The Seal of Solomon

by Jeffrey Ellis

  Sebastian and Chelsea were silent. Abraham downed two more shots and was quite drunk at this point. "It's always the mothers that carry the burden. To your mother. May we all strive to be even a fraction of how great she was and may every woman that graces my bed have her stamina and skill," he said and downed another shot.

  "Well, the floor is either becoming lopsided or I've had a bit much to drink. I'm going to go find some sweet young woman to smack for unwanted advances," said Abraham. He grabbed Chelsea's ass and said, "If I were twenty years younger," he said smiling. "Take care of your boyfriend dear and don't break his heart," he told her.

  "Oh, we're not a couple. We have a bit of fun every now and then, nothing more than that," she said to Abraham.

  "Just keep telling yourself that until you believe it, sweetheart. I’m old and wise or at least old but not so drunk I don't know what I see even if you can't see it yet," said the old man as he staggered off.

  #

  A little while later, after the party was over Chelsea and Sebastian were talking. He had his arm around her as they lay in his bed. Sebastian said, "I can't believe what dad told me." Chelsea looked at him.

  "About what your dad said, it's not true. Like I said before, it's just casual. Even if I am interested in you, we're Wardens. We can't have that kind of life," she told him.

  Sebastian seemed lost in thought and wasn't paying attention to her. "Mom was a Warden. That's amazing. I wish I would have known. It's like there's a huge part of my life that was hidden from me." He sighed then stopped. "Wait a minute, you're interested in me?"

  She took a deep breath. "Well, sort of. I mean yes and no. It's complicated. We spent months together training intensely and hunting together so it's probably just that. Even if it wasn't and I'm not saying that it's not possible. We're Wardens. We can't have personal connections because they distract you and make you weak."

  Sebastian rubbed her cheek. "I'm not sure about that. Look at my dad. He said after I was born they drifted apart after she left the Wardens then eventually he nearly got himself killed and he left her. I saw them both a lot but never as a couple. Dad got sloppy. I believe it's because he didn't have anyone to care about anymore and that made him reckless. Maybe personal connections make us stronger. I know I would feel much better knowing the person who had my back did it for me, not for a job requirement."

  She thought a moment. "Maybe you're right and maybe you're not. I have to think about that but not right now," she said as she rolled on top of him and kissed him.

  #

  Mordred sat in the middle of a large round table that was painted with numerous symbols. In the center of the table was a reddish-gold sphere perched in claw made of a silvery metal and adorned with various colors of polished gemstones. He sat with his eyes closed. A dreb approached him.

  "Report, dreb," said the man without opening his eyes.

  "My Lord, the preparations are complete. The hosts are prepared and will sacrifice their energy, willing or not, to complete the breach,” replied the reptilian creature.

  "Excellent," said Mordred. "Today we restore the world. Today we undo the damage done by the Council and bring magic back to the world."

  He started chanting and floated off the table. Energy flew around the room, lightning, fire and mystical emanations bounced off the walls. A small sphere of force visible only to those attuned to the arcane surrounded him and tendrils of gold-black energy started flowing into him through the walls. Screams could be heard from numerous distant creatures echoing along the tendrils. As he continued to chant, the sphere grew larger and more screams could be heard as the tendrils grew in number. After a few minutes, the sphere exploded outward, rapidly expanding to cover the castle, then England, then Europe and eventually the entire world then dissipated.

  The dreb said, "Did it work or did the spell fail?"

  The man looked up at him. "Wait." A few minutes later they felt the ground begin to tremble like an earthquake. "It begins. The Seal is failing," said the man.

  "You did it! You broke Solomon's Seal. Hail, Mordred!" said the dreb.

  #

  Across the world, the unseen energy barrier passed through a large building on the west coast of North America. The sign out front identified it as "Northwest Hills Sanitarium." An old man materialized inside a padded room.

  A man in a white coat outside the door said "Hey! Who are you and how did you get in there?" The old man stroked his long beard.

