The Chaos Tree
Chapter 26
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Phase One - Nine O'clock Entry
Ethan, Elijah and Onida jogged through the darkness trying to find some camouflage in the sparse trees that lined the road. Most of the land surrounding the building in which they'd taken shelter was farm land, therefore opportunities for cover were few and far between. As they ran, clods of dirt in the freshly tilled fields provided a challenge to their dexterity, as they were thrown off balance by the uneven ground. Elijah reasoned that since they were moving in a hunched manner due to the lack of cover, at least they were closer to the ground if they fell. One advantage they did have in approaching from the east, was the farm houses nearest the fields. In going through residential zones, there would be magical alerts near the houses, but spell lines would not be placed in yards, as residents would trip those daily.
They'd been moving quickly for almost twenty minutes when Ethan tapped Elijah on the shoulder and made a motion to the north. They changed direction and within a minute or two had reached the fruit trees and backyard shed of the first modest home. Quietly they passed through junk-filled backyards, climbed a rickety fence or two, and dodged the light of backdoor porch lamps. Slipping over a lopsided front yard fence, they stopped near a tree and checked the street. According to the plan, they needed to go north one block then turned west onto Chicago. Two blocks would have them entering Main Street near the small Lebanon Building and Loan Office. Ladow's Market, the Post Office, Community Center and City Hall would be down the block, south of their position.
Ethan pulled a ziplock bag from his pocket. Everything had happened so fast since they'd placed the spell dampening pouches, Ethan had neglected to ask Joshua whether they would know when the spell went off. Now, however, they needed to know how many spells were on the road and sidewalks. Holding the bag of spell dust out to Onida, he raised his eyebrows. Did she want to do the honors?
Onida gave a silent snort and rolled her eyes. Ignoring the detection spell sand Joshua had made, she simply pooled her energy, letting golden light flow down her arms into her hands. Then, she threw the light down Willow toward the north. As they watched, the lights drifted across the road onto an expanse of empty grass, past a few trees, all the while spreading into a wide arc. A few lines glowed and suddenly it appeared as though the energy had hit a wall and splatted. Then the glow mellowed slightly and went through the wall, fading and eventually disappearing on the other side.
Ethan frowned. Looking to Onida, he twirled his finger and pointed.
Nodding, Onida threw out more energy, this time west toward Maple Street. The energy soused and morphed over the terrain, revealing several spell lines and traps.
Elijah eyed the road. After a second, he murmured, "A bit more open than I thought."
Ethan gave him a sardonic look, which had Elijah shrugging with a smile.
Turning to Onida, Ethan pointed south, to where 145 Road intersected with Willow. Boom? he mouthed. They could use the misdirect as they crossed through the sparse residential area into town. Smiling, she focused on sending a massive energy spike across the field to the cross section of Elm and Willow. It would register as a massive animal to anyone paying attention, and she had no doubt someone was paying attention. She hoped it would divert the townspeople away from them, at least initially. Turning north, avoiding the street and sidewalk, they ghosted by the scanty little homes.
They'd just passed through a front yard when Ethan abruptly froze and looked south toward Kansas. Dark figures could be seen in the distance, moving fast toward where Onida had sent her energy blast. They didn't have long before they were discovered. He held his blocks strongly in place, not thinking of even an iota of their plan; just moving on instinct. Thus, when the wave of repelling energy rolled their way with all the force of a tsunami, his sixth sense made him react. Twirling Onida behind a pine tree, he grabbed at his brother as he dropped, which was made easier as Elijah was already halfway to the ground. They both landed with a grunt and hung on for dear life as harsh wind tore past over their heads, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
Elijah eyed his brother, then glanced up to check on Onida.
Grinning down at the pair in the dirt, Onida declared, "I believe they know we're here."
"Ya think?" Ethan snorted, climbing to his feet. "Well, Eli?"
"Why don't we kick some townie ass?"
"Is that professor speak?" Onida asked humorously.
"Its hunter speak," Ethan stated.
Stepping off the sidewalk, they abandoned stealth ran past trees and through back yards between Willow and Chicago. Just before they stepped away from the last homes onto the sidewalk near Chicago, Onida suddenly help up a hand. Reaching out, she touched a protection line. It felt like a solid wall and zapped at her hand. "Ouch!" she exclaimed softly.
"Can we get through?" Ethan asked, keeping a watchful eye on the south. Though were now hidden in the residential homes, they couldn't underestimate the coven under Piruz's control.
"Maybe…" Onida gathered her energy, pooling it into her core until it was a hot, red ball. She pulled the energy into her hands, two scalding balls of kinetic power, and hurled them at the protection line.
The energy slammed into the line and spread like molten fire along the wall. Suddenly there was a loud snap, and the wall disappeared, leaving the flaming energy to hover in the air a moment before it dwindled away.
"Nice one," Elijah said.
"This watcher person will know right where we are," Onida warned.
At the same time, Ethan hissed, "We got incoming," as he watched several people racing in their direction. Pulling the ziplock bag from his pocket, he blew out dust into the street. Lines lit up like a checkerboard. Plotting a pathway, he said, "Let's move."
Dodging the lines, the three ran through a front yard and set off across Willow Street heading toward Chicago. However, Ethan had only just stepped past a picket fence onto the west sidewalk when he suddenly stumbled and went down.
"Ethan!" Elijah shouted, rushing over.
"Stop!" Ethan huffed, his voice strained. "Can't … move."
Onida was already pulling energy into her hands when a sudden flash of translucent light washed across the small Midwest town like a wave. Abruptly Ethan shoved himself onto his side and crawled laboriously to his feet.
Elijah rushed forward, only to be forcibly thrust into a slower cadence. He felt like he was wading through rushing water. "What … the hell?"
Onida threw energy about six feet to the left of where the twins were standing, and in a flash, both men were able to move with ease. Quickly they reached out for Onida and began running again. As they did so, Elijah asked, "What happened? How did you get up?"
"I believe our spell dampeners just went off," Ethan said with a grin. He would have to tell Joshua about that little light show. "I was pinned tighter than a roped bull in a rodeo. Then suddenly I could move. It was tough, but I could move."
