Chapter XV - Powers and powerplays

“Ready?” Camilla asked me “Again!”

I tried it again, my muscles contracting, trying to expulse my stomach's content. I hadn't eaten in the last 24 hours so there wasn't anything for it to throw up.

The closest thing I'd gotten to food or water were a pair of pills. I had no idea what they were, but by the room looking like melting chocolate with sprites dancing all around, I guessed it wasn't just flu medicine.

“I hate you” I muttered at Cam, my belly full of cramps “Is there really no other way?”

“There are, but they aren't safe ones. It gets easy as you get accustomed to it.”

Again, I visualized the light and energy flowing through my body, feeding the cells that composed my being. I commanded it to come out, my stomach trying to throw it out due to one of Cammy's caps.

I kept on going for two hours, Camilla sitting next to me, encouraging me.

“This... Isn't working...”

“One last try Zeke.”

I sighed hard and redid the exercise. Visualization, expressing the will, physical effort... I felt it come out that time, not undigested matter but a silvery liquid with golden hues. It flowed out of every orifice, bleeding out of my eyes, nose and ears. The thing twisted and whirled about, expanding and contracting without any pattern. The small blob, roughly the size of a tennis ball floated in the air, right next to my arms.

“Jeez... The heck is that?”

Camilla gave me a triumphant smile “Told'ya” she retorted.

“And that, is quintessence. Or Chi, Mana, Ether, Primal Element, Ichor, Ka. There's a lot of name so let's just stick with Quintessence. Literally, fifth essence. It's what is neither an Energy, a Liquid, a Solid, or a Gas nor is it one of the four elements.

What you have here, is the most valuable resource ever. Potential”

“Potential?” I asked dubious

“It isn't something Zeke. It's the potential to be something, anything actually. It is the raw matter of the universe.”

“How does it work?”

“At your level, there's little you can do with it. But, it's what allows us to create our Foci. Those rods, staves, wands, athames and all those were infused with it. They went from inert matter to  spiritual channel and reservoirs.

The first step is easy. You craft the thing you wish to enchant. You don't need to do it from beginning to end, but it's better to make it... Proper to your style.”

“My style?”

“Every mage has his traditions, from the druids of Ireland, to the hermetic wizard passing by the ecstatic Yogi and the magical-hacker. You didn't really chose to get into this so you enter in a virginal state we could say.” She gave me a mocking smile as she spoke the last part.

“Do I just copy the next guy over for his stuff?”

“No. That means you have to search within yourself the truth. Meditate on the nature of the world, it's mechanics. To use the powers you have to believe. Seek your own truth. Remember this, everything is true.”

“What about false things?”

“Even false things are true.”

“How can that be?”

“It's how the universe works. The mind is all, that is the first hermetic principle. Belief and ideas have power, if you enough believe and channel it, the imposible can happen.”

“Alright any Idea where I should start?”

“Actually I--”

A knock on the door cut her mid sentence, when Camilla opened the door, Nova stood there, visibly nervous. “It happened again” She said to her lover, in a hushed tone I could barely hear.

They discussed a bit in a low voice, I couldn't hear most of it but one thing catched my attention. “Damn it... He's not ready.” Camilla muttered.

“We have no choice. They're already rising up and we're shorthanded. Just take him with you alright?”

With hesitation she nodded and came back to sit next to me. “We'll have to continue another time Zeke. We have to move, Something's going on.”

“What about this?” I asked pointing the blob.

“Take a great inspiration, as strong as you can. Even if your lungs are full.”

I did so and the ball of mojo flew right into my mouth before spreading all trough my body. It felt nearly orgasmic, I felt the power revitalize my being, rejuvenating it to a semblance of health.

“We're going to a club downtown” Informed me as we hopped into her car.
“What's going on?”

“Something has been murdering members of the supernatural community. The others are blaming us for them... If we don't solve that problem, war will erupt.”

Chapter XIV - Soul masks

Chapter XIV

Nine crimson robed figure stood around me, masks engraved with mystical glyphs and sigils hid their face. They stood at the edge of a spotlight's illumination, their back to the light, facing the darkness.

The figures waited motionlessly for my answer, not a single sound broke the silence and for a minute.

