Gabriel Elder book II of the Warlock Series

Anthony looked into his sister’s eyes for several minutes before he spoke.

“Are you really planning on staying here with Zeus?” he asked.

“As long as he will have me,” Jaida answered.

“But…but…what about…us?” Anthony responded.

“What you really mean is, ‘what about you?’ I love you brother, I always will, but I have known for many years there was no one on the planet I could love more than I do Zeus. I respected his marriage until his wife died. I respected his need for grieving and for distance after he lost his daughter. Now, it is time for he and I to have our moment together. You should be happy for me!

I can’t tell you what to do Anthony, nor would I. Only you can answer what is best for you. The one thing I know for sure is I am retiring from the American warlock corps effective immediately. I will not be returning to Chicago with you. I hope you can understand why I have to do this,” Jaida explained.

Anthony sat down on the edge of the bed. He was stunned. He had imagined a hundred different ways he and Jaida might not be together, but this was never one of them. What would he do?

As he sat there staring at the floor, Jaida kissed him on the forehead and headed back downstairs. She wanted to see Zeus and tell him her plan. With his blessing, she planned to file her resignation today and to contact the Canadian Cabinet Minister and ask for a visa. If she was going to stay in Canada, she might as well do it right.

As Anthony sat there contemplating his choices, Oz came floating into the room. As soon as the tiny man saw the look in the master warlock’s eyes, he knew what the younger man was going to do.

Anthony leaped off the bed and drove the palm of his right hand into the ancient man’s chest. Or, at least that’s what he tried to do. He didn’t intend to hurt the old man, but he had to find out how much of what they were telling him and Jaida was the truth. There had to be some sort of explanation as to why his sister thought the little man couldn’t be moved. There was no telling how old Oz was, but he was barely five-feet tall and couldn’t weigh much over a hundred pounds.

As his hand was about to strike Oz, he suddenly realized the little man was no longer in front of him. The force of his punch propelled him past where Oz had been just a fraction of a second before. Anthony turned quickly and found Oz was standing behind him on the other side of the bedroom. How could he move so fast?

Anthony slowly walked toward the ancient man and then set his feet to deliver another blow. This time Oz slowly closed his eyes and nodded. It was as if he were telling Anthony to go ahead and take his best shot! Was Oz insane? Well, if he was, he was about to regret it. Anthony was going to figure out what Oz was made of once and for all.

This time his blow struck the tiny man squarely in the chest. If Anthony had really used every ounce of his strength, he would now have a badly broken wrist. Even the years of training and preparation in strengthening his bones and muscles wouldn’t have saved him. He might as well have been punching a granite wall. Only the fact that, despite his wanting to prove something to Oz, he had pulled back just enough of his punch at the last minute to prevent serious injury to himself.

Oz simply stood there and smiled with his head slightly cocked to one side. Anthony would not yell out, but the pain in his right wrist was intense. Luckily, he was better with his left when it came to his swords so it would have little effect on his ability as a warlock. Still, what was this little man made of? He defied the very laws of physics.

“And you say Gabriel knocked you across the room and unconscious?” Anthony asked.

Oz simply nodded.

After the two stared at each other for a long minute, Oz began talking.

“Zeus is right, there is a war coming. A war the likes of which the world has never seen. The white Alpha will come here to wipe out the young ones and Zeus. She doesn’t consider me much of threat and she has already underestimated the abilities of the wolf. It would be quite a shock for her to find you here as well,” he said.

“Are you asking me to stay here, against my orders to return to Chicago? Why would I do that?” asked Anthony.

“First, for your sister. If she were to perish in the battle and you were sitting in Chicago, you’d never be able to live with yourself. Secondly, because you love a good fight. You’ve always been intent on proving yourself and now you have the chance. Wouldn’t you rather fight alongside of Zeus and your sister in the coming battle, rather than hearing about it later?

If we lose, you’ll have to try to stop the shifter army alone or with a few of your fellow warlocks. I think we both know how that will turn out. If we win and you aren’t a part of it, how will you feel when the entire warlock world is talking about the battle and you weren’t there to be a part of it?” Oz asked.

Anthony could see the logic in the little man’s argument. If anything happened to his sister, he’d never be able to accept it. If they lost, and she was killed, he wanted to be there right beside her when it happened. If they managed to win, he absolutely had to be there! This was the fight he’d been looking for his entire life.

“I will stay and see this through ancient one, but on one condition,” Anthony started.

“What is the condition?” asked Oz.

“You tell me the truth about what you really are. I know you’re not what you appear to be, so what are you, some sort of alien?” Anthony demanded.

