The Magus Chronicles Ch. 07

Authors note: The characters, places, names, and such are not to be used, copied, or such actions without the permission from the author. Any places, names, descriptions of real life people, places, and such is pure coincidental. Much effort has been placed in keeping everything in this series very original as possible. This story contains, scenes of sex, violence, and use of magic. Let it be noted that all characters engaging in sexual activities are of legal age of consent.

Personal note: Sorry it's been a bit since I've posted. Health and life has been crazy. Thanks for those who've started following and enjoying my works.

Ch.7

Jack contacted a custom textile and fabric shop. He inquired about having some banners made. They gave him some prices and he emailed the crest he'd seen in his mind and around the property. They tell him it'd be about two weeks to get everything made. He tells them it's fine. He got dressed and decided to wander around the inside of the walls.

First, he went up to the observatory. The place still had a lot of drop cloth covering everything. The eight-inch telescope was functioning properly. He'd spent a few nights looking at the stars and planets. Walking out onto the catwalk he looked around the property. He saw some crews working. He saw massive progress with the inside yard and the outside perimeter. He saw something he didn't expect to see. He smiled as he saw some groups of horses grazing. "How did they get in here?" He asked as he knew the entrance was closed and checking his phone he saw the rear gate was closed.

Walking around the walkway he saw the vines on the wall he was going to look at had been spread open. He saw that there was a hole in the wall. He picked up the radio and called the yard foreman. "Yes, mister Thompson?" The voice asked answering the call. "Hey, can you meet me on the north side of the house? There appears to be a hole in the wall in the area not gotten to yet." Jack said as he made his way downstairs. They said they were headed that way.

Outside they met up and walked towards the wall. There indeed was a huge hole. It was about nine feet wide and thirteen feet high. "Hang on sir, let me pull those down. Looks like there's poison ivy in the mix of those vines." He said pulling on some gloves. The foreman got on the radio and ordered a crew to start working on the north side. "My apologies sir, we should've started on this area sooner," he said. "No, it's fine. You all know what you're doing. And you're making a lot of progress. The same goes for the tree crews. There are a lot of dead and dangerous trees needing tending to. I rather my friends have a safe place to have fun in and not have to worry about something falling on them." He said as he surveyed the damage. He picked up his phone and called the general contractors he'd used before. An hour and a half later they showed up to assist Jack.

Jack looked over as he saw them climbing out of their truck. "Hello again mister Thompson, got more work for us right?" He asked with a laugh. "Apparently so. Found a huge hole in the north wall." He said leading the way. "I see you're moving around a lot better since the last time I saw you." The contractor said noticing Jack didn't have his cane. "Yeah, I did my therapy and had a bit more surgery and I'm doing much better but still have more work to be done." He said as they got to the hole. "Wow, that's a hell of a hole. What do you want to do? Close it up or what?" He asked as he inspected the wall. "Well, I was thinking that it'd be nice to have an additional way to exit the grounds. There's the front gatehouse, the back gate, and the canal right now. The canal really isn't safe and goes to a steep drop-off. I'd like a large gate put in." Jack said. They discuss things more and then the contractor leaves with the notes. For the time being Jack and the foreman bring some wrought iron fencing and block the hole up from letting the horses get loose. The horses would wander around the grounds until they could be caught and broken. With that, he ran to town to deal with errands.

Jack was in town not too far from Beatrice's place shopping and when finishing up looking at his list he looked up over his steering wheel and saw a strange glow coming from a few blocks down the street. He started his car and drove down and around the corner following the glow. It was originating from a pawn shop. He parked his car and headed into the business.

Behind the counter was an Italian man. He looked like a stereotypical shop owner with a half-buttoned-up flower-patterned shirt under a pale jacket. Around his neck were two gold necklaces and a few cigars in the pocket of his shirt. Behind him was what drew Jack to the shop. On a shelf surrounded by other rings and jewelry in a front-facing display case is a ring that is pulsing with energy. Jack asks to see the ring and a female's voice to the side interrupted the man before he can say anything telling him to go tend to the back. The gray-haired wrinkled-skinned female was older than the man possibly his mother.

"Why do you want to see that ring?" the woman asks in a heavy Italian accent as she steps between Jack and the ring. Jack said he thought it was pleasant looking was possibly wanted it. The old woman huffs waving him off and starts walking away.

