Chapter 11: St. Ivey's Cathedral
[07/23/4517]
Boss John landed on a rooftop with the mysterious people. He saw Kin and Den waiting with two of the mysterious people with them. Everyone gathered by the edge of the roof where the embassy is seen below. The gates were closed. More guards were inside the embassy grounds. There were four guards standing around the tent.
One of the mysterious people spoke. “Your plan did not work. There is more security than before.”
“Give them time.”
A guard in distance turned the corner. He arrived at the gate and talked with the other guards. One of them ran off into the building.
“See.” Boss John said. “Soon they will send people away. We will have less security to worry about.”
The mysterious people looked at each other and one spoke. “Soon we will the Earthtech.”
“This is great.” A second said. “Our problems will be solved.”
A third one spoke. “And what of the Earthworlder? He may know what is happening to us.”
“Let’s first secure the Earthtech and know what it is.”
Boss John looked at Den and Kin. “Do you think we really need them at this point?”
Kin whispered. “These shoes they gave are really great. I never thought I would jump like an elk across the rooftops.”
Den nodded and opened only his lips, his front teeth were wired shut. “Yeah.”
“Besides, these idiots are thinking about infiltrating the embassy.”
“Let them.” Boss John sat down and crossed his arms. “The Earthtech isn’t worth going back to jail over.’
One of the mysterious people approached Boss John. “We’re ready to go.”
“Good Luck.” Boss John said. Kin and Den also sat down.
“Huh? What are you talking about? The plan.”
“Was to create a distraction. Now you have it.”
A group of guards ran out of the gate and marched their way to the fire. The only guards left are at the gate and two in front of the tent.
Boss John smiled. “You better hurry before they get back or find other guards nearby the area.”
“But the Earthtech?”
“You will bring them back to us as part of the deal.”
The mysterious people looked at each other. There was an aura of concern.
Boss John sighed. “We have you covered from above.
He raised his arm up. “The fire. Remember?”
The mysterious people looked at each other and nodded. They all jumped the rooftops in different directions to proceed with their plan.
“Amateurs.” Boss John said. “We might not get our reward boys.”
“At least we got these shoes.” Kin said and Den nodded.
***
Below, as the mysterious people snuck around the grounds from different direction, a guard yelled out to open the gate. A couple of guards from the building marched out with Ms. Torin. Sarina rode in with Kenichi holding on. As they both dismount the mysterious people went into hiding. They lifted their heads up looking at Kenichi’s clothes. They made hand signals confirming that he was the Earthworlder.
While Sarina spoke with Ms. Torin, Kenichi walked over to the tent. He pulled back on the opening revealing the truck. One of the mysterious people across the way gasped at its size when Kenichi approached it.
“Step aside. You’ll get run over.”
“Mr. Yamamura.” Ms. Torin said as the mysterious people signaled each other to hold their positions. “You cannot take this truck off the grounds.”
“I can’t let this church hurt Emma.”
“I understand Mr. Yamamura, however, even if it involves a book written in Alurian, I cannot allow you to expose yourself and this Earthtech to the church. We have to look at the bigger picture.”
“The bigger picture is that we’re already exposed to the world, Ms. Torin. Now this church wants to kill all of us Earthworlders and destroy our Earthtech. We didn’t ask to come to this world. You all kidnapped us and stole our technology. I take them as a threat, and I am not going be held responsible for anything that is wrong in this world. They won’t respect International Law. I’ll teach them respect.”
Sarina spoke. “But Kenichi, it’s too far away. It will take us forty-five minutes to get there. We’ll be too late.”
“Is the forty-five minute distance based on riding a horse?”
“Huh?” Sarina looked at Ms. Torin.
“Mr. Yamamura, what are you saying?”
“The average speed of a gallop is forty kilometers per hour. That’s why it would take forty-five minutes from here.”
“How fast is your truck?”
“Its maximum speed is four hundred and one kilometers per hour.”
As the guards turned their heads in shock, Sarina spoke. “No way.”
Ms. Torin stepped back. “That’s not possible. Our motorcycles can only go up eighty kilometer per hour. How could you Earthworlders achieve this?”
“Science.”
Sarina placed her hand on the truck. “So does this mean we’ll get there before them? They have been riding the horses for twenty minutes now.”
“I’m assuming your horses are physically different from Earth horses so I have to assume that they don’t tire out on a forty-five minute gallop.”
“No, it takes horses an hour to tire.”
“Okay, hop on Sarina.” Kenichi looked at the two guards. “You two… hop on.”
“Ma’am?” One of the guards looked at Ms. Torin.
Ms. Torin approached Kenichi as he opened the door and climbed into the truck. “I understand your anger. Let us do our job and go the church. We can deal with them diplomatically. I will have the guards go directly to the cathedral and resolve this matter.”
