• David opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling above him. His head ached horribly, as if he’d been hit with a mallet, but he managed to get to his feet with no more than a few groans of pain. He was in a familiar looking cell, the whole floor and walls were metal plated and looked extremely strong. However where the fourth wall should have been was just a glowing blue forcefield. There were two old-fashioned bunk beds lined against the opposite wall and a couple of rickety old chairs in the centre of the floor. David noted the array of holes along the wall; they looked like they were a kind of ventilation. However he suspected the gas they pumped wasn’t the sort you wanted to breathe in. The others were strewn across the floor as if they’d just been dumped off and left.
    What am I doing here? David thought. Why did I have to go and help them? Was it because they’re Malachi, or because I believe they can help? If I hang around them I’m dead, it’s like painting a target on my forehead. I remember this Raphael guy, and what he is. But can I trust him? And if he remembers me will he trust me? I just hope to hell that he stays out of my head.
    Hall stirred and looked up at him.
    “Where are we?” He groaned, slowly sitting up and looking around at the dark interior.
    “Oh we’re in Paradise Water Park, isn’t it obvious?” Said David, sarcasm dripping from every word. “No. We’re in the spire’s holding cells.”
    “Oh.” Hall looked down at his twin, then across at the cell walls. “What’s that light?”
    David’s brow creased as his eyes roamed the faint film across the walls. It looked like the metal had been given a kind of sheen. The glistening surface looked oiled, it shimmered in the light. Hall walked over and reached out gingerly, as if blind, trying to reach the wall.
    “Watch out.” David warned, “I’m guessing it’s dangerous.”
    “Nah.” Hall glanced back over his shoulder, “I can’t even touch the wall. Look.”
    Hall’s hand was pressed flat against thin air, about half an inch from the wall. “It’s a forcefield. Probably generated using static focused by crystals.” He squatted down and looked hard at the field.
    “Ah. More magic tricks?” David’s contempt was obvious. “Rule one of making a prison to break out of: make it rely on the prisoner’s strength.”
    “Yeah.” Hall said slowly, looking back at the forcefield. “But, there’s one problem: we can’t use magic to break it. It’s far too strong.”
    He stood up and started to pace around the cell, his eyes scanning the walls for any obvious weakness. Occasionally he would stop and place his hand on the forcefield, as though testing its strength.
    “You said you served in the war?” he said after a while.
    “Yeah, but I left after…after Xaxin.” David tone was slow and careful, “I couldn’t stand seeing … it again.” He grinned, “I’m much better off as a freelance.”
    “You part of a black market organisation now?” this gained a nod. “What did you call Raphael when we first met?”
    David opened his mouth to reply, when Adanis gave a groan.

    The forcefield lowered and in strode a slender young woman, human; with long silver blonde hair that half concealed glittering, intelligent eyes. Her stance said it all, ‘Don’t mess with me; I am far smarter than you.’ She was wearing an official looking black suit and carrying a PDA. A young soldier, dressed for combat, followed her in and took up his position next to her, his rifle pointed at the floor.
    “So.” She said in a voice like frost, “Who are you?”
    “You don’t know?” Said Raphael sitting back in his chair, keeping his gaze fixed on her.
    The woman smiled a thin, knowing smile. “Oh, it’s just a formality.” Her look could have cut ice. “We have an intergalactic database here, I can find out anyway.” She raised her voice, meeting Raphael’ stare. “Identify Prisoner.”
    The cool voice of the database issued from her PDA. “He is… no one.”
    The woman looked sharply at the PDA, then back up at the group. “Check again, all military and Malachi databases, security clearance level for Freya Mayden.”
    There was a pause then the voice spoke again. “He is… no one.”
    “Check the rest of them.” The woman looked irritated now, “I want information on all of them.”
    “Human to the front registers as David Razrail; a black market smuggler and outlaw, current bounty for theft, extortion and forgery… 5000 dollars.”
    “Human to the right registers as Hall Janus Aquila; a member of the order. Without a guardian or any known power.”
    “Sentient being registers as part of the primitive race of Soligarna.”
    “Human to the left… is no one.”
    The woman looked at the four of them, her eyes scanning them for any sign of weakness. “So,” She said, her voice cutting the silence like a whip, “we have a smuggler, a refugee, a magician with no tricks and a man that does not exist.” She stood up and strode towards Raphael. “I didn’t want to do this. But you leave me no choice.” she said. “Show me your signet.” Raphael hesitated. “I know you’re a Malachi.” She said.
    He raised his hand. The woman’s palm glowed yellow like the sun. Illuminating a signet on the inside her hand; it was a huge lioness surrounded by stars. Raphael closed his eyes and breathed out as his signet appeared on the back of his hand in lines of brilliant white.
