Chapter Seventeen : Assault On The Red Menace Part 2

So our assault on the Red Menace had proceeded almost exactly as I had hoped with only a few interesting snags we had encountered a Red Menace Rapid Assault Team and proven ourselves as I knew we would to be superior and put the fear of Dragonfirre into their hearts. So alright I have to admit the handle given us by Erik has really started to grow on me. Now while Erik had stood tall and proud with both righteous flames and his equally powerful mace which literally blazed with flames of its own threw himself against the Red Menace and the almost perished if not for the almost unbelievable flying shape changing rescue of him by Buerick. Of course Nialla with her eldritch bolts while tapping her very soul ensured that the Red Menace would not prevail. Now what had happened to Alth and Yussuf I have to assume that the spell that had initially blinded both Morgan and Nialla had inflicted with more pain and agony then they could withstand and forced them to travel to the Realm within the Stone seeking aid. From how shaken Morgan had become from the spells effect even crying out in despair and from what I knew of his mental resilience and Iron Will the spell’s effects must have been devastating. Of course I had kept my cool for as I had said to the Red Menace who had thought they had us I knew that would need a great deal of luck to succeed. So I called on my fey essence and summoned from the plane of faerie a trio of Unicorns and I even bound a Red Menace’s will to my own and thus created yet another thrall. Even Shiron with his gleaming katana quick thinking and keen insight into the ways of the battlefield aided in our departure from North Swamp Town. They mystery that remained on my mind was what had possessed Morgan once he had shattered the blinding spell with his will to disturb the Mythos Magic devices on the fallen Red Menace which almost brought ruin to us all. Buerick in the end with the power of nature as his to command once we had once again entered the Realm within the Stone whisked us away on his mighty wings sadly minus Mongo back to Phaedra Farms which lead to us eventually arriving at the slums of Apex Fields. At the time I was concerned and disturbed by events that had transpired and honestly quite angry but I put it aside as realized if I perhaps placed the events that had transpired into my journal in finer detail then I would find the pieces that I had missed which was causing my mood to darken.

At the moment my beloved Nialla and my cherished Morgan were both in the mithral car and they were both holding on to me. As I had dispelled the magical field holding us Nialla had failed to disrupt the magic that was still blinding her and Morgan. Meanwhile in the other mithral car Alth and Yussuf had vanished no doubt overwhelmed by the blinded magic which left Erik and Shiron in the other car and while our numbers had diminished there was still no doubt in my mind that we make it out of this situation. I telepathically spoke to Shiron and asked him fight or flight and his response seemed to imply that if I could leave to leave. I had no intention of leaving the others behind so I set my mind to dealing with the Red Menace and I mentally told him very well we fight. It seemed the Red Menace were not wasting time for within seconds they started to appearing with handguns drawn and they started firing into our cars. I could tell from the way they appeared that they must have been invisible and I had wisely decided to concentrate and focus my mind for just as I was casting my displacement spell I was shot and while a good portion of the effect deflected off my seamless perfect skin I was still injured and I was starting to get mad. So alright the others were taking shots well with the exception of our lookout Buerick who was perched on a nearby building within one hundred feet just in case we needed him. In all we had been surrounded by nine robed red menace and one sexy female wearing a mini skirt with long black hair who was wielding a machine gun who actually was turning me on and I realized in that moment that while she might not have realized I had found my new thrall. Nialla had managed to dispel her blindness and Erik stepped out of the car while drawing his heavy mace from his magical backpack and breathed on the assembled Red Menace while at the same time increasing the others resistance to physical harm with his draconic aura. Nialla had regrouped and stepped out of the car and proceeded to unleash the powers of her eldritch blast and three of the Red Menace were down. Erik meanwhile had proceeded to down another with one mighty blow from his mace which had lit with flame and he continued to strike another. Shiron had stepped out of the car and looked to the Red Menace and offered them the chance to surrender before he moved into the fray he warned them “We are just getting warmed up! You can just give us Mongo and we will withdraw.”