I was woken again at just after two by my phone ringing. I had changed the ringtone to a popular anime theme I had enjoyed in my youth.

I answered the phone to hear a frantic Liz. "Hello Chris? Hello? Please answer."

"Yeah, Liz, I'm here . What's up?What's going on?" I replied groggily.

"That Necrosi are here at our apartment. We are under siege. We need help or they will take Kate" she yelled. I could hear scratching at a door in the background.

"Ok, Liz, we are on the way." I said, looking up at Thalia. Who nodded and ran to the corner of the room where her shopping bags lay discarded.

I too got up and ran to my huge closet and began donning some tactical clothing and a set of body armor. Then put on my signet ring which I was told would give me more armor. Then checked my shadow storage and ensured I had enough weapons in it.

I ran out into the sitting room outside to find the security guard Peter, the driver from the night before.

Seeing us awake and ready he came to a halt and stood straight

"Sir, your prospective vassals are being attacked by a gang but I'm assuming you know that. We had a ward placed on the apparent complex to ensure their safety while deliberating employment with you. I am ready to drive you there. Or we can send a security detail." He began reporting quickly and concisely.

"We are already all dressed up for a night on the town pete. Can't disappoint my lady now can I?" I asked casually walking to the door. Less worried about time now that I knew Raven's Hollow was on the way.

Surprisingly on the way we were met by Kelly who came running from the guest house. Dressed in armor that belonged on the set of vikings, the crimson red was a match for her vibrant hair that was caught up in a ponytail. I noticed several long bladed seax sheathed about her person.

"Your mom gonna kill me later?" I asked casually.

"Probably" she admitted with a nod.

"Cool. Let's make it worth it." Moving past her to get into the Hummer. The diesel engine blaring to life in a burbling rumble.

I hopped in. Followed closely by the two women. I opened the in console fridge and pulled out a cherry vanilla Bang.

"Anyone else want one?" I asked the other two, they both shook their heads.

"I don't even want to know how much sugar is in that." Thalia said, shaking her head.

"Uh zero" i said holding up my hand to show an o with my hand. "Zero sugar, zero carbs."

"Hmm let me see one." She said reading the label

"Peter?" I asked, holding up a can.

"No sir. Focussed On driving several tons of vehicle through shitty Albuquerque streets"

"Fair." I said cracking open the can and chugging half the contents.

"You don't seem perturbed, you are driving into a fight with a large number of enemies?" She asked.

"Listen kid. I may look barely old enough to drink. But I'm pushing fifty. When I was eighteen I started working in corrections. Then moved to private security at twenty one. Then I did some overseas contracting. I have ridden into shitstorms since I was still pretty much a boy. Either this time will be my last one. Or it won't. But you can't skip a chance to enjoy the things you love." I slurped the can again.

"Fifty huh." Thalia said. "That explains so much. Why you're so aware of yourself and others? You got that whole old soul thing."

"Um sorry I guess I should have told you my age before I let you slobber all over my dick." I said with as serious a face I could.

"Oh shut up. I could be 200 for all you know." She said blushing again.

"Nope. 200 year olds dont blush like that" I said grinning over the top of my can. Then leaned over to kiss her lips.

"Um, third wheel here." Kelly said, looking away from our display of affection.

"Awe, do you want a kiss too?" I asked seriously. "Thalia be a good girl, give Kelly a kiss."

"Jesus christ, didn't you just say you were in your fifties." Kelly asked exasperatedly.

"Yup. So I know you gotta get the laughs when you can kid." I said soberly. "Tomorrow is a hope, never a promise. So laugh when you can."

"Sounds like a hallmark card." She said but her voice softened seeing my face. "You have lost people?"

"Too many." I said. Then changing the subject. "Peter ETA?".

"Minutes, sire." He said easily. "Less then five"

"Right. You waiting with the car?" I asked.

"If it's ok sir. I'd like to tag along. I can cast a kinetic energy shield to protect from bullets and some magic projectiles. I wouldn't want to stay in the car while my brothers fight." He said through gritted teeth and a stony face.

