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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Horror / Scary
- Published: 04/29/2014
The Russian House
Prologue:
Lionel Pearce was not an ordinary guy. He looked ordinary, had ordinary interests, worked an ordinary job, and came from a seemingly ordinary upper middle-class family. No one knew he was special. He didn’t even know he was special. That was about to change…
Lionel Pearce rolled his eyes, sighing. His boss, Mr. Devers, had given him his famous,” What am I going to do with you, you stupid, bumbling idiot” lecture. Lionel heard this lecture about five times a month. Sometimes he just wished Mr. Devers would fire him and get it over with. But Maxwell Devers wasn’t like most bosses. He enjoyed bossing other people around and pointing out there many flaws and mistakes. Lionel shifted the giant tray of food in one hand while adjusting his thick, black horn-rimmed glasses with the other. Why does he always feel the need to pick on me the most, he wondered to himself for the millionth time. Then he answered his own question. Because you were always, and still are, an easy target.
It was true. Since he could remember, he was always the butt of the jokes. He was the one who would likely get beat up after class, the one who was likely to get his head slammed into a toilet, the one likely to be stuffed into a locker. Part of it was his looks. He was scrawny, six feet tall but only weighing in at one hundred and forty pounds soaking wet. He had short, mousy brown hair he never could get to look right and emerald green eyes hidden behind thick horn-rimmed glasses he was forced to wear because he was bothered by a moderately severe case of astigmatism. Then there was his intellect. He was the stereotypical nerd in high school, always studying, doing well on tests, and generally being a goody two-shoes. The brain dead jocks in his school often used him as a physical and emotional punching bag. Then one day he went past the breaking point. He retaliated and gave the quarterback and captain of the football team a black eye and split lip. He was suspended for three days and during those three days, decided that he wanted to be homeschooled. He was tired of being picked on, or else ignored, and he also knew that all of the jocks at his high school would have it in for him now. Ever since he graduated from high school, he had been saving up for college. So he worked as a waiter working at the Black Docks Seafood Restaurant, the target of the sadistic boss Maxwell Devers.
Lionel was delivering food to a table full of college students when he heard a voice yell,” Lionel!” And that proved to be Lionel’s undoing. As he looked in the direction in which the voice shouted, one of the college students stuck his foot out, tripping him. Lionel’s foot went forward as the rest of him went backward. He landed on his butt with a loud thump. The tray flew out of his hands and went soaring through the air, eventually landing…in the middle of a table full of rich businessmen. Greasy fried seafood went in every direction, most of it landing on the men’s impeccable suits. Lionel looked around. The first thing he saw was his cousin Edward with his hands over his mouth. The second thing he saw was Mr. Devers running toward him, his eyes full of fury, foaming at the mouth. He came to a stop in front of Lionel. Even through Lionel stood nearly a head taller than Devers, Devers probably outweighed Lionel by a good one hundred pounds. It was obvious the bigger man was trying to hold himself back from choking the life out of Lionel, if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. “You are fired!” he hissed out between breaths,” Get out of my sight.” And Lionel did just that.
Lionel and Edward walked out of the restaurant together. Lionel was silent, his head swimming. He had finally been fired from his job. He had waited three years for this moment to happen. He was neither happy nor sad. On one hand, Lionel had hated the job, but on the other hand, it provided him with a steady source of income, paying more than minimum wage, along with tips. Finally he turned to Edward and said,” Okay cousin, what’s going on. Why did you run in there and shout my name? You know how clumsy I am!”
Edward looked down, having at least the decency to look ashamed. “I’m sorry, man. But I have some bad news. Your father,” Edward paused here, choking back a sob. Lionel knew instantly that something horrendous was going to follow. Edward continued. “Your father, he’s dying. He only has hours to live. He wants to see you one final time.” And with that said, the two boys ran to Edward’s car and took off toward the Pearce house, with Edward driving as fast as the speed limits would allow.
Twenty minutes later, Lionel gazed into the pale, craggy face that was his father, the only person he had left. His mother had died in a car accident when he was only twelve. Herman Pearce was only fifty, but the cancer made him look like he was ninety. Each breath he took sounded like a death rattle. Lionel felt tears come into his eyes as his father spoke.
“Son,” Herman barely managed to croak, reaching out one bony hand toward his only child. The tears flowed freely down his face as Lionel gingerly took his father’s hand. Herman managed a smile as he looked into his son’s brown eyes.
“Dad, do you need me to get you anything?” Lionel managed to say through a choked sob.
“No. Stay here. I don’t have a lot of time. I have much to tell you. Son, I need to tell you some about our family history.”
“What about our family history?” Lionel asked curiously.
“Okay, I might as well break the news to you. Son, you are a mage. You are a sorcerer.”
Lionel allowed himself a wry grin. “What?”
“You heard me. You are a sorcerer. I am one as well. Do you remember the stories I told you about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and more importantly, about Merlin?”
“Yeah…?”
“All the stories are true. Merlin lived in England over a thousand years ago. Unknown to legend, he sired a son, Eustace. And Eustace had children, and so on. All of Merlin’s male descendants are mages. His few female descendants were witches. You and I are Merlin’s last descendent. Once I pass on, you will be the last descendent of Merlin. And I can see in your eyes that you don’t believe me yet. Okay, then. I want you to hold out your hand and cup it slightly.” After Lionel did this, Herman took a in a deep, shuddering breath and said,” Now, I want you to say ‘Firis.’”
Lionel said ‘Firis’ under his breath and then looked down at his hand. He nearly passed out. Curling out of his fingers was a wisp of crackling blue fire. “Holy crap,” he muttered. “I really am a mage!”
Herman smiled feebly and said,” You are that, my son. Remember that book bound in the dark red and gold leather in my study, the one I would never let you look at? It is yours now.”
“What is it?” asked Lionel.
“It is the Manuscript of Blood. It was written by Merlin in the last years of his life. It has some of the most complex and powerful spells in exist; many of them invented by Merlin himself, and only a descendent of Merlin can cast them. There is a knife with a diamond blade and an onyx hilt on my desk. It is a magical knife. What you do is you slit your finger and let the blood drop onto the Manuscript. It then will unlock and reveal itself to you. Now, there is something else I must tell you.”
As Lionel looked at his father, he saw that Herman had only minutes to live. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Maybe it was part of being a mage. He started crying again. “What Dad?”
“Do you remember how I told you all about the Romanovs and the assassination of the Romanov family?”
“Yes. The Bolsheviks killed them, right?”
“Yes son, they did. But it wasn’t quite a political assassination. There was a supernatural aspect to it. Tell me son, do you believe in ghosts and demons?”
“No. But I didn’t believe in mages either. I guess if I’m a mage descended from Merlin, anything is possible right?”
Herman smiled and let out a weak chuckle. “That’s the spirit.” Then his gaze darkened. “Not all of the Bolsheviks were evil. They thought they were making things right. But the ones who imprisoned the Romanovs and killed them were the very definition of evil. They had allowed themselves to be possessed by demonic forces in order to gain more power.”
Lionel was too shocked to speak. Everything he had ever heard about the Romanovs was political. He couldn’t help but wonder how many other assassinations were the results of supernatural forces. Finally, he was able to speak. “What does this have to do with me?”
“Son, as a mage, you have the power to teleport back and forward through time. I want you to train for a year in combat and defense, and then I want to use the Manuscript of Blood to find the spell that will allow you to go back to July 16th, 1918. I want you to erase history and change it for the better. Please.” He weakly clutched Lionel’s hand in his own pale, clammy one. “Can you please do this for your old man?”
Tears ran down Lionel’s face. “I’ll do it for you, Dad. I swear it.”
Herman closed his eyes and his hand went limp. Lionel held the cold hand to his cheek and sobbed gut-wrenching sobs. His father was gone.
One year later:
“FIRIS!” bellowed Lionel Pearce, throwing out his hand. A bolt of crackling blue-white fire erupted from his palm and flew at the rock, all but eradicating it into nothing. Lionel smiled to himself. He was ready. He had been training for a year and had mastered many different types of spells, his preferred spell the Spell of Fire, also his very first spell.
Lionel had changed a lot during the year. He had shortened his already short brown hair so it would be up to the standards of the early twentieth century. He had worked out vigorously and now had a lean, wiry, muscular build. The biggest change, however, lay in his eyes. Now longer were they scared and skittish. They were analytical, analyzing anything, looking for threats. What’s more was that they were full of a confidence for the first time ever. He was no longer that nerdy, scared kid. In the last year, he had changed into a warrior, ready for whatever was to come.
Lionel left the clearing (it was his only sanctuary from the outside world and the only place he could train in peace, without outside interruptions) and headed for his house. He needed a nap. That night, he was going to read the Sacred Spell of Time Unraveling and travel back in time.