"Between Joshua and Onida, we're a hard team to beat," Elijah remarked as seven men rounded the corner of a ramshackle building just ahead of them, blocking their path.
"Guess a straight shot was too much to ask for," Onida said.
"Then let's clear a path," Ethan stated, and pulled a spell pouch from his back, reared back and hurled it into the crowd. "Let's see what you got," he muttered.
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The old woman's hands moved sporadically over her bowl, her distress obvious. This couldn't be happening. They had been so very careful in laying the protection lines, and they were very good at their job. The coven had been intact for over a century: a century of protecting people. Now their methods were failing. No, she frowned as her hands moved over the liquid potion surface. Not failing exactly; being subverted. A commotion at the door had her looking up.
The old man from the room next door was standing there, panicked. "What is happening?"
A soft swish sounded, and the young woman appeared at the man's shoulder.
"Our protection lines have degraded," the older woman snapped, still frowning at her bowl.
"I saw that," the man exclaimed, stepping more fully into the room. "Why?"
"I don't know," the woman exclaimed, anxiety and irritation at the situation evident in her voice. "When did yours collapse?"
"Around six minutes after nine o'clock."
"Mine at the same time." Eyeing the older woman, the young woman asked tentatively, "Should we call…" Quickly her eyes dropped beneath the quelling gaze of the older woman.
"No," the other woman snapped. Reaching into a cup to her right, she put a pinch of powder into the bowl and continued her work. "The Old One has deemed him unworthy."
"We never thought that before," the young woman argued, a stubborn set to her jaw.
"Silence," the older woman hissed, sending a glare in her direction.
"What should we do?" the man asked.
The older woman frowned, staring down into her bowl. The Old One had set the other two to monitor the town, and she was to monitor the whole. He had ordered them all to work in separate rooms, his explanation being that each would be able to concentrate better without the others as distraction. She was about to countermand that order. "Bring your equipment in here."
The younger woman and older man exchanged looked. "You're sure?" the man asked.
"Yes. We will need the power of all three to reinstate our protections."
"How do you plan on doing that?" the man asked boldly. "We do not have the luxury of going out and laying the lines once again."
"If need be, we will use the ley lines to energize the protection spells."
The man and younger woman blinked, their eyes wide. To invoke the power of nature was not amongst any of their skills.
Finally, the younger woman stated the obvious. "None of us is a nature-worker."
"The Old One demanded the protections lines to keep out the others," the older woman snapped. "Bring your things here now, and we will restore what has been dismantled." When neither of the others moved, she shouted, "Now!" As the two raced from the room, the old woman sagged. Her bravado could only take her so far. Murmuring under her breath, she held her hands over the bowl in an attempt to discover the exact reason their lines had gone down. Thinking back to the two men who had come through Lebanon that afternoon, she retraced their path, feeling the way for anything of magic. And that's when she found it; spell dampeners.
The magic was magnificent in its construct and intricacy: a spell within a dormant, delayed spell. The ingredients would have looked benign and supine until the appointed time. Now that the spell had been released, she could trace the original spells back to their focal points. There, she could use the help of the others to quell the foreign spell and allow the original spells to flourish once more. But would there be time? The intruders were already within the town. Would they know where the Old One was working? She had to surmise that they did. However, her job was to protect the town and keep the fighters within its borders either occupied or dead.
Dead.
The word jarred her brain like a square peg attempting to fit into a round hole. Blinking once, long and slow, the word went through her head again: dead. What was dead? It was something bad, but she couldn't fully remember. Her eyes went back down to bowl and she watched the patterns in the potion. Just then the older man and young woman hurried back into the room, jostling their bowls and potions bags, and the moment was lost.
Pointing to two spots on the floor for the others to set up, she said, "Do exactly as I say, and we can rebuild the protections lines and save the town."
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Nine-Ten
A half mile from the parking area for the Center of the Forty-Eight States Park, Dean pulled the Impala to the side of the road. "Team One is already in," he noted, glancing over at Caleb. The older man was staring out the front windows as though he could see what was happening, and Dean knew he was psychically tracking the activity in town.
"Everyone's all right so far," Caleb said.
Dean knew Caleb was worried for Onida, but his concern was for Ethan and Elijah's welfare as well.
Caleb pulled his eyes off the dark horizon and gave Dean a sly grin. "Onida sent this massive energy bull into the town about two blocks south of where they entered Lebanon. That caused a bit of confusion."
Sam's brow rose. "A bit?"
"A lot. But the townspeople righted themselves pretty quickly." Caleb shifted around in his seat so he could see Joshua. "Earlier, Elijah said that dude in the diner talked about there being a watcher. Someone is definitely leading this charge; the townspeople adapted way to fast for it to have been natural."
"That someone is probably working a revelation spell," Joshua observed, scooting from the middle of the backseat toward the door now that Ryker had gotten out. When he was finally standing, he stretched hard in relief. It was good to be out of the cramped quarters. "Revelation spells are good, but nowhere near as good as a psychic."
"Thank you," Caleb remarked, sliding out of the front seat. Though Joshua had given them new and improved protection pouches, his blocks were up and titanium strong. Of course, Piruz already knew they were coming. Team One's infiltration into Lebanon was their salvo across the bow. Piruz's backups were being taken off the chess board.
Dean glanced down at his watch. "Four minutes and JT, Max and James should be going in."
Ryker glanced reflexively off to the left, wishing he was with his team. A hand on his shoulder had him turning to look into the understanding eyes of the Guardian.
"They're going to be fine," Dean said.
"Yeah, they are," Ryker agreed. "I'd just like to be with them."
"That won't always be possible," Joshua said. "There will be times when the Advisor must work elsewhere for the benefit of his Triad." Giving the younger man a quick pat on the back, he continued, "Today is a good example of that."
Sam walked forward, a large backpack hanging from his shoulders. It was filled with the herbs and spell bags Joshua had made for sending the Tree back to Eden. He, Dean and Ryker had agreed they were taking most of Joshua's materials to save the older man the weight of carrying them to the park. Caleb handled their slings, already loaded down with spell pouches. "We need to get going. We've got about twelve minutes before we go in."
