After calming down in a toilet stall, I made my way back out and quickly finished my food before letting Zara know I needed to leave early. I practically sprinted back to the hotel, and up to my room. I entered and quickly pushed mana into my necklace.
I opened the portal to my pocket and was about to step in when something barged into me from behind and I felt a sharp pain in my back. I gasped and spun, meeting the eyes of a beautiful woman. I felt onto my back with her atop me, and the pain kicked in as the woman and I stared at each other. Then she raised the dagger in her hand and brought it down. I grabbed her hand and tried to use mana, but my eyes widened when nothing happened. I could feel it. I screamed out, “Bob! Litra! Help!” I focused on my bond with Uliean and Bob. Bob! Uliena!
Dick? What’s going on?
Rick?
I struggled with her, shocked by her strength. She didn't look it but damn she was pushing hard. And I felt my body weakening. My grip on her arm was getting weaker and weaker. “Who are you?” I gritted out, the pain in my back suppressed by the adrenaline running through me.
“Your end,” she said, her eyes glaring at me. She opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could, she was pulled up off me by an invisible force. Her hands moved to her side, and she began to choke.
Off him, you bitch!
“Thank fuck,” I said, panting as Bob appeared above me. “Shit, Dick. Uliena, he needs healing. Where’s the wound?”
“Back,” I said. “Can’t use… mana.”
“What? Fuck, she stabbed you with an anti-magic blade. And… Oh shit, poison. Shit, shit, shit. Uliena! Fuck’s taking you so long?”
I was grabbing potions. I'm not as powerful as I once was, but I sensed the poison. So these should help with my own healing.
My vision was getting blurry. I felt something open my mouth and pour something down. I swallowed as best I could, but I felt so weak all of a sudden. Something lifted me up and turned me around.
“Shit, that’s bad,” Bob said.
“What’s happening?” Litra’s voice said from nearby. “He’s hurt?” I heard a growl. “Who? Who attacked the one who gave me meat?” Even with what was happening, hearing those words in Litra’s posh accent was so odd.
Calm down, Litra. Bob, shall I give him another potion?
“No, use your magic. I’m going to grab some mana cells. I can’t pull on his mana.”
I felt hands on me. Relax, Rick. I’ve got you. Just breathe slowly, and focus on my voice. I did as she said, but it was hard. My vision was clearing a bit, but it felt like I was burning now. And when I tried to speak, all that came out was a wheeze. It was an effort to breathe. What the hell did she hit you with?
“Move aside,” Bob said. Then I felt cold sweep through my body, like a sudden chill, but this was welcome compared to the burning heat. It cooled the fire and following it was a pleasant warmth. My vision cleared quickly as did my throat which had been closing up I realized, now that my mind wasn't such a haze. I still felt pain, but it was much lessened.
I let out a breath. “Bob, what…” I sighed. “What was it?”
“Poison. Uliena, give him the other potion and the green pill.” I was turned around again and fed another potion, and a pill. The pain lessened again, though I felt like vomiting all of sudden. I held it in as I looked around. My head was on Uliena's lap, and Bob was floating over my chest. Litra was by the levitating woman, her claws out and tail lashing wildly. I strained my hearing and heard a very low growl.
“What the fuck,” I said. “What. The. Fuck.” I sat up, and Uliean allowed me to lean on her. “Who the hell are you?” I asked, looking at the dark-haired woman who glared at me, veins popping out on her face. She was struggling, but whatever Uliena had done, it was holding her.
I turned to Bob. “I still can’t feel my mana.”
“It should wear off in a bit,” Bob said. His pages fluttering fast. He was angry. So was I. I managed to get to my feet, though Uliean kept a hand on me. I gave her a smile. “Thanks.”
No problem. Can't have my stud dying now.
I snorted, and walked closer to the women, flanked by Bob and Uliena. “Bob, do you know who she is?”
“No, but she’s a witch.”
“Can you ungag her, Uliena?”
Sure. She waved a hand, and almost immediately, the witch began to shout. “I've come to stop you adopted son of Loki. You and your demon.”