Oz smiled, “I will tell you the truth, I am Oz. I am not an alien, nor am I anything more than what I appear to be. I am Oz. However, I can appear to be what I need to appear to be, and that is all you need to know.”

Anthony realized it was as close to an answer as he was going to get. He was also certain the little man was telling him the truth, or least some version of it, but he also knew Oz wasn’t telling him everything. Anthony loved a good mystery and this was one he was determined to figure out.

“I’ll have to figure out a way to make the American warlock council agree I need to stay here for a while longer. That is, if I can even get them to understand why we’re here in the first place. There is one member on the council I trust explicitly and I already sent him a coded email explaining how we were tricked into coming here,” Anthony said.

“Your sister is planning to stay is she not?” asked Oz.

“Yes. Yes, she is and I have no idea where that leaves me,” answered Anthony.

“Why?” asked Oz.

“Well, because…well, I guess it’s because we’ve always been together. Even when I first became a warlock and she wasn’t allowed to be one, we still lived, trained, and traveled together. After she saved me more than once they had to agree to let her be a warlock as well. I’m not even sure how to live without her and I’m very sure I don’t want to have to find out.

Is there any chance Zeus will reject her? Is it possible he won’t want her to stay?” pressed Anthony.

“No, I believe for the first time in a very long time, Zeus is ready to try to have another relationship. The white Alpha destroyed his life and she is going to try to do it again. He has always taken on every challenge, every danger, every impossible task on his own. Finally, I believe he is willing to accept help,” Oz explained.

“I was afraid of that,” Anthony said.

“Why? You have always been with her, why should this be any different? Stay here with her. I have been talking to a government official and they want to dismantle the warlock council and rebuild it better than before. This time they want Zeus to be its chief, but not under its control. He could use an experienced warlock such as yourself on the council. The two of you, or three with Jaida, would make quite a formidable team,” Oz explained.

Anthony had never considered staying here with Jaida. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t considered it, but it was a possibility. In fact, it was much more than a possibility, the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was the only thing to do!

“Oz, you are indeed wise. No matter what else you are, you are wise,” Anthony said and with that he headed downstairs to find Zeus and Jaida and tell them of his plans. He only hoped they would accept the idea.

True to his word, Oz had indeed been talking to a high-ranking government official. It was the highest official in all the Canadian government. Oz was one of the few people to have the ability to call the Canadian Prime Minister directly. It was a privilege he never took for granted or abused. However, when the security of the nation was at risk, Oz didn’t hesitate to call.

This was one of those times. If the white Alpha managed to kill the twins, Gabriel, Breena, Apollo, and Zeus, then all of the shifters in Canada would rise up and join them. Then it was only a matter of time before the U.S.A., Mexico and then all Central and South America would join. By that time, there might be no way of stopping them, short of using tactical nuclear weapons.

In that case, the collateral damage would be immense. It would be nothing short of destroying most of two continents, to save the rest of the world. He doubted there was anyone in a government position with the guts to make such a decision. It would be the end of the world as he knew it.

Oz had been thinking about how the white Alpha was planning on wining this war. The shifters were bigger, stronger and faster, but they were vastly outnumbered. They could spread the virus and increase their numbers, but not fast enough to take complete control. He was sure there had to be much more to the plan than just eliminating everyone at the compound.

Oz had warned the Prime Minister that nuclear and or biological weapons were likely to be a part of the plan. The Prime Minister was already using all his security forces to isolate anyone who might be a shifter, related to a shifter or a shifter sympathizer who had clearance to such weapons. He was also notifying the leaders of NATO and the US of the possibility as well. Oz knew they would be skeptical, but once they realized even the warlock councils had been compromised, they had to understand that any agency, any individual could be a part of the white Alpha’s organization.

There was one thing left for Oz to do, he had to get to Gabriel, Breena and Apollo and warn them what was coming. He wasn’t sure why, but the thought of Gabriel going up against the white Alpha, filled the tiny man with fear. Not for Gabriel, but for everyone else.

Oz had visited hundreds of other dimensions, in various forms and for various lengths of time. He had seen and experienced wonders and horrifying creatures of all kinds, but rarely had he ever actually felt fear. Even now, it wasn’t fear for his own safety, it was virtually impossible to kill one of his kind. No, the fear he felt was for everyone else. It was as if Gabriel had the power within him to destroy it all. Not just the shifters, but perhaps all the life on Earth.

How was this possible? Oz didn’t know, but he felt what he felt, and he knew it to be true. He would have to seek out the young ones and let them know what was coming. He needed to do it soon, he wouldn’t want to miss the white Alpha when she came visiting this time.

