Battle Mage Chapter 17

The Epilogue To Act 2 A wind down of the aftermath at the museum and hints of whats to come.

Chapter 17

 

The moonlight sky turned to rain before was set to come. The rain started with a light sprinkle but soon turned to heavy drops and lastly an infinite sheet of water flowing to earth. The distance between inches and feet was a dense night fog. The earth, the city was being cleansed of its sin. The shower washed away the evil, the betrayal, and evidence that a terrible and bloody war was raged.

In the shower, Luke saw nothing but the tile wall. He wanted to embrace the heat of the moving liquid. He wanted to enjoy the comforter like warmth of the water that bathed him. He leaned forward just a bit after flushing his hair back. His forhead felt the cold pressure against the wall. It was that one reminder that this moment was real. If this moment was the real thing, then did that mean everything leading up to it was real? Or could it be a lie?

He hoped it was the latter as the water pressure tried to massage his back muscles. Luke rotated his shoulders and his neck. A raise of his face to the faucet and it threatened to drown him if he let it. The water rebounded from his closed eye lids and he gritted his teeth. He was a failure. He was a piece of s**t.

He was alive.

It was raining outside and only two hours ago he was staring at a creature sent from hell that had wanted to kill him. His body trembled and he could feel the hair on his pores rising. The goosebumps were just getting stronger with every notion. His head was shaking left to right as if to say “no” to reality that he had entered.

When Carlos took him under the wing, Luke knew that he was entering a world too big for what he wanted to comprehend. The demon, her face was staring at him with a soft yet intoxicating smile. Yet her skin, her horns, her very existence was proof of an entity made of evil. It would have killed him in one moment if he let his guard down. He did let his guard down because he didn’t want to accept reality.

Lucy called out to him. Her voice was screaming in his head. He didn’t remember what the actual words were, they changed everytime he replayed the event. He could see her, if his mind stayed on that channel, being devoured over and over again.

He was alive. That was a good thing, right?

Yes. It was a good thing. He was now here, in this shower. Able to embrace the warmth of the water against his aching body. He was breathing those sweet sighs of relief, letting go the pain and tension that had been building up. In ten years he would be in his mid to late thirties. Ten years, another decade to that life span. All that would have been flushed had he stayed.   

Luke had stayed there though. He escaped the museum alive. He had no scars to prove of his battle or his weakness. He did however find himself running through the adjacent building across the street. His steps had been driven by fear until he made his way to the roof.

He saw Jules, in a hospital gown no less being carried off like a hero. That pathetic scrawny man was a fool. He almost died a fool and he was treated like a martyr who was to be buried at sea. He saw the way Lucy kissed him on the cheek.

What did such genuine affection, from a girl who Luke couldn’t even get two seconds from, do to be earned by such a beautiful thing like her?

The shower water poured into his ear for a split moment and he had to readjust his head tilt to compensate. All the women he had picked up. Scores of them, ranging from any level of beauty. He had prettier than Lucy. No doubt. But how many times had he been overlooked for some beta nerd? The word “nerd” came out of his mouth with a hint of spite.

The things Luke did at his job, it was “man work.” Jules had no job. He was unemployed. The little man lived in a trailer near the outskirts of the city. Who the f**k was he to think he was worth the time of a sexy, beautiful, independent woman like Lucy? Who did she think she was to say no to a real man?

He could protect her. Provide? He had a job making enough money to live in his own place. He could host parties with some of his friends, so social status was no problem. He could be a social butterfly if he wanted. Life of the party even!

His open palm slapped onto the sweaty tiled wall.

What about league? He was every bit good looking enough to be considered actractive by a girl. He often would catch women and girls of all ages giving him a stair down as he would walk past. He was an actractive individual. He didn’t have any excess fat, or awkward weight and physical proportions. Luke knew what his good sides were and watch gestures he did that would get the most positive reaction from the women. No, he refused to believe he wasn’t good looking enough. That had to be bullshit. He was a positive person, with high self esteem! He had pride and d****t he had dignity.