“What? Lady, I don't know what you’re on, but I only have one adopted father and he passed years ago. As for Loki, I've never met the guy. Didn't even know he was real two months ago.”
“I saw it. Fate glimpsed it. Portland will burn in unseen flame. You will set free the father of Fenrir and Jörmungandr. You will bed the mother of monsters and birth the beast. He who will—”
I tuned her out as I stared into her eyes. She spoke with such adamance and anger. And the look in her eyes made me believe she truly meant what she was saying”
Bob, do you know what she's talking about?'
Bob's voice was full of scorn. Prophecy. Fate telling.
I can't sense any magic in her though.
She's not using mana, Dick. She's using faith. She's one of Morrigan’s followers. An acolyte or prietess probably.
What's she doing here? Why did she attack me?
Not sure. Bob floated over to the witch. “Why are you here?”
“To stop him,” she spat, motioning to me with her head. “Fate showed me what would happen if he lives, and so he must die in order for it to not happen.”
“What is she on about? What did she see?”
“She's predicting a future. One strand from strands. It could happen. I've seen this before. Some low-level worshipper sees an alarming future and gets all up in arms about it. The future isn't so simple. I'd expect a follower of The Morrigan to know that.'
"You know of The Morrigan?
“I do,” Bob said. “And I also know you’re an idiot.”
She frowned. "I saw—"
“You say one future,” Bob yelled. “One possibility. One strand in a web of endless futures and outcomes. Just because fate glimpsed it doesn't mean it will happen. It's even less likely now that you've told him. Have the followers of the CrowMother grown dull-witted? Or is it just you?”
Her eyes widened but Bob wasn't finished.
"You people are all the same. Spouting on and on about fickle old fate. So many dead and buried because of false prophecies and people like you not understanding how the future works. How cause and effect works. You fucking morons have caused more suffering and strife than all of hell put together. The future is not set in stone. Do you hear me? Are my words piercing that veil of ignorance?"
Bob? I'd never seen him so worked up. So angry. You ok?
Yeah, I'm fine. I just have some bad history with types like her.
The woman looked shocked into a stupor. Her eyes locked onto the floating book as her mouth opened and closed. It was clear she didn't know how to respond.
“What’s happening?” Litra asked, and I glanced back to see her leaning in towards Uliean who shrugged. Priestess pissed off the book it seems. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a follower of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Their folk never got along with the one's eyes lot and…
I frowned when she trailed off but then turned back to the woman. “You think I’m going to do something bad in the future.”
“It's one strand, Dick,” Bob said. “And she’s a fool to follow it so blindly.”
Then let’s kill her and be done with it.
“No,” I said. “I want to know what she saw, and who she is first. Then maybe we kill her.” She had tried to kill me, and depending on the reason and who she was, either she’d leave with her memories changed if possible or she wouldn’t leave at all. “Are you willing to talk?”
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The priestess slowly nodded. Her voice was much quieter when she next spoke. “Yes.”
“We're not gonna let you down, though,” I said. She was going to stay restrained until we decided what we were going to do with her. I walked over to the workshop and the others followed behind with Uliena moving the priestess to follow. “By the way, Bob there’s something we need to talk about after this. Some bad news.”
“Like what?”
“After this,” I said, entering the workshop. “Can we make a circle to lock her in?” Bob floated over to an open space. “We can, I’ll have to use more mana cells since your mana is still blocked from me. What did you use on that blade, witch?”
“Pitch-ill Hollow.”
“A bit Overkill don't you think,” Bob said. “Where did you even get it?” The priestess looked uncomfortable. “I brought it from my home.” I walked over to her as Bob began to draw out the circle in a mix of salt and crushed insects. “And where is home?” I asked, meeting her eyes. “England? Ireland? You have the accent.”
“I was born in Ireland, and moved to England.” She looked a lot more normal now her eyes weren't full of malice and hate. She looked scared, very scared, and nervous. It made sense, and I didn't feel bad. This woman had quite literally stabbed me in the back with a poisoned blade and then had tried to stab me again in the face. There was also something else. I had seen her somewhere before, but I didn't know where.