"I wouldn't ask you to do so man. Just giving you the out if you wanted it. I said easily. "Throw it in park then gear up and join us back here."

The truck came to a stop and Peter joined us in the back taking off his suit jacket and reaching into the back to pull out a piece of armor and donning it quickly Kelly helping with the straps on the back. I recognized it as lorica, or latin torso armor. No observable weapons I noted.

"Need a weapon man?" I asked.

"No, I'm good on that front sire." He said grinning holding up a bracelet similar to the one Thalia sported but a thick black band instead of all chain the similarity being a few runes carved on a silver plate.

"Ok listen up." I said in my best squad leader voice. "I'm out first with the bone shield. Peter and thalia second long range out peter ready to use his anti kinetic ward on my signal. Kelly you last go invisible and follow I'm not sure what else you do." I said.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

A chorus of agreement came out. I instinctually held out my fist back over my head thumb out.

"Um, what is that?" Thalia asked.

"Oh it's how you line up for a dynamic entry. When Kelly is ready she taps Peter, Peter taps you. You squeeze the thumb. So I know when everyone is ready.." I said defensively.

"Yeah he is right. That's what we learned at the core." Peter said.

"See. He gets it, whatever, everyone is ready?" I asked.

I got another chorus of yeses so I threw open the door and threw up my shield as I drew it from the shadow space. Slowly walking crouched and providing cover for those behind me. I walked around the corner of the damsels in distress apartment and was not prepared for the shit storm we walked into.

Luc stood behind a shield wall made by about fifteen security guards in an arc around the front door of the apparent building entrance. Arrayed against them were about a hundred white skeletons.

Behind the skeletons were a group of ten men in the biker vests with the skulls wreathed in black fire. Guarding another Eastern looking man judging by his brown skin. He had fine white hair and eyebrows, dressed in a blood red three piece suit.

He stood in the middle of a ritual circle where a goat had been killed and a portal opened in the pool of blood. As we watched another skeleton scrambled out of the portal and began walking forward to join the others in the queue for my security guys. My eyes did the notification thing.

* Ritual of summoning greater skeletal minions.

Summons greater skeletal minions to attack enemies designated by the ritual designer. A medium blood sacrifice was used to upgrade the skeletal minions.

"Hey suit guy. I challenge you to a duel." I yelled. Receiving hisses of chastisement from the group behind me

You have challenged John Ramos of the Necrosis guild to a duel.

A short pause then,

Ramos has used a boon earned from a god to refuse the duel.

"What the fuck is a boon?" I was perturbed that my plan had not worked but unsurprised.

"You can earn them in service to a god, even one not of your chosen god's service. They are usually fairly common and used to refuse duels without receiving a debuff." Peter advised me.

"Cool, Thalia light him up." I said.

She popped up letting loose a carbon fiber arrow with an old school hand forged triangle tip from her ridiculous poundage compound bow.

The arrow flew true, but one of the goons lifted a hand and a shield of green light stopped the arrow. Then it turned one hundred and eighty degrees and flew back.

Again unsurprised I lifted the large shield and caught the arrow. It tore into the heavy steel shield. Making a dent I could see from my side.

I focused on the guy who had cast the green spell. His dark well groomed mustache compensating for his balding hair but paired well with his hawkish nose. His name popping up.

* Joshua Reyes.

Con 14

Str 13

"Joshua Reyes. I challenge you." I yelled. The man's eyes widened and he shook his head. Immediately a blue light burned out from his head marking him with a blue rune. Marking him a coward he fell to his knees gasping.

"Hey Ramos. How many guys can you lose to that before it's just you and me?" I taunted. Trying to piss him off, to make a mistake. Then I stomped the ground sending an earth disk frisbeeing out at him. Another one of his guards this one closer to him, a bulky guy in a dress jacket instead of a vest jumped up, grabbed the disk out of the air and crushed it grinning.

"I challenge YOU." He bellowed, running at me. A blue circle spread out around us. I could sense him drawing power from the earth. Sucking it up like a vacuum.

I braced myself shield out and braced against my shoulder. And he dropped kicked it, Just ran right up and kicked it with both legs planking out and falling to the ground.

