The Golem Conspiracy - Chapter 5

It was Midday. Jac continued his walk over to the clearing in the woods while he typed a message on his phone.

I’m currently in Gold Forest at the moment. If I’m not home when you visit, I’m probably still there. Call me if there are any problems, OK?

“There,” Jac said. “Don’t want them thinking I’m missing.”

Nel, having since re-emerged from the coin as she and her Mortal friend entered the denser woodland, flew in the air between the pine trees. “I know you said that I would see for myself,” she spoke. “But the curiosity is killing me. What is the huge thing they won’t believe that you want to tell them?”

“Well, what do you think?” Jac challenged.

“Have you won a prize or something?” the oblivious Nel guessed.

“Yeah,” Jac became sarcastic, “I’ve won the position of Judge by the disorganised whims of a clumsy angel.”

“What?” Nel was confused at first. “Oh!” she then realised what Jac meant, “You’re gonna tell them about me.” She became worried, “Is that alright?” she asked.

“Well, if I’m getting involved with whatever stuff the Malakim or whatever else is gonna throw at us,” Jac explained, “it’s only right they know what’s going on so that they can take precautions.”

“I understand what you mean. I don’t know why, but,” she seemed antsy, “I feel anxious now.”

“Trust me.” Jac clearly didn’t share Nel’s concerns. “They can help us too, I know it.”

“Okay then!” Nel quickly perked up with enthusiasm, choosing to trust her Mortal friend.

The two eventually found a wide-open clearing, mostly flat ground with a near fifty-fifty split of grass and bare earth. It had no large pieces of terrain, merely a few small shrubs and tiny rocky outcrops dotted throughout. The clearing itself was surrounded by pine trees, making it look like it could function as an arena, perhaps for a festival or, as Nel intended for it, combat training. “Perfect!” she enthusiastically exclaimed as she dropped to the ground, “and not a soul in sight to get in the way. Well, get the sword ready and we’ll make a start.”

Jac complied and retrieved the coin from his pocket. “How do I…” he spoke with uncertainty, “how do I turn it into the sword?” As if to answer, the coin instantly transformed, taking him by surprise before looking at Nel for an answer.

But all she did was shrug and said, “I don’t know. Maybe you just will it into existence.”

Jac analysed the weapon in his hand. “During that fight with the Golems, I saw that one guy have one weapon of his own.” Jac was speaking of when he saw Nate with his ‘pistol’ in hand, “It looked like some Victorian-era flint-lock gun. Does everyone who’s made a Judge get one of these?”

“With what we’ve seen for ourselves, I’d say yes.”

Jac continued to gaze at the blunt-bladed tool as he turned it side to side before him, bringing another thought to mind, “Is it just the weapon’s shape and type that’s different, or do we all get different abilities as well?”

“Possibly,” the Malak said, albeit uncertain.

“What’s the deal with this thing exactly?”

“It’s called a Segula-Charm,” Nel answered, “the coin is, particularly. It’s a symbol of the covenant between Malak and Judge, as well as what provides the Judge their new abilities. In fact,” Nel suggested, “why don’t you name your charm?”

“Name it?”

“Yeah, like a special relic. What about,” Nel suggested herself, “…the Soul Gear?”

Jac looked at the weapon again, his eye drawn to the cogs at the base of the blade, seeing clearly where Nel got the idea. “That’s pretty good actually,” he commented.

“Soul Gear it is then!” she determined. The Malak jumped up into the air and flew further into the clearing as she shouted, “Let’s go!” With the newly named Soul Gear in hand, Jac followed the eager angelic being.

#

On the outskirts of Greenborough, the pale stranger continued in his approach. Much like Jac did during the times he encountered him; many pedestrians couldn’t help but feel uneasy by being in the same presence as him.

As much as they gawked at him, his attention was not pulled away from the objective he had in mind as he continued to walk toward the woods. He seemed excited, resisting the urge to go from a swift walk into a full-on jog. As he left their presence, the people of the city had their dread replaced with confusion as they failed to understand what it was about this stranger that made them so uneasy. Even the birds that sung and tweeted in the forest became silent as the pale man entered their territory. The further in he walked, the more birds in his path brought their songs to an end.

