The Mage's Prophecy

01 May 2009

Back - Rayne

Carter watched as the others moved about the room.  Well, Gordon was near him having a beer as well.  The basement was filled with people and he didn’t know some of them.  It was more that he didn’t remember their names.  Daniel had introduced them all as they had arrived but Carter hadn’t been paying attention.  He only knew that he couldn’t help.  He had no idea how to work magic and he was glad for it.  Hephaestus hadn’t sent him visions recently but he knew that his patron was nearby, in the figurative sense. 

The group was in the basement.  Carter had been able to contribute by pushing the furniture to one side of the house against the walls or into the workshop area.  It had cleared up the lounge area downstairs.  After he finished that task, Carter could only watch. 

Carter recognized Martina and Martin as they set up candles of different sizes and colors around a circle.  No, make that two circles that were being created.  Carter knew that Stephen had talked about putting in some kind of permanent circle and it looked like one had been created.  Someone had chipped the concrete into a circle and then poured copper into it.  Now, the group, who also included Stephen, Julie and Daniel and some other mages Carter didn’t know but they had been introduced as being in Martina’s cabal, were making another circle out of paint on the outside of the copper circle. 

Carter leaned closer to Gordon and whispered, “Do you have any idea what they are doing?” 

“Other than the prophecy thing they talked about?  No idea.” 

Cater didn’t feel so bad.  Well, he didn’t feel so dumb.  So out of his league.  If they had needed something made, he could have done it no problem, out of whatever materials they gave him.  As Carter thought about that, he stopped looking at the specific runes they were drawing and looked at it as a whole.  If the pattern continued, it would need another rune there, a candle there and another small outer circle there.  Sure enough, that’s what they did.  Carter had no idea what it meant but it reminded him of a gear assembly, although much larger. 

Hmmm, Carter thought.  Maybe magic isn’t so different from what I do after all.

“Look at it like a gear instead,” he whispered to Gordon again.  Carter watched as Gordon watched the activity for a few minutes in silence.  Eventually, Gordon’s face changed to one of confusion and then slowly to a realization. 

“I see what you mean, although I didn’t get the gear reference.  But, I can see a pattern emerge.  I don’t know why,” Gordon whispered to Carter.  “It’s not exact but suddenly, it doesn’t seem so different.  I will be more impressed if I recognize what they are doing for the next part.” 

Carter could only nod at that as he turned back and watched the preparation.  One of the people he didn’t know readied some wine and bowls on a table with a smaller circle and two smaller circles, only large enough to hold the wine bottle.  He also saw them pull out some brandy and poured it into some glasses and then almost do a blessing over them.  Carter thought there was a heat shimmer above the glasses as mage waved his hands and muttered a phrase. 

Thirty minutes later and the mages stepped away and checked what everyone else had done.  Stephen corrected something with the wine while Martina added some more lines to the drawn circle.  One of the other mages moved a few candles between the circles.  They all stepped back and looked at it again.  As they scanned it, Carter watched them nod their heads and then turn and check another area.  Ten minutes later, after a few more minor adjustments, they were all nodding at what they saw. 

“Okay, that’s ready.  Now, we should do the second part,” said Martina.  She looked at Carter and said, “Is he going to be able to stay?” 

“What the fuck does that mean?” said Carter, his voice rougher than he meant as he stared at her. 

“Don’t be a dick, Carter,” replied Daniel, obviously defending Martina.  “She means your hand and foot.  We don’t know what affect they might have on this ritual. We need to be pure for it and that,” Daniel paused.  “Isn’t.  At least it doesn’t look it.” 

“It’s from Hephaestus!  How can it not be pure?” Carter said, his voice rising. 

“Well,” replied Martina, “Hecate would be the goddess of magic among that group.  I don’t know how she views your patron.  Do you?” 

Carter searched her face for sarcasm but didn’t see or hear it.  He thought about it for a second but then shrugged.  “I guess I don’t know.” 

“I think we need your help in this, Carter,” Martina said, “but we don’t know what that will do to the ritual.  It might be more tough or no effect it at all.”  She shrugged.  “I guess we will find out.” 

The mages, Stephen, Daniel, Martin, Martina and three others explained the next part.  Michael, Carter, Julie and Gordon nodded and then went to get ready.  Carter went to his room and took off his clothes.  He pulled out a robe and set it to one side.  He didn’t have a mirror in his room, so he looked at his figure.  Except for the arm and leg, which he wasn’t ashamed about at all, he had few blemishes.  A small scar from an accident as a kid.  A training scar from his military days.  Both of them were tough to see if you didn’t know where to look. 

