Directly in front of us, a huge shape came crashing through the trees and hit the invisible barrier head-on. It was stopped, and seemingly phased, by the encounter.
It was a vision right out of a nightmare. It looked like a tarantula the size of a mini-van, only with razor-sharp claws at the end of its legs and fangs big enough for a monster twice it's size.
Before it could recover from the collision, Vincent exploded from the treeline and landed on it's back. The giant spider reared back, but Vincent had a firm grip on the hair that covered its body and held fast.
“Your boyfriend’s back.” Raina deadpanned, though her mouth twitched into a lightening fast smile after she said it.
I smiled as well as I watched him work. The beast was obviously strong, and Vincent strained to hold on as he also grabbed at its skin and started pulling bits away. The thing howled, but it stayed outside of the barrier as they fought.
“Nice shield.” Raina said.
“Thank you.” I replied, though neither of us took our eyes off of the scene in front of us.
Vincent was soon joined by Angelique, who backed out of the forest carrying what looked to be a telephone pole, only jointed and covered with hair. With a shock, I realized that it was the leg of one of the creatures. The leg's owner came next, limping out of the forest on seven legs but still plenty dangerous. She struck it with its own leg, and the giant beast crashed to the ground. It wasn't as steady as it was before.
“How many?” Raina asked.
“They started with a dozen.” I answered as Angelique ripped the head off of the spider that she was battling. “I have no idea how many are left.”
Angelique had no more killed one of them when two more, uninjured and ready for battle, emerged from the forest with a crashing of branches and underbrush. Angelique took one of them and renewed her attack, while the other one charged at the barrier. It crashed against it like the other had done, falling temporarily in a heap on the ground. It got up and charged again, this time leaving traces in the energy making up the barrier.
“That shield isn’t going to last forever.” I said.
“As long as it lasts until Angelique or Vincent are free…” Raina began, only to be interrupted by another nightmare-creature running out of the woods and against the barrier. It was also repulsed, but it recovered much more quickly than the others had.
Suddenly, there were three of them, all racing towards the energy barrier I had constructed. The shield crackled, sparked, and then collapsed altogether.
“Good luck!” Raina called, already running towards the battle. She dashed over to Evelyn, already facing her spider down with a large sword that I hadn’t seen before. Raina started hitting it with fireball spells, and the creature roared in protest.
To my right, Trevor was already on the back of one creature, slashing it with a large golden dagger. That left one creature, one that was coming right for me.
My mind scrambled for a solution. I decided to alter another spell to see if it would work. I pushed with all of my magickal strength, and another bolt of energy flew from my hands. It slammed into the edge of the creature, knocked it sideways, but didn’t do much more than slow it down.
I recovered, and then came up with another idea. I reached out with my senses and pulled instead of pushing, focusing on one of its front legs.
The giant spider clearly wasn’t ready for this as it’s leg flew out from under it, causing it to skid to the side. I then reversed the flow and pushed.
This knocked it down on its side but didn't do much to hurt it. It flopped on the ground for a second, then started fighting to right itself again. Scrambling, I thought furiously as to what to do next. As it grew closer, I started to get truly afraid.
The things shrieked in protest and lifted into the air. Confused, I looked and saw Raina standing close by, her hands in the air, guiding the monster who had been charging at me. Behind her, I could see the mangled corpse of the beast that she had been fighting with Evelyn. The spider hung in the air for a moment when Evelyn appeared beneath it, thrusting her sword up into the beast's head. It twitched, and then went still. Raina pitched it through the air to land near the body of its compatriot.
The battle was over. I looked at Vincent as he tossed the remains of the final creature that he had slain on a pile with the others he had killed while I had been busy. Between the six of us, there were eight bodies of nightmare fuel on the lawn.
I didn’t doubt that the other four never made it out of the forest.
“Are you okay?” Vincent asked as he got near.
“I’m fine.” I answered.
“Fucking A!” Trevor proclaimed as he and Evelyn rejoined us. “I’ve fought my share of beasties in my time, but that was straight out of a Ray Haryhausen film!”
“Someone’s not fooling around, that’s for sure.” Evelyn added.
“Come, my friends,” Angelique said as she glided by, “let us repair to the lounge to discuss this evening’s events.”
Vincent and I shrugged and joined her.
* * *
‘The lounge’ was a home pub, tucked away in a lost corner of the mansion. We almost never used the room because none of the regular residents were heavy drinkers… of alcohol, anyway. Since Trevor had joined us, however, it was getting a bit more use.
It was furnished much like a traditional upper-class British pub, with plenty of dark oak and subdued lighting. The seats were posh and comfortable, and we had pulled a couple of the tables together so we could all sit in one big circle. Trevor had hopped behind the bar to fix drinks, but was disappointed when nobody but his sister took him up on it. The rest of us were more than content to light up our joint of choice, and Vincent put a large ash-tray in the center to accommodate.
“Fucking potheads." Trevor grumbled when he took his seat. "You have Guinness… real Guinness, from Ireland, none of that watered-down American crap… on tap, and you sit around smoking instead of partaking of the best commercial stout in existence." He handed a tall glass of dark beer to his sister. "It's just such a waste."