  "You can see me? That's not a good sign. That's not a good sign at all," replied the old man. As the orderly looked at Merlin, they both stumbled as the ground shook. "No, definitely not good," said Merlin as he looked around the room and continued, "Excuse me good sir, but can you tell me the year?"

  #

  "Prepare yourselves, men, it comes!" yelled Captain Arthur to his soldiers.

  Broaching the horizon, the large, amorphous black creature came into view. It moved as fast as a horse and was gargantuan. Its bulk easily matched the size of a large keep. The knights braced themselves. Their magically imbued weapons and shields flashing with energy as they waited for it to reach them. Catapults loaded with magical projectiles were firing at it. Each hit was absorbed and ignored.

  "Wait for it. It's not close enough yet," Arthur said. It scorched the ground where it passed, and the feeling of dread rose as it got closer. "Wait for it. Stand brave my friends. Today we face death. May the afterlife hold paradise for us all! NOW!" he commanded.

  The knights all faced their gilded shields towards it and beams of light came from them. Each beam struck the creature fully and once all of them made contact, the Tormentor slowed but did not stop. "Keep it up, men. Ra’s spell is strong and though we cannot beat it we have to slow it enough for the Council to finish."

  The thing got closer and closer, slowing a bit more the closer to the source of the energy it got. It was taking its toll on the men as their own energy was used to channel it. The dread was stifling their bravery and making them falter. The magic of their shields was drawn directly from their essence and as that weakened, so did the magic. Eventually, the beams stopped, and the creature was again moving at full speed.

  "CHARGE!" commanded Arthur. The thing crashed into their ranks and from its amorphous body came long appendages like whips and arms. Arthur charged it, the red-gold sword made for him by Merlin was shining with energy. He cut through tendril after tendril, but it was in vain. Every time one was cut it would dissipate and another replace it almost immediately. Eventually, one of them wrapped around him and threw him across the battlefield. He landed with a thud, tried to get up then collapsed, unconscious. The knights were quickly scattered and defeated.

  #

  "Today we gather to end our world and begin a new one. What that new world will hold, we cannot know. My friends, this is the last day of this Council. After today, this world as we know it will die and a new one will replace it. I see no reason for long farewells. We've had over a year to prepare for that and now that the time has come, I wish to expedite this process. Does anyone not concur?" asked Merlin.

  Ra spoke. "No, you are right. The time for talk is over and now is the time for action. The Tormentor approaches and though Arthur and his knights will defend Camelot bravely, they will not stop it. We must begin the casting now."

  Merlin looked around the table. No one else had anything to say and as he looked at each, they nodded their head. With that, Merlin stepped up to the center of the table and began chanting. The seven other members of the Council stood and started channeling energy into Merlin. As he absorbed the energy, he began to glow. "Go now. It begins, and I can't stop the process. You have only minutes" Merlin said, his voice distorted and echoing by the spell and he teleported them all from the tower.

  One after the other, each of the Masters teleported to their chosen location, each guarded by a Warden enclave. Once there, they quickly entered a sarcophagus that had been created to sustain them in the absence of magic. No one could
be sure if it would work correctly but they had no choice. They could not stand against Mordred and at least this method offered hope. They would sleep through eternity until a time they would awaken unknowing if or when that might occur.

  Merlin continued to glow brighter and the magical light was now permeating the very walls of Camelot and it shone like a sun. The Tormentor began to move towards the light, its own darkness seemingly unaffected by the glow and remained the inky blackness of its normal state. The Tormentor ripped the wall from the tower where Merlin was casting, and a tentacle of its blackness shot forth as the spell finished. It pierced Merlin at the moment of completion. The spell ripped through the fabric of magic, penetrating to the very core of the veil between the arcane and mundane. The Tormentor spasmed and fled.

  A pulse of energy flowed out from Merlin and when it was gone, so was he. The tower at Camelot was empty. Arthur pulled himself up and looked around. The castle was heavily damaged, all his knights badly injured or dead and something felt different. He looked at his sword and armor. It no longer glowed. The Tormentor sat idle in the courtyard. Did they do it? Was magic really gone? As he pondered that, the land started to shake and rumble. The Tormentor sat idle in the courtyard. It had made it only a few hundred yards from the tower before it stopped. It no longer moved.

