A/N - Aaaaaaaah!!! So, I was about to wrap up editing this chapter and got this crazy idea to use it to test out some audiobook software and aaaaaaaah!!!
I LOVE IT!!! ❤️❤️❤️ The audio version of this chapter is soooo good! Their are rough patches and I couldn't get the voices consistent 100% of the time, but aaaaaaaah!!! It worked!
Check out the link in the Author's Note at the end to listen and let me know what you think!
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Previously On "The Otherworlders": After hours of unsuccessfully trying to open the lock on Prince Julian's safe, Cameron is beyond frustrated that his plan of alternating fire and ice magic is an epic fail.
Despite Sebastian and Jake trying to offer suggestions and support, tensions rise as Cameron gets defensive and pushes back at their attempts.
Acknowledging they're getting nowhere, the boys decide to call it a night until they hear guards heading towards the Safe Room as the last stop on their patrol.
Needing to think fast, with Cameron's help, they're able to escape getting caught, again, by putting the massive air vents to good use.
**********
The boys, defeated and demoralized, trudge through the ventilation system back to the safety of the guest wing in Prince Julian's palace.
Exhausted, they mumble disgruntled and disappointed 'good nights' to each other as their feet hit the floor, then each retreats to his respective room for the evening.
Inside of his, Sebastian flops onto the plush, goose down bed, it's comforting embrace offering him very little solace.
He closes his eyes and tries to forget the disaster of an evening they've just had. Ultimately, they failed to crack the safe open and have no images of the artifact to send to Master Achebe.
Sebastian buries his face in the pillow, then restless, flips onto his back and stares up at the ceiling, too depressed to sleep.
His mind races, replaying their every moment tonight and trying to figure out where things went so wrong.
None of them wanted to go home as failures; and yet, that's exactly what will happen, despite their best efforts. And they'll be the only team to return to the Academy under the dark cloud of defeat.
Gods! This sucks!
He heaves in a heavy breath.
He knew this mission would most likely be a failure with him at its helm. And as usual, he'd overestimated his abilities. Now Jake and Cameron will also have to suffer his shame, and with absolutely nothing to show for it.
Unless...
He bolts upright in bed.
Unless there's something else they could do.
A crazy idea strikes him like lightning and suddenly his despair turns to glee.
While his team may not return to the Academy with the information they were dispatched to retrieve, they don't have to end this mission not having done any good at all.
Driven by a sudden rush of adrenaline, Sebastian hops off the bed, grabs his phone and his sword, and heads out to wake Jake and Cameron for a rogue mission that just might bring them a little redemption in the end.
***
Deep in the basement of the palace, the boys follow Sebastian, their footsteps echoing hollowly in the dank, dimly lit cavern.
Jake is on edge, scanning their surroundings the entire time, while Cameron stifles a yawn. "So... what are we doing down here again??"
"There's something we've got to do," Sebastian responds cryptically.
Cameron looks around at the long, dark, creepy cavern they're in and shudders. He blows out a breath. "Sebastian, I'm about 99% sure the artifact is upstairs in the safe room. I don't think we should be down here."
"This is not about the artifact." Sebastian replies coolly, his tone suggesting a deeper, more urgent motive. He quickens his pace.
And then after several yards, Sebastian looks back over his shoulder at Jake and says, "I'm gonna guess you know what we're looking for, yeah?"
Jake nods. "I think I do."
"Good." Sebastian says.
"Um, is somebody gonna fill me in?" Cameron asks, perplexed.
Sebastian holds up a finger, silently pleading for Cameron to be patient and just follow.
After a minute, the boys hit an intersection, and Sebastian gestures to each of the branching paths around them, shrouded in darkness.
He looks at Jake. "I'm pretty sure they're down one of these halls. Can you tell which one?"
Jake lifts his nose and sniffs the air, then points to the left with his thumb. "That way," he says. "I can smell them; it's faint but unmistakable."
And before Cameron can ask what the hell they're doing in what — at some point in this palace's history — must have been the dungeon of death, Jake and Sebastian are off again.