Carter did a small workout of fighting skills.  It wasn’t enough to make him sweat.  He snorted at that.  He would have to do simple aerobics for a long time before he would sweat, given his strength and endurance now.  But he went through them, clearing out his head as much as he could.  When he was ready, he put on the robe and went back downstairs. 

As Carter got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw the other’s robes discarded off to one side.  He put his there with the others and went forward into the room.  Martina and the other female mage were lighting the candles with a lighter.  Carter expected something a bit more, well, magical than using wooden matches to light the candles.  As he watched, they moved around the circle, touching a wick with the match in turn.  He noticed Martina was going clockwise around the outer circle and the other mage, he wished he remembered her name, was going counter-clockwise in the inner circle.  The candle light made their bodies glow.  Carter wondered what his arm and leg looked like to others in the candle light. 

Nos adveho hic in litania. Nos adveho hic summisse ut vernula of veneficus , expers futurus secui quantum quod ostendo sum mysterious.[i]  Martina and the other mage said the words at the same time, carefully and deliberately as they lit the candles.  As they finished, Carter heard the others come down and take their places.  Martina stepped into the inner circle, the other mages took up points between the inner circle and outer circle.  Gordon, Julie and Carter had circles for them outside of the outer circle.  Michael walked among those outside the circles, walking around the whole thing.  Michael seemed to be growling the whole time.  At times, Michael would be naked but then hair would spring up as he walked and Michael took on some wolfish features.  The features lasted only a step or two before Michael was back to looking human. 

Don’t fuck it up, Carter, thought Carter as he went over the phrase he was supposed to say.  Carter paused outside the circle and tried to push everything from his mind.  He couldn’t do it.  Not because it was hard.  If he was about to enter a fight, he would be in his fighting trance with no problem.  Here, though, having to remember what to say, how to walk and several other things made clearing his mind more difficult. 

“Adeo orbis promptus ut tribuo mihi ut veneficus,” As he intoned this, Carter moved closer to his circle.  “Permissum meus vires exsisto adsuesco assuesco ut necessarius ut ostendo sum res incompertus. Ut unus , sum-,” and Carter froze, his foot over the circle.  It left him!  He knew what he had to say but it was gone.  Carter felt the sweat start and wondered if he could back out, now, and not ruin it when the words came tumbling out, “pallens, tamen ut a humus nos es validus. Quis ego non operor , nos can operor una.[ii]”  Carter breathed in relief as he stepped into the circle and turned to face the middle. 

Carter, Gordon, Julie and Michael were the guardians.  They kept anything out that shouldn’t be there.  As Carter remembered it, other spirits and perhaps even demons would be attracted to Martina as she tried to see the future.  It fell on him and the other three to stop them from entering the next circle. 

Carter concentrated on the circle he was in and pushed.  He didn’t think it would work but he felt the energy concentrate in him and then go to the circle.  The circle closed.  Carter felt it snap in place around him, closing himself off but still sensing the others.  Carter couldn’t help but smile.  He had done magic!  Sure, it was easy according to the mages but still.  Carter couldn’t help but be pleased at it. 

Now, he waited.  He kneeled on the floor, resting his backside on his ankles, tensing for anything he sensed.  It wouldn’t be his physical body that he used to protect the others but his mental strength.  He knew that Hephaestus would be with him and help him. 

Carter could hear the mages chanting although the languages were different.  He recognized Latin and maybe Greek but then a few other languages were there and he didn’t know them.  Martina was sitting as he was, kneeling but resting on her ankles with her toes touching and her heels in the air.  She looked even more tense then Carter. 

Martina chanted as Carter watched.  He couldn’t make it out but thought he remembered someone saying she had to do something else before her part started.  Michael kept pacing around the circle, moving among the shadows.  Carter watched as Michael only took four steps to go all the way around the circle.  Michael seemed to step between shadows, appearing in certain points.  Carter stopped looking at Michael as it unbalanced him. 

εγώ έλα όπως έναs ποιόs θέλω σε βοήθεια άλλος. μαγεία υπηρετώ άλλος διαμέσου εμένα. εγώ έλα με έναs χρειάζομαι σε εκείνο βοήθεια.[iii]  The words came from Martina but Carter didn’t understand any of it.  It’s a good thing he didn’t have to understand it.

When Carter heard the words, even though he didn’t understand them, he closed his eyes and tried to open his inner eye.  He snorted.  Sure, he thought, open my inner eye.  What the hell is that supposed to- wait.  Carter felt something shift.  He became . . . more.  There was more to see.  The world’s colors dulled but the life force of the others shone brightly. 

