Book 4 | Agent 34 and the Last Gem

Chapter 24 | New Henchmen

Deathbringer and Sarah were both thrown onto the ground of the giant throne room with a thump, both of them landing on their behinds.

"I got 'em, Lord Braunick!" The giant skeleton called out into the darkness.

The lights flickered on in the room, bringing the dark and creepy place to only slightly dark and still creepy. A strange figure floated at the end of the room, the only colors of it were black and white. The creature slowly hovered over towards them, it's glowing eyes glaring down upon them before going out of flight and it's feet plopping against the stone floor.

The creature spun around quickly and it then stopped, revealing it's true identity to them both. It was Lord Braunick.

"Braunick?" Deathbringer asked, dumbfounded about that new form of power he possessed.

"Hello, Laio," Braunick smiled. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Laio?" Sarah asked.

"Who's she," Braunick asked, looking up at the giant skeleton. "I thought I only asked for the one,"

"She wanted to come with," Sir Paor shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm Sarah," The mother told the all powerful ruler. "Don't worry, I'm evil too!"

Braunick raised an eyebrow and quickly entered her mind. He discovered corrupted memories that had been altered from the original to make it look bad. She looked like a wannabe evil-doer to him, but shrugged anyways.

"Laio," Braunick said, flying back into the air. "It's been a while since we overthrew the old lord of Renya, correct?"

"Yes," Deathbringer responded, pulling back his red hood and revealing his face for once.

"We haven't worked as partners in a long time, have we?"

"I don't recall, except for the spy thing," Deathbringer said, looking down.

"Yes, but you decided to do that on your own," Braunick said. "Now that I am in control of like, all of Renya and the rest of the world if I ever do please, I need some help keeping track of it all,"

"What do you propose?" Laio asked.

"I have a role that needs filled," Braunick said. He glanced over at Sarah who sat beside Deathbringer. "Two, I guess,"

"Basically, there's just one gem I don't have a hold of yet," He explained, placing his hands behind his black cape. "And I know the general area it's in. All I want you to do is just monitor that area and make sure no one goes in it. Got it?"

"What area, may I ask?" Laio asked.

"I know that it is somewhere at the north half of Renya," Braunick said. "I'll give you an extensive amount of my Black Magic and let you guys patrol the northern part of Renya. One will get the left side and the other gets the right. Anyone you see, you kill them. As simple as that. Once I find that last gem, then you're free to do whatever you please,"

"Deal!" Sarah exclaimed. She had her mind set on that answer once she heard "Black Magic" in the deal.

"I'd love to work with you again, Braunick," Deathbringer smiled evilly. He stood up, Sarah following in pursuit.

Braunick extended his hand to both of them, Laio shaking it first and then Sarah following.

"I will now grant you some Black Magic to use at will," The evil king stated, backing up a little.

"Why can't you just give us a gem or two?" Sarah asked, begging for power.

"I did to my last two henchmen," Braunick explained. "You ever heard of Vrängr and Agent X, or as X was most commonly known as, Ismara?"

Sarah immediately shook her head and Deathbringer thought for a minute. "I heard both names passed around the Zena quite a bit when I was a spy,"

"Yes, both betrayed me and tried to steal my gems. I cannot trust anyone anymore with my gems, not even someone like you," He said.

"I know, I'm very trustworthy but alas, you cannot spare me one of those precious gems," Sarah dramatically said.

Braunick rolled his eyes quickly and flew back up into flight. He raised both arms above his heads and a ball of darkness appeared in the shape of a small flame, expanding until it was a sphere the size of his head. The king threw it down on Laio, the sphere of black erupting around him and shattering the ground. The shards then flew up and shot at the cloaked man, disappearing into his skin. Each left small stains of gray trickled around his body, slowly fading away and leaving small scars.

Deathbringer felt instant power. He opened and closed his pain, a different feeling being given with each muscle movement.

"Now, Sarah," Braunick said, raising his arms again.

The woman smiled and put her hands on her waist as she waited for immense power to be given to her.

Another small flame appeared between both hands that Braunick had raised above his head. It grew to a sphere the size of his head once again and threw it down on the mother, pushing his backwards a little bit in flight.

Sarah fell to the ground as the darkness crashed around her. The shards fell to the ground and went immediately back up in the air and shot into her body. Sarah screamed as the darkness engulfed her and they left small gray patches along her skin. However, this time they didn't disappear. The grey patches grew until it completely covered her body and Sarah was now as gray as Calvin.

Braunick dropped to the ground and went out of flight. The floating island shook a little, shifting out of the air and back into it.

"What was that?" Deathbringer asked.

"Black Magic holds up this island," Braunick explained. "Give me a minute to regain some strength and the island will go back to its previous position,"

"Why is my skin gray?" Sarah exclaimed, looking at her body in awe.

"Ah," Braunick said. "You've never handled Black Magic before, correct? When an amount of Black Magic that big enters your system for the first time it'll leave a mark for a bit. It'll fade, don't worry,"

"I look like Calvin now," Sarah pouted, crossing her arms.

"Calvin?" Braunick asked, confused.

"Just some kid we've been after for some time," Laio stated.

"Ah," The king said. "Where was he when you last saw him?"

"On a boat on his way to the Island of Death," Sarah explained.

"So," The king said, turning to Sir Paor. "Go to the Zena and find the gray human. Bring him to me,"

"Let me have the honor of killing him!" Deathbringer shouted.

"I'm not killing him," Braunick said. "He is obviously much stronger than you if he has been able to evade you both. I have a better idea," His smirk widened as the giant skeleton took off into the air and went towards Calvin was.