His teeth were grinding for a second and then he stopped the shower. He let the air take its cold breath over his exposed skin.

What had happened after they left? He did not stay long after. He came strait home when he had the chance to catch a ride.

They had turned their backs on him. They were all just children playing their games, playing hero. Right?

Luke grabbed the towel and began to dry himself. He needed to leave soon. They would be looking for him.

 

The warlock walked around the castle he just purchased from the city. It was a longtime coming but now Ben could finally have a castle to call his own. He watched as the movers actually installed a physical throne made for him in the main room on the third floor. He began to play with his hair and smiled. This was a good day for him, and he greeted the rising sun with it.

Out there, he knew there was a gathering force looking to oppose his rule. Jules and his team would want to kill him if they knew who he was, or where he lived. However after that night at bowling, his sense of confidence grew one step more. He could hide in plain sight infront of them and he liked that. The thrill of being under your enemies nose and not having them bat an eyelash!

Alec Jenson, the cities third richest man walked into the room.

“Come,” Ben summoned.

“I have brought this month’s donations.” Alec bowed like the humble servant he was. Ben turned around and looked at his brainwashed minion with a gleeful smile. They were born of drasticly different worlds. One was rich, the other was a small kid from a small town in Canada.

“And the other two?” Ben asked.

“Jon and Elijah are outside with their donations. Will it be enough?” The servant asked.

“Yes my friends, it will be enough. Keep growing that money and our empire will florish.” Ben patted Alec on the back, instilling just a little extra suggestion and confidence to his touch. The warlock was playing their dark energies like a fiddle. In their case, avarice.

The rich socialites who stayed south of the radar wanted nothing more that to make money for the sake of being top dog. Ben took that desire and dragged it into a venture he called Canacorp. Step one was the gathering of the greedy financiers. They would be his piggy bank. Their combined income would sustain anything he wished for. His power of suggestion over them was astounding.

And today, he finally had a castle to call home. He debated with himself as he moved towards his throne, what type of rule should he leave behind on this unsuspecting city. Should he make a sacrifice chamber in the basement? He could hold ceremonies where once a week someone was chosen, sacrificed to him, and he could feed on their essence through rituals his minions could hold.

What about orgies? He could be like Caligula and have the rich and powerful, the money and power of the city come and indulge in some dark escapades. He could have them all worshiping him and his agenda. He played with that image. It felt good. He would be Caesar.

Ben clenched his fist, thinking of a power he could weild without having to rely on magic. The other two men soon came in, they bowed and presented their checks and cash. After they left, even more brainwashed than when they entered Ben called his strategist forward.

Her name was Mona Perkins. She was 23, blonde, twenty pounds overweight, short hair and a face that seemed tired of trying to impress. Mona was head of her class at Business. She seemingly had a wild personality before she met Ben. However he spent the past two days running through her mind and making select tweaks and cuts to make her interested in serving him. The current model of her was pure business with a belief that success was measured in the growth of the organization.

Ben fed her the belief that his empire would be no different than a dingy store turning major profit and growing into multiple locations. Truth was, she was planning the war in the next couple of days.

“The Lopez clan have drug lines straits past Mexico which are coming in through the seas.” She began her briefing.

“Are they middle men, or are they independent. If the latter, lets see if we can make them work for me.”

She nodded, “I will research this forward.”

“Also, I heard rumors there is a turf war between the Yakuza and Triads. Look into it as well. Also give me a heads up on any other organized crime.”

“Expansion needs to come at an appropriate pace.”

Ben laughed, “Rome was not built in a day, but remember Ms. Perkins, it was built.”

 

Time had passed and Sunday came. Jules had been released from the hospital and was greeted by a grateful old dog at his front door. It was happy to see him and tried to tackle him to the floor and give her undying affection. Jules felt his muscles cramp and winced in pain but stayed standing.