“Who are you?” I asked to the robes.

One of them spoke, a man's voice that I couldn't recognize “We wear the blood soaked cloaks, we oppose what comes from the outside.”

“With divine powers” declared another man in a confident and charismatic voice.

“With arcane fire and swords of will” cherished a woman from behind me.

“With knives and shotguns” Complete a third unknown man.

“That, is who we are.” Began Nova, the only voice I had recognized so far. “We stand between the light and darkness, watching for the coming storm. We call ourselves the scarlet circle.”

“The coming storm?” I asked

She paced around me for a few seconds. As she moved, so did the lights and the other members. “They say that the end is nigh, that we are living our final days.

We see it every night On television, bombarded with lies to cover the rot eating society at it's core. In the empty eyes of thousands of missing persons, plastered over every street corners.  While they go on with their lives, some plot against them, conspires with things that should not be, to gain power and gratification.

Maybe it's true. Maybe it is nearly time...

But there's one thing we know: Evil is real.

It is an absolute darker than anything people could imagine. That is a truth that comes in many form, in forgotten books and tablets better left burried, in names that should never be spoken, in sunken cities where sleeping gods wait for the stars to be right.

Now, the end is almost upon us, but there's still time. Time for one last hail Mary before the dice is cast.”

“What can we do?”

“Fight to delay the inevitable.” Claimed another woman, probably Camilla, hard to tell with the mask screwing their voices.

“Is that all?”

“There's still an alternate way, one where we could win.” Claimed Nova

“Why don't we pursue it then?”

“Because it cannot be pursued.” She declared bluntly. “That path is ascension, it is to become something new, transcend humanity, mortality and pass on to the next step of existence.”

“Is it that hard?”

“Impossible actually. To move on, one must not just master the craft, he must master himself. It is to attain the ultimate powers but at the same time, being detached, unfettered from earthly desires. It is to both reach Nirvana AND supreme powers. To search for one neglects the other.”

“Then is there nothing we can do?”

“We can fight. Destroy those who pose a threat to our world. You have seen the New World Order, those are our main enemies, they hunted down the practitioner of the arts until we were nearly extinct.

If they were defeated, we could stand a chance to win. But we are out-manned, out-gunned, out-resourced in every manners. They can clone M.I.Bs, they wield weapons that people believe only exist on TV. And more importantly; their hyper science, It is a corruption of the magical arts we wield, cut down into perfectly square pieces each fitted with one another. At it's core, it is nothing more than magic made uniform, rigid, static, that has been labeled science.

Despite that, they still wield an advantage over us”

“What is that?”

“Try shooting fire balls downtown, you will feel the strain of all those minds opposing yours. Shoot a gadget with the same effect, now it's entirely believable to them.”

“I see...”

“Now, do you understand what we fight for?”

“I do.”

All of them spoke in unison, asking me; “The Circle open it's door to you Ezekiel Black, son of Elijah. Shall you join us between light and dark? Take upon the blood stained cloak and fight those who should not be?”

I knew it was merely formality, in reality I couldn't say no. It was too late to go back. It had been over a month ago.

“I accept your request.” I declared.

As I spoke these words, all light were shut plunging the room into pure darkness. I felt my clothes fall onto the ground by themselves, all around me, I felt the smooth touch of silk run across my body. All by itself, the robe adjusted to my size all while a white, plain porcelain mask slowly descended unto my face.

When it touched my skin, I felt a jolt of power run all around my nerves, before coming back into the mask. The thing didn't have any eye or mouth holes yet I saw clearer than ever...

I saw...

                                                                             *****

Rain poured all across the field, delivered by thick inky black clouds. It was the afternoon yet it was darker than night. I walked slowly across the clearing, leaving the cover of the ages old oaks behind me.

There she was, my lady...

Oh how majestic she looked in her dark gowns. She laid her back onto a large, smooth rock, a musty tome on her laps.

“I am glad to see you” I whispered to her.

She gave me a smile and took my hand, lowering me to her level. Inside her book, was a list of name, each and everyone crossed out. She gave it to me and I read for a moment.

Camilla Knight - Keith Drummers - Nova – Ezekiel Black

Many more names were written, I recognized several, old friends, co-workers and et cetera.

