BLACKWAY: WITCH TERRITORY
Tara Jensen pondered nothing in particular as she stared out of the window of the steam powered black 1961 Daimler Majestic Major sedan with tinted windows in which she rode in the back. She was headed for a meeting she wasn't particularly looking forward to having only landed two hours earlier from Skelligrier, a meeting with the Grand Witch.
Everything around rushed by quickly as the car zipped through the early afternoon minor traffic.
Blackway was a city of tall skyscrapers made of metal and stone, each one cast odd hexagon shaped shadows as per their design and build. The tarred roads and sidewalks a bustle of activity people and vehicles creating a harmony of noises.
Tara had gotten an opportunity to change into Sebanaca standard sharp black suit with a yellow silk tie and fingerless leather gloves, the suit was made from a blessed material that allowed access and awareness of a witch's tattoos without it needing to be removed. Her dreads were tied up in a ponytail.
The interior of the sedan itself was yellow leather, a black screen separated the back from the front so he could not see here driver, a small part of her missed Henry the cabbie if only for the conversation.
The car slowed down and eventually came to a halt followed by three quick knocks to the roof of the car that came from the front signalling that Tara had reached her destination.
Tara took a look out the window as she reached for the door handle.
The 56 floor yellow building headquarters of the Witch Order always managed to look as impressive a though it were the first time she were seeing it. It seemed to stand on its own thanks to the park built around the building which put space between it and the other buildings around it, it was a beautiful park with lush green grass, trees and benches, even a jogger and bike path that circled around the building, the park was open to the general population.
As she exited the car she spotted a few people practising some form of martial arts, people seated in groups on the grass and even a man walking his dog on the path. Tara never thought of as the most discreet building in the world but she had always admitted putting a park around it was a genius way to divert attention from what actually happened in a nameless yellow building.
The car drove off as soon as Tara had exited, she walked across the sidewalk and onto the path leading toward the building entrance, she quickly walked across the park and reached the entrance just as two young ladies wearing yellow patterned backless dresses entered, they both gave exchange a look after glancing at her as they released she was a Sebanaca agent, to Tara points at her yellow tie flashed them a smile simultaneously gesturing they walk through the doors first, she then followed in after them.
The lobby was not as colourful as the men and women walking in yellow suits and dresses, the walls and the roof are covered with mosaics depicting the history of witches, from the first witch discovering magic, to the Witches bloodbath battle against the demon force Adragin, to one depicting the place where the Grand Witch Marimina's sacrifice to seal away Adragin. These and other historical witch moments were immortalised on the walls, some parts of the walls and roof were simply painted yellow leaving space for future history.
The elevators were through a set of glass doors to the left, there were sentries stationed on either side, dressed exactly as she was black suit, yellow tie and leather gloves, Sebanaca agents.
Tara made her way across to the receptionist desk, the receptionist smiled as Tara approached.
He has a warm smile, she thought.
"Hi, uhm I have a 12:40 afternoon meeting with the Grand Witch, Tara Jensen." She said tapping her fingers lightly on the desk.
"Okay, give me a moment to call upstairs." Replied the man reaching for the desk phone which he brought to his ear.
Tara's attention was taken from the reception desk and up to the mosaic of Adragin facing off against Witches, in the mosaic he towered above the witches taking him on, he was captured in mid-roar swinging a sword at his opponents with one hand spraying flames with the other, he was a muscular hybrid of beast and man with red seemingly perpetually burning skin, a single curled horn protruded from the center of his forehead, clumps of long hair hung about wildly, he was dressed in torn up loincloth and gladiator sandals.
As she watched it the mosaic bagan to move, Tara watched as Adragin tore through the hundreds of witches trying to stop him, everything around them on fire, the mangled and torn pieces of the dead littered the battlefield, whispered sounds of the battle carried to her ears, the sounds of Adragin roaring and charging, battle cries and incantations and screams from the Witches.
"Miss?" Said the receptionist with a tab on her hand which snapped her back to reality.
"Yeah?" She asked gathering herself
"You can go up, the elevator with the gold doors, you'll need this," he said handing her a small key.