I flew backward. Slamming into the field of the circle. My breath tore from me. I immediately forced myself to breathe out and in evenly. Regaining my feet just as the man was. Again the sucking sensation upon the earth magic below us.

Titan growled in my head begging for release. "Calm down buddy. I got this: we need to keep some cards close to the chest." I whisper.

I lift my right hand and cast a cone of cold on the man. For some reason his name never popped up. But that was an issue for future Chris.

Cone of cold cast critical hit. Moderate ice damage conducted. Target slowed and confused.

A burst of liquid nitrogen sprayed out from my hand in a broad arc. Catching the man full on from the torso up. He spluttered and rubbed at his frozen eyes. Then I cast darkness.

Darkness critical success. Entire challenge field will be consumed in the dark of the underworld.

Instantly the field darkened. I was expecting more blackness. Now it was just like I was wearing sunglasses during the pre-dawn hours. Looking out I could see everyone looking in frantically and I could faintly hear them yelling.

Then I remembered as the first lord of the underworld I was given killer night vision. I grinned as I drew my spear from my shadow space. I lunged stabbing into the man where his heart should be. Unfortunately whatever he was doing with the earth was giving his skin resistance to my blade it only sank in a bit.

Even blinded, he charged in my direction immediately once he felt the strike, knocking the spear away. I shadow walked away coming behind him and stabbing into the back of his knee joint, the blade sinking in enough to cripple him. And it worked although not as well as i'd hoped his leg buckled, but wasnt skewered.

To my surprise he cast a spell and a small earthen berm rolled out from him. In my direction. I had an idea and shadow stepped this time into the air above him. Putting all my weight behind the spear, one foot on the cross bar. and finally felt it sinking deep into the flesh of his shoulder right where it joins the neck, as we fell the blade twisted doing even more damage.

I shadow walked again up into the air a bit higher this time, spear entering his skull right at the base with a sickening crunching sound.

Suddenly the circle glowed and the dark dissipated. Showing me laying down next to the bloody heap of the man I'd killed. My teammates screamed but I threw the Evel Knievel thumbs up. And Peter laughed.

I stood up and the man dissipated into sparkling blue light. I dusted myself off like it wasn't a big deal. But I knew in my head I was close to getting my ass kicked, and probably dead. I would need training beyond the instinctual knowledge I had from my sperm donor's Chosen lineage.

Congratulations

You have won the duel. Jason Ramos was defeated and slain. You gain experience and have received the following rewards.

* Fifteen hundred dollars USD

* Spell card earthen berm can send a rolling swell of earth in a direction for moderate mana, or all directions for High mana.

* Ring of earth armor– adds a non stackable armor buff to a person with earth affinity who has two feet on the ground.

* Ring of the Necrosis clan. Reduces damage done to self for necromancy spell fuel by five percent without reducing effectiveness

"Another Ramos I see. Relation of yours?" I asked the white haired man.

The man in question stared at me in shock, then yelled at me in a high pitched fast paced tone I couldn't understand. Then all the skeletons turned and started moving towards me.

I laughed at him. "Skeletons all you have, man?" I challenged him.

He just continued yelling incoherently at me.

"Well what you don't know man, is that i am probably the worst match up you could face. Allow me to introduce myself." I yelled, raising my spear point up to the sky my hand beginning to glow with the largest amount of amethyst glowing mana i had seen so far.

"I am Christian Guard. Protector of the New Mexico territory for the Panacea shareholders. I am a guardian to all who can't protect themselves from threats both supernatural, and mundane." I yelled. My hand glowing like an amethysts spotlight.

"More to the point. I am the Lord of the Unseen house first of my line, and servant of Hades, the prosecutor of his will on this mortal plain."

I slammed my spear butt down on the ground. And explosion of amethyst energy roiling out in a circle. And declared my command.

"Kneel"

Command unread area cast critical success. All target skeletons control has been assumed by you for the duration of the spell.

As one the skeleton's came to a rattling halt and dropped down to kneel, heads bowed. Silence reigned so deep you could cut it with a knife.