Between the Storms

Chapter Twenty-Four

24. The Final Escape

The crowd was cheering as Lancelot and Magdelena stood victorious surrounded by the many dead competitors. Mason was shocked as Magdelena disappeared from the arena and reappeared in front of him, "Give me one reason I shouldn't gut you where you sit?" she asks her voice wasn't cold but gave off no emotion.

"I-I am doing what any good Master does in his keep," he says wavering slightly in his words making her smirk slightly as he fears grew. 

"Release the magic I know you have on all these people," she demands staring at him straight in the eyes, a threat looming in the back of them as she narrowed her eyes at the silence he was giving. From under her blood-stained gold cloak, she pulled the familiar book, that she had found when she was forced to stay in his room, "Do not make me repeat myself." 

"Why should I release the magic on them? You-" her sword was up and pointed at his heart, Lancelot was currently watching the scene unsure how long Magdelena had been here, it seemed that she was here before his arrival, and the Mason person seemed to be enthralled with the woman, which was no surprise to him. 

"I will split you from nose to navel," she says pointing with her sword to his nose down to his navel with her sword, "I would not test me, Mason, I am ready to be free and I am not leaving until these people are free."

After a few moments as if wondering if he could run for it, or a way out of the onesided deal, he opened the book and said a few words. A wave of magic rushed over the entire place, bringing people into an awareness of where they were and why they were there. Magdelena walked to the edge of the small platform made for Mason, "You all remember where you came from and who you were!" Magdelena calls out her voice loud enough the entire crowd was able to hear her, "You may stay here under your own free will or you may leave and go back to the lands you once called home!" 

Lancelot watched Mason stand from his seat and rush to the back of Magdelena, she cried out in pain and Lancelot rushes forward but stops as her pained face turns to rage. She whirls around a glint of steel in the sun, whispered words to the man before he falls and in her hand was a small dagger dripping with blood.

From the back door from where the house was placed two blonde-haired men came running, Magdelena jumped from the platform which wasn't far from the arena floor, people were already leaving the stands heading off, "Lily you broke it!" the one in robes yelled running to hug the woman who dropped the knife as she opened her arms hugging him, "You said you would and you did!" 

"Chris, I was happy to help," she says pulling away from the man to look at his brother who stood looking a bit horrified by something, "Adreian how does freedom feel?"

"The things I have done for that man," he says shaking his head, "I-I whipped you!"

"You whipped her?" Lancelot snapped angered by the news as he goes to attack but Magdelena placed a calming hand on his shoulder shaking her head. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Adreian who perked up as if feeling a bit better about things.

"Take over this place," she says, "Turn it into a band of soldiers who fight for the good of it. Prove you are nothing like how you were and I can promise you when you die an afterlife fit for a king." 

"I must repay you for whipping you, and to those, I have killed," he says Chris had a hand on his brother's shoulder as she spoke looking at him carefully.

"You were under magic. Your actions were not your own," she says holding up a hand as he goes to protest, "I will call in a favor, one of these days I shall send a messenger with a note in a way that you can do so."

"Lily?" Chris asks making her laugh a bit.

"Please my name is Magdelena, my friends call me Maggie," she says sending a small wink at Lancelot.

"Magdele-"

"I told you my friends call me Maggie Chris, you and Adreian count as my friends," she says smiling at them, "I must leave I am still on a quest, Lancelot?"

She turns to look at the tanned man who furrowed his brows at the mention of her quest but waited for her to speak, "Please stay here for just a few days longer and help my friends settle in would you?"

"Anything for you Maggie," he says making her smile shaking her head at him, "How is Gwen?"

"Missing you terribly you bastard," she says teasing him playfully, "Write her a letter or something, else I will have to inform her I saw you and you were unable to stop asking about her."

"I shall consider it Maggie," he says but left it at that. 

She turned to the two brothers, "You both have good hearts if ever I have seen them," she says she closed her fist, opening them as she held it out to them, "If ever you need me, say my name into the medallion and I shall arrive and help you. I promise."

"How could I accept such a gift when all I have done is-"

"You mention whipping me one more time," Magdelena says pointing a threatening finger at Adreian though she would do nothing, "I will call upon you one day, but for now I ask that you accept my . . . friendship." Magdelena felt rather strange but shook it off as she turned not saying another word leaving the arena. 

"Don't forget about theses," Chris says and she turns to see him holding the two weapons she had lost after they knocked her out in the field. She happily took them and put them nearby in the Death realm, before she sent a small wave, turned on her heel and began to make her way toward the large gate.

"Maggie, do I not get a goodbye?" Lancelot called she turned to him with a bright smile.

"We will see each other again Lancelot! Mark my words!" she calls back before leaving the arena heading out in the sandy desert which now awaited her. Her first mission would be to find Gilthunder, hoping he was nearby waiting for her to escape which after she had him once more she would make her way to find the Eye of Ardon.