At the end of the hall, Sebastian pushes open a heavy oak door — surprisingly unlocked. And when he flips on the lights, all three boys gasp in horror at the sight before them.
"Oh, gods!" Sebastian exclaims as he steps inside.
Cameron follows him and covers his nose. "Ugh! The smell!"
Jake is the last one to enter. But he can't step all the way inside. All he can do is stand in the open doorway, his eyes narrowing into angry slits and his nostrils flaring with barely contained rage.
Before them are rows and rows of iron cages, lining both sides of the wall. And inside of each of these cages is one of the weak and listless circus animals that had performed for the prince earlier that evening, plus a few that never made an appearance.
The space is cold, dank, and heavy with the putrid stench of urine hanging in the air.
Still covering his nose, Cameron steps further inside. He looks around and slowly lowering his hand, blows out a long, slow breath. "Gods," he whispers. "This is horrid!"
He turns to Sebastian and asks, "But what do you want us to do? I mean I can try to use my magic to make them more comfortable, but I—"
"No," Sebastian says quietly, shaking his head. "We're not going to make them more comfortable." He looks over his shoulder and exchanges a quiet glance with Jake. "We're gonna set them free."
At this, Jake's hard grimace eases into a slow smile.
Sebastian moves forward to inspect each animal, both their cages and their condition. Then he turns back to the boys. "I looked it up on my phone and there's a wildlife refuge less than 15 miles away from here. That's actually what gave me the idea.
I say we free the animals from their cages and then... um..." He pauses, realizing that he hadn't quite thought through this part of the plan.
"...and we lead them to the wildlife refuge. Or at least I do," Jake pipes up.
"How?" Cameron asks him.
"I'll shift," he says. "When I'm in wolf form, I can communicate with the animals better. That way I can let them know we're here to help and try to convince them to follow me."
Cameron looks at Jake in awe. "Really? You can do that? I mean, you can speak to other animals, even if they're not the same species as you?"
"Yep," Jake says, popping the 'p'. "As a Shifter I certainly can."
Both Cameron and Sebastian look impressed.
Jake arches a brow, then he ambles over to inspect the cages as well. He turns to Cameron, jostles one of the locks, and asks, "Do you think you can get this thing open?"
Cameron bends down, examining the padlock on the miniature pony's cage.
As he nears, the frightened animal neighs, rearing onto its hind legs in fear, then it backs into the darkest corner of its cell.
The sound of the pony's panic urges Jake to lean in and instinctively reach through the bars of the cage.
He holds his hand perfectly still until the animal inches forward and sniffs it. Shushing softly, Jake gently pets the pony's nose, and it calms beneath his touch.
Meanwhile, Cameron straightens, confident. "Yeah, these padlocks are old and weak. I think a simple spell will crack them open."
"Good," Sebastian says, walking the aisle, trying to formulate a plan. "Okay," he suddenly announces, his voice carrying a new sense of determination. "So here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to go figure out how to get the animals out of the building. There has to be a service door somewhere wide enough to accommodate their sizes. Cameron, you'll handle the locks?"
"You bet." Cameron confirms with a nod.
"But don't do anything until I get back," Sebastian instructs with a slightly imperious tone, but one the other boys are totally used to by now.
"Aye-aye, Captain!" Cameron gives Sebastian a mocking salute.
Sebastian pauses, then realizing he probably deserves that, chuckles lightly and turns to Jake. "And you can keep the animals calm?"
"Yeah, of course," Jake assures him.
"Okay, cool. I'll be back as soon as I can." Sebastian strides out of the room, his steps echoing down the hallway.
After Sebastian leaves, Cameron begins to walk the aisle, examining each lock to ensure they're all the same. When he gets to the end of the row, where the harsh light from a stark bulb illuminates the darkest corner of the room, he freezes.
Gripping the bars, he kneels down and peers inside.
"Jake... come here," he beckons urgently.
