After Rashid left, Ebenezar began to tramp around the house, preparing the items that he would need. He went back down the stairs into his subterranean basement, pausing in front of the various shelves while he considered what he knew.
Istanbul, he mused, what would he meet there? Better to err on the side of power then get killed by some annoying threat he hadn't seen coming. He grabbed a knapsack from a dusty corner, a tribute to his younger years.
His eyes roamed the objects, before going over to a relatively new shelf containing his most recently enchanted weapons. He tucked a blasting rod carefully into the bag, before pausing in front of the lead sealed container. Ebenezar narrowed his eyes, before swiftly opening the container and withdrawing a small bag; he hated poltergeists. His eyes roamed to the left, causing him to grin devilishly as he withdrew his favorite collection of steel energy rings.
Moving to his more mundane weapons, he thrust a pair of recently bought pistols into his belt, before his eyes gleefully rested on his trusty double barrel shotgun. There was no way in hell he was leaving that behind, so he added it to his knapsack as well. He grabbed a Civil war cavalry sword and a knife that had been lying side by side. He carefully scrutinized the enchantments on each, before tucking the knife into his overall pocket and sword into his knapsack.
Ebenezar considered his huge armory of steel weapons, before disregarding the notion. His cavalry swords were steel, and, if necessary, he could obtain some iron once he reached Istanbul.
After he grabbed a few of his more experimental items, he carried his considerably heavier load back up the stairs. He closed the entrance to the basement behind him, again contemplating the situation before him. He didn't care about the temperature or the culture there; he had been wearing overalls for over a century, and he wasn't going to stop now.
With that determined, he treaded out of his humble mansion and looked out onto his spacious lawn. Ebenezar partook a short moment of nostalgia, wondering when he was going to return, before continuing down his sidewalk. He paused before he reached his Ford pickup, and took his staff in his left hand. Muttering under his breath he quickly reinforced and checked the considerable wards surrounding his house. It should be more than safe during his absence.
His Ford pickup truck might have been over three decades old, but it didn't sputter or explode like some of the other vehicles he'd driven. The nearest way was only a few miles away, and he drove quickly down the dirt roads in his tranquil part of southern Missouri. He veered off, a mile down the road, taking a left onto an even more archaic path.
He parked the truck near the roadside, not bothering to lay any enchantments upon it. After all, this part of Missouri was so uninhabited and his truck was so old he doubted anyone would give it a second glance. He grabbed his staff and thrust the knapsack over his shoulder, before striding off the rode onto a deer path towards the swamp in the distance.
Ebenezar slowed as he reached the edge of the stealth, slowing his pace and moving his feet stealthily. He carefully scanned the woods around him, extending his senses as he did so. He had learned never to let anyone, or more importantly anything, sneak up on him. As he reached the swamp he paused for a moment, ensuring that nothing was aware of his presence. For safety's sake he cast a slight veil over himself, before entering the overbearing silence of the swamp.
He continued down a snaking path, carefully avoiding any contact with the entangling vines that extended down from the foliage above. He soon reached a small circular clearing deep in the swamp where moonlight streamed in from the waxing moon overhead. He didn't understand the magic behind it, but the Nevernever opposite to this point had a connected series of Ways, perfect for long distance travelling. This included one of the most direct routes to Istanbul he had been able to find.
Ebenezar pulled out his staff, whispering "Aparterum," as he seamlessly cut a rift between worlds. Quietly, he slipped out of this world, closing it carefully behind him.
He appeared at the crossroads, just as he had expected. They were made by some type of hardened magma, and were elevated over the magma fields below. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of burnt rubber, or he considered, whatever the counterpart was in this part of the Nevernever. Rocky stalagmites hung from the ceiling above, and pools of molten lava bubbled up on the plains beside the roads. Ebenezar firmly gripped his staff in his left hand, and checked his various pockets carefully. Although guns failed to fire in certain regions, he knew from experience that this wasn't one of them.
He started briskly down the path he had committed to memory long ago. His memories of Margaret were slowly seeping back into his mind, and his rage was building. At this point Ebenezar wouldn't mind a little a little conflict: crushing something would be… enjoyable.
Fate obliged him.