The old woman rambles as she walks. "Lies. Why do people choose to lie rather than tell the truth? You didn't drive around around the corner come inside and look directly at the ring without looking at anything else because you thought of its looks. You need to grow some palle!" she says as she stops and turns towards Jack. "You need to grow some balls and stand up more for what is true. Just looking at you I read you. I see you want to be better but are afraid. You want to be brave and mighty but you see yourself a vigliacco, a coward. A good and truly brave, person, king, queen, leader, or whomever faces adversity, or challenge regardless of the fear he or she has. And a real man that you want to be will accept what is reality and is true. Now last chance to be true." She says as she stops and looks at Jack as though she's waiting for something.

Jack thinks for a moment and believes that this must be a test of some sort. Did she want him to be truthful about why he came into the store, or truthful about himself? He was told not to say anything about magic. "The truth always helps and in the end is right." Jack hears the detective's voice say. He thinks a bit more and then speaks. "Truth, I was drawn here by something to which I found to be that ring. Truth, yeah I'm a bit of a coward with low self-esteem but I've been working on changing that but with very little luck. Truth, I thought I knew everything about myself but I was wrong." he said as he looked up at the ceiling. Looking back at the woman he says, "Truth, I know I can be better than I am now, and I'm going to work hard to be better." The woman looks at him sternly tapping her finger.

The woman smiles as she picks up the display and brings it to the counter. "That wasn't hard to do now was it young magi?" she says as she places it down. "The diadem is yours again young Preamwood." Jack hears her say as he picks up the ring display. "Huh? What? Diadem? This is a ring, and I'm Jack Thompson, not Preamwood. I just own the Preamwood Estate. Word definitely travels fast around here. And I've never seen this before, so how can it be mine again?" Jack says looking up and is shocked. The scenery of the shop had changed.

The shop was now abandoned and in ruins and it was now eight in the evening. It looked to have been vacant for some time. Part of the building was burnt down. Jack looked at the ring and it did look amazing. The thin band of the ring was onyx trimmed with gold with tiny red speck dots in the gold trim. The setting was an upside-down elongated arrowhead shape with an oval blue stone at the bottom and three slivers of green gems above it. The stones were locked in place by silver designed to look like a tree. The arrowhead itself looked like specks of malachite was used to form the design and was trimmed with gold. On the sides of the ring two more smaller tines of similar design, each had a small purple speck of stone.

He noticed the glow had faded and was absorbed into the gray octagon with a pearl-white gem inside it. On the inside of the band, Jack saw some tiny engravings that he'd need a magnifying glass to be able to read. On the sidewalk Jack sees two beautiful women walking towards him. They smile and wave at him and have some looks in their eyes as though they'd eat him alive. Jack waves back as they walk past him he shakes his head laughing to himself. In his heart, he didn't feel anything. "They're not for you. Only the fated. Only the fated." Jack hears a seductive voiced female say in his mind. Jack put the ring and display in the supplies storage he'd bought for the house. Jack turned in for the night.

Jack found himself in Kendra's bedroom looking down at Kendra naked below him. Her beautiful and delicious body is stroked with his hands. He pulls on her nipples making her bite her lip and grip the bed sheets. He looks down between her legs that are wrapped around his waist and sees that her lips are spread exposing a larger-than-average clit that was engorged and poking out from under its hood. Jack bends over and starts licking her and rubbing her nub that was begging for attention. Slipping two fingers into her wet pussy he rubs the inside running his fingers over some bumps suddenly she has a small orgasm and fluids trickle out and down her. Jack Lines himself up with her and pushes into her. She arches her back and grips Jack's shoulders. Jack has been thrusting into her trimmed mound for a good bit. He feels himself getting closer to his climax. She bites her lip, grabs a hold of one of his hands, and places it on her throat. She starts gurgling and grunting as her eyes roll back into her head.

Suddenly Jack wakes up in bed. He's sweating and his heart is racing. He can feel himself aroused and looks down and sees a tented sheet. He gets out of bed and goes to take a cold shower. Three days had passed since the zombie dire bear attack and it was now Friday. He finishes washing up and as he's walking into the kitchen and dining room area he hears Kendra talking. "Yeah girl, I woke up my bed needed changing... well after I took the edge off. What he did to me in my dream was epic. Pulling my nipples, playing with my large kitty, and when Jack put his hand around my throat as he was pounding me, I woke up mid-orgasm. I kinda wonder how it'd feel if he'd shoved it in back there. If only it'd been for real. I wonder if he really is as big as he felt." She said with a giggle. Jack stopped when he heard that. She and him both had the same dream? Did he enter hers or did she enter his? He didn't know but she apparently enjoyed it from the way she was talking. "Who knows what the future holds kiki. You might just get that itch scratched one day. And like I told you it really is that big." He hears Jessica say. Apparently, they've been talking about him.