Holy crap!

Carter saw the other’s life force and couldn’t help but stare.  Colors and shapes moved around them and Carter didn’t understand what he saw but he knew he didn’t have to.  Carter felt the movement from outside the circle and willed himself over toward it.  A squat demon was coming toward the circle from the darkness.  It was only four feet tall but rotund and with deadly claws on its hands and feet.  It looked like it was shaped together by wax, as it was misshapen and some parts look melted.  Carter didn’t hesitate in his attack.  His punch caught the thing in the face, collapsing it and sending black ichor spraying from it.  Then Carter kicked it away for good measure. 

That’s when Carter saw them.  Martina and Martin had thought there would be a dozen attackers.  They were wrong.  Carter watched as hundreds more of those demons charged.  Well, it looked like hundreds.  Behind them were human shapes but they weren’t all there.  Behind that line was more of those insect looking demons. 

Carter took a breath, even though this form didn’t need it but it helped him center himself, and leapt into the fray.  He saw the blur of a werewolf as Michael attacked.  Michael must have been over twelve feet tall and in his full war from.  Carter hit one demon then another in rapid succession, sending them sprawling into others.  Then he pounced on those that fell, taking those down. 

Carter knew that Gordon, Julie and Michael moved among the demons as well.  Michael attacked with tooth and claw and pushed past the first rank to the human shapes.  Julie and Gordon helped keep the circle free of the demons.  When Michael arrived at the back near the human shapes, Carter watched him pull out his sword and attack.  Gordon attacked with combat knives while Carter continued to use his metal arm and leg to hit the demons. 

A demon slipped past and Carter yelled at Gordon.  Gordon twisted and threw a knife, dropping the demon that approached Stephen, the closest mage in the circle.  Carter could hear the chanting but again didn’t pick out any words.  Then Carter turned and punched and kicked several more demons.  Soon, he was back in the thick of fighting. 

Another demon got past the three of them but this time Julie roared in wolf form, rushed past and bit and clawed it in half before it could reach Stephen.  Carter moved down the line to fill it in better and let him see Stephen better.  A group of five demons tried to rush Carter and bring him down.  He caught their charge and dropped two of them with heavy blows before making short work of the other three. 

Time meant little here and neither did fatigue, for which Carter was grateful.  He lost count at how many demons he fought and destroyed.  They were a blur.  And there were more.  Always, there were more. 

Another got past Carter but he stopped him before it reached Stephen.  It had gotten closer than any of the others, though.  Carter could tell their numbers were their advantage.  He wasn’t sure if they would get past the guardians or not but he kept fighting.

Carter willed his armor and it appeared.  He couldn’t tell if it was only here or his real body had done it but he didn’t care.  Having his armor was like drinking a power drink.  Carter renewed his fighting and pushed the demons back one step.  Two steps.  Three.  They fell in twos as Carter attacked. 

Another slipped past but once again, the wolf appeared and bit it in half.  Carter turned back toward the demons but movement from behind him caught his eye.  The top half of the demon Julie had bit was pulling itself toward Stephen!  Carter slapped several down, tripping those behind them, and leapt for the demon half.  It managed to pull itself into Stephen’s circle but was burned badly.  They smelled of rotten flesh normally, and the smell of burning demon flesh almost made Carter gag.  If it had been in the real world, he might have, but he fought it off. 

The demon pulled itself up and latched onto Stephen with a bite.  Carter saw him grimace but keep going.  Carter reached the demon two heartbeats later and pulled it off Stephen, pulling some flesh as well.  Stephen faltered but only for a second before continuing.  Carter threw the demon part at the group that had surged forward when he left the line.  It caught two and dropped them as Carter rushed into the melee again. 

Again, Carter had to push them back a step then two.  There were too many to go further.  He swing his fists and kicked his feet at any demon that came close.  He fell into a rhythm, which made it easier.  Step, punch, kick, step.  Again and again. 

A wail rose from Martina, or at least Carter thought it was her.  Then a wave exploded from the circle, dropping all of the attackers.  Carter looked back and saw Martina in the circle.  She was kneeling but her back was arched as far as it could go.  Maybe farther.  She moved her mouth but Carter couldn’t hear anything.  Carter saw two figures standing on either side of Martina.  They were beautiful and ephemeral as they spoke to Martina.  They whispered in her ear for several seconds and then were gone. 