Some lesser demon sprang out of a lava pool to his left with inhuman quickness. Its body was covered in reptilian scales, and from its hand gnarled claws extended. Its eyes blazed with a fiendish light and it held small balls of blue fire cupped it its hands. At the apex of its leap it tossed both fireballs at Ebenezar's head, while reaching down towards him with claws and fangs extended.
Ebenezar whirled, a vicious smile playing on his features, as he knocked both fireballs away with a contemptuous flick of his staff. He dropped the knapsack he had been carrying in his right hand, before bringing it back towards the leaping fire demon. He muttered "Forzae," releasing a blast of raw kinetic force from his staff, while simultaneously unleashing an emerald blast from the steel ring on his right hand.
The forces intersected the falling demon from slightly different angles, generating a loud snapping sound from the demons body. It was sent hurtling in an awkward spin off into the distance. Ebenezar paused for a moment, part of him hoping it would return. He noted, with annoyance, that he had been a bit too liberal with his kinetic ring, he had no idea when he would get a chance to recharge it.
He started whistling to himself as he continued striding down the path, his spirits buoyed by the recent violence. He spun his staff with experienced ease as he walked, perhaps going another half mile before he sensed a disturbance around him.
A group of demons appeared from the lava pools around him, surrounding him from all sides. They came in a variety of sizes: from the clear leader, who stood tall with a bulky nine feet in height, to a squat demon of just under five. There were seven in total, and they landed in pairs, looking for direction from the solitary leader blocking his path.
The leader spoke with a gravelly voiced, clearly unused to the English tongue; "Honored foe, thee need not advance on the path which thou hath chosen, turn back! And thy life shall be preserved."
Ebenezar bowed deeply, slipping his knapsack off his shoulder. "May I have a short time to consider your unanticipated offer," he stalled, slowly reaching with his right hand until it closed on the carefully crafted hilt of his double barrel shotgun.
With a flourish he straightened up, shotgun grasped and pointed at the leading fire demon. It's fiery eyes stared uncomprehendingly back at Ebenezar, precisely down the barrel, as he released both rounds towards its ugly mug.
With that, all Hell broke loose.
The leader staggered backward, howling in agony as the rest stood for a bare second in shocked surprise. Ebenezar had memorized the formation the moment they had appeared, noting two on all sides with the exception of the now injured leader.
He whipped his right hand at the leader, emitting a burst of emerald light, which sent it tumbling backwards. As he began his attack he whirled left, lifting his staff and shouted "Dispertius gravitus" as he did so. The ground ruptured beneath the two monsters on his left, and a wave of stalactites crashed downwards from the ceiling with monumental forced. A short cry was followed by a loud crunch, as they were simultaneously crushed under the powerful earth magic.
He finished his turn with breathtaking ease, now facing the two that had been at his rear, with staff extended. The four remaining demons, although they were such pathetic creatures it pained him to call them such, recovered from their surprise quickly. They lifted their arms in tandem, glowing balls of blue fire gathering around their hands. They released in quick succession, each discharging flickering tendrils of power as they sailed through the air.
Ebenezar snorted in contempt, extending his staff and muttering "defendarius" as he did so. The balls of flame winked out of existence as an invisible plane of defense magic absorbed them. They charged forwards, hidden claws erupting from their reptilian fingers. Ebenezar dropped the shotgun, bringing his right hand up in a slashing motion as he released the remaining pent up energy in his steel ring. The two demons to his front were sent tumbling backwards through the air and off the path with vicious force. Ebenezar turned to face the remaining two with his staff extended and adrenaline coursing through his body.
The other two were in midair, their gnarled claws extended and their faces twisted in inhuman rage as they rushed towards him. Ebenezar growled "Flammamurus infrigia" with desperate quickness, his rage, fear, and loss rushing through the stuff and into the ground below them. He could feel the energy rush out of him; he was beginning to tire.
The ground fissured beneath the leaping demons, and magma spewed forth from the superheated earth, intercepting the fiery monsters in midair. It surrounded them in a viscous ball of magma, and their momentum almost carried them through. But not quite.
One became completely encased in the magma, as the magma instantaneously cooled, while the other demon was encased up to it's thigh in now hardened rock. It struggled desperately, it's body writhing in a forlorn attempt to escape the small boulder that now entrapped it. It quickly realized the hopelessness, and awkwardly twisted its torso towards Ebenezar, who was standing a few meters away.
