The bright light that had emanated from the trion blinded everyone in the room but Veronica and Dren did not let go. It was as if their hands were glued together by the trion.
Zoth realized what was happening and made a dash for Dren and Veronica.
�Hey!� Finn quickly ran after him. Marguerite cursed and ran after her. If Finn hadn�t rushed after him she would have had a clean shot. Finn was only a few steps behind Zoth and wished she had her crossbow. She had a knife but wasn�t close enough to him to do much damage. She saw Zoth pick up Dren�s fallen sword and start to move towards Veronica.
�Veronica! Look out!�
But Veronica didn�t hear her. She was still joined with Dren and was oblivious to everything that was going on around her. Finn had closed much of the distance between them while Zoth had bent down to the pick up the sword but not enough. There was only one thing left she could do.
She didn�t even feel the sword enter her abdomen. Her body was pumped full of adrenalin but she knew it had happened. She knew she wouldn�t be able to stick around long enough to help Veronica, but she knew Marguerite would take care of the rest. For now, she would make sure that Zoth wouldn�t destroy the future even if she couldn�t live to enjoy it herself.
As Zoth pulled out the sword with a smug look on his face, Finn involuntarily gasped. She smiled as she plunged the knife Veronica had given her earlier into Zoth. �That�s for my family, my friends, and my world. Now you�ll never live to destroy anything.�
�Finn!� Marguerite watched in horror as both Zoth and Finn�s bodies hit the floor. Marguerite quickly ran to Finn�s side and tried to stop the bleeding.
Finn coughed and could feel the intense pain now but didn�t seem to mind it. �Don�t bother, Marguerite. I don�t know how this time travel stuff works, but if this is the end of my life, then I�m happy. You were all the family that I was denied and I loved every minute of it. Take care of Vee for me.� Finn sighed and closed her eyes.
Marguerite gently laid Finn�s head on the floor and stood up. Using the back of her hand, she wiped away the tears that had fallen. She had already lost one friend that day. She wasn�t going to lose anymore. Marguerite knew what she had to do.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Challenger and Malone had made excellent time in reaching the stone fortress. Malone was indeed surprised that the journey was not nearly as long as he expected it to be. He had found little difficulty in navigating the way and had arrived at their destination within an hour. They had left a trail for Finn to follow, but had not slowed down their entire journey. Arriving completely spent, Challenger and Malone took their first break only when they finally reached the fortress. They recuperated while waiting for Finn to arrive with reinforcements.
They took the time to survey their surroundings and come up with a plan. The complex was large and they did not even know for sure that Roxton was being held inside. Challenger sat silently beginning to formulate a plan when Malone quietly made his way to him and crouched down beside him.
�Say Challenger,� Malone whispered, �don�t you find the place to be a little quiet? I haven�t seen or heard a single person nearby, not even a guard on duty. I haven�t even seen any lights in the windows. Maybe the place is abandoned?�
Challenger nodded for he had noticed the same things, but he was not as inclined to believe the building was abandoned. Challenger suspected that if Roxton was in fact being held captive in this building, then the reason they had not seen anyone was because a rescue was expected and a trap had already been laid. The most prudent thing to do would be to wait for Finn and the Avatars. �Maybe it is abandoned, but maybe it is not. I believe we should wait for Finn to arrive before we take any action.�
Malone shook his head. �I don�t think we can wait any longer, Challenger, she should have been here by now. It shouldn�t have taken her more than half an hour to set off after us and we�ve been waiting for almost twice that. Maybe she ran into trouble along the way or maybe she wasn�t able to come after us, either way I think we�re on our own. We have to go after Roxton ourselves.�
Challenger considered Malone�s words and had to cede to the logic he found in them. His own instincts kept telling him that there was something wrong with this situation but it didn�t change matters, they had to go after Roxton alone. �Very well, Malone. Here�s what we�ll do. I will go ahead myself and if there is a trap and I am captured, at least one of us will still be free to continue. Also if I am to be captured, you will able to follow and see where I am taken. Hopefully it will be nearby Roxton and it will save us time searching the entire complex.�
Malone nodded. �All right, Challenger. But I�ll only give you a five minute head start and if the place is deserted I will be right behind you.�
�Very well.� Challenger reached out his hand and shook Malone�s hand. �Godspeed my friend.�
Malone crouched in the foliage and watched Challenger slowly make his way towards the outer gates of the fortress. The gates were wide open and Challenger hesitated briefly before passing through inside. Malone listened for any sounds of a struggle and was relieved to find none. Malone slowly made his way through the trees in a wide arc closer to the fortress. Malone had waited his five minutes and now it was his turn to enter.
Malone reached the front gates and found there were no guards and couldn�t hear any footsteps in the immediate area. Feeling safe to continue, he chose a passage on his left and headed towards the door at the end of the hall. As his hand reached for the door, he found himself thrown suddenly off balance and on the ground. Malone managed to pull himself to his knees and hold onto the walls for support. The ground was shaking violently and Malone could feel the stones in the walls moving beneath his fingers. He only hoped the building didn�t collapse in the quake. After a few moments, the shaking stopped and Malone slowly returned to his feet. He opened the door and quietly closed it behind him. Suddenly he felt an arm reach out and grab him and another clamped around his mouth.
