| Chapter Eleven | The Sorcerers
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"Don't ever look back, you aren't going that way."
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Footsteps echoed down the corridor, it was dark, holes decorated the walls, ceiling and floor letting moonlight seep in, but barely providing a lighten way. Age has already done its toll on the structure, making it known to be unsafe to enter as anything could be lurking anywhere. But piercing through the darkness was a soft white glow, an orb floating, lighting a small area where a cloaked figure walked in. Their eyes looking around at the decoration that once was in excellent condition now either destroyed or faded, thrown about like the furniture inside. They kept walking, going at a slow pace until a voice spoke up in their head.
'What's the status of the structure?' A voice asked making their eyes look around again.
"Age has done its toll, generally unsafe to enter, the structure could collapse at any second, I could tell you that from the outside, so why am I on the inside?" They asked. They stopped, going around a hole in the floor before the voice spoke up again.
'Because we need someone to go inside and you can easily get yourself out if you need to. Besides, it is a stone-brick building, those are harder to collapse then wooden buildings.' The voice explained making the figure shake their head.
"That doesn't make me feel any better." They mumbled before they saw the orb stop, making them stop. They watched it, waiting for it to choose a direction, but they went up to it, noticing it stopped by a pair of wooden double doors. They grabbed the doorknob, opening it slowly, the orb moving closer to the door, they stopped once they heard other voices and footsteps. They reached up, closing their hand on the orb, diminishing it in their hand, making darkness close around them once again. They slipped into the room, closing the door. And once they heard the footsteps stop outside the door, they hid, watching two people enter the room making the figure gritted their teeth. 'And here I am thinking that the only people who would dare come to this forsaken place would be us three and the locals...They definitely aren't locals. So why are they here?' They thought to themselves as they listened to the conversation taking place.
"How long is this gonna take? This is a restricted area." A woman asked.
"Which are you talking about? The island or the building?" A man responded. The woman sighed irritated.
"The island you moron. This island is cursed soil." She said making the man chuckle.
"That's what Commander Skylen and that Magic Council said to scare people away from it. This island is full of ancient and dark magic." The man said. They looked at the woman, seeing she was obviously uncomfortable about being here. She looked at the man, seeing he was inspecting the ground.
"It might have been just an animal, this island is full of unnatural creatures--"
"These tracks are fresh...close the doors." The man said.
"Why?" She questioned making the man stand up straight, giving the torch to the woman to hold.
"I knew that magic was familiar." The man mumbled. The man followed the tracks, his eyes and hand glowing a tealish aura, looking behind a couch, seeing nothing making the woman come over and look.
"Who was it that you sensed?" She asked as the magic left their eyes and hands. His eyes flickered up to her.
"Master Harvey Azdel...He's here." He said. She arches an eyebrow up and chuckles.
"Devlin, you don't stand a chance against him. He will crush you like a bug." She said. Devlin glanced at her but looked around.
"Nice to know you have so much confidence in me." He retorted making her shake her head.
"I know you are strong, Devlin, but Master Azdel is not only a military General. He happens to be one of the strongest sorcerers to have ever lived. He will crush you like a bug." She said. Devlin glanced at her again, he lifted his head towards a table that's resting on its side.
"He is good at magic, but so am I," Devlin said before his eyes and hands glowed a tealish aura, a ball of tealish colored energy forming in the palm of his hand and firing at the table, shattering it into billions of pieces. They looked at the table, seeing nothing was behind it making her cross her arms and look at him.
"What did that table ever do to you?" She asked him. Devlin looked around.
"I know you're in here, Master Harvey," Devlin said. She looked at him.
"How do you know? Come on, let's go--" She stopped talking once she saw the curtains on the bed move. She pointed at them, Devlin grabbed her arm, moving her behind him.
"Harvey--"
"What are you doing here, Devlin?" A voice asked with no specific origin. She looked around, confused.
"How did he--"
"What are you doing here? Last I heard, you went MIA. So what happened to you? What was more important than your duty to the Magic Council?" Devlin asked earning a chuckle.
"I never wanted to be a part of the Magic Council. The Council is corrupted in their ways...and it isn't like I left on my own will." The voice said.
"What happened--"
"And why would I tell a dark mage my reasons?" The voice asked. Devlin shrugged his shoulders.
"Fair point," Devlin said before he flicked his wrist towards the bed, a spell flung at the bed, Devlin pushing the woman back as the room shook upon impact, the bed destroyed, but out of the smoke was a bright violet light that grew bigger as it knocked Devlin back, making him hit away. She looked at Devlin and back at the attacker seeing a cloaked figure with their arm extended up, their hand glowing a purple aura as their eyes glowed under the hood. Her eyes widen as she backed up, seeing Devlin's attack didn't even leave a scratch on the attacker.