Out of her bag, she took another book, much smaller this time, handing it to me. Written in italic on the cover was “Draft II” I wasn't sure If I wanted to read it, but curiosity won in the end. In this one, only one page had anything written onto it. Two words.

“Ezekiel Black" My name had been crossed over several times, rendering it nearly unreadable.

“I choose which one happens?”

She nodded and pointed to the side. On the left side of the field was a large cross. A man nailed to it... Carefully, I came closer until I noticed it.

“DAD?” I yelled in shock.

“Zeke...” The man whispered.

I wanted to get him off the cross but as I did, the Lady in black stopped me, sadly shaking her head.

“Why... Can't I?...”

“It's alright son... I knew this would happen, listen to me” he said. “You have to continue what I couldn't finish. Saving people.”

As he said those last lines, he coughed up blood and as he shook, his necklace fell onto my hand. An old battered silver cross I always wore now...

“Don't give up... Finish it all... and... don't look... back...” He begged me his voice weakening by the seconds.

He didn't get time to say more as his body withered to ashes within a moment. Without warning, a bird perched himself upon my shoulder, a blood stained raven gazed at me.

With a swipe of it's talon, it took the pendant away from me and flew up, right into the sky. As he disappeared behind the clouds, a powerful thump echoed through the air.
The clouds exploded into thousands of tiny water droplets, back was the sun, coming back onto our lives accompanied by a rainbow.
Not far from me, I saw it crash down.

The Raven laid on the floor, broken, with one last croak, it handed my the pendant again. “Why did you do that?” I asked the animal.

“...Because... the sun must set to rise...” The bird replied, sporting an out of place Brooklyn accent.

*****

My eyes opened, switching from one world to another. The mask softly fell onto my hands, it was no longer plain, it now sported a painting. A blood splattered raven.

“It is time for you to answer one last question Ezekiel. What, is thy name?”

“I am Blood-raven...” I declared without even haven thought about it.

“Then welcome onto the Circle brother”

She put her hand upon mine and a burning sensation flared upon my left hand. There, words had been burned into my wrist, glowing bright orange.

Pugnare tenebras stamus in caligine abditus

Chapter XIII - Tunnels and revelations

The night went on without insident. I woke up as dawn peek through the window of my own room. I hadn't moved there myself, Keith had probably done so. Birds sang outside, proclaiming the return of spring after a harsh winter.

The smell of vege-bacon filled the air, accompagnied by the sweet aroma of fresh coffee. My stomach roared at the smells coming from the kitchen, a reminder that I had negglected it all day and night the previous day.

Despite it's desperate cries for food, I forced myself into the shower, a quick look at the mirror told me all I needed to know; my hair formed a messy mop of greasy knots instead of my wavy not-haircut I usually ordorned.

It took a moment for it to run hot, before I hopped into it. Bathing had always been a ritual for me, top to bottom, hair first. I washed mechanically not even paying attention to my movements. My mind was effervescent as the water washed away the hardship of the night, the worries and the energy that clinged to my being.

I stepped out of the bathroom right after, skipping shaving and any form of combbing. Sitting at the main table were the ladies while Keith cooked the breakfast for the whole gang.

Since we'd been crashing at the same place, he had been the main guy for food, due to his self-imposed veganism, he rarely ordered out and instead opted for cooking. The nice thing was that he was considerate enough not to impose it on everyone, he didn't mind doing additional cooking to add non-vegan meals for me and the other people who came in an on and off manner to this place.

“Morning, Everyone.” I announced.

“Hey there. Sit down, I've got your plate ready in a second” responded Keith.

Camillia and Nova sat next to one another, the former leaning onto the latter “Hey there.” they both proclaimed togueter. Cam looked much better that she had the previous days. Gone were her shrunken eyes, and cadaveric complexion.

Keith sat next to me as he brought our plates to the table. Potatoes, veggetarian bacon and eggs for us, while he had a pancake with a mountain of fruits and real mapple syrup.

After a few minutes of silent eating, he threw a glance at the girls “Don't you think it's time for him?” He demanded to Nova.

“I think you're right.” She conceded.

“So do I” Cam added

“Time for what?” I asked

“Your innitiation” Camilla reported

“My innitiation? To what?”