�Shh Malone, it is only me!� Challenger whispered in Malone�s ear. Malone nodded and Challenger released his hold on him.
�For God�s sake, Challenger try a better way to get my attention next time, I nearly had a heart attack!�
Challenger waved a hand at him. �Never mind that. I�ve found Roxton. Follow me.�
Malone couldn�t help but showing his disbelief. �You�ve found him already? How?�
�Just follow me and you�ll see.�
Challenger led the way through the passage which led into a great hall and then into another long hall. Challenger held his fingers to his lips and pushed Malone against the wall. Challenger peered around the corner and then resumed his position against the wall beside Malone. �Down at the end of this hall,� Challenger whispered, �there are two men on guard. Now, both of us have seen that the entire place is deserted yet these two men are guarding something of great value. That must be where they are keeping Roxton.�
Malone switched places with Challenger and peered around the corner himself. It was just as Challenger said. Two men dressed in black at the end of the hallway. Malone turned back to Challenger. �So what�s the plan?�
�Follow my lead.� Challenger stepped from behind the corner and walked down the hallway towards the guards.
�Challenger!� Malone hissed but he was ignored.
�Excuse me, my dear fellows, do either of you have the time?�
The two men immediately left their post and charged Challenger. Using his rifle as a shield against the swords of the guards�, Challenger punched the nearby guard in the face. Malone seeing the two guards charge Challenger, immediately stepped forward and drew his pistol. He aimed the gun at the second guard who was about to attack Challenger from behind. �Drop it!� The guard reluctantly dropped his sword and Malone made him kick it towards him. As soon as he had, Malone knocked the guard out with the butt of his pistol and leaned him against the wall. Malone looked over towards Challenger to see how he was fairing. Challenger had already disarmed the guard and they were now in a fist fight. Challenger was tiring and Malone saw he had to act when the guard had forced Challenger to the ground. Malone picked up a fallen sword and from behind had held it to the man�s throat. �Don�t move unless you want to cut yourself. This sword looks sharp.�
Malone kept the sword on the guard and used his other hand to help Challenger to his feet.
�Thank you, Malone.�
�I�ve got this one, Challenger. I think I saw some keys on the other one. We can lock these guys up in one of the rooms and then get Roxton out and be on our way.�
Challenger saw the second guard slumped unconscious against the wall and had no trouble finding the keys Malone referred to. Finding the key that went to the nearest room, they threw both men in and locked the door behind them.
Challenger and Malone then made their way to the last door at the end of the hall. There wasn�t an opening for them to peer inside so they called out instead. �Roxton! Roxton, can you hear us?!� Malone pounded on the door and thought he could hear movement inside.
�Malone? Is that you?�
Malone smiled in relief. �Yes, Roxton! Challenger is here with me, we�ve come to get you out of here, hang on!�
Challenger found the key that fit into the lock in a few moments and opened the door. Roxton slowly stepped out of the room and clasped both of the men�s hands in thanks. �You are both a sight for sore eyes!�
In the light of the hall, Challenger and Malone could see that Roxton had been badly beaten. �Good gracious! Are you all right, John?�
Roxton nodded. �Nothing Marguerite can�t fix. Tell me, is she all right?�
Malone patted Roxton on the back. �She�s all right, Roxton. She only has a slight bump on the head and was ready to go looking for you but we convinced her to stay.�
Roxton nodded. �It�s a right good thing you all did, Ned. This fiend is after Marguerite as well as Veronica and Abigail. We have to get back to Avalon and warn them! They have already left! We haven�t a moment to lose!�
�Good heavens!� Challenger exclaimed.
�No wonder the place is deserted. They must have taken every single man with them to Avalon!� Malone looked to Roxton. �Do you have any idea how many they have with them?�
Roxton shook his head. �No, but they have some dark magic on their side. I saw two men literally walk out of the darkness where there was nothing but a wall there!�
�Magic? Rubbish! I tell all of you, there is no such��
�Challenger, not now. We have to get back to Avalon!� Roxton set off down the hall with Malone and Challenger only a few steps behind. He made his way into the hall and passed through the doors he had failed twice to get through before and then stopped. From here he had no idea which way to go so he followed behind Challenger and Malone. Once again the ground shook with a renewed fierceness and this time it was joined by thunder and lightning. The sounds of violent winds could be heard through the walls of the fortress.
�What is happening?� Malone shouted over the sound of the storm.
�It sounds like a bad storm is raging outside! We can�t risk traveling through it! We�ll have to wait for it to die down before we can start back!� Challenger held on to the walls when finally the shaking stopped but the storm continued to rage on outside.
�We can�t wait! Marguerite and the others need to be warned! I won�t sit here and wait!� Roxton moved forward only to be stopped by Malone.
�Out of my way, Ned!�
�Listen to him, Roxton. I want to help Veronica and the others as much as you do, but we can�t do anything now. Chances are they�ve already reached Avalon. All we can do is hope that they�re all right. When we get a chance we�ll leave and get there as quick as we can. But there�s no way I can lead us back to Avalon in that storm and you know it. We have to wait.�
Roxton sighed in defeat and nodded. Challenger and Malone led him into the great hall he knew very well from his brief stay at the fortress. Roxton watched his friends sit, but he could not. He paced and did all he could do at the moment. Hope.
Be safe, Marguerite. Be safe all of you.