Jake joins him, and after peering into the cage, steps back in confusion. "What is that?!"
Cowering in the back corner of the cage is a figure, almost human, but not quite. It's about the size of a ten-year-old boy but looks like an 80-year-old man. Balding, with ratty clothes, grey skin, and a craggily nose, the Gollum-like creature skitters backwards.
Cameron leans in. "Hey there, little buddy," he says. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to free you," he reassures the creature softly.
Despite Cameron's warm outreach, the creature recoils with a mournful cry. Then, it whispers in a hoarse and brittle voice, "Free me? You free me?"
Cameron gives it a gentle smile. "Yeah, that's right. We're going to free you." He looks up at Jake. "I guess we should start with this one."
"I guess so," Jake agrees, although he's still visibly puzzled. "But didn't Sebastian say to wait until he gets back?"
"Right..." Cameron drawls. "But that was for the animals," he pauses. "And it was Sebastian so..." Cameron shrugs.
Jake laughs and, mirroring Cameron, shrugs back in agreement.
"Plus," Cameron adds. "I mean, look at him. He's a tiny little thing. I'm sure we can keep an eye on him until Sebastian returns."
"All right," Jake replies skeptically. "If you think so."
Cameron stands and Jake steps back to give him room. After a final inspection of the lock, Cameron holds it between his palms and recites a spell.
Aperire Cincinno!
The lock clicks open easily, and Cameron pulls it off. He steps back, swinging the cage door open and gestures for the creature to come forward.
The pathetic little thing hauls itself up onto its bare feet and tries to drag its shriveled body wearily through the door. But woozy, the creature swoons, and when Cameron reaches out to help it, the creature cowers, still untrusting and terrified by a stranger's touch.
Cameron backs away, hands up in the air. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Then, he adds softly, "but you're free now."
The creature stumbles forward, lands on its knees, and pants, barely able to move.
While Jake and Cameron stand over it, dumbfounded and trying to figure out how to help, the creature remains on its knees as still as stone.
And then, after a long pause, and after making a quick assessment...
...it makes a run for the door!
Jake quickly steps into its path, thrusting his hands out to try and stop it, prevent it from leaving. "Hold on there, buddy," Jake commands firmly. "You can't go out there yet."
The creature looks up at Jake with desperate eyes and pleas, "Must go... must go... must get out of here."
The creature reaches feebly around Jake, as if grasping for the door handle, then with a beleaguered sigh, collapses at Jake's feet.
"Oh, hey!" Jake says, his voice filled with concern. Both he and Cameron kneel over the creature and watch as it begins to writhe on the ground.
"This is really freaking me out," Jake says. "But I know we can't let him out of here. I mean, what if a guard sees him?" he adds.
"Yeah, I know. I know." Cameron stands, his expression serious. "Okay, look, there's a sleeping spell I can cast that will immobilize him for a few minutes. It should buy us some time."
Jake nods.
Cameron raises his hands to cast the sleeping spell, but the creature suddenly hisses and springs to its feet.
Unfurling its hunched-up body into its full height, the creature is now looking Cameron dead in the eyes.
And before either boy can react, the creature reaches out and grabs Cameron by the throat, slamming him up against the bars of the baby elephant's cage.
In the midst of the chaotic roars and whinnying and anxious cries of the startled animals, the creature leans in close to Cameron and rasps, "Tu Vei Muri."
Immediately, Cameron's eyes bug out as he clutches his neck, coughing and choking, turning blue at an alarming rate.
But the creature is barely touching him.
Jake quickly transforms into wolf form and, with a low growl, pounces on the creature's back.
Feeling Jake's claws digging into its flesh, the creature slams its arms backwards with an unexpected force, unleashing a burst of energy, and hurling Jake back into the polar bear's cage.
Oomph!
Jake lets out a painful cry as the steel bars slam into his spine.
But undeterred, he's back up on his feet within seconds. He growls again and leaps up onto the back of the beast, but this time he sinks his teeth deep into the creature's neck.
