Chapter 15: Speech Preparations
"The days have turned into a week, and the only sound from the city is the deafening sound of silence." The same newsreader as before, still attired in his funeral suit, stared solemnly down the camera.
"Politicians, the police, the army are all at their wits end, and this… this affair, has caused the country's economy to be on the brink of collapse. Nothing is known of the fate of the thousands of residents and visitors to San Francisco and the surrounding area has been completely deserted by civilians, many fearing that the impenetrable barriers may spread to swallow up more of the state."
"Family and friends of the missing cannot help but fear that their loved ones may be dead by now and there is still no communication from the believed hostiles to alleviate these fears. Indeed, there has been no indication as to the reason behind the attack, although in a recent statement by outspoken politician…"
A chorus of shouts and a sudden bustle of activity in the area behind him cut off the newsreader. Army soldiers were swarming the area, weapons being primed for use.
"There appears to be something happening..!" the newsreader exclaimed, gesturing for the camera to follow the action, "It looks like… There! Yes! A section of the barrier is no longer there!"
The camera swung back to the newsreader and he narrated in a theatrical whisper, "It appears that there is a break in the barrier, whether due to our sides attempts or due to persons unknown it isn't quite clear. However the army seem to have been taken by surprise…"
A shout from behind the camera was heard, "There's someone standing there!"
A camera hastily zoomed in on the lone figure standing on a podium, between the two shimmering walls of the barrier.
"He's talking! He's making a speech! Hurry, can we get sound?"
The newsreader faced the camera, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this may be what we have been waiting for. Let's listen to what this man has to say…"
---
"This is Sanctuary."
The Elder glared pompously round the circle, as if daring someone to disagree with him.
"It is indeed," a second Elder, called Arthur, remarked dryly, his white hair and baby blue eyes at odds with his sardonic expression, "But is it safe? I think not."
The first Elder, named Mayer, directed a brief glare at the second and drew himself up to his full height. "We have put all our magic into hiding this place, it is safe, I tell you!"
"We put all our magic into protecting the Overworld," Arthur retorted, "And where did that get us?"
"Centuries upon centuries of safety-"
"All destroyed within ten minutes by the work of one man." cut in Arthur, "Safe? We were sitting ducks! It was just that no demon dared to think we would be so foolish as to leave ourselves so blatantly unprotected as that."
Mayer spluttered ineffectively for a moment, before Orion interrupted quietly.
"This is not the time or the place for recriminations." he said with the slightest hint of reproval, "We must decide on a course of action."
"What of the girl, Prudence? And her guardian?" Mayer asked, "How much do we tell her of what we suspect? Can we even trust her? After all she is Wyatt's cousin."
"Remember what we saw." Orion replied, "Wyatt was willing to kill her, I do not think she would join him. Neither her nor Christopher, no matter where he is."
"He's been caught, that's where he is!" exploded Mayer, "Even if he won't join Wyatt, he's useless to us now. How can he fight from a prison cell?"
"May help to have someone on the inside, so to speak." commented Arthur, "If he escapes it will give us valuable information."
Mayer snorted, "And how will we use this information? We have no one to fight. How do we expect to beat Wyatt when he has driven the magical world into hiding?"
Orion looked around the circle, a determined glint in his eye. "There are plenty of us. Wyatt did us great damage but we are still a force to be reckoned with. Maybe it's time we started fighting for our own causes instead of directing others to fight for us."
"The fight may happen sooner that we think." Arthur muttered, "Look." He pointed an aged hand towards a large, perfectly circular pool in the centre of the Elders.
The water had started gently rippling and a picture was forming – a tall man, standing commandingly on an impressive podium, poised to start a speech…
---
Prue tapped her pencil thoughtfully against the table and reread the page of the ancient book she was currently flicking her way through.
"That might be useful." she muttered, making a note of the spell on a scrap piece of paper.
The paper was filled with random spells, little rhymes and potion recipes that she figured may come in handy in her rescue mission. In reality though, Prue knew she had no idea of how to pull it off. For a start she didn't even know where Chris was being kept in the City hall – scrying had gotten her so far, but no further.
"Prue?" Sheila called through the door to the library they had found, "It looks like something is happening down there."
"What?" Prue called back distractedly, her eyes scanning the next page of the book.
Sheila poked her head through the doorway, "The Elders seem to be gathered around that funny pool of water…"
Her interest piqued, Prue got up and joined Sheila leaning against the railings surrounding the platform. As she stared at the pool it seemed to become clearer and a shocked gasp from Sheila, told her that it was true for her too. The blurs sharpened into a familiar figure, a familiar figure with dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes…
---
In their separate cells in the cellars-turned-dungeons of the City Hall, Chris and Darryl were both disturbed by demons parading up and down the magicked corridors and proclaiming that Lord Wyatt was to make a speech.
Chris groaned, this didn't sound good.
Holographic screens appeared on the walls in front of each cell, it looked as though Wyatt wanted his prisoners to get front row seats.
Chris watched with a feeling of foreboding as his brother carefully and purposely climbed up the podium steps and waved a hand at the shimmering barrier in front of him. A small section vanished giving a view of the confused land before him. Soldier levelled guns at the lone figure, but Wyatt appeared unperturbed, obviously secure in the knowledge of some magic that was in place to protect him.
He opened his mouth and spoke in a powerful, carrying voice…
Dun, dun, dun...
I know...its a bit of a cliffie, but you love me for it really!
Please review on your way out!