After a long and refreshing nap, it was time. He dressed in his warmest clothes, blue jeans, a plain white long sleeve shirt, and his worn brown leather jacket. He sheathed a pair of KA-BAR combat knives that had once belonged to his father and attached the sheaths to his jeans, one on either side. His father had been a part of the elite Marine Corps Recon squad, the Marine Corps’ version of the Navy SEALs. Lionel went to his father’s study, now his, and took out the heavy diamond knife. He gently slit open his palm and dropped it onto the book. There was a clicking sound as the lock on the book clicked open and the book spread open. Meanwhile, the shallow cut on Lionel’s palm instantly healed itself. Lionel then found the spell he was looking for and said,” Timelis Unravela. July 16th, 1918. Ipatiev House.” He put the knife and book in his pocket for safe keeping. There was a pause, during which Lionel worried that he had made a mistake. He was about to recite the spell again when he felt a pulling sensation in his gut. There was a flash of yellow light and Lionel Pearce was gone.
July 16th, 1918
Lionel found himself facedown on the ground. “Ok,” he grumbled. “Next time I do this, I got to time my landing.” He brushed himself off and looked around. He was standing in front of Ipatiev House, a hulking two-story stone house which was surrounded by a thick wooden fort. Lionel knew that there would be know way he could blast through that fort with his fire. That would be a great way to draw attention to himself! And he couldn’t just walk right in.
“Invisible Ghostis,” he muttered. The Ghost Spell was one of Merlin’s best spells, in Lionel’s humble opinion. It not only allowed him to turn invisible, but it also allowed him to go through walls and doors like they weren’t there. The only drawback was you couldn’t do it to anybody else. If he could, breaking the Romanovs out would be a snap!
Lionel went through the fort and entered the house. He knew from his father’s notes that the Romanov family was being held in a dungeon in the cellar of the house. Another thing omitted from the history books. Everybody thought that the Romanovs were sleeping peacefully when the soldiers woke them up to take them to that fateful room where they were assassinated. Lionel went through a hallway, backtracked, went though another hallway, and found himself standing in front of the secret entrance that would take him to the dungeon. Under normal circumstances, one would have to find the hidden switch to find enter the secret passage. Not Lionel! He simply just walked through the door as if it wasn’t there. He found himself descending down a myriad of stone steps and finally found himself in front of a heavy wooden door. He just passed right through it as if it was air, went down a corridor, and found himself standing in front of two guards. They just stood there, stiffly in attention, guarding a grated metal door, none the wiser. Finally, Lionel decided to cancel out the Ghost Spell. To the guards, he just popped out of thin air. Before they could move or scream, he knocked them out with two well-timed, stimulus punches. He smiled and whispered to himself,” This was the reason I was born ambidextrous.”
Lionel made sure that the guards were still unconscious before peering through the grate. A wide-eyed, frightened, mustached face met his gaze. “Who are you?” asked Tsar Nicholas II in Russian.
Lionel was glad all those years of studying Russia had paid off. Still, he couldn’t speak at first. He couldn’t believe a historical figure he had admired his whole life was actually speaking to him! Finally he managed,” Your Imperial Majesty, I am Lionel Pearce. I am here to rescue you and your family. Stand back.” Once he made sure that the Tsar was standing a safe distance away, he yelled,” Reducto!” The wrought iron door got blasted off its hinges like it was nothing. Lionel went though the entryway and saw the Romanovs for the very first time.
He was amazed by how strong and resolute the family seemed. It was obvious the Bolsheviks had broken them to some degree, but they still held their spirit. The first person Lionel made eye contact with was Tsarina Alexandra, a beautiful, matronly woman with graying auburn hair and deep grey eyes. He got on his knee and bowed to her and then turned to her husband and bowed to him. Then he faced the Grand Duchesses, Olga, Maria, Anastasia, and Tatiana. He marveled at how lovely and innocent the Grand Duchesses were. Olga had chestnut-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a broad face with a turned up nose. Maria was broadly built with light brown hair and large blue eyes. Anastasia was a bit chubby as well, with strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. Then Lionel’s eyes rested on Tatiana and his jaw nearly dropped. She was quite tall for a girl, with a fine, chiseled face, soft, regal features, dark auburn-brunette hair, and deep, dark blue-gray eyes that entranced Lionel as he looked into him. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He bowed to the Grand Duchesses next, and then turned to Tsarevich Alexei. His heart went out to the poor kid. He knew that Alexei was plagued by hemophilia and right now couldn’t walk. It was one of the reasons why the family became associated with Rasputin, and ultimately led to some of the problems that led to their imprisonment. He studied the boy. For a thirteen year old with hemophilia, he was quite muscular, and resembled both his father and his mother with auburn hair, a fine, chiseled face, and delicate features. He shared his mother’s and Tatiana’s dark eyes. Finally, Lionel bowed to him and offered him a smile, which the boy returned hesitantly in return.
The family studied Lionel for what seemed like eternity, but they didn’t seem quite as wary. He addressed them all respectively, unlike the Bolsheviks who used sarcasm and scorn. Finally Alexandra asked the question everybody was wondering. “Who are you?” she asked in English.
Lionel switched to English as well. “Your Imperial Majesty, my name is Lionel Pearce. I am an American sent to rescue you.”
“An American? Who sent you?” asked Nicholas.
“My father, Herman Pearce. His dying request was for me to go back in time and save you,” Lionel answered respectively. He then realized what he said much too late. He saw the wariness return in the family’s eyes and noticed that they backed away several steps.
“What do you mean ‘back in time,’’’ asked Alexandra. “And what are you saving us from, exactly?”
Lionel sighed. This wasn’t going the way he wouldn’t it to. He had planned for them to be out of the Ipatiev House and on their way to freedom by now. Finally he looked up and said,” I am a sorcerer from the future, from the year 2013. I am saving you from assassination. In just a few hours, the Bolsheviks are going to assassinate each and every one of you.”
Now the family backed all the way to the wall, with Nicolas standing in the front, his arms outstretched, shielding his family from possible harm. Lionel heard Maria whisper to the others,” He is a stark, raving madman.”
Lionel then carefully put his hand out, palm up. He whispered “Firis,” and sure enough, a small plum of blue fire appeared on his fingertips. He gently waved around before extinguishing it. He then looked up at the royal family, who looked back at him in shock. “He really is a wizard, Papa!” said Alexei in awe.
“Yes, I am. Now we need to get out of here.” Lionel said. Time was everything here. He didn’t intend to waste time showing off his skills in an effort to make the Romanovs believe him. He looked into each off the Romanovs’ eyes and saw that they finally believed him.
“We believe you and we will follow you. But our lives rest in your hands.” Nicholas said with finality.
“Okay then, folks, let’s make tracks.” He turned around at the Romanovs, who weren’t following him, but were looking at him oddly. “What does that mean?” asked Tatiana.
“My apologies. I keep forgetting that I’ve gone ninety-five years into the past. What I meant was let’s go. And keep an eye out for anything. We want to get out of here…”
And that’s when he heard a bloodcurdling growl behind him, a growl that didn’t sound like anything Lionel had ever heard before. He saw the Romanovs already pale faces go milky white with terror. He slowly turned around and found himself face to face with the guards he had knocked out beforehand. They looked normal except for one thing...their eyes. Their eyes glowed a ghastly grayish-blue that was almost silvery-white in color. They were devoid of pupils or irises. Tendrils of silvery mist oozed from them. The best way to describe them was demonic and hellish. Lionel remembered how his father had told him the Bolsheviks allowed themselves to be controlled by demons at points to have more power. Clearly, this was one of these cases.
…before exactly that happens,” Lionel finished, sighing, already unsheathing his
KA-BAR knives “I want you to stand back. Keep as close to the wall as possible.” He knew that if he told them to run, the other guards would find them and rip them into shreds. He put both of his knives out in front of him in an offensive/defensive position. And it was on. Lionel and the two guards launched themselves at each other and collided with deadly force that would have killed normal men. Lionel had honed his already quick reflexes and was now glad he did. He dodged the demons’ attacks effortlessly before slashing with one of his knives. The guards’ now human eyes looked up at Lionel, as if asking him where the heck their bodies went. Blood flew everywhere, splattering against the walls, the windows, everywhere. The only thing blood didn’t splatter against, miraculously, was the Romanov family. As they watched, a dark mist vanished into the floor and somehow Lionel knew that the evil spirits were being pulled back into the depths of hell were they came from.
He turned to the horrified Romanovs and said,” I am sorry you had to see that.” He especially hated seeing the look on terror that marred the Grand Duchesses’ beautiful faces, especially Tatiana. “Are you ladies okay?” he asked gently.
Tatiana spoke in a shaky voice,” Yes, we are fine. Thank you for asking.” She noted how concerned Lionel was for their well being. She couldn’t believe that she and her family had thought of this handsome, dashing young man as a madman only minutes before. Clearly, he was a very special person who was intent on saving them from those monsters. She couldn’t help but notice how his face was very strong and beautiful and his eyes sparked with kindness.
Meanwhile, Lionel was glancing at her and thinking her face was nothing but the perfection of beauty and her eyes; he could easily lose himself in those gorgeous eyes. Unknown to them both, the first buds of attraction had been planted in her heart.
