The Eragotten Legacy: Part Four

      The manager of the shop gasped and ran out the back, being sure to take the register with her.

      Blanchette took a step towards Sequen, who leaned back over the counter onto the cage, shoving it violently against the wall. The cage broke open and the Turtum crawled out and out of sight.

      "Jag Sequen… So we meet again… The circumstances have taken a turn for the better in my position, of course…" Joseph muttered, smirking. Jag remained silent. He had to wait for the right moment, with enough revelation on Blanchette's part to make his escape. "Perhaps you'd have something to say to me, then? I heard you were an enemy of the EEM…"

      "That's not true!" Jag shouted, flaring his fist. "I was setup by your note! This is all your fault!" Jag stepped towards Blanchette.

      "Settle down, Sequen; not too close…" Joseph readied his crossbow. Jag froze and stood still. His eyes glanced to behind Joseph. He noticed something, then turned back to look at Blanchette.

      "I wrote that letter specifically so you could read it, and be framed…" Joseph said clearly. Jag arched an eyebrow.

      "Sure ya did…" he mumbled sarcastically, glancing behind him again. Joseph noticed his glance this time.

      "What is it?" he demanded. Jag remained silent and stern. He just glared at Joseph the Scorchio.

      Joseph took a step towards Jag, but he felt something under his foot. Without thinking, he looked down at the Turtum that had escaped earlier, now under his foot.

      During the moment that Joseph Blanchette was looking down, Jag kicked off the counter at his rear into a flying kick at Blanchette, who was knocked back.

      Jury grabbed Joseph as he stumbled backwards and knocked the crossbow from Blanchette, which flew into the air. Jag caught it and pointed it at Joseph.

      Blanchette struggled to free himself from Jury, but the strong Techo arms of Turner Jury held Joseph so tightly that he could barely move at all.

      "I heard the whole confession, Joseph…" Jury said, and nodded at Jag. "Sorry to be so hasty in sending Eras after you. The fact of another double agent for Darigan really set me off."

      "Ehh, it's no big deal, Jury… We have the real perpetrator now," Jag said. "But do you mind if I do my own brief interrogation back at HQ?"

      "After all we've put you through, that's the least we can do for ya, Agent Sequen," Jury smiled at Jag as a few Eras came into the shop, as well as Anna Sumuilevelt. Jury released Joseph, who was grasped quickly by two Eras. They led him out of Ye Olde Petpets, and took him towards Brightvale. Jag followed…

      Jag leaned over the table in the plain white interrogation room in Brightvale Castle over towards Joseph, whose hands were bonded in a tight rope.

      "Joseph, you said something about strange earlier about how you'd write the note specifically so that I'd be framed, but how did you in the first place that I'd read it aloud into the mouthpiece?" Jag inquired sternly. Joseph smirked.

      "Have you ever stopped to wonder what Eragotten means, Mr. Sequen?" Joseph replied. Jag hesitated.

      "No. None of the Eras know. Not that it matters, we've all just assumed it was the name of the man who'd founded the force. Why?" Jag asked.

      "Era, in relation to time, and gotten. Eragotten, my friend, is the ability to see, and in some cases travel, through time," Joseph replied, "They don't want you to know that, Jag."

      Jag blinked in confusion and leaned back in his chair.

      "You're saying that the EEM can see through time, into the future, and they don't want us to know that. Joseph, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Jag responded, snickering. Something was telling him that this wasn't a lie. "Prove it."

      "I cannot. That is for yourself to believe. But I know deep down you believe me, Jag. I never worked for Darigan. I, Joseph Blanchette, have never been the enemy to Meridell…" Joseph muttered, grinning. "The only true enemy was the EEM… and you…"

      "THAT'S A LIE!" Jag shouted furiously, bursting up from his chair. He slammed his fist onto the table. "I am not the enemy!"

      "You are, Jag. Perhaps you'd noticed a blue fissure floating around sometime? That was a leak in time. If you'd looked through that, then you'd see the future. Not that you'd ever seen one, though. They only open on command from Darigan."

