Book 3: Chapter 96
Zayde
I held her close, listening to her heartbeat. Down here… we didn’t have to be anything nor do anything…. Down here, I could be as a packwolf, not an Alpha….
If I had to be honest, I could stay down here the rest of the week… the rest of my lifetime with my mate. That was cooled my beast blood. She cooled my inner fire… yet neither of us could keep our hands off each other… I am grateful for this second time… now she is my mate proper, not that anyone else ever stood a chance.
We’d been down here about 3 days, maybe a half-day more. Time flows differently when you cannot see the sun and moon… Whatever time it was, our demons finally made their way down here from their cuddling. Tinzaa flew down here as her peacock form, while holding Aptherraam’s cat form.
To be honest, it was actually kind of cute.
“What news?” I said standing, putting on some pants. I need to bring more furniture down here. I would like a TV too now that I think of it, but how would I run the electricity? I suppose I could convert the magic in those glow stones to power. They’d have to be tested for stability though, and I’d rather not make an explosion from misplaced judgment.
Plus the steam would probably eventually ruin it.
\[Lord Eskaal has stolen the last secret, right before the Realm Queen’s birthing no less.\] She chirped in a slight panic.
“What!” We both shouted.
\[We are to aid in keeping the world free from the master’s anger.\] She said \[The Witch King demands immediate audience upon the master’s island.\] We each took a demon in our arms and sprouted wings. The updraft lifted us up, and when we could see the sky, it was crimson with the masters’ anger…
I do not know why Lord Eskaal has done this, but I could guess. He is a mortal like us, yet he can traverse to other worlds… Above even the demigods of Arviel’s line, he has the permission to do as he pleases. I doubt there is anything barred from his grasp… so why did he disobey?
What could have caused him to steal the thing that holds our universe together?
The castle was in chaos, Everyone who held enough rank to leave were getting their affairs in order to use the ritual room below to mass teleport.
“We’re going as a pack.” I snarled.
“Yes Sir!” the elders of my group shouted.
“I will stay behind.” Said Micael, completely serious.
“With Typhen and Echidnah gone, you Basiel, and Sai’fire must keep watch.” I said shaking his wrist. “You make me proud.”
He looked a little surprised at my praise, because I don’t think I give it enough, but I was proud of my apprentice. He trained with Lord Bryson himself. Since I was gone, and a literal god watched the castle, he could have lazed about and no one would have blamed him. Yet, by his own merit, he willingly sought out more knowledge.
That’s not something you’d expect from a man so young.
I also didn’t expect him to take charge, and direct the flow of witches into the ritual room.
“I got this sir; please gather what you need.” He said like a Beta.
“I trust you with our territory, my Second.” I said firmly before leaving.
Upstairs I really didn’t have time for a shower and a long wash up, but it was a good thing that pool’s waterfall is a natural drop and drain to an underground river. I was already clean, getting into a suit, and helping Aptherraam with his tie.
Tiffany helped Tinzaa with the zipper of her dress, and we summoned our cloaks. I wore a black suit with a honey tie, and Tiffany wore a black dress with matching trim. We held hands, getting bows from the members who wouldn’t be going. They lined the walls, Micael’s command, in silence.
“I don’t know what has caused this, but I doubt it is betrayal.” I said firmly, once we got to about the middle of the hall. “But I will know soon enough… No one leave the barrier, and none question my apprentice.” I said moving forward.
It’s the only thing I can do.
Fuck Eskaal was a friend… I really… *really* hope our mission isn’t to aid in finding him for execution…. We are too low rank. We could never hope to smite someone as talented as him… but I do not wish to see it.
“That’s fifty sir!” Shouted Micael.
“Good.” I shouted back.
“We’ll be back soon!” shouted Tiffany.
“My lovely barrier maiden, I bequeath the teleportation to you.” I bowed, gently kissing her hand.
I could do it, but she holds the staff, and the spellbook. But most importantly, she is my equal. It mattered not who does what, so long as it is done by us.
