Wizards and Thieves - Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven: The Confluffery Starts
Neal got a chance to see the zombies shortly after Petros stated that he was going to solve the mystery. Petros got absorbed in his magical calculations, reminding Neal more of a scientist than a wizard, and the zombies shuffled all around them to assist Petros. They were just like the usual assistants, except for the fact that they never actually talked. Their lips weren't stitched together like the stereotypical zombies, but Neal never heard any of them talk.
Petros needed Neal for experiments, gathering data off of him, so Neal had to stay in the room. So Lady Elisabet set him up in a corner of the lab and fed him cookies. Neal had nothing to do but watch what went on. He was rather surprised at all of this and just then the whole ramifications of the situation was falling down around him. He had been sucked through to an alternate world through no fault of his own and everything was strange.
The best part was the fact that the anklet was not working, in his opinion. Of course, he knew that it couldn’t last. Even if it had been fried from the trip to the alternate dimension, Peter would waste no time at all in fixing that problem. And he wanted to get home, which meant that he couldn't even wander around this new world.
Neal chatted with Lady Elisabet and found himself talking about his world after getting the basics of the universe from her. He told her all about working with Peter at the FBI and all of the antics that he got up to with Mozzie. Since this was Elizabeth from an alternate world, he figured that there wasn't any harm in telling her things about himself. She couldn’t do anything about it and she seemed to enjoy the grey areas of life more than even Elizabeth did. Elizabeth was willing to help out with some things, but Lady Elisabet didn't fuss when he told her about the treasure.
"I'm sure that everything will work out," she said as she patted him on the arm and offered him a smile.
Neal returned her smile. "Thank you."
"I've got it," Petros called out as he shot up from his seat. He came over to where Neal and Elisabet were, almost bumping into several of his zombies because he was so focused on what he was looking at. He glanced up from his papers and grinned at them. "I've found the way to get you home. Since Niall's traveling to your world is what triggered the switch between the two worlds, it should be simple to change the both of you back. All I have to do is summon him here and then you'll end up back in your world."
"Do you really think that would work?" Neal asked, blinking in confusion. He had no idea how magic worked out, but he was up to trying anything if it would work.
"Since Niall is one of the chosen ones, we are connected in some way or another," Petros said. "I can take advantage of that and hope that he doesn't take advantage of me."
"Wait," Neal held up his hand. "What does that mean?"
"Are you going to be in danger?" Elisabet asked, perking up with worry.
"Don't worry about it," Petros offered her a reassuring smile and kissed her real quick. "There's a slight chance that Niall could use the connection to lash out at me, but the two of you are telling me to trust him."
"If he is me, I believe that things would work out fine," Neal said. He rubbed his hands together. "Though he might freak out just a bit."
"If you think that this is the best way, then I trust you," Elisabet declared. She patted Peter's chest and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"All right, then, are you ready?" Petros asked as he turned towards Neal.
Neal shot a glance down at his anklet, fairly sure that it would just reactivate and leave him to explain what went on to Peter. Still, he needed to go back home - even if only to get the treasure. "I'm ready."
"It was nice meeting you, Neal," Elisabet said as she hugged him. "Take care of yourself."
"And take care of my double when he gets here," Neal said as he returned the affection. Elizabeth never changed, even if it was an alternate of herself. He then turned to Petros and offered his hand. ”Good luck.”
“Thanks, I’m starting to think I might need it,” Petros said as he clasped hands with Neal. He closed his eyes and started the spell, but suddenly stopped.
Neal blinked and then spotted why Petros halted his spellcasting. A strange light formed in the center of the room before solidifying into five people. Neal raised his eyebrows as he recognized some of the figures grouped together. “Peter, Elizabeth, Mozzie. What are you guys doing here?”
“I should have known,” Peter said as his eyes lit upon Neal. He shook his head. “Of course you would end up here; that was why your anklet went out.”
“Yep, I’m free as a bird,” Neal said as he twitched his leg.
Peter rolled his eyes before glancing around the room. He flinched back when he spotted his lookalike, but didn't let that bother him for very long. Looking at his own lookalike, Neal could understand why Peter was acting that way - apparently they had discovered that the ‘chosen one’ was not Neal. “I think that this one belongs to you. The other one might be yours, too.”
Neal squinted at the fifth figure that had appeared and a name floated to the top of his mind in connection to the face. “Isn't that Adalia? What’s he doing here?”
“Apparently this guy is a wizard,” Peter said, jerking his thumb at the man. “Niall stole his staff.”
“Nice,” Neal said, grinning at his alternate self.
“No, not nice,” Peter said. “We wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't have done it. Stealing doesn’t pay.” Peter gave Neal a pointed look, which he promptly ignored.
“Didn’t we put him away in jail?” Neal asked, indicating the man.
“There’s no jail cell that can hold me,” the wizard declared, tilting his chin up defiantly. He raised his staff. “You’ll never take me alive.”
Light flared out from his staff and Neal staggered back in surprise. A second later, Petros joined the *magic show, glowing beams coming from his fingers and smashing up against what the wizard produced. The forces fought like an advanced game of tug of war, smashing and grabbing at one another.
A particularly violent clash caused a flash that spread through the whole room, blinding Neal.
Chapter Eight