"L-Like I said, he will crush you like a bug! He's too strong, Devlin!" She shouted looking at Devlin as Devlin stood up straight, cuts on his skin with tears in his clothes.
"Do not test me, Devlin," Harvey warned as his eyes lost its magenta glow, his eyes shifting to a discolored brown and purple. Devlin chuckled softly, he lost his balance, leaning against the wall for support.
"T-That hurt." Devlin groaned touching his head. Harvey lowered his arm, looking at Devlin.
"That was a warning, I'm not in the mood to fight anyone today," Harvey said before the woman went over to Devlin, grabbing his arm.
"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. She looked at Harvey. "Isn't that overboard?! He didn't even scratch you!" Devlin shook his head.
"I-It doesn't matter, J-Jeane," Devlin said.
"He's a dark mage and I'm a light mage, that reasons enough for either one of us to try to kill each other," Harvey said. Harvey looked at her. 'I should get rid of them, they know I am here. They might tell everyone back on the mainland...and that will be bad in more ways than just finding me...' Harvey thought to himself. Harvey's eyes looked at Devlin. "And now that you know where I am...I can't let you leave this island alive."
"The big hero killing people? That--"
"Taking lives is easy, Devlin. You see it as difficult because you haven't taken as much as I have. And I have no sympathy for dark mages." Harvey said before Jeane spoke up.
"B-But you wouldn't...kill a woman, right?" Jeane asked scared. Harvey looked at her.
"If I don't kill you here and now, one of my partners' will and they have more of a reason to keep their location and identities a secret than I do," Harvey said before his eyes shifted to a purple color making Devlin grit his teeth together, he pushes Jeane towards the doors.
"Run! Run now!" Devlin shouted before Jeane ran out the door, Devlin attacking him.
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"Lay him down!" Alister shouted as Michael and a nurse rested Ty onto the bed. Quentin moved Michael out of his way as he went to the opposite side of the bed from Alister.
"Move, Michael! Alister! You run point!" Quentin said. Alister nodded before he checked Ty's pulse as Quentin looked at the extent of the rash on Ty's body. Nurses closed the curtains to separate them from the prying eyes around them.
"He's coding!" Alister said before Elise ran in, Michael was quick to grab her before she could get close.
"Ty!" Elise cried. Michael pulled her back.
"Elise, I know you're upset but you'll only be in the way," Michael said trying to calm her down. Elise watched as a nurse rushed beside Alister.
"Chest compressions now! Do we have any more borage?!" Alister asked before the nurse started pushing down on Ty's chest. A nurse shook her head.
"No, the last was used--"
"I don't care what the last was used on! What do we have?!" Alister snapped at the nurse but before the nurse could answer, Quentin's eyes widen and looked at Elise.
"Elise! You have conjuring magic right?!" Quentin asked. Elise nodded, but then she shook her head knowing what they wanted.
"N-No! Major I-I could k-kill Ty if I--" Quentin grabbed her arms gently, seeing tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Elise, take a deep breath, relax," Quentin said calmly to her. Elise stared back at him, trying to calm herself. Quentin touched her shoulders. "Listen to me, you are one of Seto's best apprentices, I know you typically make weapons and creatures with your magic but borage might be Ty's last chance." Elise stared at him, her eyes watering more.
"I-I n-never make plants correctly, it c-could kill him." Elise quickly explained. Quentin tore his eyes away from her and to the scene behind him when he heard a yelp, seeing a nurse on the floor.
"Seizure!"
"Hold him down!" Alister yelled before looking at Elise. "Go get Preston now! He's with Jason!" Quentin looked at Alister as he helped hold Ty's right arm down.
"Preston?! What does Pres--"
"He's developed a potion that could save him! Just trust me!" Alister said before Preston came in with a nurse behind him. "If you have any more left, use it now!" Preston nodded. Quentin saw Preston pull out a vial full of liquid, going over to Quentin.
"Open his mouth!" Preston said before Alister grabbed Ty's jaw, opening his mouth, struggling as Preston opened the vial, pouring the last of the drug in, Alister shut Ty's mouth.
"Sit him up!" Alister said before Quentin and two nurses pulled Ty to sit up.
"He's still coding!" Quentin said before he looked at Alister. Ty's body stopped jerking and moving, going almost limp. Quentin and the nurses laid Ty down, Quentin quickly taking his pulse, waiting. "I'm not getting--" Ty took a sharp breath in, taking in deep shaky breaths. Quentin froze for a moment, he looked at Preston. "What did you do? What did you give him?" Quentin stared at Preston, seeing Preston looked as surprised as he was making Quentin grab a fistful of Preston's shirt. Preston putting his hands up, looking at the Major General in pure fear.
