Solomon: Chapter 11

Lucinda spoke to Jacob as they hurried towards the others. “I’ve never seen you do anything like that before. With the axe and the jumping and the fire.”
Jacob grimaced as he held both their weights. “It’s a new trick. Adam was killed last night. I bound the demon that did it to myself. I’ve got some new tricks as a result.”
Lucinda shook her head. “I really don’t get you. Your mentor is dead. And you don’t even care.”
Jacob was silent at first, then spoke, staring straight ahead, still pushing towards their allies. “The past has no place in a current situation. Focus on what’s in front of you; magic moves too quickly to dwell on what has already occurred. Adam taught me that.”
Jacob and Lucinda heard the battle before they saw it. The way they had come to cut down on travel time required them to climb a small hill on their approach. As they crested the hill, the scene below took the breath out of both of them.
Magical energy of all types tore through the air. Fire, ice, lightening, death all mingled, shattering the suburban silence of the subdivision.
Under Vivian’s auspices, the very plants had joined the fray, snaking around the ankles of the Baron’s assassins, impeding their progress and tripping them.
Silver and Felicity sat back to back, each in the lotus position, eyes closed, chanting. They worked together to protect their friends from harm, Felicity influencing chance to make as many attacks as possible miss, Silver weaving invisible reflective barriers which became brilliantly visible when an attack struck it and was reflected back at the assailant. For those few attacks that did land, Vivian darted about, going from person to person and healing their wounds.
Mort had already animated three fallen attackers. The undead moved with unnatural speed and precision, pummeling anyone near them. Mort himself was expertly wielding the very power of the Reaper, draining the vitality of anyone who got close to him, growing stronger with each life he touched.
Fire flowed continuously from and around Aidan. The Pyro was in his element, scorching, burning, incinerating anyone and anything in his path. As he and Lucinda looked on, Jacob witnessed Aidan blast two magicians who had flanked him into ash.
For all their strengths, the battle was taking its toll on the five magicians. Vivian was clearly running low on magic at this point, Mort was becoming more and more distracted as his consciousness was split between controlling more and more undead. Aidan was showing no signs of slowing down, but that in and of itself was dangerous. When controlling one of the elemental magics that recklessly, there was a chance of being caught up and consumed by it oneself. The strain of influencing the battle was also physically showing on both Silver and Felicity. Silver’s breathing was beginning to become raspy and irregular. As for Felicity, the little girl was drenched in sweat from head to toe and breathing heavily. Both of them wore a grimace of pain as their pushed themselves to the very limit of their magical prowess.
At this point, Lucinda was not going to realistically be able to contribute much more to the fight. It was up to Jacob, he himself running in less than top condition, to try to turn the tide of this battle. The five of them had worn their attackers down to the point where only four had survived and were now pressing in the attack.
Jacob turned to Lucinda. “Lucy, I’m going to set you down here, on top of this hill. You stay here and let me go handle this. In your weakened condition it’s far too dangerous for you to attempt to join the fray. Especially when I’m reasonably certain that I can help the others finish this quickly without you putting yourself in danger.”
Lucinda started to argue, then thought better of it. She nodded as she slid from Jacob’s arm into a sitting position on the grass. “You’re right Solomon,” she said. “Now get down there and help our friends!”
Jacob held out his ring as he ran down the hill. He began to chant in his multi- layered voice. As the incantation ended, a huge wolf -fur black as coal, unearthly cold rolling off of it- sprung forth from the ring. “Marchosias!” cried Jacob. “Hear your master and obey!”
The wolf turned and ran to Jacob, stopping at his feet and lowering its head in what was unmistakably a bow. “I live to serve,” it said in a deep, throaty growl. “My master.”
“The Icer, the Drencher, and the two Augmenters are our enemies. Destroy them.”
The wolf howled in exhilaration and charged, covering the remaining distance in the blink of an eye. The remaining enemy magicians scattered and broke in confusion as the demon fell upon them. The first Augmenter– wielding magics that did nothing more than make his body better, faster, stronger– screamed in agony as Marchosias clamped its jaws around the magician’s back, sunk in huge, perfectly white fangs, and ripped out his spine.
Their ranks now routed, the remaining three magicians were made short work of by co-operation between Jacob’s demon and Mort’s undead. Marchosias went about the business of disposing of evidence, quietly munching on the remains of the fallen magicians as Jacob helped Lucinda make her way down the hill to the others.
“We need to act quickly,” Jacob said as he approached his friends. “Is everyone okay?”
As he finished his question, Felicity tipped over from her sitting position, crumpling against the ground with a very soft thud. Aidan ran to his sister, with the others moving to her just behind him.
“She’s breathing,” Aidan said. “Just passed out from the effort.”
“First order of business,” said Jacob. “Everyone get inside. Aidan I assume you have wards set up within your home?”
Aidan nodded, scooping his sister into his arms. “Of course. It’d be pretty damn stupid not to.”
Jacob turned to the demon who had already gotten rid of most of the bodies of the enemy magicians. “Marchosias, I need you to shift into a shape more appropriate for this environment. Finish up what you’re doing, then stand guard on the house. Alert me before you use deadly force, but don’t allow anyone to disturb us.”
The demon nodded as its shape warped and changed until a particularly vicious- looking German shepherd stood before them. Thus disguised, Marchosias went back to the business of scavenging.
Mort snapped his fingers and the zombies he had animated crumbled into dust, which scattered in the wind. Aidan led the assembled conspirators into the house. Jacob and Lucinda were the last two inside, the latter leaning heavily on the former, and Aidan paused and muttered a few words at the door frame once the door had closed behind them. Runes and sigils of various colors, shapes and sizes glowed brightly inside the house for a moment, then faded. Aidan turned to the assembled group.
“We’re safe for now,” he said.
Jacob sized up his allies. Felicity was unconscious. Lucinda was barely able to stand. Silver’s breath was still shallow and ragged. A dazed look dominated Vivian’s features; she seemed to be only mostly aware of what was happening around her. Mort and Aidan didn’t look nearly so haggard, but a glance in magesight quickly revealed both of them to be almost completely drained of power. Jacob himself was a little lightheaded after having to both call on Alastor’s power and do a summoning. All- in- all, they were not in fantastic shape.
“Okay,” said Jacob, eyes scanning the room. “Obviously we’re going to need some recuperation time before we forge the Pact. For now, I suggest everyone get some rest. Between the house wards and Marchosias guarding us, we should be relatively secure here for the time being. In a few hours, we’ll set up the ritual and complete it as soon as possible. Aidan, I want you to let me know when Felicity wakes up. For now, I for one am going to take a nap on that couch.” He pointed. “Anyone have any better ideas?”
The assembled magicians shook their heads. Well, most of them did. Vivian just sort of looked at Jacob funny and Felicity was still fast asleep.
“Right then.” Jacob walked over to his previously specified couch, removed his shoes and hat, stretched out, and closed his eyes.