The story has elements of both Dark War storyline and DemonxBunny's Masters of the Multiverse, so all credit goes to both Impact Wrestling and DemonxBunny. I do not own the characters, only the OCs. The story is entirely fictional.
Characters may look and act different than they do in real life. This was done intentionally, and things will change over time in this story, so please be patient.
Rating: M, for violence, coarse language, and mature themes/events that will appear throughout this story. Remember, this is Femslash, so if that's not your thing, you may not like this story.
Pairings: Allie/Rosemary (DemonxBunny), others over time.
Aftermath of the Dark War Chapter 28: Enter Cal and Revealing Truths by Jurassicfatt
Allie's Pov, Omni Sports Tournament, Night
Rosemary and I follow Officer Orelios to a medium sized green tent in the healer section. When we approach it, the seal activates and the tent's entrance flashes red.
"Cal, it's me Rosemary. Can you open up?" Rosemary says aloud. The front entrance flap is pulled open and out comes a behemoth of a man. He must be almost 7 ft. tall! The man has a black bandana covering his nose, his eyes, and the entire top of his head. It does a good job of concealing his features, too. His jaw and chin are round, and his neck is thick. His face is completely clean-shaven. He wears a sleeveless gray wool tunic and matching light gray pants, with large black wrestling style boots. His wrists and palms are wrapped in what looks like white athletic tape. Initially, he has a stern look on his face. When he notices Rosemary, though, a look of recognition paints his features and he bangs a closed fist against his palm twice, causing the magical seal to disappear. He holds the entrance flap open for us, and Rosemary and I walk through it.
The furniture, very similar to ours, has been moved, and a few lanterns are lit around the room. On the floor are numerous books, scrolls, vials of various liquids, a circular atlas, and a white bag. At the back of the room, sitting in the corner, is a four-legged lizard with gray scales and blue eyes, wearing a brown saddle. It is about the size of a small car. Cal walks in and bows to Rosemary. She does the same.
"Hey Cal. How are you doing?" she asks. Cal places a hand in front of him, and bluish-white energy begins to glow off of it. Suddenly, elegant cursive words begin to form in the air.
"No worse for wear. I apologize for being so late. The guards were quite thorough with their search of my belongings. Is this the girl?" the words read.
"It's alright, it happens. Oh, yes, this is Allie." Rosemary walks out of the way so Cal can see me. Jeez, he is massive! Staring at the giant man's face, his head slightly tilted in amusement, I bow politely.
"Hi. I'm Allie. It's nice to meet you Cal." I tell him. He bows, before putting his hand in front again.
"Nice to meet you too, Allie. Caretaker speaks highly of you." he writes.
"Really?" He nods in earnest. "He is really is the nicest guy." He nods again, before responding.
"That he is. He packed me some Tartirician style buns for my trip, just to make up for the long trek here." Cal writes, pointing to a jar filled to the brim with said buns. "Wait, didn't Caretaker say you had blue eyes?"
Rosemary rubs a hand behind her head. "Yeah, about that." We then explain this morning's events to Cal, including the amulet voice we both heard. I also tell him about my other dreams, and Rosemary briefly recounts the amulet incidents. He scratches his chin in thought.
"Well, this is unexpected. Especially this morning's traumatic events. Caretaker told me some of this, but not nearly enough. I was unaware of souls being present in the design of the amulet. Perhaps one entered when I was channeling dark magic into it. I will see what I can do for Allie tonight, all things considered. If I have enough time, I will work with the amulet as well. But I realize you have work tomorrow, and I may need a bit more time, if my initial attempts to take it off you fail. I hope this does not upset you, Rosemary."
"No, it's fine. Allie comes first." she says, and I can't help but feel guilty. Looking to her face, she makes eye contact and gives me a small smile, causing my heart to flutter. I turn to look at Cal.
"So, Cal, what do I do first?" I ask. Cal goes towards the ground and picks up a black book with red writing, flipping through the pages. He looks down at me again, more cursive words forming in the air.
"Okay, Allie, just stand perfectly still. I am going to use a spell to search for any residual magical elements from your encounter." he writes.
"O-Okay. Will it be painful?"
"No, not at all. Although, it might be a bit bright at first." his words read. He comes closer, puts his hands on either side of my face and begins to mumble under his breath, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. A bright white light blinds me for a second. Closing them for a second, I slowly open one, letting my eyes adjust. I start to see magical energy beams surrounding my head in a full circle. The emit a faint 'humming' sound, just barely audible to the ear. Rosemary is right next to me, looking on. Cal keeps his hands moving, continuing his search, before he spots something. A yellow-green circle no bigger than a golf ball sits above my right eyebrow. A smaller one rests near my jawline. He connects the two together with a line. Then, a third dark turquoise circle, about the size of an orange, appears right above my head.
"What are these circles?" Rosemary asks.
"Residual magical elements. Whatever caused Allie's appearance to change sent out a particularly strong concentration of dark magical energy. I have only seen this type of dark magic once. From the record books of past Warlord sorcerer attacks."
"Certrius." I answer lowly. He nods.
