Elderquest: Book 2 (2021 Rewrite)

Chapter 3 - The Dark Manor

Moonlight drifted in through the windows in the lab, casting shadows across the white tile floor. My head felt like there was a ton of rock in it as the effects of the poison dissipated. Glancing around, I saw Drake on the table; the red swords were still aimed at my chest, resting on a hair trigger for one false move. The guards were still posted by the door, unfazed by the long wait. I felt my strength return, but I saved it, not knowing if another opportunity could present itself.

"Hey, Drake, you awake over there?" I asked, keeping my voice to a minimum. I started to slowly struggle, but I must've made a good bit of noise because the guards caught notice and quickly approached.

"Silence!" one of them said sharply, and raised his baton to hit me. Suddenly, his arm bent backwards, snapping in half. He screamed in pain as his arm dangled loosely by his side. I didn't see anything that could've caused it. Then, like out of thin air, the guards' legs snapped and buckled from underneath them. They both fell to the ground, somehow unable to make a sound as well. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him emerge from the shadows.

"Scotty?!" I said, surprised. He walked out of the corner of the room and looked at me with content happiness.

"Glad to see you're in one piece, buddy!" he said cheerfully, moving towards me. I quickly remembered Mengele's failsafe shards of light in front of me, but when I looked to them, they burst into tiny crystals and evaporated into the air. Almost like a dream, I saw Scotty's hands glowing the same colors that Mengele's previously had.

"How did you do that, Scotty?!" I asked, amazed. Scotty raised his hands, and they glowed a green color. I stared with amazement as he motioned his hands in mystical ways, releasing the restraints on Drake and I.

"You're just like him, then?" I asked him, trying to compose myself. Scotty fetched our clothes from a cabinet and tossed them to me.

"Not exactly. See, he was created with his powers. I had to study and experiment with the magic art until I finally unlocked their secrets," he explained, "I didn't always make stuff in the lab all day." He created a little glowing orb in his palms, slowly moving it back and forth.

We heard moaning behind us and turned to find Drake trying to recover what strength he had left. We rushed over, picking him up and setting him against a nearby counter. Together, we were able to close most of his injuries and get him dressed.

"I'm ok, really," Drake said as he tried to get to his feet. He managed to get up and walk around but had a slight limp to his stride.

"If you can walk, we need to find the others and get out of here. We also need to find our gear," I said. I looked for the nearest door. Eventually, I spotted one on the other side of the room. Finding it unlocked, we slowly pushed it open and made our way through a hallway.

"Stay here," I said to Scotty, "I'll go and look ahead and make sure it's safe."

I scanned the length of the hall, crouching along the wall to avoid being seen. Suddenly, two guards appeared from a nearby room. I quickly darted into a dark doorway, concealing myself as they passed, the radio chatter echoing through the rooms. They walked right by me and down another hallway. I let out a sigh and looked back towards our room. Signaling to Scotty, he helped Drake over to me.