Meeting Hex part 1

For Gwen the last few days had been going really weird. She had even thought about going to see an optometrist. Mainly because she could swear that when she stared at people or objects long enough she could see faint colors outlining them. Not only that, but when Ben had really bothered her one day his cup of hot chocolate kind of exploded in his face. That might have been chucked up as a funny, if not strange, event if she had not just been staring at the cup and wishing for exactly that.

She was going over this in her head as they were driving along the freeway, when suddenly something caught her eyes. On the side of the road for an ever-brief moment a billboard seemed to faintly glow purple then fade away. This billboard was a little tacky but sported a distracting opportunity from the mediocrity of the day, "Come visit our world-famous witch museum."

Gwen was about to politely ask Grandpa Max if they could visit when Ben burst out behind her and pushed her head down saying, "Hey, Grandpa, could we go to this witch museum? It might be fun!"

Gwen could feel her eye twitch at him, so she quickly grabbed his hands and tried to wrestle some decency into him and "calmly" yelled at him, "Doofus, you could have asked him in a nicer way!"

Grandpa Max chuckled and said in his usual manner "So, I take it you want to see it too, Gwen?"

She flushed disengaging Ben, who yelled, "What is your problem Dweeb? I saw you staring at the billboard and thought it would be nice!"

Gwen shot him a quick glare and replied to Grandpa Max, "Yes, Grampa I would like to go to the museum, if it's not going to put us too far out of the way."

Grandpa Max chuckled again, "Then it is settled. We will be going to this witch-museum."

The museum was good for a distraction, but nothing seemed to invoke that weird glow that she had seen on the billboard. That was until they came upon a book in a display case that glowed brightly. Before the aged Curator who was giving the tour could explain the pieces, Gwen blurted out "The Archamada Book of Spells!"

This brought Gwen a scowl from the Curator, who replied in a dry and sarcastic voice and a raised eyebrow, "Yes, the Archamada Book of Spells. Maybe you should be doing the tour, young lady."

Ben laughed, wrapping his arms around Gwen with tears of enjoyment filling his eyes, and said, "Maybe you should, then at least it might be exciting."

Gwen smiled at his comment and looked back at the book. The Archamada was still glowing, but something else caught her eyes. On one of the edges of the book in an eerily dark blue glow was the word Bezel. Gwen cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Who is Bezel?"

The Curator look perplexed and said, "What?"

Gwen simply pointed to the word and replied, "It says Bezel, who or what is Bezel?"

The Curator came over, looked at the book, squinting and adjusting her glass a few times. Then she spoke in a condescending manner, "Young lady you may need glasses more than I, because there is no…"

Before she could finish the statement an ominous cackle came from behind the group, "My dear GIRL, do you not know that names hold POWER? Whoever is your master is lacking as a teacher."

Gwen and the others turned around to be faced with a tall almost grey skinned man, clothed in some kind of ceremonial black and red hooded stole vestment, black choker, leather clade shoulder necklace with a strange carved stone in the center, leather wraps, a ceremonial looking staff with a grotesque bird skull, and weird calf high pants. If this didn't stand out the fact that his face was painted or tattooed with the visage of a skull as well as having a large tribal tattoo on his right arm would have done it.

The Curator paled looking absolutely appalled by the sight of him and said sternly while looking down her nose, "Well, I never,….I don't know who you are or how you got in here… looking… like THAT!…but I do insist you leave at once sir!" she flailed one arm in a dramatic emphasis to these words.

Even with all the Curators antics the strange man never took his eyes off the book or Gwen as he started to approach saying, "Ah, the irritating sound of insects... I am Hex, master of my arts, and that book IS MINE!" these words seemed to have a strangle sonorous echo to it and the very building seemed to shake when he said them.

The Curator was shaken, but still tried to hold some level of dignity and authority, and stepped in front of him almost managing to say calmly, "Stop sir," then yelled with all the authority she could muster, "Guards, please come take this man away!"

The tall man stood there, not even acknowledging the Curator, and just smiled a venomous smile. As if taking some unseen cue the staff in his hand started to glow with a dark green light with eerie red smoke ebb out of the bird skull's mouth. Hex, as he called himself, looked directly at Gwen and spoke with the strange echo still in his voice, "Do you know what to do with insects, young Magi?" he brought the staff to bear and Gwen stood there, stunned, with her stomach turning, as Hex's body glowed and energy seemed to ripple off him like an overflowing cup.

Gwen was overwhelmed and stunned everything was happening so fast but she was quickly torn out of the stupor as Hex spoke next, "We….SWAT THEM!" Gwen stared in disbelief as a giant translucent hand seem to come out of nowhere tearing through the very air itself leaving trails of glowing red energy lingering as wisps behind it before hitting the Curator and sending her flying into a display case.

This caused the Curator to yelp as air exploded out of her lungs. The Curator laid still at the base of the display case, shattered wood and glass all around her. She had ether passed out or was killed on impact. No one had a chance to check though, before the guards were sprinting at Hex.

"I don't think this is part of the tour," Grandpa Max spoke.