27
He looked like he was ready to continue to argue, but instead he stepped back and stood there, looking at me for a moment. “All right, I will allow this once, but I assist in the preparations, and the spell, or you will not enter Underhill.” He started talking again before I could voice any objections. “This is MY house Ms Fatelli, and you work for me, not the other way around. You owe me the service, and YOU will perform it. I will not have you renege now.”
I got mad, no build up at all. Just incandescent fuckity-mad. He'd hit every attitude button dead-on. “You want it done, I'll do it, but I don't HAVE to do it your way. I just have to get the service done and fuck-all if it isn't the way you want it. Now either let me back there or call the judge and explain to him why I'm not finishing your so-fucking-precious-god-damned service!” He looked at me like one would look at a particularly disgusting piece of trash. I started to wind right up again, but he held up a hand.
“All right, I have already said that you can perform this one spell, this one, and no others. I will assist and I will be part of the spell, start to finish. It is MY house, and you will abide by the rules therein.” That was fine by me, in fact better than fine. I got to keep my eye on him and if he pulled anything devious, it would be where I had a chance to spot it before I got surprised.
#
It took us a few minutes to get set up. Cobb was all over everything, and the book was placed unopened on the floor beyond the new circle of protection that just circled the desk. Cobb finished the salt circle, and drew the chalk one about a handspan's width out side it, then scrawled the proper marks inside the ring the two circles made. I set the candles, one black, one white on the north and south axis of the circle.
I lit the white one and left the black one unlit, and started the chant. It was in Latin so I have no idea what I was saying, but I have a good memory and Larry had made me memorize the spell before he let me pack off back here. As the chant built, The shade wisped from between the pages of the book and solidified in the circle . It tore at the barrier, but could not harm it, or escape.
As we got to the midway point of the spell, the shade started frantically throwing itself against the walls of the barrier, and pieces started breaking off of it and dissipating like smoke. We reached the midway point and the shade was throwing itself madly and powerfully at the barrier, which had taken to flaring a whitish black color as the shade attacked it. There was a sudden flare to one side of our protection circle, and Cobb swore as we saw a second shade, this one outside the circle, flicker into view momentarily, then disappear into the shelves. I did not falter, but two shades was a surprise and our situation had changed.
If I had followed through on going alone on this, I'd have been up to my eyeballs in trouble. As It was, both Cobb and I were in trouble, but only about chest high in trouble. I kept the chant up, and the trapped shade began unraveling faster, pieces drifting away like smoke. he other shade, whom the spell was also affecting, redoubled it's efforts to breach our protective circle. It's efforts were starting to show some effect.
There were areas where what looked like wind had partly blown on the chalk outer circle of our barrier. The shade had been worrying that point consistently, and the circle was weakening. You can fight a shade, and come out on top if you're prepared to do it, but my experience made me think even if you were prepared, you're still going to get hurt badly beating one.
“Do not stop the chant”, Cobb growled at me, watching the second shade attack the barrier again. “I can deal with this. Just make sure you finish that chant or we're fighting both of these creatures, not just the one.” I heard him start up a chant of his own and I kept at mine. The shade in the circle was weakening rapidly, and would soon be gone, but I almost faltered when Cobb cursed in fae, and I felt the barrier go down.
One thing about spells like the one I was casting. They take time, and they take time because you have to get the pacing right so that the magick works effectively. Too fast and it starts expending itself before you have it focused. Too slow and it doesn't build up properly and begins to dissipate before you're finished. So I had to keep cadence exact or the spell would unravel.
I saw Cobb step out of the circle in the corner of my eye, and turn away from me to face something. It had to be the shade. Since it was in the room, it was being affected by the spell also. What was being done to the trapped shade I couldn't do to the other shade, but the spell could, and was affecting it. Hopefully wakening it and hurting it.
As I chanted, I caught quick glimpses of the fight. Cobb braced up and threw himself at smoke, mumbling some chant as he did. I saw the flicker freeze for a moment and Cobb slashed a silver sword through some thing that gave off a scream that I couldn't hear, but feel. I felt blind, hungry rage. They disappeared out of view, which for me was worse than if Cobb had stayed in it, as I didn't know at all who was winning that fight.
I finished the chant with the proper flourish and the last of the the trapped shade sublimated away. As I finished, I heard a muttered curse and a thud as something solid hit the floor. I turned around, rising to a half-crouch and ready to dodge if the shade came at me. I saw Cobb, on his knees dripping blood from deep cuts all over him. I scrambled over to him and looked for the shade.
Cobb caught my look and mumbled “Don' worry, it's.... gone back where was call from....”, and he fell forward, smacking the floor and not moving, and no sound except for the irregular wheezing breaths. I tried to drag Cobb out into the main room, but I couldn't budge him.
I stepped into the main room and yelled for assistance, and two fae came and had me help bandage the worst of Cobb's wounds. Then the two of them joined one pair of hands while standing on either side of Cobb and touched him with their others. Cobb lifted off the ground like he weighed nothing and they moved him out into the hall and down to another phone booth. I followed and found myself back in the long hallway that led to the hexagonal infirmary/bedroom.