As soon as he checked on Zeus and the others, he would head to the deep woods northwest of the compound. The same direction he always detected the mysterious watcher at night. Perhaps on his trek into the woods he could discover just who or what the watcher was?

Oz was fully aware of what he was getting into. The Scythians were a very secretive race and they had the ability to change forms to the point he wouldn’t be able to discern them from any other animals or birds. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would be impossible for most, but not for Oz. He knew he could locate the village, but he was afraid it might take longer than he had to give. He didn’t want to be away from the compound for long.

He might have to take a more direct approach. One he was sure the others of his kind would not appreciate, but it was an approach he knew would work. Oz had one form he could take, which was sure to get him noticed by the animals and Scythians in the deep woods. His real form. It was the one he, and others like him, rarely used when they were away from their own dimension. It was the one form which made him feel as powerful and as aware as he could be.

What was it the local natives called his kind…Sasquatch. In Nepal, they were called Yeti and revered more than they were feared. In the Pacific Northwest, where many of his kind had come to stroll through the vast woodlands with the giant redwoods and other ancient trees, they were simply called Bigfoot. The few sightings made by humans had started a cult following. Only the young ones of his kind would be so careless as to allow themselves to be seen in their natural form, but that didn’t stop the legend of the bigfoot from filling every paper in America and Canada.

There were even bounties placed on hides, bones or any other body part a human could get a hold of to prove the existence of the creatures. If it wasn’t such a nuisance, Oz would find the whole thing funny. Just as when Gabriel had knocked him across the room, once his kind were injured in any way, they immediately dematerialized from this dimension and rematerialized back in their own.

Even if they were unconscious, they would still leave this dimension and reappear in their own. It was usually only the young ones who came to this dimension. It was familiar and a good first step in exploring the universe and the infinite number of dimensions within it. Parts of Earth were almost identical to the habitat of Oz’s home dimension. It was one of the reasons why they came here. They loved to trek through the forest of the Pacific Northwest, and the mountains of Nepal and northern India, because they were the closest thing to their own habitat.

The difference was all the other animals and sounds here on Earth. Their dimension was devoid of all other animals, and very few sounds were ever heard. Here on Earth it was much different. It was like walking through some sort of natural zoo, with all the animals, birds, fish and their accompanying sounds. It was quite a treat for the young adults of his kind.

Oz still couldn’t understand why humans insisted on questioning his name. His kind were not known by a species, since there were no other animals in their dimension, each one was known by their name. Humans seemed to not be able to understand that concept. When he told them, he was ‘Oz’, he was being truthful. Even among his own kind, he was simply Oz.

It had been decades since he had been able to walk through the deep woods of Canada in his original form, it would be a pleasure to do so once again. In that form, he could hear, see and smell so much better than he could in his current shell. If he walked anywhere near the village he would be able to find it just from the smell of the Scythians.

The sooner he left, the sooner he would be back. Getting to the deep woods would only take a second, and the same for the return, but he would have to spend precious minutes locating Gabriel and Breena. He might be gone only an hour, but even that could be too long if the white Alpha attacked the compound while he was away.

He thought about using the phone they had sent with Gabriel, but he couldn’t take a chance on the white Alpha being able to monitor his calls. Zeus’s enemies had managed to intercept his video feed from the compound and there were no guarantees they couldn’t just as easily listen in on the phone call. No, he would need to go and see Gabriel in person. Even then, he might not be able to convince him to return to the compound.

Oz had already played out all the possibilities in his head. The last thing he wanted was for Gabriel to take on the white Alpha alone, any more than he wanted Zeus to. Unfortunately, he was convinced that if either of them attempted it, they would fail. If that happened, the survivors would launch a counterattack and that too was doomed to fail. The best chance at victory was by combining all the available warlocks in one concerted battle. It still might not be enough, but it was the best chance they had.

Of course, they would stand a much better chance if Oz helped them, but the tiny man knew that any such action would end up with him being banned from this dimension for the rest of his life. That was something he was going to try to avoid, but he was not willing to let his ‘family’ die either.

Oz went to Zeus’s study where he found the twins in a heated discussion with Zeus.

“I don’t see any reason for you to avoid going back to Chicago and handing in your resignations in person. That would give you time to settle your affairs in America and take care of your condos. Neither me, or the compound are going anywhere. A few weeks won’t make a difference,” Zeus declared.

“Zeus, do you think we don’t know what’s going on here. You know as well as we do the battle is coming soon. It could be here tonight. I know you want to take on the white Alpha by yourself and surely you deserve your chance at it, but not like this,” Jaida pleaded.