“We don’t normally keep Guinness on tap,” Vincent answered, “because we don’t normally have anything on tap. I put that in when I found out that you were coming.”
“Really?” Trevor replied, eyebrows raised. “Thanks.” He grinned as he raised the glass to his lips, but then stopped. “You didn’t, uh, put anything extra in there, did you?”
I looked at Vincent, confused. “Why would you put anything in his beer?”
“Trevor and I had a bit of a disagreement a few years ago in Bucharest.” Vincent replied. “We were on different sides of a conflict.”
“I said it then and I’ll say it now,” Trevor added, “there was nothing personal going on, I just had a job to do for a very wealthy and influential client, which I was trying to do to the best of my ability.”
“He was trying to steal an ancient pagan artifact that local farmers depended on to make their lands fertile and to, well, survive." Vincent explained to me. "This village had always treated Angelique and me with respect, so I decided to give them a hand."
“Bloody do-gooder made the damned thing inaccessible and it’s defenses impenetrable.” Trevor groused.
“So why would you hold a grudge against him?” I asked Vincent. “It seems like it would be the other way around.”
“I might have told him that if he tried to get at it that I’d slip a potion in his beer that would make him grow...” Vincent grinned as he trailed off.
“So why don’t you say it?” Trevor challenged. “Go on, tell them what you threatened me with!”
Vincent started chuckling and couldn’t stop, so Evelyn spoke up. “Vincent said that he’d make my dear brother here sprout big, hairy breasts.”
This made everyone, even Angelique, laugh. Except for Trevor. "Go ahead, laugh!" he said, staring at his beer. "But you can see why I'd be hesitant to drink this!"
“I didn’t put anything in it.” Vinc
ent finally reassured him. “Seriously. I knew that Evie here would drink it too, and I like her.”
“About bloody time.” Trevor said, finally taking a drink.
Jack finally joined us, walking in and taking a seat by Raina. “Well, I’ve finished my sweep.” he said. “Nothing coming from any direction now.”
“Awesome.” Vincent replied, wiping his eyes from laughing.
“So what were those things?” Raina asked.
“They’re called Aranha, and they’re technically not supposed to exist.” Angelique replied.
“They were thought exterminated centuries ago.” Vincent added.
“Well, I did some digging.” Jack said. “It seems that most wild nests were wiped out, but a few mating pairs were kept by powerful supernatural beings ‘just in case’. At least if this one hidden online paranormal site is correct.”
“Which one?” Vincent asked.
“Gruber’s Journeys.”
“That one checks out.”
“So who’s beasties did we fight?” Raina asked next. “Find that, and we might just find our attacker.”
“If there’s only one.” Evelyn added. “After all, my employer is worried about a new Sorceress. Not to the point of violence, but there are plenty out there who would go there.”
“My guess is that whoever sent these creatures stole them.” Angelique said. “A thing that only exists in private collections is a little too traceable for our hidden foe. They’re more cautious than that.”
“Then we’re looking for someone powerful enough to steal the prized possession of an ancient supernatural being.” Jack said, sighing. “Fantastic.”
“And control monsters, don’t forget about that.” Raina added.
“The sensors that I placed on the property worked as they should have.” Trevor said. “They registered our visitors just as Raina ran in to sound the alarm. The sensors on surrounding properties, however, were never tripped. This tells me that the creepy-crawlies were either dropped or materialized at a point in between.”
“My guess is materialized.” Jack chimed in. “I checked the area radars, and no aircraft big enough to carry them has been through this corridor in days. Also, the spiders were big enough to register themselves, so no levitation either.”
“So,” I said, “we’re facing an unknown number of adversaries with unknown powers but whatever they are they’re bad-ass. Simple.”
“I shall visit a few contemporaries to see if they’ve found anything out.” Angelique announced, rising. “Trevor, you can use Jack’s considerable talents on the paranormal underworld’s internet presence to check with some of your sources. We need information.”
“Will do, chief.” Trevor said with a wave.
“I have someone to contact as well.” Evelyn said, rising as well. “However, all I need is somewhere quiet to try to make contact.”
“I can show you.” Raina volunteered, stubbing her joint out and joining her. Evelyn smiled warmly. “Why, thank you.”
I turned to Vincent. “Can we go somewhere and forget about all of this for a while?” This was all suddenly threatening to overwhelm me.
He smiled. “Sure, whatever you need.”
I only had one thing in mind.
* * *
“That was good.” I said with a smile, easing my body into position. “Now it’s my turn.”
“I love the way you hold that,” Vincent replied, “so firm, yet so graceful.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere most days,” I countered, “but not today.”
He smiled, and I focused on the target that laid at the end of the incline before us. I exhaled as I released the wooden ball and watched in excitement as it sped towards my goal… the hole labeled ‘10,000’.
I hadn’t played ski-ball in a long time. I used to be quite the devotee to the arcade game in my tween years, but increasing responsibilities and a changing peer social scene had made me out of practice. I sighed as the ball sailed over the high score, instead only giving me ten points.
