669, 789 and Indigo returned to the mansion at midnight for the protection array resealing.
This time 669 was wearing his dark navy leather body armor of slim-fit pants tucked into calf-high heavy boots where a row of silver buckles ran up the sides, black utility belt with daggers snug in hip sheaths, hands in harden leather gauntlets and a long, dark, overcoat over his body. His short crop of hair was held off his face with a gray headband scarf. A row of black metal studs ran a single line on the edge of his left ear. A simple, silver staff was holstered to his back.
789 and Indigo were dressed how they usually were: always ready for battle. However, like 669, 789 had her row of metal studs running up the edge of her right ear.
“It's not like we're gonna kill people.” Indigo said as she looked over 669's battle gear.
“A henchman should always be ready to fight.” 789 advised with poncy airs that made 669 make some sarcastic noises.
“What she said. Anyway, resetting arrays are ugly tasks. Need to protect my nails.” He flippantly brushed off the comments.
Indigo groaned and slapped a palm to her forehead. The guy was more prissy about his looks than she was, but suspected it was because of the notebook of suitors he had to keep impressing.
“Grose.” She muttered and shook away the distaste she felt for the man's hobby aside.
Morton was standing out the front of the main doors to greet them when they had arrived.
“Welcome, milords. Please, this way.” He bowed to them and instantly led the way to the outside of the former broken window.
669 switched on his inner vision to see the area inverted: what was dark was light and light was dark. He could clearly see the swirl of magic particles that moved in set patterns of a formation, except for the part they needed to fix.
He neared the chaotic rush of black and gray dots and lines crashing into each other to die off and come back to life. This was virya at its basic form, and it was fading.
“The magic is thin here.” 789 soberly said, feeling the energy disruption. She didn't have the sight ability that 669 had, being an air mage, but she was keen to shifts that disturbed air particles. For that reason, she could reinforce the formation just as well as any organism mage. It was the same for Indigo, but who also had fairy eyes that could see spiritual elements as well.
“Strange. It's thin for a reason more than a body being tossed out the window. Some spiritual power caused a change to the formation. But…” 669 tilted his head to one side as he mused on possible reasons.
“Do you have what you need?” Morton broke the group out of their pondering moments.
669 cordially approached the butler and bowed. “Yes. But, I do need someone who has set this formation before to guide the virya stream to the array pattern.”
“Of course.” An older man entered the scene, dressed in a rich, maroon and black, business suit with a silk navy carat covering his thick neck.
The man was an older version of his sons, with his short graying blond hair smoothed back so his broad and stern face was clearly visible. A manicured gray beard covered his chin with a thin mustache above his lip.
669 guessed who he was and pushed everyone into a cordial bow to greet the master of the house, and head of the family—Alderson Poirot.
“Hmm. So you're that 669,” he said with obvious distaste to his words, before turning his full attention to his butler.
This attitude ticked Indigo off, but 789 held her back before she could cause some trouble.
“So annoying.” Indigo mumbled and pouted to herself.
Everyone drew their attention to the matter at hand. 669 approached the swell of dying virya.
“This talisman carries the protection array sigil to reset the formation. You can read it, can't you?” Alderson handed 669 a strip of yellow paper, which held a line of magic sigils patterned in red liquid that was laced with magic.
669 sighed as he grabbed the paper, choosing to ignore the dismissive attitude from the old man. Clearly being a henchman of a jack-of-all trade company was beneath this master. His hand curled into a fist then relaxed. He had survived the faceless soldier life for so long to not let a snobbish attitude get to him. If it wasn't for his rank promotion to Operation Henchman, he would continue to be a shadow and die a nobody on some bloody battlefield as expected of his fated will.
“Even if being a henchman and lord is a Majestic Will. There's no need to be rude to me,” he said to himself and heaved another deep sigh as he unsheathed his silver staff and held it in one hand.
“You better stand clear, wouldn't want to spoil milord's clothes,” he sarcastically said over his shoulder as he and the girls went to set small red flags to the mansion's corners, which would outline the protection array boundaries.
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As he was doing so, he sniffed in a pungent citrusy scent, which reminded him of magnolias. The smell was strongest at the bushes where he had found that troublesome metal disc. It was a fact that made him frown. His vision zoomed in on the area, following the haggard pattern the air particles were forming. It was worse, the particles were eating each other to grow and die off and repeat the process.
“Poison?”
