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Season Two, Part Seventeen of the SteelClaw Chronicles
"Why do the directors put up with him? His project is costing the company millions!" Marie only half-listened to her coworker's complaints, having heard it all before. The man might be useful to have around for his knowledge of arcane magic and soul trapping, but he certainly didn't have much vision or understanding of the company's greater Plan. "They put up with him because he is useful," she explained patiently "He has experience and knowledge in cloning, as well as a few mystical arts that are all but forgotten, even among the more long-lived members of our company." The man shook his cowled head. "What about all those failed experiments at the Creighton Park lab?" Marie waved the matter aside. "He said he's never tried cloning a gargoyle before, so it was natural that it would take several attempts before he learned how to perfect the technique." She knew that her coworker remained unconvinced. Though his expression remained hidden, she could hear the frustration in his voice. "The directors should have stood by the original plan. We could have provided them with dozens of souls--hundreds if they had let us stay in New Orleans instead of pulling up stakes and sending us to this nothing of a town!" He stopped to look at her, and now Marie could make out two faint eyes glowing red beneath his hood. "You don't think we are being punished, do you?" he asked, the possibility having suddenly occurred to him. Marie smiled. "Well, we did lose the souls we had gathered during Mardi Gras. But we still made enough money selling the others to make up for any losses incurred by our operation. No, if anyone is to be punished, it would be Rakaar for having lost the Pure. Lucky for him, he's already dead." "But we could still capture a soul that is almost as pure. A newborn's, perhaps, or--" "No," growled Marie, tired of repeating this conversation. "Mord has convinced the directors that he has found a better way--a way to capture a soul that is so new that it has never been in a living body. And in the process, the directors will be able to inflict great suffering on our enemies." "Those gargoyles...." "Yes." And finally, Marie could feel her partner smile.
* * *
"The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me." The man was dressed fully in black, a sharp contrast to his head of reddish-brown hair. He circled slowly around a cylindrical vat of bubbling green fluid, examining what was inside. A stone figure was held suspended within the liquid, bound by a number of tubes, wires and cables. The man smiled. This was the first day that the clone had turned to stone, and was proof that his project had succeeded. "Perhaps you find it strange that I would make such a claim," he continued, speaking to the one inside as if it could hear him. "I, who have lived countless lives over a span of more than fifteen hundred years. For you see, my mother also valued life, and could not bear the loss when I died. She found a way to preserve my soul so that it would live on, reborn time and time again. She was a very powerful sorceress...my mother." He stopped his pacing and looked deeply into the creature's eyes. They might be stone, but he could sense a presence in them; definite traces of a soul. He lifted out a golden chain from his pocket and hung it over the handle of the vat's sliding door. At the necklace's center was a dragon pendant, its tail wound around glass vial that was now only half-filled with blood. "I am returning this to you. As for the rest, consider it a gift," he said over his shoulder, heading towards the door as he prepared to give his report to the Zentech directors. Mord stopped and cast one last look at his creation. "...although...I don't think you'll be thanking me once you learn what they have in store for you."
