Chapter 21 #2
“No, you won’t,” Lioness interjected. “You and Chad are too close. He’ll have one eye on the pirates and the other eye on you. We know he’s incredibly protective of you.”
“But—”
“No, Brianna!” Bas thumped the table in an unusual demonstration of authority.
“Lioness is right. All of our members have their specific skills and their parts to play. For instance, Sahara is our tech guru. She will monitor the Internet from here, looking for any unusual reports; Lioness is our remote viewer and will keep everyone on this side apprised of what is happening in the aether; Crystal is our sharpshooter, she is coming with us; Magda is a gifted herbal healer. She will be back here, right outside the portal to tend to the wounded.”
“Wounded? What are you expecting to happen? If Chad can freeze the Aether Pirates with a command, shouldn’t all of us be safe?”
“You never know, Brianna,” Joell said. “You haven’t been involved in some of our more dangerous fights, but the rest of us have learned to expect the unexpected.”
Brianna sighed. “All right. Well, let me know if I have to roll back and reset the whole damn thing.”
Chad squeezed her hand and smiled. “You have no idea how reassuring your do-over ability will be to all of us.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Lioness said, under her breath.
The preparations for the mission into the Aether were intense and meticulous.
Chad spent hours practicing his Word Warrior abilities under Dr. Emerson's watchful eye, honing his control and expanding the range of his commands.
Bas and the other witches worked tirelessly to create a stable portal, infusing it with protective enchantments.
As the day of the mission dawned, a tense atmosphere settled over the L.A.W.
mansion. Chad stood before a full-length mirror in his room, adjusting the specially designed suit that would protect him in the Aether.
It was a sleek, black material that seemed to absorb light, with faint runic symbols etched along the seams.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," he called.
Brianna entered, her face a mixture of worry and pride. "How are you feeling?"
“I don’t know. I’ve never been in this position before,” he answered honestly.
“From what I understand, none of us has. Even Bas hasn’t breached the Aether. I’ll admit to a bad case of nerves, myself.”
“I think this is one of those times I’ll have to compartmentalize my feelings and only pay attention to the mission.”
“That seems like a good strategy, as long as you listen to your intuition. Don’t cut off all feelings. Sometimes intuition is the Goddess speaking to you.”
He nodded. “My intuition is telling me to do something right now.”
“Oh? What is that?”
Chad swept her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply. When they finally broke apart, he whispered, “I think there’s some time before the mission to the Library of Congress. Do you want to avoid a regret, if we never get a chance to…”
“To what?”
“Enjoy each other completely.”
“Ah. You want to have sex.”
“No, Bri. I want to make love to you.”
Her smile wabbled. “You’d better come back from this mission. I want years of lovemaking, not just one quick fuck, so you can die with a smile on your face.”
“Bri! You know that’s not what I meant.”
Her gaze dropped to her feet. “I know. Please forgive me. I’m terrified for you, Mad-Hatterson.” She looked up at him, and a sad smile crossed her face.
“Honey…” What could he say? Her feelings were completely justified. All he could do was hold her and let her feel.
The night sky over Washington, D.C., crackled with otherworldly energy as an obvious leader and his Aether Pirates launched their assault on the Library of Congress. The air shimmered and stretched as reality itself was torn asunder, allowing the interdimensional marauders to pour through.
Bas stood inside the library, her emerald robes whipping in the unnatural wind, eyes blazing with determination. Behind her, the L.A.W. team fanned out in a defensive formation. Chad gripped Brianna's hand tightly before they separated to take their positions.
"Hold the line!" Bas shouted as the first wave of Aether Pirates materialized. They were grotesque creatures, their forms constantly shifting and warping as if struggling to maintain cohesion in our reality.
The air crackled with magic as both sides unleashed their defensive powers. “Who are you?” Chad demanded, using his word warrior voice. He and Emerson had practiced an initial script, and he hoped the enemy would conform to it. That was one way he’d know if his powers would work on these pirates.
“I am Damien, Captain of the Aether, and leader of the interdimensional worlds we’ve already conquered.
” Damien stood tall and imposing. His figure was cloaked in a dark shroud that seemed to swirl and shift with shadows.
His eyes were a piercing red, glowing in the darkness with an otherworldly intensity.
His body was muscular and strong, exuding an air of power and control.
A female warrior stepped up beside him and added, “I am Cassandra, first mate and quartermaster.” Cassandra’s form was strong and fit, her body clad in black armor that looked like leather in the dim light of the library.
She stood tall and proud, radiating confidence and strength.
Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight braid, revealing sharp features and piercing blue eyes.
“What do you want?” Chad demanded.
Damien's voice boomed, echoing unnaturally through the library. "The Codex Temporis will be ours, at last!”
“I’m afraid it’s no longer here,” Bas stated matter-of-factly.
Damien's eyes flashed with rage. "You lie! We can sense its power. It calls to us from within these walls."
Chad stepped forward, his voice resonating with power. "The Codex is beyond your reach. Leave this place now or face the consequences."
Cassandra laughed, a chilling sound that sent shivers down the spines of the L.A.W. team. "You think your words can stop us, young Word Warrior? We've torn through the fabric of your reality. Your pitiful commands are nothing to us."
Chad faltered for a moment, realizing his Word Warrior abilities might not be as effective against these interdimensional beings as he'd hoped. Joell, Crystal, and Victoria caught his eye from across the room, giving him a simultaneous, reassuring nod.
Bas raised her hands, green energy crackling between her fingers. "Enough talk. Leave now, or we’ll be forced to defend the library against you!"
The battle erupted in full force. Magical energy crackled through the air as the L.A.W. witches unleashed their powers against the invading Aether Pirates. Chad stood his ground, channeling every ounce of his Word Warrior abilities.
"Stop!" he commanded, his voice reverberating with power. To his shock and dismay, only a few of the lesser Aether Pirates seemed affected; some were moving slowly but not stopping completely. Damien and Cassandra appeared completely unaffected.
Damien's laughter boomed through the library. "Your words have no power over us, boy! We've evolved beyond such simple manipulations."
Chad gritted his teeth, realizing he'd have to get creative. He focused his intention, visualizing his words as physical barriers. "Walls of unbreakable force, rise up and contain our foes!" A shimmering barrier materialized between the two factions.
Damien countered, “Walls down! Let the games begin!” The barrier dropped as quickly as it had appeared. He advanced toward the other side.
“Walls up!” Chad’s word warrior voice shouted. The barrier reappeared, and Damien was forced to a halt.
“Walls down!” Damien shouted back, moving forward again.
Chad glanced behind him. The witches who had come with him were too close. He didn’t want to retreat and put them in any more danger. “Walls up!”
Before the wall was fully formed, Damien yelled, “Walls down, and you’re coming with me!” He reached out and grabbed Chad’s wrist, yanking him to his side. “Now, walls up!”
Both warriors disappeared.