Lionel smiled at her kindly and then gestured for the family to follow him. He led them through the thick wooden door. Upon opening it, they saw that there were two soldiers with rifles blocking the entrance, their backs to them. Lionel held a finger to his lips and was beginning to close the door when a soldier’s demonic eyes met his own. Yet his body was still facing with its back to them. Then Lionel realized with horror what had happened. The soldier’s head had done a one eighty on its neck. The other soldiers turned around and rushed the family, firing their rifles. Lionel heard Alexei cry out from his father’s arms, a loud thump, and Alexandra and the Grand Duchesses screaming. He didn’t have to turn around to know what happened. The rifles’ bullets had found their mark in Alexei, who upon being killed, fallen out of his father’s arms. Lionel threw his arm in the family’s direction and bellowed,” SHIELD ORBIS!” Instantly, an orb of red energy surrounded the Romanovs, protecting them from harm. With a roar of fury, Lionel launched himself at the soldier’s, intent on destroying them in the most harmful ways possible. He drew out his knives and bellowed “FIRIS!” at the same time. The blades were instantly engulfed in crackling fire. He slashed downward and loped off a soldier/demon’s legs off at the kneecaps. The creature screeched in pain and fury before Lionel put an end to it by stabbing it directly through the heart. Another one launched itself at Lionel, who instantly used his power over the air (AIRIS EVAPORATO!) to suck away the air from the soldier, suffocating him. While the soldier labored for breath, Lionel cleaved downward, cutting him in half, from the head all the way down to the pelvic area. Blood splashed in all directions, staining Lionel’s leather jacket red, and spattering against the Grand Duchesses’ beautiful dresses, staining the beautiful white silk crimson. The last soldier then attacked, but it was smarter than the rest. It somersaulted through the air and landed behind Lionel, between him and the Romanovs. Lionel spun around just as the creature was about to fire its rifle. He threw out his left hand, knocking the rifle out of the way, before decapitating the soldier/demon. He then checked to see how many more rounds were in the rifle, saw that there were still nine rounds out of eleven, and decided to keep it handy. Upon popping open the other two rifles; he saw that there were eight and ten rounds out of eleven in each one. Upon cancelling out the Shield spell, he handed one of the rifles to the Tsar and said quietly,” I am so sorry.”
There were tears in Nicholas’s eyes as he put a hand on Lionel’s shoulders. “It is not your fault,” he said in Russian. He looked at the charred bodies of the evil soldiers and spat. “It is their fault.” He hit the decapitated head with the stock of his rifle, sending it rolling away. “That was for my son, my Alexei,” he muttered.
Alexandra picked up the body of her youngest child and only son and cradled him as if he were a baby. She was obviously determined not to leave him in this horrid place. Lionel knew that this might by a liability for the Tsarina, and to some extent, all of them, but he was much too wise to say anything. He knew that many mothers around the world would do the same thing. Olga, Anastasia, and Maria all fell against their father at the same moment, sobbing hysterically. They had loved their little brother more than anything in the world. Lionel had to wipe tears out of his own eyes. He knew how hard it was to lose someone you cared about. His reaction was the exact same when his father died. Meanwhile, Tatiana was sobbing as well. She fell against the nearest person, who happened to be Lionel. Lionel did his best to comfort the distraught girl. He cradled her head and whispered,” It’s going to be OK. It’s going to be OK.” She continued to cling on to him as if he was the only thing left in the world.
With a tortured sigh, Lionel disengaged himself from Tatiana, whose sobs had receded to quiet sniffles, and steeled himself the best he could and turned to the family. Words weren’t spoken; they saw the sadness and anguish in his eyes. They knew how bad he felt and that he had lost someone important to him as well. Choking back a sob, he said, “Okay, we’re almost out of here. Follow me.”
Nicholas handed Olga the third rifle, then it was time to move. Lionel led them up the winding stone staircase and through the secret door. “We’re almost there,” he said to the Romanovs, who all smiled faintly in return. He led them down the two corridors and then through the main hall. The heavy door was in sight. They were almost free! They started to run for it when everything went cold with violent horror.
CRACK-CRACK-POP-POP-CRACK!!!! Suddenly the air was full of the sounds of rifles firing. Before Lionel could utter the Shielding Spell, four bullets buried themselves into Olga, and she fell. And before Lionel could speak, the whole family went into the offensive. Nicholas started firing his rifle while using the stock to bash demons heads on all at the same time. As soon as Lionel decapitated two soldiers, Alexandra, Anastasia, and Maria relieved the bodies of their pistols and started firing. All of the Romanovs were accomplished marksmen, and ten guards fell instantly in the onslaught, but there were at least forty more soldiers. Lionel was fighting three soldiers/demons at once. Unknown to him, a fourth soldier was sneaking up behind him, rapier raised. It was about to cleave downward when there was a loud CRACK as Tatiana fired her fallen sister’s rifle, hitting it directly in the forehead. She had just saved his life. Meanwhile, Lionel was fighting for his life. He hit one demon/soldier with a well placed Fire Spell in the chest, charring its lungs and heart, killing it instantly. He cut another one in half at the waste and finally decapitated the third. He turned around and saw the body of the soldier Tatiana had killed, the one meant to kill him. He understood instantly the girl had just saved his life. He sent a beaming smile in her direction before returning to the fight. And yet more soldiers were piling in. There’s no way we can do this, thought Lionel grimly. Time to resort to a distraction. He put a brief Shield spell on the Romanovs, who looked at him confused, and then he bellowed,” LIGHTIS PURIS!!!!!”
It all happened in a split second. Instantly, there was an ethereal flash of brilliant white and yellow light, a shaft of pure light so bright it could rival the brightest sunray or flash of lightening. All of the soldier/demons were blinded instantly, although not permanently so. It wouldn’t be long before they recovered. He cancelled out the spell shielding the Romanovs, who knew instantly what was going had happened. Lionel had unleashed the spell so that they could escape. And that’s exactly what they did. Out the door they ran, into the cool night. There was no need for him to be discreet. He out both of his arms and bellowed “REDUCTO!!!!” There was a loud cracking sound as the wooden fort around the house crumbled into kindling.
“We are free!” yelled Maria joyfully in Russian. Tatiana and Lionel then exchanged glances, but then quickly looked away shyly. They had small, secret smiles on their faces as they looked back to the house. And then there was a rumbling that almost made the ground itself quake. Hundreds of soldiers in full military uniform were charging out of the house and across the courtyard, coming in at every direction. But it wasn’t the Romanovs they were looking at. It was Lionel. They wanted him to die first before they worried about the royal family. There was only one thing for Lionel to do.
“I want you to get out of here as fast as you can,” he said to the family. “I’m going to hold them off,” he said, glancing in the direction of the approaching soldiers.
“There is no way you can destroy all of them,” said Nicholas. And then it dawned on all of them what Lionel had in mind.
“You are not…” Tatiana trailed off.
“Going to sacrifice myself?” Lionel finished for her. “If I have to, yes. Get out of here. Save yourselves. That’s what I did this for.” And before the Romanovs could protest, he took off in the direction of the soldiers, intending to meet them head on. He unsheathed his knives and bellowed,” FIRIS!” with as much power as he could muster. His entire arms were then engulfed in a multitude of flames: red, yellow, blue, and white. And it was time. He threw out his right arm and instantly wiped out six soldiers, reducing them into neat little piles of ash. He put out his left arm and annihilated another eight. And so on. But more kept coming. It wouldn’t be long before they gained the upper hand.
And then the soldiers backed off. A man was approaching. With a head full of short, curly dark hair and a curly bushy beard and mustache, he wasn’t much of a sight to behold. But Lionel recognized him instantly from an old photo. Yakov Yurovsky, the Romanovs would be chief executioner. As Yurovsky approached him, Lionel saw that he was indeed possessed by a demon, but not like the ones possessing the other soldiers. The eyes were a deep, bright crimson color that seemed to ooze evil and power. Clearly, Yurovsky, being the one in command, had been possessed by a higher power of demon. And it was obvious by his body language that he wanted to take on Lionel one on one. The two men stopped when they were about twenty feet away from each other and paused, looking each other in the eye, sizing each other up. Then they were running at each other at top speed. They launched themselves into the air and collided, kicking and punching. Lionel barely could dodge the ferocious attacks by the powerful demon. He couldn’t get on the offensive, no matter how hard he looked for an opening. He was purely on the defensive. Yurovsky slowly backed Lionel toward the open door of the house. For the first time during the whole ordeal, a demon got in a lucky hit. A powerful fist embedded itself in Lionel’s eye, which instantly began to puff up and swell shut. Yurovsky smiled grimly as he anticipated a victory. He used one hand to defend Lionel’s powerful punches and kicks as he drew out a beautiful but deadly kindjal dagger. .