Caleb slung a heavy backpack over his shoulders, then leaned down and hefted a large duffel. "Let's head out, double time."
They started jogging quietly through the underbrush, angling toward the park. When they got within a hundred yards of the grassland, they slowed. Joshua glanced over at Dean and nodded. He took the backpack from Sam, Ryker took more equipment from Caleb, and the pair of them continued on toward the park.
Caleb frowned, looking to Dean, his brows raised in question.
Dean had been thinking all afternoon about how he, Sam and Caleb would be able to protect themselves in the battle against Piruz. The park was wide open, with only the occasional trash can for cover. Against a wizard of Piruz's power, they needed something to protect themselves against his attacks. A solution had come to him while talking with Pastor Jim in his dream Eden. If Eden wanted the Tree back and was helping them - as much as a Garden could, that is - then maybe his idea would work just this once. After all, he used water to make the Brotherhood rings, and those stayed solid. In theory, this should work as well. Deciding to take the chance, he pulled a canteen from his sling.
Pouring water into his hand, Dean focused on transforming the substance. If he could do a sword last year, he could do this. Within seconds he was holding a large, silver shield twenty-seven inches tall and seventeen inches wide. It curved in slightly at the sides to protect the holder, and had a cross on the front like a Knights Templar shield. Turning to Caleb, who was staring at the shield like a kid in a candy store, he handed it over. Quickly he repeated the process. This time the silver shield was thirty inches tall and nineteen inches wide. Sam was, after all, taller than either of them. Turning, he handed the shield to Sam.
Sam had been staring at Caleb's shield in awe, and now his eyes moistened. Smiling, he nodded to his brother. He had a load of questions about how this was possible, but right now it didn't matter. He took his sling from Caleb and slung it over his body.
Caleb handed Dean his own sling, packed with spell bags.
Watch your backs.
Dean nodded. Sam raised a hand and gave Caleb a two-fingered salute, then he jogged off toward the eastern edge of the park and the Midway Co-Op gas station. Dean eyed Caleb a moment, then turned and followed Sam, leaving the older man standing alone in the darkness. Caleb watched as both figures disappeared into the shadows, then leaned down and picked up the last of the equipment Ryker and Joshua would need. Quietly he headed directly in toward the park.
A minute later he stepped into a very tiny clearing where Ryker and Joshua were sorting their supplies a few feet in front of a weathered picnic table. Piles of spell bags, a bowl, and the four large spell pouches Dean had filled with seeds that afternoon were lined up on the leaf-strewn ground. Joshua looked up, spotted Caleb and nodded. Ryker turned around, then froze as his eyes lit upon the large, shiny silver shield. After a moment he grinned, took some of the bags from the Knight's arms and started going through them. Caleb had just set down his load when they heard an explosion off to their left. With no expression of surprise or shock, three heads turned to the northern end of town where JT, James and Max had just entered Lebanon with extreme prejudice.
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Standing outside a massive circle surrounding a huge tree, Piruz knew Merlin's warriors were attacking. They were on the eastern side of the town, trying to divert his attention away from performing the rituals needed to lose the Chaos Spell. How very predictable. Instead of approaching him in a frontal engagement, they were attempting to draw him away. But he was more than prepared. The townspeople would be his guard. Enslaving those who lived here had been child's play. They were unhappy and open to manipulation. Why would they choose to live in such dismal surroundings when there were so many more delectable choices nearby?
A woman walked over, her hair and face covered in a thin veil. Head down, she held a large porcelain bowl out before her. A thin piece of woven cloth lay draped over the sides, and rose petals floated across the watery surface.
"Bonum," (Good) Piruz said. His eyes went to the double row of seven kneeling women, all clothed in white, their heads bowed, and all he felt was irony. This coven chose to protect others; they would now protect him. Robe sleeves pushed up his arms and began the ceremonial cleansing. Dipping his hands into the bowl, he carefully washed his body; arms up to his robes, his neck and face. He then cupped some water and dribbled it over his head. When he finished, a second shrouded and veiled woman rose to her feet and hurried over with a pristine, neatly folded white towel lying atop her open palms. Piruz took the towel and dabbed at his face and head. When he handed it back, he murmured, "Relinquam," (leave) making a go away gesture. Both women hurried away.
Finally, he turned to the Tree to survey his handiwork.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil stood in the middle of a massive forty foot circle. The size was needed to encompass the entire tree; trunk, branches, leaves and fruit. On each of the cardinal sides of the Tree, a large bubble was crafted into the circle. Inside each of these five-foot wide bubbles stood a man clothed in a white robe. Hands clasped before them, their hood-covered heads were bowed so that nothing could be seen of their faces. These men were the anchor points of the binding circle. Their living presences kept the Tree from breaking through the static bond that held it in place. Numerous years of trial and work had finally lead to this discovery, that only a living component to his spell would let the Tree grow to its fullest height while keeping it contained. The Tree did not want to remain in this realm; its very being did not want to be contained by another.
Piruz stood and looked up at the Tree. "'ant mulzim alan , shajarat." (You are bound now, Tree.)
One of the men inside the bubbles wobbled slightly, and Piruz hurried forward, anger coursing through him. He would not allow it. These sentinels had profited from plenty of rest. They would stand and do their duty.
Stepping before the one who had teetered, Piruz waved a hand to close the inner circle of the binding circle. Once the circle was sealed, he then opened a small hole in the bubble circle and blew in some spell dust. "Stare recta!" he barked. (Stand straight!)
The man screamed and hunched in against the pain, his hands clutched together to keep from scraping at his cloak. This would only anger the wizard further, and he did not want to endure further pain.
"Officio nec corpus portabit iniquitatem vestram," Piruz warned as he stepped back and closed the small window in his binding spell. (Do your duty or suffer the consequences.)
When the cloaked figure finally straightened and, after a brief wobble, stood completely still, Piruz pulled back the inner circle again, allowing this bubble to rejoin the spell once more. Turning, he hurried to his bags and pulled out a large scroll. Placing it on the grass, he pulled three large sacks heavy with potions from his leather case.