When Bob was done, Uliean moved the priestess into the large circle. Bob formed some patterns and a moment later it was all set up and ready to go. “You can release her now,” Bob said. “She won’t be able to leave that circle.” Uliean let her go, but I turned to Litra. “If she tries anything, I’m giving you permission to kill her.” I looked at Uliean. “You too. If you can't restrain her for whatever reason or she has a trick up her sleeve, kill her.” I was cold, but I’d rather she die than me.
Her eyes were wide and she was looking at Litra. “It's… A… A dragon?”
Litra smiled. “Yes, and if you attack him again, I’ll eat you.” The priestess was now shaking slightly. I walked over to the circle and stopped a few feet away from the edge. “So, you have a name?”
“Lucy.”
“Lucy?” I stared at her, not saying anything. She looked away. “Freya.”
“Alright, Freya, what did you see that made you think you needed to kill me? And how did you find out where I was staying?”
“I can tell you that,” Bob said. “Probably her visions.”
Freya nodded slowly. “Abit, but… I… I also work for DOSA.” It clicked. “I saw you when I was at the station. You’re a DOSA precog? Do they know about this?”
She shook her head. “I found out about you from… my visions, and then used my DOSA access to find out where you were staying.” I shook my head. “And you what, waited for me here? For how long?”
“A day and a night,” she said, not meeting my eyes.
“What did you see?” Bob asked.
“A lot of things, about you, and those with you. Some other things. It… It all connected to you, like a web. I… I saw that you would bring destruction to this city, and I saw… nothing.”
Nothing? You just said you saw a lot of things.
“I don’t think that’s what she means,” Bob said. “Is it?”
Freya shook her head. “No. I saw a hole of unnatural darkness, deeper than darkness. Of not darkness. Of… nothing. Devoid of everything, but full of things.”
Bob floated closer. “A HTN. You’re talking about a HTN.”
Freya shook her head. “I don’t know what that is?”
“Bob, what’s a HTN?”
“Uliena, you ever heard of a void hole?” Bob asked, and the demon froze. What of them?
“Just asking. A HTN is… well it’s complicated.”
“We have time,” I said.
“Alright. Well, the term HTM originates from a series of experiments that began In the 1940s. There’s no reason to get into what they were trying to do, but just know that by 1951 they had the first prototype ready. It was a bomb. The effect was chaotic, to say the least, but not what they expected. Unlike a normal bomb, it did not release force and heat. Oh no. It caused the creation of what they would later refer to as a HTN. A hole-to-nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean the void. The space beyond the planar cosmos. Not in between, but above and below. Now a HTN doesn't suck anything into it, but things can certainly come out. All manner of eldritch beings live in the void.”
“Eldritch. Like Cthulhu?”
“Sort of, but also not. It was bad. They didn't even realize something had come through until a month later. Ten of thousands were… changed before it was contained. Not killed, because they didn't know how to kill at first. They didn't discover void holes, but before then, it wasn't as widely known. In fact, it hasn't been until the past century that more about the void and the things that lurk within it have come to light.”
Bob's pages fluttered erratically. “After they contained the thing that came through, then came the problem of figuring out how to close a HTN. The area around HTN is magically and spiritually desolate. Before I said it didn't suck anything in but that's not entirely true. It did suck all magical energy and non-magical energy within a three miles radius. A normal human will die well before they ever see the hole and even the folks at the Arcane Eye were stumped for a while. In the end, they turned to faith. For some odd reason, the energy produced by faith is unaffected by the pull. They sent in priests and clerics of various gods, mainly the conqueror or as you might know him, the almighty. They managed to close the HTN.”
“What came through?”
“A memetic cognitohazard. From the footage, it looked like… Well, I don’t really know how to describe it. Like smoke that was black and white at the same time. It's odd, but it attached itself to a necklace, and whoever looked at the necklace, changed. It started slow, but eventually their personality, beliefs, desires, and everything would become opposite of what they were when they looked at the necklace. And It wasn't just seeing the necklace up close physically. The memetic effect took hold through pictures and videos. Imagine what would happen if someone uploaded one of those pictures to the human web or worse, the paranormal web.” The book opened and shut. “We were born in the dark. These things... were made from it.” His pages continued to flutter. “Some people actually wanted to use it and even ran tests before it was finally locked away.”
