�But you�re not real�just a dream�.�
Roxton painfully rolled to his side and used his hands to push his aching body off the floor. Dren and the man stopped their conversation and watched as Roxton barely made it to a chair before collapsing into it.
�I see you recognize me, Lord Roxton. Very curious indeed, for the magic I used on you should have been enough to erase me from your memory entirely.�
Roxton stared in wonder at the man before him. �So then it is true.� The man�s appearance had changed since he had seen him last. His longer hair was now cut short, and instead of a long robe, he wore the similar black attire of the other men he had seen previously.
The man smiled and nodded. �Indeed it is.�
Roxton was very confused. �But why are you here? Surely you cannot be helping him? Don�t you realize who this man is?�
The man shared a look with Dren and let out a hearty laugh at Roxton�s expense. �But of course, Lord Roxton, I am no fool. I know who I am aligning myself with.�
�But Bokra�this man has evil intentions against Marguerite! If you believe her to be the leader of your people, you shouldn�t be helping this man!�
Bokra found this extremely amusing and took a few moments to calm himself. �Excuse me, Roxton, but if you truly understood what was occurring, you would know why this entire situation is humorous. Oh and please, call me Zoth. I have grown rather fond of the name since your delightful little friend used it.�
Roxton recognized the name immediately. �Zoth? The one who destroys the future? But that�s impossible!�
�Not impossible at all. You see-�
�There is no need to explain ourselves to the likes of him!� Dren cast a disgusted look at Roxton. He was still irritated at losing his temper so easily.
Zoth held up his hand to calm him down. �I do not mind, and besides he will die eventually. There is no harm letting him know what our plan is. That way when he dies, he will know what fate his friends will suffer and how he will be powerless to help them.
�I see that you remember who I am although I cannot explain the reason why. But the magic I used on you, Marguerite, and your friend Malone still has a hold on you for you did not trust your own eyes at first. Everything that you remember did in fact happen. Only Marguerite is not the reincarnation of Morrighan, our high priestess, as I led you all to believe. Morrighan did not cast us adrift to save us but to condemn us to a life of never ending torment. She foolishly believed she had trapped us all forever and thought only she herself would be able to set us free. But she did not take into account her descendants. I searched for hundreds of years for one of her line, and finally my search led me to Marguerite. Of course she believed all I told her! It was not difficult at all. Marguerite who has no past would have believed anything I told her. If she only knew why Morrighan had sent myself and the others careening through time, she would have hesitated to set us free. But of course, now I am free and able to do my duty as I should have done during the last storm!�
Roxton remembered that when Marguerite wanted to help those druids, his instincts were telling him something was wrong. Marguerite and Malone both wanted to help so he had no choice but to follow and keep an eye on them. In the end, the druids were free and no harm came out of it so he believed himself in the wrong. And of course, Bokra/Zoth did make them forget anything ever happened so he had no chance to ponder over the events. Which brought up another matter. �Now that I see where your true allegiances lie I just have one question left. If you really are Zoth, how were you trapped in the cave that we went to only months ago? If Marguerite truly set you and the rest of the druids free, you and your other friends shouldn�t have been in the void to jump into our bodies.�
�Humans! Your minds are so limited.� Zoth sighed and shook his head. �I am no normal man. I am not even mortal and neither were any of the other druids you saw. The void you speak of is the same place where you encountered us as druids. If you will recall, I told you that we drifted in and out of existence. When we came out of the void was merely one of those times. What you need to understand is that time is not linear, Lord Roxton. What happens in this very moment and what happens in the void or any other reality do not go hand in hand. Marguerite may have freed us three years ago according to you, but that does not mean anything in the grand scheme of things. When we came out of the void and used your bodies as an escape, Marguerite had not yet freed us unfortunately. If it were not for Marguerite, I would not even be here today! It is mind boggling to you, I am sure, but then again, you are only human and matters like these were not meant for you to comprehend.�
Roxton was not entirely sure he understood everything that was just explained to him but he understood enough. Things used to be so simple; everything had a beginning, middle, and an end. But since coming to this plateau, things changed, included his manner of thinking. Magic, time travel, myths becoming reality, there was no limit to what the plateau threw at him. If this was the same man that Finn described as destroying the future, then it was even more imperative for him to escape. It was true that Zoth had Challenger�s plans to destroy the future, but Roxton realized that he had played a hand in helping him escape the prison that Morrighan had put him in. Challenger blamed himself for everything, but Roxton took everything onto his shoulders. It was Marguerite that freed them, but Roxton felt it was his fault for not trusting his instincts. Once Finn had killed the other two demons and chased Zoth back into the cave, things would have ended there. But since he had helped Marguerite set the druids free, Bokra escaped to be here today and had the chance to destroy the future.