  #

  They had practically moved in together. They had only been involved a few months but never left each other's side unless they had to and most of their time together time was spent in one of their beds. Chelsea was moaning as she and Sebastian were in the throes of passion and the building started shaking.

  For a moment, Sebastian was standing in a field seeing Chelsea run up to him. She was dressed odd, like a lady from an old fairy tale and when she got to him, she embraced him, and they kissed. They didn't speak they just stood there, holding each other. She was carrying a child and close to term. Behind him, a great castle stood crafted in immaculate stone, decorated with gold and a large tower behind it with the top shattered and various bits of damage here and there.

  "We're really going to live at Camelot?" she said.

  "We are. The knights are the last vestiges of order now that the Council is gone and with the land in chaos, we must take control. They've made me their king and you're a queen now," he told her.

  "How bad was the fight? Were your losses heavy?" she said.

  He looked despondent. "I lost many friends that day. Percival and Lancelot both dead. Gawain survived but will never wield a sword again. Several others are severely injured and only time will tell. So many men we called friend and brother have been lost to this war and to see it over now, it's hard to believe. Already we have runners telling us of cataclysms. The earthquakes have caused great damage and we've had reports of waves of unheard-of size washing away cities on some coasts. We face a new world and we'll have to be strong to live in it. You are my strength," he said holding her.

  "And you are mine," she said, and they kissed again.

  #

  Sebastian shook his head back to thoughts of the present as Chelsea reach her peak very loudly.

  "I've heard of an orgasm being earth shaking but I didn't think they meant it literally," she said breathing heavily then added as she noticed the faraway look in his eyes, "Are you okay?"

  "I just...it's nothing. I think that was an earthquake" said Sebastian.

  The building rumbled again. "It's still happening or that was an aftershock and earthquakes don't hit NYC. Something is wrong," he said jumping up and getting dressed.

  #

  About half an hour later, Sir Sebastian, Lady Chelsea and the rest of the team were in the meeting room upstairs as their leaders came in. They had been waiting for nearly twenty-five minutes while small aftershocks continued. Facilitator William was starting up the wall monitor as it cycled between news stations and Coordinator Anna was on a call with someone.

  "Yes, ma'am. NYC is also being hit with the quakes. We're on alert and awaiting orders," said Coordinator Anna. "Team, let's make this quick I have to leave for the president's office in Sydney. All global leaders are being called to an emergency conference. Facilitator William has my full authority. He'll bring you up to speed with what we know. We don't have much information. Right now, is mostly panic and speculation. Don't overreact, don't jump to conclusions and fall back on your skill and training if this is in our domain and we're called to action. Facilitator, Facility 14 is yours for now. I'll keep you updated as I get more information," said Coordinator Anna as she left for a shuttle bay.

  Facilitator William turned the monitor to another station. "Everyone felt the earthquake. It's not just here, they're hitting globally. We have seismic activity literally everywhere on Earth. In addition, we have confirmed large numbers of volcanic eruptions. There are also tsunamis confirmed in the Pacific and South Atlantic, but most haven't hit shore yet and when they do... So far, the North Atlantic is clear. The devastation is massive and global. What we know isn't much, but I'll tell you what we can confirm. Approximately 40 minutes ago at 3:15 A.M. GMT, an earthquake hit England. Within minutes, quakes had been felt in Europe and not long after that Africa, Asia and the Americas. It appears somewhere in England was ground zero for whatever is going on. The global death toll is immense. Nothing like this has ever been documented. It's being compared to the Chicxulub event but there has been zero evidence of an impact. Besides, nothing larger than an apple has gotten through the grid and touched our atmosphere in two centuries making it even less likely,” he told them.

  He turned the screen to a mapping system and pulled up a map of England. "This is ground zero. It's in South Wales near Caerleon." Several people started talking at the mention of Caerleon. He stopped them. "Let's not jump to fanciful conclusions. It's probably just a coincidence," he told them.

