The Campbell Chronicles
Chapter 19
The wind blew across the Djinn plane, creating clouds along the ground. As it curled up the hill and came down the other side, it pulled robes or tugged wrappings off heads, sending the cloth fluttering in the breeze.
Mephisto stood before a sandstone village, blood caked the beige-colored rock as he finished the last runic lines in the circle he was creating. Allowing the stick he was using to fall to the ground, he glanced up, eyeing the one hundred and fifty bodies tied to stakes just outside the village but inside his runic circle.
Their heads rested on the chest; blood dripped down from holes in their wrists and feet, slowly filling runic lines.
Slapping his hands together, he brushed them off before spreading his arms wide. Words of arcane power brushed past his red lips, each syllable creating a spark of power in the air.
The runic circles beneath the Djinn burned, and the blood began to boil, sending steam into the air. As the steam touched the Djinn, their bodies began to wither. Muscle and skin shrank and tightened as flesh flaked away.
As moans of pain and screams rent the air in the wake of graying hair, an opaque light burned in the circle, and a slow smile spread across Mephisto's face, revealing his canines.
He had been in this new universe for almost two years. When he originally came to the realm of the Djinn, he planned to consume them and move on to the next until he finally gained enough power to replace the god of evil, Darksied.
However, his plan changed after reading in Elias's library that the true Darksied was bound outside of reality and forced to use intermediaries. He still planned to do that, but traveling the realm and taking out other devils would not only draw attention to himself, something he did not need at this time, but there was no guarantee they would have the power needed.
He can only think of one devil that would have the power he needed, and even if he absorbed all others, there would be no way to defeat the last one, so he needed another solution.
According to Elias's library, there was a divide in this universe called the source wall; beyond it, beings of unimaginable power were imprisoned. Absorbing a few of such beings would speed up his plans tremendously.
The ground within the ritual circle began to flake away, leaving behind a dark void lit by opaque lines of power.
One by one, the one hundred fifty Djinn crumbled to dust, leaving behind their smoke-like souls, which flew toward the sandstone building in the center of the circle. As each soul entered the sandstone, the rock rippled.
Slowly, the stone shifted, transforming into a crouching demon. Leathery wings stretched from its ankle to its wrist. Double joints made each knuckle bulge and drew attention to the sharp nails that tipped each toe and finger.
Needlepointed teeth filled the mouth of a squashed face, drawing attention away from an upturned nose.
Large ears poked out from the side of its head, and they were the first to begin losing stone. As the stone flaked off, it revealed the blue-black flesh hidden beneath.
According to the new god's prophecy, this was an Eskaton Demon.
He sneered at the title of a new god, for only a few of the so-called new gods had the power of the old. If you will replace something, you at least need the power to back it up.
He shook his head; according to their prophecy, these demons would be released when the age of the new god ended. They would feast upon the corpses left behind.
Before scattering throughout the universe like locusts to wipe out all life so it could be born anew.
As Mephisto floated toward the creature, space shimmered behind it, revealing thousands more creatures bound by invisible chains. Stopping a few feet from it, he stretched forth his hand, only to jerk it back as the creature snapped at his fingers.
"Oh, I like you, but you're a little too mindless as you are." Flicking his pointer and middle finger skyward, the ritual circle rose and shrank. The demon howled as the circle shot forward and slammed into its forehead, crackling with clear lightning.
Cutting his palm with his thumbnail, Mephisto slammed his hand into the circle as more of the realm began to flake away. He needed to hurry; those who lived in the realm of the gods would see this place fall and come to investigate.
As the runes drank his blood, Mephisto's consciousness was pulled elsewhere.
The battle for control of these demons and the power they had absorbed over eons had begun.
–XX –
Nicholas and Wanda entered a world of white. Snow whirled around them in an icy wind. Instantly, their skin began to cool and tighten against the cold.
Their breath steamed on the air, and a blush spread across their exposed skin.
Steam billowed from Nicholas's nose as he exhaled, using his control over heat to regulate his body temperature. More vapor rose from his body as snow evaporated on contact with him.