#

“So, what’s first?” Jac asked, back in the clearing.

Nel looked around. Her gaze eventually fixed upon a small rocky outcrop, merely a few paces from them. “Why don’t we try a charged strike on that?” she suggested to Jac.

“How do I do that?” he asked.

“Just try hitting it like you normally would.”

Jac did so; he lifted his blade up above his head and swung down onto the outcrop with all of his might. However, as the edge of the sword collided with the target, it barely left a small chip in the surface. “What!?” the Mortal exclaimed.

“Uh oh,” Nel expressed concern as well.

“That’s not even close to what I did to the Golem.”

“Yeah, and I thought it would just kick in if you really wanted it to work.”

“I’ll try again.” He did so, lifting his sword up, he screamed as the blade descended upon its target. But still, it left only a chip in the surface. Jac tried a third time, but his efforts only produced the same disappointing result. The Mortal was getting impatient. “Nel, am I missing something?”

“Let me try it,” she said, prompting Jac to step aside. She retrieved her ashen-white twig from her satchel, the same she wielded against the Golems. Before the tip of the stick, glowing red was a halo of light as she slammed the twig against the outcrop and shattered it into pieces. Jac shielded his eyes as dust and shards of stone flew in all directions. “Well, it’s working for me,” she said, still perplexed.

“How are you doing it?” Jac asked, “And with a twig of all things?”

“…It’s no challenge for a Malak,” a grim voice spoke, startling the pair. “Conjuring Wonders comes as naturally to Malakim as breathing.”

“Who is that!?” Jac exclaimed. He was then struck with an all too familiar sensation of irrational dread and discomfort all throughout his body.

“What is this?” Nel asked; she could feel it too.

Taking them by surprise, a bright flash and shockwave burst forth from the trees at the edge of the clearing, followed by a thick white cloud. Leaves and twigs flew in all directions and birds residing in the branches were quick to flee. And a large figure levitated and revealed itself from the smoke.

It was a gigantic and slender creature, head-to-toe twice the height of the average human, maybe more. His shirt was open to reveal his bare chest and his head had a symmetrical set of protrusions, two stretching out from each temple, curving up then down, coloured the same red as his clawed hands and bestial feet. A pair of leathery wings stretched out from the creature’s back, as well as the long and narrow tail writhing like a serpent from the back of the waist. A strange sight to behold as it drifted slowly towards Jac and Nel, but the Mortal of the pair knew who this was when he saw the Mohawk of white hair and the red eyes of dire intent; no longer in human form, this was the pale stranger. “It’s you,” Jac uttered.

“That’s right, Jac,” the creature answered. “Me.”

“You know this guy?” Nel asked.

“Had a few run ins with him before I met you,” Jac explained.

The creature’s gaze drew to Jac’s companion, “Nel?” he pondered aloud. “But if it’s you, then…”

“Who are you exactly!?” Jac demanded.

The creature descended to the ground where the duo stood. The air of unsettling eeriness did not relent for them. If anything it gradually became more and more unbearable. “Al Tirah,” he said. “That’s the Malaki greeting, in case you didn’t you know…I’m Samael.”

Upon hearing it and recalling what the scroll warned of, the pair froze with fright. “Oh no,” Nel muttered quietly. Jac too was rife with trepidation. Just being in the same presence as this man, this Malak, was enough to turn him into a nervous wreck, and revealing he was the monstrous chaos-bringer mentioned in the mysterious message made his dread all the worse.

Samael noticed this. “Oh, Father, spare me,” he expressed frustration. “Don’t say the reputation of my previous selves has reached your ears too.”

Jac and Nel stood firmly with anticipation; fight or flight well within their mind. “Just what do you want?” Jac asked.

Samael tilted his head side to side, picking his answer. “Just making sure you’re prepared for what’s to come,” he said, “I’ve been doing so for some time. Remember your little letter in the night…hero?”

“It was you then.”

“Prepared for what exactly?” Nel pressed. “I’m confused.”

