Chapter 14
prodigy and trojan horse
The interior of the building was very non-descript, it looked exactly like a repurposed office building. I was in the lobby with several waiting chairs and a receptionist desk adjacent to the door. A woman in her late 30s with curly shoulder length hair sat behind the desk. She had several glyphs on her arms and hands. I approached while she was typing something in the computer. She didn’t even look at me but said,
“Welcome sir, how may I assist you?”
“I was told by one of your guards that I should come try my hand at the test to be in the Enclave.” I replied
She looked up at me and smiled, “Why yes sir, if you will give me your name and wait over there I will get a tester out here to retrieve you shortly.”
“My name is Wingless, I don’t have a last name I was adopted and that was the only name the agency had for me.” She looked at me suspiciously but nodded,
“Thank you Mr. Wingless someone will be with you in a few minutes.”
“Thank you kindly.” I said as she parted into an ajoining room
I walked over to an empty chair and sat down. Not two minutes after a young man of about 20 years old walked out of the door to the right of the reception desk. He was well dressed, in a black suit and black and red tie, his hair was jet black and cut very short. He had a sense of authority and a little bit of cockiness about him. He walked up to me and I stood.
“You must be Wingless.”
I extended my hand, “Yes sir, I am.” He took my hand in a firm handshake.
"My name is Zeke, I will be your tester today. Do you have any experience with magick or have you ever encountered a demon first hand? I let my arm fall back to my side and I shook my head,
“No sir, the only magick I have ever seen has been in this town and if I had encountered a demon I probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
He smiled wide. “I don’t doubt that one bit but, after we are done with your testing and empowering process you will be able to hold your own. This way Wingless.” He turned to the side and motioned me forward. I walked with Zeke through the door and then followed him through a long hallway around several turns. After each turn I made sure to let my brothers know through the link where in the building I was. They acknowledged the information. Zeke lead me to a room on the north side of the building. He opened the door and led me inside. The room was very basic and plain. There was a table with two chairs and a small locked chest next to one of the chairs.
Zeke motioned me to sit in one of the chairs. I sat down and waited to hear about what the test entailed. Zeke unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down across from me. He leaned over and opened the chest next to his chair. He pulled out two devices, one looked almost like a sextant used for charting stars and the other device was a tattoo gun. He also pulled out a small jar of tattoo ink that seemed to change colors as I looked at it. He then closed the chest and straightened in his chair.
“Ok, Wingless, this device here will test you for any latent magickal ability. It will also allow us to see what glyphs or sigils will be most useful for you to receive.”
I cleared my throat. “Am I required to get tattoos?” He smiled again,
“It is the only way that the latent magick will become active.” He started to mess with the machine and once he was happy with it he handed it across the table to me. As soon as I took the device it seemed to power up and it started to spin.
It continued to spin faster and faster. Once it reached what I guessed was its peak speed it started to light up. It slowly changed colors then it settled on a green color and it started to project images on the wall and ceiling. The images were of sigils of all types and meanings. It continued to cycle through the different images for what seemed like an eternity then it settled on a blank screen. Zeke’s impression was puzzled and confused.
“Well Wingless, it seems you do have the potential magickal ability but it couldn’t choose any sigils or glyphs that would work for you. I have never seen this happen before.” He sat there looking perplexed and deep in thought. “Let’s try something. Hold out your hands and clear your mind.” I put my hands on the table palms up and I let out a deep breath letting my mind enter a state of calm. I however did not let any of my energy come out. Zeke stared at my hands for several minutes waiting for something to happen but by my design nothing did. He seemed frustrated. I shrugged and asked,
“Is there a way I can try the tattoo thing anyway?” Maybe my energy would work with any symbol that I choose to be an ability.” He looked at the tattoo gun and pushed it forward,
“Its worth a try but, I doubt it will work.” I leaned forward and grabbed the tattoo gun and the ink. I turned the gun on and simultaneously slowly activated a localized glamour that made it look like I was tattooing myself when I really wasn’t. When I finished the glamoured tattoo I left the glamour just on my forearm and I set down the tattoo gun. When I finished the process, I held out my hand and called forth my ice. I created several small balls of ice and launched them at the wall. All the balls embedded into the wall and then evaporated.
Zeke’s eyes widened. “How did you do that? I have never seen anyone that is able to use ice energy magick or just create random rune” He stood up and rolled up one of his sleeves and activated a familiar glyph on his forearm. It was the same one that the red eyed man used in the square. Zeke stood there for several minutes staring off into the distance then snapped back.
“Well my superiors would like welcome you to the Enclave. You will be added to the guard and we will be looking at you for other sectors after your probation period. Go to the armory to pick up your uniform.” He opened the door and led me out into the hallway. He pointed down the hallway. “Take the first left and then the next right. After the armory, you will be paired with the guard that suggested you join to learn the ropes.” I left Zeke in the hallway and headed the directions that he gave me. While I walked I let my brothers know what I was doing and what had happened. They sent me an image over the link of a window that looked right down the hallway I was in. It was weird seeing an image of myself like that in my head as if it was my own memory. I shook off the unsettling feeling and walked into the armory.