. The Red Menace seemed not yet ready to deal and so Shiron attacked inflicting a grievous would on yet another Red Menace Agent. The Red Menace who had up until now had looked pretty confident even insulting Morgan when he had called out how about how long he would be blinded. While I had tried to calm Morgan at the time telepathically in truth I was focusing on making sure we proved victorious and that meant quick and decisive action. Either way they were looking worried now until the Red Menace who was now facing Erik performed what I had to admit was perhaps the most perfect blow I have ever seen in my life for he had turned his gun around and struck Erik in the face. Erik’s head spun around and he struck the pavement and I felt his mind go silent and I telepathically spoke to the others and told them as his draconic aura ceased to function the he was dead. I knew that the time if he was to be saved it would be up to Buerick but my time had come and it was time to unleash my fury upon the Red Menace. As I stepped out of the car and while I will admit it had been fun seeing the shock in the two Red Menace who had been shooting at me and failing to hit me and I could tell they were reaching for their Mythos magic devices at their waists. They would be too late for I called upon my fey heritage to summon from the plane of faerie three unicorns who I telepathically instructed to ride down three more of the Red Menace. I also walked up to one of nearest me and let the power of his horn heal me of the damage inflicted upon me by the bullets and then I looked on the dear sweet female mini skirt wearing Red Menace and cast a dominate person spell upon her and I could tell her mind was weak as the power of the spell bound her will to my own and I telepathically reinforced the link and told her to obey me and tell me of her friends. Buerick meanwhile had flown down from the sky shape changed and proceeded to cast a curative spell upon him but while I could feel his mind once again stirring his neck was still twisted back in a obscene angle. Two of my thrall’s companions had managed to escape and Buerick vanished into the Realm with the Stone with Erik while I instructed my unicorns to start to heal Nialla, Shiron and Morgan. I told the others telepathically that I had the Red Menace Agent under my control and began to focus my mind to enable me to gain as much information as possible in the least amount of time. The way I saw it my new thrall was going to be my key to not only liberating Mongo but also opening the tumblers of the locks to further information I needed about the Red Menace and their Mythos magic devices. The power of the domination I will admit was like a drug and I could almost fell myself becoming addicted it was almost better than sex well at least with only one person. Well to be honest the only one person I could say was better was my former lover and companion Jared Black who in reality was a Changling. I shall not continue to delve on the subject I shall just say that Jared was the main reason I had become bi-sexual in the first place for shall we just say he is shape shifter of the humanoid variety and leave it at that. So while I was distracted I had asked Nialla to please try and dispel the magical blindness on Morgan so that he could join us but she told me he was already free of the magic. Sadly what Morgan did next was the last thing I would have expected of anyone within our group with the speed and nimbleness for which he is known he strode to one of the fallen Red Menace and seemed to be trying to remove one of the belts which held the Mythos magic devices. What happened next was almost overwhelming for as Morgan had touched the belt it set off a chain reaction that detonated all the Mythos devices of the fallen Red Menace Agents and while Morgan, Nialla, Shiron and I were able to throw ourselves to the ground my thrall, unicorns and our mithral cars were all destroyed. The pain and backlash of the death of my thrall and the cries of my unicorns was almost overwhelming and in anger and anguish I just wanted to lash out at anyone. Unfortunately Morgan was my target but I forced myself to remain silent for I knew if I spoke out loud such was my pain that I doubt I could have covered it. I lashed out telepathically at Morgan asking him what in the hell had he been messing around with the Mythos devices. Didn’t everyone remember how dangerous Scrounger had said the devices were and I had enthralled one of the Rapid Response Team who would have been my key to the Red Menace and now she was dead and it felt to me like part of myself as well had just died with her. When Morgan had failed to acknowledge my mental voice I grew even more angry and I for a moment believed he must be being controlled by some outside force. While looking back at it I realize now that Morgan was angry about something and what I should have been thinking about would have been dispelling any magic compulsion that was upon him instead of thinking of dominating him to defeat whatever other domination he was suffering from I blame the addictive nature of the magic. It was a good think that Shiron had stood up and looked to me and asked to be placed invisible and for us to enter the Stone of Tongues. I realized we were still in possible danger and so I looked to him as I could tell that Nialla had been looking at me with concern in her eyes. I know the sacrifice I had made to reclaim my Mindbender powers and while I might not now seem good there was now and always would be a inherent goodness within me thanks to my Mother Aphrodite bless her. So as long as I held to the ideology of Aphrodite and remembered to love even my enemies and resist the temptation to eternally bind them to my will then I figure I will be fine. I therefore cast a greater invisibility on Shiron instead of the dominate spell upon Morgan as prepared to direct my will toward the Stone of Tongues and begin my transition I noticed Nialla disappear in her shattering effect and Morgan just standing there. I asked him if he was going in and he said after Nialla and I reached out with my mind and voice to Nialla and asked her to go inside but she chose instead to remain outside since she seemed to have faith in her invisibility. Looking back while Morgan decided to enter the Realm within the Stone I really wish that Nialla had done so as well but I can’t fault someone that I love who is not as intelligent as I since she must have believed that the Red Menace would not have a way to detect her. So I made my own transition into the Realm within the Stone just as things started to get interesting.