Waiting a minute or two Jack walks into the kitchen and is greeted by the two smiling females. "Hey, Jack!" Jessica and Kendra both greet Jack giving him hugs and each kisses him on the lips which kind of surprises Jack but he isn't going to complain. Kendra quickly slid her hand over his crotch briefly as she slid her way between Jack and Jessica. "Want some breakfast, Jack?" Kendra asked walking to the stove. "Sure! Sounds and smells great." Jack said. After sitting down Jack asked what they had planned. "Well we have classes this morning and then college prep for an hour after lunch. Kendra and her mom are going to a gallery expo for a friend. And I will be working on the final touches on my mechanical engineering project to show the teacher. What about you?" Jessica states.

Jack tells them that he is going to finish cleaning the house up. "My main goal for today is to get all the dust cloths removed from everything and send them off to be washed. I don't think the machines will handle all the weight of those sheets. I'm feeling I can move around much better and the pains in my leg are almost gone. With that, I need to get on the ball with getting the place looking better. First I'm going to finish pulling the sheets in the library and then the study. Then after that, I'll go after the workshops and storage building. Once all the sheets are gone I'm going to go through the desk in the study and organize it properly." Jack says. "Twenty-five drawers and twenty dividers all full of stuff. If I have time I'll probably go to town." Jack said before taking a few bites of the plate of food.

Later after eating Jack had pulled all the sheets still covering everything in the house and other structures. He put them in laundry bags and sat them at the front door and called the laundry service. He felt that today was going to be different. He just didn't know how different it was going to be or what was in store for him. He was still wearing some cleaning gloves as he started pulling things out of the desk and setting them out on a long folding table he'd set up. Soon all but one drawer was left. Opening the drawer he finds a black ring box in the back. Opening the box he finds a solid black signet ring. He starts to see the two swirling orbs of mirage effects about ten feet away from him. He ignores the swirls and removes the cleaning gloves. He touches the ring box his vision changes. It was like he was seeing a cut scene with the view before him.

Jack somehow knew that the year was 761c. e. It's late in the evening and he sees a young page sitting outside a door awaiting any need of him while listening to the conversation on the other side of the door. "Cousin I beg you to air to the side of caution. I think you must take what's yours and have everyone leave while we can. I've gotten word he and his forces have been getting closer this way with each passing month. He attacks without notice and leaves nothing but ash when he leaves. I've seen the aftermath and not even corpses were found." one deep voice full of concern voiced out.

Then the master began talking with little to no concern in his voice. "It is fine. All will be well. Here have another drink. I've received word that the council is on the verge of catching him. And if it eases your worries there are several dozen units that have been stationed in the outskirts a half-hour walk from here. If there's a rise for concern we will know well ahead of time. Besides we're up here hidden from others. We'll be fine. Rest your mind." he says then silence and then the thump of the cup being sat down. The first voice replied. "I've already lost almost everything I had, say for a wife and our expected birth to be. My home, six of my wives, and those who were under my care. I wish you not the same fate as I, cousin. I thank you again for taking us in. I shall retire for the night the candles are nearly spent." The other voice said.

It's four months later and it's dark and the room has started to lose its warmth. The door bursts open and a cloaked man with a lantern and a female with a large belly enters the room putting on a cloak as well. "Cousin wake up. Cousin wake up he's here. We have only minutes to escape." the bearded brunette man shakes the bedpost. His cousin a dirty blonde man with a full goatee stirs sitting up and ten females get up and hastily slip various jewelry on and speak incantations to make clothes appear on their bodies. One is large showing pregnancy.

The male climbs out of bed asking how did he get past the council's forces. "I know not the answer. But he's like a flood from the mountains east crashing through everything fast. My scout had little time to warn me. Your perimeter has already been taken over and the courtyard is overwhelmed." The cousin gets dressed looking around searching for something. "Where's the diadem?" he asks but then remembered he'd left it in the great hall. He swears some curse words as he slips on a signet ring as he walks across the room.