"Front door's locked or something?" Asked Tara looking down at the key in the man's hand before she took it.
"No, it's an access key, you can't press the floor 56 button without it." He replied
Tara nods as she took the key from the man's hand and headed for the doors leading to the elevator.
The two Sebanaca agents held the glass doors as she approached even before she was within vicinity. Without looking at either man Tara nodded thank as she stepped through.
The elevator she entered was large with a porcelain ceiling light cover that had a map of the entire Witch territory printed on it. She pressed the button for the 56th floor which was already sunk in therefore the elevator did not move, next to the button was small key hole. She slotted the little gold key in and as she turned it the 56th floor button popped out and gleamed, she pushes it in all the way and it stayed pushed in as it was moments before and the elevator began to ascend, playing generic elevator music as it rose, instantly making Tara wish she had not forgotten her earphones and Muso, music player.
With a ping the elevator arrived on the 56th floor and the doors slid open showering in inside with sunlight with an intensity Tara hadn't expected, she was forced to squint as she exited the elevator, then blinked a few times before her eyes adjusted to the light.
The office of the Grand Witch was impressive enough, the light came from massive windows that not only let in the sun but also give a gorgeous view of the city, the floor is a warm medallion yellow, a white marble desk sat on a medallion yellow carpet matching close to the windows.
She found it to be elegant but also far too extravagant for her taste, although she did like the left side of the room which had a dark leather chair facing two built in wall shelves filled with books.
She turned her attention to the man on the other side of the desk who stood by the window gaze fixed on her, the man wore a medallion yellow long coat drapped simply on his shoulders beneath a navy blue suit, his long brown hair was sweptback, his visible neck and chin covered in spell tattoos, tall and imposing was Grand Witch Michael Jameson.
"Tara Jensen I presume." He said as Tara came to stand on the other side of his desk.
Tara took a moment to recompose herself, it was only her second time in the Grand Witch office however this was the first time she had come alone and been directly addressed by him.
"Yes that's me, it's an honour to meet be in your presence Grand Witch." She replied as she stood a little straighter.
"The honour is mine, it's not often The Sebanaca deals with me in this manner of direct approach," Said Jameson as he walked over to his desk, removing his coat and draping it over his chair.
"Shall we sit?" He said with a gesture to the chair, his hands were completely covered in tattoos the palms as well.
Tara yearned to one day be as experienced and knowledgeable as he was in Witch magic, to have her entire body covered as Grand Witch James was.
Tara nodded and took a seat, Jameson waited for her only sitting after she had.
"A bit chilly in here isn't it?" He asked as he rubbed his hands together which released a small gold glow from them, when he stopped rubbing his hands the room temperature became warmer.
"Better." He sighed with a smile.
Taking that as her cue Tara began to speak. "A couple of days ago The Sebanaca sent you a message detailing everything I discovered, at your request you asked for the person who investigated, which is me, to come here and explain to you in person. The first thing I was instructed to tell you before all else is that this will be the first of few times such a request is approved as it is seen as a disrespect and distrust of The Sebanaca." She said, to which the Grand Witch smirked slightly
"I just prefer a bit of a personal touch, it is more sincere would you not agree?" He asked
"I don't think my opinion really matters much sir."
"You are young, and yet you hold a high persuasion in The Sebanaca, I must say I expected someone much older to come out of that elevator." Replied Jameson with a nod.
"So what? You're disappointed?" Asked Tara feeling slightly insulted
"Not at all, I am intrigued,"
"Can we get to why I'm here, questions you wanna ask etc." She said
"Of course, business and all that," he said as he leaned back in his chair, "what you saw and felt, are you certain it is a malevolent force?"
"I can't say for sure, all I know is whatever it is its more powerful than anything I've ever felt, and something with that much magic shouldn't be able to appear one moment in one place and not leave a trail to where it went. But you already knew that because I personally cast that message myself to make sure I didn't leave anything out," She said noting the semi faraway look in Jameson's eyes
"With all due respect let's cut the bullshit and you tell me why I'm here and how you twisted The Sebanaca to get me here." Asked Tara as she stared a hole through Jameson
Grand Witch Jameson shook his head and smiled for he had been caught out on his true intentions.
