Chapter 9

“You will pay for those insults, human. When we are finished with you, you will beg us for death!” Elvantor screamed, his face growing red.

He then fired the biggest bolt of, something, that just bounced off me, then him. It was at that moment that I saw the decaying bodies that were moving toward me. Wait, I thought if these are zombies, then how are they walking like regular people?

The bolt that he’d shot at me and bounced off him, struck those that I saw moving toward me. All of them were reduced to ash, then started to slowly reform. Damn, I thought this was worse than all the zombie movies. Then it hit me they weren’t zombies, shit undead like vampires, though worse.

I was thinking that Catherine and I needed to get out of here when the sea spirit emerged. It hit the two that were nearest to me. It seemed to suck them dry til they were just husks.

It immediately returned, then I heard Catherine snap her fingers. We were immediately back in the army camp.

I shook my head as I stared at Catherine. “Were the two that the sea spirit hit really gone?” I asked.

“Yes, master, they are, though, at the moment, two less isn’t even a drop of water in the ocean. If I remember correctly, Elvantor had hundreds of thousands. He now knows that you have a way to destroy them, though it isn’t as wide spread as we need,” Catherine said.

I just shook my head as I thought, great now I have a target on my back. I thought about it but couldn’t really come up with anything.

“You also have to remember, master, this is the first time any of them have been completely destroyed, Catherine said.

“That’s all good and well, if he has as many as you said, then we are really short on weapons,” I said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Catherine said.

“What!? I nearly shouted. “How in the hell can you say that!?”

“You have allies, master,” she continued. “You have the shield crystals. Then there is the magic sword Felensar, also remember the sun crystals. There are also the crystals from the Gem Brothers.”

“A help if I knew how to use them,” I said.

Catherine smirked as she said, “I can help you there, master, she said. You also have the necklace of protection from the sisters of light.”

“Yes,” I said, “though that I can only use at a certain time.”

Catherine nodded, then continued, “You also have, as you remember, the guardian from the daughters of the sea. I also forgot to mention that the guardian replenished itself, destroying the two undead.”

“So there is a chance that it won’t expire? That makes me feel a lot better,” I said.

Catherine nodded, then stated, “remember that you also have the shield from the brothers of the sand. You have great protection, master, though there are a few others that can help.

“Oh you also have the attack ring from Zeus,” Catherine said.

She snapped her fingers as we appeared in a foggy area. “Are we back in the same area,” I asked.

We were suddenly sucked down into the slimy green water. We appeared a few moments later in a large chamber.

In the front was a large frog guy, “what a tasty morsel,” he said.

I immediately pulled Felensar, pressing the tip on the frog guy’s throat.

“Now, now,” he gulped as I pressed my advantage, “No sense in violence.”

“Oh? Here I thought you were an advocate for it,” I said as I pressed more, drawing a spot of blood. “I am tired of having those that can help me messing with me.”

Catherine appeared, her mouth hanging open, “what did you do to upset my master? I should let him split you!”

“I suggest that you answer truthfully, or I might just on principle!” I growled.

“I was just,” the frog started as I pressed in more.

“I think we should kill it, then leave. I don’t take what a tasty morsel as a joke. I don’t think my Jinn does either,” I said, growling more.

“It was just...,” the frog guy started again.

“It appears that you have not only insulted my master but have angered him also,” Catherine growled.

Again, the frog guy gulped as he tried not to move. “So, shall we try again?” I asked.

The frog guy barely nodded his head. “Can I help you?” The frog guy whispered.

I eased the sword back as I said, “a lot better.”

“We are here to gain protection against an evil Jinn,” Catherine said.

The frog guy gasped as he said, “you are the Jinn that that bastard Jinn Elvantor Hajib is after. Any help that I or my kingdom can give, we will gladly.”

I smirked as such a serious look came into the frog guy’s face. “It appears that you have had problems with him also,” I said.

He turned toward me with a hiss, then thought differently. “You could say that he was the one that cursed our kingdom,” he said. He moved a curtain revealing a beautiful woman frozen in place. “My queen, he froze her when I refused to aid him, then he turned me as you see me. Nothing the mages and wizzards have done can break it.”