Kenichi smiled and leaned toward her. “Yes, please do that. Meanwhile, I’m going ahead.”
“Why?”
Kenichi sat up as Sarina climbed aboard. He looked at Fumiko’s necklace hanging by the windshield. “For my wife, I have one last vow to fulfill… and I’m cashing it in.”
Kenichi turned the ignition key. The engine roared as Sarina made her way to the back and her legs stretched out. Kenichi closed the door, lowered the window, and looked back at Mr. Torin. “Your guards please.”
Ms. Torin sighed with a nod. She waved the two guards to board. As they did she looked up at Kenichi. “My name is Ophelia by the way.”
“Kenichi.” As the guards climbed in, one of them slipped to the back with Sarina’s help. They were awed at what they saw inside.
“You’re leaving me with a big problem Kenichi.”
“I’m sorry Ophelia.” Kenichi moved the truck forward in full view of everyone. The mysterious people stood up following the truck’s movement. As Ophelia waved for the gates to open, the mysterious people jumped up onto the rooftops. Kenichi noticed them in his sideview window. He tried to look up but Sarina got his attention.
“Kenichi?”
“Right.” Kenichi took his smartphone and attached it to the dock. The monitor turned on.
“Interface connected.” Red said and the guards looked at Sarina thinking she spoke. However, she pointed to the monitor and they leaned in.
“Red… Chartmap.”
“Chartmap activated.”
“Destination… St. Ivey’s Cathedral.”
“St. Ivey’s Cathedral is forty-five minutes from your location. Turn right after departing Ironguard Embassy.”
Kenichi pulled the chord sounding the horn, causing everyone outside to cover their ears. At the top floor of the embassy, the ambassador pulled the curtains and his eyes grew wide. As the truck exited the premises, Ophelia waved to the guards.
“Rally the guards, mount the horses.” Ophelia pointed to a guard. “Go to where the fire is at and inform the captain of the situation. Tell him to head to St. Ivey’s Cathedral when everything is under control.”
“Yes ma’am.”
As Ophelia continued to direct everyone, Boss John at the rooftop walked away.
“Come on, let’s head for Ironguard.”
Kin followed with Den right behind him. “What about the Earthtech?’
“It’ll be at Ironguard.” Boss John stopped and looked back. “Think about it. They must have brought this in from another continent. Maybe from Orneo or Amea. I heard rumors that the countries out there have been building factories or something. Since the Earthtech is in the Ironguard Embassy, they must have something big going over there. Beside, those fools didn’t follow through with the plan. They were right there, and we risked ending up in jail again or worse to get that Earthtech. I want what we’re owed.”
“Well, at least we can get money for these shoes.”
“We won’t sell them. These are useful.” Boss John looked at his friend and Den nodded. “Let’s hustle up some money and catch the first train out before we’re caught.”
***
Maddox fired a shot at the carriage. Ice formed beside three patches of ice. He saw a hand stuck out on from the right side of the window and the air warped. When Maddox passed in front of it, the warp made a loud bang. The shockwave turned the ground into a crater. Maddox saw what happened and looked ahead. He realized was slowing the horse down. The thought of that spell, doing what it did to a living being, concerned him.
Maddox picked up speed but kept distant. He checked his gun again and found it had one bullet. The same arm reached out of the window again. Maddox aimed, and with a deep breath he fired. Ice form from the top of carriage, however, the arm pulled itself back inside. Maddox reached into his pocket to grab bullets to reload. When he did two arms on each side of the carriage stretched out of the window.
“Damn.” Maddox holstered his gun. With both reigns in hand, he picked up speed. Two ripples ejected from the hands of the passengers leaving a small opening in the middle. Maddox focused on the center. He guided the horse forward. He passed the spells. Unfortunately, they activated with a loud bang. The force of two spells at once created a shockwave that knocked the horse over. Maddox tumbled onto the ground. He pulled himself up watching the carriage drive further into the distance. He checked on the horse lying on the ground. Its ears bled. Maddox pat the horse and walked onwards to the cathedral. Just as he looked around for another horse, he heard a familiar sound. It was a horn far off in the distance. “No. That idiot.”
Maddox ran onwards to the cathedral.
***
Kenichi turned the truck left at the corner. He shifted gears as the cathedral came into full view. It was very tall with spires and stained glass window. There were statures of winged creatures reaching out to the sky as if they ready to be taken away. The guards awed at how soon they got there. Sarina leaned forward and smiled. “I can’t believe we’re here already.”
“Don’t celebrate yet Sarina.” Kenichi said as the truck drove downhill. “We have to be ready for anything.”
The guard sitting next to him spoke. “Sir, the church is very dangerous. The spells they use are traditional. They could kill you with ease.”