"Are you going to be…"
Nicholas was cut off as a red light traveled down Wanda's body, transforming her clothes into a Parka, leggings, and boots. Red leather gloves, the color of dried blood, covered her slender hands.
Two Auburn strands whipped out from a fur-lined head as she smirked at him.
"Never mind." Turning his gaze to the white landscape, he began to count, "One,two, three, I'm counting at least 20 life signs."
"What do you want to do?"
"Normally, I would just kill them, but since we need information, how about I bind them, and you can pile everything useful into something we can look through Later?"
"Aren't you the telepath?"
"Yeah, but I'm not the magic specialist."
Nicholas flicked his hand, and tendrils of snow rose from the ground to wrap around the crouching soldiers.
Gunfire pierced the mist, and a few stray bullets slammed into a shield of hardened air before them.
"Couldn't you have at least put them to sleep as you did that?"
Nicholas's eyes flared a pale green.
A wind whipped around them, blowing the mist and snow away to reveal the 20 soldiers spaced sporadically around the house. Each was bound in a tendril of hardened snow that forced their arms to their sides and their legs together. The tendril finished around their necks, forcing their heads up and for them to stare forward.
Wanda watched a green glow flash in their eyes as their bodies slumped.
"There."
Nodding, Wanda raised her hands. Crimson energy danced along her fingers as threads of power flew from her, connecting to each soldier.
The soldiers stiffened as red energy spread over their bodies. The threads from wonder to the soldiers began to flicker as sheets of paper appeared in midair. They joined one by one, forming a thick book sealed with black leather.
Wanda stretched forth her hand; the threads faded, allowing the bodies to slump in their frozen bindings as the book floated toward Wanda and settled against her palms.
Sliding the book under her arm. Wanda stared at there would be assailants, "What do you want to do with them?"
The wind whipped up around them, clearing the snow and revealing the matted grass beneath. The ground became soft and bubbled before the soldiers disappeared in the blink of an eye, sinking beneath the earth.
"I hope no one will find those," a gruff voice said behind them.
Nicholas and Wanda turned to find Logan and Roslyn standing before their home.
"If they want to find them, they will have to work quickly; the earth has already started devouring their vital energies. Within a few days, there will be nothing left."
Logan nodded while Roslyn shuddered.
Glancing at Wayne's home, Wanda saw the damage. Raising her hand, the bullet holes glowed red, along with the broken windows, cracks in the walls, and broken furniture. They watched the red light fade, taking the damage with it and leaving the house pristine.
Roslyn offered Wanda a smile, "Thank you. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I appreciate that."
"You know, Mr. Undertaker," Nicholas began focusing on Logan. "I'm surprised you didn't come out to help. They did attack your home after all."
Logan grunted, "You said you wanted information." Claws emerged from between the knuckles on his left hand. "If I had come outside, I wouldn't have been looking for information."
"What will you do now?"
Logan's claws withdrew back into his wrist, "I think it's time I pay Waller a visit."
Roslyn shook her head, "That's not going to work. Amanda Waller is too well-connected, and if she sent soldiers here, she knows your identity."
"What do you suggest?" Logan asked, turning to guide his wife back into the house.
As they disappeared, Nicholas asked Wanda, "Do you think she knows?"
"No, but Logan does; it's the only reason a man like him would restrain himself in a fight like this."
"How far along is she?"
"A week, maybe two."
A spell circle appeared beneath them, its intricate redlines a stark contrast against the snow. Nicholas glanced at the book in her hands, "So, where are we heading?"
"Walton Hills, Pennsylvania."
"Never heard of it."
"Neither have I."
Wanda smirked as they disappeared in a flash of red light, "it's got to be better than the last place you took me."
"Will you let that go already? You chose to come with me."
–XX –
Mephisto floated in a dark void once known as the realm of the Djinn, his red skin bubbling and shifting as his body adjusted to the power of the demons.
The demon statue beneath his hand crumbled into grey sand and blew away in the void. His hand curled into a fist, and his fingers smeared the dust into his palm as his yellow eyes burned with an inner light.
"One or two more pieces, and I will be ready to claim my throne."
Fire slowly began to consume Mephisto's body as he disappeared, leaving behind a void of darkness with only a few scattered pieces of land in his wake.