"I knew your grandmother, well know her because she is not dead yet is she." Said Jameson with a pause.
This was of course true, Tara's grandmother lived in quiet retirement on the island of Skelligrier.
"This was once her office as you well know, well it did look considerably different back then of course but she was a good leader and so would have your mother seeing as she was next in line. It's a shame what happened to her, being robbed of her magic as she was. You are right, I got you here under false pretences however when I found out who you really were I only wished to see the granddaughter of Xania Zaya is in person, so you can imagine the shock the agency had when I told them I knew naturally they allowed this to happen." He said with another pause.
"Why work for The Sebanaca? Why hide in the shadows when such a blood line flows in your veins?" Asked Jameson as his eyes lit up.
Tara's expression darkened, her eyes are fixed on the floor as she opened her mouth to repsond.
"I don't care about bloodlines," she said her gaze still on the floor, "that's what got my mother drained of magic. I love my grandmother but even she knows that I'll never walk in this place to take up a position doing ANYTHING, I'm not gonna be every Witch's beackn of whatever just because I'm a part of THAT bloodline. I don't give a shit about one day sitting in that chair there. I like being in The Sebacana because that way no one knows who I am and I don't have to go through shit like this at any point of my work. Good day, sir." With that Tara stood and headed for the elevator.
"You are searching for her are you not? You are hunting Likana." shouted the Grand Witch making Tara stop in her tracks.
Tara clinched her jaw and squeezed her fists so hard her fingernails dug into the the leather fabric of her gloves.
"My father, grandfather, and two of my siblings were murdered by her, my mother was left powerless by her. So yeah I'm looking for her." She said quietly but loud enough that it carried to the Grand Witch's ears
"You cannot kill her, she has information, she knows certain things about Witches that no one knows, if you kill her you will leave me with no choice but to---"
"But to do nothing. The Sebanaca's out of your jurisdiction." Said Tara with a dark smile as she pressed for the elevator which opens, Tara stepped inside and pressed for the ground floor.
Tara and Grand Witch Jameson exchange a last look as the elevator doors close.
Tara left the building in a huff exiting the place as though she were shot from a canon.
She finally came to a halt at the edge of the sidewalk, she cars spewing clear steam zip by as she took a moment to compose herself.
I figured someone would find out who I was sooner or later but this might be a bit too soon, and who knows how he might use that knowledge to deter me from finding Grandaunt Likana, she thought as she look up at the top floor of the building.
She took out her Dialer and called the driver who had left her for a pick up. She didn't wait long before the black Daimler sedan pulled up in front of her.
"Home." She said as she entered.
_________________
Tara sighed as she closed and locked her door, her apartment was in a bit of a sorry state, it was a bit dim with blinds drawn shut but even in the little light she coul see the dust that had buily on the surfaces. Wrappers and packets of things she had eaten but not got rid of littered coffee table, the sink was packed with dishes and some clothes littered the floor.
The thought of cleaning up the mess drained her of whatever energy she had left, she gave a low tired growl of reluctance as she gave in to her apartment's cry for help. She removed her blazer and began to clean, of course this could have been done with a few spells but she decided against it.
Tara had always liked how small her apartment was, it was a studio apartment which at times could seem cramped, despite making more than enough Kelsers to herself a decent place she never did. After she finished cleaning she left for a long awaited shower to refresh herself.
Her Dialer rang just as stepped out of the shower. She picked it up with a slight purse of her lips in appreciation of the timing as she wouldn't have heard it if she were still in the shower.
"Identification." Asked Sebanaca woman
"Tara Jensen 95TJ22." She replied
"You will be on assignment tomorrow evening at on the Plylos Oceanus waters upon a boat as part of the guard protecting the current Grand Witch at the Council of Cigam meeting. Confirm reception of instruction." Said the woman in a matter of fact tone of voice
"The Sebanaca handles security now?" She asked after a moment of contemplative silence.
There is silence for moment and all Tara can hear on the other end is clicking of a keyboard.
