Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 25

"Tyler, get Landon here to run damage control from the control room. We don't have time for this and the press is going to be here any second. We need to get the wounded out of here immediately."

I had known this would happen in a sense, having this wedding was a beacon for Caspian to reveal himself. What I hadn't planned on was Tyler learning how to open a portal, I hadn't imagined he would be able to summon a dragon and that he was strong enough to hold the vastness open for so long. He and Pascal had been working far more than I'd given them credit for, I was dangerously out of the loop. 

Pascal cradles Legardo, it's war times all over again. The smoldering remains of the building from the explosion of the vortex surround us, I hear sirens rolling in all around. "The boys.." I whisper, panic rising in my chest. 

"Safe." Legardo coughs. 

I clutch Verando tighter, owing the bastard son my life for all he'd done for us. Our team begins to swarm in, a range of heroes and government officials though I'm disappointed to see though who are collected from the debris have claimed the side against us when I thought they were friends. More and more handcuffs close on wrists, magical depressors made from Wraith blood that would prevent the completion of the flow and stop magic temporarily. 

A design from Landon.

"We need to go, Your Majesty." When I look up, I see Ron before me. Aged, retired, but he had been with us from the beginning and there was no one who knows our situation better. He offers me a small smile, "We're going to take care of them and get this mess sorted out."

"Do we have anything that can hold Caspian?" I murmur, afraid to speak too loudly for fear he'd awaken. My eyes drift to the younger version of himself, feeling the familiar throb in my temple of frustration, confusion, and over-exertion. "Can we call on Tyr?"

Tyr. What would the god have to say about this monstrosity of a situation? 

"One thing at a time. We've got a chain, blessed by elves, it's not perfect but it should be enough for now." The look on his face told me all that I needed to know, there would be no stopping Caspian from releasing himself if he was so inclined. Shuddering at the reality, I carefully get up, my body shaking beyond my control as I allow them to gather Verando and take him away along with the younger version of Caspian. 

Carefully, they begin the process of binding the vessel of Fenrir in the elven chain. I summon Tyler who limps towards me, guarding his bleeding leg. "You've gotten a lot stronger." I nearly challenge him. "Where have you been?"

"You seemed busy." He sounds embarrassed. Pascal allows Legardo to leave on a stretcher, she guards her shoulder as she approaches me, eyes red and puffy from the tears. 

"You both could have gotten us all killed. That was incredibly reckless." While Tyler looks ashamed, Pascal seems unafraid of my threats. Pursing my lips, I exhale slowly. "But that was incredible, you should both be proud of how far you've come.. without my help. I haven't been a good teacher to either of you."

Nodding towards me, Pascal wasn't one to accept praise. I shut my eyes as Lotta attempts to hold a strong face when they carefully move her. The arrow in her shoulder had to be excruciating, I'd been shot enough to know the pain. "I'd still love to know anything you could teach me, Nicolas." Tyler attempts, hopeful. 

Right now I didn't feel equipped to teach anyone anything, gesturing to the vessel, I extend my hand to Ron to take the chain. "Well, you can start with a sealing spell. We've put Caspian on ice before, it won't kill him and it'll take a lot of energy but we need to keep him in this state for as long as possible until Tyr can get to him. Repeat after me."