The Inferno Slayer: Book Two- Charm

TWELVE: The Ultra

The tree collapsed. With no dark magic binding it, it's extreme size could no longer be sustained by the water it took in. The tree began to shudder, and it cracked. The hemlock plants around Sam's parents and Irys released and they quickly stood up.

"Aryel, can you track where he headed?" asked Argon. "After all, it is your strong suit."

"No, his magic is much stronger than mine," sighed Aryel, her fingers dropping from her temple. "He hid it from us. I can tell he went northwest. That is it. I suppose I could pick up his trail whenever we get close."

"Good," said John. "We start tonight. If the dragon gets free, there will be no difference between hell and earth."

The tree began to fall.

"Hurry, let's get out of here!" yelled Sam over the crunching noise of bark splitting in half.

They quickly took cover in the trees to the west side of the clearing. The tree hit the ground, covering the entire expanse of clear forest with the trunk. The canopy of the branches stretched out as far as eye could see.

They returned to the hut. As soon as they crossed inside, Sam realized pressure had been building up in his ears. It had been the dragon, watching everything. He would have seen Flynn become untrustworthy.

There would be much more double-crossing.

As for Ray Stallion, Sam felt pity for his death. Unwillingly given, and monstrously taken. But Stallion had been an evil man, and his removal would help Riptide's rebirth, and even Origin itself.

They would leave in two hours. Sam went outside to clear his mind. He saw his godparents' graves. He headed to them.

The gravestones were made from the rocks of the coast where they had died. In the battle with the Inferno.

REST IN PEACE

TOBLERUS SMITH, GODFATHER OF SAMUEL ARGON

CARLSEN SMITH, GODMOTHER OF SAMUEL ARGON

Sam felt tears building in his eyes. Tears of sadness, but not of revenge. The criminals who killed them were long gone. He blinked them away and felt a hand on his shoulder. He tensed, but relaxed when he saw it was Irys.

"It's all right," she whispered soothingly. "It's all right to cry." Sam shook his head.

"I can't cry right now. Not when a diabolical demon is about to get loose."

Irys took her hand off his shoulder.

"I know what you mean. I couldn't sleep the night when my father was possessed. I couldn't sleep at all, until I killed him."

The silence was consuming.

"About the dragon, how did he get imprisoned? I mean, I remember from the memory, I had them too, that Polaris and Kayanne drove him away, but he wasn't captured," inquired Irys, her head tilted slightly with bewilderment.

Sam turned to look at her.

"I saw that too. Are you sure you don't know? It's one of my favorite childhood stories."

Irys shook her head.

Sam sat down on a small boulder. She did the same.

"Get comfortable. It's pretty long."

She nodded.

Then he began.

"There were six of them. Morgan Bourne, Arthur Merlin, Karl Clive, Cristian Brock, Nicolas Shelling, and Sebastian Stangmar. They called themselves the Ultra. Their leader, Morgan Bourne, was the only woman in the group. They practiced the art of magic, but not true magic. A magician's tricks and fakes. Puppets, picking locks, rabbits out of hats, etc. They were all liars, stealing money from the crowds and such. Tempting the devil to take them with him. Only Morgan kept her fair share, whatever she would have gained without deceiving the crowds, dividing the rest of her unfair gains to the others. Shelling disposed of his share, even more evil. He burned the money the people paid to watch him.