Just then a massive explosion rocked the northern edge of Lebanon. Scrambling to his feet, Piruz stared at the fire and dust shooting up through the air. More Warriors, he thought. Merlin's Chosen had friends this time. But they would not divert him; he had waited for far too long. Tonight, Chaos would reign. Quickly he bent back down and continued arranging the items he would need to finish his spell.
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Phase Two - Nine-Fifteen Entry
"I think they heard that one," Max stated with a grin.
"An exploding spell pouch?" James stated, eyes watering with the arid stench of the spell ingredients. "Ya think?"
"Might as well make a statement," JT said. Grabbing a spell bag from the defensive side of his bag, he lobbed it at a woman and two men running in their direction. The spell hit the ground and a white mist rose quickly and encompassed the three. Only the woman came through as though the spell was merely a patch of fog.
"She's protected," Max called, tossing another spell bag. This one hit the ground a mere eight inches in front of the woman, stopping her in her tracks. Choking, she lobbed a spell bag in the air at them before she fell.
James lifted the small canister with a metal neck dangling from a strap across his body, hit the lever and a tongue of flame jutted out and licked up the spell pouch before it could get near them. Grinning, he said, "And you didn't want me to bring this."
Max ducked behind a car, saying, "I believe it was Ryker who said it was impractical to carry that into the town."
"He said that without the tank, I wouldn't be able to use it for too long before the canister was empty," James corrected, running across the street and joining Max behind the car.
"Exactly," Max said, lobbing another spell bag over the car, where it hit a man in the chest, taking down two. "Impractical. You'll only get maybe another three licks out of it before its empty."
"Then I'll use them well."
JT threw another spell bag, but it bounced off the three men running their way. "These are protected!" Rising as he lifted a lightweight gun and pulled the trigger twice in quick succession. The two men fell to the ground; one with a tranquilizer dart in his neck, the other with one sticking out of this chest. "We won't be able to avoid using weapons for long," he said, as another dart flew from his gun and hit a woman in the chest.
James threw two more spell bags. A woman and a young man fell, but more townspeople continued to come.
Suddenly Max darted out from behind the car and threw himself full-tilt at three men who had guns. His action was so abrupt, the men had no chance to raise the weapons they carried, to aim or fire. All went down and Max punched two of them in the face, knocking them out. The third, however, had time to react, and the pair tackled one another as they rolled across the asphalt. Two additional men ran toward the struggling twosome, prompting JT to rush them, knocking them aside. He grabbed Max by the collar and dragged him over to an old-fashioned phone booth.
"Really?" JT barked. "You thought running out and physically tackling them was a good idea?" He leaned out from around the booth and threw another two spell pouches.
"I didn't want to get shot," Max remarked, throwing another spell pouch out into the crowd. "They were getting ready to aim their guns. I didn't want to give them the chance." The spell bag hit what looked like an invisible wall and exploded. "Damn." Pulling his gun, he shot over the on-comer's heads, causing them to scatter.
JT looked around to where James was still crouched behind the car. To Max, he said, "Take the alley, get around behind them. I'll keep their attention focused here."
Nodding, Max turned and darted down the alley behind them, leaving JT behind. He understood that getting behind the townspeople was smart, but he didn't like leaving his Guardian and Scholar. Running down a dirt alley behind a small house, he rounded a corner near an abandoned gas station and hit what felt like a live wire. His body seized and he was slammed against the wall of a building. Eyes closed, he gritted his teeth and forced his legs to move forward. It was difficult, but eventually he pushed his way through what he realized was a protection line. Stumbling slightly, he grabbed the spell sand his father had made and blew some into the air. A few lines lit up along the alley. Quickly he plotted a path through the lines and forced his aching body to start jogging again. As he moved, he realized his father's spell dampeners must have made it possible for him to get through the spell. "Thanks, Dad," he murmured, knowing that if it hadn't been for Ethan's idea and his father's skill, he would have been pinned to the building like a bug back there. Upon reaching the corner, he blew spell sand out into the air again and marked his path. Feeling in definite need of some payback, he rounded the corner of Joe's Service Station and backtracked to his team.
.
With Max gone, JT crouched down as James sent another tongue of flame out into the night. People scattered, and a few screams punctuated the air.
JT saw a group of ten or twelve people heading toward James. Grabbing a handful of spell pouches, he stepped away from the phone booth and lobbed two directly into the center of the group, one to the left side and two to the right. The spell pouches burst into reddish mist that surrounded the five people nearest the detonation, and they began to scream. Others ran, their attention divided now between him and his brother. Over the din JT heard someone murmuring what sounded like an incantation. Sighting on the spell caster, he rapidly sent a dart in their direction. It hit the man in the neck, causing him to collapse. At the same time, a spell pouch flew at him. He tried to dive away, but the spell caught his left arm. Grunting in pain, he stumbled and nearly fell as fire licked up his arm toward his shoulder. Quickly he rummaged in the corner of his sling and grabbed a bottle Adam had given each of them. Popping the cork with a shaking hand, he shook out a few drops of the liquid onto his arm. Almost immediately the pain dulled and the fire stopped. Though still painful, Adam's healing potion had stopped the course of the spell. He recorked the bottle and slipped it back into his sling. When he looked up, he could see James' white face staring in his direction. The younger man tossed a potion haphazardly over his head, not bothering to see where it landed or who it struck. A scream followed, but his gaze remained on his brother. JT nodded and gave the thumbs up. Sighing, James nodded.
JT peered around the corner of the phone booth. There were a few people on the ground, and a cluster of men and women near a large pickup truck. Four men were jogging toward him, using the cars on the street as cover. A potion bag coming from where James crouched hit one of the men. However, something caused the spell pouch to break before it reached the body's of the other three, and they came on. Once again, they were protected. Grimacing, JT did the only thing he could: he lifted his gun and shot the man in the frontal position in the leg.
