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Xao:
This would be the third time I had to stare down my former friend. He grinned at me and no trace of his old honest smile was left.
Darius's cane had the head of a raven. He wore a full suit with a red tie and a large black top hat. "Look at this," he said. "She looks pretty bad." He looked over at Jessica. "I mean, you can talk about "ending this" all you want, but Kyle, I think you're in a position to make a deal." He held out a hand to Kyle.
Suddenly Darius stepped to the side and turned, eyes wide with shock as we all heard a - BANG! Everyone quickly looked at Jaden. Holding out his gun and gritting his teeth, he spoke up, "You tried to kill so many of my friends last time we met- the mess you put us in... there will not be a deal freak. Leave or die."
"You're all here to make a deal," he pointed out. "I know where we are, in fact, you all intercepted me... so to speak, I saw your caravan and came to inspect- but still, there's only one reason you would all be out here, you want Xao's powers back."
Kyle drew his sword, as did I, blades sliding out of Judith's fingers. "A word of caution," Darius said. "You have all made enemies. I needn't fight or deal with any of you to hurt you. I can just deal with an enemy of-"
"LEAVE!" I shouted. Was it because I didn't want to hear it, or because I wanted to save him from the consequences of finishing that statement... I didn't know.
Darius chuckled looking at me. He held up his right hand, ring finger and thumb pressed together. "As you will Xao- goodbye..." he sung the word "goodbye" as he snapped his fingers.
Smoke surrounded Darius as- Kyle disappeared in a blur of colors, appearing in the air next to Darius and tackling him, forcing the much larger boy to fall on his back even as the teleport was charging. Without thinking I shot after and grabbed Darius's right hand just in time.
"Proxy server command 9!" I shouted.
(***)
Myself, Darius, and Kyle appeared in the desert- likely the same desert, smoke settling around us, our teammates not in sight. "The hell was that!?" Darius demanded.
"I'm a trickster too remember?" I asked.
"Yeah, I was there," he said, backing up- into the air as he started to float.
"Don't freak everyone out and you can learn things. Like how the teleporter link can be reset and jammed using spoken commands- a precaution in case someone tries to use their own tech against the tricksters." I explained, more for Kyle's benefit than Darius'.
Darius snapped his fingers several times, nothing happened. "How long do we have before his powers reactivate?" Kyle asked.
"Think I've done this before?" I asked back.
"Estimate?"
"It has to be troubleshot- minutes-especially since folks are watching Darius all the time, he's a bit of an outlier even for tricksters. He gets attention."
"So we haven't got much time- shouldn't need it." Kyle drew out both swords and pointed at Darius. Darius pointed his cane at Kyle, a long sharp tip extending from it. A loud "CRACK!" rang out from the cane and the point flew out, dragging a line behind it, a small net shooting out from the metal cylinder itself.
Kyle had dodged already (a trick with pharaohs, if a pharaoh points a weapon at you and you don't know what it does, just assume he can hit you and it won't be pleasant if he does). The cylinder and net hit the ground, on impact an electric shock tearing into the desert sand. Kyle recovered taking his short sword and bracing to shoot forward towards Darius.
Darius flicked his wrist, the cylinder retracting, but not all the way. Instead, Darius swung the weapon in the air, the line spinning around himself, electricity running down the line.
I moved to hold up my hand and fire a pulse at Darius, but then I froze... what did I really want to do here? If this fight was carried to its logical conclusion- someone would die. Kyle's lightning blade could fire a bolt of electric energy some fifty feet, and if he jumped and shot at Darius with his short sword- well the result there was obvious. Darius's weapon could possibly just stun one of us, as its charge looked minor anywhere but the tip- but that was only an estimation and I doubted Darius would think much of killing Kyle if he was stunned.
"Xao, c'mon!" Kyle shouted. I just stayed frozen. "Knock him down!"
Darius fully retracted his spear and pointed it at me. "Yeah, what's wrong- bud?"
I raised my hand again but froze again. If I fired, Kyle would have the advantage... that would be it.
"D-do you want him to kill you?" Kyle asked.
Darius held his cane up. "Oh this is precious," he said. He chuckled. "Can you really just kill me outright?"
"I can!" Kyle shouted. Darius quickly spun around as he shot by him in a blur, just missing with his short sword. Darius then looked at Kyle. Darius drew a sword on his belt. He now held his cane in his right and a scimitar blade in his left.