“If anyone is going to play ‘cowboy’, it’s going to be me! What Jaida says is true and you know it. This is not just about you and the white Alpha. She’s bringing an army of shifters. Not the kind who fear the authority of the warlocks either. These will be every bad shifter from the continent. The ones who have been waiting for their chance to kill and slaughter without the fear of consequences,” added Anthony.

“No one is trying to play cowboy!” Zeus responded tersely. “I’m just trying to get you to…”

“Zeus,” interrupted Oz, “please accept the fact that we are here are for you. We will not allow you to face the coming battle alone no matter how much you protest. I need to see Gabriel. I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, work on our defenses and prepare for the arrival of the white Alpha.”

“Do not bring them back here…” Zeus started.

“Silence!” Oz commanded sharply. “I have thought out all of the possibilities and I can find none that I like, but a few are better than the others. I have one simple question for you. Answer it and I will know which way to act. Do you want to die alone and then have Gabriel take on the white Alpha and her army of shifters with just the wolf and Breena, or would you prefer they fight by your side in the hope your combined might could find a way to win?”

Everyone stared at Zeus. It was a hard question and no answer seemed right to the master warlock. He was more than willing and ready to die trying to stop the white Alpha. He was not willing to accept a possibility that allowed Gabriel to die. He had lost his wife and his daughter to the white Alpha, he wasn’t about to lose his grandson too.

However, he saw the truth in what Oz was saying. If he was killed, Gabriel would never stop until he took on the white Alpha on his own. Even after watching what Gabriel did to Oz, there was still the ego of a master warlock within him. Zeus knew that Gabriel was a powerful, well trained warlock, but he couldn’t see him defeating the white Alpha on his own. If Zeus couldn’t do it in his shifted state, then he was sure no one else could either.

Oz floated right at Zeus. He was getting desperate to make the master warlock see the truth: he was not the ultimate weapon against the white Alpha.

“Attack me as if I were the white Alpha,” Oz commanded.

Zeus was hesitant, but if this is what it took to teach the little man that he could handle the coming battle on his own, so be it!

When Oz was less than a foot from him, Zeus threw a straight punch from his chest through the little man’s face. At least it was where Oz’s face had been just a fraction of a second before. No sooner had the punch missed than Zeus followed through with a left forearm smash to the little man’s neck. For the second time, he found his strike hitting only empty air.

For the next full minute, Zeus threw everything he had at the little man. Kicks, strikes, sweeps and even head-butts, but to no avail. Not one of them came close to hitting the little man and yet Oz never moved more than a foot from the master warlock during the barrage. Finally, he rested. He was breathing deeply and was beyond frustrated.

“Now, you may strike me,” Oz said.

Zeus took all his frustration and anger out in one mighty blow. Even as he threw it, he regretted it. He was putting so much into this strike, he might actually kill the little man, but it was too late to stop it. The blow landed and struck Oz squarely in the throat.

Zeus knew that he could break a solid four-by-four oak beam with that much force and he was sure when he realized he had connected with Oz’s neck that the little man would die. Instead, Oz stood looking at him. He never moved, never blinked, or any way acknowledged the blow. Zeus’s hands were hardened like steel, a product of his martial art’s training and decades of conditioning his limbs to be used as weapons. He had hit concrete walls with more give in them than the little man!

“You are the master warlock supreme, of that there is little doubt. However, your ego will not let you see beyond that fact. If that had been Gabriel, I would now be gone. His power is beyond even what you can muster in your shifted form. Without him, you will not win this. If he is forced to fight without you, he may not be enough to stop the army that is coming,” Oz declared.

Both Anthony and Jaida stood speechless. What the little man had done was impossible!

Finally, after several minutes, the master warlock relented.

“The entire lot of you are crazier than I am! It looks like I will have no choice but to accept your help. I hope you understand what you’re getting yourselves into,” said Zeus.

“Of course we know,” Jaida said with a smile, “Like you, we have dedicated our lives to keeping the peace between the shifters and the humans. And like you, we have always been ready to die to keep that peace. But this time it won’t be a lone warlock dying to keep the peace. If it happens, it will be several of us, a family of warlocks working together.

And for the record Zeus, I am crazy. But it’s a good crazy. One that makes me feel alive for the first time in a very long time. You see, I am crazy. Crazy in love with you. And that my dear, will be the last fight we ever have,” Jaida said as she walked over put her arms around the sweating Zeus.

Zeus relented and hugged her to him.

“Very well, I will return as soon as possible,” Oz said. Then he floated silently out the door.