The ring's crest had a large brown and silver barked tree with teal leaves. The tree had a dragon on the left side of it and a phoenix on the right. Above the tree three crested moons with the middle moon a bit higher than the others. Below the tree an open book surrounded by a half circle like a bowl of eleven rings. The motto banner stated four words on its length. It stated 'Dignity, Strength, Integrity, Virtue'. With no time to retrieve the diadem, he grabs his sword, and a large pouch, before he then walks to the wall. He opens a hidden passage and ushers everyone in. He closed the door and caused large bricks to close the opening behind the secret door a minute before the doors to the bedroom could be heard busting open. He reaches down and grabs a large pouch off the floor. Inside he sees saplings and seeds. Closing the pouch he heads to meet up with the others. He waves his hand speaking some words and the walls behind him start closing off the tunnel more as they walk. In the room, this man walked in with something glowing in his hands. "Yes, this will do." He said with an evil laugh.

Three long months later it's another dark and ill-fated night. The city is overwhelmed by dark forces and high overhead flying on a creature of nightmares is the one that's been giving both humans and magi alike serious troubles. The magi high council had been formed and tasked to get rid of him and others like him. But this task has been easier said than done. When you don't know where or when he'll attack. And even with oracles and sorcerer's abilities to predict possible events no luck was theirs.

Vaughn Mirwick had an unholy force under his control. He watched as demons, undead soldiers, and mercenaries tore through the city searching for something. Vaughn held up his left hand which had a ring of beauty. The ring band was onyx with a gold trim edging the band with tiny red gems at the lower part. The setting was like a gold-trimmed arrowhead made of tiny jade gems with the point down and the shaft went up and then spread out into three oval teal gems. In the center of the arrowhead a gray octagon with a pearl white gem inside it. To the sides of the ring another smaller tine of green and gold with a small purple stone.

He inhaled before he looked at the ring. "After the others that escaped I swore I would not allow any more of you out of my sight. This was an unexpected find. But I've made use of it. It's a fine way to keep you all with me ensuring nobody else can escape. Now give me your energy." He says as he closes his eyes. The white gem glowed and a surge of energy could be felt flow into him. "Now where are you at? You will come back to me. Your special energy will be mine!" He says as his eyes glow and the smoke and normal view fade away and glows of auras can be seen. He still didn't see what he sought after. He hears thoughts coming to him and he replies, "You all will be proven wrong. I will not be stopped. And those who defy me or get in my way will be cut down. Isn't that right?" he says as he taps against a necklace around his neck. The necklace was red and black beads separated with little gold plates between the red and black beads. The pendant was a black metal figure eight. The upper oval was smaller than the lower. In the center of the lower oval of the figure eight hung a red gem.

Below the city the two cousins who were now each carrying a baby hurried through a secret tunnel exiting the city a good ways away. Looking around they see nothing and wave out two females carrying two more babies. They look back through the trees and see the glow of the fires burning the city to the ground. The cries and screams of those unlucky to have escaped the wrath falling down onto the city. The mayor who was also a magi, had taken the couples in and offered them a safe haven. But somehow they were found. It had to have something to do with what happened about a month and some few days back a noise had awakened the sleeping couples to find a cloaked black-skinned figure with silver hair over one of the sleeping pregnant women who was casting a spell over her belly. The two men quickly drew their swords plunging them through the cloaked person. The figure disappeared dissolving into smoke. They quickly gathered their things and fled.

The dirty blonde man seemed upset more than the other. "Damn my arrogance. Why hadn't I listened to reason? Did I somehow anger the gods to have such ill fate?" the dirty blonde muttered as he'd lost so very much. Possessions could be recovered. The lives however couldn't. Aside from the countless lives he didn't know of, he mulled over the ones closest, the wives he'd lost. Two women had died from poison. He'd lost two women who'd fallen to illness. Slipping on a loose rock sent another head first off a high cliff falling to her death. Three were killed by wild water beasts while trying to bathe in a lake. And the ninth had a mental breakdown and killed herself. Had he'd listen to his cousin he wouldn't have lost all that he had. Everyone who had depended on him and due to his arrogance he failed them. Now all he had left was his cousin, their remaining wives, and their new children.