Screaming, the man went down. The other two drug him back behind a car. Once their comrade was secure, they continued forward. Now the men and women who had been clustered near the truck started moving in James' direction. Where was Max? JT hoped he hadn't been caught up in a spell line. Peering around the booth again, he aimed and shot one of the two remaining men in the shoulder, but missed the other as he ducked closer to the car. Pulling out another spell bag, he leaned over and slung it low to the ground, like dad had taught him to throw rocks across the pond growing up. The pouch sailed beneath the car, but was prevented from striking the man by his protection.
James peeked around the side of the car and saw five people trotting in his direction. Pulling three spell pouches from his sling, he glanced quickly around the car. He hope that the three spell bags combined could do what one could not; overwhelm the protections afforded the townspeople by a coven specializing in protection. A spell bag flew in his direction, but he dodged to the other end of the car as grayish smoke billowed out. In his favor, the wind wafted the mist in the other direction. Rising up, he threw the three bags as hard as JT throwing a fastball. They hit the ground right before the first man. Black, green and blue mist spiraled out of the spell bags. The people fell back, one coughing, some screaming and slapping at any exposed skin. One girl fell to the ground, retching. James grimaced. He hated seeing this happen to these people; they were victims in this too. But sick and in pain was better than dead.
JT's attention was divided between the people James was tackling, and the man currently sidling his way along the cars. Suddenly a staccato of gunfire sounded from behind the townspeople, and JT signed. Max. The man behind the car turned and ran back to his mates. The people previously heading toward James scattered in confusion. At the same time, a massive billow of red smoke and flame arose like a phoenix emerging from the flames at the other end of town. It was quite beautiful, really, as the flames danced higher and higher, until an enormous BOOM rippled through the town, knocking everyone off their feet.
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Phase Three - Nine-Twenty Entry
"That was fantastic!" Joel crowed, sporting a broad grin as he watched the fiery column reaching upward into the air. Scrambling out from around the side of a building, he gave a soft whoop!
It had taken getting past three protection lines before Joel, Daniel and Adam could enter Lebanon. They had muscled their way past two additional spells lines, the trek on foot made much easier by Joshua's spell dampening magic. Then Adam had used his knowledge of spells to get them past a particularly heavy spell patch and to the very edge of town before he had combined the gunpowder from two of Daniel's bullets with three incendiary spells to create the blast that had rocked the town and beyond.
"You wanted an entrance," Daniel stated, stepping out from behind a wall to stand beside his fellow hunter and friend. "Looks like you got one."
Adam smiled, though his attention was diverted by the three figures running at them from the right. Palming an offensive spell pouch, he hurled it in their direction. The spell hit precisely where he'd intended; five feet in front of the charging men. Blackish gray smoke plumed up from the split bag, and the men started to stumble and cough. One went to his knees, retching.
There were very few people at this end of the town, as the incursion on the east and the spell blast at the north had pulled the townspeople in those directions. Since Piruz could only lull around thirty people, there were only a few on the south side.
Joel jogged ahead and checked out the buildings on the left side of the street. Daniel motioned for Adam to stay with the car, and he checked out the homes on the right.
Adam kept an eye on the road ahead, watching the sidewalks and attempting to see if anyone was hiding in the shops up Main. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a plastic bag filled with silver and green dust. Pinching some between his fingers, he murmured an incantation, lifted his hand in the air and blew.
The dust wafted out and down the road where it passed a glowing line one block down, two others crisscrossed about half way down the block. Still, the potion melted through the lines and continued down the street. When it hit a reddish line two blocks further, it appeared to stall for a moment before it dribble across the line, only to slowly dissipate as it floated on.
"Protection lines?"
Adam turned to see Daniel at his shoulder. "Yes."
"How do we get through them?"
"My potion went through the first few lines without hindrance. Though the last line was stronger, the potion still went through."
"The dampening spells," Daniel affirmed, his eyes on the small cluster of men trying to regroup.
Adam nodded. "We should still be able to get through, even if we experience some difficulty."
"Like…?" Daniel asked.
Before Adam could answer Joel jogged up looking somewhat worse for wear.
"Are you all right?" Daniel exclaimed softly.
"Hit a protection line back there," Joel said, his breathing harsh. His face was red and there were burn marks on his arms and neck. "Reckon it would have been worse if not for the spell dampeners."
Daniel pulled out the small bottle Adam had given them before they'd come. Pulling the stopper from the bottle, he dribbled a little across Joel's arms, neck and face.
Nodding, Joel relaxed a bit and murmured, "Thanks."
As he put the bottle back in his sling, Daniel check his watch. "We need to get to the city center."
"I'd say the redline spell was near the Community Center," Adam said. "That's where the fortifications are going to be the strongest." He turned and spotted the men he'd hit with spells earlier had regained their footing and their equilibrium.
"We got incoming," Joel stated, limping quickly to the car for cover. Reaching into his sling, he pulled out two spells bags and threw them toward the on-comers. Daniel and Adam had to rush to the driver's side of the Tourer as the townspeople returned fire, throwing spell bags in their direction.
Daniel reached into the Tourer and snatched up a tee shirt. Whirling it into a sleek tube, he wacked out at the spell bags flying in their direction, sending them sailing several yards away.
Joel started to laugh. "Nice improvisation there, hombre."
"We'd better get going before they decide to throw more than two spell bags. I don't think I could deflect more," Daniel stated. "Joel, you're first in the truck. Adam and I will take point. When we hit Kansas Avenue, Adam takes the SUV, goes left and heads for the park."
"And we head into downtown to meet up with the others," Joel stated.
Daniel nodded as Adam leaned around the front of the Tourer, murmured a short incantation and threw three spell bags at the oncoming group. The people scattered as the bags hit. Two lost the ability to stand upright and fell to the ground while the third and fourth escaped the impact of the spell by diving to the side behind a trash receptacle.
Joel quickly pulled himself behind the wheel of the Tourer and turned the key.
Daniel eyed a small group of people running down the main street of Lebanon. They were passing through the protection lines without any trouble, and he knew they were protected by coven magic. Pulling three spell pouches from his sling, he judged the distance and thought he might be able to give them something to think about. "I've got a sweet curve ball throw."