Samael chuckled. “Tell you what,” he said, extending his right hand out to the side and in a flash he conjured a large and hefty looking cleaver within his clawed grasp. “You two are here to train, aren’t you? So how about I help you with that?” He didn’t wait even a fraction of a second as he quickly charged towards the pair and swung his blade. Jac brought the Soul Gear up to block the attack, but the force of the collision sent him flying across the clearing and crashing into the earth.

“Jac!” Nel shouted, worried for her friend. Before she could act any further, Samael quickly swung his cleaver toward her too. While she was quick to dodge, her opponent then backhanded his fist into her cheek and sent her plummeting toward Jac too, crashing near him.

Groaning with aches and pains, Jac staggered back to his feet. “Here, I got you,” he told Nel, helping her up.

“He’s not very nice, is he?” she said nonchalantly, trying to make light of the situation.

As the tall and menacing Malak approached the pair, Jac shouted, “What gives!?” The Mortal tried to appear confident and intimidating, futile as it may be to the monster before him.

“What can I say,” said Samael, “there’s no greater thrill than a challenge,” he proudly admitted, consumed by twisted excitement. “I believe it is the purpose Father gave me after all!”

“He did?” Nel asked. “What kind of self-respecting parent would do that?”

Samael raised a brow in thought. “Hmm. He was right then,” he said to himself quietly. “Uninitiated…”

“You still haven’t explained,” Jac said, pointing his weapon at the tall Malak. “What do you want us prepared for?”

Samael raised his clawed hand and beckoned the two. Jac and Nel stood ever ready for whatever trick they could anticipate, all the while the malady-like sensation that assailed the two in his presence continued without relent. “You’re here to train, I’m eager for a fight; sounds like this is meant to be. You want those answers?” his visage turned maniacally enthusiastic, “…then humour me.” He charged at the two again.

#

A moment earlier, as she stood outside Jac’s apartment, Lili, with Little Seth on leash, was knocking on the front door. “Jac? Are you in?” she called out. But there was no answer. “Probably still in the forest,” she thought aloud, remembering the message she received earlier.

Little Seth whimpered, trying to claw the door open.

“Disappointed, Seth?” Lili affectionately asked her pet dog.

It was then that Karl appeared from further down the corridor. “Is he not home?” he asked Lili.

“Doesn’t look like it,” she answered. “Did you get the message from him too?”

“About him being in Gold Forest? I did, yeah.”

“Why there of all places?” Lili was confused.

“I thought it was weird too.”

The two eventually stepped outside again, into the street. “He didn’t say why he went there?” Karl asked.

“No,” Lili answered. “Something about this isn’t right.”

It was then that the two, along with the people around them, were shocked to hear a large bang coming from the north, from Gold Forest. Tremors pulsed through the earth where they stood quickly afterwards. As they turned to face it, a huge flock of birds was seen flying out of the trees, fleeing from something. “What the!?” Karl exclaimed his surprise. It was then that the two could see a faint cloud of smoke emerge from the trees. Through their feet felt another shake of the ground.

“You felt that too?” a worried Lili asked about the quake.

“Yeah, I did,” Karl answered.

“That was…” Lili paused as she began to think. “Oh God,” dread took hold. “Do you think Jac’s in danger?”

Seth whimpered. Even he seemed worried for Jac.

Karl turned his gaze to the forest. “If he is, we better help,” he said with conviction before sprinting north.

“Karl! Wait!” Lili and Seth chased after him.

#

With blades swinging and bolts launching, Samael was already eagerly busying himself with fighting Jac and Nel. Though the duo of friends fended him off to the best of their ability, the Malak certainly wasn’t finding them to be a threat. They struggled against both his might and the bizarre malady that his presence exuded, wearing at them like a poison.

With unnatural speed, Samael dashed towards Jac, towering over him and looking him dead in the eyes with his own, still as unnervingly red, before grabbing the Mortal by his scarf with his clawed fingers. The Malak forcefully lifted Jac up and immediately slammed him back into the ground, pressing him down and refusing to let him up again.

Nel charged towards the two to aid her her comrade. “Let him go!” she commanded. But Samael’s tail quickly lashed out and coiled around Nel’s neck, holding her with a crushingly tight grip. She pried her fingers into the serpentine appendage as she tried to break free.

