Proof

Thanks again Psycho-Llama, for your reviews:D In this chapter, Karl is interrogated, a traitor is killed, and Jarratt becomes very surprised.

Opinions - should I make a comic of these?

Despite the shocked looks on he faces of the other magicians, the Grand master seemed perfectly calm.

"I thought I felt a presence here," he said, "but I confess, you have baffled me. How did you get past our defences, and our doorkeeper?"

Abelard looked embarrassed, and angry. "He didn't sneak past me! I would have felt it!"

"There are ways known only to those who have dealt with the dark powers," Karl said gravely. "I know that it is not to my credit that I have used such as these, but it was the only way." He bowed deeply. "So now I have come before you to beg that you help me and my associate here. We are at your mercy."

"So." The Grand Master seemed amused. "You are asking us for help. As I was telling your friend here, you have not shown us any proof that we can trust you."

"True, but I hope to do so now. I know that there are those among you who are powerful telepaths or Empaths. I am willing to submit to a full scan of my mind. Then you will know that all I speak here is the truth."

The Grand Master raised his eyebrows. "This does change things," he said solemnly. "This is no small thing. You are aware of the risks, of course."

"Of course."

"I shall choose the best among us for a task such as this. If you will excuse me a moment…" The Grand Master let his carved chair and began to walk around the outside of the tables, stopping occasionally to murmur things into the ears of certain magicians. When he had finished he and his chosen ones gathered before Karl and the others. They were just about to begin when the same languid voice spoke from beside the Grand Master's chair.

"A favour, perhaps, Lord Wyatt. I have some experience with reading the mind of dangerous ones such as Karl Jr. here. Would you do the honour of letting me lead the ritual?"

The Grand Master glanced over at the figure. "Experience you may have Merari, but your intentions I am not so sure of."

"Surely you do not believe those rumours, Lord Wyatt? My intentions are purely to serve."

"Serve yourself, I shouldn't wonder," Selas muttered. He was one of those who had been chosen.

"Now Selas," Merari chided, turning to him, but her tone carried a hint of something menacing in it now. "Have I not always helped you? Do not say such things about me."

"My answer remains the same." The Grand Master said. "I shall lead, and no other. Everything must go perfectly."

"As you wish." Merari replied sweetly, from what could be seen of her face she did not look pleased.

The assembled magicians began their spell, their combined voices chiming together as they crafted the delicate charm. Had they all been Empaths this would not have been needed, but only a small number of them had that power.

Karl felt the combined minds of the white magicians slip like liquid ice into him, and he hissed in pain despite himself. It was a very strange feeling, as though he was being raked over with thin spirals of fire and he saw moments from his past flashing in front of his eyes, all feeling as real as when they had first happened. What pain there had been was gone now, but he felt detached from himself, as though he was not quite all there. In the back of his mind, he began to feel something stirring, a beast on a thin chain, only waiting for provocation to rouse its fury. He began to feel a little apprehensive. What if it broke free and took control of him as it had done that night in the basement when it had been created.

Suddenly Karl felt another presence, separate from the magicians, creeping into his open mind like a thief. It began to dig deep into his memories, looking for dark and sinister things he had known in his time with his father. He tried to stop it, but he was too weak now, seeming almost to float free from himself. And then the other presence came upon The Other.

With a dark howl the other side of his personality burst forth from him like a daemon rising from the pit. Whereas before it had been a thing merely within himself, in an atmosphere so saturated with centuries of magickal use, stretching back to before there had ever been a building on that spot, it appeared as a fiery creature standing tall and terrible in mid air.

To George Jarratt, standing behind Laura, the sight was a truly terrifying one. Karl seemed to be possessed by a force greater than himself, his eyes blazing with wreaths of fire, the thing in the air stretching out from his wide flung hands. He seemed almost to be screaming as if in great pain, but no sound came from his mouth. The fiery beast stretched and yawned as if waking from a long sleep, then turned its fearsome gaze on Merari. She yelped, awakening from the trance she had been in, her eyes wide. The creature leapt at her, leaving a contrail of flames behind it.

In front of Jarratt, Laura started forward, crying out in anguish, "Stop! Stop, you foul creature!" It paid her no attention, but Laura's cry did seem to have done some good, for Karl seemed to have come back into himself, gazing at the thing from inside him in obvious horror. It was too late for him to do anything though. The beast was already upon Merari, obscuring her in its fiery grasp, her scrams almost drowned out by the crackling flames. Within seconds the creature had consumed her, leaving only a heap of blackened bones slumped in her chair. All around the table was burned black and the magicians had scattered, trying to put as much distance between them and this terrible thing come into their midst as possible.

The Grand Master and the magicians he had chosen were back in their own bodies too by now, and he stepped forward to confront the beast.

"Urtha ron'tech kakmet i'ypa…" he began to cry out in some strange ancient language, but the words had no effect on the thing, and he backed away as it turned to face him, a leer on its blazing muzzle. It slowly began to advance upon him and the group of magicians huddling behind him.

"Enough!" The ragged cry burst from Karl's throat and the beast looked around at him. "Enough! Stop this. Come… back… here." He seemed to be struggling to speak, but his eyes were defiant and full of determination. The creature seemed to want to continue its advance but something was holding it back, and as Karl beckoned to it, it was reluctantly dragged backwards until it was in front of Karl again. He looked it squarely in the eye and it began to dissipate into the air, wreaths of flame coming of it in great plumes. Before long, it was gone, and Karl slumped to the ground, the effort of controlling his other side too much for his already weakened mind.

All around the chamber, the magicians stood stock still, still in shock, not quite grasping what had happened. Eventually George Jarratt broke the silence; "What do we do now?"

Reviews pleeeeeeeeeeease:D Next chap up soon I hope.