Battling the Beast, Another go around.B

Battling the Beast

Quentin now stood in front of The Beast. The evil he was told that only he could destroy and the reason, he feels, that he was accepted into Brakebills University. As the moths start to fly away, he looked right in the face of Martin Chatwin.

"Hello, Quentin. Nice to see you, again. Tell me, why do you think that this will be different from all the other times?"

"Other times?" Quentin questioned. Apparently, Jane didn't tell him everything,

"Didn't my younger sister tell you? Of course, she didn't. You are her precious prodigy to help to defeat me" Martin chuckled under his breath, moving closer to Quentin. "So very typical of Jane."

Quentin turned around and looked at his friends.

"They won't save you. They never do. In fact, let's keep with the old fashion way and just kill them off right now, shall we?" With that said, Martin magically slammed Alice, Julia, and Margo against the wall. Alice screamed.

"No!" yelled Quentin.

"Quentin, do something!" screamed Margo. Alice was grasping for air. Julia was unconscious already. Penny tried to teleport behind Martin as Eliot tried to rush him from the front.

"Boys, really? You have a lot to learn." With a movement from his left hand, Penny and Eliot were pinned against the ground. "It is very rude to interrupt a conversation. No manners in this generation of youth."

"Please let them go, unharmed. It sounds like it's me you want." Quentin spoke trying to sound brave, even though he wasn't near that at all.

"Quentin, we have a problem. You and your friends want to kill me because Jane feels that I am killing Fillory. That isn't going to happen. You see, Fillory is my home. I made it my home and plan on staying here. I won't allow anyone else to take it away from me."

"Fillory is home to many, Martin, not just you. You are slowly draining the magic out of Fillory. Jane is concerned for everyone. Including you. This isn't the man you were supposed to become." trembled Quentin.

Martin stared at Quentin. "Fillory is MY HOME!" and with a quick movement of his hand, Penny and Eliot were bleeding from the mouth. Alice, Margo, and Julia screamed as the moths started to eat them. Quentin stood there, feeling the shock and horror making him tremble. His friends were dead all around him. He looked Martin in the eyes.

"Now that unsavory business is over and done with, tell me, Quentin, how would you like to die this time? Slowly and painfully or a quick death? I'm a gentleman after all. Wouldn't want you to think you don't have a choice" Martin moved toward the corner of the library.

Picking up the scotch canteen, he poured a little into a glass. Swirling it around the glass, Martin inhaled the scent of it before taking a sip. Quentin aware that his time was indeed was running out. His head with swimming with everything that just happened. To survive this, he would have to figure out something, fast.

"Come now, Mr. Coldwater. Time is ticking. I do have other pressing matters to attend too. And frankly my patience for this nonsense is getting thin."

"I...I...I'm not..." Stammered Quentin putting his hands inside of his pockets. He felt his playing cards in the one pocket, the pocket watch in the other. When his hands felt the playing cards, he grinned slightly.

"That's it now, be happy about it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You did try your best, after all."

Quentin pulled out his deck of cards and held them with one hand between him and Martin.

"Parlor tricks? Is this what the great magician has come down to? I'll let you entertain me, as a last request before your death." Martin smiled.

Quentin shuffled the deck of cards and then threw the cards in the air. Using his magic, he contained them like he did for his Brakebills exam.

"Very cute. Now, let us get on with this", Martin moved closer to Quentin.

With that, Quentin started spinning the playing cards, and moving them closer to Martin. The cards started to cut Martin's face.

Martin was stunned. He didn't expect this. He try to knock the playing cards down, but his arms and hands got sliced.

"I guess I had one more trick up my sleeve, "Quentin muttered.

Fury flashed through Martin's eyes. He starts knocking cards down, a cut showing with each card he touched. Quentin, using this opportunity to inch himself closer to the library door.

"I have had enough of your games. When I get to you, I will make sure that you suffer a great deal for this. ", warned Martin.

Quentin grabs the door handle and pushes the door open. Quentin dashes out the door, dropping the magic and cards he was using for defense. He starts running, trying not to look back to see where Martin had gone. Right now, he wanted as much distance between him and the Beast.

He made a sharp right turn. He had no idea where he was going. He quickly took a glance back to see if he was being followed. He didn't see Martin anywhere. He kept pushing himself to run faster. He made another sharp right, but didn't notice the person running towards him until it was too late. They collided and tumbled on the ground.

"Watch it, Q!' screamed Kady. Quentin hugged her. He didn't know why he felt compelled to hug her, but he was just so happy to see her.

"Get off of me Q!" Kady shoved Quentin. "I'm just so happy it's you. Look we have to keep moving. The Beast. The Beast killed the others. We have to go." Quentin grabbed her hand and started to run through the trees.

They got a few feet further when they heard the laughter. "Good try, boy. I do love a rousing game of hide and seek. Oh and look! You found the hedge witch. I wondered where she was. I thought maybe you were losing your touch." Martin stepped right out of nowhere, right in front of them.

Kady quickly threw a battle spell, but the spell ricocheted off of Martin and hit Kady right in the chest, leaving a hole.

With a quick swish of his hands, Martin pins Quentin against a tree.

"I have to say, Mr. Coldwater, I am impressed this go around. You put a surprising effort into it this time. But now it's time for you to die." Martin snaps his fingers, taking Quentin's last breath, throwing him to the side like a broken doll. He grins, straightens his suit jacket, and walks away, whistling quietly to himself.

Hours pass away, until the sky streaks colors of red and orange as the sun sinks away. Jane Chatwin walks over to the bodies of Quentin and Kady. She looks up in the sky and a single tear rolls down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Quentin. Your blood has been shed many times. Each time, the sky colors the same. We will get this right, Quentin. I promise. And once we do, Fillory will honor you and all the lives you have lost here." She bent down and removed the pocket watch from Quentin's pocket. She wound the hour hand counter clockwise.

Quentin gasped for air. He sat up and rubbed his hand over his face. "Man what a dream" he whispered. He look down to see the grey blanket on the cot. Turning to his left he noticed a sign on the wall written in blue. It read:

Midtown Mental Health Clinic.