Chapter 6: The Explorer and the Archmage

"You've got to be kidding!" Screamed Mr. Trebor. He had just received the report from Lightning about Kante's disappearance. He was so furious he crushed the ceramic tea cup he was drinking coffee from, with his bare hands like it was a piece of biscuit. Lightning thought she could remain calm in this situation and keep her cool but she was visibly shaky when Mr. Trebor's anger flared. She knew what he could do in his anger and was not ready to get a taste of it.

"He was your pledge! You had one job to do, to watch him and keep him safe and you come here to tell me he disappeared? I'm totally disappointed in you" He continued scolding Lightning while she remained silent with a sad look on her face.

"I can fix this sir, give me some time to handle it" she said, with a look of determination in her eyes.

Mr. Trebor gave out a sarcastic laugh and said: "Fix this? You don't even know what "this" is. Was he kidnapped? Or did he escape with the aid of the two men? Did he disappear by his own power? Can he do magic? How many of these questions do you have answer to?"

"He didn't run away sir, I know what I saw, he tried to help me when I was attacked but was stopped by the men" Lightning replied.

"So he was kidnapped then, is that what you're saying?" Mr. Trebor asked.

"The men didn't take him, he disappeared when he touched a glowing parchment, then they did too" Lightning said trying not to sound deranged.

"So you couldn't stop him? You're telling me two magicals were able to beat you easily? You should have seen them coming and acted. This is unlike you. Tell me where you were really?" Mr.Trebor asked 

"I was in his room sir" Lightning replied sheepishly.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Screamed Mr. Trebor, "what could you possibly be doing in his room by that time instead of your strategically placed apartment? Don't tell me you were screwing your pledge" 

"No sir, it was nothing like that" Lightning retorted, "I only kept him company for a while and accidentally slept off in his room"

"You were drinking, weren't you? And you got drunk and fell asleep and that's why you couldn't stop him from being kidnapped" Mr. Trebor said. Lightning knew he must have read her mind, so she just remained silent with guilt written all over her face.  

"You will be reprimanded for this," Mr. Trebor continued, "but for now you need to clean up your own mess. Find out who took him and where he's being taken to and report back and I'll assign someone competent to accompany you". Lightning became gloomy. She felt bad because her boss felt she wasn't competent. Mr.Trebor saw that she wasn't happy but was unaffected by her emotions.  "You can't blame me for not trusting you with this, I'm sorry but despite your reputation you were beaten by two magicals and someone under your protection was kidnapped. I can't ignore that" he said and walked away leaving Lightning to her pool of thoughts. 

Kante apparated in an old tower, landing on his back with a thud. He looked around, staring at the strange 2-dimensional sculptures on the brittle walls, which looked like they would cave in at any moment, making him wonder how long the walls have been standing for. He looked up and saw how tall the building was, there was a hollow in the building that went all the way to the top but he couldn't see the ceiling from the ground floor, where he stood. He admired the arrangement of the floating candles which lit the floors, allowing him to see the compartments on each floor around the hollow all the way up. He saw a large door ahead and he walked towards it, looking around for any sign of danger. He opened the door and walked into the large hallway stealthily, seeing and hearing nothing and making no noise. "Hello" he shouted and his voice echoed, "anybody here?. He saw a streak of light emanating from the far end of the hallway and he walked towards it. He stared at the big 3-dimensional sculptures, which stood, at good distances from each other, on both sides of the hallway, looking like giants meant to guard the entrance to the other side. When he got to the end of the hallway, he saw another door, the entrance to a large hall. He walked in and saw the figure of a man sitting and staring into the fire in the fireplace at one corner of the hall which lit up the whole hall. He could tell it was an old man from the colour of his hair, which was as grey as the fur on a white wolf.

"Kante Avakin" the old man called out, still staring into the fire, "I've been waiting for you". "Uhm! you must have got the wrong guy, I'm Kante Avah not Avakin and I only just got here so you couldn't have known me to be waiting for me" Kante replied.

