207: A Company of Fools: Guardian’s duty

I ran down the hallways towards the throne room, Bo hot on my tail. Guards that saw us initially moved to stop us until they saw who we were. The fact that I had Fours and Bellial following behind Bo and I helped a bit.

When we reached the throne room the guards hastily opened the doors for us and I went inside without pause. Inside the throne room it was pure chaos; Turak'Kahn was sitting on his throne with thick bandages on his arms and part of hos face covering his right eye. There were at lest twenty guards inside, most blocking access to the Pharaoh in way of a literal barricade. Jurirai was nowhere to be found but there were more than thirty men and women all shouting to be heard by the Pharaoh.

All talking stopped however when Bo and I walked into the room with my evos behind us. Turak'Kahn stood up from his throne, a look of relief on his face.

"Chase! Thank the gods you're alive! I was worried you wouldn't make it." Turak'Kahn said.

"Sorry to worry you, but hey at least I can add riddled with bullets to the list of ridiculous ways I've almost died this year." I said. Turak'Kahn chuckled, in spite of himself then motioned to the people wanting an audience.

"While I'd love to exchange pleasantries with you Chase I have a lot of work to do. I need to get to the bottom of who lead that attack a few hours ago." Turak'Kahn said.

"And bring the scoundrels to heel so he can face English justice!" A pompous man dressed in a expensive, yet tattered and scorched, suit yelled.

"English Justice? Pah! Baron Swchartze of Switzerland, my husband died in the attack! They need to be brought to Switzerland!" A woman cried out.

"The mere death of a Baron doesn't compare to the lose of the entire noble bloodline of Viscount Orsway! He and his three sons were slain by those bastards!" A Welsh man shouted.

The room suddenly devolved into chaos as people argued about who's lose was greater than whose. Eventually getting so loud that no one could hear anything over all the shouting.

I channeled shock and boom attribute mana into my foot and stomped. Lightning and thunder sparked from my feet, echoing through the throne room and startling everyone.

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed gaining everyone's attention. "People are dead and instead of working together to find out who killed them, all of you are here competing to see who's death was a bigger loss! Unless any of you actually intend to help the Pharaoh track down these killers then I suggest you all quickly go back to your rooms, comfort your loved ones, and contact your countries about burial plans before I get anymore pissed off and finish what those fuckers started!"

"Who are you to command us!" The Pompous English man demanded.

Bone-lasher and Alpa'nagia's crystalline structures formed in my hand and I flung them over my shoulder. The two of them stood tall behind me and were joined by Fours and Bellial. The four of them growled and snarled at him and all the other dignitaries as a warning.

"I'm the one person in this entire palace who does not care whether you get home in one piece or one coffin. Now unless you want me to let these guys behind me show you the door I suggest you take my advice." I said coldly.

"It's those evos from the ballroom!" One woman exclaimed.

"Those things are monsters! They slaughter dozens like it was nothing!" A man yelled among the crowd.

"The Star Shaper gave you a order…!" Alpa'nagia hissed, letting lightning spark between his fingers.

The Pompous Englishmen clenched his fists but strode to the door regardless. The rest of the dignitaries followed suit, walking around my evos while keeping an eye on them. Once the last of the dignitaries left the guards on the door quickly shut them. When that happened I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Thank you Chase, that saved me the trouble of having to do it." Turak'Kahn said as he sat down on his throne.

"Hope I didn't step on your toes? They all just really pissed me off." I replied. Turak'Kahn shook his head.

"Not at all, it's reassuring that you can take control of a situation when it demands it. I feel a little better about Jane being at the college with you." Turak'Kahn said. At the mention of Jane, Bo walked up to me and tugged on my pants leg.

"Chase remember what I told you?!" He insisted.

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed. "Is it true what Bo told me? That Iris was kidnapped by the people who attacked the palace?"

Turak'Kahn's expression turned grim and mournful. He laced his fingers together and tested his forehead on his knuckles.

"It's true. Whoever attacked the palace took Iris hostage. We currently have no idea where she is." Turak'Kahn admitted.