Accessing the mainframe before to check my rank then, she thought
"You are a special request from the director, he believes should anything go wrong you would be able to keep the Grand Witch safe better." Said the woman
"Why would anything go wrong?" Asked Tara
"That is all." Said the woman dropping the call
Tara put down at her Dialer swearing underbreath as she went to get herself dressed, she needed to go.
She dressed in a red long sleeved flannel shirt, dark pants and high top sneakers, strapping a small knife to her forearm, she never felt comfortable going anywhere with only her magic. With that she exited her apartment and headed out.
She loved the street on the west side of Daer City where she lived, at times it grew eerily quiet. One could walk a block or two and only pass a few people. It was a strange combination of houses and small buildings giving it the look of puzzle pieces placed in the wrong places.
She preferred not having to interact with people though, most if not all people she passed were normals for that she had her earphones plugged in to she shut out the world and let her thoughts float around about her new assignment and the worst case scenarios that could happen bounce off each other.
She walked in this state for four blocks before she came to a stop in front of a dark purple house with a heavy looking metal door. A normal wouldn't have been able to see the curses etched into the walls, glass of the windows and metal of the door.
Tara's eyes glowed golden-yellow as she whispered a spell which would grant her safe passage to enter.
"eht morf dneced tsim eht yam dna daed eht fo emoceb eht live that vala impolo."
The etching visible only to her eyes glowed golden-yellow for a moment. Then she approached the door pulling a key from her pocket, she unlocked the door and stepped inside closing the door behind her.
The woman that waited the other side of the of the door wore a slightly stained white night gown and wore a soft smile of delight her face, Ferri Zaya, Tara's mother was happy to see her daughter.
Tara smiled as she walked over to embrace her mother.
"Come, I have to show you something." Said Ferri, her demeanor became grim as she pulled Tara around the set of spiraling stairs and into the living room.
The room was littered with painted canvases, some roughly plastered on the walls and windows. But the ones that caught her eye were recent ones that were clustered in one area of the room each canvas which depicted Tara at different points, from her journey to Skelligrier, her encounter with the magic residue showing her standing in front of a large dark shadow with menacing purple irises and blood red pupils, her ride with the mage Charles, the child at the hospital and the meeting with Grand Witch Michael.
This is what remained, she thought, these glimpses into things.
One particular canvas caught her eye. Stuck in the corner where two walls meet. A Balmoral Castle steamship was ablaze and Tara stood on it in front of that large shadow with red eyes yet again. Red, Grey and Green coloured people stood around her, they fought rust coloured shapes.
The painting came to life slowly, the rust shapes shot a kaleidoscope of colours in the battle. Fear slowly creeps on Tara, fear that seemed to be channelled from her painting self, her eyes began to flicker golden-yellow as she stared the painting. Her mother's paintings hardly never came true, that she knew.
Tara turned to face her with questions forming on your lips. She opened her mouth and closed it, the words to the questions she wanted to ask had not yet formed on her tongue.
"Mom, when-------" Tara began to ask and Ferri cut her off.
"I got images in my head. In my dreams so I woke up but they didn't stop, so I painted them for days until that one." She said pointing at the battle painting.
Ferri rushed past Tara and pulled a few more canvases with the purple form drawn on them, she held them aloft.
"But the dreams didn't stop, in all of them but I keep seeing you and this thing.... I can't see its true form." Said Ferri her speech fast and choppy
"But It keeps calling itself cigam ogdt." Says Ferri softly
"Cigam god? Such a being exists? I thought the Gods died out after the normals lost faith and the Cigam broke away from them." Asked Tara her gaze switching from the paintings to her mother.
"Lost faith?" Replied Ferri, her head whipping around so quickly Tara feared it may snap off. She had a wild look in her eyes. "No not quite Tara, yes quite a few of the Gods have faded from existence but others live, I taught you that. You and I and perhaps most normals may have renounced them but in lands no Cigam may ever set foot in again, they still have faith in ancient beings such as the one that's."
Tara takes a moment processing her mother's words.