"Oh I'm very sure you're the right person Kante, the arcane scroll, you see, is never wrong" the old man said, turning around and facing Kante to reveal his fully bearded face covered in grey. He stood up and Kante was bemused by his clothing, for the garments he wore looked ragged and wretched. He looked older than how Kante first pictured him to be. Kante imagined that the old man must be at least 4 times older than him but he dismissed the thought realizing he was in the mirror world and therefore must have lived for centuries at least.

"The arcane scroll? Was that the floating parchment I saw and touched, that somehow brought me here?" Kante asked.

"Indeed" replied the old man.

"So you sent it? You sent those men? You used it to kidnap me and bring me here? What do you want with me? And what did you do to Lightning?" Kante asked furiously.

"Lightning? The famous agent? What would I want to do with a Verdillac? I didn't do anything to her, and I also didn't kidnap you or send the scroll. I merely sent the men to watch the scroll and follow where it leads" replied the old man.

"Who are you? And what is this arcane scroll?" Kante asked.

"My name is Jimoh Raszhini. I am the Archmage and also the leader of the Order of the arcane scroll. The scroll is a heirloom of the archmages forged by the first mages, infused with the most powerful source of magic, arcane words penned by the titan, Magick himself" the old man said, with an ardent look on his face.

"Oh really? And what will such a heirloom want with me? And why did it bring me here?" Kante asked.

"You see, though many believe it to be myth, the arcane scroll has been passed down from one archmage to the next to protect and preserve in secret, through the generations. It holds great power and it identifies the next archmage before he even becomes the archmage. The fact that the scroll brought you here is a herald of my death and the passing of this mantle of the archmage to you soon. You see once a successor has been Identified by the scroll, it only means the end of the former is nigh" replied Jimoh, sadness in his eyes. Kante was baffled by what Jimoh said. He was bewildered because Jimoh could say all that without being trepid. He wondered if he had heard Jimoh wrongly or if he had just spoke of his own death or perhaps he misinterpreted the statements and was just mistaken. 

"Whoa! That's pretty intense man. So you're saying I'm to be the next archmage and you're going to die soon?" Kante asked.

"Yes" said Jimoh, "and you best get ready for the task".

"Aren't you worried that the scroll is literally proclaiming death to you?" Kante asked, with a confused look on his face. Jimoh looked at Kante with a mild simper on his face and said: "Death comes for us all, even those immortal get killed somehow eventually, it's just a matter of time. That's why a friend of mine always says: He who is not ready to die is not worthy to live. At least I get to know when my death approaches, others do not get that luxury". Kante admired Jimoh for how he maintained composure despite his current state of affairs.

"That is a really messed up thing to say, you know. You're a crazy man and I don't want to end up like you. I'm no mage and I'm definitely not going to be an archmage or your successor. So if you don't mind I'll like to get back to my business" Kante said, turning to walk back in the direction in which he came.

"Your business? Just what would you say your business is? Going back to the facility to be held captive for the rest of your life? Or get brainwashed by the UIA to do their bidding? If you think they're going to let you go back to earth then you haven't been paying attention. Your business is of this world and it is here with your kind the mages" Jimoh said, stopping Kante from leaving .

"I'm not a captive, I'm a free man. Should I remind you that I was kidnapped from a hotel by your arcane scroll?" Kante asked.

"You actually have no Idea do you? You believe you're free? Listen! The UIA is not your friend, they don't care about you or anyone but themselves. They keep you either because they fear you or want to use you otherwise you would have been tossed aside or done away with already. They are the reason I formed the Order of the arcane scroll, that and to protect the arcane scroll from those who seek it" Jimoh said as he walked around Kante, with a disgusted look on his face, showing how much animosity he had toward the UIA.

"What are you going on about? The UIA keeps the peace in this world. They protect you all and keep you safe!" Kante said, trying not to believe what he heard.

"That's what we all thought at first, but some of us got to see them for who they really are, our greatest enemy. They want to control us totally. They help us only when it is in their interests to and they themselves are part of the reason why we need protecting in the first place. They've done so many bad things secretly and have covered them all up but I've been able to find out some of their secrets with the help of the order" Jimoh said as he walked towards a box lying on what looked like a shelf.

"What kind of secrets have you found?" Kante asked.