"I am afraid so. They are way too strong for a normal sorcerer to expulse. Much stronger than typical dark magic. Only a truly powerful sorcerer could cast these. Particularly here." He points to the one above my head. "But he is not the only one."
"What do you mean?" Rosemary immediately questions.
"Among these green dots, I am detecting at least two casters."
"How can you tell?" I ask. He pulls another book from the ground, this one a coppery brown color. He opens it on a chapter and shows us a page littered with hands, all glowing in energy but with different colors and aesthetics. The title is translated, and reads 'dark magic identifiers'.
"Every dark magic user leaves a certain trace. Each one is unique and can be identified, if you know where to look."
"Wait, so like when humans leave fingerprints around?" I ask.
"I guess so. Are they used to discover the exact individual who left the trace?" Cal asks.
"Yeah, pretty much. Although people can and often do make mistakes when collecting samples."
"Then yes. The more novice sorcerers have been known to 'misidentify' exact magial energies. It takes years of trial and error to understand it." Wow, there's another commonality between Earth and this Realm.
"I didn't realize that was a thing. Wait, hold on, are you saying two sorcerers have been the cause of my nightmares?" God, as if one wasn't enough!
"Could be. Although it could also be someone who has the same dark magical knowledge as Certrius, but is not necessarily a sorcerer. However," he stops, before looking at the large one above my head, "I am detecting another magical presence here. Vastly different."
"How so?" Rosemary asks.
"I do not know. I cannot identify it. It is cloaked in some sort of magical barrier. Whatever it is, it is much more powerful than the other two. That is why the color is different. It represents a clash between dark magic users. Let us see where it leads." he writes, moving his hands to the turquoise orb.
Suddenly, a blackish-purple energy beam connects the turquoise ball to Rosemary's amulet. The amulet begins to glow, the familiar blue aura shining in the dark tent.
"Well! Looks like the amulet is the original source for the other magic, as you suggested. 'Something' from this amulet was involved. Whoever it was," Cal pauses, looking at the large turquoise ball again, "they were fighting against the other two for control. This 'voice' you heard has a tremendous amount of power. They may not have stopped you from changing, but they tried to block whatever magical elements were harming you." he finishes.
"Do you have any idea why?" I ask. He pauses in thought, a hand on his chin, before shaking his head no.
"I cannot think of one. Of anyone who would be daring enough to use dark magic against a Warlord sorcerer, such as Certrius. Whoever did this has a purpose. We just do not know what. Let me have a look at the amulet. Perhaps it will give us a sign as to why." He puts his hands down, causing the energy dome around my head to dissipate.
"Are you certain it's safe?" I question. Cal nods.
"Just going to look and maybe cast a spell to spot any soul activity."
"Not sure if that'll work, but you can certainly try. It might burn you." Rosemary remarks. Cal gets closer to Rosemary, bending down to take a look at the amulet. He tries to grab the middle piece, pulling his hand away immediately from the burn.
"See, I told you." Rosemary states. Cal puts his right hand in front of the amulet. A white light made of particles projects from it, acting like a flashlight of sorts. As he stares at the centerpiece, his head jolts up in surprise. He goes closer, looking at the symbols again. He gets up and points to the amulet.
"This is not the amulet I gave to Caretaker." he writes.
"What?" we both say simultaneously, Rosemary continuing. "What do you mean 'this isn't the amulet'?"
"Exactly what I just said. The amulet I gave Caretaker was silver and circular, but there was no gem, and the symbols written were completely different." Cal explains.
"How can that be? We received this back in Pevonia, with a letter from Caretaker saying it was from you." Rosemary tells Cal.
"I cannot explain it. All I know is that this is not the amulet. The amulet I made was specifically designed for defense. To protect you when you battled against dark magic users. This amulet is multiuse. Attack, defense, communication, and a whole slew of other purposes I cannot even begin to decipher. In all my years I've only seen 1 or 2 amulets similar to this. But even then, they were not as intricately carved. It has a much higher concentration of dark magic embedded in it, too."
"How the hell did this happen? Caretaker wouldn't have switched it." Rosemary states immediately.
"Do you know who Caretaker paid to have it delivered to Pevonia? Or better, do you still have the material it was wrapped in? I might be able to determine the source."
"No. And I haven't seen it since the day it was given to us by that Pevonian guard. I must have misplaced it. Allie, have you seen it?" I shake my head.
Cal puts a hand to his forehead. "Then we have yet another mystery on our hands. Someone replaced the amulet I gave Caretaker with this one."
"Just our luck." Rosemary says gloomily.
"Can you do anything to remove it?" I ask him.
"I will try to use a few spells I know." Cal begins to mumble again, white particle light beams shooting from his hands. The amulet absorbs the energy, then expels it back at Cal. He blocks it with a bluish-white spell. Rosemary grits her teeth, looking like she's in pain.
"Rosemary, are you alright?" I ask, my heart filled with concern. She nods silently, before taking a deep breath. Cal starts again, the white particle light beams returning, this time with more intensity. His left hand then changes to a wispy cloud of white energy. The amulet begins to glow, the familiar blue aura becoming brighter by the second. The aura begins to creep up, purple magical energy beginning to overtake and push back against Cal's white. He forces his hands forward again, pushing it further and further down, the amulet's light turning dimmer. It finally disappears, and Cal breathes a sigh of relief.