“Surely you've noted we have some kind of organisation, we think it's time you become part of it” The blue woman affirmed

“The organisation?”

“We all belong to what you can call a secret society. We spent the last few months watching you. We all agree that this period is over. It's time you become a true magician.”

“What does that mean?” I begged for answears.

“You'll understand later. Come to his adress tonight. At eleven.” she claimed, scribbling down something on a post it.

Without any more words the three of them left me there, dumbfounded.

“Guess I'll have to wait to find out...”

*****

The day went by slowly, I couldn't stop thinking about what they meant. What was their organisation? I got the whole magic helping each other club but there was more?

Finally, the clock hit 11 and I made my way to the designated adress...

sitting between an apartment complex and a closed supermarket was the place I'd been told to go to...

An empty field surrounded by metal fences that had been closed for a while. All around the place were keep out and danger signs.

The construction compagny and the owner had planned to raze the old building, a library, to construct some more condos. The first part had been done but the second had never kicked off as both the constructor and entrepreneur had gone backrupt.

Regardless of what was here –- or what actually wasn't-- I had to get in. The fence proved not too hard to climb up as I threw my coat right onto the barbed wire that they had posted for some reason.

The ground was completely empty, holding nothing but discarted junk and an abandoned, ruined trailer. Mounds of dirt held a strong part of the terrain's size. It was only by exploring around that I found something interesting. Niched between the trailler and the piles of earth was a fairly wide hole, going down a good 10 meters. At the bottom of which was a wooden trap door.

DOWN BEGINS THE PATH TO POWER
THE PATH TO SAFETY LEAD AWAY

The words were scrawled on the door. I slid down the hole, it's earthen edge going down a somewhat managable inclination and touched the paint. It still felt fresh under my fingers but I knew it wasn't something I could see with mundane senses. After digging around a bit, I found the stone structure the door held on to.

So I entered the underground lair, holding up the small flashlight that was in my coat, one of the things I'd leaned never to go out without.

SILENT IS THE WAY
JUST AS THE REVELATION IS

A small cobble stone hallway was burried under the consruction site, barely big enough for a man to go through. It turned around frequently, sometimes splitting into multiple paths. Each intersection contained drawing of men and woman fighting monsters, undeads, demons

FIRST COME THOSE WHO SLAYS
YET THEY REMAIN THE LEAST DANGEROUS

For a time I walked it, a few times having to back track my way. After what I presumed was half an hour, I finally reached another part of the maze.

The tunnel gave away into a condemned cellar which then via an excavated wall lead to an abandoned metro shaft. All the way across the maze, arcane symbols adorned the walls, craffity spoke of events from the past, on the walls of the subway tunnel a large painting depicted a battle featuring indian shamans, merliesque wizards, norse runesingers and Yogi gurus accompagnied by dragons, feys and angels fighting a battle against a faceless army of foes, all perfectly identical with one another, fighting with guns and robots.

A WAR NOT OF WEAPONS

BUT OF IDEAS AND PRINCIPLES

CHAOS AND FREEDOM OR ORDER AND SLAVERY?

I walked down the subway line to the end, a large arrow had been drawn onto the wall, pointing downward to a ladder. Below the ladder were massive catacombs, it's pillars contained writing in a hundred different language. “Order and Liberty conflicts. But the old ones still conspiries from the outside.”

Drawn on the many walls were scenes of grotesque horrors, tentacled beasts devouring humans, chthonic gods rising up, destropying cities, invisible beings violating the mind of the people, seen only by their hands reaching into their victim's brains.

THEY AWAIT
ALL BELONGS TO THEM
A FIGHT THAT CANNOT BE WON
ONLY DELAYED

I passed through a double door into a new room, a large circlular room barely light by two candles on an altar that stood in the middle of the abyss. As I went, in, my flashlight gave died, leaving me only with the room's nigh non-existent lighting.

Lights rose all around me when I reached the center of the place. All around me, half bathe in light, sending drawn out shadows toward me, appeared a dozen red robed cladded figures.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE STAKES OF THIS WAR NOW?” they demanded, speaking in perfect unison.