Sarina nodded. “Also, you ‘re lungs are still sensitive. You could collapse.”
“I don’t care. I’m not going to let them kill Emma.” Kenichi slowed the truck down as it approached the cathedral. The street was very wide. The truck came to a stop and everyone climb out. Kenichi went into the small storage compartment. As the guards monitored the area, Sarina watched Kenichi take out a tool belt. He wrapped it around his waste. He took out his toolbox and opened it up. As he slotted his tool into each pouch Sarina spoke.
“What are we going to do?”
“If Emma is inside, we’re going to need tools to break her out.” Kenichi took out a small power drill. It was cylindrical shape. He grabbed a small case and picked out a drill bit. It was flat with jagged edges. He inserted the bit into the drill and turned it on. He tested it to make sure it works. “Still can’t figure why it has all this energy.”
“Sir?” The guard hurried back around.
“Hold on I almost done here.” Kenichi took a crowbar and stuck it behind his back. He grabbed his brass knuckles and placed into his pocket. Then he unsheathed Ikaruga, the pipe. “Let’s go.”
“Sir… wait.”
Kenichi and Sarina walked around the truck and waiting at the top of the steps were armed paladins. Standing before them was a woman. She wore a long white dress with armor. She held a staff with an athurian orb at the end.
“I am Grand Arch-Herald of the Church of Endira, Kiana Storm.”
Kenichi looked at Sarina and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I am Kenichi Yamamura, owner of Yamamura Shipping Company. You’re people kidnap our friend.”
“What is your friend’s name Earthworlder?”
“Emma Fumiko Rosado.”
“I see.” She walked down the steps with the guards following her. “Your friend is a blasphemer. She and her friend sought the book called the Golden Years.”
“So?”
“It is written in Alurian.”
“Why should I care?”
“It is the true language of magic. It is the language of the church. It is the language of Teora.”
“It’s just a language.”
“A dead language.” Kiana stood before Kenichi planting her staff before Sarina’s staff. “Do you have dead language’s in your world?”
“Yes.” Kenichi nodded. “Many that were lost to time. Latin being the most well known.”
“Then you have to understand what that feels like to lose a language.”
Sarina spoke. “You can’t blame Earthworlders for the decisions the Valencian mages made when standardizing magic.”
“Ooh.” Kiana stood before Sarina and looked up at her face. “Have you noticed how much our world changed thanks to the Spanish Empire? Did we ask to be like Earthworld?”
“No, but whose idea was it to kidnap Earthworlders?”
“Huh?” Kiana stared right into Sarina’s eyes. “Do not blame the whole of the church for the action of one denomination in Eiberia.”
“Excuse me.” Kenichi said. “I really don’t care about any of this. I just want Emma back. You can have this book wherever it is and let me move on with my life.”
“This book?” Kiana said and Kenichi slouched. “The Golden Years is one of the few books left written in Alurian. You don’t understand Earthworlder. It is more than just the preservation of a book. It is the preservation of Aluria. A nation that once was cradle of all magic in this world. A nation that commanded respect. The birthplace of the holy church that spread the words of the Madragals. Where is it now Earthworlder?”
Sarina stared at Kiana. “Valencia.”
“Reduced to a city-state. The capital of Valencia is all that’s left, and the Spanish Empire turned it into their own perverse playground like the rest of this continent.”
“No their fault that Spanish cast faster than Alurian.”
“And Alurian is still the most powerful to this day.”
Kenichi held his smartphone pointing it to the ground. “Red… mist.”
“Niebla.” Mist spread out covering the entire vicinity.
Kenichi swung Ikaruga striking two paladins to the ground. Sarina grabbed the guards who were with them and pulled them out of the mist. They reached the top ready to enter inside when the sound of horses were heard in the distance. Kenichi looked out at the road and saw it slow down. “Were we early?”
The priests exited the carriage and one of them carried Emma in her his arms.
Kenichi saw Emma’s eyes closed. His heart thumped. He placed his hand over his chest.
“Kenichi, your breathing problem.”
“No. That’s not what I am feeling.” Kenichi’s memories of Emma emerged. From the café to her at his bed side, he remembered how she helped him find maps at the library, and also how mean he was to her. He held his hand up remembering that she held his hand the night of storm when she brought the truck to the embassy and he pulled away. He remembered Emma’s tears when she told him she remembered everything as Fumiko and how she could not feel the warmth of holding Satoshi and Ichigo in her arms. Now knowing what the Church of Endira was about to do to her, his eyes exposed Kenichi’s true self. “Fumiko, Emma suffered from our past. She did not deserve to experience our suffering. Our past dictated the decisions of her life and the path she took brought her here, in danger. Guide me one more time, to free her from ourselves.”
To Be Continued...