"I d-don't--"
"You don't know what you gave him, do you?" Quentin snapped. Preston shook his head a bit.
"N-No, I--"
"Where did you get this drug? How do you know it is safe to use on people?!" Quentin asked. Elise pushed Michael's arms off her and ran to Ty's side, grabbing his arm.
"Ty, can you hear me?" Elise asked seeing Ty move his head.
"Who made this drug?" Quentin asked Preston. Quentin pushed Preston into a table, the table moving with him as Preston jumped out of his skin. He took a moment to gather himself before looking at the Major General, shivers going up his spine seeing the rage laced in Quentin's eyes.
"D-Dan did! Dan made it! He only made two samples before the army was attacked. General Azdel and he made it, I don't know what is in it, I only know what it is supposed to do." Preston said quickly. Quentin stared at Preston, taking in everything he said. He knew Dan was making a type of drug that could be a major breakthrough for the medical field, but he never knew that Dan was actually at the creation stage.
"Samples...So it wasn't tested before you used it! Do you realize what you could have done to Ty if this drug was fatal?!" Quentin snaps at Preston. "You don't test stuff like that on Generals! You--"
"It saved General Jason's life!" Preston shouted making Quentin freeze. Michael shocked just as much as Quentin, but he turned and left them, going to another curtained-off room. Preston glanced at Ty, seeing him breathing. "A-And it saved General Ellis." Preston looked back at Quentin. "I-I know the dangers, but they...they were gonna die or were dead anyway, I didn't think it could hurt if I--"
"It doesn't matter, Preston!" Quentin snapped before the curtain was pushed back, Ian looking at the scene. He looked at Ty and then at Quentin and Preston.
"Quentin!" Ian said before grabbing Quentin's arm, pulling him off Preston. Preston grabbed the table, taking a few deep breaths. Ian pushed Quentin back. "What the nether is going on here?!"
"He just used Ty as a lab rat with a drug that hasn't even been tested yet!" Quentin said. Ian looked at Preston.
"You what? Preston--"
"It saved Ty's life! It saved Jason! I tested it on General Probst before I used it on General Ellis. It works, what's the harm--"
"Jason is dead," Ian said stepped towards Preston. Preston stared back at Ian.
"Are you sure about that?" Preston asked him. Alister looked at Ian, seeing the hostility that quickly formed and while he had wanted to pull Quentin off Preston, but frankly, everyone knows that it is best to not cross the Generals when they are mad. Alister spoke up, ensuring the nurses tended to Ty's needs as he went to the other side of the bed.
"General Probst is alive, Commander Stapleton," Alister said. Quentin looked at Alister.
"H-How?! He's been dead for hours! That's not possible." Quentin said as Ian took in a sharp breath. He looked at Alister.
"You told him to use this drug both times...you knew about it being in-house," Ian said. Alister nods at Ian. Ian took a step towards Alister. "And why didn't either of you tell us about this?!" Ian looked at Preston. "I know Dan was working on something like this, but he told me that he hadn't developed a sample before the base was attacked." Quentin looked at Preston.
"This drug, it could have saved Adam's life. Why didn't you tell us about it?!" Quentin asked them.
"Because only Adam...T-Ty...and I knew about it." A weak voice spoke. Ian and Quentin turned around, seeing Michael helping a very weak looking Jason walk.
"J-Jason," Quentin said. Alister looked at Jason.
"You shouldn't be up. Michael, take him back, now. He needs to rest, he still hasn't recovered." Alister said. Jason looked at Quentin, ignoring Quentin.
"A-Adam didn't want news o-of this drug s-spreading. I-It was never tested...and D-Dan has a few things t-to fix in it..." Jason said before he groaned, touching his head. Michael was careful around the General's stomach, but the General was already leaning most of his weight onto him making it hard for him to hold Jason up on his feet. Michael looked at Quentin and Ian.
"N-No offense, Generals...but can you all argue somewhere else? General Jason is heavy." He groaned. Jason's eyes looked at him.
"A-Are you calling me fat?" Jason mumbled to him making Michael smile.
"I would never," Michael respond before Michael pulled Jason away and back to his bed. Ian looked at Alister.
"Watch them both, I don't want Jason or Ty leaving this infirmary, we don't know what the drug did to them or what to expect," Ian said before he now looked at Preston. "And never do something like that again, Preston. There is a reason we want all inventions to be thoroughly tested before any use. Am I clear, Preston?" Preston nodded.
"Crystal."
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