Chapter #10A Rescue by: imaj   You don’t get the chance to make a choice, as Kal opens the door of the truck and climbs out. You curse under your breath, partially at his impetuousness, but mostly that he’s left his assault rifle on the dashboard. You’ve no choice but to follow him out, reaching out for your cloak with your mind as you do.
As skilled as you are at hiding your presence from other people, there’s no way you can wrap the cords of your cloak around all of the cultists. Not if you are going to move as fast as you need to. You settle for twisting it round the one with the rifle and the two others nearest him. The cloak settles round them, and not a moment too soon as their heads snap round when Kal roars at them. He charges the nearest of them – a huge bare-chested man carrying a sledgehammer.
You ignore him and concentrate on the one with the rifle. He lines up a shot on Kal, but thanks you your cloak, neither he or the cultists nearest to him notice your approach. A few more distant cultists try to shout a useless warning to the rifle wielding cultist. They only distract him, forcing him to take a few seconds to look for something that he cannot see rather than shoot at Kal.
It gives you enough time to reach him. You press the flat of your hand against his forehead and summon the knockout sigil to it. The cultist’s legs fold up underneath him just as he is squeezing the trigger of the rifle and the shot goes wild. You’ve dialled the power right up and the man will be asleep for at least a day. You bounce over to the other two cultists blinded to your presence and do the same to them.
As you look round to take stock, you realise the fight is all but over. Kal might not have the level of mastery of his ousiarchs that you and the imam have, but his military training more than makes up for it. He’s managed to wrestle the hammer bearing cultist to the floor and incapacitate him and is now knocking the heads of a couple of unarmed cultists together.
The imam is out of the truck too. Cultists fall to the ground around him, their energy sapped to breaking point by the combination of Lurga and Eldibria. The three of you dispatch the last of the cultists quickly and efficiently before turning your attention to the blondes.
They stare right back at you, their identical beautiful faces both showing wide eyed surprise. Hardly unexpected given what the cultists were going to do to them and the manner of their rescue. But it isn’t you they are staring at, nor is it Kal. It’s the imam that has caught their attention.
“Imam el-Bayoumi,” says the one on the left, her voice puzzled.
The imam frowns for a moment, the recognition dawns in his eyes. “Aizhan?”
“No, I’m Aizhan,” mutters the one on the right. “That’s Zarina.”
In truth you aren’t really listening, stunned as you are by the revelation that the girls know the imam. “You know them?”
“Of course he knows us,” mutters the one on the left, Zarina.
“I’ve met them,” admits the imam. “A couple of years ago. They are Akshardham,” he says by way of explanation. “You’ve changed,” he says to the girls. “Grown up.”
You know of the Akshardham of course, the Stellae’s sister organisation based on Indian traditions. They are more similar in philosophy and outlook to the Stellae than the Great Sages are, but you’ve never met any of them.
“What are you doing here,” asks the imam.
“Being tied up,” mutters Zarina, though at least Kal has had the presence of mind to produce a sharp looking combat knife from somewhere and start cutting the girls bonds.
“We were investigating the Flame of Purity,” explains Aizhan, rubbing at her wrists once Kal cuts her loose. Her pale skin is a livid red where the rough rope chafed against it.
“It was supposed to be an easy assignment,” complains Zarina. “But they caught as soon as we entered the town.”
“You do stand out,” you tell her.
Zarina makes an annoyed harrumphing sound. “And who are you supposed to be,” she asks, putting her hands on her hips as soon as she is freed.
“A colleague,” says the imam before you have a chance to vent on the girl. “Will Prescott.”
The answer does little to mollify Zarina. “I’ve heard of you. You’re the chameleon aren’t you? Well we can’t all just look like the locals on a whim.”
“Ladies,” says Kal, taking this turn of events with remarkable stoicism. “I’m happy we rescued you, but you really should get somewhere safe.” His visage darkens. “We’ve got to get to al-Muqanna and put an end to the Flame of Purity.”
“Who are you telling to get to safety,” scowls Zarina. “We’ve got as much of a chance of dealing with the cult as you have. More even.”
Kal looks puzzled, but the imam simply nods. “But we’d have a better chance working together. What do you say Aizhan?”
“Agreed,” replies Aizhan, ignoring her twin sister’s angry look. “And we can tell you where to go too. This group was talking about going to the school after they… Afterwards.”
“What are we waiting for then,” asks Kal, almost running back to the truck.
*****
“It hasn’t been used in a month,” says Kal as your group dashes up to the low wall surrounding the school. “All the classes stopped the day al-Muqanna came.” The building looks dilapidated and worn, confirming Kal’s comments. The windows are broken and smashed. The yard is strewn with wreckage and detritus.
Amarah has been all but deserted since you rescued Aizhan and Zarina, although you have spotted the odd group of stragglers here and there. They’ve all been heading in this direction, confirming what Aizhan told you - al-Muqanna is in the school. One last group of cultists passes through the main doors as you pop your head above the wall to take a closer look.
“How are we doing this,” asks Kal. You look to the imam, waiting to see what he says, but he remains silent. It looks like it’s going to be up to you to plan out the infiltration here.
“Zarina and Kal, I want you to stay here and keep our escape route clear,” you begin.
The young Akshardham bristles at the instruction. According to Imam el-Bayoumi, she is in an adept of Hanuman and Kalika. What the Stellae would call Viritrilbia and Catilindria. The last thing you want in the school with you is an angry Catilindrian – as if there is any other kind – in a bad mood. Chances are the destructive aura that tails after her would affect you as much as the cultists.
You don’t say that to her, of course.
“Copy that,” says Kal. He settles into position beside the wall, checking his rifle professionally. You thought about taking him inside with you. His military background would be useful in there, but he’s the least experienced in using his ousiarchs of the five of you. Besides, you have something better now.
“Aizhan and the imam are coming inside with me,” you continue. The imam told you that Aizhan is an adept of Hanuman and Murugan – Viritrilbia and Malacandra. Viritrilbian twins are apparently quite common, but it’s her second ousiarch that is of interest to you. Most people would find it difficult to believe that makes her better in a fight than Kal, but you know better.
“Ok,” says Aizhan coolly. “What do we do?”
You look around again, there’s no sign of any more cultists in the yard. “We’ll go in low and hug the walls,” you explain. “Stay close to me and I’ll be able to use my cloak to hide all three of us.” Aizhan looks puzzled. She doesn’t know about your prodigies, you realise. “I can sort of make us invisible to people,” you say with a half smile. It feels nice to talk to someone for a change, or at least someone less dour than the imam. Whether that’s and affect of Aizhan’s link to Viritrilbia, you don’t know. “Well, make it so they don’t see me.”
“A Chameleon and a cloak of invisibility,” mutters Zarina under her breath. “Some people have all the luck.” For a moment you think about channelling a tide of Eldibria at the recalcitrant girl just to improve her mood. Imam el-Bayoumi would spot that instantly though.
You ignore her instead. “Let’s go,” you say to the imam and Aizhan before climbing over the wall. Aizhan vaults over the wall after you with ease, though the imam struggles a little. “Remember to stay close,” you warn before half running across the school yard. You dash quickly to the nearest wall of the building. No cultists come into view and you press yourself against the wall of the school just beside a broken window.
“I don’t think anyone saw us,” says Aizhan as she slips into place beside you. “There might be some cultists inside the entrance though.”
The imam nods thoughtfully. “Is there another way in,” he asks in a low voice.
You look at the window. There’s no glass left in the frame. Crucially, the ledge is low enough that you could climb up onto it easily enough. “How about in here,” you say.
 You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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