I appeared within the confines of Buerick’s drudical grove inside the Realm within the Stone and Morgan was nowhere to be found. I was amazed because as I looked back upon Buerick he was kneeling over Erik and a ghostly woman was standing over him as Buerick continued to apply the healing arts the woman literally stepped into his body. If I had not been still so mad at the moment and trying to calm myself down as well as watching the nearby arch for how Nialla and Shiron were fairing I might have commented on what I had just seen but at the moment I figured it could wait for later. While Shiron was making it away Nialla seemed to have drawn the attention of the entire region. While Shiron made a dash through the town and Nialla took to the air as her invisibility was shattered by Mythos magic. Shiron was being chased even thought he was invisible and Nialla from her vantage point above the car filled with two Red Menace Agents struck the driver and the passenger with her eldritch bolts which caused the car to spin out of control and crash giving Shiron the opportunity to give his tail the slip. I noticed as Shiron was making his way toward a warehouse there was a bright flash behind him in the sky and I was later to find out that Nialla had been tagged with enough magic for her to become a beacon that the Red Menace could track fortunately Shiron turned back give Nialla the chance join us with the Stone of Tongues. Erik thanks to Buerick’s ministrations was now up and around and seemed to be unaware of his spectral companion and was asking what happened and I gave him the quick summary. I let him know I would fill him in with visuals and sound at a later date since for now Shiron was busy working to find a secure place for us to exit the Stone so we could make our way back to our hideout in Phaedra Farms. Shiron was managing to stay ahead of his tail and finally within a tall building he called for us to come out. I looked to Buerick and asked him to summon Morgan since I was worried about him and I felt his skills might very well be needed. Buerick obliged me and Morgan appeared for within the very earth before us and I both spoke verbally and mentally to him asking him to accompany us but he would not respond to me. I almost gave into the compulsion to dominate him since I felt something must be really wrong but instead I turned to Buerick for counsel. Buerick looked to me and basically told me that he was my lover and he was my problem to deal with and while I was not happy about it I looked to the others and said lets go since Morgan not doubt has his own agenda at the moment. I had tried one last time telepathically and I was alarmed to find that he was actually furious and that my very presence in his mind was potentially putting my own life in danger. Well so be it if that was how someone who claimed to love me would and could treat me then I guess Morgan does indeed have a darker side after all. All that crossed my mind as we all began the transition back to Emerald was did he really believe I could be content with someone who no matter how angry they were would not speak to me.