Chapter XII - Sleep is god

It was only several atrociously long minutes later that we reached our appartment. Keith and I had been lodged in a safehouse on the south side of town. The place was a four bedroom apartment along with a common kitchen and living room.

When I had moved in, Keith had been living there for two months already. With it's odd deco and scrouged by comfortable furniures, the place looked a lot more like a colledge dorm than someone's place.

There wasn't any rent for us to pay, Nova took care of that, but on the other hand, we weren't technically getting paid either. Which was why we had been going about with credit card scams and selling the stuff we often found inside baddies's lair.

Keeping Camilla in my arms, I simply kicked open the door, not waiting for Keith to unlock it. Still unconscious, she clinged to me as I took her inside the spare bedroom, the fourth one having been transformed into a magical workshop.

I had to force her hands off me to set her down onto the lofty bed. She shivered strongly and muttered incomprehensibly in her sleep.

Just like I'd done with my friend will, I watched over her all night and day. She only woke up the following evening, after 29^th hours of being out cold.

“water...” she mumbled in a weak and tired voice

I quickly ran to get her one of the bottles from the fridge, one of those fortified water with vitamins and stuff.

“How are you doing?” I asked as I brought the bottle to her lips.

She drank a few gulps before pushing it away. “Where's Nova?” She asked.

“Not here why?”

“You didn't contact her?”

“Should I've?”

With an effort, Cammy rose to sit, up as I put her pillow right under her kidney, to let her be more comfortable. She kept covered up using only the blanket, her clothes had been torn to shreds the previous night.

“Uh... Zeke you know we're partners right?”

“Yeah...” I answeared “It wasn't too serious so we didn't want to bother her”

She lat out a small sigh before giving me a weak smile. “No. I mean we're partners.” She emphasised that word with a slight bit of entente, that's when it hit me, like a sledge hammer to the solar plexus.

“Oh...” I sheepishly responded

Using my phone, I called up Nova, who responded with a mix of relief, anger and complete irritation.

She showed up half an hour later, I had the feeling she would've slammed down the door if I hadn't already done so. By that time, we had gotten Camilla into the only clothes we had that would've fit her, sweatpants and a loose tee from my stuff.

She sat clamly at on her bed, eating a soup Keith had prepared during the day. Despite me being a carnivorous person and Keith being vegetarian, he had managed to get me to eat his stuff. Somehow, probably using black magic, he could manage to turn bean curd and greens that I'd always hated into an orgasmic mix for the taste buds.

Nova entered the room without formality, she all but jumped at Cam's neck. She looked as bad as Cam, it was clear she hadn't slept in a long time and by what she toiled around her, knives, guns and magic hoodoo, it was clear she had been turning the whole place upside down to find her.

I quietly left the room, closing the door behind me. They had the right to intimacy and I was hoping Nova wouldn't strangle me for not calling her earlier...

“You look like shit, man” Keith said as I went into the kitchen.

“You know I didn't sleep. How do you remain so good after all of this?” I asked back, pouring myself a coffee with a zillion sugar for some energy.

He raised his own drink, a mix of green tea, acidic fruits, some herbs and tons of natural cane suggar. I had tried it once and it was unbearable.

“That stuff will keep you going on forever” He smugly said.

“I hold bacon and coffee in too high regard. You'll never convert me to your Veganology” I joked.

I crashed down on the couch, absently sipping the coffee as I lit up a fag. I normally didn't smoke, but I'd learned to use nicotine to get a boost when needed.

“You should sleep, dude.”

“Can't. I'm too tired for it.”

“To sleep?”

“Yeah. I feel like my head's going to burst open.”

From his bedroom, Keith fetched a small ceramic container with a thick smelly paste “Use that, it'll help you” I immediately recognised the thing, he had used it a few times knock us out when we couldn't sleep after a job.

“Thanks. Hey can I ask you a question?”

“What is it man?” Keith replied

“You can do ten times what I can, yet you're a minor talent they say. How come?”

He took a second to respond “I know you're new to all of this, but thing is I didn't really chose to be one, The old white hats call us Minor talent but we're really just specialist. I just have a knack for the power of movement. It's a matter of range not power. That's all man”

“I don't choose what I'll become?”

