Part 9: Storming the Stronghold

Jack didn’t understand. What did it mean? The magical armor was supposed to be his? Jack sat down, still dazed. “What now? Even if this armor was meant for me, my brother has it now. I can’t access any of its power. What good does knowing any of this do me? I just want what’s left of my life back.” Jack ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Anubis put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Knowledge is power, Jack. Now we know who we’re fighting and what he wants.”

“But how do we fight him? He’s going to find us eventually, but I have no idea where he is.”

“That is why the knowledge you have given us is so important. He is your twin brother and he’s connected to you through your dreams and your armor. Knowing that, we can find him.”

“How does that help?”

Zane spoke. “When the Sentinels first got their armors about a year ago, my twin sister, Zoe, and I became separated—physically and mentally.” He gave Astarte a cold glare out of the corner of his eye. “We’d always had a strong psychic bond. Mia and Anubis were able to boost that connection so that Zoe could find out where I was. Maybe we can do the same with you and your brother—use your link to trace his location.”

“We could find him?” It didn’t seem possible. They could hunt down the psychotic monster who’d killed his parents and made his life a living hell? The chance to be the hunter instead of the prey… A dark light gleamed in his eyes. “What do I have to do?”

Mia took charge. “We need to move all the furniture and then make a circle. Then Jack, I want you in the middle of the circle.”

As they were moving stuff, Zoe took her brother aside. Her whispers were harsh and exasperated. “Zane. How long are you going to bear a grudge against Astarte? She’s one of us now, and more importantly, she’s my friend. Astarte make a mistake, but she turned away from the path she’d chosen to help us save the world.”

“A mistake? She mind-controlled me when we first met her and made me fight you and the Ronins. I skewered you with a spear because I was under her spell!”

“But my link to the armor protected me.”

“That’s not the point! That was a totally unexpected piece of luck! You could’ve easily died! And then…”

“Don’t even tell me you’re going to bring up the time she took me along to fight in the desert and left you behind.”

“She messed with my head so you could access all of the armor’s power!”

“She’s promised she won’t ever do that to you again.”

“I don’t know if I can trust her word.”

“Uhhh…guys?” They hadn’t even seen Kento walk up. “Mia says we’re ready. It’ll be just like sitting around a campfire—but without the marshmallows.”

Zoe laughed and took Kento’s arm. But as she walked away with him, she gave Zane a disappointed backward glance.

Anubis and Mia sat in the middle with Jack. Anubis wasn’t wearing his armor because he needed the power of the Ancients, not the power of Chaos. He couldn’t seem to use both of them at the same time. Mia was ready to start. “DARK FOG RISE!” A thick grey fog swirled up around the three of them. Mia was using her powers to break through whatever the Lord of Storms might use to hide his whereabouts, while at the same time, keeping him from realizing what they were doing.

Anubis was using his powers to focus Jack’s mental energy and strengthen it. “Think of his face, Jack. Think of the way he looks when he comes to you in your dreams.”

Jack could see the evil grimace that haunted his nights. At least with Astarte’s help, his dreams had been peaceful for the last few days. Jack could feel his own thoughts reaching out like tendrils, searching. Images of his brother’s face seemed clearer. He could also see a dark hall, lit by rows of long candles. The black-clad lightning ninjas were there, standing at attention. Where? Where was it? He could almost…a mountain retreat? A temple and caverns in the side of a mountain. Which one, which one?

“Relax, Jack. Take it slow. You’re inside the mountain, but we need you pretend like you’re moving away from it. We want to see the surrounding area so we can figure out what range it’s in.”

Jack pulled back with his mind’s eye. He could see the side, the shape, but it didn’t mean anything to him.

Anubis suddenly snapped from the link. “Mount Arakal!”

“You recognize it?”

“Yes, and that is not a good thing. Talpa called that hidden lair Gozhe. Secret things went on there—things Talpa would not share even with his Dark Warlords. All I know is that Badamon tutored some of his unholy apprentice priests there. Another section on the Gozhe was for training dynasty soldiers in deadly combat techniques. I thought the place had been abandoned long ago. It seems they did not go out of business with Talpa’s passing, but have turned their efforts to evil plans of their own.

Kento jumped up. “I say we show ‘em how to rock and roll! Those Dynasty-wannabes are messin’ with the wrong crowd.”

Rowen wasn’t so eager. “I don’t know, Kento. I think there’s something else going on here. This all seems, I don’t know…easy.”

Mia had also been feeling on edge. Something wasn’t right.

Gilgamesh nodded his head. “It would be unwise to rush into this man’s lair without knowing more about him.”

Trace gave him an incredulous look. “You? The voice of caution?”

“Things change.”

Ryo spoke up. “We don’t have a choice. We have to stop this guy and this is our best chance for a surprise attack. I don’t think we’ll get any more info. on him sitting around here. And if we wait too long, he’ll be ready for us.”

They all reluctantly agreed.

Anubis drew several maps of the layout of Gozhe’s corridors and rooms. They were sketchy, but he’d only been there a few times and it was so long ago. Jack insisted on going with them. Mia thought he’d be safer at the house, but he wouldn’t budge. He wanted to confront his brother—it was his right. Besides, if he stayed at the house, he’d be completely alone and unprotected. Mia sighed and gave in. She hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

When everyone was suited up and ready, Astarte raised her hand and teleported them all to the plateau of Gozhe Arakal.