Adam's lips quirked. "I'd like to see that."
"Will these go through the protection lines?"
"I'd wait till they pass the first two lines, then throw."
The engine behind them revved. Daniel stepped to the front right of the Tourer while Adam jumped up on the running board of the passenger's front side, leaning into the open door. Moving slowly, Joel started driving down the street. When two men threw spell pouches at the Tourer, Adam threw dust into the air to counter the spells while Joel veered left.
As they moved down Main Street, Daniel waited until the group coming in their direction stopped a block away. Blinking, he frowned and moved to throw the spell bags when three men attacked them from the side.
Daniel was slammed to the ground right in the pathway of the Tourer. Luckily, Joel hadn't been driving more than ten miles per hour, and he quickly slammed on the breaks and jumped from the vehicle. Adam was sandwiched between the door and the car frame. Grunting, he shoved against the vehicle with all his might and slammed the door away from him, knocking the man shoving it to the ground. Promptly he jumped to the pavement and kicked the man in the head, knocking him out.
Joel rounded the front of the car and grabbed at the collar of the man on top of Daniel. Dragging him to the side, he slammed his fist in the man's face. The man, however, appeared to have been trained in combat, for he rocked backward but came on, using his momentum to throw a punch at Joel. It connected and Joel stumbled back into the car. Bleeding copiously from his nose, his right eye swelling, Daniel scrambled off the ground and launched himself at the man's legs, taking him to the ground. Joel reached into his sling and pulled out a spell bag, but was tackled by a second man before he could shove it in the face of the man Daniel had pinned.
Adam faced off against a man who fell into a common Judo stance. Keeping the smirk off his face, he copied the stance. As one proficient in Ninjutsu, a form of Japanese martial arts used by fighters most widely known as ninjas, he wasn't about to tip his hand to his opponent just yet. He could hear Daniel and Joel wresting with the other two men behind him. Movement in his peripheral vision showed the four they'd taken down a few minutes prior were getting shakily to their feet. Before he could do more than register that fact, his opponent came at him, arms raised in a classic judo move. Quickly Adam sidestepped the man and delivered a blow to the back of his neck, then flipped the man onto the ground, immobilizing his arm and delivering an elbow blow to the side of his head, knocking him out.
Daniel slammed his opponent's face into the ground and shoved a spell bag into his face. The man collapsed, laying still. Shoving himself up, he quickly checked in on Joel, who was dodging a clenched fist. Suddenly a stranger darted out from the west side of the street and shoved a bag into the face of the man Joel was fighting, and he went down.
Stumbling backward in shock, Joel took up a defensive stance and eyed the man warily.
"Thank … you for … helping us," the man panted. Leaning forward slightly, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath obviously spent from having run some distance.
Cautiously, Joel relaxed his position and stepped forward. "You are?"
"Keith Drummond," the man said, finally standing up straight. "From Oberlin. It's my coven the wizard kidnapped."
After checking on Adam, Daniel stumbled over and leaned into the Tourer for support.
Joel gave him the once over, asking, "You all right?"
"Been better," Daniel grunted.
"Let me help," Keith said, stepping forward.
"Whoa," Daniel warned, raising a cautioning hand. "Who're you?"
"Excuse me, gentlemen," Adam said, stepping around the front of the Tourer. "The men to our rear are getting to their feet … somewhat, and heading in this direction."
Joel grinned, he couldn't help it. "Somewhat?" he asked, taking a quick look behind them. The four townspeople they had taken out a minutes before were recovering slowly, a couple lurching drunkenly up the street in their direction. "Okay, I get that," he said. "Daniel, let him help. He's from the coven."
"How did he escape?"
"Our coven leader has been trying to get us free for weeks," Keith stated quickly, injecting himself into the conversation. "He was able to overcome the wizard's spell on a few of us. He then gave us this…" pulling aside his collar to reveal an intricately woven medallion of silver, iron and copper attached to a thin, silver chain. Eyeing the two men, he said, "I'm here to help."
"He knocked out the guy attacking me," Joel added.
Keith reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle. As he started to twist the top off, Daniel took a defensive step back.
"Wait!" Daniel pulled his own bottle from his sling. He wasn't ready to trust anything this man had, potion-wise, just yet. He would put his faith in Adam. "I've got this."
Keith took the bottle, pulled the stopper and quickly sniffed. Eyes widening, he murmured, "Excellent." Rapidly he dropped some of the potion onto Daniel's bruises and cuts before restoppering the bottle and handing it back.
Adam stepped forward and felt along Daniel's arm, flexing the elbow. "It's not broken, though I imagine it feels like crap."
"I'll be fine," Daniel muttered, his eyes focused down the darkened road they'd just traversed. "Let's get this show on the road."
"You need to get to the park soon," Joel stated. He glanced at the luminous dial on his watch, "twenty-five minutes and counting."
"The park?" Keith echoed, his eyes wide. "That's where…"
"Yes," Adam said softly. "We know."
Joel eyed Keith and asked bluntly, "Do you want to come with us or stay here?"
Keith straightened his shoulders and said, "I'm coming."
"It's going to be a fight," Joel warned.
"My coven, we protect people," Keith interrupted. "It's our calling. And now my people, this town's people, are either under a spell or their loved ones are being threatened and held hostage. I want…" he broke off, shaking his head slightly, "no, I need to help."
Daniel nodded. "Then let's get going." He could see three people running in their direction.
Joel and Adam started pulling the unconscious men out from under the wheels of the Tourer.
"Adam," Joel said, pulling his sling from the front seat of the vehicle. "You've got the van. Get in and get going. When we hit Kansas Street, you go left and head to the park. We'll continue straight into downtown."
"Elijah said someone talked about a Watcher," Daniel said. "They'll be protected."
"The Watchers are at the Community Center," Keith said.
"Watchers, plural?" Daniel clarified, his brows raised in question.
Keith nodded. "There are three."
"The whole team will be heading there too," Joel stated. "Let's not be the last ones on the scene."
.