Lionel saw the knife and the wicked glint in the demon’s eye. He saw something vaguely human in it and realized something terrifying. Both Yurovsky and the demon were equally in control. It was time for him to make his move. “FIRIS!!!!!” he bellowed and smiled to himself at the irony. Using fire to banish a creature from hell. But as he was about to launch his volley of fire, Yurovsky let loose a surprise kick. His foot connected with Lionel’s kneecap, kicking his leg out from under him. Lionel fell on his butt, and due to his surprise and loss of concentration, his flames were extinguished.
Yurovsky grinned wickedly. His eyes changed color like a kaleidoscope, first a demonic crimson, then a normal brown full of hate. He raised his dagger and brought it down at Lionel’s heart.
Lionel watched the knife as if it were in slow motion. He braced himself for death and then thought to himself, if I’m going to die, I’m going to bring these guys down with me. With uncanny reflexes, he grabbed Yurovsky’s knife hand, stopping its downward progress, while successfully sending the knife spinning away. Lionel grabbed it. Yurovsky’s face was set in an angry snarl, which quickly turned into a look of mixed surprise, dismay, and fear at Lionel’s next spell.
“DESTRUCTIONIS MAXIMIS OMEGA!!!!!!!!!!!” he roared. All of the demons looked at him in surprise, then at each other, and then tried to get the heck out of there. But it was too late. The house started to tremble on its foundation, then to quake, then to shudder violently. Chunks of wood, stone, and marble began to rain down around them. The windows shattered and the foundation moaned. And then the Ipatiev House crumbled into ruin as if it never existed at all.
The Romanovs watched in shock as the Ipatiev House fell into nothing. They all wordlessly looked at one another and then all started sobbing uncontrollably at once, even the Tsar. If Lionel had been in that house, he was dead. They had never been able to thank him, and now they never would. Maria and Anastasia sobbed against there mother while Tatiana sobbed into her father’s chest. First Alexei had been killed, and then Olga, and finally Lionel had sacrificed himself. So busy was the family sobbing that they didn’t see the figure approaching them until he said,” Why are you crying?”
The family looked up in surprise and found themselves all looking at Lionel. He had a huge black eye along with a giant gash on his cheek that would eventually leave a permanent scar, but, along with the rips in his jacket, he looked none worse for wear. They all looked at him before the woman all ran at him and all hugged him at the same time. Nicholas then approached him and engulfed his hand in a handshake. “How can we ever thank you?”
Lionel looked at the older man and said,” You don’t need to. It was my pleasure.” And then, as they were all huddled around in a many-armed hug, Lionel looked up into the starry knight sky and whispered,” It’s done, Dad. I did it.”
Epilogue:
Nine days later:
After the demise of the demonic forces, Lionel knew he couldn’t go back to his current time just yet. He had to help the Romanovs start a new life first, as they couldn’t stay in Russia, with the Communists taking over.
They had first held a small funeral for both Olga and Alexei, even through they had nothing to bury. Lionel, who practiced the Russian Orthodox religion, served as the minister. Then they had walked and walked until they found themselves in a small Russian village. They had went to the nearest house and knocked on the door. An elderly peasant man answered. To say he was surprise as he looked at Russia’s royal family in their bloodstained clothes was an understatement. But he and his family were still ardent supporters of the Romanovs and took them in instantly. At the house, everyone took baths and washed their bloodstained clothes. Luckily, the blood came out of the clothes. The family spent the night at the house and got a much needed nights rest. The next morning, Lionel read the newspaper over a breakfast of porridge and saw that a tramp steamer, the Venture, was leaving for Charlottetown, Canada. It was then that he decided that the Romanovs would start new lives in Canada under new names. The family readily agreed.
The kind Russian family, the Babanins, gave them some money, food, and clothes. In return, the Romanovs gave them some of the precious jewelry they had managed to hold on to.* From there, Mr. Babanin took them by oxcart back to Yekaterinburg. From there, they boarded a steam train to St. Petersburg.
During the week long journey, Lionel and Tatiana often spent time together. They learned that they liked reading books by American and British authors, like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austin, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Tatiana told him stories about her family and the fun they shared together. She often cried and Lionel had to hold her hand to comfort and calm her. Before long, they were holding hands at other times as well. There were a lot of times they would talk for hours and, without even knowing it look down and there hands would be intertwined. Obviously there was an attraction between the two young people, something the whole family noticed.
On the last day of their trip, Tatiana asked, ”Lionel, what is this 2013 of yours like?”
“It’s incredible. We have rockets going up to the moon, telephones we can carry in our pockets, and we can send letters to each other instantly. But you know what?”
“Yes?” Tatiana asked.
“I like this time period more. There’s something about it that I find…endearing. It’s simpler. When the War ends, things will change dramatically. It will be good in some places and in other places not so good. And then there’s something else. I am going to really miss your family, Tatiana. And I’m going to especially miss you. I have never been able to talk to people very well you know other then work or family but with you it is so easy. I feel very happy when I am with you.”
Tatiana beamed at him and said,” I will miss you to, Lionel. I have you to thank so very much with helping me with my sadness and letting me cry for them. Then somehow you brought sunshine into my darkest hour. You will always be to me a beautiful light. I promise I will never forget you.” She got up and embraced him. Lionel held her to him and breathed in the intoxicating jasmine perfume she wore. He really would miss her, everything about her. Before he could stop himself, before he could even think about what he was doing, he planted a lingering kiss on her perfect lips. They broke apart and then looked at each other, before giggling and blushing like small children.
Then it was time. The Romanovs looked at the tramp steamer that would take them from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, where they would start their new lives. They would be called the Ivanovs from now on. Nicholas would be called Nicky, Alexandra would be called Alessandra, Tatiana would be called Tamera, Maria would be called Marie or Mary, and Anastasia would be called Anastasie. They all looked at Lionel, who looked down at his feet awkwardly.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye.” After they set off, Lionel was going to go back to the ruins of Ipatiev House, and from there, travel back to the future.
“Thank you for everything you have done for us,” Nicholas said formally, shaking the boy’s hand.
“It was my please, Your Imperial Majesty,” Lionel said politely. He then bowed to each of them. “Good luck.”
He turned away, intending on catching the earliest train to Yekaterinburg, Russia, where the ruins were located so he could go back to his current time. The family watched him go before climbing the gangplank. All of them, that is, except Tatiana. She just stood there, rigid, watching Lionel walk out of there lives. It hit her then just how much she cared about him and just how much she was attracted to him. She had only known him for a few days, but in those few days, he not only sacrificed life and limb to save them, he also did everything he could to grant them safe passage to Canada so they could start new lives. He brought warmth into the cold for her. He would listen for hours to her stories of her and her lost family members and of the happy times they shared. He would always ask to hear more and that helped her broken heart mend a little each day. He had helped create unmarked graves for both Alexei and Olga (even through they didn’t have anything to bury), and had acted as minister for their funeral. They had much in common. He was one of the closest friends she had ever had. He could be the man for her. And now he was walking out of there lives forever, to go back to wherever he came from, ninety-five years into the future.
“Tania, dear, please. It’s time to go,” Alexandra said gently but firmly, using her nickname.
Tatiana ignored her. She stood there, tears running down her cheeks, before screaming. “LIONEL!!!!”
Lionel turned around. Surely he didn’t hear what he thought he had just heard. It couldn’t be Tatiana yelling his name. He turned around and started walking back to the boat. He could at least watch them set off. As he reached the dock, Tatiana ran toward him and hit him with such force that he nearly fell over. She sobbed into his shoulder as Lionel awkwardly stroked her back. She was making unintelligible, indecipherable sounds, and then Lionel realized she was mumbling,” Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.” He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her beautiful dark eyes.
“I got to,” he said gently. “I’ve got to leave.”
“No, please don’t,” she said, sobbing. “I couldn’t bear it. Lionel, I…” Here, she broke down completely. Lionel held her head against his shoulder until she managed to calm down again. “What?” he said gently.
“Lionel, I really like you. I want you to stay. I do honestly believe we might have a future together, but how will I know for certain if you leave?”
Lionel just looked at her, too shocked to speak. He couldn’t believe it. The most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on had just told him she had feelings for him. The girl who risked her life to help her family escape, bravely facing demons and shooting them down. The girl who had saved his life only a week earlier. The girl he…also really liked.
Lionel just looked at her. He didn’t notice the rest of the family had gotten off the ship and had gathered around. The only thing he noticed was Tatiana’s dark blue eyes looking at him pleadingly. Then he swept her into his arms and pressed his lip to hers while stroking her beautiful dark auburn hair. Once they broke apart, he said,” I really like you, too.”
He looked at the rest of the family and said simply,” I’m staying.” And with that said, they boarded the steamboat.
One year later:
“Do you, Tamera Ivanov, take Lionel Pearce to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Lionel Pearce, take Tamera Ivanov to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
As Lionel and Tatiana shared their first kiss as man and wife, Lionel thought, I’m married Dad. I hope you approve.
He then turned to his beautiful bride, the woman he loved more than anything in this world, and kissed her again and thanked God that they were together.
