Desiree The Half Elf Princess Warrior: Keeper of the Rune

SIGNS & WONDERS

CHAPTER ONE

The metropolis of Ember Falls is home to humans and nonhumans alike, living amongst each other in secrecy and in plain sight. This city wasn't built in convert by action, as it has a cultural history, of great importance to the citizens of Ember Falls, and its continuing sucess. Ember Falls looked graceful with its glossy oak wood rooftops, golden brick walls and the native bird species, the striving city that had an inviting atmosphere. The main attraction was the Silverbourne Musuem, built over a century ago and designed by a powerful wizard who went by the name of Aldus Silverbourne. Though, it was in the wee hours of the morning there was barely a soul awake. Looks can be deceiving. Somewhere in the renowned building showed sign of life. Enter, security guard, Jeffrey Peters and his elderly partner, Gorden Curham were amist of their regular routine of watching over and patroling the grounds of the confines of the historic edifice and its uncanny and precious contents that were inside. As usual, things were quiet and uneventful at the moment. Whereas, Gordon, whose lengthy employment in the establishment had spanned for more than two dozen or so years under his belt, on the other hand, Jeffrey was younger, in his early twenties and recently acquired employment there for the sole purpose of funding his college tuition, and due to the fact that he was well aquainted with the owner of the property as far back as he could remember. A tattoo of a lion's paw was proudly engraved just below the young man's left eye. And although, it was unsightly to most employers, this particular gig didn't cause any problems with his current employer. The well-known gallery was home to an enormous collection of the strangest and racest artifacts Jeffrey had ever laid eyes upon. Never in his wildest dreams could he have had imagined the things he was looking at. His heart nearly skipped a beat, gawking at all the unique inventory neatly placed all around him. Somebody pinch me now, because I have gone to heaven, he thought. According to Gordon, although it was renowned for its roster of items that were in a class all to themselves, the establishment had at no time whatsoever been broken into and robbed, which suited Jeffrey just fine. Ideally, he fancied the quietness of the graveyard shift, more so than the ceaseless noise and chatter that accompanied the daylight hours. To Jeffrey he considered it a gold mine; furnished with exquite paintings of unknown origin, elegant carved statues of figures beyond his comprehension, extravagant ornaments from a time period he never read about in history class, and other rare items from distance lands that only been from places in a dream somehow. What's more, he felt in his element; the darkness was his true mistress, and he wouldn't surrender his intimate embrace. Jeffrey had a hunch the unfamiliar pieces could be worth millions on the black market scene. So how come nobody has ever tried to rob the place? After all, the valuable commodities had to be enticing for even the common street thug. If truth be told, he too, on more than one occasion had an inkling of swiping one or more of the invaluable artifacts on display. What's the harm of merely taking just one thing? No one would even notice, he surmised. One particular thing caught his attention for a while now; a magnificent stone sarcophagus with several tiny, cobalt blue gems embedded into the hard surface of the superbly crafted coffin. Intricate and strange symbols were inscribed within the side of the casket. He wondered whether or not there was a body that laid inside the box or if perhaps it was empty. Either way, he was curious to know what was inside. On second thought, a small part of Jeffrey wanted nothing to do with stealing it, giving that he needed the gig, and he wasn't going to tempt fate by feeding into his greed. I would rather earn my keep than to swindle a family friend, he thought. Additionally, rumor has it that the primary reason no one was foolish enough burglarize the museum was because of its owner, who was a wealthy business owner and an alleged wizard. By all means, Aldus Silverbourne was protecting the site with an array of protective spells, booby traps and other unorthodox forms of magical enchantments. Suffice to say, Jeffrey didn't put much stock in rumors, seeing as he didn't beieve in such nonsense. "There's no such thing as magic,' he told Gordon, recalling his first day on the job after he had been informed by the old man himself of the incredulous tale. "Jeff," do you copy?" a male voice crackled from the walkie-talkie fastened to his waistband. The young man grabbed a hold of the receiver, and spoke. "Copy that, Gordy, I hear you loud and clear. "Anything unusual to report?" Jeffrey answered back. "Nothing yet, but I'm almost done with my security sweep. See you in a few, copy." "I'll be here when you get back," Jeff countered. "Another dull night as usual." "Yeah, for once I would like to see some action." "Be careful what you wish for, it may very well bit you in the butt." Gordon chuckled. "You got that right, kid. See you on the other side. Gordon out." The sound of tires squealing split the night twain, intercepting Jeff from responding. His ears perked