Sam felt the concussive power of the explosion as he hovered in the shadows near the park. A moment later he felt the overpressure from the blast rush around him, almost knocking him down. Turning, he saw the reddish golden flames rising over the Midway Co-Op Station walls from the southern edge of town. Adam, he thought. Smiling slightly, he turned and looked through the shrubs and bushes into the park. The Tree was magnificent. Even through the darkness and from this distance, he could see the rich green of the leaves and burnished brown of the trunk. But it was the fruit that caught his eyes. Egg shaped points of luminescence were scattered among the leaves and branches. Though he figured the fruit wouldn't glow during the daylight hours, the faint incandescence in the dark of night was alluring. He couldn't tell their exact color, but a faint rubiness in the glow told him they were probably red.
He could see four robed figures standing around the Tree, and wondered the reason for their presence. The spell line glowed around the trunk, indicating a containment or binding spell of some kind. Why would there need to be people as well? Was Piruz somehow using humans as a battery for the spell line? There were another eight people kneeling several feet from the circle. From their figures and body language Sam could tell they were women, though he didn't want to reach out psychically for confirmation. Such an action might give away his position. Yes, Piruz already knew they were there. He would be hard pressed not to, with the explosions. But Sam didn't plan on pointing himself out.
Sidling slightly to avoid the dwindling light of Adam's fireball, he glanced down at his watch. One minute, then Joshua would throw magic into the park and Caleb would race in from the north, and he would come in from the east. Caleb had suggested Dean delay his own entrance for a further two or three minutes. He and Sam were certain Piruz thought Dean was still trapped in Eden, and he wanted to use the surprise that Dean had escaped to their advantage.
Sam's gaze went to the northern edge of the park. Any second now…
.
Cadmael climbed gingerly to his feet. The explosion had almost knocked him out of his shoes. Turning, he stared in the direction of the town's southern entrance and couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. Eruptions of spells had risen all around Lebanon, signaling that help had come at last. Touching the wall of the Co-Op Filling Station to steady himself, he continued in the direction of the park. That was where the wizard would be working, that was where he needed to be stopped. Suddenly, he froze. Just up ahead he saw a man standing in the shadows watching the park. When the man abruptly jerked around and stared in his direction, Cadmael shielded his mind. The man had sensed his presence, thus confirming there were psychics among these rescuers. Eventually the man turned back around to face the park, and Cadmael relaxed.
Dropping to his knees, he drew a protection circle around himself and pulled a small packet from his pocket. Quickly he emptied a couple of powders into a small, wooden bowl. Murmuring softly, he added a bit of water, then touched the surface of the mixture with a small, narrow wand. A misty light drifted up from the bowl and hovered in midair. Eyes darting back and forth, he slowly smiled. In addition to the man directly in front of him, he detected three other men at the northern end of the park. He was just about to douse the spell when he spotted another figure moving quickly along the southern end. His body slumped slightly as the tension of the last month or so was released under the knowledge that he had sufficient help for the task. He didn't know who they were, but he was more grateful than he could say. In his heart he knew that very soon, his people would be free once more.
Gently he touched the side of the bowl and the mist lowered and curled back within the wooden depths. Another few words and the misty smoke disappeared. Carefully he placed the things back inside his pocket and rose, breaking the circle. For almost a minute he stared out into the park, debating his next move. There'd been a sense of power and magic from those surrounding the park. Nodding to himself, he turned and started jogging back to town. He was needed elsewhere.
.
Ethan, Elijah and Onida headed up Chicago, cautiously approaching a small, unnamed rural back alley just behind the Building and Loan Office as they neared Main. Ethan stared behind them, checking for anyone approaching. It hadn't taken as long as he'd expected to dispatch their aggressors, and that worried him. They stopped near a cluster of mangy trees alongside a small deserted home.
"You think we just had the duds?" Elijah asked, his eyes focused down the street they'd just traversed. He was uncomfortable with how quickly they'd dispatched their opponents as well.
"Guess it's possible," Ethan mused. But he'd been expecting a much more aggressive fight from their attackers.
"Couldn't it just be because they weren't trained and you were?" Onida suggested quietly.
"Unlikely." Ethan also looked behind them. "They should have fought a lot harder because they're under a spell."
"Maybe the other incursions shook them up," Elijah offered weakly, sounding like even he didn't believe that.
Onida gave a small nod. "The explosion in the south was pretty impressive."
"Something's off," Ethan declared.
Elijah nodded. Pointing, he said, "I'm going to check down the alley." He blew some spell dust into the air. After a moment, he quickly disappeared through the trees into the darkness.
Ethan looked to Onida. "Can you feel anyone coming?"
Onida's eyes widened. "I'm not psychic."
"Auras," Ethan clarified. "See if you can feel auras other than our own."
Onida nearly kicked herself. Of course Ethan meant auras. This was the first really big hunt she'd been on since taking on the Tah-tah-kle'-ah in Washington, and that had been during the full light of day. This skulking around in the dark, fighting townspeople under a spell and going against a wizard of extreme skill was unnerving. Leaning back against a tree, she closed her eyes and focused on human energy in their area. Immediately she found six people coming in their direction from across the street. Eyes popping open, Onida hissed, "Call back Elijah! Six incoming…" she pointed to the figures coming into focus across the street, "there!"
"Eli!" Ethan called out, not bothering to keep his voice down. These people already knew they were here anyway.
Elijah came running back just as the small mob hit the street. "Oh, this looks exciting." Pulling two pouches from his sling, he hurled them into the center of the cluster. The spell bags hit a block and dropped, spilling their fumes out into the night. "Damn it."
Ethan grabbed Onida and pulled. "Head for Main!" Retreating would only give him an extra minute to think, but he would take it.
Ethan, Onida and Elijah turned and began running full out toward Main Street, hoping for more cover than a tree; hoping JT, James and Max were nearby.
.
Joshua knelt just inside the edge of the park, the willowy trees and paltry bushes offering scant cover. Darkness was their only true friend tonight, as no moon rose in the sky. His hands were almost a blur as he worked to prepare several spells. The spell for the Tree had already been completed and the spell bags were ready to use when the time came. Now he was working on spells to take on Piruz. Quickly he drew three Triad symbols and began placing ingredients by each one.
