Wings of Grace

Chapter 33

      Lara and her team were waiting back inside the castle courtyard. All of them were in a state of restlessness, impatient for the Deathbrone to be released and the day's impending nightmares to be over. They had grabbed all the necessary sacks filled with Threlu's concoctions and other essential equipment in preparation for the next part of the trial.

     As soon as the others arrived with the crystals; Operation Deathbrone would be put into action.

     Everyone had a fair inkling on what their role in this trial would be, and if all proceeded as planned, it should be over pretty quickly. But as this was the first time in history that the rules had been changed, both Ennar and Threlu were very wary of the Council's part in all of this. Since they created the rules in the first place, there was nothing to stop them changing them to suit their own agenda.

     "What in Hell.... Where did that come from?!" John shrieked, suddenly moving to one side, knocking into Strauss's brick wall of a body. John was too busy watching the ground around him to worry about anyone else. He unsheathed his sword and held it in front of him.

     "What's wrong with you?" Strauss looked apprehensively at John, feeling very agitated since they'd returned, to the point he was even questioning his own sanity for still being there.

    Strauss was struggling with his own judgement. A battle he knew he was losing fast. These mood swings were driving him mad. He felt like he needed a little me time for once. Why couldn't they show him just a little interest, for once?

     Anyone...? Anyone at all?

    Couldn't they see he was in agony. his rational ability to think and act was in tatters. After what he'd just gone through, a shudder passed through him just thinking about it, he just didn't know if he could trust his own instincts on what was real or not. Was he going crazy? He was in a dilemma here. And did anyone care?

     Everyone was watching his friend, doing who knows what. Strauss clenched his fists, his lips tightening.

     Trust John to demand all the attention, to make this all about him.

     With knees bent John was now taking large careful strides, slowly circling Strauss. Making strange head bobbing movements looking sporadically in all directions.

     As antagonised as he was, it hit Strauss that something wasn't quite right with John. Applying himself a little, he looked closer, eliminating the obvious with his powers of deduction.

     John Ignoring everyone... not unusual in the least.

     John mumbling and making strange noises... nothing out of the ordinary there.

     John's total concentration as he singularly focused on the ground he was pecking whilst walking around like a chicken... Now this was strange. John had the attention span of a goldfish.

     He stretched to his full six-foot, seven-inches...the tension quickly leaving his body.

     Strauss breathed a sigh of relief; he was not going insane at all.

    John was.

                              ******

     So...It has begun.

     Ennar, had been wondering how long it would take the Council.

     "They must have found the crystals and activated them." Ennar informed the worried group, who were captivated completely by John's strange movements. He flew above their heads, landing on Greno's shoulder. His parchment face looking very grave indeed as he saw the real terror start to unfold before his very eyes within John's vibration.