Chapter 4

     Jonathan spent the whole day hiding in the wooded hills at the edge of Crowsdale valley. He cannot risk walking in the open while it’s daytime. Who knows what spies Randell has sent in the skies, to find him. On a normal day, if he was given at least a couple of minutes to prepare, he could easily have brought an item or spell for this kind of situation. However, due to the recent events, he does not possess any means to conceal himself during daylight. He decided to wait till the sun sets on the horizon. It’s still early morning, there is still time for him to rest and recuperate. He surveyed the woods for a couple of minutes found a huge tree that he can rest on. He circled the tree surveying the area, then he made his move on surrounding the foot of the tree-filled with sigils and traps, when he finished, at least 20 feet in diameter from the tree are now filled with sigils on the ground. Traps that could set up as the first line of defenses and woke him up, as quickly as the person triggering it would step on it. Then he climbed on the tree. Resting on top of its huge branches.

    The sunsets across the western mountains, and he woke up from his perch on top of a huge tree, looked down checked his surroundings if any of his seals or traps have been triggered. He did not sleep very soundly the whole day, all of the training that he had, prepares him for events such as this. It’s time to get a move on now, he thinks. Slowly he climbed down while carrying the tome close, his arms wrapped around it, clutching it to his chest. As reached the ground, he started to walk heading into Crowsdale far below out of the forest. He carefully makes his way past the seals and traps that he has placed. Just as he walked out of the edged of the seals that he had made, he stopped in his tracks. He noticed some seals missing on the edge, how did this happen? How could he have not noticed it? It was not triggered at all it was erased very cleanly. Sweat pours down from his forehead to his cheeks, he looked around frantically. He knows who had done this, He’s here, how can he let his guard down, is he really in a different league from his skill. He got him. He had gotten far, however, he realized that really cannot get away from him.

   “Show yourself. I know you are here. You have erased my most intricate sigils without me knowing about it.” he shouted. “perhaps you really have surpassed me more than I wanted to accept it.”

   “Well I did try to penetrate your defenses earlier, however, out of respect I let you sleep, I don’t want to disturb you. I myself needed the sleep too, so I stopped and decided to just wait for you down here, there is no Rush.” Randell spoke as he materializes coming out of the body of a tree just a few feet away from Jon. “Do you really think you can stop me, from taking the book? I was surprised that you have gotten this far. As expected for a man of your caliber Jon, now enough of this game, will you hand me the book?” Randell said, his left hand stretched in front of him.

   “You know I can’t do that, del.”

   “So, you would rather die here than just go out peacefully? Just Come to your senses, Jon. You very well know by now that you are no match for me. As you can see, everyone is gone, you are the last keeper of the 3rd Seal that is left. No sense in perishing here Jon, out of respect I don’t want to be the person who will end you.”

   “So, you still got some conscience in there, eh dell? Then stop this, stop what your doing and just disappear. I can cover for you tell them somehow, I got lucky and defeated you, so you can run and never to come back again ever.”

   “Jon, I understand you have your duty to protect the book, but I have my duty as well.”

   “What Duty is that Del? What could you possibly accomplish, by breaking the 3^rd Seal?”

   Randell did not respond, he lifted his hands to his head, pulled down his hood. His long wavy silver hair flew around him. His face scarred, one eye missing in a hollow socket. Jonathan looked at him without wavering.

   “You know what the keepers of the 4^th did to me Jon, take a look at it. they left me there, to die by myself to be, this.” He said pointing to his face. “If they did not abandon me, Maggie would still be alive, and so is your father. They ran like cowards, like what you are doing now.”

   “It’s you who did that to yourself, Del, you know the consequences of your actions. You should not have tried to meddle with powers that are beyond you.”

   “I had to, Jon!!” Randell shouted at him, his voice filled with anger. “You know why I did it! What would you have done in my position? I wanted to save her. The keepers know what to do to save her, but they won’t help me. That is why I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

   “You know that is not allowed Del. You very well know that we cannot save her.”

   “Why not Jon?! Do you mean to tell me that I should have just let her die?”

   “Yes! Of course, that is a natural thing. It happens all around us people getting sick and passing away. That is the normal course of life. Why did you not just let it go?”

   “NO!! I would not just let it go!” Randell said, Anger in his voice. “Especially when I know for myself I can do something. That I have the power, the means to save her.” He stopped and looked away, sadness showing on his face. “All my years with the keepers, I don’t agree with some of their rules, they are bringing humanity down. There is so much potential, but their rules are keeping them achieving great glory and advancement, we could more than this, more than humans. We could be immortals”

    “We are not monsters, Del. We are humans, we have limits. As we have been created that way. We are born, we experience love, hate, sorrow, and sadness. For us to savor all this emotion, all these feelings. As we have a beginning so we should have endings.” He said.

   “No Jon, who decides this? We should freely decide if we need to have an ending or live forever.”

   Jon Stood silent clutching the book. “I don’t know what else to say to you, Del, you should not have come back.”

