Krimson Mind: The Krimson Cycle Vol. 1

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Lincoln Center was considered by many Denver natives to be the pride and joy of the entire downtown area. The thirty story building's distinctive top was the subject of many a postcard and advertising layout. Nearly all of the thousands of people who lived and worked in Denver's downtown area knew the building, not only by its distinctive shape, but also by the nickname that it had been given. The Lincoln Center was also known as "The Cash Register Building", because its top resembled an old fashioned cash register.

Max knew exactly where this particular building was, despite the fact that he had only visited Denver Colorado one time. Just before he drove the Silver Bullet to Dodge City to meet up with Krimson, Max had spent the night in the Brown Palace. The Brown Palace was a historic, world-renowned hotel. Many notable faces had graced its rooms and lounges, including the Beetles, and many of the last twenty US Presidents. The Brown Palace also just happened to sit directly acrossed the street from the Lincoln Center.

James stared at the remarkably detailed map of downtown Denver in awe. The map had so much detail, that it showed the placement of trees that were planted along the sidewalk and the placement of trashcans and cigarette butt containers. James gave a low, impressed whistle.

"Getting to the building won't be much of a problem. But getting to the mirror is going to be the trick. We probably won't get within ten feet of the portal without permission. Not to mention, the Tribunal has a very complicated set of wards and barriers set up around the mirror." Max explained.

"So how do you suggest we get to the portal?" James asked.

"I'm still working on that one." Max reluctantly replied, "The portal is a circular mirror that is about thirty meters in diameter."

James gave another low whistle.

"It's the smaller of the two. Its bigger brother is hidden in the Smithsonian's basement in Washington DC. It stands sixty meters high, and that's not counting the three-meter wide ring of silver inlaid black marble that surrounds it." Max seemed to puff up his chest as he described the ancient portal.

"Okay, so we're still looking for a big fucking mirror. But none of that explains how we are going to get to the Tribunal's portal." James snapped. He was beginning to lose his patients. "Couldn't I just throw up a shield and walk through the wards?"

Max blinked hard at James. His words brought to mind a theory that he had wanted to test for some time. James's idea held a possible solution. But Max wasn't sure it was the correct solution.

"Follow me." Max said as he got up from the dining room table. "We are going to see what your shields are really made of.

Max and James went down to Krimson's workout room to conduct the experiment. Max had a long-standing theory about psychic energy versus magical energy. Max wanted to see if James could produce a barrier that was strong enough to resist the wards that he was certain the Tribunal had set up around the portal.

Max pushed Igor into the center of the room and began to surround it with every single ward, barrier, and protection spell that he could think of. When it was all done, there were some 187 different spells surrounding the training dummy.

"All right. All you have to do is touch Igor." Max instructed James as he backed away to the far side of the room.

"You doing that doesn't give me a shred of confidence." James replied sourly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Please believe me when I say that it isn't your abilities that worry me." Max said with an uneasy grin. "Some of those spells that I just cast are quite violent when they activate. Well over half of them will kill. The rest will only maim you or leave you completely insane." Max explained proudly.

"Oh, yeah. That didn't help me any either!" James growled.

"We really don't have a lot of time." Max laughed nervously, "So whenever you think you're ready."

James let his head fall forward until his chin rested against his chest. Max looked on in fascination as a sphere of iridescent silvery-blue appeared around James. The sphere slowly became more solid looking. It lost its blue color and became completely silver. If James was still inside, Max couldn't tell because he could no longer see him. Max looked at James's shield and was reminded of a Giant Pinball.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Max whispered.

James the giant pinball moved forward slowly. Max cringed, waiting for one of the spells to activate. But none did. The sphere kept going on in complete silence. Max forced himself to release a lung-full of air he didn't realize that he had been holding. He watched as the sphere touched Igor. Still nothing happened.

"What the fuck? Can this really be true?" Max whispered as he stared in absolute disbelief as the sphere cleared the other half of the enchanted minefield without setting off so much as a puff of smoke.

The sphere faded away revealing James holding Igor like a new bride.

"Oh, yeah. That was deadly. You might even call it mind blowing." Sarcasm dripped from James's words. "Yeah, right!"

Before Max could stop him, James chucked Igor towards the circle of magic deterrents that Max had lain out. What resulted was nothing short of absolute chaos. Several deafening explosions filled the room with granite melting heat and eyeball rupturing light. Both men barely had enough time to erect defensive shields against the assault.

Bolts of hot blue lighting lanced out and relentlessly stabbed at their defenses. Max's shield took a few hits, then flickered and died. Max had weakened himself by casting so many spells all at once. James rushed over and enveloped Max as he collapsed to his knees. Max found himself in complete awe as he watched the lightning bounce off of the shield James had erected. A myriad of loud, piercing noises assaulted their ears. James quickly adjusted his energy sphere until the sounds were no louder than harsh whispers.

"I see it, but I don't believe it." Max said as he slowly got to his feet.

Bright flashes of light and heat started as the eardrum rupturing orchestra of noise faded away. Max knew with absolute certainty that if James's shield failed, their flesh would be flash-fried off their bones. But James just stood there, looking out at the magical devastation with a look of horror on his face. It was at that moment that Max knew his theory had been proven beyond a doubt.

"If a psychic is powerful enough, they can be immune to magical workings." Max whispered happily.

When the last of the magical flash-bangs went off, they looked through the smoke at poor Igor. Igor, who had no psychic abilities what so ever, was as dead as he possibly could be. The stand that served as his legs was melted into a red-hot puddle that was scorching the wooden floor. All eight of his arms were completely destroyed. The upper two-thirds of his faceless head were missing, and the rest of it was charred to a blackened crisp. His torso had more holes though it than ten pounds of Swiss cheese. Most of the vinyl skin looked as though it had been ripped away, revealing the solid iron bars of his "rib cage". The gel-like substance that served as Igor's internal organs was leaking on the floor in a boiling puddle.

"If you can get us past the wards, then I can get us to the portal." Max told James.

"Then we should go." James replied.

James stared at Igor's remains as Max recited the incantation that would send them both to Denver, and hopefully onto Scholomace.