The Russian House(Logan Wright)
The Russian House
Prologue:
Lionel Pearce was not an ordinary guy. He looked ordinary, had ordinary interests, worked an ordinary job, and came from a seemingly ordinary upper middle-class family. No one knew he was special. He didn’t even know he was special. That was about to change…
Lionel Pearce rolled his eyes, sighing. His boss, Mr. Devers, had given him his famous,” What am I going to do with you, you stupid, bumbling idiot” lecture. Lionel heard this lecture about five times a month. Sometimes he just wished Mr. Devers would fire him and get it over with. But Maxwell Devers wasn’t like most bosses. He enjoyed bossing other people around and pointing out there many flaws and mistakes. Lionel shifted the giant tray of food in one hand while adjusting his thick, black horn-rimmed glasses with the other. Why does he always feel the need to pick on me the most, he wondered to himself for the millionth time. Then he answered his own question. Because you were always, and still are, an easy target.
It was true. Since he could remember, he was always the butt of the jokes. He was the one who would likely get beat up after class, the one who was likely to get his head slammed into a toilet, the one likely to be stuffed into a locker. Part of it was his looks. He was scrawny, six feet tall but only weighing in at one hundred and forty pounds soaking wet. He had short, mousy brown hair he never could get to look right and emerald green eyes hidden behind thick horn-rimmed glasses he was forced to wear because he was bothered by a moderately severe case of astigmatism. Then there was his intellect. He was the stereotypical nerd in high school, always studying, doing well on tests, and generally being a goody two-shoes. The brain dead jocks in his school often used him as a physical and emotional punching bag. Then one day he went past the breaking point. He retaliated and gave the quarterback and captain of the football team a black eye and split lip. He was suspended for three days and during those three days, decided that he wanted to be homeschooled. He was tired of being picked on, or else ignored, and he also knew that all of the jocks at his high school would have it in for him now. Ever since he graduated from high school, he had been saving up for college. So he worked as a waiter working at the Black Docks Seafood Restaurant, the target of the sadistic boss Maxwell Devers.
Lionel was delivering food to a table full of college students when he heard a voice yell,” Lionel!” And that proved to be Lionel’s undoing. As he looked in the direction in which the voice shouted, one of the college students stuck his foot out, tripping him. Lionel’s foot went forward as the rest of him went backward. He landed on his butt with a loud thump. The tray flew out of his hands and went soaring through the air, eventually landing…in the middle of a table full of rich businessmen. Greasy fried seafood went in every direction, most of it landing on the men’s impeccable suits. Lionel looked around. The first thing he saw was his cousin Edward with his hands over his mouth. The second thing he saw was Mr. Devers running toward him, his eyes full of fury, foaming at the mouth. He came to a stop in front of Lionel. Even through Lionel stood nearly a head taller than Devers, Devers probably outweighed Lionel by a good one hundred pounds. It was obvious the bigger man was trying to hold himself back from choking the life out of Lionel, if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. “You are fired!” he hissed out between breaths,” Get out of my sight.” And Lionel did just that.
Lionel and Edward walked out of the restaurant together. Lionel was silent, his head swimming. He had finally been fired from his job. He had waited three years for this moment to happen. He was neither happy nor sad. On one hand, Lionel had hated the job, but on the other hand, it provided him with a steady source of income, paying more than minimum wage, along with tips. Finally he turned to Edward and said,” Okay cousin, what’s going on. Why did you run in there and shout my name? You know how clumsy I am!”
Edward looked down, having at least the decency to look ashamed. “I’m sorry, man. But I have some bad news. Your father,” Edward paused here, choking back a sob. Lionel knew instantly that something horrendous was going to follow. Edward continued. “Your father, he’s dying. He only has hours to live. He wants to see you one final time.” And with that said, the two boys ran to Edward’s car and took off toward the Pearce house, with Edward driving as fast as the speed limits would allow.
Twenty minutes later, Lionel gazed into the pale, craggy face that was his father, the only person he had left. His mother had died in a car accident when he was only twelve. Herman Pearce was only fifty, but the cancer made him look like he was ninety. Each breath he took sounded like a death rattle. Lionel felt tears come into his eyes as his father spoke.
“Son,” Herman barely managed to croak, reaching out one bony hand toward his only child. The tears flowed freely down his face as Lionel gingerly took his father’s hand. Herman managed a smile as he looked into his son’s brown eyes.
“Dad, do you need me to get you anything?” Lionel managed to say through a choked sob.
“No. Stay here. I don’t have a lot of time. I have much to tell you. Son, I need to tell you some about our family history.”
“What about our family history?” Lionel asked curiously.
“Okay, I might as well break the news to you. Son, you are a mage. You are a sorcerer.”
Lionel allowed himself a wry grin. “What?”
“You heard me. You are a sorcerer. I am one as well. Do you remember the stories I told you about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and more importantly, about Merlin?”
“Yeah…?”
“All the stories are true. Merlin lived in England over a thousand years ago. Unknown to legend, he sired a son, Eustace. And Eustace had children, and so on. All of Merlin’s male descendants are mages. His few female descendants were witches. You and I are Merlin’s last descendent. Once I pass on, you will be the last descendent of Merlin. And I can see in your eyes that you don’t believe me yet. Okay, then. I want you to hold out your hand and cup it slightly.” After Lionel did this, Herman took a in a deep, shuddering breath and said,” Now, I want you to say ‘Firis.’”
Lionel said ‘Firis’ under his breath and then looked down at his hand. He nearly passed out. Curling out of his fingers was a wisp of crackling blue fire. “Holy crap,” he muttered. “I really am a mage!”
Herman smiled feebly and said,” You are that, my son. Remember that book bound in the dark red and gold leather in my study, the one I would never let you look at? It is yours now.”
“What is it?” asked Lionel.
“It is the Manuscript of Blood. It was written by Merlin in the last years of his life. It has some of the most complex and powerful spells in exist; many of them invented by Merlin himself, and only a descendent of Merlin can cast them. There is a knife with a diamond blade and an onyx hilt on my desk. It is a magical knife. What you do is you slit your finger and let the blood drop onto the Manuscript. It then will unlock and reveal itself to you. Now, there is something else I must tell you.”
As Lionel looked at his father, he saw that Herman had only minutes to live. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Maybe it was part of being a mage. He started crying again. “What Dad?”
“Do you remember how I told you all about the Romanovs and the assassination of the Romanov family?”
“Yes. The Bolsheviks killed them, right?”
“Yes son, they did. But it wasn’t quite a political assassination. There was a supernatural aspect to it. Tell me son, do you believe in ghosts and demons?”
“No. But I didn’t believe in mages either. I guess if I’m a mage descended from Merlin, anything is possible right?”
Herman smiled and let out a weak chuckle. “That’s the spirit.” Then his gaze darkened. “Not all of the Bolsheviks were evil. They thought they were making things right. But the ones who imprisoned the Romanovs and killed them were the very definition of evil. They had allowed themselves to be possessed by demonic forces in order to gain more power.”
Lionel was too shocked to speak. Everything he had ever heard about the Romanovs was political. He couldn’t help but wonder how many other assassinations were the results of supernatural forces. Finally, he was able to speak. “What does this have to do with me?”
“Son, as a mage, you have the power to teleport back and forward through time. I want you to train for a year in combat and defense, and then I want to use the Manuscript of Blood to find the spell that will allow you to go back to July 16th, 1918. I want you to erase history and change it for the better. Please.” He weakly clutched Lionel’s hand in his own pale, clammy one. “Can you please do this for your old man?”
Tears ran down Lionel’s face. “I’ll do it for you, Dad. I swear it.”
Herman closed his eyes and his hand went limp. Lionel held the cold hand to his cheek and sobbed gut-wrenching sobs. His father was gone.
One year later:
“FIRIS!” bellowed Lionel Pearce, throwing out his hand. A bolt of crackling blue-white fire erupted from his palm and flew at the rock, all but eradicating it into nothing. Lionel smiled to himself. He was ready. He had been training for a year and had mastered many different types of spells, his preferred spell the Spell of Fire, also his very first spell.
Lionel had changed a lot during the year. He had shortened his already short brown hair so it would be up to the standards of the early twentieth century. He had worked out vigorously and now had a lean, wiry, muscular build. The biggest change, however, lay in his eyes. Now longer were they scared and skittish. They were analytical, analyzing anything, looking for threats. What’s more was that they were full of a confidence for the first time ever. He was no longer that nerdy, scared kid. In the last year, he had changed into a warrior, ready for whatever was to come.
Lionel left the clearing (it was his only sanctuary from the outside world and the only place he could train in peace, without outside interruptions) and headed for his house. He needed a nap. That night, he was going to read the Sacred Spell of Time Unraveling and travel back in time.