   Randell ignored him, “I met them, Jon, I met the Antediluvians.” He said. A hint of seriousness in his voice. “They thought me a lot of things, they showed me how to unleash my potential, to be more than a human. And here I am, look at all things, and knowing that I have learned and acquired from them, I became strong. Stronger than anyone, even the keepers, I defeated Shar and Gus. And now even you.” He said pointing to him. “The Great Jonathan Pogromca can’t even stand against to stop me.” He smirked. “That is why I am giving you another chance Jon, join me. What adventures and conquest we could have this time. Just like the good old days Jon, c’mon what do you say? Come to your senses man. Leave the keepers.”

   “You already know the answer, Del. I was hoping that you, would come to your senses.”

   “I guess you leave me no choice.”

   “I Guess not del.”

   Clutching the book in his left arm, he lifted his right arm over his left shoulder. A light spark from his shoulder, from it he pulled down his arm now armed with a sword. He lounged forward his sword above him bringing it down to Randell's head. CLANG!! Randell blocked the sword, both his hands crossed above him showing metal gauntlets now covering his hands up to his elbow, with spikes protruding on it.

    Randell shoved his sword back, stepped forward, and throw a right punch. Jon parried it with his sword. Randell throws consecutive punches. Jon keeps on parrying them. Metal on metal sounded. Randell kept sending a flurry of blows not letting Jon an inch to make an attack, Jon not letting a single blow through.

    Still Clutching the book in his left hand, Jon continued to parry Randell's punches with his right. Punches from the sides, and straight jabs, feeling all the blows on his arm and shoulder as metal to metal clash against each other, fending off strikes, blows after blows. Randell kept on pushing, and Jonathan slowly stepping back.

     “You cannot keep this up, Jon,” Randell shouted. Still letting fly punches after punches at him, sparks fly in front of them, as the two-combatant kept fighting not letting each one gains the upper ground.

     Jon notices that Randell is getting faster on his punches, blows that he is blocking and parrying are getting heavier, he cannot get any chance at all to swing a single slash. He dodged an uppercut. Randell saw the opportunity pulled his right hand back, then with all his might throws it forward to the ground at him. He jumped back, Randell hits the ground hard where he was standing. The air recoil from his punch hits him, he blocks it with both his arms, crossed in front of him, he stood both his feet firmly on the ground. The air becomes sharp as claws and slashed at him while he blocked.

    “Ahhh!” He screamed as he was slashed all around his arms and body.

    He stood to his feet gathering his footing, gasping. He dropped his sword, his hands reached to his pockets. Pulled out a hand-sized knife. He knows that cannot match him at all, there is only one other way, Jon thought to himself.

    “There he is! that’s is the Jonathan Pogromca that I know. Courageous, brave, and unwavering. Will not accept defeat, even when the odds are against him.” Randell said to him smiling, “Heroic till the end eh, Jon. What are you going to do now?”

    “There is one thing that you are mistaken, Del.,” He said clutching firmly the small knife in his fist.

    “And what is that?”

    “You think that my father is dead.” He lifted the book in front of him. Randell stares at it, curious at what he is planning.

    “Well, he is not.” He flicked the knife in front of him slashed the Seal that is holding the book close. The book opened in front of him, He chanted as the pages of the book swirl in front of him. He finished chanting “You still underestimated me, old friend. It’s their time now! I guess I trust everything to them now.”

    “What?! you would not dare Jon? No!!!”

   

    ------------------------------

    He waived at Zeke and joe as they appear around the bend. Zac and Emma were out of the woods five minutes ago and now they are waiting for the other two boys, at the meeting place that they agreed upon, just outside Darkshine woods. “I guess the plan was a success. Yeah!” he said to Emma. “You owe me one, Ems.”

    “I don’t owe you nothing, it’s both you and Zeke’s fault that we are in this mess in the first place,” Emma said, flustered.

    “Well at least no one got hurt, I at least earn a thank you for that.” He said trying to appease Emma’s anger.

    She was weirdly quiet the whole time, until now, ever since they escaped Russ and went out of the woods. Zac thought that Emma is probably in shock of the whole dilemma, and he just let her stay silent, just wondering what’s running through her mind. To add more, strangely enough, on the corner of eyesight, he frequently caught Emma staring at him. This made him uncomfortable and just decided to avoid eye contact altogether. He just pretends not to notice her staring at him. Must be something on his face or something, there is no time for that now.

   Their Mom is already texting him, and he replied that they are fine and on the way home, just a little sidetrack, he explained in his text to his mom.

    Zeke and joe arrived, both boys gasping, out of breath from all that running in the woods.

    “Th-that’s e-nough a-adventure for me for the d-day, Zac. You owe me big time for this.” Zeke said, catching his breath.

    “Why would I owe you? how is this my fault? You were the one who accidentally dumped the jug on Rick back at school earlier.” He said.

    “We a-already g-got away with that though,” Zeke replied still gasping for air. He Stands up straight trying to gather himself. “Besides, Rick would not have taken her hostage if you do not have a secret c…….” Zeke catches himself midsentence, he saw Emma standing beside Zac looking straight at him.

