Chapter 46

                                    

                                          
If you like this story, leave a star and comment! More love = More chapters!

                          
~*Ω*~

                          
"Maybe we should have brought Jesse along. I'm sure these halls lead to rooms like a kitchen or something. He wouldn't be stuck outside exposed to the weather and in danger."
                          
Gabriel shook his head. "It's too late now, Lukas. He made his decision. Plus, he's resilient. Jesse can take care of himself even with a broken leg. But he can do better with a healed one."
                          
"Well, yeah, but–"
                          
"Lukas." The Warrior stared right at Lukas who squirmed with uneasiness. "I know you're worried about him. But you need to stay focused. The best way to help him is to find a way to destroy the Witherstorm." Gabriel coughed a couple times. "Do something major so you don't regret this choice."
                          
The blonde crossed his arms and bit his lip. "I- I don't know, Gabriel. I can't help it."
                          
"Well, you have to. The author can't keep up your personality for so long. She's been writing this story for almost two years now."
                          
"You're right." He let his arms relax by his sides and kept walking. "You're right..."
                          
With an understanding silence, Gabriel gave Lukas space, nodding his head and continued following Axel and Olivia.
                          
~*Ω*~

                          
At the end of the hallway stood tall double doors and, with glances at each other, Olivia and Axel pushed them open. She gasped as she studied the large library, filled with books and majestic chandeliers, unable to take it all in. Axel verbalized her thoughts with a loud huff. "Where, how, and why did he have the time to build all of this inside a mountain?"
                          
"Soren was always..." Gabriel took a few seconds to find the right words. "Strange. He was peculiar but very particular with how he wanted to go about things."

                          
Lukas, a few steps behind the Warrior, took a breath as he looked up to examine every nook and cranny. "I can't believe this. Such a room inside a stone mountain– there would have been support beams everywhere! How did they remove them? How is this room still standing?"
                          
Olivia shrugged and turned to him. "Magic?"
                          
"Perhaps."
                          
They took a few more seconds to admire the library before going back on task. As they searched every different room within the library, they realized this wasn't going to be simple.
                          
"I don't think this is going to work." The future engineer slumped over and leaned against a bookshelf. "There's just way too many rooms! How are we going to find him? We haven't even found a path out yet."
                          
"Just keep searching. We have no choice," Gabriel grunted, clearing his throat. "Has anyone searched that room yet?"
                          
He pointed at a room behind Axel and Olivia and everyone looked back at the Warrior. Axel said, "No, but we should check it out, shouldn't we?" Gabriel nodded, eliciting a tired sigh from the burly guy.
                          
Lukas, Olivia, and Axel went in before Gabriel, surveying the surfaces of the smaller room. Axel began to say something but was cut off by the figure standing in front of them.
                          
"You." The figure turned to face the group wholly, stroking its beard.
                          
The three growled, all gritting their teeth. "Ivor."
                          
"And just what are you doing here? Trying to interfere with my plans, again? Your tenacity is commendable, yet misguided." The oriental man stood in front of the counter and crossed his arms.
                          
"We're actually trying to save the world, unlike you," Olivia said, annoyed.

                          
"Yeah," Axel joined in, "we've been looking for Soren's Super TNT."
                          
"The Order is with us and once we find that Super TNT, we're going to take down your Witherstorm." Lukas glared at Ivor from across the room.
                          
"The Order?" Ivor chuckled and smirked at them. "Believe me, that plan will blow up in their faces in more ways than one. They cannot help you. But me? I choose not to. Now out of my way."
                          
"No," said everyone in unison.
                          
"Are you really going to make this hard?" Ivor began to walk forward, threatening them with his confident approach. Nonetheless, they continued to stand at the doorway and block his path.
                          
"Get out of my–"

                          
"Stop right there, Ivor."
                          
Gabriel had come into play, standing to the right of Lukas with an old spear in his hands. He held it right at Ivor's throat and the potion brewer walked backward, trying to avoid the sharp point.
                          
"Gabriel? You're alive?!" He walked until he hit his back on the counter behind him, coming to a complete stop.
                          
"Against all your best efforts, Ivor. Look at what you've done. I never dreamt that even you could be this twisted!"
                          
Suddenly, a smile cracked on Ivor's face. "Save your posturing, Gabriel. We both know your words have always been hollow." Ivor grabbed a razor-edged fire iron from the top of the counter and parried the spear away, now holding it directly in front of the Warrior's face. "Just like the Order."
                          
Gabriel immediately recognized this as a challenge and thrust the spear although Ivor dodged it. "You're not going anywhere, Ivor. At least, not in one piece." The two of them began to spar, the clashing of metal rubbing harshly against their ears.
                          
"We won't let him leave either!" said Lukas, backed up by Olivia and Axel.
                          
"Good."
                          
"Only I can stop the Witherstorm!" Ivor roared. "Not you, not the Order! Don't make yourself the villains in my story." 
                          
In the blink of an eye, Gabriel spun the rusted spear around and whacked it right into Ivor's side, causing him to double over and gasp in pain. The fire iron spun across the room as Ivor let go and reached to his side instead.
                          
"This could have all been avoided..." The pale-faced man coughed in anguish and clutched his rib.
                          
Gabriel coughed as well, although he tried to hide it. "I didn't want to, Ivor. Please, just stand down. Or even join us."
                          
"Join us? That jerk?" Axel crossed his arms and scoffed.
                          
Olivia nudged his side hard and whispered harshly, "Axel, be quiet!"
                          
"What is going on here?"
                          
Surprised by the new voice, everyone turned around and stood still, stunned. "No way," Lukas said under his breath, "no way he just came to us like that."
                          
"Soren?" Gabriel and Olivia stared at the Architect, wide-eyed. Axel shook his head to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
                          
Gabriel suddenly remembered that Soren would not take kindly to Ivor in his domain and spun around to keep the potion master down. He gritted his teeth when his spear pointed at empty air rather than flesh and cloth, clenching it tightly. "Damn it," he whispered.
                          
"He got away?" Lukas began to start a new sentence when Gabriel covered his mouth and silently mouthed for him to be quiet. Out of both fear and understanding, the Ocelots leader nodded.
                          
"Gabriel," breathed Soren in hushed whispers, "just what are you doing here?"
                          
~*Ω*~

                          
Neither dead nor alive. :)
                          
Things should go much faster after this chapter.