* * * Ed noted that the clan's awakening roar sounded rather subdued that evening. The pain they had all felt the night before was not something that could be healed by the rays of the sun. He hesitated before approaching Flynt. The giant gargoyle still made made him feel nervous, even though he claimed not to bear any ill will towards him. Ed knew it would be best not to press his luck, yet he had been given an awkward burden to bear--one that could not afford to wait. "Flynt," he piped up, running after the clan leader as the large gargoyle passed him by, barely acknowledging him with a glance. "Not now," Flynt rumbled, swinging open the cabin door with such force that it was nearly pulled off its hinges. Ed froze, once again debating with himself what was the right thing to do. Finally, he called out to the tan gargoyle. "A package came by while you were asleep. It's from Zentech. I don't know what's inside, but the label says we have until eleven o'clock tonight to follow the instructions." "Screw Zentech!" Flynt shouted, swinging his arm out and toppling the lamp nearby. "Can't I have any peace? Have I not been through enough torment? Everyone I have ever loved is dead!" He turned his head away, but not before the clan saw his eyes brimming with tears. "And what are we, chopped liver?" muttered Llewelyn under her breath. Flynt looked down in surprise as Chaz wrapped his small arms around his waist and gave him a quick hug. "It's ok, Flynt. You still have us." "At least for the time being," remarked Cesar dryly. "I'm sure Zentech would like nothing better than to rip this clan to shreds." He demonstrated by snagging the package from Ed and tearing it open with his claws. He was surprised to find a video cassette inside. "You're right...I'm sorry," spoke Flynt slowly, trying to regain control over his emotions. "I've been away from the clan for so long, that I forgot I still had a family here." While the others gathered around him to offer comfort, Cesar moved towards the VCR. After casting a suspicious eye over the tape, he thrust it roughly into the machine and turned on the television. There were a few seconds of static before the image of a red-haired man appeared. "Mord," Vashkoda breathed. Suddenly everyone's attention was on the screen. "Greetings, clan Steelclaw," the man said. "Zentech has a proposition for you. They would like the mutate, Cesar, returned to them." "Fat chance!" snorted Llewelyn. Those sitting nearby motioned for her to shush. "In exchange, they are willing to release this individual." The camera zoomed in on a large vat with something floating inside. "That's a clone!" cried Sabrina in recognition. "Zentech must have another lab we didn't know about," she added sorrowfully, looking at her mate. "Zentech's got labs all over the place," growled Cesar. "They're a worldwide organization, remember?" The image focused on the clone's face. Suddenly Ed was the one to cry out. He had been sitting next to Flynt, who suddenly grabbed hold of his arm and began squeezing it, though he didn't seem to realize what he was doing. His eyes were glazed and glued to the screen. "Kahreen.... That's Kahreen!" Ed finally managed to pry himself loose and immediately shirked away from Flynt, giving the gargoyle a dirty look. "But...that's a gargoyle," said Silver, puzzled. "Wait, you mean that's what Kah looked like back on Kithan?" she exclaimed, piecing it together. "But how could they have known that?" reasoned Shaiya. "She was still in her mechanical body when she returned here." Flynt noticed something golden dangling from the chamber door. He sighed as realized what it was. "They had a sample of her blood," he said flatly. "That's how they made the clone." "It might look like her, but that's all," stated Madbrook knowingly. "It couldn't have been programmed with her memory or personality, since Zentech didn't have access to her systems. That clone might not even be alive--" But at that moment, the gargoyle gasped and opened her eyes. Their attention was drawn to a clock at the corner of the screen and although Flynt didn't know the exact moment that Kahreen's systems had shut down the day before, the time was close enough. Then the body turned to stone. "Flynt, we still don't know if--" Shaiya began, but the tan gargoyle cut her off. "Vash, you know this Mord. Could what he said be true? Does he really have the power to bring her back?" Emotions were once again rising in his voice. Vashkoda looked unsure. "He claimed to be a reincarnation of Morded, the man who murdered King Arthur and was himself slain. I'm uncertain whether he truly has the power to return from the grave...although the name 'Mordred' does itself mean 'death'." "But is it possible?" asked Flynt impatiently. Vash shrugged. "His mother was the sorceress Morgana. She may very well have taught him a way." Flynt jumped to his feet and stormed towards the door. "All of you, stay here," he ordered them. "I don't want you getting captured if this is a trap." "Um, aren't you forgetting something?" chimed in Cesar. "They want me." "I have no intention of turning you over to them," growled Flynt. "Well like it or not, if they don't see me there, the deal's off. And then who knows what they'll do to her?" The two stood face to face, staring each other down. Finally, Flynt relented. "So be it."
They landed a short distance from the place Zentech had chosen for the exchange--a seldom visited corner of the nearby city park. There were no lights inside the park, as it was normally closed to the public after sundown. "This is your last chance to get out of here," warned Flynt in a whisper as they slipped through the trees and approached the meeting spot. Cesar shook his head. "Too late, even if I wanted to. They're watching us," he said, then pointed a claw up at the trees. Flynt gasped in surprise as he saw hundreds of tiny yellow eyes gazing down at them from the branches.