She held out her hands, and green lightning spread from her fingertips, bouncing off the corners of the ritual room’s carvings. There was already a teleportation waygate made, but to access it, requires energy only one of us could provide. Her execution and form was perfect, with her voice being clear.
“I request the Gate of Yellow to meet the Gate of Phantom.” She shouted with authority. The runes pulsed between red and green, but stayed red when a response was given.
“Your access is granted.” Said my grandmother. “I like the way you did this spell little one.”
“I thought to weave an old way, with a new.” Tiffany beamed.
With red and green lightning, Tiffany and the True Witch Queen brought 52 people to the master’s private island. I remember coming here as a child from time to time, witnessing the awesome power of the True Witch King…. It was not often, but it was enough to be awestruck, even though I’d seen some of those spells before.
Those two working together made the lightning mix into a brownish color. And I the blink of an eye, we were there.
We bowed at the presence of the Witch King, and he waved his hand.
“The masters could not be here, as they search for Eskaal. We have been tasked with purifying the toxins out the air.” He said seriously, and grandmother added to it, for those of us who just got here.
“The redness of the sky is due to the ire of Lord Xaxas especially, and the Horned One…. Hell’s magic leaks onto the world, and without our filtration, eventually the humans will become sick.” She said summoning a black scroll.
That was the decree given to us, and I was grateful it had nothing to do with hunting Eskaal.
“Come, we have little time.” Said grandfather, summoning his cane.
\----Tiffany-----
My heart was heavy… but how could it not be? Eskaal and my parents were close friends, and honestly I saw him more as a relative than a general… Yet as a member of the Night Court, if he is cast out… I cannot help him.
There were at least three thousand people down here, though they filled the seats. Some where curious guests from Xaxas’s castle, while others were witches who weren’t Dark. They were in awe seeing us get into formation, a giant circle of a few hundred witches, all with their wands, or staves out. We banged them rhythmically, charging the floor to summon aid.
We would need help, but since I am not the leader of this operation, I don’t know who he planned on bringing above…
“Prepare yourselves!” Shouted our king, whose face was steeled. His focus was sharp as a blade. “We little few, 50 elders, plus 2 coven leaders of every coven…
Gulteer stood in the center of the massive ritual room, whose black and white marble was carved into. It looked somehow different from Theo’s memory, yet, the runes pulsed all the same.
The Witch King spoke in a language I did not know, nor Theo…. He banged his cane on the ground. Swirls of black, red, purple, and gray shot straight up out of the cane, and into the runes. They pulsed crimson, but it was not the master he summoned.
It was the Pit…. As a child I was bounced on his knee, and he told me bedtime stories with mom, even when grandma went to sleep…. There were even times he’d sneak to say hi, and have dinner…
Yet... if someone asked me to identify him, I would not be able to. He looked like an entirely different person in his anger.
“Gulteer why have you done this?” He boomed in English…. Apythmenos wanted everyone to know that he was not amused… I’d never seen him so livid.
Usually, Apythmenos is angelic, and albino in appearance…. But he was solid crimson skinned at the moment. His hair was black, as were his horns, and his eyes held no white. They were like Gulteer’s, black with crimson irises…. Now he looked like the Herald of Hell…
We all kneeled.
“Herold of the Master, we need thy aid. This world is putrid under the gazes of the masters.” Said Gulteer.
He looked around, and his growl was felt.
“You’re right. I’ll get the western hemisphere, fan the vapors from the east my way using the jet stream. If I breathe too deeply, I’ll harm the planet.” He said this as if he were thinking out loud.
“Is there anything we can do to sate thy ire?” Asked Gulteer.
“Eskaal Un-betraying the master.” He scoffed, becoming normal. “That little shit took the Last Secret right in front of the master, and ran off into another universe instead of accepting his punishment.” He hissed. “Now I’m going to have to kill him if I catch him.”
That was a heavy burden….. one no one talks about.
We have comradery, more so than the Light Court at times, but it hurts more to put down our own…
“You will not have to put him down little Tiffany.” He said teleporting in front of me, petting my hair. “This is for the pantheon to deal with. Yours is to protect your planet however we can.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