  Sir Walter spoke up. "Come on Facilitator, you can't really believe that this is a coincidence. Global catastrophe triggered by Camelot? We're all thinking it."

  Facilitator William replied "I know it's an odd coincidence but let's look at the facts. First, we don't know for sure that was where Camelot was. The records were lost during the Dark Ages. Second, even if it was, we don't know for sure that's where the Seal was created. The records from the first few years following the Seal are sparse as the Wardens were just being established. It could have been any of the wizard’s strongholds. Third, there has been no evidence of any increase in arcane occurrences linked to any of these disasters and last, we're professionals, we go on facts not guesswork and right now, those are in short supply, so we wait for more information."

  Lady Chelsea spoke up next. "So, what's our game plan?"

  "That," said Facilitator William, "Is the reason we're here. Our orders are to lock down and gear up. If this isn't fey related, we might be called on to help maintain order. I know we're not the police and we're not trained for that, but this is unprecedented so we're going to do what we can when and where we can to help our fellow people. A lot of people are dead or dying, supply lines are seriously impacted, communication is significantly hampered likely due to the number of grids that went offline and if we can help then we will. If we are called up to maintain order, remember that these are your fellow citizens and their world just got upended. They're scared and need help so be gentle. Riots are already happening in many places, fires are rampant in some cities and flooding will follow the quakes in many coastal regions. We got lucky. NYC wasn't hit as hard as many other places."

  They watched the news feeds for a little while, anxiously awaiting anything they could act on. Facilitator William tapped the communicator chip in his temple and motioned for everyone to be quiet. He listened for several minutes. "Yes, ma'am. I understand. I'll relay that,” he said then looked at the group. “That was the Coordinator. She's at the president's office. As of 4:00 A.M. GMT martial law was established, and a global state of emergency declared. Initial estimates on the death toll are far worse than expected. The human race, by all reports, just lost
a fourth of its population, that's a rough estimate mind you, and tidal waves are still expected to hit coastal areas within the next few hours and the full impact of the volcanic activity is still unknown. Major cities are completely wiped out in some cases just from the quakes. So far, the super calderas are quiet, and we can only hope they stay that way. Evacuations are being done as quickly as possible. In addition, they finally nailed down why communication is hampered. The working theory is that volcanic and tectonic activity is wreaking havoc with EM spectrums."

  He changed the monitor over to a news station. The feed had static but was viewable and a brunette woman was talking. "...are to stay indoors and keep the streets clear for emergency personnel. Martial law is in effect worldwide. The president will make an address within the hour. Hold on...we're getting a live feed from Tokyo."

  The camera switched to the feed and a man was talking over the hum of a shuttle's engines. "As you can see below, Tokyo is devastated. The quakes destroyed most of the city’s infrastructure. There is currently no electricity anywhere in or near the city and fires are unchecked." The man puts his hand over his ear as if trying to hear his earpiece better. "No. Oh no no no. I'm getting word a tidal wave is approaching faster than predicted and will hit within minutes. Pilot, take us down, get as many people as you can on board."

  The pilot took the shuttle down and people started climbing on. "We're at capacity," said the pilot and started to lift off. As they did, more people kept trying to get on board and were holding onto the landing struts keeping it from taking off. "Oh god..." was the last thing said as the camera turned and a wall of water rushed over it and the feed went dead.

  The original reporter came back on and was visibly shaken. "I…I can't do this," she said with tears streaming and walked off camera leaving an empty desk.

  "Okay people. I know it's late but no rest for the weary. I’m handing out group assignments. You’ll work in teams. I want Alpha and Beta groups to the cells for a full, detailed check. Activate all the cell guards and have them work in two groups, half on duty half off duty at any one time. I don't want anyone getting exhausted on me and it might be a while before we get any backup. All the diagnostics show green but let's get eyes and guards on our fey guests. I want Charlie team monitoring all frequencies and correlating information as it becomes available and Delta team guarding our entrances including the roof and mid-tower landing decks. I'm activating fortress protocols," he said as he keyed in a series of commands on his terminal.