I was." Jake replied. "He is just through here, down Jacobsen Avenue." Thank you young sir, if you could just go back to your home, we will report once the job is done." He didn't even wait for a response; he just headed into the darkness. But Jake thought to himself, stuff that, I'm not waiting out here. He made sure nobody was watching, hurried over to a pile of bricks, picked up one, and used it to smash the window of the car. He opened the door and climbed inside. He opened the glove box and looked inside. He found it right away. A Glock 23 was nestled under some papers. Jake was no stranger to firearms as his late father had taken him to some firing rangers. He had practically fired every type of sidearm and rifle there was. He had even fired a 12-gauge shotgun. He took it out and put it in his jacket pocket. He then closed the door and got ready to leave. As he was about to move into the alley, a female voice echoed through the car. It said "an explosion was reported to us 5 minutes ago in a house on Walter Road. We suspect that it was in the nature of a terrorist attack. A witness saw two men in black carry a woman out of the burning house but they have since disappeared. Can all available units please respond and head for Walter Road." Jake paid no heed to the call for help and headed into the dark alleyway.

When Jake reached the site of the battle, he gagged and turned away. A dozen police officers were already dead. Their bodies littered along the floor. Only 5 officers remained. These survivors were hiding behind quickly made barricades. As Jake watched, some of the men in black threw black shapes from their weapons, sending the barricades flying. A police officer was sent skidding along the floor. He groaned and lifted his head. One of the black soldiers noticed and whipped his sword. The blade seemed to collect the shadows as it sailed through the air. He then thrust it forward and the shadows hit a fridge that was lying randomly around on its side. The fridge flew through the air and headed right for the police officer, who screamed.

The fridge landed on the police officers head and there was a sickening crunch and slowly, the officers struggles lessened and his cries faded until he was just a corpse, lying on the ground, his muscles giving a twitch every now and then as his nervous system shut down. There was an ominous red stain spreading around the place where the officer's head had been pinned down.

When Jake saw this, the felt bile rise up in his throat and tears ran down his face, as he thought of the human who had just lost his life. Jake saw 3 men pick an unconscious William up off the floor and out of sight. Jake took his pistol out of his pocket, flicked of the safety and shot the gun into the men in black. None of the bullets made a connection. They were all on target but just before they made contact, the shadows would rise out of the ground and intercept the bullets. Jake fired the gun empty and then tossed it aside. He heard a movement and spun.

Standing behind him was a man clad completely in black armour. Jake thrust his fist but it was caught and he was thrown against the wall. He scrambled to his feet. When he remembered what had happened this afternoon. He felt the cool air beneath his palm. When the black soldier charged, he pushed downwards and he shot into the air. He spun mid air and pushed against the air again. The black soldier was smashed up against the wall with such a force that it left a crack in the wall. The black-clad man slid to the floor, leaving a red stain on the wall behind him.

Jake then heard a clap from behind him and he spun. A black-clad man stood there. But the black material was not pulsing and shifting. It was more like a piece of clothing that was made of black fabric. The man said, "Never have I seen a newbie kill a Necromancer on his or her first day of power." Jake stared. Then he noticed something moving behind him and shouted "GET DOWN." The man just looked at Jake and then laughed. "It's all right little mate, they are on our side." He then turned and said "Knights, show yourselves."

A dozen men came out of the shadows. But as they detached from the shadows, Jake became aware that they were in the wrong era. For they were clad in complete medieval plate armour, the colour was a dull silver. They were a little over two metres tall, and strapped to their backs was a massive medieval broadsword, that was a roughly 1 and a half metres long. It was as wide as a toddler and had the sharpest blade that Jake had ever seen.

Their heads were covered in helmets that looked like they were from the crusades, but the rest was medieval plate armour. As Jake took a closer look, he realised that the shields that they carried were attached to their gauntlets, which means that they can't lose their shield unless their entire gauntlet is ripped off.

He turned the man in black and said "what are they called." The man looked back at him and responded. "They are called Knights. They are our soldiers, and the bulk of out army."

Jake looked at the men clad in the plate armour and said "wow, if you guys have an army like this, then you must be pretty unstoppable." But the man just laughed and responded. "You'd be surprised how many defeats that we have suffered in the past few years, with the uprising of the Necromancers and some unknown foe that keeps killing our troops and destroying our outposts." His expression had gone from happy to frustrated and angry in a second.

Jake peered over the edge and saw that only 3 of the officers were still alive. The latest death was an officer in his late 20's. He had spun from cover to try and get of another shot, but a Necromancer had recognised the pattern as was ready with a blast of shadows. The next time the officer had popped out, the Necromancer had sent the shadows spiralling across in a slashing motion. The shadows had gone up his belly, drawing a long, deep cut. Then the man's guts hah spilled across the floor. Then he had toppled backwards, crashed to the floor and lay still.

Jake lunged across the rooftop and threw up in a bin. The strange man looked on sympathetically and said "did another officer die." Jake nodded, still feeling sick. Then the man straightened and the look on his face changed from sympathetic to determined. Then he said in a loud, proud voice, "Then I guess we had better get to work. Knights, follow me."

Halfway to the roof, the man stopped, but the Knights kept going jumping of the roof and into the battle, drawing swords as they did so. He turned and as if it was only an afterthought, said. "By the way, I would check up on your house and your mum." Jake wondered why when it hit him. His mind flashed back to the call for help as he was searching for the gun. He recalled the lady saying that there was an explosion in the house on Walter Avenue. Jake's house was on Walter Avenue. "You might need this." Jake turned as a gun clattered to the floor. It was an old Smith and Wesson .44. "Why the hell would I need this." "To get your mum back of course", the man replied. He turned and threw a glance back at Jake and shouted "Good luck kid, you'll need it." He then turned around and suddenly, his hand blazed with a white hot fire. He then yelled "GET THEM". Then he leapt of the building.

Jake could no longer spare any thoughts towards the strange man, those Knights and the Necromancers. His heart and mind filled with one simple sentence. Must help Mum, Must help Mum, Must help Mum, please Lord, let me get there in time.