up, straining to hear where the noise was coming from, which seemed to get closer as a set of headlights from a black hearse emerged from out of nowhere, speeding up the driveway before coming to a screeching halt, illuminating the security booth. Who...? Jeffrey thought, staring at the newly arrived vehicle. The windows were all tinted so that he couldn't the occupants inside. "Gordy. Gordy. D-D-Do you read me?" Jeff said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I-I think you need to get over here, pronto. W-we got a problem." "Slow down, Jeff. What seems to be the problem?" Jeffrey let out a deep breath and then he replied. "Did we get notification about a hearse coming here tonight?" For a brief moment, Jeffrey's queried was met with silence from the other end of the handset. "Don't go anywhere, Jeff. Whatever you do stay where you are. Don't approach the vehicle. I repeat, don't approach the vehicle. I got this under control. Do you understand?" Whoa. What does he mean by that? Jeffrey thought. His eyes narrowed in curiosity. He stepped out the booth, and timidly walked towards the conveyance. A lump formed in his throat. Just as he reached the vehicle, the rear doors opened, where a pair of legs extending out from the ajar door. It was a woman. She exited first, followed by a pair of male figures; each exiting from each side of the Hearst. One of the men detached himself from the pair and rounded the Hearst, snapping his fingers in the direction of the driver. Immediately, the back hatch opened up. The man reached inside the trunk and with the strength at least two men he effortlessly dragged a figure out. The person had a rag over their head. Jeffrey's heart felt like it had hit rock bottom at the sight of the unidentified trio and their lone captive. "Celie, darling, are you certain this is the place?" The male nearest to her asked. Tall and willowy, Celeste Blackhorn had stunning green eyes, a dark complexion, and curly , uncut platinum blonde hair. She was dressed in a black, mid-length corset vest and matching short skirt. A pair of black vintage shoes completed the vampiress' alluring wardrobe while a pair of silver earrings hung from her ears. "Yeah, Zeke," my pet," Celeste said, charmingly. She turned to face Zachariah and rested both hands upon his shoulders. "The sarcophagus arrived here yesterday. Would I lie to you?" Zachariah gleamed in triumph. He rubbed his hands greedily. "Well then," he said, delight ringing warm in his voice. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we? The sooner this is finish, the better it is for all of us when we finally get paid for our services." Celeste wetted her lips. "I agree. Be that as it may. We still have this little issue with the protective charms and whatnot, thanks to our good friend here, Aldus." Zachariah smirked, revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth that gleamed menacingly in the moonlight. "Oh, I do believe that won't be a problem that can't be fixed, isn't that right, Aldus?" Beneath the sack, the sound of incoherent mumbling was heard. Jeffrey had a suspicion that the owner of the museum was the person the trio had behind the sack. Zachariah pressed his ears to the bag. "What was that, old man? I believe he has something to say." To the nameless third individual. "Sal, would you mind doing the honors. It's time to hear what the old geezer has to say for a change." The man named Salvatore Nicholas smiled. "I thought you'd never ask." To Aldus. "Here that, old man. Time to let the cat out of the bag. You're up. You have work to do." He cast aside the bag from the wizard's head. The museum owner's ordeal wasn't over yet. He had a dirty rag in his mouth. Jeffrey's heart sunk. He leered at the trio with revenge on his mind. Aldus briefly locked eyes with the young man as if imploring him for help. How could they do this? There are laws against this sort of thing, he thought. Celeste snatched the cloth out of his mouth. He gasped for air as if it were the first time he could breathe. He felt like he would hack up a lung. Aldus had an olive complexion, wavy graying black hair , whch he normally fashioned in a short ponytail, but it was currently in a mess, his dark brown eyes appeared to be glazed over. He was of average height and of average weight. The museum owner was wearing a pair of short boots and a suit with a long coat worn over it. The outfit appeared to have seen better days as it was soiled and shredded in different sections. "What the hell are you doing? Don't you know kidnapping a crime?" Jeffrey said. "He is an elderly man. This isn't right. Let him go." "Oh, where'd you come from? I didn't know we were expecting company. Did you my dear, Zeke?" Zarariah shook his head. "Nah. But, he's just what the chef ordered. I'm due for a snack. Anybody else hungry for a late night meal. this time, it's on me." Jeffrey frozed on the spot as if he was trapped within a block of solid ice. He started to think that he was surrounded by a trio of cannibals. And he happened to be the entree. "Go, Jeffrey!" Aldus oirdered, regaining his composure. "Get help." "Not yet," Zachariah echoed. "Once we wrap this up with Aldie, you are next in line, boy. I don't wish to order my dinner on the go." With those words, Jeffrey' found himself unable to move once again. He