I felt a wave of panic that I was barely keeping contained begin to wash over me. I didn't want to believe it when Bo told me earlier that Iris had been kidnapped and was missing.

"We have to find her!" I yelled.

"I know but we have no idea where to start and there are more pressing matters…" Turak'Kahn said.

"MORE PRESSING MATTERS!" I bellowed then stomped closer to the Pharaoh. "Your oldest living friend's daughter went missing pretending to be your daughter! Iris is Jane's best friend! What could be more important than finding her!"

"Securing the palace, figuring out how many of my guards are dead, tending to the wounded, ensuring that a second attack can't happen!" Turak'Kahn snapped. "Chase you might be used to dropping everything to do what you want but I cannot do that! As much as I want to send a search party to find her I can't, not without severely weakening the palace's already shattered defenses."

I started to say something in response when Bo grabbed my hand. I looked down at him and he shook his head.

"A lot had happened Chase. Iris isn't the only one missing." Bo said. I frowned then looked back to Turak'Kahn.

"Jurirai is in a coma, he was badly wounded trying to protect me. Yurkid is dead, Iscara is fighting for her life, and Aziza is missing along with Iris. Viola is pushing herself to heal the wounded, and to make everything worse, The Eye of Ammuhnset was stolen by the attackers." Turak'Kahn summarized.

"Fuck…" I muttered.

"I don't have enough men to go looking for my own daughter, let alone Iris at least right now. More men will arrive within the hour from a nearby military base. Once they get here j am sparring no expense in finding them." Turak'Kahn said.

"I'm sorry…I…Iris one of the first friends I ever made. I…can't lose her." I said. Turak'Kahn nodded understandingly.

"Jane was here not too long ago making the same plea."

"Then if you can't spare any men let Jane and I…" I started only to be cut off by Turak'Kahn.

"JANE IS TO REMAIN IN THE PALACE!" He roared suddenly. "I already have one daughter missing! I'm not losing two!"

I gritted my teeth to hold my tongue. He was right, letting Jane put of the palace so soon after an attack when she was one of the main targets would be idiotic.

"Sorry. Bo and I will start looking then." I said. Turak'Kahn shook his head.

"I was hoping you'd help with the defense of the palace. Your evos were instrumental in repelling the attack Chase." Turak'Kahn said.

"I'm not leaving Iris to the mercy of a bunch of mercenaries!" I snapped. Turak'Kahn bristled at my tone and glared at me.

"DO you have any idea where to begin looking for her? Do you have some clue that you haven't shared yet?" Turak'Kahn asked. I gritted my teeth and looked away.

"No I don't." I muttered.

"Then what good will rushing off do her?" Turak'Kahn asked. I looked back at my evos then pointed at Bone-lasher and Alpa'nagia.

"I'll leave Bone and Alpa here to bolster your defenses. Bo and I will leave in a little bit after I do some digging." I said. Turak'Kahn scowled at my response.

"You don't get it…."

"No you don't get it! Iris and Jane are two of the most important people in my life! I will die before I let anything happen to them and until I see a body I'm not going to stop looking." I said then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?!" Turak'Kahn shouted.

"To check on your daughter!" I yelled back and started towards the door.

***

"Pharaoh's orders no one is allowed to see the princess!" Rowad shouted as he and three other guards stood in front of Jane's door. Bo stomped his foot and pointed a finger at the captain of the guards.

"We're her friends! We want to make sure she's okay!" Bo snapped.

"The Pharaoh's orders are absolute! No one gains entry!" Rowad snapped.

"Rowad I am already in a very bad mood, so why don't you get out of the way before I do something that you won't live to regret…" I said in a low tone. Rowad and all the guards gulped nervously but remained stalwart.

"I'm sorry Master Kingston, no entry, no exceptions." Rowad said, much more humbly this time.

The door behind Rowad and the guards opened and Jane poked her head out of her room. She looked as though she'd been crying. Her hair was a mess and she was still wearing the same clothes from the ball.

"Captain Rowad, would please let them come in?" Jane asked. Rowad turned to Jane and shook her head.