When he, Dean, Caleb and Sam had conferred about this battle, they all agreed that Triad power would be their best weapon.
"The spell pouches are powerful," Dean had said, "but it's Triad magic that'll take this guy down. That means you're our ace-in-the-hole."
"Caleb had a knife to his throat," Joshua pointed out.
"I got lucky," Caleb said.
"No," Dean countered. "You're damn good. But you got close enough to take him out, and that's going to make him less arrogant this time around."
"He's not going to let any of us get close," Sam concurred.
"We overwhelm him with our individual skills," Caleb said, "then Joshua lets loose Triad power."
"He knows about Joshua from the hotel," Sam reminded them.
"But he doesn't know what Triad power can do," Dean stated. "The Brotherhood Triad has had centuries of knowledge to build on, just like this guy. We can take him."
Thus Joshua was preparing the most powerful spells he knew using Triad magic. None of them were straight forward; all were built on the wealth of knowledge from the past Triads and tailored to the unique skills and talents of this one. Each spell was one Joshua had used before, though this would be the first time he would use them together in one battle. But he was prepared to make that happen. Piruz needed to be stopped, and he had every confidence his Triad was the one to do it. He only prayed he had strength enough for the task.
Ryker studied his every move, not speaking, not asking any questions lest he divert Joshua's attention. Instead, he watched his mentor with an eagle eye, taking in every action made. This was magic he rarely experienced and had never used, and he wanted to remember each and every move.
Standing near the edge of the park, Caleb watched Piruz gather his supplies. None of them had spoken since leaving the car minutes before, not wanting to alert the wizard to their presence. The incursions into Lebanon were a diversion, a good one. The explosions and commotion would split the wizard's concentration. But Caleb knew Piruz planned on meeting them here in the park; he would expect nothing less from Merlin's Warriors. Caleb had no intention of disappointing him.
Sam would be in position already. Dean was either already at the southern end, or nearly there. While a good size park for a Midwest town, it wasn't large enough to pose an issue to get around for the Guardian.
He glanced down at this watch. One more minute.
.
Piruz whirled around and stared toward the southern end of the town, anger and rage burning inside. A third incursion into this small hamlet. Merlin's Warriors had more help than he'd anticipated. When, through the centuries, had others aided Merlin's Chosen in their quest? Yet there was no doubt this generation was utilizing others in their battle. These Chosen would assuredly be a disappointment to Merlin had the mage been alive now. They could not confront him without bringing resources. Snorting softly to himself, he grabbed his bag and pulled out the last of his ingredients. Turning to the women kneeling nearby, he barked, "Convenite huc!" (Come here.)
The women rose as one and hurried to his side. Approaching the bubble in the circle nearest him, Piruz murmured an incantation, closing the inner side of the circle. Then with a raised hand, he made an opening in the bubble, grabbed one of the women and shoved her, screaming, inside.
Two of the other women turned to run while one fell to the ground in terror. Piruz raised a hand and flicked his fingers, commanding, "Maneat ligant," (Bind and stay.) and the fleeing two froze where they stood. Turning, Piruz started for the southern side of his binding circle around the Tree, ordering, "Veni." The three remaining women turned and followed with trembling lips, and tears watering their cheeks.
Moving rapidly around the circle, Piruz deposited one women in each of the bubbles beside the hooded men. More bursts of spells sounded in the distant, but Piruz kept his mind on his work. Once it was completed, Merlin's Warriors would be unable to stop the chaos that followed.
Kneeling, Piruz closed his eyes and centered himself. Moving quickly, he passed his hand over the solid golden bowl and began to speak. Without looking, he reached for the bottle furthest on his left and added the pre-measured ingredients to his bowl. Speaking the entire time, he opened readied vials and small containers, his magic stirring and mixing the potion. As the ingredients heated, gold from the bowl would peel from the sides of the container and mix with the potion, intensifying the spell. He could sense commotion in the town, and knew the protection spells had been diminished. Foolish woman, he thought idly. He should never have put her in charge of maintaining the lines. He could feel her potion from here, and knew she was attempting to restore the lines. It did not matter. He would finish by the time she succeeded, and those opposed to the new hierarchy would bow to his rule or be put to death. Their choice.
Carefully he placed the ingredients in the potion and stirred, continued his incantation. He could feel the Chaos Spell taking shape. The pairs in the bubbles at the circle were kneeling, back bowed in pain as the binding spell was stretched to accommodate the new power. As the last ingredient went into the potion, Piruz stood slowly to his feet, his arms raised. "tartafie alfawdaa , tartafie al'ardu. 'atlaqat alsultat alqadimat aleanan." (Chaos rises, the ground heaves. Ancient power unleashed.) Snapping his fingers, fire appeared and he dropped it into the bowl. "quat altabieat tasmae nida'i , tatie kilmati. alsama' wal'ard tanhni liamrti wataharuri. (Nature's power hear my call, obey my words. Heaven and earth bow to my command and release…)
Power hit him from behind, knocking him forward and off balance. It was only with a great deal of effort that he missed knocking over his potion bowl, thereby maintaining the integrity of his spell ingredients. Whirling around, he was just able to put up a barrier before the tall Warrior with the powerful mind could use his power to seize his throat.
Caleb swaggered through the park, his Dragon's Talon in one hand, the shield Dean had given him in the other. "Did you think we'd miss the party?"
Piruz turned and smiled. "Grata eques auratus. Exspectabam te." (Welcome, Knight. I was expecting you.)
"Volo autem vos volo, non erubescam." (I wouldn't want to disappoint.)
Taking a step around his potion, Piruz lifted an arm to point to the Tree. "Chaos," he said. "Chaos will reign."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Caleb hissed, and with a swing Dean would have been proud of, he fast-balled a spell bag straight at Piruz.
.
TBC
Author's Notes: Thank you summerbl21, bingos-gal, Shazza19 and my Guest for your terrific reviews! They totally make me grin.
To Shazza19 on Anzac Day: #lestweforget.