After a long and refreshing nap, it was time. He dressed in his warmest clothes, blue jeans, a plain white long sleeve shirt, and his worn brown leather jacket. He sheathed a pair of KA-BAR combat knives that had once belonged to his father and attached the sheaths to his jeans, one on either side. His father had been a part of the elite Marine Corps Recon squad, the Marine Corps’ version of the Navy SEALs. Lionel went to his father’s study, now his, and took out the heavy diamond knife. He gently slit open his palm and dropped it onto the book. There was a clicking sound as the lock on the book clicked open and the book spread open. Meanwhile, the shallow cut on Lionel’s palm instantly healed itself. Lionel then found the spell he was looking for and said,” Timelis Unravela. July 16th, 1918. Ipatiev House.” He put the knife and book in his pocket for safe keeping. There was a pause, during which Lionel worried that he had made a mistake. He was about to recite the spell again when he felt a pulling sensation in his gut. There was a flash of yellow light and Lionel Pearce was gone.
July 16th, 1918
Lionel found himself facedown on the ground. “Ok,” he grumbled. “Next time I do this, I got to time my landing.” He brushed himself off and looked around. He was standing in front of Ipatiev House, a hulking two-story stone house which was surrounded by a thick wooden fort. Lionel knew that there would be know way he could blast through that fort with his fire. That would be a great way to draw attention to himself! And he couldn’t just walk right in.
“Invisible Ghostis,” he muttered. The Ghost Spell was one of Merlin’s best spells, in Lionel’s humble opinion. It not only allowed him to turn invisible, but it also allowed him to go through walls and doors like they weren’t there. The only drawback was you couldn’t do it to anybody else. If he could, breaking the Romanovs out would be a snap!
Lionel went through the fort and entered the house. He knew from his father’s notes that the Romanov family was being held in a dungeon in the cellar of the house. Another thing omitted from the history books. Everybody thought that the Romanovs were sleeping peacefully when the soldiers woke them up to take them to that fateful room where they were assassinated. Lionel went through a hallway, backtracked, went though another hallway, and found himself standing in front of the secret entrance that would take him to the dungeon. Under normal circumstances, one would have to find the hidden switch to find enter the secret passage. Not Lionel! He simply just walked through the door as if it wasn’t there. He found himself descending down a myriad of stone steps and finally found himself in front of a heavy wooden door. He just passed right through it as if it was air, went down a corridor, and found himself standing in front of two guards. They just stood there, stiffly in attention, guarding a grated metal door, none the wiser. Finally, Lionel decided to cancel out the Ghost Spell. To the guards, he just popped out of thin air. Before they could move or scream, he knocked them out with two well-timed, stimulus punches. He smiled and whispered to himself,” This was the reason I was born ambidextrous.”
Lionel made sure that the guards were still unconscious before peering through the grate. A wide-eyed, frightened, mustached face met his gaze. “Who are you?” asked Tsar Nicholas II in Russian.
Lionel was glad all those years of studying Russia had paid off. Still, he couldn’t speak at first. He couldn’t believe a historical figure he had admired his whole life was actually speaking to him! Finally he managed,” Your Imperial Majesty, I am Lionel Pearce. I am here to rescue you and your family. Stand back.” Once he made sure that the Tsar was standing a safe distance away, he yelled,” Reducto!” The wrought iron door got blasted off its hinges like it was nothing. Lionel went though the entryway and saw the Romanovs for the very first time.
He was amazed by how strong and resolute the family seemed. It was obvious the Bolsheviks had broken them to some degree, but they still held their spirit. The first person Lionel made eye contact with was Tsarina Alexandra, a beautiful, matronly woman with graying auburn hair and deep grey eyes. He got on his knee and bowed to her and then turned to her husband and bowed to him. Then he faced the Grand Duchesses, Olga, Maria, Anastasia, and Tatiana. He marveled at how lovely and innocent the Grand Duchesses were. Olga had chestnut-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a broad face with a turned up nose. Maria was broadly built with light brown hair and large blue eyes. Anastasia was a bit chubby as well, with strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. Then Lionel’s eyes rested on Tatiana and his jaw nearly dropped. She was quite tall for a girl, with a fine, chiseled face, soft, regal features, dark auburn-brunette hair, and deep, dark blue-gray eyes that entranced Lionel as he looked into him. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He bowed to the Grand Duchesses next, and then turned to Tsarevich Alexei. His heart went out to the poor kid. He knew that Alexei was plagued by hemophilia and right now couldn’t walk. It was one of the reasons why the family became associated with Rasputin, and ultimately led to some of the problems that led to their imprisonment. He studied the boy. For a thirteen year old with hemophilia, he was quite muscular, and resembled both his father and his mother with auburn hair, a fine, chiseled face, and delicate features. He shared his mother’s and Tatiana’s dark eyes. Finally, Lionel bowed to him and offered him a smile, which the boy returned hesitantly in return.
The family studied Lionel for what seemed like eternity, but they didn’t seem quite as wary. He addressed them all respectively, unlike the Bolsheviks who used sarcasm and scorn. Finally Alexandra asked the question everybody was wondering. “Who are you?” she asked in English.
Lionel switched to English as well. “Your Imperial Majesty, my name is Lionel Pearce. I am an American sent to rescue you.”
“An American? Who sent you?” asked Nicholas.
“My father, Herman Pearce. His dying request was for me to go back in time and save you,” Lionel answered respectively. He then realized what he said much too late. He saw the wariness return in the family’s eyes and noticed that they backed away several steps.
“What do you mean ‘back in time,’’’ asked Alexandra. “And what are you saving us from, exactly?”
Lionel sighed. This wasn’t going the way he wouldn’t it to. He had planned for them to be out of the Ipatiev House and on their way to freedom by now. Finally he looked up and said,” I am a sorcerer from the future, from the year 2013. I am saving you from assassination. In just a few hours, the Bolsheviks are going to assassinate each and every one of you.”
Now the family backed all the way to the wall, with Nicolas standing in the front, his arms outstretched, shielding his family from possible harm. Lionel heard Maria whisper to the others,” He is a stark, raving madman.”
Lionel then carefully put his hand out, palm up. He whispered “Firis,” and sure enough, a small plum of blue fire appeared on his fingertips. He gently waved around before extinguishing it. He then looked up at the royal family, who looked back at him in shock. “He really is a wizard, Papa!” said Alexei in awe.
“Yes, I am. Now we need to get out of here.” Lionel said. Time was everything here. He didn’t intend to waste time showing off his skills in an effort to make the Romanovs believe him. He looked into each off the Romanovs’ eyes and saw that they finally believed him.
“We believe you and we will follow you. But our lives rest in your hands.” Nicholas said with finality.
“Okay then, folks, let’s make tracks.” He turned around at the Romanovs, who weren’t following him, but were looking at him oddly. “What does that mean?” asked Tatiana.
“My apologies. I keep forgetting that I’ve gone ninety-five years into the past. What I meant was let’s go. And keep an eye out for anything. We want to get out of here…”
And that’s when he heard a bloodcurdling growl behind him, a growl that didn’t sound like anything Lionel had ever heard before. He saw the Romanovs already pale faces go milky white with terror. He slowly turned around and found himself face to face with the guards he had knocked out beforehand. They looked normal except for one thing...their eyes. Their eyes glowed a ghastly grayish-blue that was almost silvery-white in color. They were devoid of pupils or irises. Tendrils of silvery mist oozed from them. The best way to describe them was demonic and hellish. Lionel remembered how his father had told him the Bolsheviks allowed themselves to be controlled by demons at points to have more power. Clearly, this was one of these cases.
…before exactly that happens,” Lionel finished, sighing, already unsheathing his
KA-BAR knives “I want you to stand back. Keep as close to the wall as possible.” He knew that if he told them to run, the other guards would find them and rip them into shreds. He put both of his knives out in front of him in an offensive/defensive position. And it was on. Lionel and the two guards launched themselves at each other and collided with deadly force that would have killed normal men. Lionel had honed his already quick reflexes and was now glad he did. He dodged the demons’ attacks effortlessly before slashing with one of his knives. The guards’ now human eyes looked up at Lionel, as if asking him where the heck their bodies went. Blood flew everywhere, splattering against the walls, the windows, everywhere. The only thing blood didn’t splatter against, miraculously, was the Romanov family. As they watched, a dark mist vanished into the floor and somehow Lionel knew that the evil spirits were being pulled back into the depths of hell were they came from.
He turned to the horrified Romanovs and said,” I am sorry you had to see that.” He especially hated seeing the look on terror that marred the Grand Duchesses’ beautiful faces, especially Tatiana. “Are you ladies okay?” he asked gently.
Tatiana spoke in a shaky voice,” Yes, we are fine. Thank you for asking.” She noted how concerned Lionel was for their well being. She couldn’t believe that she and her family had thought of this handsome, dashing young man as a madman only minutes before. Clearly, he was a very special person who was intent on saving them from those monsters. She couldn’t help but notice how his face was very strong and beautiful and his eyes sparked with kindness.
Meanwhile, Lionel was glancing at her and thinking her face was nothing but the perfection of beauty and her eyes; he could easily lose himself in those gorgeous eyes. Unknown to them both, the first buds of attraction had been planted in her heart.