Darius pointed his cane at Kyle and fired again, the spearhead shooting out as Kyle rolled quickly out of the way. The explosion sent dust over Kyle's form this time, Kyle unable to make a counterattack.
"Xao he's just gonna keep following us. He could even make a deal to send someone else after us, or make a deal with our enemies to hurt us directly!" Kyle shouted at me. "We have to end this now!"
Darius just retracted his weapon and let him speak. "C'mon Xao, take a side," he mocked.
"What... if he does you die." Kyle finally said.
"Who says I care?" Darius asked back. "It's innocence that I love to destroy... like my own. C'mon Xao-" I fired.
Darius's form flew over the sand.
Darius looked over at me, a small smile crossing his lips. He dropped his weapons and reached out to me. Tears streamed out of my eyes as he seemed to chuckle.
Kyle moved forward, pointing his scimitar at my old friend. He straightened up. "We don't have time for this." I reached out my hand to my friend- so many memories- so many years flashing before my eyes. I screamed as Kyle unleashed another blast.
Darius closed his eyes and his body went limp.
Kyle continued to glare at the body as he put away his sword. "Good riddance," he said. He turned his back.
I dropped to my knees, head in my hands.
Kyle marched over to me. He spat in the direction of the corpse. "Good thing we weren't transported too far. We don't have time for this, get up. I'm amazed Jessica is still alive as it is."
"Can... can you just give me time..."
"No." His voice was so cold like this wasn't even affecting him.
I looked up and saw someone running towards us. It was Judith.
Seeing me on my knees, she ran over to me. She looked over at Darius, then quickly averted her eyes. She hugged me as I started to sob.
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Kyle screamed, his voice changing pitch. "FINE! MOURN, I DON'T CARE! WHERE ARE THE TRICKSTERS?!"
"Kyle what is wrong with you!?" Judith finally shouted back.
Kyle held his head with both hands, almost like he was trying to keep it in one piece. "I'm losing my friend!" Kyle shot back. He looked around at us. "I cut ties with my father, my world..." He waved his arms around. "This- is all I have. And I will do whatever I have to to save it." He turned to see Jaden walking towards us, still holding Jessica. "She can't even wake up... the very idea she could be this close to the edge- you want me to say it? I'm scared okay?... Xao, where are the tricksters?" Tears were streaming out of his eyes, probably faster than my own.
I held up my right hand and pointed, just barely seeing it on the horizon. There was a small cabin just barely visible over the sand. "There. Inside that cabin, you'll find a table. Under it is a button. It will summon the council... or just the trickster king. Don't know which would be better."
"Which should I choose?" Kyle pressed.
"They're tricksters Kyle. You don't make the choices they do... you're just a toy... they'll decide."
Kyle looked right then left, seeming to hesitate for a second. He took off in a blur heading straight for the shack.
Judith pulled me to herself. "It's gonna be alright, I promise Xao."
I bit my lip. "Yeah, it's just... one of those times you're not sure what "okay" would even mean." I slowly looked in the direction Kyle took off in.
(***)
Kyle:
For the first time in years my jump ended before I reached my target area, I was several meters from the door to the cabin. Just stating how I felt had torn something loose in my head, the world around me blurring even when I wasn't in a jump.
The cabin in front of me was basically just a run-down one-story shack, looking like it couldn't have more than a single room. I didn't even look at it long enough to know more than that, pulling my scimitar out and blasting the door open. I shot into the building.
In the shack were random shelves and a breakfast nook- I didn't notice anything else- I found the table in the middle of what I guessed was a living room. I ducked under rolling onto my back. I looked up seeing a small- literal shirt button that looked like it was held to the bottom by clear tape.
I rolled my eyes. "Pharaohs-just cause they're my people doesn't mean even I don't see the eccentrics." I pushed my thumb against the button.
Perhaps I should have asked exactly what would happen after I did that. The wood floor under me dropped like it was on a hinge and I fell about nine feet landing straight on my back on a wooden floor, giving a shout of fear that was stopped when I impacted.
I staggered to my feet, holding my back like an old man. I slowly made my way down a few stairs and finally came into a dust-filled basement, walking awkwardly from the pain. "Okay... now what?" I asked.