couldn't muster a single body part to budge an inch. What gives? What's the meaning of this? Why can't I move? he thought. "Y-Y-You don't know what you're doing," Aldus said, his eyes misted with tears. "I-If she's freed there's no telling the damage she'll cause to this world. Millions will die! You can't do this. I forbid you." "Forbid me. You're in no shape to forbid anything. So save it, old man," Salvatore said, uncaringly. His hazel eyes glistened brightly beneath the starlit firmament. "We have had enough of your yapping. It's time to get our money's worth. So less talk, and more action." "No. I will not be a part of this. I won't be responsible for countless deaths. It's insanity," Aldus tossed back, desperately. "We're all are going to die, you here me. No one will be safe." Zachariah clicked his teeth together repeatedly. "Come now, Aldus. Why are you being this way? Don't make things harder than they need to be. You can be cooperative with us or we can force you to comply. Either way, you're going to do what we want." "No. No. I won't do it. You going to have to kill me before I help you, Zachariah. Any of you." "So sad, oh, so sad," Celeste said, rounding the defiant wizard, she stuck out her tongue and licked his face. "Is that how you treat a friend? And just think, Aldus, I was starting to grow fond of you. I feel deeply disappointed by your uncooperation." "We are not friends, Celeste. I'm disappointed in you. Alliging yourself with these two. What would your mother say?" he tossed back. "My moth---," Celeste began, a tear stole her cheek. Her voice was laden with emotion. She paused for a brief moment until she was able to regain her composure at last. "My mother?" she added, jabbing a finger into the face of Aldus. "She can't say anything because she's dead. You of all people should know this by now." Aldus nodded glumly. "Yes, she was an honorable woman. It's a pity it didn't rub off on you. she would be rolling in her grave, knowing how you have aligned yourself with these thugs." Celeste had had enough. She strutted up to the wizard and slapped him repeatedly in the face. She raised her hand one more time but Zachariah caught her hand in mid air. "What are you doing?" she snapped, her eyes welling once more with tears. "Let go of me!" "Enough!" Zachariah said decisively. "We don't have time for this. You'll get your chance to do as you please soon enough. In the meantime, we got a job to do. If it's alright with you sweet bug, I would much prefer to be done with this matter as soon as possible." "You're right, my love," Celeste said, agreeingly. "Let's finish what we came here for." "Well, with matter taken care of, where were we? Oh, yes, Aldus is going to get rid of the protective charm." "No. I told you I won't do it. You're making a huge mistake." Ignoring the pleading wizard, Zachariah reached in his pocket and came away with vile that had strange fluid within it. "You're gonna sing the blues, old chap. Thanks to our employer I brought something along a compelling potion just the thing for this type of situation." Fear registered in Aldus's eyes. He attempted to wiggle himself free to no avail. Salvatore's grip was impervious. He didn't stand a chance against the male vamp. "What's that?" Jeffrey asked at last, his eyes bulging from their sockets at the vial in Zachariah's hand. Whatever had kept him from moving seemed to have worn off. "It's a serum that'll make the drinker do whatever we want," Celeste said, joyfully, standing on tiptoes to appear taller. Salvatore patted the wizard on the back, causing him to just about fall onto the ground. "You here that, Aldus? Soon you won't have no other choice but to do what we want, and there's nothing you can do to stop us." "Kill me if you must, but I promise you, the new Runekeeper will make sure your goddess is defeated in the end. She will fail, and in her failure, will the Runekeeper be victorious." The wizard's words invoked a reaction from all three individuals. But before they could formulate a retort the figure of Gordon had converge upon the scene. His gaze wondering all around as if he was unaffected by what was transpiring before his very eyes. Jeffrey's mind was a total blink. It was Aldus opportunity to get the upper hand. For the first time, he smiled to himself at the fact that the mere mention of the name Runekeeper had provoke such a negative reaction. It was as if the trio were rendered speechless of his unexpected declaration. And, yet it was only fleeting, for Zarchariah was the first to come out his paralysis. "Buttoms up," he said, laughing menacingly. He poured the liquid down the wizard's mouth who tried fruitlessly of spitting out the elixir. Celeste and Salvatore erupted into laugher. In Jeffrey's mind, whatever this Runekeeper was, it had momentarilty put the fear in the trio hearts, and yet, he didn't find the foul treatment they were doing to Albus amusing at all to say the least But his heart was crumbling for his employer. What would happen to him, next, he pondered. Aldus let out a whimper. He squirmed and kicked frantically in an attempt to free himself. Yet, he was far to weak, and lacking his wand, he stood no chance against the collective might of his adversaries. He looked at Jeffrey with appeal in his eyes, but he knew the young man was powerless