"Besides, you just got reunited with your family," Cesar said glumly. "It's time ahm reunited with mine." They stepped into the clearing. Zentech was already there waiting for them. Flynt recognized Mord from the tape, surrounded by several men in Zentech uniforms. Some were armed with rifles, while others carried a large burden, hidden in shadow. Cesar began to move towards them, but Flynt held him back. "No deal until I see that she's all right!" he called out to the guards. The men came forward into the moonlight, supporting a staggering gargoyle between them. Flynt ran to her and brushed aside strands of damp hair so that he could see her face. She looked up at him with tired eyes. "She is alive, as you can see. Now it's your turn," Mord reminded him. As Cesar approached, the guards released her into Flynt's arms. Flynt exchanged a look with the mutate, who nodded and then turned to face Mord. "Are you going to come quietly, or do you need to be restrained?" the human asked. Cesar snorted. "Ah come in peace. But if ah intimidate you, go ahead and cuff me." Mord ignored the barb and motioned for the guards to lead Cesar away. Soon the park was empty again, except for the two gargoyles. Flynt held her tightly and climbed up the branches of a nearby tree, grateful not to encounter whatever creatures those eyes had belonged to. He then dove down and caught a strong current, taking them upwards into the sky. "We're going home, love," he said with a smile, relief finally washing over him. Her mouth moved in reply, but it took a few moments for her to make a sound. "C..." she sputtered, her eyes gaining focus. "C...." "Hush now," said Flynt, gently caressing her face. "Get some rest first. You're safe. Everything will be all right." * * * "Here, put this on." Cesar eyed the red and black robe uncertainly, then shrugged and lifted it over his massive frame. To his surprise, it fit perfectly; it was even cut low enough in the back to let his wings through. "Why go to the trouble of dressing me up when ahm about to be executed?" he asked, sounding puzzled. Mord snorted. "If the directors wanted you killed, don't you think you would be dead by now?" "It's not like they haven't tried," the mutate shot back, his expression grim. "No. Your partner Varges was disobeying orders. If you hadn't killed him, the directors would doubtless have gone after him themselves. Why do you look so surprised? You knew that you were important to these people; that they would never harm you. Otherwise you would never have risked returning to this place." Cesar frowned. "I returned because you left me no choice--you would have killed the clan's friend." He paused and looked Mord straight in the eye. "What do you mean about me being important?" "Ah yes, your profile did mention your fascination with comic book heroes and 'doing the right thing'," the man chuckled, ignoring Cesar's question. "Ironic, considering the kind of people you worked for. But I suppose you had little choice in the matter, considering your heritage." "I'm an orphan; I have no heritage," he growled, irritated by Mord's amused tone. "Tell me what you mean, or I'll rip your frickin' head off!" he cried, losing his patience. "Why do they think I'm important!?" Mord shook his head, unfazed. "I'm afraid I've said too much already. But if you go beyond those doors, I'm certain you will find the answers you seek." He pointed to a set of large oaken doors that Cesar had missed noticing before. They were old, ridden with worm holes, and were carved into panels depicting different scenes of...Cesar couldn't tell what. As he approached, he felt a growing sense of unease. Something very ancient, very evil lay beyond those doors. All of his fur was standing on end. Noticing that Mord hadn't moved, Cesar swallowed hard and told him, "You first." The red-haired man laughed. "I would love to witness what the directors have planned. Unfortunately, it's a members only affair, and I am only an associate." Noting Cesar's hesitation, he asked him casually, "Why, did you want me to hold your hand?" The mutate shot Mord a dark look and strode angrily towards the gate, momentarily forgetting his fear as he threw the doors open. All that could be seen on the other side was pitch blackness. Then Cesar felt the evil again--stronger than before--and every fiber in his being screamed for him to run away. He stood frozen on the threshold, but despite his resistance, an unseen force pulled him into the darkness. He heard the doors slam shut behind him with an ominous boom. Cesar dropped to his knees as a wave of nausea passed over him. It felt as if the world around him had been suddenly stretched into a impossibly thin line...and then twisted...somehow. The sensation lasted only a moment, and before Cesar could cry out in surprise, he found himself in the Room beyond the door. The first thing that struck him was the size of the place. It looked like a small arena, with a raised circular dais in the center that was