Battle Mage Chapter 9

A night of Bowling with the Council!

Wednesday was bowling day. It had been the night of bowling since days long passed. More precisely, since the council reached high school. Years passed and they kept this tradition going. What started with brainwashing their parents and the manager for game money became their weekly escape from all things council and stress related.

The bowling alley itself had its series of regulars but The Council saw the workers come and go, often saying to themselves, “Where did this person go?” Through the years they failed to realize that people change, jobs come and go, and nothing lasts forever.

They, however, stuck to their ritual. It used to be a day of fun, excitement and party, now it was simply just their sanctuary to unwind.

Now, two days after the murder in the park and with forces closing in on all sides, the unsuspecting group of friends played the night away.

The building was really a lost relic of the 1960’s. It had been built to accompany a diner that had once existed across the street. The only evidence now of that diner is a picture framed in the boss’s office. The paint job on the place had been done time and time again, each trying to capture the feel of the current age. The most bizarre transitions were done in the 80’s and 90’s which featured random shapes and loud colors.

Now the architecture conflicted with jet black exterior, neon outside lights, and bright words, “Super Bowl.”

Carlos Puente took out his ugly bowling shoes first when exiting the car, the rest of his horrid outfit followed suit. These were his lucky shoes and in younger, more vulnerable days, he had enjoyed dressing goofy for the sakes of laugh. This tradition had not completely died on him yet and he kept it alive every Wednesday he could.

He pictured in his mind as he began his strut the song from Saturday Night Fever, he couldn’t remember what it was called, but the disco lover inside of him was rising. The black doors parted at his welcoming, and he liked to pretend he did that with his abilities, but he knew three months ago the Super Bowl had finally caught on with the times and brought in auto electronic doors.

The place opened up and he was greeted by the sounds of men going to war with their pins and balls. A  loud clash of thunder, followed by the death of those who tried to stand against it. Numbers were falling and being added in ways that Carlos could only be thinking of.

Jules was already in front of him ordering a game. Beside Jules was Jessica, the two were talking about something about attacking gods or whatever.

“I tell you it’s a great show!” That voice belonged to Jessica.

“I just don’t see it! Animation quality, yes phenominal, but I could give a rat’s a*s about the last city. It’s a lame gimmick.”

“How many episodes did you watch?” Jessica responded.

“Two.” Jules realized by voicing this truth he lost a lot of reason to complain.

“I didn’t mean to walk into an anime debate, mind saving it for after we kick Jules’s a*s?” Carlos got involved.

“Otaku to you too a*****e,” Jules saluted with a bit of giggliness to Carlos. He then went on, “If after two episodes, I am not interested in the least, am I a horrible human for writing off a show? Back me up Carlos!”

“Where is your team Jules?”        

Jules pointed to the concession stand, “Getting food. I could send them a magical page if you want anything.”

“Fries will be enough.” Carlos wasn’t really in a hungry mood.

Rather than use his actual “powers” likes Jules said he would, Jules yelled, “The son of a goat herder wants fries!”

Anna’s voice rang from the heavens, far away, “The vato wants what?”

“The piss-ant wants fries!” Jules responded.

Laurence chimed in next to Anna to Jules, “Use the force, I can’t hear a word your saying other than piss-ant and fries!”

Anna then got a word in with the man with the food and re-yelled back, “Tell the chubacabra they are out of fries!”

Jules, with no restraint told Carlos, a bit too loudly, “They are out of fries!”

However another voice, “They aren’t out of fries.” It was Laurence. Anna just ribbed him in the side to keep his silence.

“I heard that!” Carlos yelled, giving into the mob mentality of juvenile behavior.

Anna rolled her eyes, “You happy now Laurence, now everyone is going to be wanting fries. This is how anarchy starts.”

Carlos began to change the channel, “So Julio, what lane are we thinking today?”

Jules looks the cashier in the eye, “What sayest thou bully Bottom? I’m thinking twelve.  Do you think we can run a few games on twelve?”

After Jules receives his nod, he turns around to engage in conversation with Carlos and Jessica over anime, the unnecessary racism of Carlos being Hispanic, and more. While this was happening an individual walked by, “I’ll take lane 13.” The cashier nodded, gave the person some shoes and went on his business as nothing happened.

The council, the group of friends rather, met in the middle, Anna and Laurence bringing up the food and snacks, and regretfully the fries, and everyone picked their designated seats for the night.

The teams started out stubbornly. Jessica, with some level of previous bowling experience claimed she could score with the points of any two of her friends. Carlos followed suit trying to prove how manly he was against his lover Anna back in the day. So Jessica and Carlos got together as a team, while Laurence and Jules; tag team partners backed up Anna and they as a trio formed the other team.

As they got older, the game became whoever scored the most would get a collection of five dollar bills. Jessica and Anna would go back to back on being the winners when magic was not involved. When magic was involved, weird things tended to happen and on occasion outsiders would take notice.

On such occasions it wasn’t uncommon for all five members of the group to score a perfect 300. It was also not uncommon for magic to be used for sabotage, and depending on mentality, it could get out of hand easily.