"They stopped the use of human technology in our world, only they are allowed to use it or those they authorize to use it. Doesn't that sound monopolistic to you? They have fortified themselves with the same weapons that brought us here so they can remain in power" Jimoh said, bringing out a file from the box.

"Those aren't secrets, you're just questioning their intentions" Kante retorted.

"Assassinations, organized crimes, they have covered it all up but they foolishly keep the records of all they've done and plan to do. They have a complete file on the weakness of every creach in the world, they know how to kill everyone here. They are replicating the work of the humans here" Jimoh said as he handed the file to Kante. Kante observed it's contents for a while. He was shocked by what he saw, it was the records Jimoh spoke of implicating the UIA in conspiracies and assassinations. Despite the evidence Kante wasn't convinced. He felt the records he saw could be fake. He said: "You're bluffing, why should I believe you? Why should I believe these?"

"Don't believe me? Ask your friend Bonclyde what really happened 120 years ago. I think you might find she now knows some secrets too, also ask your captor mr.Wiltkinstein, what really happened 30 years ago that made your mom go to earth and when you ask them make sure to make eye contact. Look into their eyes and you'll find the truth. You're a mage, they can't lie to you. Their lips may lie but not their minds" Jimoh said turning his back on Kante.

"How long have you been watching me, huh? How do you know about Bonclyde and how do you know my mom?" Kante asked suspiciously. Jimoh smiled at Kante, not answering his questions and began to walk away. Kante called him back but he ignored him. Kante got furious and  lashed at him. He felt he could subdue the old man and force the answers he needed out of him. Jimoh simply spinned his index and middle finger in a circle and a whirlwind from nowhere carried Kante off, screaming, reminding him that he had just spoken to the archmage.

Meanwhile, Bonclyde just returned to the mirror world after concluding her mission on earth. She heads straight to the facility with a lot to report to her boss. Her mind is no longer at ease for she is in constant battle with her thoughts, some of which have caused her to doubt if she is on the right path. She thinks about the information on Kante and his mom she has just salvaged from earth and what will happen if she delivers it all to her boss and what that will mean for Kante. On the other hand, she questions Kante's intentions and reasons that delivering the information to the UIA was the best thing to do. She reached the facility whilst still contemplating and was greeted by an agent who seemed to have been waiting for her.

"Agent Percival, we heard you were back. Mr. Trebor has asked to see you immediately when you return. Please hurry to him, there's an urgent matter at hand" the agent said.

"Why? What's happened?" Bonclyde asked.

"It's the trespasser, he's been kidnapped" the agent replied. Bonclyde froze as the words fell on her ears. She wanted to speak but couldn't at the moment. She felt as though a large rock had been shoved down her throat. Shaking off the shock, she ran to Mr. Trebor's office. Mr. Trebor was seated in his office taking a pipe and Lightning sat in front of him on the other side of the desk. Bonclyde rushed in like someone escaping murder. "He's been kidnapped? How did that happen?" 

"Percival!" Mr. Trebor yelled, "Calm yourself, you barely know the man". Bonclyde paused for a moment, wondering why she was reacting to Kante's disappearance.

"I'm sorry sir, I have the mission report sir. I've gathered the information you asked for" Bonclyde said.

"Yes, that's great  but it can wait. Right now we need to prioritize finding Mr.Avah. Submit the official report and join agent Lightning here on her mission to find Kante. I'll read the report and we'll talk about it when you return with mr.Avah" said mr.Trebor as he raised his head towards Lightning, who had been silent the whole time and moved his hands to indicate they should leave. 

"But sir, I haven't been briefed on the mission or on what happened so…"  Bonclyde was saying but was interrupted by mr.Trebor who said: "Lightning will brief you on all you need to know. Now off you go. Time is of the essence". Bonclyde submitted the report and then left with Lightning to go find Kante. Her troubling thoughts had left her, nothing else mattered at this point but to find Kante. Lightning stared at her, having no clue of what her mission to earth was. She knew Bonclyde was hiding something big, but she let it be, for she had kept secrets of her own, secrets that could come with dire consequences. So off they went with a common goal, to the rescue.