She means Lanifica doesn't she? That's the only place Cigam are forbidden to set foot on. She thought. The site of the war between all four groups of Cigam all those years ago, the ground practically bleeds magic.
Ferri smiled at her daughter and nodded slowly.
"Lanifica. You mean they still praise the Gods in Lanifica. But how would they know of that shadow?" Tara asked as she began to pace slightly while avoiding anything that might break her pacing pace.
"There are a people older than magic that have existed there and the Armax." Said Ferri, lingering on the word Armax.
"The Armax?"
"Them." Replied Ferri.
She dropped the canvases she held, rushed past Tara, and layed a finger on one of the rust coloured shapes she painted.
"The past come to life." She whispered.
"The dead from the war come to life then? The Lanifica boundary guardians won't let it, no matter how powerful this god is, many have tried none have gotten past them." Said Tara, even as she spoke she did not believe her own words, because her mother's visions were never off.
Ferri simply chuckled slightly but said nothing. She let loose a deep breath as she turned to Tara..
"You haven't found her have you... Tara." Said Ferri, her face now laden with sorrow
"I'm close, mom.." Said Tara, "but don't have to be here anymore."
"No- no- I'm fine here, I li—like it here, she's still out there. Just outside the door I know it. She wants to finish the job. When you're gone I hear her trying to b—b—break the spells mother put up." Said Ferri.
Tara rushed over to her and engulfed her in a calming embrace whispering a spell of calm in her mother's ear, as well as a sleep spell.
Ever since that fateful day 20 years ago etched in my memory from the time I was 2 years of age, she's been a shut in. And I've searched since the day grandmother Xania told me to take care of mother and forget Likana. But I cannot forget because my mother has not seen the sun for the longest time and until Likana is snuffed out she may never set foot outside. Thought Tara.
Tara enhanced her strength with one of her spell tattoos and carried Ferri up the stairs and to her bed. Having tucked her in she took a moment to stare down at her mother's peaceful face and as she turned to leave Ferri weakly grabs her wrist.
"Mino Zaya, you can be greater if you accepted your name and left me behind." She whispered, her eyes half open stared up at her for a moment before closing.
Tara stood silent for a moment as tears welled up in her eyes and a smile crossed her face, having heard her real name that she hadn't heard for the longest time.
"I haven't earned that name mom, and one cannot pretend to forget the shackles that hold them down. Until I have broken them I am Tara Jensen." She said before she wiped her tears and she quickly exited the bedroom.
She reached the bottom of the stairs in one leap and exited the house.
She wasn't sure what the future held but she did know that the shadow would come during the Cigam meeting and she needed to be prepared.
___________________________
A steam ship sat silently where The Orient Oceanus and The Pylos Oceanus met. Fair ground dead centre between the four contients of the Cigam territories, around ship there were smaller boats with security personnel from the different Cigam territories. There were guards standing at points on the ship. In truth they guarded against each other than any outside forces.
Inside the ship the conference room inside was large with thirty five people are seated in a circle each of them from all four Cigam groups, the representatives of the people. Normally these thirty five remained silent and interjected when necessary.
In the middle of these thirty sat the four Cigam heads around a round table. Each had a sole guard seated next to them
Tara sat with Grand Witch Jensen dressed in her suit with two sharp knives tucked in the jacket pockets.
Charles Mahoney dressed in a maroon waistcoat, pants to match and a Trilby hat sat next to Madam Annetta Vain.
Claric Ohalo Maho sat next to Valerium Grean, dressed in grey robes with the hood up.
Phillipa the 6th seemed to be the most relaxed, she wore loose fitting silk green pants and a shirt she had her legs up on the table and is smiling. The experienced Bacleen sat next to her.
The room had been silent for a whole five minutes since everyone took their seats. Finn, the non-Cigam normal who acted as speaker and one of few who knew of such gatherings, stepped into the silent room and toom his seat on the highchair at the edge of the room. The man had narrow brown eyes and a broad face.
He wasted no time with getting to proceedings. "I have been informed of what has happened from the perspectives of all four groups that now sit here in front of me. As always I hold no power over whatever decision you all come up with, I can simply interject if I feel it endangers normal people. As it is elementary, should anyone have anything to say you raise a hand. Now you may begin, let's start with the Necromancers and what you have to say." Said Finn, ending with a gesture toward Valerium.