This night, magic seemed to have disappeared and the world of skill was trying to be observed.

“So, you would be against me bringing Attack on Titan over Sunday?” Jessica asked Jules bluntly.

“No, I just am saying, naked giant monsters with no anatomical parts eating humans, while different, doesn’t strike me as creative.”

“Compared to what? Kids in high school, a clutsy teenaged female who has eyes for a hero who pilots a giant robot?”

“Was that an insult to anything in specific?” Jules asked offended.

Laurence chimed in, “That’s like half the non mainstream s**t right there.”

“And a couple of the mainstream!” Jessica spouted.

“Wait wait wait!” Jules tried to get the conversation on track, “You’re saying that you don’t like anime anymore?”

“No, I am just saying, as with Western entertainment, there is a lot of the same s**t, over and over again. Anime, while out there in concept, rehashes a lot. Attack on Titan is unique, different and you are going to remember it versus ‘Giant Robot Deathzinger Beta X’.”

Carlos rolled his eyes, “Just f**k and get it over with. When you’re done, we got a game to set up. Now let me finish programming these damn dumb names into this blasted contraption.”

“Dumb names?” Jessica got offended.

Carlos instantly inserted “Jackass” for Jessica’s slot. Everyone could hear Anna laugh and when Jessica looked at the board, she returned a cross look at Carlos. The man got his back tall, in defiance to what she would do.

Jules was laughing. Jules would pay for this as well then! Carlos wrote the letters B and J.

“BJ? Really?” Jules looked curious.

“Yeah its short for blowjo…”

“I know what its short for you illegal b*****d you!”

Anna, “What’s my new name?”

“B***h? S**t? I like s**t!” Carlos replied.

In an instant the console turned off and on. “Sorry Carlos,” Anna said apologetically. Everyone knew had she put a little more energy, she could have made the console explode. They were all giving her a look. She just simply admitted her fault and they continued.

“But wait!” Laurence interjected, “If everyone has a name, why can’t I have one!?”

The console, with input received, signaled the first game.

Strikes were soon heard soaring on lane twelve. This was not magic, this was years of constant bowling leading up to actual skill. However, as the first game was coming to a close, Anna and Jessica were neck in neck going into the 9^th frame with 260 and 265 respectively. Jules was cussing up a storm, and Carlos was talking trash to his beloved friend, “BJ.”

“How is Lucy?” Carlos asked.

Jules responded, “You asking as a friend or…”

“Healthy curiosity.”

“She is good. If you’re asking, her training goes well. She is applying self-defense classes to her fighting style.”

“Her grasp on application?” He asked quietly.

“That, not so well. I am sure Luke progresses further than her on that end.” Carlos couldn’t believe what Jules said. The acknowledgement that Luke was ahead was shocking, and in a way, very easy on the ego. He saw Jules’s face, it was serious; no room for lies.

“And how about the other stuff?”

Jessica yelled, “You are up partner.”

“Be there in a second." Carlos got up and excused himself.

A hand grabbed Carlos’s arm. “You feel it don’t you?” Jules looked Carlos in the eye, “I know we said no council business, but you feel it. I know you do. You can’t hide it from me. It’s out there, it’s coming.”

“What is it Julio?”

“I don’t know. A coming storm of sorts… Forgive me, enjoy the final frame, we can talk about this later Chubacabra.”

Carlos got up and grabbed his lucky “8-Ball,” a ball decorated like a pool ball. Instantly it guttered. Everyone made a hiss and sigh. They did not expect his failure to be so passionately horrific. The sound of the gutter was so awful that it attracted the attention of the man in lane thirteen.

Ben simply chuckled, and went back to his game.

It was weird for Ben, being around such blatantly strong auras. He could not put his finger on why these magic users would not hide their energy when in public, especially together. Ben spent the entire afternoon making sure that his aura was well sealed so he could go out in public and see them in action.

He enjoyed listening to their talk. The one called Laurence reminded Ben of a guy at his old high school, the lady’s man who was actually a big nerd. He was unimposing enough, but from what Ben gathered from the group’s conversations, he was a fighter of some sort, no doubt using his gifts to earn some money and spectacle.

He sensed from the one called Anna and Carlos a sort of tension, it was almost hostile but the bond between them was still strong, almost overwhelming. He wanted to understand just what that meant, but he was never versed in the ability to read specific auras.

Jessica, so he sensed, was a weakling. She seemed to have a grasp on basic magic, but nothing that really came out. He did not even know why she was with them, clearly judging the difference in aura strength.

He discovered Jules and Carlos the night before at the crime scene in the park while scouting the area in astral form.

How odd it had been to see a man wearing a paper star over his coat, and telling people he was a detective. How even more odd it was to see the two of them walk into the crime scene together and begin to dissect it thoughts and illusions.

The wannabe detective was unable to be possessed for some reason, it was as if there was a wall, but the figure called Carlos seemed more than willing. All it took was a backdoor entrance, when Carlos let his soul wander to create the crime scene as it was, that the warlock was able to slowly bleed in.