Carter’s eyes snapped open.  He felt exhausted but was able to stay sitting on his haunches.  Stephen, Martin and the other mages slumped forward.  Gordon, Julie and Michael moved forward to help them.  Carter did as well.  Martina looked the same here as she did wherever they had been.  Carter couldn’t see the figures next to her anymore but thought they were there.  Then Martina slumped down and Martin and Daniel ran to her.  Daniel got there first and cradled her to him.  Martina looked tired but seemed fine otherwise.  Daniel helped her up and moved toward the couch.  Julie passed out people’s robes.  Carter took a second to realize she knew them by scent.  One of the mages passed out the brandy to each person and told them to sip it.  Carter snorted and downed it in one gulp.  He never understood the fancy liquors.  They all get you drunk, what matter the taste?

The energy flooded into him.  The fatigue he had been feeling washed out and was replaced by energy.  It overwhelmed him for a second but then Carter got control and he felt fine. 

“That’s why I said sip it,” muttered the mage.  Carter snorted but said nothing.  He did notice that everyone else was sipping it. 

The group said nothing as they sipped the brandy.  Stephen and Julie sat together, leaning on each other.  Daniel was holding Martina as she leaned against him.  Otherwise, the rest sat by themselves.  As they finished their brandies, Carter felt the alcohol hit him.  It actually affected him!  It was as if he was buzzed on that one drink.  It washed over him but as before, Carter mastered it and felt good. 

“I think I have sorted it all out,” said Martina, sounding a bit shaky.  “The vampires weren’t attacked, at least not right away, because it was a vampire that gave away the other groups.”  Martina noticed people’s reactions and kept going quickly.  “No, it wasn’t anyone we know.  It was a group of Romanian vampires.  The same ones after the Raynes and what their family has kept from them. 

“When they realized they couldn’t get into the house, they tried other means.  They tried some different supernatural groups, but I am not sure of all of them.  However, none worked.  They have been trying to think of something else.  What they finally realized was that your group had become too powerful for them to handle on their own. 

“So, they started Ragnarok.”  Martina paused to watch the other’s expressions.  Then she continued, “Not the real thing, mostly.” 

“Mostly?” Carter said out loud.  “How do you have a partial apocalypse?” 

“It’s not the actual Ragnarok that we are experiencing but an . . . echo of it.  It could turn into the real thing, though, if all of the Raynes died.  I don’t think they would go that far.  They don’t want the world to be re-made anymore than we do.  They want their creator back in this world!”  Martina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, in thought.  She opened them and kept talking after dozen heartbeats. 

“However, it has caused the barrier between this world and some others to be cracked.  Things are slipping through those cracks and coming here.  That’s their plan.  They figure you guys will do what you can to help against these monsters and it might leave you open to an attack from them.  Or you might leave the stake behind and they can get it that way.”

“So, this whole thing has still been about those vampires?” said Gordon, incredulously.  “What the fuck?  Why is it so important to them?” 

“I think you need to see it from their perspective,” said Michael, taking up the story.  “What would you two do to have your parents back?  This is the same thing for them.” 

“Will it work?” Gordon asked the room. 

“It could,” said a mage.  Carter still couldn’t remember his name.  Talisman?  “Vampires are tied to the blood and the stake has their progenitor’s blood on it.  They might have to make a large sacrifice but that won’t be anything to them.  They will do it gladly, whether it’s other vampires or mortals.  They won’t care.”  

“In any case,” said Martina, “they are who we have to stop.  They have aligned themselves with Loki, who is helping them create this chaos.  I think he is using it to weaken his enemy’s scions.  He has brought the Jotuns here and is helping create confusion.  I know that they are somewhere underground and it’s near an abandoned subway tunnel but that’s as close as I could get.  They have wards and guardians of their own.  There was one final thing . . .” Martina trailed off. 

After waiting for a minute, Carter couldn’t help it.  “Yes?” he said, drawing the word out. 

“I’m sorry.  I was thinking about what I saw but it means nothing to me.  I kept seeing this.”  She used her hand to draw VII into the air.  “That is supposed to mean something to one of us as another ally.  However, they must be kept secret from any outside this group.”

“I hate riddles,” muttered Carter.

“There are some other allies out there as well, potentially.  They were referred to as pharaohs but I don’t know what that means.  I do think more mages are coming, or they didn’t get all of them, but I don’t know if it will be to help us or not.  I think that’s everything, or at least everything I remember.  It was like a dream and parts of it are slipping away, which is why this has taken so long.  As I think of something new, I follow it in my memories, so to speak, and see what else is there.  Any questions?  Can anyone think of anything I missed or that we knew but didn’t fit?  Maybe that will help me with anything I might have heard but didn’t understand.”