Valerium Grean stood and all eyed in the room turn to him as he always did before he spoke.
"As you might all know the Necromancers had a near takeover years ago, what you may not know is the details of how it was ended. This new presence may not seek peace." Said Valerium pausing to allow his words to sink in, "We necromancers have magical prison set deep in the land of the dead called the Everlast and it holds those who attempted the coup, I suggest we imprison this presence and hold it there until we understand what it is and it's intentions."
Annetta Vain's hand immediately shot up which and was acknowledged by Finn.
"As positive a suggestion as that may be Grean, no one here in the room including the man in the chair trusts anyone who isn't under their colours. That is to say how do we know this presence won't be mined for power or perhaps used against the rest of us." She said.
Murmurs swept through the room accompanied by various nods. Phillipa's hand shot up next as she stood.
"I agree with Anny," which seemes to annoy Annetta, " Grean you did open about a coup gone wrong that once happened. And as you said the initiators of this coup are in your Everlast, how do we know that they and whatever is out there won't make good bed fellows?" Asks Phillipa
Grean shifted uncomfortably before he sat back back down.
The room fell silent yet again, Phillipa remained standing.
"Well I guess that means the floor is mine," She said smiling, "We could spend all night arguing as always and frankly I despise these get together things of ours because in truth I would like nothing more than to tear through every single person in this room that isn't a Warlock." As she spoke her expression intensified
The Warlock representation in the room nodded in agreement. Everyone else seemed slightly surprised but not entirely.
"Now I look around and see fairly capable Cigam at this table, there is one thing to be done. We find this presence and we get rid of it, because it will get rid of us." Said Phillipa. She took her seat and put her feet back up, Bacleen leaned in and whispered something to which Phillipa nodded.
"Phillipa's not wrong," Said Grand Witch Jensen, "Neither is Valerium or Annetta for that matter. We have come together before, Lanifica is proof of that the ones before us created the guardians together to provent any Cigam going there. OUR kinsmen made that witch, mage, necromancer, warlock working together. I suggest we meet this entity and learn its intentions, face it if we must."
Whispers and murmurs swept across the room yet again, from the sound of it there was lot of agreement from where Tara sat.
She had been seated half listening and half waiting for her mother's painting to come to pass.
"If I may be allowed to speak," said an elderly man dressed in warlock colours that stood from the thirty five, he rested his hands on his short staff.
"Of course sir," Said Finn
"The Witch speaks the truth, but it would seem to me that none of us here know what we're dealing with, am I right in saying this?" Said the elderly man ending with the question.
The doors into the room suddenly swung open before anyone could give an answer, murky dark purple smoke moved into the room quickly moving like a living shadow, it spread itself all around the room.
The purple smoke gave spawn to seven beings, all women clad in sleek armour the colour of rusted gold, their faces were covered by helmets, their hair peeked through the underside of their helmets. Each one held a blood stained lance next to them. The Armax Tara had seen in her mother's painting had arrived.
Tara looked around at the other guards who like her now stood behind their respective leaders, she noted how they had tensed up and seemd ready to make a first move if necessary, the leaders seemed calm, perhaps too calm.
Tara resistd a smile creeping across her face at how this would somehow feel like a Sabanaca advanced training routine.
She noted the Armax surrounded the room in its entirety, two covered the exits both the main and the emergency on opposite end of the room.
The mass of purple gathered around the high chair where Finn should have been seated it formed that large purple silhouette that seemed all too familiar to Tara, it gave her goosebumps and an uneasy feeling seeing and feeling the power that radiated off it in person.
Tara's eyes glowed and she began a murmured chant under breath to enhance her agility, speed, strength and reactions. It looked as though it would be hand to half with not much time for spells and she was adept.