He sat down before the bushes in a crossed legged position and moved his arms in a motion, which drew in fresh, clean and white particle energy from the surroundings. He applied his signature virya energy to the particle cells and empowered them with magic. The clean energy swept through the corrupted particles to wipe them away, and ensure the poison was clear.
He rose and returned to the point before the formation break.
“The barrier flags are set.” He informed Morton and Alderson.
“Good work, 669.” Detective Morse said as he and Emelia stepped up the path to join them.
“Oh? I didn't know the Salem Royal Guard would be giving a hand.” 789 folded her arms across her chest as she carefully eyed the law enforcement officers.
“We did say we’d be back.” Emelia offhandedly commented.
“Are you good with formations?” 669 soberly asked, but his parasitic, inner, vision had provided the answer for him when he glanced over her aura.
“I'm an organism mage too. Although, not a parasitic one like you.”
He nodded and provided instructions of what he needed from her, which was additional support to hold up the barrier when he would cast the talisman and set the patch.
669 stood clear from the others and twirled his staff about his body, whilst saying a spell. White magic power flowed over the staff to make it glow. With one mighty motion, he tossed the staff into the air to let it spin freely. The magic item circled the window area, pulling the formation barrier into focus and make it visible to the physical eye.
He held the talisman slip between his thumb and index finger, whispered a spell over it to make the words glow with life then tossed the slip into the air. It sailed high, going with the flower of magic and straightened up before the window's center.
669 and 789 clapped their hands and moved their arms in a synchronized motion, which made the talisman paper explode and cover the window with red light.
Indigo flew around the area to manipulate the magic, so the new energy would mix in with the old.
669 waved his arms in a flourish to move the staff in stiff motions over the area. It was like the staff was graffiting the walls with sigils. Beads of sweat trickled down his skin; his vision was wavering and going watery. It wouldn't be long before his magic ran out, but they were just over halfway of resetting the barrier. He felt Emelia's hand on his back and her virya energy pouring into him to support his magic. He nodded his thanks and continued to complete the formation resealing process.
An hour later, the magic barrier was successfully refortified and became invisible again.
“Good work.” Detective Morse patted 669's exhausted back. The henchman had pretty much carried most of the leg work holding the existing barrier in place, while the two women had done the magical gluing to give the ground's protection array another ten years worth of strength.
“Not bad for someone who just wants to test out men's mattresses.” Indigo sarcastically commented toward 669's efforts.
669 coughed as he gave a sideward glance to the clients. Now wasn't the time for such conversations.
“Well, I guess we're done here.” He gathered the girls to pack up and leave.
“Wait. Before you leave, I have some questions for everyone.” Detective Morse drew everyone's attention to him and noticed Alderson's impatience.
“It shouldn't include us right? We're just the hired help.” 669 said as he was making an exit, but found his way blocked by Emelia. He heaved a sigh.
“You can bear witness. And besides…” He faced Alderson with his questions. “I need to know where you were on the night of Marcus's death.”
Alderson stood upright with one arm behind his back: an image of a wealthy lord. “I was in my study, reading.”
“So, you were awake? Did you speak with your son before the incident?” Detective Morse coolly asked with Emelia taking notes with a feather pen and pocket book.
“No. My study is on the third floor and away from the main entrances.”
“Master was too absorbed with his reading. I had delivered tea to his table.” Morton calmly interjected.
“At what time was that?” Detective Morse turned his line of questioning to the butler, who was about to speak but was stopped short by a hand order from Alderson.
“I'm afraid, if you need more answers you would need to direct them to my lawyer. I'll have them contact you in the morning.” Alderson said nothing more as he and Morton left the area to return to the house.
“What do you think, 669? When you came on scene, what did you experience when you found the disc?”
“The disc was poisoned with parasitic magic that attacks a spirit core.” 669 frowned as he recalled the tainted magnolia scent. He pointed to the bushes where he found the item. “There's still lingering effects there.”
The officers knelt down to inspect the bushes and, indeed, detected faint traces that would shortly be gone. It seemed 669 cleared away the danger, but Detective Morton suspected he had left just enough base scent for them to note as evidence, which Emelia captured.
“Thanks 669,” he said as he rose and patted the man on the back.
669 yawned. “If you don't mind, I want to sleep. So damn exhausted.”
“No problems. If I have more questions I know where to find you.”
669 waved goodbye to the officers and strolled out of the area with the girls following him. Everyone was keen to sleep with the satisfaction they had successfully done their first job for the Cannon Fodder 4Hire company.