“Nah, all I know is that folks like you can have a broad range of stuff they can do. You chose what you want, it just happened I learned one trick and stayed upon it.”

“Oh...” I murmured, feeling the herb's effect on me. My eyes fell closed before I could say much more and I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter XI - Guardian angel

There are many thing in life that can be worse than death; paralizis, death of your loved ones, having your dreams crushed above your very eyes.

However, I'm fairly certain that most people don't have “getting their soul devoured by hellspawns” and “total servitude to the princes of the nine hells without hope of getting away” on their list.

This goes to show how much your life is weird when those are not even hypothetical options or even metaphorical.

I was now faced with a choice by a wolf/snake/bird demon, who had generously given me three options. My soul, my life or my freewill. And there wasn't time to carefully ponder the pros and cons of each of them, Which was least important to me?

Think Zeke!

In the few seconds of silence as I went throught my limited options, the creature's tongue roamed upon my body, cutting shallowly into my skin and creating burning cuts on my arms and neck...

“I... I chose my...”

It's face contorded into a sadistic wolfish smile as it could feel me break. It patiently awaited the end of my sentence.

“I decided to... give you my--”

I didn't get to finish the sentence, as a thunderous clap shook the ground, debries and dust flying all over the place, pushed by a massive shockwave of kinetic force.

I saw my partner, the large iron bracelet he wore around his right arm glowing blue. Keith obiviously spoke, but his words were drowned in by the sound of power blasting it's way throught the air and smashing the demon right against the closest wall.

“Zeke! Let get out of here!”

I stumpled back up and began to ran for the exit with the thing right on our heels

We sprinted alongside the outside wall, heading for the streets, where Keith had parked the car. Everything went silent except the sound of our own footstep.

We made it just around the corner when a shower of bricks hit us, the demon going strait throught the wall, cutting us off in the middle of our path. There weren't any way out left, there was no way we could use the warehouse main's door and no other way out in the alley.

Fighting was the last option we could try, but I was down to a baseball bat, my desert eagle and a shotgun, which would've been useful if it wasn't loaded with dragonbreath rounds... Against a fire demon that would do pretty much jack squat.

Keith was in no shape to fight either, he'd blown most of his mojo getting the thing off me and all he had was a knife. His guns were out of ammunition and he didn't have any time to reload.

This was our final stand, we both uttered a prayer, me partly by habbit, it wasn't like I believed in god.

However as Keith spoke, the pentacle he kept around his neck lighted up, shedding a small amount of white light. At the contact of it, the demon screached qand charged toward us.

Altought he was normally fast like a lightning bolt, he moved more slowly, like he was running throught a pool. I didn't think twice before unloading my guns right into the beast, quick fire not even aiming. The shots sank right into it's skin, not doing very much despite having eaten a full clip of .50 silver bullets to the chest.

Keith simply chanted prayers to the wiccan mother godess louder, slightly incresing the light's brightness but not enough to slow the demon.

It pounce at us in our final movement, leaping through the air claws sweaping right at our head. I felt the burning paws of the creature rake the left side my face, burning scars deeply into it.

I felt the claw slowly, sink into the muscles, skin and tendons of my jaw. I was done for. I could already see the highlight reel of my life coming onto my vision, beginning with the words

“TORZU MALPIRG OL PIRIPSON!"

These words echoed all around us, shacking the very fabric of the world. My vision became white, it became all I could see. Flames surrounded us, fire that burned pure white, gold streaks coursing through it.

The demon before us fell to the ground wailing in pain as quintessential power burned it's body and spirit.

“REVEAL THINE SELF SUMMONER!” The thing howled out

Keith and I fell to the gravel ground, just as an angel passed between us, she was wrapped in white flaming robes and etheral wings protuded from her back. She held a staff of wood made of silver, it's sigils glowing bright gold.

Cowed by holy effervesense, I stared at our savior in total awe.

“LEAVE THIS PLACE MARCHOSIAS OR FEEL THE WRATH OF THE ELOHIM.” The angel proclaimed her voice as powerful as a storm yet as gentle as a mother toward her children.

Before us, the demon vanished, no transition was made, one second the was there, the next he was gone. The glowing eloah turned to us and spoke “ARE YOU ALRIGHT SONS OF ADAM?”