Tolb ni alagt kact darh nigt eht no eht secrof lla sesals niks
Desseled eralet eht lartsecna mana dna bada yam yme inhlunku eb delaes
Eht luos si vuma eht erself
Lliw eb tenat ot lliw
As she murmured she noted her temporary teammates making preparations. Charles's clear watches had a steady ruby red glow to them, Bacleen's short staff had green veins snacking on it, his skin was too covered in green veins. Ohalo's staff seems to be in a phantom form of sorts as was the rest of his being.
"So much hostility here tonight," Came a deep voice from the large purple silhouette at the front of the room.
From the silhouette came a bodh flying through the air, Finn landed on the table with a sick thud, out the corner of her eye Tara noted a man in his looking as though he was about to make a run for the emergency exit.
I can't let you do that, she thought.
She touched a spell tattoo on the inside of her left hand "Stringa" a body manipulation tattoo. He focused on the man to force him to remain seated.
"Smart, young witch." Said the deep voice
How did he... ? She thought
Wide eyed Tara whipped her head around just a large man with wild long hair and beard in a tattered black winter coat, a stained dress shirt and breaches barefooted man came into view.
Tara had not seen him until now but there was no mistaking the eyes those red eyes she had seen. It was him.
"That man would have ended up like that thing on the table," Said the man looking right into Tara's eyes making her feel as though the skin was being peeled off her bones.
"You will excuse me for having taken so long, as you can see I have been... indisposed." He said looking down at his garments in disappointment. "But I am here now and fate says this is the right time, for you have all lost your way and need me now." He said.
"Who exactly are you?" Asked Annetta
The bearded man ran a hand through his beard and Tara could swear he saw his eyes flare up before he answered.
"I am Fenix Rage your Cigam god, and these women around you are your former guardians freed from your enslavement now my Armax." Says Fenix, "Oh and young witch your interference was futile," he nodded and the slaughter began.
Mother didn't mean the bodies from the war would be turned, she meant the guards. Realised Tara as she became on alert.
Screams tore through the room as people began getting cut down swiftly.
In the blink of an eye the Armax moved so quickly Tara almost missed a lance point headed straight for Jensen's chest, she was able to grab it and pushed it away at the last moment, she reached into her jacket pocket and unsheathed both knives to follow up with a thrust into the chest of the Armax which she deflects almost harmlessly.
"You need to go right now." Said Tara, not taking her eyes off the Armax member in front of her.
Jameson opened up a portal spell that opened up a new exit to the outside. He then began to rally what Witches that remained through it.
The lights in the room flickered off for a moment and in that moment all the surviving necromancers except for Ohalo Maho disappeared.
At the back end of the room Bacleen protected a small group of Warlocks being sent away through a portal by Phillipa a few at a time. Mages teleported one at a time but not enough people made it out.
The smell of blood began to fill the room and as Tara fought the carpet squelched from the blood soaked within it until eventually all that remained were Bacleen, Charles, Ohalo and herself. All four fought valiantly but it felt as thougb the Armax were merely toying with them.
The Armax moved to gathered in front of Fenix Rage, their rusted gold armour was covered in blood which gave them a maddening look, Fenix leans back in the high chair where he now sat he looked quite relaxed.
Tara and the others stood in a four man line each of them looking determined.
Fenix's eyes darted about as he analysed the four who stood before him.
"Look at yourselves, you stand together and yet you stand alone. It would be easy to murder you all here and now, have the Armax spill your blood, but there is far too much potential." He finished by lingering a gaze on Tara which she matched with a look of curious determination.
Fenix Rage made a fist and all the light bulbs exploded. Tara immediately became guarded , raising her fists which have a knife in each hand, her enhanced sight let her pierce the dark.
They're gone.
Bacleen used his short staff to throws up a few emerald coloured balls of light in the air illuminating the room. All of them turned to face each other.
"How are you doing that?" Asked Tara as she looked at Ohalo who stood away from the light as he seemingly melted into the dim darkness, all but his face was visible.
"A necromancer's natural home is the shadows," He replied
"We all need to go, check on our leaders." Said Charles
"Yeah, hate to break up the team." Said Tara as she turns and headed for the opening Jensen created earlier.
"It was a good fight though, haven't felt like that in years." Said Bacleen before opening a portal and leaving.