Gone Rogue (18 page)

He watched the nymphs as they shared duties so they could claim Zach each moment.  He was learning so much about these nymphs, the things the agency would have killed for.  Not only did they gain power from their loving, the strongest and purest form of their life, but they could live years in their element without the lust.  They didn’t need sleep, as long as they could make love, which was their rejuvenation.  He also learned that not only did they sustain life of their elements but also they could manipulate them for their bidding.  A bond that they shared with earth that gave them unimaginable strength when they were on their home ground, for Summers Rain it was a river that ran through Rose Petals forest. 

He suddenly realized that his pocket had the book in it that they fought for.  He could not believe he forgot about it, but with such magic abound he made an excuse for his memory lapse.  He opened the book to a random page, “The magic of the Ancient ones,” He read out loud wondering how the book worked.  He read the section fast, and learned that the first chief of the tribe wrote the book and that the book would show the way of a guardian.  He also learned that not only did the Ancient ones have power, but also the kingdom that they created consisted of every species that ever existed.  From elves, to dragons, to vampires, and even some species he had never heard of, including some, he was hoping were extinct.  He tried to read the names of some, and could not even imagine what they were.  He started to feel the beginning of a migraine from the old print in the masterpiece and put it away, wondering if the book would help find this sacred weapon.  He needed to get some sleep before the migraine grew.

***

As Slade walked around the boat, he noticed the two Nymphs staring in the direction they were heading.  He had to blink a couple of times; it seemed to be as if the boat was on a path, almost like a road in the water.

"Ladies," Slade said as he approached them, “what is that?”  He asked looking at what appeared to be a road in the middle of the ocean that seemed to move with life.  Something of it looked familiar, maybe from Scuba Diving or something.

"We are getting closer to the Zone.”  Rose Petal said her body getting more intense.

“These currents take us right to the island.”

He tried to remember the distance they went, but it was impossible for him.  He didn’t even remember when they got off the Mississippi.  “Your kingdom?”  He took a steady breath, his heart pounded for land.

"You humans call it the Devils Triangle.”  Summers Rain said.

"The Bermuda Triangle," he said taking a deeper breath staring ahead. 

As they drew closer, the boat started to rock back and forth stronger and stronger, the waves were becoming violent.  Now Zach and Gabrielle joined them, just as water splashed over the bow, soaking them.

"Summers Rain, can't you stop the waves, you’re a water nymph."  Zach yelled to the nymph now holding on as tightly as they all were. 

"No, this is why it is called the Devil's Triangle.  The Reef and the open water for miles around and volcanoes underneath cause these waves," Rose Petal said as another wave thrashed the boat.  “Magic, of any type including humans,” she was drenched by another wave, “can’t work.”

             
“Why?”  Gabrielle asked, she seemed to be the only one not getting soaked and wasn’t holding tightly to anything.

The ship was creaking and rocking worst he had ever experienced in a boat.  Zach was holding onto the railing with one hand and the other up as if he was on a rodeo, "Slade now this is an adventure.”  He said laughing until they were caught off guard and was forced to cough up seawater.  Sunglasses were protecting Slade’s eyes from the splashes of water.

"Zach," he yelled, he looked at where Slade pointed.

They stared at a giant reef in front of the ship.  The nymphs now joining in staring at the reef, but something was off in their expression. 

"You can fix this right?”  Zach asked the forest nymph.  She looked weaker than before, more drained.  Slade stared to Summers Rain who now also looked as pale.  They just shook their head, “The Island controls what and who can enter.”

Something about them saying human magic disturbed him, “What do you mean,” Slade asked as he lost his grip and fell towards the hole that led to the rooms.  “Human magic,” he asked them as he regained his composure.

“The reef, it’s made out of what you humans call lodestone.”  The girls became paler then looked at Zach who was double-checking the gun on his side, “Shit, get rid of your guns?”  Rose Petal looked hard at Slade, “The land won’t let you through with those metal contraptions.”

