All is Fair

An extract from the journals of Sister Venerae

Pan City, POZ

September 7th, V26 - Dusk

Today was another day of combing the city, trying to find clues to the whereabouts of Penny Deeds and her Warlock.

It saddened me to think that the woman I still loved had fallen so far into the darkness. Warlocks were the most feared and reviled of all Adepts. Even Necromancers refused to associate with them and that is saying a lot. For someone who messes about with corpses and corrupted flesh to think you are beneath their worth is pretty harsh.

I knew why Penny had made this deal. She was after the staggering bounty that had been offered to bring Jericho-Three down. If that meant she had to ally herself with the Devil incarnate she would do so. She had many flaws to her character, but then so did I. I did not love her because she was perfect, but because she was as broken a human being as I was.

The setting sun cast a halo of red fire across the clouded sky, silhouetting the towers of Pan City. Lights were already gleaming in the streets below but there were not the usual crowds of commuters heading home or people heading out for meals and entertainment.

The City was locked down, fearful of the attacks being made in the Zone. Penny and her cohorts were behind it and I could only assume this was all part of their plans.

I sat on the edge of the building I had been searching, my legs dangling over the side. A breeze came in from the bay, bringing the smell of salt and sea. A sigh escaped my lips and I wondered how Millie was faring. She had been caught up with her partner Twenty in all of this and I was worried they could get badly hurt or even killed. Jericho-Three had involved them once again, hardly a surprise to anyone who knew him like I did.

As for my old partner, she was relentless. Two unstoppable forces crashing against each other, with the Zone caught between them. Penny was not going to spare anyone who got in her way and I prayed my little niece was safe.

“Penny for your thoughts” said a woman’s voice to my side. I glanced over at the sleek black raven that had hopped up onto the roof edge with me.

“Is wish you wouldn’t project your voice through Parsifal” I said to the familiar, “It is seriously creepy”

“How goes the search for the elusive Miss Deeds?” asked Longflower, still using her poor raven as a phone. I know she is a talented Witch, but using her familiar to make person to person calls in this day and age was embarrassing for us both.

“She had already moved on from this location” I replied. There was no point telling Longflower to stop abusing her bird this way. She had been born some centuries before Bell even invented the telephone, so asking her to join us in the twenty first century was a losing battle. She preferred the old ways.

Which I could relate to, since in an era of lasers and railguns I fought with a sword forged in the First Crusades. I was a traditionalist in my own way too.

“Has the moggy patrol turned up any more leads?” I asked the familiar.

“Please don’t refer to my little children as moggies” she said primly. It was quite eerie to have her cultured French accent come out of the raven’s open beak. At least the poor bird just had to leave its mouth open so the magic would work. It did not actually have to replicate her words with its own larynx.

“OK” I conceded, “Have your darling little cats spotted anything new?”

“There has been some unusual activity at a residential tower in the Eighth District. One of my children found evidence of a corpse being hidden in a trash compactor. Run of the mill I know, but the child relayed to me an image from the body. It shows definite signs of ritual execution”

“For a Mare?” I replied.

“That is not clear. There are plenty of crackpots doing rituals here in Pan City, so it may be unrelated to the Warlock” she answered via Parsifal.

“Best lead I’ve got so far. Give me the address” I noted the details down in a notebook. Even without a map I had a good idea of how to get there.

“Thanks Longflower. I appreciate your help”

“You can buy me a nice bottle of red next time you visit” her familiar said. “By the way, are you still staying out of touch with the Order? They have asked for my help to find you”

“I need to stay off their radar for a few more days” I told her. “Things are coming to a head, one way or another. When the time is right I’ll contact the Bishop”

“Very well” she agreed and let go of her control over Parsifal. The raven looked relieved and shook itself all over, flexing his wings wide.

I stood and stretched too, working the kinks out of my back. Even with a body that did not age, I still felt all the wounds and scars I had taken in my decades of service to the Order.

“Ready to fly, Parsifal?” I asked the raven. He cocked his black head to one side and regarded me with a single yellow eye. What I did was not really flying, not like his Mistress could do. I still thought it was fun anyway.

I stepped off the ledge, dropping down to the street below. Parsifal let out a cry and dived after me, circling me gleefully as we both descended through the evening sky. When I judged I was halfway down I focussed my power into the levitation spell foci tattooed on each of my palms.

“Levitus” I commanded and twin circles of runic light appeared beneath my hands, slowing my fall. I drifted to a gentle landing on the pavement and dismissed the spells. It was flashy and absolutely forbidden to use magic like this where an unsuspecting public could see. Like I really cared these days.

Parsifal flew a couple of laps overhead then winged his way towards his mistress’s home. I waved farewell and he cawed out an acknowledgement. Longflower would be focussing her mind towards her feline servants now that the sun had set, sending them further afield in the city.