illuminated by a hidden source of light. The area around the platform was masked completely in shadow, but Cesar could see movement there, and hear whispered chattering and muted laughter coming from all directions. His first instinct was to flee. The arena was open to the sky, and it would take only a few strokes of his powerful wings to lift himself out of there and escape. But where would he go? He realized after recovering from the disorientation that the doors must have been enchanted, and that wherever he was now, it was far from Newbridge city. The warm salty air and the sound of waves crashing nearby told him as much. The faint hope he had clung to that the clan might come after Zentech and rescue him was dashed. Cesar realized that any rescue attempt would have failed in any case, judging from the number of creatures swarming in the shadows. Cesar inched forward onto the platform, if only to get closer to the light that seemed to be holding those things at bay. He was not alone on the dais. Five figures watched him, also wearing the red and black robes. The one nearest Cesar looked emaciated. The man's freckled skin clung tightly to his hands and face, sharply outlining the bones underneath. He smiled as Cesar approached. "Welcome, friend," he greeted, his voice surprisingly rich and strong for someone who looked like he belonged on his deathbed. Cesar grunted in reply. "What is all this?" he asked, indicating the area around them with a sweep of his claws. "Why did you bring me here?" The robed figure directly across from him chuckled, a noise that sounded like sharp nails scraping a chalkboard. Cesar noticed in surprise that the man's pupils were milky white, yet he had no trouble focusing that empty gaze on the mutate. "Don't pretend you do not know," the blind man grinned. "You've been through our files, have you not?" Cesar looked shocked for a moment, then snickered and waved his hand dismissively. "Is that what all this is about? Your stupid ceremony? Well let me tell you something--there aint gonna be no ceremony. Ah destroyed that statue you needed for the spell. So you might as well...." Cesar trailed off as he noticed a familiar face watching him among the throng in the shadows. ...It couldn't be! Cesar had watched him die! The gaunt man followed Cesar's gaze and nodded to the figure. "Come forward, lowly one. Bring us the Möbius Eye." Cesar backed away as Varges lifted himself onto the platform and made his way to the center of the arena. He knelt down and carefully placed a small black jewel into a circular depression in the floor. The image of the jewel tugged at Cesar's memory, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen it. He didn't need to wonder long. "You destroyed the idol, that is true, but it is the jewel that holds all the power," spoke the blind man in his screeching voice. "Möbius's skill was in breaking boundaries and merging dimensions into one plane. His Eye will now serve as a catalyst for the spell we are about to cast." "If you think ahm gonna be a part of this nonsense, you can forget it!" Cesar shouted. He noticed Varges studying him again, a wide grin on his face. "What are you smiling at?" he seethed, clenching his claws into fists. "You're supposed to be dead!" The man walked casually up to him until he stood only a few feet away. "Joo killed Varges," he agreed. "But the human had made a deal with me that did not end with his death." Suddenly Varges's features underwent a startling transformation. His skin turned gray and began to peel away in places, revealing glistening tissue underneath. His hair thinned and fell out, and his eyes receded into darkened sockets. His lips had pulled back into a perpetual smile, showing yellowing teeth and blackened gums. "His soul is mine," the creature said, still using Varges's voice. Cesar remembered that Varges had made a deal with a demon in order to gain its powers. He didn't know now whether to be pleased with his old partner's fate, or appalled. He watched the demon speechlessly as it walked off the dais and returned to the crowd of spectators below. "As for your participation in this affair, I fear you have little choice," said another of the robed figures--a woman this time--drawing his attention back to the stage. Her outfit had been cut with an extra pair of sleeves, which were now folded across her body while the other set hung at her sides. Suddenly Cesar's mind cleared, and things began falling into place. The gaunt man, the blind man, the four-armed woman.... These were descriptions he had heard before, in stories whispered among Zentech employees from those who had been summoned by the Board. If they were true, then he was in the presence of the Directors, the five at the highest level of power in the Company. Hell, they were the Company. He glanced quickly at the two remaining figures. Both had their hoods down, although if the rumors were true, one of the pair would have nothing visible underneath anyway. The other wore