“Look at the pair of you,” Samael commented aloud with a sardonic tone. “Hopeless.” He then focused on Jac. “Is this really all you have to offer, Jacob Aaron Cogan?” he taunted, tightening the coil of his tail around Nel’s neck, crushing her like a python would to its prey, all the while she screamed in agony.

Jac tried to speak but couldn’t. Samael’s clawed hand wouldn’t budge and the arcane affliction he felt in the air was relentless. Whatever stamina the Mortal had then wasn’t enough.

“Nel’s in pain. Do you not wish to help her?” Samael continued to taunt.

Jac was running out of strength quick. He felt like he was about to have a heart attack.

“…Maybe I should move on to Amy then?” Samael suggested, causing the Mortal’s eyes to widen with shock; this Malak somehow knew about Amy. All the while there was a change in Jac’s weapon, the Soul Gear; the cogs and gears in the handle starting to spin faster than normal. Samael caught glance of this and thought of something. “Can you just imagine the fun I could have with her?” he continued to goad.

“…You,” Jac managed to speak through gritted teeth. His fingers gripped tighter around the handle of his weapon.

“And once I’m done,” Samael continued, “Who knows? I may have time for Lili and Karl too.” The threats kept coming, and the gears spun faster. “And you can do nothing,” the Malak’s gaze bore right into Jac’s eyes, “…she would be so disappointed in you.”

With his free hand, Jac grabbed Samael’s, and with strength he didn’t have seconds before, he lifted it off his chest. “No,” the Mortal started to speak as he arose back to his feet, pushing Samael’s arm back as he did. “You stay away from them!” he shouted as he swung his blade into the Malak’s arm. Despite its blunt edge, the Soul Gear cut into the limb and shattered it to pieces like it was made of glass. Samael’s expression changed from fascination to surprise. The attack prompted his tail to unravel, releasing Nel from its crushing grip.

“Alright!” she exclaimed triumphantly. While her foe recoiled from Jac’s retaliation, she conjured a Wonder and launched a bolt of energy into Samael’s body, throwing him off balance. She then grabbed him by the tail and pulled, lifting him from the ground and spun him around. Once, twice, and then releasing him mid-swing on the third to forcefully launch him away from herself and her companion. The giant creature crashed into the ground harshly, the impact dug up the earth and shattered some small rocky outcrops into gravel as clouds of dust and debris whipped up into the air.

“Nice!” Jac exclaimed. “We got him!”

The celebration would be cut short however as Samael spread his wings out, emitting a blast of wind that Jac and Nel were taken aback by. The monster levitated and landed gracefully on his feet before extending his damaged arm out, sparks of energy flared from his wound as a new arm appeared to replace the old. “Well played,” Samael commented.

Jac hung his head and groaned in dread. “Then I guess I’ll have to do the same thing to the rest of you!” He charged forward, blade in hand, the gears within spinning.

“Good grief!” Nel cursed as she flew to catch up with her Judge. “You’re bloodthirsty all of a sudden!”

As the two drew closer and closer to him, Samael casually smirked, no concern for any danger his kin and her Judge could possibly do. A wide grin of serrated teeth befell his visage. He didn’t wait for them to close the gap anymore as he too charged toward his oncoming attackers.

Jac swung his blade forward. Samael met the weapon’s strike with a quick parry from his own.

“We won’t stop. Whatever it takes!” Nel exclaimed, conjuring more Wonders to launch towards her enemy.

“Good,” said Samael, as he parried one of Nel’s attack as well. “Really good.” The monster of a Malak was intrigued, excited even.

Jac went for another hit; it was deflected. Nel threw another attack; it was brushed aside. The two companions went again and again in a rapid flurry of attacks unto their opponent. Yet their efforts had little avail. Samael wasted no time in dealing with each hit thrown his way, dodging, blocking or attacking back with his cleaver and even his claws, just as sharp.

Soon the towering Malak swung his blade down upon the two, Nel primarily. Jac intercepted the attack with his sword, holding the monster back. “Just what are you thinking?” an intrigued Samael asked with a crazed grin as he weighed his giant blade down upon the Mortal.

“What does it matter to you!?” Jac yelled.

