I want to wish you all very happy holidays, Christmas or whatever you celebrate during this time period and a happy new years time my friends. :)
Chapter 19 – The Cracks In the Walls
"WATCH OUT!" BOOM!
"We can't hold out much longer!" "There's too many of them!" "We're gonna get overrun!"
Screams of the dying, living and even the dead rang out as eyes cast wide upon the field and drank in just what was happening; corpses both familiar and foreign with shards of metal or bone sticking out of places that be possible without some sort of interference.
BOOM! Another loud boom sounded as titanic monsters raged at each other in a battle of strength and wits as with each death another took its place in the ever continuing circle of death and destruction.
"Sir! What do we do? There are too many of them to combat and with the gia-my god, on the hill sir. They're here!" As the person turned towards what seemed to be the middle of the field of corpses, on a raised patch of land bright titans shifted into view but immediately after, darkness covered everything.
With a slight jolt, Harry jerked awake after what he assumed was a weird dream by the fleeting fragments he kept a tight grip on but even then the knowledge of them was slipping away from him.
"What's the count now Neville? Fifteen?"
"Sixteen by the last estimates."
Hermione's lips turned upwards as the latest person walked passed their table in the library not with a glare, but with a small nod of acceptance and understanding, completely contradictory to the number of people who decided it was their life mission to do as much as they could to gain a reaction from the current residents of said table.
"It matters not whether the rest decide to cast off their shackles and embrace the truth. When the time comes and the pleasures of the warp are opened to the masses, we shall we shall take our rightful places upon this world." With Hermione's words ending in a smirk, the duo descended into a comfortable silence, not knowing that the third part of their trio was deep in thought and not exactly listening to them.
Ever since the beginning of their fifth year of Hogwarts, things had seemed too innocently calm for what he and the others had been preparing for. Sure they had a brand new Defense teacher because the first one went missing after a week without a single clue besides a rotting smell in the room but other than, everyone agreed that the new teacher was better.
Even on the Voldemort front things had been quiet. Normally, at least according to the history books, he should've gone out terrorizing the populace and murdered numerous people by now but nothing had been identified as him or his death eaters.
'No enemy has been this quiet before, even utilizing in the warp he is doing nothing but gathering his strength, no shadow plays or public displays of terror.' Harry banished the lingering thoughts of Voldemort as he picked up his year-long project for ancient runes.
"You still haven't told us what exactly you're planning for that project Harry, I mean what's the big secret? It's not like we can copy it or anything." Neville poked at him with his quill as the only things he could see were a bunch of small runes forming a bigger picture.
"And you won't find out dear brother until the right time comes. This project for me is like whenever you've tried your hand at coming up with a new poison. We all have our little entertainments and this one is mine." With that, he opened up another book on runes and began to write down some more that he had found.
Scene break
"He has to be planning something big Albus, the only time he has ever been this quiet before is just before an Azkaban raid or something bigger."
Albus nodded his head in agreement as he kept running through every scenario he could think of then discarding it before thinking of another one but could never quite put a grasp on any potential reason why.
"He can't possibly be trying to reunite his soul pieces and become whole again, Potter destroyed the piece that was in the diary. Has Voldemort ordered anything else? I must know every detail lest we miss something."
"Well there is something else, I haven't brought this up because I was trying to find out if this was an isolated case or if it affecting the other death eaters but the dark mark, it has changed."
"What? That should not be possible. It was to my knowledge that once applied it couldn't be removed or changed. Let me look at it Severus and maybe I can find something about it that can help uncover the reason for this change." As Severus lifted the robes of his left arm, Albus began to wave his wand across Severus' arm, trying to discern whatever changed within the magic of the dark mark.
As the seconds turned to minutes, Severus watched as Albus' eyebrows began to furrow at an increasing pace and depth and begun to worry himself.
As the random sparks shot out of the wand and wrapped around the arm in front of it, they slowly rotated in a clockwise manner around the centre of the mark before speeding up at a certain point before slowing down at a snail's pace.
"Albus what is wrong? Before the change when you scanned it, it only took a few seconds before you made some brilliant deduction and dazzled me with your brilliance at finding out the answer." Albus stopped casting and dropped his wand onto the desk beside him and sighed a deep breath.
"There is nothing I can't recognise about the mark anymore my boy, whatever Voldemort has done, it is permanent and always I can guess is it has something to do with the magiks from within. However, there is something I seem to recognise about it, the feel of the power behind it is something I have experienced before but so far I can only say in extremely small amounts." As the two men breathed deep in reluctant acceptance, all they could do was continue to gaze at the new version of the dark mark. No longer did a snake coil around it, all it was now was the glaring skull.
Scene break
Far across the country later in the evening, Derek's plan was sure-fire; knock the door down, set off the gas bombs, rough up the place and then get out. 'Simple enough with the number of people and beasts I've got.'
As the group of seven beings strolled up to the front door of the building complex, he gave a quick nod to the beastman beside him and stood back to watch as the creature took a couple of steps before breaking out into a run towards the door.
"You have to admit, bringing in a beastman was a pretty smart idea. Less of a hassle for us trying to kick the door down and starting the party." Derek certainly agreed with his friend's opinion as they watched the ungor in front of them smash through the lightly framed door and into the foyer with a loud bray.