Roxton raised his head and was prepared for what was to come. He knew the chances of escaping to warn Marguerite and the others were slim. But he had faith in his friends. He wasn�t afraid of dying. He knew that one day his time would come and if it happened to be now, then he would accept it. But he promised himself that he would do everything and anything in his power to make sure that he took these bastards down with him. �Well, thank you for letting me know all I need. You both may be arrogant enough to think you will succeed in your plot, and maybe in the end you will, I don�t know. But I have faith. Faith in love, faith in friendship, and faith in the overall goodness and spirit of people. I know that even if you succeed in what you are planning, you won�t win in the end. Because people like you will always get what�s coming to you. Whether it be by my hands or someone else, I promise you will get what is due to you. It�s called Karma, I picked it up on my travels through the East. Fascinating concept and one I am inclined to believe in.�
Dren scoffed. �How touching. You can believe whatever you are inclined to Lord Roxton, but that won�t change the circumstances. I am tired of listening to your ignorant blather. Take him away!� He shouted.
Roxton looked to his right and expected guards to come through the doors but they didn�t. Instead he saw two men literally step out of the shadows and walk over to where he was seated. Roxton�s jaw dropped in amazement. �How�?�
Dren put a hand on the table and leaned closer to Roxton. �You didn�t really believe the Protectors had all the power did you? Where is your confidence in the universe now?�
Dren cast Roxton a final look of triumph as the guards took him back to his cell. This time two guards would be left on duty to make sure he did not escape. Things were coming to a head and mistakes could not be afforded. Dren turned to Zoth. �It is time.�
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Challenger, Malone, and Finn followed the Avatar warrior who guided them to the alleyway where Marguerite and Roxton had been attacked. When they reached their destination, the warrior bowed and headed back to his post at the palace. The three friends split up and looked around hoping to find any clues that might help them find out where Roxton had been taken.
They found countless boot prints but weren�t able to make any sense of them. Between the dozen or so attackers and the avatar warriors that came through, it was an indecipherable mess.
�Hey, look!�
Challenger and Malone looked up from the tracks towards Finn. She was holding Roxton�s familiar hat in her hands. Challenger walked forward and took the hat in his hands. �The old boy will be happy to know we found his hat in perfect condition, I only hope we find him in the same state as well.� He heaved a sigh and passed the hat to Malone who had come to stand at his side.
As Malone took the offered hat, he found himself feeling a way he hadn�t expected he would ever feel again in his lifetime. He found himself floating over a clearing but he could tell by the way the trees were whizzing by that he was moving at a great speed. He recognized the landscape that they had all passed on their way to Avalon but as he moved farther out, he found himself looking around to make sure he remembered every detail. He realized that as he grew closer to a set of hills that he was slowing in his approach. He saw a large stone structure that seemed to have been embedded into the side of a mountain. His body was heading for it but he saw that while he was slowing, he wouldn�t be able to stop before he slammed into the outer wall of the stone complex. He closed his eyes as he prepared for impact and found himself being heartily shaken. He opened his eyes and found himself flat on his back in the alleyway with Finn and Challenger hovering over him. He tried to get up when Challenger reached out and lightly pushed him back.
�Steady, Malone. Just take it easy.�
Malone was confused for a bit. �What happened?�
Finn raised an eyebrow. �You mean you don�t remember? Challenger gave you Roxton�s hat and then all of a sudden your eyes rolled back in your head. Challenger barely had a second to catch you before you toppled over. You were dead to the world until we pried Roxton�s hat out of your vice grip.�
Challenger understood what was happening more than Finn did. After Malone had collapsed, Challenger quickly remembered the symptoms after this happened the last time. Only back then, when Malone had touched the Ripper�s knife he had never lost consciousness. He rationalized the loss of consciousness as the power growing stronger over time. �What did you see, Malone?�
It took a moment for Malone to get reoriented and then he quickly remembered what he had seen. �I think I know where Roxton is.