“Whatever you hope to achieve,” Nel spoke as sparks of light gathered around her, “Jac and I won't give up!” She swung toward Samael's head. “I promised I would stay by his side, no matter what!” She launched a bolt of energy towards the giant Malak's face. But that too came to nothing as Samael brought one of his wings forward to shield his head from the oncoming blast. He then jumped high up into the air, his wings spread out as he levitated high above the clearing. Jac and Nel looked up at the Malak's silhouette above them, both were anxious of what could possibly come next, yet their conviction had not wavered.

Samael laughed at the Mortal and Malak on the ground far beneath him. With a smile of both impish and savage intent, he flexed his free hand forward, pointing his clawed index finger toward his opponents. “Good,” he said as the circle of a Wonder glowed before the tip of his finger and sparks of arcane light coalesced into it, “exactly what I wanted to see from you.”

“What's he doing?” Jac asked Nel.

“Looks like a Wonder,” she answered. “Brace yourself.”

More and more light gathered before Samael’s fingertip. Dread and exhaustion was more prevalent than before for Jac and Nel. And soon, Samael uttered, “Sama-Naga…” then shouted, “Yashan!” And immediately from the circle came a beam of red light, far larger than anticipated, maybe more powerful than Jac and Nel could hope to withstand. The beam fired straight down and forcefully crash into ground, emitting a massive shockwave that rumbled the earth, kicked up a stormy gust, and flashed a blindingly bright light.

#

Lili and Karl were well on their way through the forest as the blast occurred. They shielded their eyes as the bright flare shined through the trees and struggled to keep their balance as the tremors rumbled through the earth and caused even the surrounding trees to shake.

Seth was whining with fear as the dog refused to advance any further.

“It’s okay, Pupper,” Lili said as she picked up her pet and embraced him caringly. “I’m here.”

“Just what is going on!?” Karl asked with a nervous tone.

“Seriously, Karl,” Lili spoke, her voice was just as shaky. “We should let the police handle this.”

“We need to find Jac!” he determined, continuing further into the forest.

“This is insane!” Lili exclaimed as she followed.

#

The light faded; a cloud of smoke covered the clearing. Smouldering remains of earth kicked up by the blast drifted back to the ground again. A shallow but wide crater was left in the wake of Samael's arcane attack. The smoke dissipated to reveal a large glowing Wonder before the flat of Jac's sword held aloft by both himself and Nel as the two of them had their feet planted firmly to the ground and they both breathed heavily in exhaustion. Jac, proud of himself in spite of his dishevelled and worn-out state, he smiled and...

“Please don't taunt him,” said Nel, stopping Jac from doing so. “He's already tough enough as is.”

“Yeah,” Jac admitted, as the pair of them lowered the sword and the Wonder ceased to be. “He's still standing though...well, flying in this case.”

“Impressive,” Samael commented as he slowly lowered to the earth. “Your conviction is showing promise, Nel.” His bestial feet soon met the ground. “Yours too, Jac.” His tone and posture was still confident and unflinching. Everything he dished out during the fight, even the few injuries he sustained, was like he suffered nothing and exerted no effort in spite of the destructive acts he assailed his opposition with.

“Jac,” said Nel, “not gonna lie,” her voice was shaking, “things are looking bleak.”

“Undoubtedly,” Jac agreed, his body trembling with fatigue “but what do we do?”

Samael looked eager to continue the battle, his fingers twitching with restlessness. But before he could lift his heel from the ground to approach them for another bout, “…That’ll be it for now,” he said, his body becoming rigid with restraint.

“Huh?” Jac and Nel expressed confusion in unison.

“Tempting as it is, if we go any further,” Samael continued as his cleaver glowed, sparked and then disappeared into nothing, “I doubt you’ll last. And we need you around.” Jac and Nel’s faces contorted with puzzling thoughts.

“Just what are you talking about!?” Nel demanded information. “You come here, give us grief and expect us to go along with some plan of y-” As she spoke, Nel began to feel faint and lethargic, causing her to stumble and fall.

“And there it is,” Samael commented, like he expected Nel’s inertia to happen.