“And apparently I cause one?” I asked Freya. “Is that what you’re saying?”
She nodded.
“As I said before, just one strand,” Bob said. Freya shook her head. “No, it’s. Maybe you are right, but why would my goddess send me these visions without reason?”
“And how do you know it was your goddess? How did you even see so much? Morrigan has no authority on the Prime.” Freya didn’t answer. I sighed. “What the hell do we do with you?” She finally met my eyes. “Please don’t kill me.” I winced at the sheer pleading in her voice and the fear in her eyes. The same fear I’d seen in Jacob’s eyes when he’d had the curse. I turned to Bob. “What do we do?”
“Up to you,” Bob said. “You’re the one she tried to kill. Personally, I can understand why she’d want to kill you. If I thought someone was going to open an HTN in the near future, then I’d try and stop them. Though why murder was her first choice?”
“Why didn't you just try and talk to me?” I asked Freya.
“I… My visions pointed me this way.”
“Did they tell you I would die here?”
She frowned. “No… I…” She shook her head. “They showed…”
“Looks like you were played by your power,” Bob said
“Or the goddess,” Freya muttered.
“I doubt it,” Bob said. He floated over to me. “You could go either way here, but I don't think she deserves death, and I can tell neither do you.”
She had tried to kill me to stop what she thought would be some sort of destructive event. Her reason had been sound. She wanted to save the city, and stop the chaos. Her method was not. She had tried to kill me and gotten close. If I hadn't opened the portal, then I'd be dead. After everything she had said, and how she had acted after losing the hate, I wasn't going to kill her. Though, I couldn't let her go free, either. Not as she was.
“I’m not gonna kill you, but I can’t just let you go. You know too much now.” She knew about Bob, my pocket, Uliena, and Litra. There was no way I could let her go. “We’ll have to figure something out. Is anyone going to come looking for you?”
She nodded. “I’m staying with a local coven.”
“And you work for DOSA.” I turned to Bob. “I know, we’re gonna have to make her swear an oath upon her soul. A very deep oath. You understand, witch?” Freya sighed but nodded. “I do.”
“Then, we’ll wait until your mana is back up, Dick. Get her to speak the oath, and then you can tell me about the bad news.”
“Hold on, what about the HTN?”
“What about it?”
“Will it happen?”
Bob sighed. “By the dream, no, probably not. And less so now that we know about it. We’ll have her write down everything she saw and knows before we let her go, and I'll be using a truth spell to make sure it's everything. In fact, I’ve been using a truth spell, this entire time.”
“You have?” I asked
“I have,” Bob said. “Now, are you sure you can't tell me about this bad news now?”
“I guess so. I heard from Zara who heard from her mother that DOSA is sending enforcers and an ender to Portland.” I looked at Freya as Bob cursed. “Do you know?” She nodded. “It’s true.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Bob said, his pages fluttering erratically. “What a mess of a day. Well, Dick, be glad you got that increase, and hope we didn't leave too much behind.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We have a few options. Honestly, I’d say we should leave the city, but without good reason, that would arouse suspicion, and further investigation would lead to the discovery of your increased mana capacity, and it would go on from there. Best we can do is continue as we have, and prepare. Make plans for if the worst happens. We didn’t leave much evidence behind, but this is an ender we’re talking about. They’re not just assassins. They’re hunters, manipulators, spies, infiltrators, and more. This is really bad news. I think… we might need to go faster, Dick, with your magic. Maybe try out a few more of those plans I have.” He floated over. “I should have guessed something like this might happened. Sorry, Rick. I fucked us.”
I sighed, then smiled. “Yeah, but it is what it is, and I did what I did because you’re a friend. We’ll do the best we can. It’s really the only thing we can do.”
“Hold on,” Freya said, her eyes wide. “You… You’re the ones who stole from the fae?”
“Another thing to add to the oath,” Bob said.