    The woman closed her eyes and suddenly visions started to flash through her mind like a strobe light. A bright light. An explosion. An eagle soaring through the air. A hand gripping a sword. The face of a dying man. The screams of the wounded, the gurgle of the dying. Then the images stopped flickering, and she saw a figure standing in the centre of a huge fire, the rain drenching the land like a flood. The explosions around him illuminated his face with a blood red glow. It was Raphael, standing alone, looking down, watching the world around him burn and died.
    The image faded and was replaced by another. A cloaked figure standing in a circle of light, one hand surrounded by a halo of light, the other cloaked in a dark purple and black aura. He looked up; a mask concealed his face.
    “What are you?” she breathed, “You’re not like the others.”
    The figure looked at her and then placed it’s hands together. The blast threw Freya back, off her seat and into the wall.
    She stood, trembling in rage, and pointed her hand at David. Suddenly, as though caught by an invisible string, David was picked up and pinned, spread-eagle, against the wall.
    “Fine!” She breathed, “Looks like I’ll have to resort to torture.”
    “Oh like that’s going to work.” David grinned, looking down at Adanis. “Typical woman tortur-aaaggghhh”
    Electricity shot through David’s stationary figure. He gritted his teeth as a low hiss escaped from him. The bolts coruscate over him like snakes, leaving smoking paths over his body.
    “Now,” said Freya, pausing the torture and looking at Adanis, “Who are you? Who is he? And what are you doing here?”
    Adanis looked across at Hall, who shook his head. Keeping his gaze fixed on the soldier beside him. He wanted to stop the torture. He didn’t want to watch his friends slowly broken to provoke him. However he remained silent.
    Freya turned back to David.
    “It seems,” she said, walking up to him and putting her face near his, “that your ‘friends’ do not feel you are worth saving. Tell me who these people are.”
    David looked up into her eyes, his body still burning from the torture. He didn’t want any more pain, but he realised how important his friend’s mission was. He looked deep into her shadowy blue eyes and shook his head. There was the smallest flicker of regret in the dark pools as she stood back.
    David screamed as the current flowed again, longer this time, and twice as powerful. The shirt he’d been given burst into flames and crumbled to ash at his feet. His mighty body trembled as the unbearable agony threatened to overthrow him. Adanis looked on with tears in his eyes. He wanted to stop it, to use his power to stop all this anguish, but he knew he couldn’t. Freya leaned forward as the torment ceased, locking her gaze on his eyes.
    “You will break.” She whispered softly, “I will not be denied. So tell me and save yourself the pain.”
    “Oh I don’t plan on denying you.” David replied smiling through his tears. “I’m just not planning on talking.”
    “So. You won’t speak?” Freya said looking carefully at him.
    “Oh I’ll speak.” David stared up at the group “When hell freezes over.”
    Adanis snorted with laughter. Freya snapped around like a whip, and closed down on him.
    “You think this is funny?” her words could have etched stone, “Well, let’s see what’s in your mind.” She raised her hand.
    Adanis clutched at his head as the pain wormed it’s way through his skull and into his mind. He could feel Freya’s power snaking it’s way like a thorn into his mind, he feebly tried to oppose it, but could no more resist her than he could deny gravity. He closed his watering eyes and tensed up against the onslaught, only to feel the pressure increase. He looked up, in his mind’s eye, at the cat-shaped mind. It was coiled ready to pounce, all it’s attention was focused on him. He tried to move but was rooted to the spot, staring up at the great lioness closing on her prey.
    Freya’s mind moved in, passing through his defences with ease, plunging deep into his mind, searching for the answers. She broke through the final wall and was suddenly surrounded by all Adanis’ thoughts and memories. She moved to go forwards but found something holding her back. She looked down at what held her and felt terror rise. She let her gaze wander up at the huge scaly beast that held her. It roared and a tongue of blue-white fire burst from its mouth, engulfing her sending her spiralling back.
    Freya staggered backwards as the flames rose around her, binding her like fiery ropes. She screamed as it burnt through her protection and into her skin. Her hair stood on end as if she’d been shocked. Then, as suddenly as it came, the fire disappeared leaving her smoking on the floor.
    The guard yelled and raised his rifle as Hall hurtled into him, bearing him to the floor. Adanis was grabbed from behind and thrown out of the cell, closely followed by David’s smoking figure. He looked up as Hall’s needles shot out of his wrist implant and into the guard’s neck, leaving the man paralysed on the floor. Raphael was already tapping into the security system. Just as Freya staggered towards the entrance, the forcefield rose, blocking her way.
    “Kitty’s in her cage now.” Came David’s mocking voice. “Bet you like that.” He slipped his arm over Raphael’ shoulders, as he limped down the wide corridor.
    “You’ll never get out of here alive.” She snarled at their retreating backs. “And when you’re caught I’ll take pleasure in extracting all you’re secrets.”
    “So long as that’s all you’re extracting.” David called back over his shoulder.