to help him. Strangely enough, he should've known Gordon had betrayed him long ago. He was not surprise at all that his long time employee had been in league with his enemies. How long has he been consorting with the scum of the world? If you lay with dogs you wake up with fleas, he thought. At once, the potion had instaneously taken affect, faster than even the wizard realized. He sensed himself being wrench from his body. His vision blurrred. He felt his mind was swimming out of control, tumbling towards a dark, inescapable abyss that may very well be his last. He fought with everything he could muster. It was an useless endeavor. With the last of his strength spent, he surrendered to the unrelenting darkness that awaited him. The last thing he thought before his mind went blink was of his family, and whether he would ever see them again or not. And then, everything went dark. Whatever remained of Aldus was nothing more than mindless and empty shell of his former self. Unblinkingly, the museum owner stared endlessly at his captors, as if he was seeing beyond them, not knowing who he was or what lied ahead for him. Celeste waved her hand back and forth in his face just to make sure the elixir had worked. True to form, his eye were motionless, no signs of life showed on his face. "Hello, anyone home?" she quered. Her answer came in the form of quite from the wizard. "Atta boy, Aldus," Zarchariah said, pleasingly. He shoved the wizard's wand into his chest. It was very lightly colored and carved with serpent scales. "Now do us a courtsey and cast off your protective spells." "Yes, master," he said, nonchalantly. "Your wish is my command." "No!" Jeffrey barked, frantically. He reached out to the wizard, but was forced back by Salvatore, whose outstretched hands had snatch his collar. "Don't listen to them, Aldus. This isn't you." The young man's words fell on death ears. Without hesitation, Aldus extended the wand away from his body, aiming it at the museum, and with the outstretched magical rod he executed three circulat patterns in the air. At once, he recited a foreign language, which ignited tiny specks of bright green energy from the wand. Before he could finish his alien incantation, a voice arosed out of the museum. "Everyone freeze! Put your hands up, nice and slow. No one has to get hurt." The voice came from Gordon, who had his gun drawn. Jeffrey's heart rejoiced. Despite the encouraging actions his partner was taking, he could tell that his partner's grip was shaky at best. He guessed that the old man, more than likely, this was the only moment he had used the firearm. "Everything's in order, officer," Celeste said, flashing an enticing smile. "Our dear old buddy, Aldus, here, was simply assisting us, that's all. We'll be out of your hair in no time." Gordon screwed up his eyes. "Is that true, Mr. Silverbourne? Are you really helping them?" Aldus didn't say a word. He remained unearthly still; his eyes staring unblinkingly, as if he could see beyond the older man at something that wasn't there.. The side of Gordon's mouth quirked upward, seemingly satisfied with the museum owner's oblivious state. He turned his attention to Jeffrey, leveling his gun at the young man instead. "What are you doing, Gordy?" he said, shockingly. He couldn't take it in. A thought occured to him. Was his older partner betraying him? "it's me, Gordy, It's Jeff." "You know what you must do," Zachariah said, addressing Gordon. "Kill him!" It was then that Jeffrey realized Gordon had indeed betrayed him and his employer, Aldus. Jeffrey's eyes widened; he was at a loss as he held up his hands with his palms out. Gordon hesitated, appearing rather unsure of what he should do. He tilted his head from side to side as indecision played havoc with his mind. Jeffrey could sense his partner's uncertainty. He had every reason to believe that now was the moment to talk him out of performing Zarchariah's cruel order. "Kill him!" Zarchariah repeated. "Kill him now. Do what you are told, or would you rather die in his stead. You can be easily replaced." "I'm sorry," Gordon mouthed to Jeffrey, who was fully aware he had to do something fast or he would meet his maker sooner than he had ever conceived. His mind raced, attemptng to understand Gordon's reason for alligning himself with these people. These same people who was making his boss do something aweful against his will. "Gordon...Gordy?" He began. "What's going on? You don't have to do this. There has to be another way. If you kill me you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life." Gordon's eyes softened. A mask of uneasiness wavered across his pale face. "I'm sorry, Jeff," he said, remorsefully. "You think I want to do this? I don't, but it's out of my hands. It's either you or me. I don't have a choice." Jeffrey shook her head. "No. That's not true. You always have a choice. Some choices are harder than others, but the decision is yours to make. In the end you're accountable for your own actions." Gordon looked over at Zachariah, who impatiently motioned him to pull the trigger. "I'm sorry, Jeff," Gordon added. Tears stole his cheek. "I'll let your family know your death wasn't in vain." "Please, Gordie," Jeff pleaded. "I don't want to die. This isn't you. Let's talk about this." Gordon ignored him. He fired his gun