“Lodestone, lodestone,” Slade said to himself re-grabbing the post as the two nymphs dove down to their rooms.  They followed them with a slower speed but something about lodestones had Slade feeling uneasy.

“Did you say lodestone?”  Gabrielle yelled for the first time with concern on her face.  “Of course,” a smile formed on her lips.

“Why, what is it,” Zach stopped and asked.

She ran over to Zach stumbling with the waves, she grabbed his belt that had his guns on.  “Take it off,” Zach looked up at Slade, wondering if it was time for some fun.

“You know this isn’t the time,” Zach said, giving his one of a kind smartass grin.

“You idiot, Lodestones, natural magnets” 

“Magnets, so?”  Zach yelled not catching on yet.  Then it hit Slade like a ton of bricks.

“Zach, our guns are magnetic.”

“Fuck.”  Zach yelled back, starting to take his guns off as fast as he did for the nymphs for the past week.  The two guys started to race though their clothes taking off anything with metal.  As they finished checking their person for the metal, something still struck a bell. 

They stood there for a while the boat bouncing, “Zach, what did our ancestors say they put in us,” another wave of panic hit the air.  This time it was Slade’s turn, “Fuck, this is going to hurt.”  The nymphs looked at the two guys in confusion.  Both men went and laid on the floor clenching their mouth.  They were ready for their necklaces too rip through their bodies.

“Come on, you son of a bitch,” Slade yelled to the reef, the island, the ancestor for putting what he assumed was a curse on them now.  They closed their eyes ready for the impact of being pulled down through the wooden ship.

“Slade, we will make it through this,” Zach yelled.  Moments past then Slade could feel almost like a hand touching his shoulder.

“My ancestor is here, he will protect me.”

“I can feel mine too,” Zach cried back.  Both guardian’s still with their eyes closed waiting for the pain of the necklace breaking from their body.

Then out of nowhere, he felt a slap on his face, and heard the same from Zach.  Zach opened his eyes and then elbowed Slade to do the same.  The nymphs were standing in front of them, rubbing their hands from the slap.

“What are you two crying about?”  Rose Petal asked, he looked at Zach and they looked around, the boat calmed and sat steady now. 

“Shouldn’t we have been pulled to the center of the sea?”  Zach asked Slade looking at him and scratching his head.

“Why?”  Summers Rain asked looking at them as if they were mentally impaired.

“We have this kind of stone imbedded in us.”  He tried to explain by rubbing where the necklaces laid not hurting or even feeling a magnetic pull.

“Now wouldn’t that be sort of dumb, you guys are supposed to be the kingdom’s elite guards and you think it would try to kill you.”  She looked at Gabrielle and Summers Rain, with a look that said their kingdom was in serious trouble if Zach and Slade were the protectors.

“Well, if you put it that way,” Slade replied.

“You two could have told us before,” Zach said looking at the floor and rubbing his neck in shame.

“Didn’t think you would have been babies about it,” Summers Rain replied.  The girls followed the nymph up the ladder to the non-violent air above.  Slade and Zach looked at each other, and with a heavy sigh, they soon followed suit.

As they joined the Nymphs on the deck, they were able to see the island.  Slade looked behind them and could see the wall of a storm just sort of sitting there not moving.  It was as if the island had its own protection. 

The island itself was enormous, the side they were coming on had the clear blue Bahamas’ water washing up on the beach and coming back.  The sand was white on the beach for twenty or thirty yards.  Then the bushes and pine trees, as far as the eye could see.  The one thing that Slade noticed was missing was the castle the nymphs were talking about when they first left for the kingdom. 

Either way the sight finally worked his muscles to a relaxed state.  It was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen.  He could feel the island’s life, the need for him to save her.  He didn’t know what troubled her, but he would do anything just like that to save it.  Something inside him told him he was home.