Lionel smiled at her kindly and then gestured for the family to follow him. He led them through the thick wooden door. Upon opening it, they saw that there were two soldiers with rifles blocking the entrance, their backs to them. Lionel held a finger to his lips and was beginning to close the door when a soldier’s demonic eyes met his own. Yet his body was still facing with its back to them. Then Lionel realized with horror what had happened. The soldier’s head had done a one eighty on its neck. The other soldiers turned around and rushed the family, firing their rifles. Lionel heard Alexei cry out from his father’s arms, a loud thump, and Alexandra and the Grand Duchesses screaming. He didn’t have to turn around to know what happened. The rifles’ bullets had found their mark in Alexei, who upon being killed, fallen out of his father’s arms. Lionel threw his arm in the family’s direction and bellowed,” SHIELD ORBIS!” Instantly, an orb of red energy surrounded the Romanovs, protecting them from harm. With a roar of fury, Lionel launched himself at the soldier’s, intent on destroying them in the most harmful ways possible. He drew out his knives and bellowed “FIRIS!” at the same time. The blades were instantly engulfed in crackling fire. He slashed downward and loped off a soldier/demon’s legs off at the kneecaps. The creature screeched in pain and fury before Lionel put an end to it by stabbing it directly through the heart. Another one launched itself at Lionel, who instantly used his power over the air (AIRIS EVAPORATO!) to suck away the air from the soldier, suffocating him. While the soldier labored for breath, Lionel cleaved downward, cutting him in half, from the head all the way down to the pelvic area. Blood splashed in all directions, staining Lionel’s leather jacket red, and spattering against the Grand Duchesses’ beautiful dresses, staining the beautiful white silk crimson. The last soldier then attacked, but it was smarter than the rest. It somersaulted through the air and landed behind Lionel, between him and the Romanovs. Lionel spun around just as the creature was about to fire its rifle. He threw out his left hand, knocking the rifle out of the way, before decapitating the soldier/demon. He then checked to see how many more rounds were in the rifle, saw that there were still nine rounds out of eleven, and decided to keep it handy. Upon popping open the other two rifles; he saw that there were eight and ten rounds out of eleven in each one. Upon cancelling out the Shield spell, he handed one of the rifles to the Tsar and said quietly,” I am so sorry.”
There were tears in Nicholas’s eyes as he put a hand on Lionel’s shoulders. “It is not your fault,” he said in Russian. He looked at the charred bodies of the evil soldiers and spat. “It is their fault.” He hit the decapitated head with the stock of his rifle, sending it rolling away. “That was for my son, my Alexei,” he muttered.
Alexandra picked up the body of her youngest child and only son and cradled him as if he were a baby. She was obviously determined not to leave him in this horrid place. Lionel knew that this might by a liability for the Tsarina, and to some extent, all of them, but he was much too wise to say anything. He knew that many mothers around the world would do the same thing. Olga, Anastasia, and Maria all fell against their father at the same moment, sobbing hysterically. They had loved their little brother more than anything in the world. Lionel had to wipe tears out of his own eyes. He knew how hard it was to lose someone you cared about. His reaction was the exact same when his father died. Meanwhile, Tatiana was sobbing as well. She fell against the nearest person, who happened to be Lionel. Lionel did his best to comfort the distraught girl. He cradled her head and whispered,” It’s going to be OK. It’s going to be OK.” She continued to cling on to him as if he was the only thing left in the world.
With a tortured sigh, Lionel disengaged himself from Tatiana, whose sobs had receded to quiet sniffles, and steeled himself the best he could and turned to the family. Words weren’t spoken; they saw the sadness and anguish in his eyes. They knew how bad he felt and that he had lost someone important to him as well. Choking back a sob, he said, “Okay, we’re almost out of here. Follow me.”
Nicholas handed Olga the third rifle, then it was time to move. Lionel led them up the winding stone staircase and through the secret door. “We’re almost there,” he said to the Romanovs, who all smiled faintly in return. He led them down the two corridors and then through the main hall. The heavy door was in sight. They were almost free! They started to run for it when everything went cold with violent horror.
CRACK-CRACK-POP-POP-CRACK!!!! Suddenly the air was full of the sounds of rifles firing. Before Lionel could utter the Shielding Spell, four bullets buried themselves into Olga, and she fell. And before Lionel could speak, the whole family went into the offensive. Nicholas started firing his rifle while using the stock to bash demons heads on all at the same time. As soon as Lionel decapitated two soldiers, Alexandra, Anastasia, and Maria relieved the bodies of their pistols and started firing. All of the Romanovs were accomplished marksmen, and ten guards fell instantly in the onslaught, but there were at least forty more soldiers. Lionel was fighting three soldiers/demons at once. Unknown to him, a fourth soldier was sneaking up behind him, rapier raised. It was about to cleave downward when there was a loud CRACK as Tatiana fired her fallen sister’s rifle, hitting it directly in the forehead. She had just saved his life. Meanwhile, Lionel was fighting for his life. He hit one demon/soldier with a well placed Fire Spell in the chest, charring its lungs and heart, killing it instantly. He cut another one in half at the waste and finally decapitated the third. He turned around and saw the body of the soldier Tatiana had killed, the one meant to kill him. He understood instantly the girl had just saved his life. He sent a beaming smile in her direction before returning to the fight. And yet more soldiers were piling in. There’s no way we can do this, thought Lionel grimly. Time to resort to a distraction. He put a brief Shield spell on the Romanovs, who looked at him confused, and then he bellowed,” LIGHTIS PURIS!!!!!”
It all happened in a split second. Instantly, there was an ethereal flash of brilliant white and yellow light, a shaft of pure light so bright it could rival the brightest sunray or flash of lightening. All of the soldier/demons were blinded instantly, although not permanently so. It wouldn’t be long before they recovered. He cancelled out the spell shielding the Romanovs, who knew instantly what was going had happened. Lionel had unleashed the spell so that they could escape. And that’s exactly what they did. Out the door they ran, into the cool night. There was no need for him to be discreet. He out both of his arms and bellowed “REDUCTO!!!!” There was a loud cracking sound as the wooden fort around the house crumbled into kindling.
“We are free!” yelled Maria joyfully in Russian. Tatiana and Lionel then exchanged glances, but then quickly looked away shyly. They had small, secret smiles on their faces as they looked back to the house. And then there was a rumbling that almost made the ground itself quake. Hundreds of soldiers in full military uniform were charging out of the house and across the courtyard, coming in at every direction. But it wasn’t the Romanovs they were looking at. It was Lionel. They wanted him to die first before they worried about the royal family. There was only one thing for Lionel to do.
“I want you to get out of here as fast as you can,” he said to the family. “I’m going to hold them off,” he said, glancing in the direction of the approaching soldiers.
“There is no way you can destroy all of them,” said Nicholas. And then it dawned on all of them what Lionel had in mind.
“You are not…” Tatiana trailed off.
“Going to sacrifice myself?” Lionel finished for her. “If I have to, yes. Get out of here. Save yourselves. That’s what I did this for.” And before the Romanovs could protest, he took off in the direction of the soldiers, intending to meet them head on. He unsheathed his knives and bellowed,” FIRIS!” with as much power as he could muster. His entire arms were then engulfed in a multitude of flames: red, yellow, blue, and white. And it was time. He threw out his right arm and instantly wiped out six soldiers, reducing them into neat little piles of ash. He put out his left arm and annihilated another eight. And so on. But more kept coming. It wouldn’t be long before they gained the upper hand.
And then the soldiers backed off. A man was approaching. With a head full of short, curly dark hair and a curly bushy beard and mustache, he wasn’t much of a sight to behold. But Lionel recognized him instantly from an old photo. Yakov Yurovsky, the Romanovs would be chief executioner. As Yurovsky approached him, Lionel saw that he was indeed possessed by a demon, but not like the ones possessing the other soldiers. The eyes were a deep, bright crimson color that seemed to ooze evil and power. Clearly, Yurovsky, being the one in command, had been possessed by a higher power of demon. And it was obvious by his body language that he wanted to take on Lionel one on one. The two men stopped when they were about twenty feet away from each other and paused, looking each other in the eye, sizing each other up. Then they were running at each other at top speed. They launched themselves into the air and collided, kicking and punching. Lionel barely could dodge the ferocious attacks by the powerful demon. He couldn’t get on the offensive, no matter how hard he looked for an opening. He was purely on the defensive. Yurovsky slowly backed Lionel toward the open door of the house. For the first time during the whole ordeal, a demon got in a lucky hit. A powerful fist embedded itself in Lionel’s eye, which instantly began to puff up and swell shut. Yurovsky smiled grimly as he anticipated a victory. He used one hand to defend Lionel’s powerful punches and kicks as he drew out a beautiful but deadly kindjal dagger. .