When we emerged Buerick, Erik, Nialla and I found a concerned Shiron and thanks to the keen perception of Buerick we soon realized the floor we were on was being watched by over one hundred mystical eyes. Nialla oddly had asked to hold the Stone of Tongues and was able to dispel the effect but within the next moment all the doors on the floor locked. She tried to dispel the new magical effect but the magic overwhelmed her and she fell unconscious and was subsequently willed into the Realm with the Stone by Buerick after he had reclaimed the Stone of Tongues. I looked to Buerick and said to him you’ve got this right and he looked at me with a look that basically said did I even need to ask and as he took the Stone of Tongues away from Shiron and we all reentered the Realm within the Stone Buerick showed the Red Menace that they had a lot to learn if they ever think to contain a Druid of Hyboria. Buerick proceeded to cast a spell that destroyed the walls of the building and followed it up with a spell which caused the very winds to aid him as he transformed into a avian form and literally vanished into the sky. In short order while we watched the terrain vanish beneath the might of Buerick’s druidical power we soon had arrived back at our hideout in Phaedra Farms. Now what was really odd was that during the entire hour and half flight Nialla even with the aid of Erik had remained in an almost comatose state she was not exactly injured but was exhausted as if she had not slept in days and was barely conscious by the time Buerick had landed and resumed his Elven form. So as Buerick arrived and started to talk with Sneaky Pete and Gizmo Dent I asked him to please head to one of the bedrooms so we could exit the Stone of Tongues. I was actually impressed when Nialla had told me that she had had to dispel around fifty spells that had been cast upon her as she had flown above North Swamp Town which had been witnessed by Shiron. It seemed that while we were arranging our exit Sneaky Pete seemed amazed that whatever we had done had worked for the Red Aces had been in contact with Swami Donnie’s people and were ready to release Mongo. I was not the only one who thought that change of mind was odd for the Red Aces for even Shiron told them it might be better off if they kept him. I telepathically told Sneaky Pete a rough story of how we might have changed their minds basically ending with a high profile explosion on the street which no doubt sent a sign to the Red Menace that they would need to find another way to deal with us. I realized that it was time to talk to Swami Donnie for while I knew he had an operation to run and he was not doubt safer not being around us where he had access to his network but since he was the only one who of his gang or as I shall start calling The Organization who knew what was really going on I figured it was time we talked. I went to other room and picked up the phone after Sneaky Pete had made contact with Swami and basically told him everything well with the exception of our shortfalls since I needed to find out just how much of that information would make it to the street. Which was why I also asked him have Fluky Luke who I had remembered seemed to have contacts within or close to the Red Menace network to find out what the official word was on the street and have him relate that information to us as soon as possible. I noticed Erik looking around as if he was trying to sense something and I established a telepathic bond with him as he walked outside and he told me that he smelled something wrong. It would turn out which was confirmed by Scrounger that while we had been gone someone had been sneaking around the farmhouse and what made it worse Sneaky or Gizmo had not noticed it. Well that pretty much set Shiron off for he immediately came to the conclusion that our location might no longer be secure. I will admit I believed we could handle just about anything they might throw at us I also figured why be cocky. Basically I was sure Buerick and I would make it but I could not really see everyone else making it. Which let me to something else I remembered and I had Jake my Magician thrall come out of his room and cast nystul’s magic aura upon everyone’s magic items just in case the Red Menace ever got the clue to attempt to track us by our magic. Which I realized left only the Stone of Tongues which while we could shut it down could also leave us without one of our most powerful resources. So it came to pass that Shiron requested that we go somewhere that was for all intents and purposes off the grid and soon then later we after everyone else had transported to the Realm within the Stone Buerick and I rode in a truck with Sneaky Pete and Gizmo Dent to the industrial town called Apex Mills. Since we had not called ahead we were going to be left to our own devices to find a location to turn into our base of operations. Considering the slum like conditions I did ask Gizmo where he planned to stay and he told me the Arms Hotel and while he spoke of lavish rooms and room service my mind I will admit did start to wander. I mean from the looks of it we were going to be taking over a deserted shack. So after we had settled in so to speak I reminded Sneaky to make contact with Fluky Luke since I knew he would be on his way to see us but he would need to be diverted to our new location. I informed Sneaky and Gizmo we would be in touch and they left for the night. I should note that everyone had exited well with the exception of my shuriken throwing uptight Morgan who I realized I would have to check on before the night was up. Fluky Luke arrived shortly after we had settled and I had to honestly say he seemed to fit right in with his robe and slippers. As he settled in we were to find out that the Red Menace had indeed made more than just a report. It seems the front page for the Red Menace in the know trade paper featured a picture of Nialla flying in the sky being tagged by magical