It bared its yellow fangs, its eyes glittering with an inhuman emotion as it gathered flames in its hands for a desperate attack. It never got the chance.
As soon as it stopped thrashing, Ebenezar whipped out his six-shooter, taking careful aim at the demon's head. He fired thrice in quick succession, calmly watching as it dissolved.
Ebenezar heard the sound of feet pounding the ground behind him, and turned again with his gun instinctively extended. The leader was pounding towards him, his scaly flesh slowly healing from where it had been rent apart by the recent shotgun blast.
It held a broadsword low to the ground in both hands, although where the Hell it had come from Ebenezar had no idea. Garish flames flickered from hilt to tip, illuminating the dark metal material from which it had been forged.
Ebenezar fired his pistol thrice more, cursing as the bullets barely slowed it down. He threw the gun at the charging demon to gain a few moments, while he grabbed his oaken staff with both hands. He infused it with his will in an attempt to deflect the coming blow, muttering "Tornarius."
The demon bellowed and released a vicious uppercut with all of its supernatural strength behind it.
The staff and sword crossed with a brilliant blaze of light, as the counteracting magics reacted with monumental force. Ebenezar was flung bodily backwards, his staff wrenched from his hands and sent flying off the path and onto the rocky earth below. Too far to reach in time.
The demon was flung backwards too, its sword landing only a few feet away. He groaned as he scrambled to his feet, his bones aching from the pounding he had just received. It was retrieving its broadsword, giving him a moment's respite, before it turned to face him once again.
Ebenezar paused for a moment considering, before lashing out with his left hand to release a burst of emerald light. This time the demon was prepared, and counteracted the kinetic attack with some form of rudimentary magic shield. The result was it merely stumbled a pace backwards, before regaining its footing and starting to advance. It was warier this time.
This was no mere weakling to be crushed with a petty strike, he'd need something more substantial. He pulled his hand into the overall pocket, retrieving something that seemed akin to a pocketknife.
The demon paused its wary advance, bewildered at the weapon with which he was being confronted until Ebenezar muttered "Ferro galvinius." The knife expanded rapidly, reaching its full length as a Civil War cavalry sword in a matter of seconds: a twin to the sword that lay in his knapsack, near the demons feet. When it reached its full length its runes glimmered with a burst of emerald light, before lightning streamed into the blade with a blinding flash.
He noticed with a start of surprise that the two demons he had recently pummeled had returned, but were watching from a considerable distance. Why would they do that? Was it possible for a demon to have honor?
They advanced towards each other with swords raised, until they stood a mere few meters apart. The demon surged forward with breathtaking quickness, delivering a side cut towards his head. Ebenezar whipped his sword to parry, and lightning and fire clashed with a screeching clang. Ebenezar responded with a thrust, but his foe sidestepped, flicking his sword again towards his head. He brought his sword up, using the momentum to block the blow. They both moved back, carefully considering their next moves.
It lunged forwards again, delivering a crushing overhand blow. It was all brute force he noted. He raised his blade to parry the blow, locking blades with the demon. The demon exerted leverage on the blade, snarling as Ebenezar's blade moved downward inch by inch. He couldn't win with sheer strength.
For an instant he released his left hand, making a hurried movement with his steel ring. He directed the force at the demon's sword, blasting it from the leader's hands. It staggered backwards in surprise, staring foolishly at it's now empty hands.
Ebenezar lunged forward, plunging his sword into it's unprotected chest. He snarled "Fulminas," releasing a burst of willpower threw the sword and into the demon. Lightning rushed from the blade, shearing the demon in half with a bolt of raw power. Its top and bottom half fell separate ways, before it slowly dissolving.
He turned towards the minions who had been watching, but they were already fleeing to escape his wrath. Ebenezar gazed at the carnage surrounding him with grim satisfaction. After all, the only got what they had asked for.
He retrieved his staff and knapsack before continuing on his merry way.
Authors Note: Again, I would like to thank TheFreakWithTheWings for beta-reading Welcome to Istanbul. Furthermore, any comments, critiques, and reviews would be excellent.
I know you might be a little bored at the pace of plot development, but don't worry, that will arrive soon. Enjoy!