With my face, cheeks and jaw mauled I couldn't respond if I had wanted.

Gently, she kneeled down and carresed my visage. I felt the burn and tear go away, healing away instantly and my vital force replenished.

“Thank you...” these words were all I could say, my mind could hardly function, cowed by the being's radiant presence.

Without another word, the Angel spreaded her arm and rose a few feets into the air. She silently screamed as white energy poured out of her mouth, eyes, nose and ears.

A moment later, a completely different woman fell to the cround, she didn't even atempt to break her fall or stand up, she simply fell limply to the ground and crashed onto the floor.

I ran for her, too late to catch her. Her clothes had been torn to shred, her black hair in a sweaty mess. She was unconscious, and she shivered strongly haven fallen in the light carpet of snow that still remained.

I took her in my arm and it was only then I recognised her. “CAMILLA?!” I screamed out in shock.

I carried her with the car, removing my coat and chirt to cover her up. Keith got in the car just as I hit the gas, speeding away into the night.

Chapter X - Hot & Sweaty

Chapter X

Days passed and soon morphed into week in turn, week turned to months. It proved a harrowing yet revitalising experience, as I saw my old life die and I became someone new.

Gone was the out of shape slob that spent his days infront of a computer, working for some soulless corporation and who wasted his nights in front of the TV.

In came the new version of me. In the span January to March, I'd lost a good 20 pound and for the first time in my life had put on some muscles. Sure, I wasn't a body builder or anything but it was a huge improvement.

But that's not to say my life got easy. I didn't get like that by getting to the gym a few times a week. With the ladies and a few other mages, I'd taken a new job; Overwatching the city.

Ghouls, rampaging trolls, Death cults and the restless dead, That was my new work load. I grew in strenght but so did the threats I faced.

March 29^th was when the boat was rocked once again. At the time, I was on a job with a small time kinectomancer called Keith. While he couldn't throw a truck around, He packed one heck of a punch and his bullets danced in the air like they were in an aquatic ballet.

“Ready?” I asked in a hushed tone to my partner.

“Yeah. On three?” There were hints of stress in his voice. Which was understandable. A few months ago, he had been a male cheerleader for the university. Now, he was hunting cultists...

I counted down, and as I hit zero, both of us hit the double door with all our weight.

The empty Warehouse had been taken over two weeks ago by a group of demon worshiping cultists. While they were free to worship anyone, one of the members had kidnapped his girlfriend and was preparing to sacrifice her tonight as the full moon reached it's apex. That, we couldn't let happen.

Using the handful of seconds we had before they demonologist realised what was happening we grapped for cover. Working with Keith, I'd learned how to best use his powers.

While he was limited in potential, he had way more power than I currently could muster. On top of that, he was one hell of a crack shooter.

As he focused his will through the customly engraved pistol and bullets he carried, I provided a distraction; Like a John woo movie, I lept for another cover, firing a pair of small caliber handguns, emptying their clips in the general direction of the targets.

It goes without saying that I didn't hit a goddamn thing with that little stun. But that wasn't the point. Most of the warlocks weren't even a day above 16. They were all just kids in their rebelious and dark, brooding phase.

What we were here for was the leader. He wasn't some kind of wannabe. He was the real deal. He'd just moved onto the city after losing the mirror shades in Chicago.

Bullets flew as I remained behind a large stack of empty crates and barrel that had been left there. The kids themselfves were harmless, but the leader, a man that called himself Lazarus, had brain washed several of them. More or less literaly.

After a few seconds of fire, it all went silent as they began reloading. Big mistake from newbies, always keep a gun loaded. Otherwise, this happens.

From the otherside of the warehouse, Keith rose from cover, holding a single machine pistol with both hands. A flurry of bullets sprayed all over the cultists. Not a single one missed. O one was yet hurt.

Using his power, he'd redirected the bullet's course to veer right into the men's guns, sending them in pieces or flying.

That was my cue to move again, without even holstering them, I left go of the pistols, reaching for the machette and the kid sized baseball bat, one of the old ones, made from actual hardwood.