The other in the group slowly walked into the building, listening to the confused screams of both the civilian workers and the security demanding they get on the ground.
"This is the last time I'm going to say this to you: get on the ground now or we will have to call the police and respond accordingly." Listening to the lead security guard continue shouting at them became a bore to Derek and with a clearly showed nod towards the beast next to him, everyone silently watched before screaming in terror as the ungor, despite being shot by the guards, calmly grabbed the mans neck and proceeded to tear into his chest and rip his head off in a very gruesome manner.
As the screaming of the poor people continued to ring out throughout the building, the remaining people were gathered up in small groups of three and placed at spots where the windows were clearly seen.
"Aaaand here comes the police and maybe a news team to showcase this. Let's show them some despair shall we?" With the police beginning to surround the building entrance and the news team set up and rolling, Derek and the remaining five members of the group, since the ungor did succumb to his wounds, stood behind the crying and screaming workers.
Amidst the chaos of the now live broadcasted hostage situation, behind all the spectacle and hubbub, stood several shadowed figures in a dark alleyway, silently watching as if they were waiting for something to happen or even just watching in general.
Not caring about being noticed by the police, one of the figures took a spray paint can out of the bag slung across his shoulders and turned towards the wall, before proceeding to spray a green tri-circle figure with dark patches in the middle.
As if triggered by the wall-tagging, Derek nodded to his friends and as one, the members of the small group lit the fuses of the gas bombs that each one held with the small group of civilians crying as despair overcame them all.
"FOR THE PLAGUE LORD NURGLE!" With each consecutive gas explosion, each member grinned as they fulfilled their wish to serve Nurgle and happiness overcame them as just as the gas overcame them, they felt their skin ripple as their skin rotted away and gave way to the disease that lay underneath.
Back in the darkened alley, the group watched as the police began to choke as the gas rolled out onto the street and began to cover the group of police and news people, all the while the cameras were still rolling as it showed the damage and chaos that had just happened.
"For Grandfather Nurgle."
Scene break
"Come on don't you understand we have to get out of here! There is something coming around that corner and we cannot stop it!" The hospital patient cried out to anyone that would even listen to her but to her frustration and fear, no one would even give her a second of their time as they continued to walk past her room, joking and laughing as they went on their way.
Didn't they realise that the thing that was coming would kill them all if it so desired? That it would gladly make them all its slaves and do whatever they do to them in their sick fantasies or desires.
"Please listen to me, please please oh please someone listen to me. Why won't someone listen to me? I'm trying to save all of these people but no one will even listen to crazy little me will they? It's not my fault he died, all I wanted was to stop him but then this light came out of my hand and he burned up."
Before she was admitted, Katherine was a normal school girl who had a normal life before all of the abuse started to happen and on the day that it happened, all she could remember was coming home, blacking out and then waking up in a mental institute being labelled a murderer and a sadist because of it.
Ever since that day, sometimes she would sometimes see something out of the corner of her eye that looked like a freakishly pale woman with claws or even sometimes a scorpion looking monster straight out of something from H.P Lovecraft or something.
As the door to her room (cell more like it) opened and revealed one of the more friendlier female staff members, and slowly walked towards her with a slight gleam in her eyes.
"Katherine you know you must really quieten down a bit, you'll disturb all of the other patients on the ward and unfortunately you might find yourself in a spot of trouble if you don't." Thoughts of being in trouble didn't enter her mind with all of the things that she had been seeing.
"I don't care about being in trouble! Can't you see that there is something coming that is going to tear us to pieces!" Katherine's ranting had become rather loud now and almost to the point of screeching.
"Stop that this instant now Katherine, I would've welcomed to do this if you were willing but now it seems that I have to do this without your permission."
"Without my permission? What are talking-hmppf!" Whatever Katherine was going to say next was cut off as the staff member grabbed her by her head and placed a searing kiss on her lips.
As the woman slowly kissed her, Katherine never noticed the staff member touching her forehead in an almost sensual manner in small spirals with jagged edges before pulling away and moving towards her left ear.
"You really should learn some tact, Katherine, otherwise you won't realise the monster is already here." As her eyes widened in a dramatic fashion, Katherine opened her mouth ready to scream bloody murder but was suddenly paralyzed by some force.
"This would've been easier for you if you hadn't struggled so much my girl." The staff member slowly began to speak under her breath in a rapid manner, slowly reaching out to the symbol she drew in blood on Katherine's head and caressed it before it lit up with a shine.
With a wave of her hand towards the door, no one else in the hospital knew or would ever realise what had now been summoned and unleashed into this realm and dear poor Katherine would never know either, for her soul had now been delivered into the arms of the Prince of Pleasure and her shell had been possessed by the very monster she had seen.
What oh what is the dark lord planning indeed with the gathering of his soul jars? What is Harry planning/building that requires the usage of runes? How many more will see the truth and break their chains before they become lost to ignorance? Find out next time on The Affliction!
Give it a good read, possibly even give a review as they are always welcome and it tells me if you're liking the story and you have yourself a very good day :)