Lionel saw the knife and the wicked glint in the demon’s eye. He saw something vaguely human in it and realized something terrifying. Both Yurovsky and the demon were equally in control. It was time for him to make his move. “FIRIS!!!!!” he bellowed and smiled to himself at the irony. Using fire to banish a creature from hell. But as he was about to launch his volley of fire, Yurovsky let loose a surprise kick. His foot connected with Lionel’s kneecap, kicking his leg out from under him. Lionel fell on his butt, and due to his surprise and loss of concentration, his flames were extinguished.
Yurovsky grinned wickedly. His eyes changed color like a kaleidoscope, first a demonic crimson, then a normal brown full of hate. He raised his dagger and brought it down at Lionel’s heart.
Lionel watched the knife as if it were in slow motion. He braced himself for death and then thought to himself, if I’m going to die, I’m going to bring these guys down with me. With uncanny reflexes, he grabbed Yurovsky’s knife hand, stopping its downward progress, while successfully sending the knife spinning away. Lionel grabbed it. Yurovsky’s face was set in an angry snarl, which quickly turned into a look of mixed surprise, dismay, and fear at Lionel’s next spell.
“DESTRUCTIONIS MAXIMIS OMEGA!!!!!!!!!!!” he roared. All of the demons looked at him in surprise, then at each other, and then tried to get the heck out of there. But it was too late. The house started to tremble on its foundation, then to quake, then to shudder violently. Chunks of wood, stone, and marble began to rain down around them. The windows shattered and the foundation moaned. And then the Ipatiev House crumbled into ruin as if it never existed at all.
The Romanovs watched in shock as the Ipatiev House fell into nothing. They all wordlessly looked at one another and then all started sobbing uncontrollably at once, even the Tsar. If Lionel had been in that house, he was dead. They had never been able to thank him, and now they never would. Maria and Anastasia sobbed against there mother while Tatiana sobbed into her father’s chest. First Alexei had been killed, and then Olga, and finally Lionel had sacrificed himself. So busy was the family sobbing that they didn’t see the figure approaching them until he said,” Why are you crying?”
The family looked up in surprise and found themselves all looking at Lionel. He had a huge black eye along with a giant gash on his cheek that would eventually leave a permanent scar, but, along with the rips in his jacket, he looked none worse for wear. They all looked at him before the woman all ran at him and all hugged him at the same time. Nicholas then approached him and engulfed his hand in a handshake. “How can we ever thank you?”
Lionel looked at the older man and said,” You don’t need to. It was my pleasure.” And then, as they were all huddled around in a many-armed hug, Lionel looked up into the starry knight sky and whispered,” It’s done, Dad. I did it.”
Epilogue:
Nine days later:
After the demise of the demonic forces, Lionel knew he couldn’t go back to his current time just yet. He had to help the Romanovs start a new life first, as they couldn’t stay in Russia, with the Communists taking over.
They had first held a small funeral for both Olga and Alexei, even through they had nothing to bury. Lionel, who practiced the Russian Orthodox religion, served as the minister. Then they had walked and walked until they found themselves in a small Russian village. They had went to the nearest house and knocked on the door. An elderly peasant man answered. To say he was surprise as he looked at Russia’s royal family in their bloodstained clothes was an understatement. But he and his family were still ardent supporters of the Romanovs and took them in instantly. At the house, everyone took baths and washed their bloodstained clothes. Luckily, the blood came out of the clothes. The family spent the night at the house and got a much needed nights rest. The next morning, Lionel read the newspaper over a breakfast of porridge and saw that a tramp steamer, the Venture, was leaving for Charlottetown, Canada. It was then that he decided that the Romanovs would start new lives in Canada under new names. The family readily agreed.
The kind Russian family, the Babanins, gave them some money, food, and clothes. In return, the Romanovs gave them some of the precious jewelry they had managed to hold on to.* From there, Mr. Babanin took them by oxcart back to Yekaterinburg. From there, they boarded a steam train to St. Petersburg.
During the week long journey, Lionel and Tatiana often spent time together. They learned that they liked reading books by American and British authors, like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austin, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Tatiana told him stories about her family and the fun they shared together. She often cried and Lionel had to hold her hand to comfort and calm her. Before long, they were holding hands at other times as well. There were a lot of times they would talk for hours and, without even knowing it look down and there hands would be intertwined. Obviously there was an attraction between the two young people, something the whole family noticed.
On the last day of their trip, Tatiana asked, ”Lionel, what is this 2013 of yours like?”
“It’s incredible. We have rockets going up to the moon, telephones we can carry in our pockets, and we can send letters to each other instantly. But you know what?”
“Yes?” Tatiana asked.
“I like this time period more. There’s something about it that I find…endearing. It’s simpler. When the War ends, things will change dramatically. It will be good in some places and in other places not so good. And then there’s something else. I am going to really miss your family, Tatiana. And I’m going to especially miss you. I have never been able to talk to people very well you know other then work or family but with you it is so easy. I feel very happy when I am with you.”
Tatiana beamed at him and said,” I will miss you to, Lionel. I have you to thank so very much with helping me with my sadness and letting me cry for them. Then somehow you brought sunshine into my darkest hour. You will always be to me a beautiful light. I promise I will never forget you.” She got up and embraced him. Lionel held her to him and breathed in the intoxicating jasmine perfume she wore. He really would miss her, everything about her. Before he could stop himself, before he could even think about what he was doing, he planted a lingering kiss on her perfect lips. They broke apart and then looked at each other, before giggling and blushing like small children.
Then it was time. The Romanovs looked at the tramp steamer that would take them from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, where they would start their new lives. They would be called the Ivanovs from now on. Nicholas would be called Nicky, Alexandra would be called Alessandra, Tatiana would be called Tamera, Maria would be called Marie or Mary, and Anastasia would be called Anastasie. They all looked at Lionel, who looked down at his feet awkwardly.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye.” After they set off, Lionel was going to go back to the ruins of Ipatiev House, and from there, travel back to the future.
“Thank you for everything you have done for us,” Nicholas said formally, shaking the boy’s hand.
“It was my please, Your Imperial Majesty,” Lionel said politely. He then bowed to each of them. “Good luck.”
He turned away, intending on catching the earliest train to Yekaterinburg, Russia, where the ruins were located so he could go back to his current time. The family watched him go before climbing the gangplank. All of them, that is, except Tatiana. She just stood there, rigid, watching Lionel walk out of there lives. It hit her then just how much she cared about him and just how much she was attracted to him. She had only known him for a few days, but in those few days, he not only sacrificed life and limb to save them, he also did everything he could to grant them safe passage to Canada so they could start new lives. He brought warmth into the cold for her. He would listen for hours to her stories of her and her lost family members and of the happy times they shared. He would always ask to hear more and that helped her broken heart mend a little each day. He had helped create unmarked graves for both Alexei and Olga (even through they didn’t have anything to bury), and had acted as minister for their funeral. They had much in common. He was one of the closest friends she had ever had. He could be the man for her. And now he was walking out of there lives forever, to go back to wherever he came from, ninety-five years into the future.
“Tania, dear, please. It’s time to go,” Alexandra said gently but firmly, using her nickname.
Tatiana ignored her. She stood there, tears running down her cheeks, before screaming. “LIONEL!!!!”
Lionel turned around. Surely he didn’t hear what he thought he had just heard. It couldn’t be Tatiana yelling his name. He turned around and started walking back to the boat. He could at least watch them set off. As he reached the dock, Tatiana ran toward him and hit him with such force that he nearly fell over. She sobbed into his shoulder as Lionel awkwardly stroked her back. She was making unintelligible, indecipherable sounds, and then Lionel realized she was mumbling,” Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.” He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her beautiful dark eyes.
“I got to,” he said gently. “I’ve got to leave.”
“No, please don’t,” she said, sobbing. “I couldn’t bear it. Lionel, I…” Here, she broke down completely. Lionel held her head against his shoulder until she managed to calm down again. “What?” he said gently.
“Lionel, I really like you. I want you to stay. I do honestly believe we might have a future together, but how will I know for certain if you leave?”
Lionel just looked at her, too shocked to speak. He couldn’t believe it. The most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on had just told him she had feelings for him. The girl who risked her life to help her family escape, bravely facing demons and shooting them down. The girl who had saved his life only a week earlier. The girl he…also really liked.
Lionel just looked at her. He didn’t notice the rest of the family had gotten off the ship and had gathered around. The only thing he noticed was Tatiana’s dark blue eyes looking at him pleadingly. Then he swept her into his arms and pressed his lip to hers while stroking her beautiful dark auburn hair. Once they broke apart, he said,” I really like you, too.”
He looked at the rest of the family and said simply,” I’m staying.” And with that said, they boarded the steamboat.
One year later:
“Do you, Tamera Ivanov, take Lionel Pearce to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Lionel Pearce, take Tamera Ivanov to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
As Lionel and Tatiana shared their first kiss as man and wife, Lionel thought, I’m married Dad. I hope you approve.
He then turned to his beautiful bride, the woman he loved more than anything in this world, and kissed her again and thanked God that they were together.
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