Three days have passed since leaving the town. The men look back and see unnatural darkened clouds coming their way off in the distance. A screech of strange flying beasts could faintly be heard. The dirty blonde man turns to his cousin and tells them they must split up. They'd continue the way they were headed and once cleared the other family would go east with the promise that when it's time the betrothed would upheld. As they shook hands a pink energy swirled around their hands. The dirty blonde promised they'd send a signal for them once safe. "If you've not received a signal, you or your children when they become of age must find us." The dirty blonde man then conjured two more clones that walked with them.

Eventually, they happened upon a ruined farmhouse and barn. They found a corral with two horses. The man dismisses the other clones, searches the area, and finds that the family has been ripped to pieces. The man quickly readies the horses and helps the woman get on one. They take off and in three days time, they see their destination. The man sitting outside sees them coming and waves them in. He sees something in the distance and rubs his ring. His eyes glow and he sees dark figures and beasts tracking the family about two or three days behind them.

The dirty blonde man gets off his horse and the host helps the female down. "Isaiah Grimwood my old friend it's good to see you again. I feared being caught so we split from the others. Time has treated you well." Isaiah shakes his head saying "I wasn't expecting you all for another two days. I see you picked up time with the horses. And I treat time well as it treats me. We must hurry I'm afraid we don't have long as there's much to prepare. Do you have everything?" The man hands him a satchel, two sacks, and a book as they head inside. "Where are your other wives?" Isaiah asks as they enter the house. He's told the story of their fates. "Ah, nice the seeds and saplings. So I have some dire information for you. My information gathering in the future showed some ill-fated news." Isaiah says as the door closes. "I told you before, tell us not the future less fate bites us in the rear." The man replied.

The shadowy figures finally arrive at Isaiah's house and emerge from the shadows. They're wearing black and purple garments that resemble something desert dwellers wear. They spread out quickly upon searching the grounds they find nothing. No evidence or track of where they might have gone. They leave and return to Vaughn. They removed the shrouds and their bodies were black with silver tribal markings. Their eyes and irises glow with purples and blues. Their hairs are white, silver, and gray. They reported their findings and promised to uphold their contract. They'd find them as they'd be able to sense whenever they're in range from the mark placed. They'll search far and wide until they find their target. They fade into the shadows and disappear.

The vision stops and Jack finds himself back in the study. He shakes his head and sees the swirls are still floating ten feet away from him. He pulled the ring out and slipped it onto his left pinky finger and was surprised that it fit him perfectly. Suddenly the black ring started changing. The black started turning to silver and the setting started to appear revealing the crest Jack had seen underground in the back of the tunnel. The swirls started to get more powerful and wind and energy sparks like lightning started shooting out in the room.

Jack rushed out the door and outside the house to get away from what was happening but the orbs were now following him. Jack pulls out his phone and calls Beatrice's number. "Aunt Bea something is happening! I found a ring and put it on and suddenly these swirls I've seen here and there started creating high winds and sparks of energy and are following me anywhere I go." He said as he ran down the driveway trying to get away from the house to try to get away from the orbs that were following him. Beatrice tells him that she and her daughters would be there as soon as she could.

Suddenly a huge burst hit Jack from behind sending him tumbling over himself. He rolled for a few feet and managed to get up. He looks up and sees something that he didn't expect to see. He sees a Viking dressed female warrior fighting a large dark blue lion with a black mane-like beast that has large sabertooth fangs and glowing light blue streaks of energy on its body.

~***~

Deep in a dark place, a man dressed in dark hooded robes tortures the now-confined detective. "I know you had your mind altered. But I will get the answers I want. Who else knows about this place? Who did you tell detective? Answer and your death will be quick. If you do not tell me the pain and suffering you will endure will make you pray to the gods that your death will come!" The man growled as he shoved a knife into the detective and started slicing him. The detective tries to bear the pain. The hooded man's hand had started glowing and placed it onto the detective's face. "Tell me or I will let her have her fun," the man said. Suddenly the detective screams out in agony. "NOOOOO NOT HER! NO!" The detective sobs as the man walks away and shuts the door leaving.

A female figure emerges from the shadows. She walks up to the detective and licks up the side of his face. "You are going to be so... much.... fun! Say your final prayers detective!" the female says as she grows claws and sinks them into the detective's belly. "Talk to me my little dinner tray." The female said as she started pulling on his flesh.