The armory was small and had a small window at one side with an older gentleman sitting behind it. He was looking down at a clipboard.
“Excuse me sir, I am here to get my uniform and to be paired with my trainer.” I said politely
The man looked up and said, “Ahhh yes, I was told you were coming. You’ve made quite a stir. Is it true that you can use ice energy and that you can create your own runes that we don’t even have access or knowledge to?”
“Yes, it is true.” I showed him my glamoured tattoo.
“Fascinating. Do you know why you are able to do such things?” he asked interestedly
“I have no idea.” He went on and on about the fact that I could do such things while he rummaged through the back room for a cloak for me. He also collected a stack of manuals. He came back to the window and handed all my stuff to me.
“Your trainer will be in the lobby waiting for you.”
“Thank you, sir.” I collected my stuff and left the armory. I walked back to the lobby and waiting for me was the guard that had invited me to take the test. He turned to look at me and said,
“Monsieur, I knew you would be a shoe in but to be a prodigy is amazing. Well let’s get going.” I put my cloak on and put the manuals in one of the inner pockets. “We are on patrol for the rest of the afternoon. So we will walk a path from Bourbon street down to the French quarter watching for any unauthorized magic and any potential threats.” I nodded to acknowledge the command. I let my brothers know through the link what my first job was.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
<“Well if my job is to watch for potential threats and capture unauthorized users then maybe you guys cause some trouble near the building that houses the book and I glamour it to look like a demon attack.> Both of my brothers agreed enthusiastically. On the walk to my post with my trainer, Miles, my brothers and I laid out a plan to cause a large enough distraction to draw all the guards away from the area and then a glamour that allows me the excuse to go into the building and try to get the book. Miles and I arrived at Bourbon street just past 4 pm. The street was full of people shopping and enjoying their day. It was refreshing to see some people thriving since the arrival of the demon insurgence. Miles and I started our rounds and chatted idly about our lives. He had been a video game creator before the portals opened, he had a family, a wife and daughter, who both passed away in one of the first attacks of the demon army. He joined the Enclave in order to gain the power to avenge his family but wasn’t strong enough yet to get his revenge. The entire time I had the link open so my brothers knew about him and his past. Shyft sent me a link after Miles stopped talking.
I ssid agreeing with my brother.
Miles and I walked a few more blocks checking for suspicious activity. Once we were at the closest point to where the book was I let my brothers know that we were in position. They linked me back that they were ready as well. I gathered energy in preparation for the plan. An explosion sounded from the other side of the city, a large fireball rose into the sky. Miles spun around and was instantly activating the communication glyph on his arm. His eyes went distant for a few seconds then he came back to himself.
“There is an attack happening we have been called to assist we need to go.” As he said that Baker and I mixed our energy at the same time to make a glamour of a demon tearing through the metal of a nearby building. The glamour came out to the road roared and then ran off down the street toward the building the book was located in.
“What is over here that the demons might want?” I asked Miles faking nervousness. Miles looked back toward the sound of the commotion Shyft was creating then back at the demon glamour. I started off down the road toward the glamour.
“Come on we need to stop it.” Miles started running after me.
“Yes, we need to stop it fast and because of the distraction on the other side of the city it is just us. It is heading to the Vault, where most of the most dangerous or unknown items of power are kept.”
The glamour I made continued two blocks to the east and then stopped outside a small unassuming building. It looked like it used to be a retail store of some kind. There was definite pressure to the building though. It was almost like feeling wind coming through the cracks around a door frame. Baker used his energy to make the glamour look like it ripped the doors off their hinges and enter the building. Miles and I followed the glamour into the Vault building.
The inside of the building was dark and still. I made the glamour run into the back room and then dispelled it. Miles and I started searching when I found the entrance of the Vault. It was a large door glamoured to look like a brick wall. There were runes and caster circles engraved all over the door each emanating with a different energy signature. This wasn’t done by Eclavists it was done by several Awoken and well-trained ones at that. None of the individual runes were very powerful but the way that they were connected made it very difficult to disarm. I felt Miles still searching through the rest of the building for the fake demon.
“Copy that bro.” then he continued past me into the other parts of the building to take care of Miles.
I turned my attention back to the door. I found the grounding runes and the interconnecting runes and slowly started to unravel them making sure to keep a sufficient amount of energy in the intact runes to keep the weave from collapsing which would cause a chain reaction that could end badly. Slowly but surely the weave started to fall away until the door was completely dispelled. I grabbed the door handle and slowly opened it to reveal an oddly larger room than should exist in a building this size. The walls were covered with glass display cabinets all locked and runed. Some were covered so you couldn’t even see the contents. I let my brothers know that I was in. Shyft reported back that he was in the clear and headed our way. Baker sent me images of his submission of Miles.
Searching through the different cases Baker and Shyft entered the Vault to assist.
“I don’t see it.” I closed my eyes and focused on my sensory magic keeping it confined to this vault. I get back only a few actual magickal responses. The rest of the stuff in this vault is fake. The items that gave off magical energy were located on the other side of the west wall. I let my brothers know and I went to touch the wall and my hand passed through and I stumbled in.