"I'm sorry Princess but I can't. The Pharaoh…" Rowad started.

"Rowad…please…I need my friends right now…" Jane pleaded, sounding on the verge of tears. The other guards all looked to Rowad for orders. The Captain of the guards stayed silent for several moments contemplating then took a few steps past Bo and I, looking straight ahead.

"You were never here…" Rowad said softly. Bo and u both nodded in response then walked over to Jane's door. The other guards respected Rowad's decision and let us pass.

"Thank you Rowad." Jane said softly as she opened the door for Bo and I to walk into her room. Rowad didn't reply or give any indication that he heard her.

Bo and I walked into Jane's room while h was night and day compared to ours. Her sitting area was larger than both the sitting and sleeping area of our room combined. Which made sense being the princess and all. The moment the door shut behind us Jane tackled me into a tight hug and started sobbing.

"Thank the gods you're alive! I'm so sorry!" Jane cried.

"Oh come on, don't start the water works! It's not like I haven't been hurt before." I replied, returning Jane's tight hug. Jane shook her head, rubbing her face in my chest.

"This was different! You didn't have a pulse and even your evos thought you were dead!" Jane cried. My eyes widened at that remark and I looked over to Bo for confirmation.

"I didn't see it but I heard everything. I was hiding in the bathroom when it all started. At first all I could hear was shouting, screaming, and gunfire. That went on forever until I heard Alpa'nagia suddenly yell 'Star Shaper, Noooo!' Then there was all this roaring and hissing and screaming. Then the walls came down….the only reason I wasn't crushed was Midnight and Gargesh." Bo explained.

"Your evos went on a rampage. Anyone dressed remotely like the people that shot you were slaughtered." Jane said wiping her tears. "It was like they'd all became unhinged…I knew they were strong Chase but…they destroyed the ballroom and most of the royal garden. The entire lake is frozen over and that goes on for miles….they thought you were dead and wanted to take the world with you. It's a miracle that no one other than the attackers were killed." .

"Or even in the middle of a blood haze they managed to keep enough control over themselves to prevent innocent people from getting hurt." I said.

"It still didn't help Iris…" Jane muttered. I sighed and looked down at Jane. She looked racked with guilt and anger. "…Or Yurkid, Jurirai, or Aziza. Gods how did this happen?!"

Jane stomped her foot and pulled away from me, pacing the over to a nearby couch. Tears were streaming down her face again.

"What happened after I passed out?" I asked. Jane wiped her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"After your evos started rampaging and killing all the attackers a few got ideas that they wouldn't attack them if they had hostages. One of the leaders yelled 'Grab the princesses!' And they grabbed Aziza and Iris. Dad and mom were too far away to stop them and Jurirai and Ultia were both injured or unconscious. The fact they took Iris hostage was the only reason the leaders and a few of their forces were able to escape." Jane explained.

"Wait were was Baset during all this? I don't remember seeing her." I asked.

"She was fighting a group of attackers in the northern garden. Apparently after she left us she noticed something was off and was attacked there. Guards found her wounded but not critically." Jane said.

"That sounds like what happened to me. After you and Iris left I was attacked by Chiwas and a Necrolymth." I said. Jane's eyes widened and shook her head.

"A Necrolymth? I thought one of the animals that served as its base went extinct years ago…." Jane said then frowned.

"What is it?" I asked. She shook her head.

"Nothing…" Jane said softly.

"Oh yeah and that Morgan woman is dead." Bo piped up. My eyes widened and Jane nodded in affirmation.

"Her and the royal Scotland guards that escorted her out of the ballroom were found dead soon after the attackers fled." Jane said.

"Two Paragons and the world's only Shaper were attacked on the same night within minutes of each other minutes before the ballroom was attacked….that's too much of a coincidence to actually be a coincidence." I said. Jane narrowed her eyes at me.

"You think taking out the strongest of the guests was part of the attackers plan all along?" Jane asked. I nodded then paced in a small circle.

"Think about it, no one with a lick of common sense would attack a royal palace with not one but two paragons in attendance unless they had a plan to deal with them. Especially two paragons." I said.