I got mad, no build up at all. Just incandescent fuckity-mad. He'd hit every attitude button dead-on. “You want it done, I'll do it, but I don't HAVE to do it your way. I just have to get the service done and fuck-all if it isn't the way you want it. Now either let me back there or call the judge and explain to him why I'm not finishing your so-fucking-precious-god-damned service!” He looked at me like one would look at a particularly disgusting piece of trash. I started to wind right up again, but he held up a hand.
“All right, I have already said that you can perform this one spell, this one, and no others. I will assist and I will be part of the spell, start to finish. It is MY house, and you will abide by the rules therein.” That was fine by me, in fact better than fine. I got to keep my eye on him and if he pulled anything devious, it would be where I had a chance to spot it before I got surprised.
#
It took us a few minutes to get set up. Cobb was all over everything, and the book was placed unopened on the floor beyond the new circle of protection that just circled the desk. Cobb finished the salt circle, and drew the chalk one about a handspan's width out side it, then scrawled the proper marks inside the ring the two circles made. I set the candles, one black, one white on the north and south axis of the circle.
I lit the white one and left the black one unlit, and started the chant. It was in Latin so I have no idea what I was saying, but I have a good memory and Larry had made me memorize the spell before he let me pack off back here. As the chant built, The shade wisped from between the pages of the book and solidified in the circle . It tore at the barrier, but could not harm it, or escape.
As we got to the midway point of the spell, the shade started frantically throwing itself against the walls of the barrier, and pieces started breaking off of it and dissipating like smoke. We reached the midway point and the shade was throwing itself madly and powerfully at the barrier, which had taken to flaring a whitish black color as the shade attacked it. There was a sudden flare to one side of our protection circle, and Cobb swore as we saw a second shade, this one outside the circle, flicker into view momentarily, then disappear into the shelves. I did not falter, but two shades was a surprise and our situation had changed.
If I had followed through on going alone on this, I'd have been up to my eyeballs in trouble. As It was, both Cobb and I were in trouble, but only about chest high in trouble. I kept the chant up, and the trapped shade began unraveling faster, pieces drifting away like smoke. he other shade, whom the spell was also affecting, redoubled it's efforts to breach our protective circle. It's efforts were starting to show some effect.
There were areas where what looked like wind had partly blown on the chalk outer circle of our barrier. The shade had been worrying that point consistently, and the circle was weakening. You can fight a shade, and come out on top if you're prepared to do it, but my experience made me think even if you were prepared, you're still going to get hurt badly beating one.
“Do not stop the chant”, Cobb growled at me, watching the second shade attack the barrier again. “I can deal with this. Just make sure you finish that chant or we're fighting both of these creatures, not just the one.” I heard him start up a chant of his own and I kept at mine. The shade in the circle was weakening rapidly, and would soon be gone, but I almost faltered when Cobb cursed in fae, and I felt the barrier go down.
One thing about spells like the one I was casting. They take time, and they take time because you have to get the pacing right so that the magick works effectively. Too fast and it starts expending itself before you have it focused. Too slow and it doesn't build up properly and begins to dissipate before you're finished. So I had to keep cadence exact or the spell would unravel.
I saw Cobb step out of the circle in the corner of my eye, and turn away from me to face something. It had to be the shade. Since it was in the room, it was being affected by the spell also. What was being done to the trapped shade I couldn't do to the other shade, but the spell could, and was affecting it. Hopefully wakening it and hurting it.
As I chanted, I caught quick glimpses of the fight. Cobb braced up and threw himself at smoke, mumbling some chant as he did. I saw the flicker freeze for a moment and Cobb slashed a silver sword through some thing that gave off a scream that I couldn't hear, but feel. I felt blind, hungry rage. They disappeared out of view, which for me was worse than if Cobb had stayed in it, as I didn't know at all who was winning that fight.
I finished the chant with the proper flourish and the last of the the trapped shade sublimated away. As I finished, I heard a muttered curse and a thud as something solid hit the floor. I turned around, rising to a half-crouch and ready to dodge if the shade came at me. I saw Cobb, on his knees dripping blood from deep cuts all over him. I scrambled over to him and looked for the shade.
Cobb caught my look and mumbled “Don' worry, it's.... gone back where was call from....”, and he fell forward, smacking the floor and not moving, and no sound except for the irregular wheezing breaths. I tried to drag Cobb out into the main room, but I couldn't budge him.
I stepped into the main room and yelled for assistance, and two fae came and had me help bandage the worst of Cobb's wounds. Then the two of them joined one pair of hands while standing on either side of Cobb and touched him with their others. Cobb lifted off the ground like he weighed nothing and they moved him out into the hall and down to another phone booth. I followed and found myself back in the long hallway that led to the hexagonal infirmary/bedroom.
Labels: creative writing, novella, stories, storywriting, writing
posted by JD at
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