large robes that revealed his size to be almost as great as Cesar's. The shape beneath those robes kept changing, however. One minute, the robes fit tightly, then suddenly they were hanging loose off a lanky frame. A few times Cesar had noticed writhing beneath the robes, and once he had even caught a tail or tentacle of some kind poking out from underneath the hem. The man's outfit lacked any sleeves at all, leaving his identity a complete mystery. If what Cesar had heard about this Director was true, however, he vastly preferred that the man keep himself covered. What could the Directors want with him? Why was he so important? The fact that he had been dressed up like one of them did not escape him, yet he did not want to think too hard about what that actually implied. "You are here to rejoin your family," spoke the blind man softly, as if reading Cesar's thoughts. "Isn't that what you told the gargoyle in the park?" The mutate growled. "Ah was a fool. It didn't take long before ah remembered just how foul and disgusting you all are. It was a mistake to come back here!" But now he was trapped. The open sky above him made no difference--they would never let him escape. "Those gargoyles have been a better family to me than you ever were," he continued, looking down at his feet. "At least ah was able to save their friend." The creatures in the audience all began to laugh. Cesar looked around him in surprise, trying to discover what they found so funny, but the Directors' faces remained impassive. "Bonds of blood are strongest of all," intoned the blind man cryptically. "Enough," rumbled the gaunt man, causing the entire arena to grow silent. "We can waste no more time; the hour is at hand." He encompassed them all with his gaze and commanded, "Step into the ring!" Against his will, Cesar found himself walking forward and taking a place among the Directors. He winced as he felt something sharp crunch beneath his toes, then looked down and realized that he had stepped onto a ring of broken bones. The skeletons looked like those of small rodents, birds and reptiles, bound together with vines of dark red thorns. The bones and thorns dug into his skin, and Cesar could feel blood dripping from his feet. Looking around, he could see that the Directors were spread out around him in a Circle, also standing atop the ring and bleeding onto the bones. Despite Cesar's efforts to break free, he remained frozen in place. "Your cooperation is unnecessary," smiled the four-armed woman. "All we need is your blood--the blood of a descendant of one of the Six. It was they who founded our Company. It was they who sacrificed themselves for the Great Cause, although they were thwarted and died in vain. Now, after eight thousand years, the conditions are right for us to try once more. We have the Eye. We have the Blood. Now bring forth the Soul!" Cesar gasped as a prisoner was carried onto the platform, bound in chains that glowed a bright blue. There was no mistaking who it was--he had seen the gargoyle on the tape, and had witnessed her being handed over to Flynt in the park. What was she doing here? How had Zentech stolen her back? "You bastards! You promised you'd free her! That was part of the deal!" he shouted, doubling his efforts to break free. He never should have trusted them--what was he thinking? What price would the clan now pay for his mistake? "We kept our word," said the gaunt man calmly. "The gargoyle was returned to the clan, though perhaps not in the way they expected." The demons carrying the clone brought her into the Circle and dropped her roughly to the ground at the center of the Ring. The chains flared brightly for a moment, and the frightened creatures ran back into the shadows to watch from a safe distance. Cesar's knees buckled as he felt his life force suddenly wrenched out of him. A pool of blood had formed at his feet, and it began to grow and spread out towards the center where the Eye and gargoyle lay. It slowly merged with the blood of the Five until it coated the entire ring. The invisible man chanted in a foreign tongue, and suddenly the blood shimmered and turned from red to black. Lightning flashed, and Cesar looked up to see threatening clouds looming in the sky above them. The pool shimmered once again and the floor at the center of the ring vanished, replaced by a darkness so deep that Cesar felt dizzy gazing into it, for once grateful that the spell froze him in place and prevented him from falling in. The gargoyle hung suspended over the pit, her chains glowing brightly as if they were on fire. The Eye slowly tumbled down into the darkness, disappearing with a flash of light. The floor of the room began to shake, and the walls hummed with power. The creatures in the shadows cried out in anticipation, ready to welcome what was to come.
The gaunt man himself cried out, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. "It has begun!"
To be continued....
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