Chapter 30: Crossroads

  Up until now, Ambrose liked to think he kept a decent poker face, but he couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “Oh come now,” Vanderborn scoffed, “you really think I wouldn’t know how many people are in my sanctum? You have a lot to learn, boy.” Louder, he said, “Come out now. I will not ask again.”

  The door to the bedroom swung open. Luthor stepped out, leading the rest of them with a grimace. The Ransas were furious and fierce, unyielding in their disdain over what they’d all learned. Jessica, of course, was beside herself, and cried freely. They came around the desk and stood behind Ambrose.

  “Just about what I expected,” said Vanderborn, nodding to himself. “Most of third year’s best students. And Jessica too. Should I be blaming you for letting your friend in to rob me?”

  “N-no,” Jessica squeaked. “We were trying to stop him, I swear.”

  Ambrose rolled his eyes. “So much for trying to keep your head. She’s right, though. I’m the only one here to rob you. The rest wanted to stop me. They almost succeeded, too, but were just a little late.” His new card still rankled, but it had to be good. It had to.

  “It hardly matters at this point. You all have heard what this school is for, and what I am about. We all know that I could unmake you all with little effort, so I will spare the threats.” The headmaster looked at them all in turn. “What are your thoughts on the offer?”

  At first, no one said anything. Ambrose almost laughed. The four of them were idealists, idiots really, and there was no doubt in his mind they would refuse.

  Luthor sighed. “I think you know what we’re thinking. If not literally, then at least in general. You’ve been keeping an eye on us. You know what we were trying to do.”

  “Yes,” said Vanderborn simply.

  Raeva spoke up. “Then you know that we’d never join you. You stand for everything we want to fight against. We knew you were bad, but this is terrible on another level. How many worlds does this monster you follow exploit? How many people are dead or enslaved by him?”

  “Thousands, and billions, respectively.” He didn’t sound too bothered by her defiance. “With more falling all the time. It’s the largest empire there’s ever been, ruled over by a wise and ageless man who cannot be stopped. Resistance is pointless, both here in Amaria and out among the other worlds. You are one of the most promising, destructive young wizards I’ve ever encountered, Raeva Ransa. Don’t throw your life away.”

  Raeleq moved in front of her, stone-cold anger on his face. “Do not threaten her. I don’t care how powerful you are, if you touch my sister, we’ll find a way to bring you down.”

  “He’s threatening both of you, dumbass,” said Ambrose. “All of us. Now’s not the time to try to show bravado.”

  “Are you actually going to join him?” Raeva demanded.

  “It’s either that or die,” he said. “What the hell do you expect?”

  “Or be bound to a card,” Vanderborn added. “I’d much rather utilize your skills if I can, but I’ll kill you if I have to.” The old wizard stood from behind his desk. Reaching out with his hand, he summoned his staff from a few feet away.

  “How could you ever trust us?” Luthor asked bluntly. “You must know that if we signed up, we’d forever be looking for a way out, and a way to get back at you.”

  At that, their headmaster smiled. “Because once you progress through the ranks, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered to resist. Join me in serving the Emperor and you will receive luxury and power in equal measure. Do well enough, and I will make sure you have your own world to rule over.”

  Ambrose hated to admit it, but it sounded good. It beat dying, and the truth was…What could just a few of them do against the power of hundreds of worlds turned their way? There was no way they could defeat Vanderborn, let alone who knew how many others.

  “Grandfather,” Jessica started, but he shook his head.

  “Do not. This deal does not apply to you. Later on, you and I will have a private chat, before we send you back to your mother.”

  Ambrose spoke before he realized what he was doing, “No, she’s with me. If you want my services, then consider Jessica’s involvement as part of my payment. We work well together, and I will make her stronger.”

  He meant the offer as a way to protect his closest friend, but the others didn’t see it that way.

  “What the hell, Ambrose?” Raeva demanded.

  “Please, you can’t be serious,” Raeleq pleaded.

  Luthor said nothing, but bowed his head.

  Jessica opened her mouth to protest, but fell short. Her eyes darted about wildly before squeezing shut. She nodded her agreement.

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  “Fine,” said Vanderborn. “That’s two of you, then. Before you sign your death warrant, I want each of you to consider something.

  “Luthor Graves, the man who would bring justice to Amaria. Consider how much injustice there is in a vast, endless universe with worlds beyond count. Then realize how many people you could help, the forces you could raise to intercede and protect whoever you want. You could be a champion for equality and safety. I would have you train and shape our troops with honor and good intent.

  “Raeva Ransa, you believe us to be cruel or evil, but you don’t know the other factions out there. The Empire brings peace and prosperity, it brings order, and it defends the helpless from the horrors and monsters out in the night, who prey upon worlds. Out there, things are more chaotic and desperate than you realize. They need us. They need you. You could be a hero, sharpening your skills until no flame is hotter and no one could stand against you.”

  Vanderborn paused before addressing the massive wild wizard. “Raeleq, you are a strong warrior, but you do not have a killer’s heart. We have entire worlds that are gardens, zoos meant to educate and entertain. You could have your own wild world, watching over the animals you love. Indeed, once Amaria is brought to heel, you could have your family’s ancestral land, and make it into a paradise.