      For a second, Jag could've sworn he'd seen his own head sticking out of a blue scar in the air behind Joseph. Then the streak closed, and his head vanished.

      "I did… Two years ago, on the battlefield…" Jag mumbled. "You… you're telling the truth… That would explain why King Skarl didn't know about the EEM… They worked for Darigan, so they covered it up from him…"

      "I am telling the truth. They knew the train from the Lost Desert would end up being destroyed, and therefore they sent you to ensure that it would. The Lost Desert was really porting weaponry to Meridell for future battles. But you destroyed them. You assisted Darigan without even realizing it. This whole organization was a play, and you were the puppet. And what's more, the EEM wouldn't be in existence if you weren't to have joined it two years ago. They just needed one pawn, and with that they could completely alternate the future of Meridell…"

      "ENOUGH!" Jag demanded, pushing off of his chair, which flew back into the door behind the interrogation room. Jury stepped inside.

      "Jag?! Are you okay? I could hear your voice all the way in the other room!"

      "I'M FINE!" Jag shouted, turning aggressively to Jury, who stumbled back in surprise. "I mean… I'm fine, Jury… Give me another few minutes, okay?"

      "Of course, Jag…" Jury nodded, then walked out and closed the door behind him.

      "So, Joseph, what do you expect me to do? What's your plan to fix all of this that I've caused? How do I end the Eragotten Emissaries of Meridell?"

      "Simple. As I said, you were the only one they wanted for their plot against Meridell, because of your show of helpfulness in the battle. You just need to go back in time and don't join the EEM. All of this will never happen."

      There was a bright flash, and then a fissure opened at the corner of the room. Within it Jag could see the battlefield all those many years ago.

      "That's it?" he asked Joseph. "It opened just at the right time…"

      "Go in now, Jag! Put your entire body through the fissure, and reject the invitation to join the EEM!"

      Jag turned to see Jury and a dozen Eras burst into the room, with crossbows raised.

      "We cannot let you stop the EEM! I listened to your whole conversation, Jag. You know too much to live. Eras, fire!"

      Jag kicked off of the table and his chair flew back into the fissure, just as a crossbow flew towards him. It zoomed over his head into the fissure, and the chair tilted back causing Jag to almost fall in, but he missed it and slammed against the wall. Jury loaded another bolt into the Regulation Meridell Crossbow he was holding, as did the other twelve Eras.

      "I never though it'd come down to this, Jag…" Jury mumbled, readying his crossbow. "If you'd only decided not to continue your little talk with Joseph then none of this would have happened, and we'd end up being friends, instead of ending up like this…"

      "It wasn't meant to be, Jury…" Jag muttered. Jury pulled the trigger on his crossbow. The bolt shot into the air towards Jag, who kicked at the fallen chair in front of him. It flew into the air and blocked off three bolts.

      Jag stood up while the Eras and Jury were reloading and leapt into the fissure.

      "You do Meridell proud!" Joseph called back, before his voice was drained out completely…

     Jag burst from the fissure and collapsed onto the grass, under the hot glazing sun.

     "No! Help me!" a voice called from behind him. He turned to see an Acara cowering below the blade of one of Darigan's soldiers; a blue Blumaroo.

      Jag raced towards the two and immediately broke into a spinning kick. The Blumaroo flew through the air and collapsed at a safe distance from the Acara, who stood up and turned to face Jag.

      "Thank you so much, sir!" she shouted gratefully, bowing to Jag. "A soldier like you would be ideal in the new force that Meridell is setting up for protection against Darigan! It's called the Eragotten Emissaries of Meridell!"

      Jag hesitated and then said, "Anna Sumuilevelt? That's your name, right?"

      "Err, yes, it is…" the Acara mumbled, looking a little surprised.

      "Sorry, Sum, I can't join the EEM, for Meridell's sake. But I should be returning to the battle now…" Jag mumbled. Anna watched him rush away.

      "Wait!" she called, "What's your name?!"

      Jag stopped and turned around to see Anna.

      "You can call me… Hericogulashi…" Jag said to Anna, and then winked and rushed into battle, never to be seen by her again.

      And Anna Sumuilevelt was left, speechless.

To be continued...