I immediately withdrew the sword, “I apologize sir,” I said. “I have had so many bad things happen lately, I am more than testy.”

He nodded, then reached into a box that was brought to him. “These bracers should provide you with more than enough protection. I am sorry I can’t do more as much of my power is restricted.”

I took them feeling them throb as if they were alive. I place them on my arms, feeling as if I had a wall before me.

I was shocked as I reached out to the frog guy, grasping one of his legs. I bowed, saying, “I thank you so much. I just wish I could help you.”

He looked at me strangely as a light grew around him and his wife. His mouth fell open as he tried to speak, though nothing was coming out. For a few more moments, the light around the two of them started to grow brighter.

I thought I heard a scream off in the distance, then I noticed that the Queen was starting to breathe again. The frog guy was starting to look more and more human as the very air felt electric.

He had fallen to his knees, the Queen’s head started to turn toward him. It was at that moment that I noticed that they both had tears falling from their eyes.

I looked back at Catherine, seeing that there were tears also falling from her eyes.

“Gregory?” I heard uttered in the lowest whisper. “My king, is it really you?”

The now, more human than frog male’s head, snapped up as he stared as if he was dreaming. “Amylin? My Queen? Is it really you? For so long I have longed for the sound of your voice.” He turned toward me, a pure look of shock on his face. “I don’t understand, how have you done this? No, I don’t care, I just bless the day you came to me.”

“I am just glad that I was able to help you. You weren’t the first, as it appears that this evil shit hurt a great many people. I just hope when the time comes I can take him down,” I said.

I watched as the King and Queen ran to each other, holding on to the other as if their lives depended on it.

That’s when the Queen looked at me strangely, then even closer. Then she was staring at Catherine, “you were the one, the Jinn, that the evil one wanted. I remember you and your last master fought so hard.” She turned to me bowing low. “Whatever you want, need, anything you shall have it.” She handed me a ring, “just ask, and you shall have it.”

“We should go as I am sure that both of you have a lot to catch up on,” I said as the Queen blushed and nodded her head.

I looked at Catherine as she smiled, then snapped her fingers. I looked at the bracers when we appeared a moment later.

“Master?” I heard Catherine ask a moment later. “Are you feeling like going to the next? I know that you are still recovering from what just happened.”

I nodded as I thought a moment, “I think that we need to help all that this ass hurt. I am feeling a lot better now that many that were hurt are much better.”

I missed the look that came to Catherine’s face, then she nodded as she again snapped her fingers.

Across the world, Victoria Rayton was staring at the young woman that was sitting across from her. Cathrine Richards was reported to have died in the auto accident. How the hell had she not been notified that the girl survived?

“I have a lot of questions, do you feel up to answering them?” Victoria asked.

“I will do the best I can. I don’t really remember much. I just gained a few back recently, that includes you,” Catherine said. She looked at the floor feeling ashamed that she couldn’t remember.

“OK, let’s start there, what do you remember?” Victoria asked.

“I ... I remember mother, her face, her screaming, a lot of pain. I remember my brother John though, nothing much beyond that. I had a dream last night where I saw John on a small bed. He didn’t know me, it felt so real, him not remembering me hurt so badly,” Catherine said.

Victoria sighed it was far worse than she at first thought. Damn it, she thought she needed John, but he refused to talk to her.

John and his sister were closer than a lot of siblings were, she could only hope that he could feel Catherine. Damnit, she thought there wasn’t really anything that she could do.

A thought came to Victoria, it had been a very long, long time since she had contacted her. Would she help? There wasn’t any way that Victoria could know. A sigh escaped her lips as she thought that she would probably be more pissed at her than anything else.

“Is everything alright?” Catherine asked. “I am sorry if I am being a burden to you.”

“Oh no dear,” Victoria said. “It’s something that I really don’t want to do to help. I am afraid that the person I have to contact for help will be more than displeased to hear from me.”

“I’m sorry mam,” Catherine said. “I was afraid to call you, something told me that you would be angry to hear from me.”

“No, my dear, not mad, just shocked that no one ever told you about me. I’ll try to make things better as soon as possible. Hold on, I hope to hear from John soon, OK?” Victoria said.