"That depends on why we're here," came a voice behind me. I stood up finally, the pain in my back subsiding. "Anyone who figures out all the garbage they put together to make this place a secret had to be told about it- or be so unbelievably lucky we may as well not discuss it." The man stepped into view. A tall Arab man with a long beard, a thin strong frame, and a near military-style hair cut looked down at me. He wore a black suit and held a cane with a large black orb. He planted the cane holding it by the orb. "I do not believe I have had the pleasure."
"I'm Kyle," I said simply.
"Should I know the name?" I shook my head. He nodded. He looked at the sword I- I dropped when I fell and forgot about on the landing. "Here to fight?"
I looked back at the scimitar. "Um... no."
The man held up his left hand, my sword flying into the air and planting its handle in his hand. "Good. Trust me, that wouldn't go very well." He spun the weapon in his hand and handed it to me by the handle. "I honestly don't care if you have this or not." I nodded again, taking the weapon back and sheathing it. "Now that that's cleared up- you're not a trickster yourself, are you? Hence you don't appear to know who I am."
"I'm a friend of one. He's been inactive for a while."
"Ah. He wants his powers back." The man nodded. "By the way, I'm Tarth. Better known as the Monkey King."
"You adopted his name?"
The man shook his head looking at the ground. "I got on the nerves of a lot of people a long time ago and the Chinese made legends about me... I am THE Monkey King. The legend was based on me."
"Oh... sorry that's actually kind of rare. Everyone seems to adopt the names of legendary creatures these days, the legends aren't based on them."
"I see... though I think you missed something." I cocked my head to the side. "I said I was a king. Even regarded by some as like unto a god." He glared and gave a slight growl. "Kneel."
A force hit my back and I was forced to the ground planting my face in the dirt. The force left my back. I slowly looked up. "I um... your majesty?"
The man sighed. "It'll do." He moved his right hand from his cane, which just stood in the dirt, and he waved for me to get up. I stood up and looked up- my eyes suddenly looking down against my own will. "You don't look your betters in the eye." I willingly kept my eyes down. I had always been small, right here, I was starting to feel it.
Was this how Judith felt...
"With due respect, I am not here to restore the powers of Xao. Neither of us cares if he gets them back or not."
"Xao?... Ah yes, the boy who forswore his own power after a century of use. Curious how he resisted the urge to return to them for a full eleven years. Though I don't desire for you to fill me in." He tapped his feet. "My time is valuable- state your business."
"My friend- a very precious friend of mine is dying. I... I'm... I-"
"You're here to make a deal."
"Or to get Xao's powers back so he can make one," I said.
My eyes suddenly looked up along with my head, me seeing the man had raised his hand, my eyes were pointed straight at his blank face. "Why should one such as me care about your friend?"
"Please... you guys make deals, it's your thing I just... just make me a deal... I don't care what I have to do. You have no idea what she means to me." Begging like a vagabond- I hated it, but Jessica was all that mattered.
"I'm sure I do," he said. "I've seen humans come and go, normal and mutant. I have mourned and I have moved on. My own losses were not stopped, why should I stop yours?"
"Deals... it's what you do." I was grasping at straws, I needed him to listen- anything... there had to be a way to make him care.
I floated into the air, my face suddenly shoving itself into his. "Tricksters make deals, you, playthings, simply accept or don't." I was dropped to the ground. "I should punish you for even thinking to waste my time, presuming you could make the terms- that you, a mere un-contracted mortal could ask me directly for anything. These new religions- humans think we gods have to answer to them." He kicked dust into my face and I jumped back, trying to push the dirt out of my eyes. "Walk away boy."
'I have to get through to him- what else can I try?' I felt my blood rushing in my veins. I wasn't giving up, this wasn't over. First thing's first- I spat out the dirt. "You're no god."
"Excuse me?"
Without a thought, my hands both shot down and grabbed my swords, ripping them out of my scabbards. "You are NOT A GOD!" My scimitar fired off electricity ripping through the dust and even a support beam in the basement. "In fact, you want to talk the right to rule?" The man folded his arms. "Bow to your prince you peasant! I am Kyle, son of Joran- son of the PRESIDENT OF ALL TRAID!"
The man started to laugh. "Boy, do you think I keep up with Triad politics or something that your name would mean something to me even if you weren't lying? I live on earth. And here, I have ascended." I pointed my scimitar at him, electricity dancing up and down the blade. He waved his right hand at my blade, his cane still standing in the dirt all on its own as the electricity disappeared from my sword.
My breath paused in my throat. I paused in my mind. 'Okay... but there has to be something- I'll fight him to the death, he will give me that deal- how if he's dead?' I tightened my grip on my weapons- then forced myself to drop them.