“It’s an illusion.” I said to keep my brothers from worrying. The room was smaller than the first and was not as full of items. There were 3 podiums arranged in a triangle with black glass boxes laying on top. Baker and Shyft cautiously entered the antechamber.
“How about we each check one box and see what is here. That way if they are alarmed we won’t have to wait to look at the other 2 after setting it off.” I offered the idea to my brothers. Baker stepped up to the leftmost podium and nodded. Shyft looked almost like a person trying to decide what door to choose on a game show so to save him from his indecision I stepped in front of the rightmost box. Shyft looks at me and smiles
“I wanted this one anyway.” He sticks his tongue out at me then turns back to box getting serious again.
“On 3……..1…2..3.” I counted us down. At the same time we each lifted the boxes off of the pedestal. No alarm sounded but I did vaguely feel a small burst of arcane energy but im not sure if that was from the boxes being removed. The item in my box was a small bronze or copper totem of a Polar Bear. Beautifully crafted and very detailed. I feel a very intense draw to the totem and I reach out to touch it. Nothing happens as I pick it up and marvel at its construction. The metal was cool and heavy in my hands
Baker turned “Found it.” On his podium was a second copy of the exact same book we had in the chest.
“Guys come see this.” Shyft said from his podium. Baker and I walk over and on the podium, was a tablet of onyx or obsidian with strange symbols written on it. The symbols weren’t any of the languages that Roland had us learn. The energy emanating from the tablet was dark, ancient but not necessarily evil. I take the cloak the Enclave gave me and wrapped up the tablet. Baker used a cloth from one of the tables in the outer vault to wrap up the key. We headed back outside and stopped short in the street. There were 10 guards and several other robed individuals with different insignia on their robes. The obvious leader of the group, with her gold trimmed robes and golden emblem, stepped forward.
“You have some of our most precious relics. You will return them and stand down to be put under arrest.” He voice was gratting and full of self importance.
“Fat fucking chance.” Baker said from my left as he spit on the ground. “You all are just a perverse version of what you can be.” He raised his hand and started gathering a large amount of power at the ready. Shyft also readied himself setting his hands on fire and unfurling his warriors chain.
I stepped forward “We don’t want to hurt any of you. You were tricked into thinking this was the only way you can do things.” The leader smiled and began to laugh.
“You three have no idea what we have the ability to do. You will find out when we take your powers for ourselves.” She rolled up one of her sleeves and activated a communication glyph. She seemed lost in thought for just a second and then her eyes focused once more. “Our leader is coming and we will see how you fair against him.” A loud ripping sound emanated from the street between us and the Enclavists. A purple and black tear opened in the air and a man stepped through. His eyes were black with purple irises and his skin was stark white. Three other Enclavists exited the tear with him one of them being Zeke.
Zeke look at me and sighed “Wingless I thought you were going to be a prodigy of mine not an enemy.” The Leader stepped forward, there was a very dark presence about him almost demonic.
“So you are the three that have been causing trouble with my Enclave? We will capture you and take the energy you have using it to empower my soldiers to unspeakable power. It will be a painful process but I will enjoy the power boost.” As he said this Zeke and a few others looked at the leader with shock and disgust.
Zeke shook his head and stepped between the leader and us. “We may be willing to use demons to power ourselves up but some of us wont let you do the same thing to humans. That is wrong and I wont be a part of it.” Zeke raised his hand and activated a glyph on his shoulder. A large fireball erupted from his hand and hit the leader full on. The street was full of smoke and then stepping out in front of the smoke, the leader, untouched with his hand outstretched. A dark shield of raw demonic energy seemed to take the full blast of the fireball. The leader then pointed a finger at Zeke and a few others that had joined his side and said,
“You traitors will die just the same as those three.” A black lightning bolt shot out of his finger aimed for the Enclavists that were opposing him. Baker quickly formed a rod of metal to act as a lightning rod and redirect the black kightning into the ground.
Zeke looked shocked, “How did you cast that without activating a glyph?”. The leader laughed a deep laugh that didn’t sound human.
“I can do a lot of things you mere humans cant do.” He pulled off his robe and engulfed himself in dark purple and black energy. When the energy dissipated he was changed something between human and demon. He grew about a foot and a half, his skin turned a sickly green, and he grew a number of horns of different sized along the top of his head.
“I was given a power by making a pact with the demon.” I let loose a few icicle blasts that seemed to bounce off his skin harmlessly. He laughed and then sent out a blast of dark energy at us. Bakers shields barely had enough power to hold up against the sheer force of the blast.
“I don’t know what his pact with the demons did to him but my shields are only good for 2 shots then it breaks.” Baker said panting. Shyft came up next to me.
“Bro we got more incoming we need to get out of here.” He pointed down the street behind up and a large group of Onclavists were marching our way.
“Shyft go buy us some time with the incoming troops. Ill go get Zeke and the others.” Shyft nodded and ran down the street with his fire lighting the way. I ran down the street to the alley in which Zeke was taking cover.