  “There is no end to the good you can do, the satisfaction you will find, working for an organization that utilizes its talent and rewards it. Ambrose and…and Jessica,” he sighed, “have already agreed. They know better than to play against the winning team. They chose their futures over a meaningless gesture. I’m asking you to do the same.”

  Just like that, he’d cast his lot in. The old bastard wouldn’t look too kindly on him changing his mind, and Ambrose didn’t have a single iota of belief that they could take him out, even if they worked together. This was the only choice. He found himself holding his breath through the pregnant silence as each wizard considered the offer.

  Luthor was the first to recover. He took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest, resolution and resignation in his eyes. “The peace of a blade at your throat is no peace at all. You are everything I’ve vowed to fight against. No offer short of your surrender interests me.”

  Ambrose exhaled sharply. Jessica took his hand and squeezed. It was cold, clammy, and trembled, just like his.

  “What’s the point in being powerful if you’re still a slave to some jackass who wants to enslave everybody?” Raeva scoffed. “Nobody’s free until we’re all free.”

  They were doing it. Their pride mattered more than their lives, apparently.

  That left Raeleq, who visibly trembled with fear and anger in equal measure. “I’m not stupid.” This was at least half directed at Ambrose. “Raeva and Luthor are right. Your emperor doesn’t care about the animals, just what he can take from them. People like you don’t let nature just be nature. You always have to get something out of it. And if they say no, I say no.”

  “Neither of us would be able to face our father if we gave in,” Raeva added.

  Vanderborn sighed. “Then so be it. At least the rest of your class are more promising than that. Oh well. Your cards will make fine additions to my collection. Ambrose? Jessica? It’s time to prove your convictions. If you are to stand with me, your first job is to take out these fools. Show me that the card you stole was worth it.”

  Ambrose had spent most of this meeting with a sense of inevitability, a sort of resigned fatigue. Things were unwinnable, but at least he could get away with his head. He hadn’t expected to fight the people who considered him a friend. He hadn’t expected to need to be the one to take them down, bind them into cards forever.

  Now that he knew, he froze. Jessica pulled away from him, and looked between him and the other three, fear in her eyes. “Grandfather, please, you can’t -- “

  “Be silent, or I will silence you,” He said, sudden venom in his voice. “This was your doing, you foolish child. Your friends could’ve had another year to go to gain some wisdom before making their choice, but you had to bring them up here. Now, take them down, or be counted among them.”

  All eyes were on Ambrose now. His friends looked angry, frustrated, sad, and disbelieving.

  “Do what you have to,” Luthor said, jaw set. “But don’t expect us to go down without a fight.”

  A fight. Exactly!

  “You’re right,” Ambrose said, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart and the impulse to flee. “This is going to be a fight. One last tournament round. It wouldn’t do to have it in here. There’s no room, and there’s no sense in destroying this beautiful office, right? Let’s fight in the garden.”

  He stared them down, trying to get them to go along with it by sheer force of will.

  Raeleq grunted and nodded. “If we’re to die, better it be under an open sky.”

  “Fine,” said Vanderborn again. He motioned with his staff, and the double doors opened, letting in a breeze, the smell of wet earth, and the gentle patter of rain.

  Raeva went first, shouldering her way past Ambrose, despite having enough room. Raeleq went as well, keeping his eyes on him at all times. Only Luthor gave him a nod, and it gave him some hope that this might go okay.

  Then it was just him and Jessica. Ambrose wished desperately that she had a mindspeech card, something that would let them communicate silently. She was borderline shocked from the fear and impending loss of friends.

  “Let’s go,” he said quietly. “We all made our choices.”

  They followed after, each step as ponderous as a dream. Despite the coming summer, Ambrose had never felt so cold, so in need of a coat, a blanket, some kind of warmth or reassurance. Terror gnawed at his stomach. With a start, he recognized the feeling as walking to his grave, same as everyone else.

  His three classmates fanned out, not quite surrounding him but making it clear that they had no intentions of fighting fair. Jessica stood by his side, hands up in a loose fighting stance, but still trembling. Vanderborn stood at the door, watching with a smug smile.

  “I can’t believe you, Ambrose,” said Raeva. “I can’t believe I was actually considering dating you.”

  “Or that you could’ve been our friend,” Raeleq said. He cracked his neck and stretched wide. “Maybe I am stupid.”

  Anger struck Ambrose, at them, at Vanderborn, but most of all at himself. Here was the moment to prove his convictions, embrace the person he’d always been expected to be. The person he thought he was.

  “That’s the thing about you people,” he spat, heart pounding faster and faster. “You think you understand me, but what the hell do you know? None of you know what goes on in my head. You’re all so fucking quick to judge, but you know what? You’re not the only one capable of throwing your stupid life away on stupid principles.”

  It felt like someone else speaking, someone else turning around. It wasn’t fair. Everything had been going so well. He’d nearly made it.

  But now he was going to die, alongside his friends. Ambrose put his fists up, and stared down Vanderborn.

  “If you’re all idiots, so am I, apparently. Let’s get this over with.”

  The old wizard shook his head. “So be it,” he said.

  The falling rain slowed to a stop as combat started.