The ship hit the bottom and they still had a hundred or so yards to go before they hit the beach.  Slade took a glance at the beauty, the beauty that man didn’t touch before we went back down in the ship.  After they found the weapon, he would return to the beach, strip to his skin, and swim. 

“Stick by us, it might look peaceful, but the island doesn’t except their leader.  Rebels are trying to get enough support to overtake the kingdom.”

Slade could hardly believe the land was at war, but he wasn’t surprised, greed controlled everything.  “Zach lock and load,” he said and Zach just stared back.

“With what, they were all tossed,” He eyed around the boat looking for something.

“Right,” Slade looked ahead and knew the beach would have something they could make into weapons.  “Time to get wet,” with that he jumped off the front of the boat landing on his butt, so he would hit the bottom for it just reached his neck.  The waves trying to push him in any direction but Slade had enough footing to control his movements too just a minimum. 

Zach threw their bag over that held the book, fresh water canteens, and the tasteful MREs.  Soon a big splash followed, then another splash.  While they swam, Slade walked with the bag.  Soon Zach and Slade lead the way without a clue as to why they were out front.  The nymphs were the only ones among them that knew where they were going.

“So why did you two bow down to the dragon?”

Summers Rain stopped and stared back.  Rose Petal followed suit and glared at them which caused Slade and Zach to stop and turn wondering why the surprised looks.  "You mean she never told you?"

"Who never told me?”  Slade asked Summers Rain, confused again.

"I am sorry but under her law, we cannot tell you without her permission, especially since you used to be part of the Secret Sanctum."

"I guess we will find out,” Zach said helping Gabrielle down through the water.

"Yes we will,” Gabrielle said looking like someone that needed swimming lessons.

As we approached the shore, Slade could hear a rustle in the trees.  No one else seemed to notice it but something was there.  He put his hand up to stop them just where the water reached the dry shore.  He signaled Zach that something was in the bushes.

"What is it?”  Summers Rain asked, looking in the bushes. 

"Something is up there," he whispered and signaled for them to remain calm and talk to each other.

While the girls chatted, Zach came from one side of the bushes, while Slade approached from the other side.  Slade started to signal with his hand, three, two, and before they hit one, a white shape jumped between them, making them dive out of the way.

"What the hell," Slade yelled to Zach the creature of half women and half horse stopped, stomped, and rubbed her hooves on the ground.  Soon others joined her through the same trail.

"Cyrille, Lorita, Thurayya, Broen," Rose Petal squealed with delight, as if they were lost friends.  "Human what are you staring at?”  Broen asked or Slade rather assumed was Broen for he was the only male in the group.  Both Zach and Slade were not able to resist staring at the bare breast in front of them of the females.  Slade elbowed Zach and their eyes met Broen’s eyes in a fierce stare. 

Broen had two mammoth size swords on his back, and the colors he wore, orange and black with some kind of crest on it.  "Sorry sir, we’ve just never seen such magnificent beings before.”  Gabrielle now stepped in front of the dumb founded guardians going to one knee.  The guardians stared standing not following her lead wondering why she would bow to what had to be a soldier or something close to one.

"Foolish human, and what is this," Broen took a sniff and looked at Gabrielle, then sniffed again and his eyes widened as he looked at Zach and Slade.  "Guardians, I thought they all have left us, the queen will be surprised."

"She already knows.  The queen wants them to bring peace.”

"Where was she?”  Slade asked but now ignored by not only the nymphs but by Broen too.

"Thurayya take the girl.”  Before he could say another word, Slade jumped in front of Gabrielle and a half of a second later Zach jumped behind his comrade ready to fight the four-legged half human, half horse.

"Don't worry, Broen only meant, to give her a ride, they will take us to the castle by tonight."  Summers Rain said then jumping on Broen.  The half horse the half man groaned.  “I didn’t gain any weight you faker,” Broen laughed and then stared at them hard.