three time in succession. His male target lifted both hands up, shielding himself, but it was of no use. Jeffrey was struck in three different spot in his chest, knocking him off his feet. He collasped to ground, blood gushing from his perforated wounds. He laid there, gasping for air and coughing up blood. He knew he was a goner. His fellow worker, a friend to him during his brief time at the musuem, and now his was double-crossed by that same friend; his killer. Looking up, Jeffrey's eyes met Gordon's, as the older man stood over him. A hint of both compassion and remorse shown his pale countenance. He knelt down beside his fallen conrade, his firearm pointed directily at Jeffrey's skull. "What's happening, Gordie?" "You're dying son. Good news is that the pain and suffering you're feeling will be all over soon." Jeffrey erupted into another coughing fit.The last thing he remembered was the sound of a gunshot before everything went dark. His lifeless eyes stared back at Gordon, who placed his hands over them, and closed his eyes closed. "It's done, he's dead," Gordon said, softly, as he stared at Jeffrey's inert form. "You happy now? Isn't that what you wanted?" "Oh, don't be such a downer, Gordie," Celeste said. "It had to be done. We can't have any loose ends. That means, no witnesses. And besides, your actions today will get you into the good graces of the darkling one." "Well done, Gordon," Zarchariah said, patting the older man on the back. "For a moment there, it was touch and go. I thought you wasn't gonna pull the trigger, you sure proved me wrong." To Albus. "Continue my old friend. Let's get that protection spell down. We got money to collect." As Zachariah's words came to an end, absentmindedly, Aldus again raised his wand much in the same way as before, he began to chant words in a foreign dialect. At the same time, the invisible protection spell that safeguarded the museum was crumbling with each and every word the wizard was speaking. Zchariah looked on twiddling his thumbs in anticipation. There was a pomping soud, and then, there ripples in the air, around the building for a few seconds. "Is that all? Did it work? Tell me we didn't waste our time." Celeste spoke at last with a trace of angerger and nerves in her voice. "There's only one way to find out. Gordy, old pal, you're up." Gordon glaced around nerviously. His hand fluttered against the back of his neck as if he was reluctant to approached the entrance to the museum. "What's the hold up, Gordy. Chop. Chop. Get to it already. It's so hard to get help these days," Celeste barked, propping her hands upon her hips. Zarchariah shoved Gordon from behind. "She's right. Get a move on, boy. We don't have all night. You're in the limelight now. Time to pull your weight around here. It'll go a long way to you becoming one of us." Gordon closed his eyes, and took a long breath. He was well aware of the fact that he was at the point of no return. Having murdered Jeffery earlier, he had crossed a line that he didn't think he could ever come back from. He was a stone cold killer now, a fugitive from justice. There was no going back to the way things used to be. But before he could proceed any farther, he heard another popping sound, follow that instant by a flash of blinding white light that briefly lit up the entire museum. It last a mere few seconds as the building became dark once more. "What just happened? Where'd that light come from?" Salvatore asked. Zachariah didn't say a word. Instead, he took off in the direction of the museum with a lightning speed. Celeste folllowed him.Savatore grabbed a hold of Aldus with one hand and Gordon with the other, and made a mad dash towards the entrance with an uncanny swiftness in similar fashion as the other two. As he entered the building. He came to a standstill, tossing both men to the floor. Standing there, his eyes went wide in shock. Where the sarcaphogus was supposed to be position, it was no longer there. In its place was an empty space upon the floor. "This can't be! Who's responsible for this? The coffen was supposed to be here." He marched over to Gordon and grabbed him at the shirt collar. "You lied to me. You gave me your word the sarcaphogus was here. But I don't it. What game are you playing?" "I-i-it was here, I-I swear. I'm telling you...I'm telling the truth," Gordon breathed. "Then where is it?" "I don't---It could've been that light we saw. Maybe when Aldus cast down the protective barriors it gave the person or persons responsible a chance to swipe it at that precise moment. "He has a point, Zeke. How else does it explain what happened here. Someone knew we picked tonight to steal the coffin." Zachariah punched a fist into a nearby wall. "So it seems. Well, it back to the drawing board I guess." "What about Aldus?" Salvator asked. "He's of no use to us now. Kill him!" Zachariah ordered. Salvatore rested a hand upon the museum owner's shoulder. "Wll, Aldus, it was great ---" "No, not you Sal. Let old Gordy here, handle the dirty work on this one." To Gordon, he added. "Kill him." Salvatore gave the older man the middle finger. Gordon swallowed hard. How many more bodies is enough until they turn me? he thoght. As the three of them walked away, he pointed his firearm at the oblivious Aldus. He cocked it, pointing it at the museum owner.