The creature screeches, loosening its grip on Cameron, just long enough for him to scurry away on hands and knees and make his way to the far wall to recover.
Just then, Sebastian strolls into the room and seeing the commotion, immediately draws his sword.
Cameron, now on his feet, raises his hands and generates piercing arcs of ice from his palms. Thrusting them forward, he stabs the creature from behind, stunning it and causing it to collapse, just long enough for him to hunch over it and finally cast his sleeping spell.
As the creature falls deeply into slumber and Jake shifts back into corporeal form, Cameron looks over at Sebastian and points down, saying hoarsely, "We've gotta..." He inhales deeply, coughs hard, and then finishes, "We've gotta lock that thing up again!"
"Yeah, yeah, okay," Sebastian agrees. He sheaths his sword and looks over at Jake, who's mostly recovered by now.
Jake nods frantically, and they both bend down and grab the creature by the wrist and ankles, dragging it back into its cage.
Once the creature is safely inside, Cameron slams the door shut, latches the padlock, and with a reverse of the spell he'd cast earlier, reengages the lock.
Bending over, hands on his knees, Cameron struggles to catch his breath. "What... What... What the hell is that thing?!"
Jake leans back against the stone wall and shakes his head. "I've never seen anything like it before!"
"Me neither," Sebastian adds. He peers into the creature's cage and squints. "To be honest, it looks sort of like an Ancient."
"What's an Ancient?" Jake asks.
"It's a very, very, very old Vampyr," Sebastian says. "Vampyrs aren't immortal, but some Vampyrs can put their body in a state of stasis and live for a very long time. The process really takes a toll on the body, so maybe that's why that thing looks the way it does?"
He bends down and inspects the creature more carefully. "I don't know. I've never seen an Ancient in real life before, but this thing sort of looks like the ones I've seen in books." He stands. "But, honestly, I can't be sure."
"Well," Cameron says, "whatever it is, it's got some pretty potent powers!"
"You mean magic?" Sebastian asks.
"Yeah! I don't know how much or what kind," Cameron replies, "but it had enough magic to knock Jake on his ass, and choke me, barely laying its hands on my neck." He clears his scratchy throat. "It was terrifying."
"It was," Jake shudders. "I had flashbacks to my fight with a demon during our first training exercise." He shudders again.
Sebastian screws his face up. "But Ancients aren't supposed to have magic powers. To my knowledge, no Vampyrs do."
Cameron lifts his shoulders in a shrug.
Sebastian turns to Jake and asks, "Are you going to be all right?"
Jake lightly touches the bruises on his back and hisses. He ignores the pain and pretends he's fine. "I'll be all right," he says, then he looks over at Cameron. "You doing okay?"
Cameron straightens slowly and nods.
"How long until that thing wakes up?" Jake asks him.
"About 15 to 20 minutes." Cameron says, gently rubbing his neck.
"Okay then," Sebastian says. "We'd better get to it. There's a service entrance at the end of the hall. Cameron," he points at him. "I'm guessing you can take care of the rest of the locks?"
"You bet; I'm on it." Cameron replies.
"And Jake," Sebastian asks, "do you think you can get the animals quietly into the hall?"
"No problem," Jake replies, ready to get down to business.
"Good." Sebastian says with a determined nod. "Then let's do this."
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A/N - Aaaaaaaah!!! So, that's the chapter! Now, since we can't embed links within the chapters themselves, I'm attaching a link to the audio version of this chapter in the first comment on this sentence. I'll enventually uplad it to YouTube too.
Please keep in mind a few things. 1) The technology is new and evolving, even though it's remarkably good right onw. 2) I started this project late at night, right before I was going to publish, so the voices aren't 100% consistent and there are probably oopsies in there too.
I won't be able to do this for every chapter, but now that I 've figured out how to do it, I plan to add it to the "Deluxe Edition of The Otherworlders" that will contain illustrations and now audio too! This will be published on a different platform and as of now, will also be free.
Keep your eye out for more on that project!
Until next week!
~ Paula ❤️