tracers. Fluky also revealed that the Red Menace were trying to raise our threat level by claiming to have captured Nialla and offering to trade her for two million dollars and an object of their choice. I asked about the rest of us and he noted that they also had pictures of Morgan in his ninja gear as well as a picture of Shiron in disguise of course when he had been seen shooting at the Magicians from when we had liberated Yussuf in Montrose. He also let us know of yet another distraction that we might need to take care of since it seemed the Red Menace had hired a divination specialist named Miracle Mike who was either Mythos, Magical, Psionics or perhaps even a combination of all three. Suffice to say he was rumored to be specialist with no real love for either the Red Menace or the Ves who often employed him and he was rumored to have an uncanny talent for finding whatever he was looking for. Fluky Luke let us know that since he was the one looking for us and in theory was to important to be killed or threatened outright we would be best served by paying him a visit in Central City Shores and convincing him to give anyone who sought our whereabouts false information. Well this sounded like yet another distraction from our goal yet again I felt it was a necessary step since I mean really who could really resist me if I put my mind to it. Wait I forgot just about every man in my current group which really made me begin to wonder it perhaps they were all swinging the other way. I continued to probe Fluky for information that would help us and he confirmed what I had suspected that he had in the past worked for the Red Menace. I also started to lay the seeds for my plan to raise the power and influence of The Organization and begin to lay the groundwork for Dragonfirre as an elite faction of The Organization. So I spent a little time gaining and confirming information about the gangs, law enforcement, Red Menace, Fascists, and Apex Labs and working on my play to pit them against the alien Starlord’s since after all we would need to come after them eventually and I realized I had finally found something worthy of my intelligence. For while eight years ago the former Ves order had been throw down and the people of Emerald convinced that there was a secret hidden order that were sanctioned by God to take over the sect and came into power if they ever became corrupt. Now the fact that this order was no doubt controlled by the Starlord’s and no one on Emerald seemed to be even aware of it was something I found amazing such was their faith which the Starlord’s had played right into. Well two can play that game and while we continue to play our game of acquiring the items needed to construct the Lightning Gun and face Cthulhu we would be in a much stronger position if at the end instead of acquiring a large group of enemies we instead managed to make them all allies of The Organization and Dragonfirre and used our combined might to crush the Starlord’s who were truly the pawns of Cthulhu.

So as we made preparations to call it a night my mind wandered to Morgan, Nialla and Erik as well as the others for I knew they seemed to lack the patient for all of necessary effort that was going to be necessary to make my our shall I say will soon be our plan and I have to admit Shiron seemed to be thinking along similar lines but that still left a lot of work for me to do. I realized it was time to start expanding Dragonfirre for while The Organization were now our allies we needed to start developing our own eyes and ears or start to take better advantage of aid the Organization had to offer. Which I hoped would relieve a great deal of pressure the entire group seemed to be under. It was ironic that when I transferred back into the Realm within the Stone to check the supplies that I had left behind in the tree house and yes I had completely cleaned out the stores at both the farmhouse in Phaedra Farms as well as safe house at Apex One since I had figured something like this might happen and I had planned accordingly. Now what I found in the tree house was something that I had not expected a letter from Morgan. Well now I was worried for somehow it seemed that Morgan was felling unwanted and it seemed that he was even seeking something like praise for his contributions and efforts. His anger seemed to be growing due to the lack of apparent order within our group and of course as I expected Erik, Buerick, Shiron and even Yussuf were starting to get on his nerves. So alright his plan was to start holding back which ironically I think would serve the group better since I for one would prefer to keep his abilities in reserve as opposed to on the front line. What had really concerned me however was a comment within his letter regarding his true form and alluding to understanding. I had only known of only one other person who had ever sounded the way he was sounding within his letter and that had been my companion and lover Jared Black the Changling. I wondered could Morgan be trying to tell me something and if so would our companions be able to deal with it. I looked out the second floor balcony to view the arch and look down on the stream where I had first cleansed myself of my fiendish taint and embraced my fey heritage and saw Morgan or shall I say I saw Morgan’s ninja attire but what I saw within that attire was beautiful. I realized I needed to go and prepare dinner and prep the others before even more problems arose to deal with and I realized tonight Morgan and I would indeed have a lot to talk about. Well at least things with Dragonfirre are never boring and in truth we seem to have more than enough excitement chills and thrills we could no doubt keep ourselves entertained even without the assistance of The Organization the tribulations of the various factions of Emerald or even the trials yet ahead of us when we faced Cthulhu but Mother always said if it’s too easy then you never learn to appreciate it.