Even if I could fight him, and that was apparently a big if, what would that accomplish? But if he thought he was a god... pride hates to be questioned. "You're just hesitant because you're not sure you can do what I ask. Then what kind of a god would you be?"
He chuckled. "Never said I was omnipotent." He shook his head and started to turn. "You're lucky I don't just kill you. You should just leave and mourn your friend."
Wow- that didn't work. I was certain this man could vanish as quickly as he appeared... but what could I say? This was the best chance I had to save Jessica's life and he was walking away. I grabbed in the dark. "I guess the Leprechauns win then." Maybe that was something. Many Pharaohs had a deep-seated distaste for Leprechauns.
The man paused. He looked back at me. "Leprechauns?"
"Jessica and I intercepted a group of them and shot down one of their ships. They retrieved the kid we rescued but-"
"Yes, they're probably heading somewhere to meet up with another craft yes?"
"If I had to guess."
"Leprechauns... is it true they can make biological weapons? I still have yet to see their weapons in person." This was- not going where I suspected when I brought them up but I kept rolling with it.
"We've been running a search and rescue for a while and this is the second time we've come across them trying to take a kid. Other times we suspect they took one before we got there. This last time we did fight a large creature that looked like a dinosaur."
"How big?" He looked at me with large eyes, leaning down and supporting some of his weight on his cane. I appeared to have him completely enraptured.
"I don't know... if it stood up straight some thirty feet I guess."
The man whistled. He straightened up for a moment, then leaned back towards me. "You can track them?"
"I did my best not to let them know, but when they reclaimed the kid he did have a tracker on him..."
The man grinned and waved his right hand at me. I floated into the air, my swords both flying away from my grip. My body paused in the air just a few feet from the man. "The power to make life... I want their technology. You can track them down..." He felt his chin. "There's no guarantee any particular leprechaun is an engineer but then... a ship. I want a leprechaun ship." He nodded giving a side smile. "You wanted a deal yes?" I nodded, a part of me still adjusting to floating. "I want you to actually pull this off so I'll make it as possible as I can. Damage it as little as possible, I want it at least seventy-five percent intact. Who knows what they'll have on it yes? I'll spell it out. I need you to track and bring down a leprechaun ship- if that can be done, your friend will be saved."
I was dropped again, my legs not catching fast enough to keep me from falling on my behind.
On my hands and knees, I stayed deciding not to press my luck. Still, I had to make a point. "Thank you." I bowed my head. "She's not stable and I know you can't revive the dead. My group is no doubt outside the cabin by this point."
"By this point? You separated?"
"Faster this way."
He nodded. "Still, why wasn't it the former trickster to contact me?" I ventured a look and saw him cock his head to the side.
"There were complications."
"Like?" He tapped his foot.
I swallowed. I suspected this would put us on bad terms, but if I lied he would probably find out. "We encountered another trickster, Darius, and there was a battle."
"Oh that one." the man's voice trailed off.
"He's um... dead."
Tarth chuckled. "Finally bit off more than he could chew hmm? Can't say he'll be missed either. Your Xao wasn't the only person to have second thoughts about our operations. Many had their doubts specifically because of that boy." His cane was tapped on the ground a few times. "HA! Thank you for getting rid of him."
"You're not angry?" I kept my eyes down, but my eyes did wander left and right at that.
"No, not at all. In fact, I offer you a reward. I don't suspect giving Xao back his powers will mean much in the long run. Of course, we'll have to keep your friend on life support here, however, I will also send another trickster to accompany you. You can negotiate a deal with them... even one to bring down the ship." He paused. I didn't move. "You may thank me for my generosity of course."
"With respect... I would rather you not send a trickster with us."
The man knelt down and spoke above my head. "You think it wise to refuse a favor from a god?"
"To be blunt you are a god of tricks- by name."
The man backed away and laughed. "Haha, yes well, you're still here aren't you? But I want that ship. I get what I want you'll find."
"Even so, please, don't make us take a trickster. We'll have enough problems as it is- I mean-" that was probably a bad way to put it.
"You have a low opinion of us don't you?- Best to just be honest after a comment like that."
I gave a small nod. "I kinda see you guys as evil."
"Again, and yet you are still here." He sighed. "We'll see about playing things your way."
"We'll see?" I asked. The man tapped his cane twice.