Since then, he got a good lock on their scent and followed them to this very location. Fortunately, he was good at hiding his aura. He noticed Jules give him a once over, clearly a curiosity, but nothing was sticking.

To hide in plain sight. Ben felt his adrenaline rush. He instantly bowled a strike.

“Looks like I win again Jackass!” Anna got up and yelled. She had also bowled a strike and Jessica, as well as everyone forked over five dollars to the queen of lane twelve. The gutter shot that Carlos so lovingly did was the essential poison pill that killed him and Jessica’s chances for a win with the handicap on.

Jules got up and yelled, showing every ounce of his nerd, “Looks like it’s five hours of retro 70’s anime!”

Jessica just punched him in the arm. Jules just continued to rub it in, “Shame, I was really looking forward to getting into Attack on Titan.”

“No one likes you Jules, go away!”

“No one likes you ‘BJ’!” Jules corrected Jessica. Another slug in the arm.

Laurence slapped Jules in the arm. “Sorry, I just wanted to join in on the fun.”

The night began to dance forward as one game turned into three. Jules sat by himself on a set of a chairs facing the increasing numbered lanes. Everyone in his group seemed to be out of sight and more so, out of his mind.

His thoughts went to pretty Lucy. She had told him on the phone last they spoke that she would be spending the night at work, doing a series of creative brainstorms with her company.

She recently graduated from art school and found herself employed by NeoCreations, a company dedicated to art and animation, from traditional, flash, and CG. A month ago she got swamped with work when a major studio hired them for movie eight in an ongoing sci-fi franchise.

He could picture her bored with her boss and her rival at work Kevin for pitching non-stop bad ideas while she would plead with them to think out of the box with one of her own. She was weak when it came to office politics but the general consensus according to their private conversations was that Lucy was a rising star but Kevin had his hands in the right cookie jars.

Was she thinking of him? Was she thinking of their ride along tomorrow night? As there was a warlock, was she safe from him?

“Hooked on a Feeling” seemed to pop into Jules’s head, and he stood up to do his turn. He found himself humming the intro.

On lane thirteen, Ben watched the tunnel give birth to his bowling ball as he grabbed for it, “I can’t stop this feeling,” he started to sing to himself.

“Deep inside of me…” Jules slammed the ball through the pins scoring a strike.

“Girl you just don’t realize, what you do to me.” Ben stared down the pins, he pictured an army standing against his might. He thought it through over and over and realized that his path was one of violence and danger. He could die if he let his guard down.

Jules got his next turn in gear, he focused on his inner energy. Had he paid attention he would have noticed that his team has no chance of winning this round. There was trash talking all around. Carlos was drunk beyond drunk, and Laurence was going on a spiel about the best types of a*s from all around the world, by country and category. Jules simply heard himself singing the verse, “Lips as sweet as candy, the taste is on my mind.”

He pictured Lucy laughing at one of his jokes. He knew he had to protect her. She would die if they found out her true nature. He saved her life once, he would be damned if she died now! As he threw, he wondered to himself, what was the warlock’s next step? It was supposed to take place tonight. Yet they were all here and there was nothing he could do. The ball hit the gutter at the end.

“Girl you got me thirsty for another cup of wine.” Ben had never fought another magic user before. He needed to make sure he had a proper gameplan. He wondered if the news would be breaking the story any time soon. It was like attempting to distract himself while waiting for a gift at home.

Would his plan work? He went out of the box for this potential masterpiece, but if he planned it right, the double homicide should be happening any second now. Ben looked to the fellow magic users on his left, what would be their reactions?

How would they each fight?

Jules noted a sound, and the song in his head had stopped. On lane thirteen a figure fell to the floor then disappeared into thin air. No, it was nothing, a trick of the mind surely. Jules felt a slap on his back, it was Laurence blaming him for the team’s loss.

The warlock kept his eyes closed. He was invisible, he had to stay invisible and hoped no one noticed him. He didn’t hear any murmurs so that was good. The surge of energy was sweeping into him, threatening to overwhelm him.

His double homicide went to plan, the ritual had been completed. Dark energy was circling around the entire bowling alley trying to find the conductor.

Jules felt it, they all felt it. The Dark was rising and then….it seemed to disappear.

“What was that?” Jessica asked, looking around, “Did you all feel that too?”

Ben found the bathroom and uncloaked himself. He breathed in, and he devoured every bit of the essence. He exited the stall, simply nodded at a random passerby and went back to his lane.

Jules and Ben made a brief second of eye contact, but Jules clearly thought nothing of it.

The night had come to its conclusion for all parties. Jules and Ben walked to their methods of transportation. Ben tapped Jules on the shoulder, “See you soon.” Jules figured it was one of the regulars.

Ben knew, in his mind, Jules; the entire group centered around Jules’s aura. He was their pillar. He was the glue. Jules is the tie that binds. Ben would start with him. 

Author's Note

Enjoy and feel free to leave feedback and criticisms.