The witch was an interesting acquaintance, someone I had met in the last couple of years. Her full name was Lady Emmanuelle Longuefleur, born she claimed in Normandy France around 1623. That made her over four hundred years old, even though she had the appearance of a youthful woman in her early thirties. Her power was linked with the Master she had bound herself to, a denizen of the Dark Side.

I had no idea who that Master was, but she played it square with me and had committed no violations of the Covenant. My opinion and attitude towards someone is always driven by their actions, so I treated her as a friend. That was how she behaved towards me even if my Order and her Master were theoretically opposed.

Having a fellow long lifer helped sometimes. We were both out of step with this modern world, more so in Longflowers case. I had few people I could talk to of my own age so I enjoyed our conversations. It was funny to think that in our friendship I was the junior one and by a long shot.

I stopped and checked my location and the intended destination in my head. Once the route was clear in my mind I activated the Obscuration spell, hiding me from the sight of mortal creatures. Now came the next step, drawing more power from my internal reservoir to activate my most recent Spell Focus. Two tattoos banded my feet, hidden for now beneath my knee length black boots. They gave me the ability to use Stride of the Giants, a spell that allowed each step I took to cover nearly 30 meters. Ironic since I have the blood of giants in my family line.

“Celerus” I said and sent my power into the twin foci. Rune light tinged green surrounded my feet, invisible to the mortal world. My first step took me to the end of the street and I turned right and kept striding.

The night time cityscape flowed past me as I accelerated my pace, running now down the empty streets. Wind from my passage roared past me and I left trash billowing wildly in my wake. It was exhilarating and I revelled in the moment, my coat and hair streaming behind me as I ran.

My boots were beginning to warm up, the soles especially from the speed I was moving at. This was a useful spell but it wore out shoes faster than a teenaged boy. The residential tower I was searching for came into sight and I slowed my pace, walking now and then stopping completely. I released the spell and the glow faded from my feet. The boots steamed slightly in the cool evening air, bringing a scent of burnt rubber to my nose. I wafted it away and moved silently towards the foyer of the building.

Time to find my contact.

=====

A small grey cat with mottled fur was cleaning itself by the door to the foyer, sitting just inside the circle of light from the overhead fixture. It glanced up at me as I approached, regarding me with pale green eyes.

“Sister Venerae of the Order of Michael” I introduced myself to the cat and bowed from the waist. Its green eyes sought mine and then satisfied with my courtesy, turned and led me towards the doorway. I have found before that Longflower’s children demanded respect in order to gain their help. A can of tuna afterwards never hurt either and I had one in my pocket just in case.

The automated doors opened and we entered a typical residential tower foyer. It was spacious, with a series of guest chairs and a low table to one side, overseen by an entertainment screen currently set to show local news and weather. Nearby were some vending machines for drinks and snacks, enticing video displays racing across their fronts. Ahead was a set of four elevators that serviced the apartments above. To the other side was an access door to the stairwell and some utility cabinets. There was no-one currently in sight.

The cat led me to the stairwell door and looked up at me expectantly. The door was opened using a smart key that any resident would have, the same one to unlock their apartment. I took a small metal wand about the size of a ballpoint pen from my jacket, the shaft marked with runes. My Obscuration spell was still in place so I was not worried about being seen, but a door that opened by itself may cause comment.

I did a quick check around once more to confirm no-one was in sight. There were a couple of security cameras but I didn’t think they would react to what I was about to do.

“Libero” I uttered and sent power to the wand. The security panel flashed green and the door unlocked. With my furry escort in tow I went through the door and we descended to the basement. All the security systems in the world are vulnerable to the right kind of magic.

As we trod silently down the stairs, my only concern was how much power I had already expended this early in the evening. My reservoir of energy refilled from the Dark Side with dusk, which was less than half an hour ago. I had plenty still in reserve, but it would be close to 24 hours before I could regain any energy I used on spells.

Being a seasoned magic user, I had grown my personal reservoir over the years. I could not imagine how much energy an Adept as old as Longflower could hold within herself, plus she could draw power from Parsifal. One of the many perks of having a Familiar.

Looking at the grey cat stepping down the stairs beside me, I wondered how cool it would be to have a Familiar of my own. Not that the Order would ever allow such heresy. Familiars were bound from the Dark Side, a type of lesser Mare in fact, and to have one would be tantamount to signing my own death warrant.

A door at the bottom led us into the basement. Strip lights on the ceiling illuminated the low roofed space. One side was filled with cars and scooters in an array of parking bays. The other side held a laundry room and a trash storage area. There was a ramp leading up to the surface, barred at the top by a smart key controlled roller door. Without a pause the cat went to the trash room.

I reached out with my Path sense, searching to detect any living beings that may be down here with us. Nothing registered but that did not mean we couldn’t have something else here, hidden from my Norn sight. The Warlock I was chasing had made a pact with some being so powerful they could block this ability of mine. I had to remain wary at all times, an exhausting way of life.