    Zac wide-eyed at him, getting angrier.

    “Oh, Hey Emma. I forgot you were there. You know, I’m out of oxygen and all.” Zeke catches himself, trying to change the subject

    “Secret what?” Emma said in surprise, waiting for Zeke to finish his sentence. She looked to Zac hoping for him to tell her more.

    “Secret… uhhh… Secret… secret gift to you. Yeah, that’s it. You know it’s almost your birthday.” Zac said trying to find some excuse.

    “My birthday is not for two more months.”

    “Yeah! you’re right, and you know. It’s better to be prepared than forget about it right. It’s a big secret.” He said, giving Zeke a -I’m gonna kill you look- later. “Oh! look at the time, almost nine o’clock. Mom is gonna kill me and joe, so let's go on our way then. Hehe.” He said as he pulled joe beside him, trying to escape the uncomfortable conversation.

   “Oh yeah your right,” Zeke said pulling out his phone looking at the clock. “but we are on the other side of town aren’t we.”

   “We better start walking then.” He said, walking ahead with joe as he pulled his little brother beside him.

   Zeke shrugged his shoulder as Emma looked at him. “Well, hehe. Let’s get a move on then.”

   Four of them started walking down the side of the road, Zeke caught up to him and walked beside him. “So, what happened to you guys, back there?”

   “Nothing, we escape Russ that’s all,” He said trying to think if there is anything else that happened. He remembered carrying her close to him and staring are her beautiful blue eyes back in Rick’s car. However, they were in danger during that time so he did not pay too much attention to it. That suck’s as he just thought about it now.

   “Yeah, nothing happened, let’s just go home.” He said bowing his head down, kind of disappointed that he was not paying attention at all.

   “Hey Zac, that is the burrow down right.” He said pointing ahead to where they are headed.

   “Yes, why?”

   “We barely get to go there, ever,” Zeke said to him.

   “I know, so what?”

   “Well, you know the stories about this place, right?”

   “Yeah, you mean you believe that weird mumbo jumbo stuff, with magic and voodoo witchcraft and all? OOOhhhh, gghhooosst.” He said smiling, lifting both hands mimicking a ghost, trying to scare Zeke. “Hehe. Besides I got a cousin in these parts, stop being such a scaredy-cat.”

   “I’m not scared, I’m just saying that it’s already late and if somehow we can take another shortcut or something,” Zeke said looking nervous.

   “There is no shortcut Zeke unless you want to go back to the woods.”

   Zeke looked over his shoulders in the direction of the woods. “Nah, I’m good.”

   They entered Burrow Down, they walked through an arch saying “Welc me to Burrow do n.” some letters missing on the sign overhead. Burrow down is not unlike their neighborhood even though it is still part of Crowsdale, it lies on the far eastern edge of their town. The place is less traveled, and people often avoid going there as much as possible. The streets are not very clean and some trash or paper can be seen here and there just loitering on the ground, some streetlamps have no light at all, which made Burrow down much darker than the other part of Crowsdale. Houses here are pretty shabby compared to their own houses. Some houses have boarded-up windows, chipped paint, and concrete. Other houses even have walls that are crawling with ivy and thick shrubs, as if the owner did not bother to trim it at all. When they were kids they heard mystery stories, some of witchcraft and old voodoo that usually scare them from going too near the place. Zac on the other hand has gone here a couple of times already, and he is already familiar with the place. Most of the time he is with his parents and brothers, visiting their aunt Marge and her daughter, his cousin Jill. This is the first time he was visiting the place only with his younger brother Joe and his friends.

   The streets are empty at this hour, they cannot see anybody outside of their houses, windows and doors are closed, there are a few lights on some windows but they cannot see or hear any people inside. Eerily only the four of them are walking down the streets. Emma walked closely beside him feeling nervous, their shoulders almost touching each other.

   “Hey Zac, isn’t it that way to Aunt marge’s house?” Joe said, pointing to a street on their left.

   “Yeah joe, but we don’t have time to pass by and say hello to aunt marge, maybe some other time, it’s already nine o’clock and mom is already furiously texting me.”

   They continued walking the silent streets. Up ahead they saw a person standing on the corner of a street in front of them.

   As they walk closer, Zac sees a familiar face “Hey joe, isn’t that Jill?”

   “Who’s Jill?” Zeke said.

   “Our cousin Jill, I mentioned her a couple of times, however, you are too busy to pay attention.” He said to Zeke, as they went closer to Jill ahead.

   Jill approached the group. “Hey Jill, it’s been a while, it’s me Zac, and here is joe.” He said, pointing at his brother beside him. “Do you remember us?”

   “Yes, I remember.” She replied, “I’m here to fetch you guys, you better hurry up, let’s go.” She said.

   “What how did you know where here?” He said.

   “Your Mom texted me.”

   “How did she know? I did not tell her that we are here at Burrow down.”

   “There is no time to explain, let’s just get you boys home right now,” Jill said sounding bossy, even though Jill is practically the same age as Zac. Together all five of them walked the street of Burrow down, heading home.