"Did it work?" Rosemary asks. Cal uses his magic to probe the amulet, the object not responding, even to the slightest touch.
"Looks like it." He grabs the latch and centerpiece. "Cool to the touch. Now, to take it o-" Cal starts to say, before the amulet shines brightly blue again. Cal pulls his hands away and shakes them vigorously, before the light shines so bright it becomes blinding. We both turn away. Several seconds later, the light dissipates. We turn around to see Rosemary floating in the air, hands by her sides, just like the first time she put on the amulet. Her eyes have that same blue tint, and her mouth is open, almost in a silent scream. The lanterns suddenly go out, the tent illuminated only by the amulet's glow. The light then goes a deep violet color. Voices begin to speak in the room, whispering all around us.
"Transgressions… Fear… Death dealer… Foolish… Pestering us… Mortals… will not stop them… Answers… Tomorrow… The Assassin, only…" the voices say. Rosemary is dropped to a kneeling position, her hands palm side down to support her weight. A book levitates off of the ground and is thrown right in front of her. The purple light of the amulet changes back to blue, then disappears, as the lanterns light up again. Cal and I run to Rosemary's sides, Cal placing a hand on her shoulder while I put my left hand to her arm.
"Rosemary? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I ask quickly, my heart beating so fast I can hear it in my ears.
"*Groan* What happened?" she asks, holding her head with one hand.
"Cal tried to remove the amulet. And whoever is in there didn't like that too much. You were lifted into the air again, like the first time in Pevonia. The lights went out, the amulet glowing purple, and the voices started speaking."
"I heard it, too. The voice. Who or whatever it is, he was very irritated. He wants me to contact him tomorrow." she scans her surroundings, before noticing the book in front of her. "What's this?" I look down to see it. A simple black book with purple symbols on the front. Cal looks at the cover, before turning to us both.
"That's the Book of Zarash. I brought it upon Caretaker's request. Didn't you say the voice asked you to-"
"Use it to contact him. Chapter 7, pages 231-235. Tomorrow. Alone. At the 23rd hour. All details regarding the Jewel and the amulet will be provided." Rosemary says hypnotically. Grabbing her head, she looks between the both of us, then at the book. "What the fuck?" Rosemary states, before closing her eyes and taking some deep breaths.
"Wait, the voice says he knows something about the Jewel too?" She nods. I pause for a moment. Who could be doing this? "Did he give you any indication why that time?" She shakes her head.
"Why not tonight?" Cal asks. Rosemary puts her arm down.
"He said that because of our 'obvious confusion over his intentions', we broke sacred ground by using dark magic against the amulet. He said that crime cannot go unpunished. So, as a result, he will refuse to commune with me tonight, lest he choose to make an 'example' of the sorcerer who 'carried out the transgression'. He also said it would be wise to head his warning, as he will not be so kind in the future." Rosemary explains. Cal looks shocked, his mouth hanging open, before he closes it and nods his head. Rosemary stands up, her legs a bit wobbly. I put my hand out to help her, but she backs away. "I'm not sure if he's still in control. I don't want to hurt you, so I'm going to play it safe until tomorrow." I try to protest, but Rosemary gives me a pleading look. Relenting, I put my hands up. Cal picks up the book and skims through the chapter.
"This chapter is very old and long. I will look it over tonight and into tomorrow to revise the relevant portions, especially the pages you mentioned. I am sorry I could not be of any help tonight."he writes.
Rosemary just nods. "It's okay. You did what you could. Whoever made this obviously did a good job of preventing others from searching for answers. I can't blame you for that."
"I will make sure to look over the chapter. What time do you finish your guarding duties?"
"Around 10 PM, I have to give the whole stadium a onceover. After that I'm done. I'll make sure to be at the tent."
"And I will make sure to leave when you perform whatever is needed to speak with this… mysterious user."
Rosemary looks at the clock. Midnight. "We better head back, Bunny. We both need rest for tomorrow." I nod.
"Alright. Thanks for your help, Cal. It was really nice of you to come all the way down here to help us, especially when you didn't need to." He grabs my hand with both of his own and squeezes for a second.
"I will do what I can to help the both of you. Hopefully better than I could tonight. If anything happens, let me know." he writes, looking between the two of us.
"Thanks Cal. We will. I'll see you tomorrow." Rosemary tells him. The two of us leave Cal's tent and head back to our own, readying ourselves for tomorrow.
Author's Note: Hey everybody. A short new chapter, just for you. Hope you enjoyed. So we got to meet Cal (we're meeting so many people, now), the mute sorcerer. A friendly giant. Allie and Rosemary get the confirmation of Certrius and two other magic users involvement, before Cal notices the amulet he created was switched with this one? But why? When he tries to take it off, the amulet takes over Rosemary's body, before outlining instructions. Who is this mysterious person behind the amulet's power? How will Rosemary contact him using the Book of Zarash? What will happen when she does? What will she learn? Find out next time. If you enjoyed this, please feel free to leave a review. It's always appreciated. Until next time, enjoy your day!