Using the kid's surprise I charged in, most of them weren't armed and didn't even try anything, they just stood to the side as I rushed in, smashing the baseball into one of the goon who posed a threat's stomach, sending him down the floor hurling his stomach's content.

And then, things degenerated. There was a lot of screaming as Keith and I fought, throwing punches, baseball bat swings and kicks. Most of the wannabe satanist goth kids ran for it early on. Yet there was a lot of cannon fodder that stood by their master as docile slaves.

I wasn't exactly a pro, but we held a small advantage to them, as people under a compulsion have a delayed timming and reaction time due to the instant before they receive an order and their mind process it.

As sad as it was, these guys would never really recover, mental manipulation is a difficult art, the slightest mistake could cause permanent psychic trauma to the victim's mind. There was no way Lazarus, the sociopathic son of a bitch had gone with white gloves on these guys.

He wanted control, total domination. Even if freed, these kids wouldn't have been able to live. There was no will left in them, no autonomy. They'd been reduced to automaton.

That, pissed me off to no end.

One of the thralls swang a weapon at me and I didn't react in time, so I ended up eating a facefull of tire iron. Blood splashed down my nose and onto my lips, the metallic taste filling my mouth. The hit had sent me down, and I hit the cement floor, hitting my left hand first as I tried to break the fall. I felt another crack echo throught my bones. One hand and the nose were out of the game.

Our weapons flied through the air, fast enough to make a swoop sound as they moved. The tip of my blade, burried into the guy's belly and a spasm shook his entire body right before his piece of iron could hit my temple...

I didn't realised that during our exchange of hits, the high priest had continued his chanting, lowering his blade right at the captive girl's sternum. At the same time, infront of him, inside of a circle, that had been drawn on the ground with spray paint, A monstrous creature formed, a humongrous wolf with the wings of an eagle and a serpent's tail, vommiting a fiery ooze that slowly melted the concrete

We were out of time, we never could match the power of a demon...

However, we could prevent Lazarus from taking control of it and it's power. The machette in my hand flew through the air...

It spent some spinning around lazily before it stuck the demon right on the flank, handle first, rebounding powerlessly onto the floor, not even phasing it.

The demon howled in rage, it wasn't hurt. It was insulted. Insulted that an idiot monkey would dare to stand up to him it screamed and the firery ooze spewed from his mouth like a freaking waterhose.

It was probably going to kill me if Laz didn't do it first.

But that didn't matter...

The flowing burst of magma hit right in the chest, burning it's way through clothes and devouring flesh, letting out a fetid odor or roasted flesh.

Lazarus howled in pain as the demon leap onto him, ripping out his still beating heart and devouring it whole. Circles of power can keep tremendious amounts of power, and keep locked even the strongest of extra planar beings.

But it couldn't prevent physical matter to pass and shatter the barrier. With my blade, I had broken down the only thing preventing the spirit to destroy the arrogant mage who had planned to enslave him.

After delighting in the power of the late Lazarus, the beast slowly trotted to my position, setting his maw inches from my faces.

“I KNOW NOT IF I SHALL SPARE YE FOR RELEASHING MY BEING OR DEVOUR YOU FOR YOUR ARROGANCE MONKEY! SHALL I SWAY MY CLAWS, WHAT SHOULD THEE GIVEST TO MINESELF?”

The Demon's voice was like a rumbling, shaking the earth around me, as he spoke a fiery rasp accompagnied his every words. I couldn't react in anything but terrified awe... The air had gotten hotter and hotter by the second, my breth grew sharp and Irregular, oxygen getting quickly replaced by the smoke the creature expired

“SPEAK NOW OR REMAIN SILENT IN DEATH, VERMIN”

I tried to speak... nothing came out. 

Beside I couln't give him anything, or receive anything, It would've forged a pact... 

Camilla knew a lot about spirits and she'd taught me one thing. When forging a pact with a being, the word is law. One cannot willfully act against it. And with some beings, just speaking to them casually could forge one.

If I gave him anything, I'd be bound to obey.

“PERHAPS THEE REQUIRE GUIDANCE.” He purred out, one of his burning hot claw carresing my chin, leaving a nasty burn in the whole area. “SPEAK NOW. THINE SOUL OR THINE SERVITUDE”

Shit... shit... shit...