After two hours the dog calmed down and it sat by his feet as he put on the television. He knew that he would regret not checking into the precinct as his Detective Lamont alter ego, but all he wanted to rest. Carlos told Jules on the phone he would use his inside influence with the mayor to keep a pulse on any developments if he missed out on.

There was a knock on the door. Jessica opened the door with a sad look. “So they really did let you out of the hospital?” she enquired. Jules nodded and let her in.

“So I know we said 70’s anime, but…”

“So help me if you brought Attack…”

“No no. I wouldn’t do that to you. You said you have a disdain for giant antomicaly incorrect naked humans so I figured we could do something crazier.”

Jules’s dog got up barking and went to sniff Jessica’s hand.

“Come on, you know her. Do we have to do this dance every time she comes over?” Jules scolded his dog. The dog just looked back with what could be described as a confused look, wagged its tail, then began licking Jessica’s palms.

“You haven’t been eating anything greasy?” Jules asked.

Jessica tried not to laugh, seeing how long until the tickle was too much for her. After three seconds she shot her hand back. The dog then walked forward and began smelling her blue jeans. After the smell test, Jessica walked to the couch and placed a set of DVD’s onto the table.

Jules had to double check. “So, we got 48 hours of s**t to watch by the looks of it.”

“I don’t work tomorrow.” Jessica said playfully.

“I promised Lucy I would take her to dinner tonight. So I do have somewhere to be. Sorry.”

Since the dawn of the time they have known each other, each one had a different personality. Jules was more reserved and would watch humans from more of a distance, while Jessica was the personality to bring high energy into any gathering. Both however possessed the strange ability to call a perfect day, finding something good on television or gaming, and watching the hours drain until it was a new day. They became scholars of sorts with the shows and movies they ingested, many time together.

She put on a silly show called Ultraman and then it was strait to the cinema.

After the third episode. Jules brought out some Whiskey, Jessica being more into Vodka, showed her contribution. The fifth episode past and the playful annoying commentary was coming off the shelf. The main character, Jessica decided three episodes earlier, was to be known forever as “retard.”

They watched rounds of Giant monsters fighting a man in a spandex suit with a robot like face only for them to fall again and again to Ultraman’s might.

Jessica and Jules started to debate wether they should drunk dial for Chinese food or Mexican. Jessica responded “Mexican gives you gas. Ask Carlos.”

“Was that…”

“Yes, it’s a. ‘oh hey Carlos is Mexican’ joke.”

The food came and they both realized after they downed their second box of some strange flavored meat, that they regretted Chinese plus strong liquor.

“So.” Jessica broke a different ice.”

“Yes?”

“I have a question,” Jessica was adding.

“I have an answer.” He then paused, “Or so I think.”

“Lucy.”

“I love her.” Jules said blankly. The fade was making his answers bluntness feel like it was just part of the dance.

“And?” Jessica felt Jules had a lot more to say on that question.

“And…I can’t.” Jules started to shake his head as if to say no to the reality of an idea of him and Lucy being together.

Jessica turned to Jules, with the face of a hurt puppy and asked, “Why not?”

The boy hunkered down by slamming his chin and forward towards the ground just slightly to emphasise, “It would be unprofessional.”

“Well you did save her life when you met her,” Jessica was starting to toy with a smirk.

Jules just sat back and let the wave take him. “I can’t because that is not who I want to be to her. There are a lot of lines this would cross. I am her mentor, I am her friend, and there is this whole age gap.”

Jessica pulled on her hair for a second, “This doesn’t have anything to do with Faith, does it?”

Jules’s happy place went sour. Jessica realized that by the look of him wanting to cry. She knew she crossed a line. “That was years ago Jules. I am just saying, perhaps you don’t think yourself worthy of…”

“Worthy? I have no job. I live in a trailer, and I have earned nothing in this life I have lived.”

“You live in a trailer because you want to live in a trailer. But you shouldn’t be scared of the female sex.”

“I AM NOT!” Jules got mad. He took a step to breath. “It is nothing to do with the Faith story. I just… she has her whole life ahead of her, and I am just this man, who watches anime with his friends and…”

“You like what you do and you don’t apologize.”