“Nel?” Jac spoke with concern. He dropped his sword to grab Nel and preventing her from collapsing to the ground. “Nel, what’s wrong?” he asked with a shaky voice as worry for his friend took over his mind. He shouted at Samael, “What did you do to her!?”

“Sama-Naga-Yashan; Smite of Sleeping Venom,” he explained. “You’ll both live, it’s nothing a little nap won’t fix.” he said nonchalantly.

“I am feeling really drowsy all of a sudden,” said Nel, confirming Samael’s claim.

“Jac!” Karl was heard shouting in the background. Both Jac and Samael turned their gaze to the voice. They could see Karl, with Lili not too far behind with Seth in her grasp, running towards the two combatants. Showing off what he was, Samael extended his wings out to emphasise his size and shape, bringing the two friends of Jac to a halt in fright.

“What the hell is that!?” Lili asked in shock upon seeing the monstrous creature.

The agitated Seth snarled at the threatening Malak, barking viciously at him.

“Stay back!” Jac called out to them. “It’s not safe!”

“I am sorry, my friends,” Samael spoke aloud for everyone present to hear, still with a smirk of smugness upon his lips, “but I’m afraid I have other affairs elsewhere.” His whole body glowed, morphed and shrunk. As the light faded, it was revealed that Samael had changed back into his Mortal guise.

“How is he doing that?” Karl asked aloud.

The Malak fixed his gaze back to Jac and Nel. “Keep fighting, you two. I hope you will at least,” his gaze fixed onto Jac’s as the two made eye-contact, “for everyone’s sakes.”

“What are you after?” an exhausted Nel only just managed to ask. Samael didn’t respond immediately.

“Answer us!” Jac snapped. “Like you said; we humoured you with a fight, so tell us what you want!”

“The end of the Massiark,” Samael answered grimly, “just as my brother desires.” He laughed. “And who am I to argue with such a goal? I can’t explain why, I never could.” He pointed to his head. “But it’s always there, that desire, that itch; screaming at me.” A Wonder manifested in his hand, glowing bright as he aimed it for all to see. “By His will, Father creates,” he spoke with a disturbing faith. “By His command, I must destroy.” Upon finishing the sentence, a bright flash emitted from the Wonder. Both Jac and Nel were quick to cover their eyes. Lili and Karl were a little late to avert their sight as they were temporarily blinded. By the time their sight returned, Samael was nowhere to be seen. Both he, and the dreadful sensation his presence inflicted upon those near him, were gone.

“Well, that could have gone worse, I suppose,” Nel said, still trying to remain upbeat.

“Nel,” Jac spoke, “please hang in there. I hope he wasn’t lying when he said you could just sleep it off.” It was then that the lethargy of the Sleeping Venom started to affect Jac too as he started to feel incredibly light headed.

“I think I’ll have to start now,” said Nel as she immediately nodded off and vanished back into the Soul Gear.

“Won’t be far behind,” said Jac as he slumped forward, grabbing the Soul Gear as it reverted to its coin form before the Mortal fell into unconsciousness in the middle of the clearing.

Lili urgently approached her friend. “Oh my God,” she lamented as she knelt down beside Jac. “What have you got yourself into, man?”

Little Seth nudged his nose into Jac’s head. The little dog whimpered, concerned for his human friend.

“Lili?” Karl called out. “Is this anything to do with what we just saw?” Karl had found something strange in the earth.

“What is?” Lili asked for clarification.

“This stone-robot looking thing in the ground,” Karl answered.

“Stone-robot?” Lili immediately walked over to what was discovered while Seth dutifully remained by Jac’s side.

Peering out of the ground in a crater blown open during the battle, the two could see something buried in the soil. A stone surface with circular windows flickering with green light. Karl knelt down and used his hand to dig and brush away around it to reveal that it was a Golem’s head, completely motionless. “It’s like those things I’ve seen in town,” said Karl.

“Just what is going on?” Lili asked.

#

All the while, Samael was already elsewhere in the forest. With his arms crossed, he paced back and forth as he puzzled over a concern of his. “This has gone very differently than planned,” he said aloud. “Sure, Jac’s being kept safe. But if it’s Nel who made him a Judge instead of…Damn it! Where are you, Brother?”