The door to the trash storage area opened easily. An automated light flickered on, triggered by the door I hoped and not because it detected me. There were a number of chutes for residents to dump large trash bags into, linked to ones that fed from each floor. They all fed to an automated compactor that processed and recycled what it could, sending the material via an underground network to a central factory. No garbage trucks needed in this city of the future.

Beside the chutes was a large covered bin, intended for bigger pieces of garbage. A label on the cover advised this was emptied once every two days. I opened the lid and saw the broken furniture, old TVs and bagged piles of rubbish that I expected. But no sign of any body.

I looked for the cat, trying to work out why it had brought me here. There was no sign of it either.

“Oh crap” I muttered and took Ferro Mortis, my sword, off my back and drew it from the scabbard. Another ambush I had to assume. I did not think Longflower had set me up, of that I was pretty certain. Odds were the cat that led me down here was not one of her Children. Maybe a Mare bound into a cat form, which meant it could be close by, waiting to strike.

“Ferro Mortis” I spoke and channelled power into the sword. It lit up with the blue glow of the Divine Strike spell focus that was inscribed into the blade.

“Here, kitty, kitty” I sang and turned in a circle. It may be hiding in one of the trash chutes, but I would have heard it open. Did it even come into this room with me? Moving cautiously, I opened the door that led into the basement space once more. In the middle of the concrete flooring the cat was lying on its side, moving feebly. Whatever Mare it had hosted, it was in the open now.

With my glowing sword leading the way, I took one cautious step after another towards the little grey shape. The only sound was a pitiful mewling from the cat and the hum of the overhead lights. I reached the cat and gazed into its pain filled eyes. Hosting a Mare was agony for any living being, whether they were human or an animal.

“I’m sorry little one” I whispered to it. Then the lights went out and the Mare attacked.

=====

Something razor sharp lashed at me from the darkness, ripping across my coat. It skittered across the material, unable to gain purchase.

It was a new coat I had crafted especially for me from a durable armour weave, impregnated with a Strenghten spell matrix. Once a day it had to be recharged using my power from the Dark Side, then for 24 hours it gave incredible resistance to cuts and bullets. I hoped it would be enough to stop this Mare from ripping me open.

Whatever it was had taken out the lights, so I assumed it was a Shadow Mare. All Mares are stronger at night, but Shadow Mares revel in the darkness. I spun slowly, Ferro Mortis held before me, lighting up the basement weakly with its blue luminescence. Shadows danced and moved, giving the Mare far too many places to lurk.

Darkness moved to my right and I swung Ferro Mortis in a broad arc. It bit into something and the shadows howled as the enchanted blade severed a long tentacle of black flesh. I could see the wicked talon at its tip for a moment in the weak glow and then it dissipated into oily vapour.

Two tentacles lunged at me from my unguarded side, one striking the coat and recoiling, the other cutting a shallow furrow across my calf. This was bad news, as Shadow Mares excreted a toxin that caused blindness. If I stayed and tried to fight, the blindness would overwhelm me soon.

The quickest way out of this place was the vehicle ramp. I leaped into motion, running as fast as I could with the stinging pain from my leg. Darkness followed me, filling the space behind me with tentacles.

I felt them lash against my back and arms but the armour held them off. Ferro Mortis was thrust in front, lighting my way to safety. My boots hit the sloping ramp and I surged upwards, my sight already starting to fade. With a crash I hit the metal door that blocked the opening and spun back to face the Mare.

A monstrous thing of black tenacles writhed at the base of the ramp. It had no face or eyes I could see, just a horrific nest of serpents reaching for me, each tipped with an oily talon of ebony. My sword was fading, then I realised it was not the blue glow that was failing. It was my eyes.

There was only one choice left. After this I would be drained of my magic and blinded by the Mare. I would be defenceless.

“Expulsio!” I screamed and threw my remaining power into the spell focus that circled by stomach. It is my most potent magic but also my most crippling.

The whole basement lit up with the holy blue light of Michael, my master. I screamed in torment as my many sins were revealed, paraded in exquisite detail before my mind in mere moments. The agony overwhelmed me and I fell to the ramp, rolling down to end in a heap at its base.

As bad as the spell was for me, it annihilated the Shadow Mare instantly, blasting it back across the Boundary as a husk of its former self.

I lay sobbing on the floor, unable to see and barely capable of movement. Reliving all those moments in my past where I had chosen to commit sin was so much to bear, I wondered if I could go on.

Only one thought sustained me. My love for a child I had abandoned and for her I needed to continue living. Blindly I dragged myself up the ramp, finding Ferro Mortis and taking it with me. My hands scrabbled across the metal door, seeking a place I could wedge the blade under. I got the point under the lip and I started to lever it up.

With a sudden jerk the door rose of its own accord, the grinding squeal of the metal rolling across itself loud and piercing.

“Oh great” I thought, “I am going to be driven over by a car now” A perfect end to my life.

“Goodness Venerae, you are in a frightful state” said Longflower.

I felt her warm hands lift me up and carry me away.