“What am I, Jessica?”

“Jules, you are the hardest working person we have. Look, we all have the power to take what we want if we choose. What have you chosen? The simple things, am I right? You deserve to add a woman to that list.”

“No. I am not going to cross that line. I deserve that level of professionalism. Yes. I do.”

“Jules, my friend, you got to treat yourself.”

“I do treat myself. I have a dog, a television, and I don’t have to pay taxes. Life is good.”

“So why then do I sense…” She puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Why am I doing this anymore? Carlos and Anna can’t be in a room together without fighting. Carlos is just hard in general to be around. Half the time I swear, it is ‘The Carlos Show’. So what do I have, a girl that is out of my league, has a future ahead of her, and I find myself trying to keep her closer than normal. That just leaves you and Laurence. You two in the world are the only constant that is there where I can be myself around. And then…”

“Then what?”

“When we started our group, there was six of us. Six friends who would take a bullet for one another. I had ideas what I wanted to do for the future. Now look at me, at best, I am just an enforcer for the group. My true friends that I can be around for a long period of time are down to two. I am a fake detective…”

She was going to compliment this conversation by telling Jules about her and Laurence. She backed down.

He then jumped on a new question, “What happened after I fainted at the museum?”

“The demon tried to attack, but the prolonged battle left its defenses down to nothing. My sword was able to get the killing blow.”

“Wait, you are the one who killed it?”

“Jules, what happened to make the place a frozen wasteland? Was that you?”

“You are my friend, I am going to pull my friend card, if you don’t mind and say don’t go down that line of questioning. By the way, have we heard from Luke?”

“We haven’t heard from Luke. No. He just disappeared. Lucy is still shaken up when I bring it up. Carlos, I saw him yesterday. He hasn’t been eating Jules. There is something wrong with that boy. Anna told me to let it go.”

Jules thought of Lucy running away, dropping off all contact and betraying him. Leaving him to die. All that trust that could be gone in a moment. “Yeah, I think I would act the same way.”

Jessica’s face cringed.

“Another bathroom run?”

“I promise, I wont murder it!” Jessica ran to the bathroom and closed the door.

“This is why we hang out ONLY once a week!” Jules yelled after her.

 

“Your report Snake?”

“Mr. Eagle, I was following the group of rogues as was asked. They went to a museum.”

The Raven was unimpressed. He rolled his eyes and puffed out his chest. “So, they went to look at art? Have you found the one called Jules?”

“Patience, Jules is back home. He is still injured but apparently he is not one for hiding. I would advise caution if you choose to attack him again. A smart man doesn’t try the same thing twice unless he has a plan.”

“I can beat him again!” Geo snarled.

“Mr. Eagle, the concern was with what happened in the museum. It was an assault.”

“Explain Snake.”

The elder gentleman took a moment to collect and began, “At first it looked like a small scale break in, however I was able to detect a slight demonic aura. It was very faint. A few minutes after, Jules arrived and two others ran in. It was after awhile later I was able to tell that it was a barrier protecting the demon’s true presence. It was an instance, a flash at best. But they were fighting an Archdemon. The barrier fell when the demon was killed.”

“Why were they fighting an archdemon. How did they know of it? How did we not know there was an archdemon in the city?” Geo was getting livid.

The Eagle spoke, “What you are forgetting is this group of them can kill an Archdemon. Are you sure it was an archdemon?

“I have only come in contact with two of them in my line of work. I know that aura anywhere. Yes.”

“And they killed it?”

“Yes. Without any casualties.”

There was a pause in the room.

Eagle then asked, “So what is your conclusion to this?”

“They are well informed, and very strong mages. To continue to call them ‘wannabe mages;’ would be a mistake at our peril.”

“Recommendations, Snake?”

“I say we continue to observe.”

Author's Note

This is an epilogue so this is more a series of scenes of where the cast is at the end of act 2. Act 3 will hit the ground running as we head to the base of the book.