"Then why would they try to take you put Chase? Strong as you are, not many people know how strong you are." Bo asked.

"The duel with Rowad and the royal guards…" Jane said with a heavy groan. Bo's eyes widened and then he smacked his forehead.

"Of course! It was a massive display of power! Wait that would mean that whoever is behind this attack was here to see the duel!" Bo exclaimed.

"It's probably someone related to Jane." I said softly. Jane narrowed her eyes sternly.

"What makes you say that?" Jane asked. I stopped pacing and looked Jane in the eye.

"When I was attacked by the Chiwas and the Necrolymth I managed to capture it alive and tried to back-trace its connection to its splicer….it worked a little too well. It was like I was pulled out of my body and my soul was floating around the area that its splicer was. I overheard the two leaders talking to the rest of the attackers. The plan was to kill the entire royal family so that their benefactor could take the throne and then they'll be sitting pretty." I explained. Jane frowned and crossed her arms.

"Are you sure they meant everyone in the royal family?" She asked. I nodded.

"He defiantly said everyone." I replied. Jane's scowl deepened.

"That should be impossible, no relative of ours knows how many of us there are. For security reasons anytime there is a event that requires all of us there is always doubles and stand in so nobody knows how many royal children there are." Jane said.

"Wait….then how did they attackers learn about Jane and her siblings?" Bo asked. There was a long silence as Jane and I both shared a look before we finally responded.

"Someone told them." Jane said. I shook my head.

"Not just any someone…it was probably Aziza." I said.

"That would make sense…She's a part of the royal family but can not claim any ties to the crown, unless all of us are killed, including cousins." Jane said.

"But how can we be sure?" Bo asked.

"Right before the Chiwa attacked me and after Jane and Iris left, Aziza came to me with a marriage proposal. She wanted to marry me because she said it was a way for her to cement a spot as the next queen, given how valuable I am. I of course turned her down." I said. Jane curled her lip up at that then crossed her arms.

"That sounds like something she would do….using a short cut. The sad thing is father would probably go for it if it would mean you are on the throne. Your enchanted items and not to mention your evos are things that countries would go to war over." Jane said. Bo suddenly gasped loudly and grabbed his head.

"Wait! If Aziza is the real culprit behind this then that would mean that Iris is in more danger right now! Aziza was kidnapped with Iris and all it will take is one look from Aziza to know that she isn't the real Jane!" Bo exclaimed. Jane and mine's eyes widened.

"FUCK!" Jane and I both yelled.

"We need to find her!" Bo yelled adamantly. Jane scowled and ran her hand through her hair.

"How? It's been hours…maybe if we started looking right after the attack happened then we could track her from her sent with a evo but now…" Jane grumbled.

A glint of gold on Jane's hand caught my attention and it took several seconds for me to realize why. It was the bangle that I had given Iris and Jane months ago before the whole thing with the red dragons, the one that had a locator spell inscribed on it.

"JANE!" I bellowed then rushed over and grabbed her arm. "We're you and Iris wearing the exact same thing tonight?"

"Yes…?" Jane replied looking shocked and a little scared.

"Even this bangle?" I asked pointing to the bangle in question.

"Yes of co….oh my gods!" Jane exclaimed once it dawned on her what I was asking. "The locator bangles!"

"Wait you made an enchanted item that can find people? How did you forget about that?!" Bo snapped at me and stomped his foot.

"Cut me some slack! It's not like people going missing is a common occurrence with us!" I snapped back.

"No, it's always you going missing." Jane said then channeled mana into her bangle and activated her locator bangle. She cast an axiom spell sigil, two glowing orbs appeared above her bangle then turned into the shape of a arrow. One pointed directly at me; which made sense since I had my bangle on; while the other pointed to the south and looked significantly smaller than the one pointing to me.

"That other arrow, it has to be where Iris is right?" Bo asked. I nodded.

"Or at least where her bangle or body is…" I said. Jane clenched her fists and looked to me with a determined look.

"Let's go! We have to save Iris! Until I see a body I refuse to believe she's dead!"