Cycle of Strife

Gothic style Manor, Cologne Suburbs, Prussia

A day after the Dismissal

"Are you ready?"

"Ready? I've been ready for days…"
"Ah, let me rephrase it: are you able?"
"Of course. You can trust me." She laughed at that.

"Trust you? That I can not do…" I tilt my head. I resist a smile; if only she knew…

"You have the mantle?"

"…Yes."

"Are you sure I won't find baby powder inside of it?" She smiled; but her eyes were calculating.

"No; it is a hermetic mantle, nothing less, nothing more."

"Good… then it is time for me to leave."
"You will do well to remember: betray me and…" She left the promised horrors unsaid. I felt a twinge of annoyance.

"Yes, I remember."
"Good. And never forget."

I left. I had no illusions of what I am doing. For all I know, I was happily going to my death. I was a commoner; and to them, commoners are expendable.

…

The Other Place

The memories of human wars are painful in the Other Place.

Humans forget; cloak them in an illusion of glory.

We remember every excruciating detail. The horrors, the pain… the death. There is no glory. Only pain.

I tell you this: war is just an acceptable name for rape, murder, death and destruction.

The Other place vibrated with the death of a dozen djinn every day; at time it felt like it was singing a requiem for them.

At times it felt like I was next.

Of course the summoning wasn't improving my mood.

…

Magician's residence, Cologne

The temperature in the room dropped; the candles flickered and died. Barely audible howling could be heard; as if from far away. Disembodied voices whispered wicked things just beyond those pastel walls (A sickly yellow color; the gold threads that traversed it made it look like the building had malaria.)

Hey; my master will do well to remember who he is enslaving! (Bartimaeus, Of Uruk, al-Arish, the serpent of the silver plumes ect, ect. )

"Will you stop the theatrics! I have work for you." I shifted into a hideous rotting corpse.

"Right. Tell me something new."

He sighed. "Give me one good reason not to use the infernal coals."

"Ah… you have work for me?"

"Good."

…

Town hall, Cologne

2100 Hours

And here we are. Cologne town hall.

Why? No idea. But it feels good visiting a new place (As a provincial capital of an empire, it was a place of countless assassinations, riots, coups and general shabbiness. Still, it had a nice swimming pool) and there was always the hope my master had gone mad and was about to commit suicide…

"Now, to business." Ah, well…

"Yeah. Now, what is that? Assassination of top Prussian leaders? Slaughtering innocent commoners? Willful- Ouch!" The stipples. Can't help it, I was a motor mouth today; it was my master's fault! I'm practically getting whiplash from these short visits to the other place! I need a rest. And if I have to bring him to the brink with constant jibes, then so be it!
On the other hand, the shriveling flame is not good for your health…

"We are here to investigate a strange incident of robbery." A 'strange incident of robbery?'

"Yep, pretty strange. Now, why are you playing Sherlock Holmes?" He scowled at the reference to the British.

"Remind me why you aren't in pain right now." He was prickly today.

"My charisma? Excellent conversation? Impeccable persona?" I spotted a bulging vein n his forehead. "Err… your merciful and insightful ways?"

"Quite beyond me. I charge you to stay watch and destroy anyone who tries to enter!" He disappeared into the hall.

I changed into a fearsome lion headed warrior and stand guard with my usual vigor. Who dares challenge Bartimaeus of Uruk! None!

I look left. An elderly lady was buying some groceries.

I look right. A dog was heeding the call of nature on a memorial to the 'glorious wars of empire'

I look down. A cat sat, fast asleep.

I look up. A sparrow chirped happily in its nest.

…

2130 Hours

The dog was happily on its way. (The statue was a different matter)

…

2200 Hours

The elderly woman finished her shopping.

…

2230 Hours

The sparrow was asleep.

…

2245

The cat ate it.

…

2300

Just when I thought I was going to die of Boredom! My master, some other magicians, Faquarl, Jabor and Queezle.

"Hail, master! I have completed my charge and destroyed some mosquitoes who were trying to invade your meeting!" I gave an exaggerated salute. He glared at me. Faquarl snorted.

"Now, friends, to the scene of the crime." One of the Magi spoke, or to be more accurate, hackled.

"Quite." I cozied up to my master and asked for an explanation with my customary eloquence.

He, disarmed by my excellent grammar, replied. "Yesterday, a robbery happened at the treasury."

"So, the British are knocking at the door and we're on a wild goose chase for some metal coins?"

"That's the strange part. None of the gold was stolen."

"None? Then what was?"

A pause. "The treasury was also used as an armory." I narrowed my eyes.

"Armory, you say? What was kept in it?" I started to have a bad feeling about this…

"Our defenses." What?... oh.

"Please say they stole some antique guns."
"A third of our Golem incantations and eyes."

"Now… that's bad."

"You don't say."

…

I know, I know. A trinity of confusing and crap chapters. Please forgive the writer's block.