“Dammit!” I looked at Vincent, the grin still in place. “It’s not funny!” I admonished him lightly, an exaggerated frown on my face. This only made him giggle, which made me stifle a smile. Soon, we were both laughing, our voices quickly being absorbed by the arcade noise.
Despite my lousy game, it was improving my mood. I had spent a lot of time in this arcade in my life, and it was like a gaudy, rhinestone-studded oasis of normalcy, holding back an increasingly unrecognizable world.
“What’s funny is your choice of chill-out spots.” Vincent countered, breaking me out of my haze. “I mean, I’m having fun, but we could always blow off steam in Monaco, or maybe Paris.”
The thought hadn't occurred to me. I was surrounded by wealth every day, lived in an opulent mansion filled with priceless antiques and ancient artifacts, and yet forgot just how loaded Vincent and Angelique were. And with their unconventional traveling options, it was just as fast t get to London as it was to get downtown.
And here I am, playing ski-ball. I thought. Aw, fuck it… why should I let a good time turn bad just because of options? Enjoy the evening, Annabelle, and hit Hawaii next week!
“I like ski-ball.” I answered defiantly. “It’s a game of finesse and skill.”
“I hear it's God's favorite game." Vincent said casually as he picked up the next ball.
“Seriously?” Is he privy to something I should know about? “Where did you find this out?”
“A prophet named Saint Kevin of New Jersey.” He winked as the joke dawned on me.
“A Kevin Smith joke? Seriously?” I swatted playfully at his arm. “Take your turn, old man.”
He grinned again and casually rolled the ball up the incline. It hit the ramp just right and sailed into the ‘10,000’ point hole.
“Ugh!” I grunted in frustration. “What the hell?”
“You can do that too.” he said. “I have reflexes, but you have something better.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re the Sorceress.”
I stared at him for a minute. Again, it was a fact that hadn’t entered my mind until that very moment. A smile crept across my face. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. How do I apply being a legendary magickal practitioner to an arcade game?”
“Just go with your gut.” He handed me my next ball and turned me to face the targets at the end of the ramp.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I reached out to the energies of life, of all creation. I felt the earth in my bones, the air in my breath, the water that made up so much of my physical form, and the flame of my body-heat. Once I felt the energies balance within me, I opened my eyes.
The world around me had changed. I was still in the arcade, but I saw so much more than I had before. The regular games and flashing lights were still there, but I could also see the… ‘echo’ was the only word that came to mind… of games that had been housed in that building in the past. I looked around and saw that there was more than just the people I had seen around us that night. There were also ghosts… spirits of those who had enjoyed this place in the past. Some were actual spirits, while others were impressions left on the psychic energy of the building from repeated visits. I looked at Vincent and grinned.
“This is incredible!” I exclaimed softly.
“Now look at the game.”
I looked and saw lines on the ski-ball ramp. I peered closer and realized that they were energy lines, the track of hundreds of wooden balls being rolled up that ramp thousands of times. I then noticed that some of the lines were thicker, showing that they had been traced over many times."
“I see the energy of the paths the ski-balls have taken.” I said, my voice still full of wonder.
“See if you can feel them.”
I reached out, and I could feel a resistance where the thickest lines were.
“I can feel it!”
“Good. Now look for the energy line that leads to the ten thousand point
goal."
I did a quick visual search and found it. It wasn’t as thick as the lines that led to forty, one hundred, or two hundred point goals, but it was far thicker than the thousands of misfires that made a crazy spider-web of energy.
I didn’t need to be told what to do. I rolled the ball along the energy line like I was rolling it up a hill, and it sailed effortlessly into the ten thousand point goal.
“That was… easy.” I said, my eyes wide. The grin didn’t leave my face the entire time.
“Now let’s work on getting you there faster.”
* * *
“Giant spiders.”
Jack took a hit from the joint and shook his head. He handed it to me, and I followed suit.
“Giant fucking spiders. Jesus Christ on crack, what will the Lords of ‘screw you’ come up with next?” Jack grinned in spite of himself. “Though, you guys took care of shit really fast. I saw the whole thing on the monitors. It was impressive.”
I glanced to the wall opposite Jack's main desk, where the main screen was now surrounded by multiple smaller monitors. Each displayed the view of a different security camera, the night vision mode they were in making everyone look an eerie green.
“Yeah, well, they would have made short work of me if the others wouldn’t have been there.” I hit the joint myself, trying to undo the knot in my stomach that reappeared whenever I thought of the last creature charging at me. “I really need to learn some offensive magic. Pushing and pulling only works so long.”
“Did you ever think of pulling one side of an attacker and pushing the other side?" he asked. "You could, like, literally rip them in half."
Damn, why didn’t I think of that?!? I exclaimed inwardly. Outwardly, though, I just raised my eyebrows… the herb was doing its work. “I never thought of that. Maybe I should train with you sometime.”
“I’m an idea guy, not a teacher.” he replied, waving the thought away. “You could probably ask Evelyn to train you in sword work, though. She’s pretty good with one, if today’s battle is any indication.”
“Raina and her made a good team.” I handed him the now-dead joint, and he re-lit it.
The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Page 9