It was the morning after the Halloween Dance and Battle. I got up with a great foreboding of things to come, and after a cold breakfast made calls to Drew, Michael, and Eric discussing what I thought we needed to do. About 11:00 when was going to head out Moon Flower showed up, and the 'rents and I sat down to talk with her.
"Bathory is too great a thereat to the magic community" started Moon Flower. "With the death of the St Germain families she's further entrenching her Magical stronghold. Left unopposed for too long she will be unstoppable. Also true we are not prepared and do not have the power to take her on just yet."
"Kevin, your thought to bring all the practitioners together is a good one. What we can do from there is dependent on too many variables at this time. Matar (Dad), you will need to go to Martense today and begin negotiations to work with their mages. Astar (Mom) you will need to pull every legal trick out and slow that bitch down while we prepare. Tonight the full coven will meet and raise the shields of Osiris and Isis on our homes and workplaces. She will not easily break those, but it will exhaust us for several days. Thank the Goddess were are near Samhain, we can draw some of the power from that day to aid us."
"Kevin, you will need to add to your strength. Get that ceremonial sword your friends recovered from that demon, and pack some food. Take this map and hike up into the mountains and look for Jacque SaLevou. He's retired now, but used to be one of the best casters I knew. If he's still alive -- and I believe he is -- give him this letter and he will show you how to use that sword."
*****
I packed up a daypack and called around to the crew, but couldn't find anyone at home or at the theater. Moon Flower's instructions were for immediate departure, and rather than leaving a trail for the dark one to follow, I grab the sword and leave. I drive the van as far into the woods as I can and park it out of sight. I spend a few minutes summoning nature sprites and asking them protect it while I'm gone. I do a quick check to see if my head is screwed on and off I go.
About an hour before dark, after six hours of hiking, I come upon the clearing marked on the map. I slowly circle the pool of clear water and head towards the cave in the cliff wall. I'm about ten steps before the cave, and I'm is suddenly yanked into the air upside down dropping my pack and sword. I think I remember swearing something akin to "Goddess jump me" as I feel a telekinetic hold on his leg, as a weathered white haired man steps from the cavern. He's glowing brightly to my sight, radiating strong magicks.
"Youngster, you reek of magic you have no business to be near, so why are bringing that stinking garbage near me."
"Many pardons sir", I say "you bear a resemblance to a man I was sent to find, Jacque SaLevou. Moon Flower sends her regards, and a letter for you". I'm at a great disadvantage and slowly reach into my coat and pull out the letter. It's immediately snatched from his hand by another telekinetic burst and glides to the other man's hand. He opens it, leaving me hanging while he reads.
After several minutes he looks me in the eyes, and stares for what seems like an eternity what with the blood rushing to my head.
"Vampire Slayer and a Necromantic Bitch, boy you have a shit load of trouble." He waves his hand and I drop to the ground.
"I am Jacque SaLevou, show me the toy you've brought."
I scramble to my feet, and politely retrieve the sword. "Hmmm, several hundred years old, enhancement spells to reduce the aging and keep it sharp. Stabilizing spells to keep massive amounts of power under control. Decent blade, seen better. But for a beginner, its more than sufficient. Well, Moon Flower said we didn't have much time, lets see what you got. Down to your skivvies, take the sword, and into the pool.
I strip down enters the 40 degree water. Jumping hobgoblins is it cold. Jacque runs me through a series of basic sword drills, and asks me to do magic spells and telekinetics while holding the sword. An hour later, Jacque calls me out of the water. "Better focus than I expected. Proper upbringing I suspect. But your sword handling is piss poor. Now come into the cave and will start in earnest."
When I pass into the cave I feel the shield tingle across my skin. Jacque, noticing this twitch says, "Good, I thought you might be dead to the touch of magic, as you didn't react to the first three shields."
"First three?" I thought. I've has never encountered any non-demon handling this much power.
I step into the first chamber and almost jump back out again; sitting on a pile of cushions is the biggest mountain lion I've ever seen. SaLevou chuckles, and goes over and pets her head, "This is Labella Morta, my partner. Labella, Kevin will be staying with us for a few days, so be nice." He heads to a cabinet and pulls out a small bottle. "Here boy, drink this".
Damn, it's bitter, but it warms up my frozen legs.
Dawn the next morning SaLevou wakes me up and hands me a bowl of some kind of hot mush. "You've passed your first test yesterday. Now you're going to get the mark for it. He grabs my right hand and sprinkles some powder on it. The hand goes numb, and he takes out his Athame and starts drawing on the palm. There's a small amount of blood as he mutters "First of three is to see", and there's an eye drawn there.
The next three days are more rigorous sword exercises and movement to block physical and magical attacks. During one of those I was felling really good, thinking I'd gotten it, and SaLevou directed another attack at me. I was too overconfidant, and didn't realize he was directing me toward the tree roots. I tripped and lowered my guard; he snapped out with his sword and nicked me under the left ear.
"Never get overconfident... Defense, especially with us, is paramount. Always be aware of your surroundings and be prepared for attacks from any angle. Let that scar be a reminder.
The nest two days were more drills, but I successfully put up two new shields he taught me. Those will come in handy in any battle we get into in the future..
Breakfast the morning of the sixth day is meat and eggs. I'm hoping it's steak and chicken eggs, but I never assume with SaLevou , and eat what he gives me. He grabs my right hand again and says "You've passed test two, time for the next Mark." He goes through the same procedure, powder, Athame, etc. and this time mutters "Second of three to defend what you see", and a triangle surrounds the eye.
Now I'm on the attack. I'm nowhere near as good as Erik, much less the Slayer, at this, but I'm holding my own. SaLevou is creating magical constructs, and I have to see them (sometimes more than one), defend, and then attack.
About the third day into this SaLevou, gets a puzzled look on his face and I lunge in going for the weakness, I get past all the constructs and get the edge of the sword almost to SaLevou, when Labella jumps me and knock me down.
"Well done" he laughs at both us. "I could have gotten another scar for being distracted, but that's where your friends an partners step in. Good job, Kevin. I think we'll quit for today. And your friends should have a surprise for you when you go home." Then he steps back into the cave leaving wondering what the hell did that mean.
This morning of the tenth day is meat and eggs again. He grabs my right hand again and says "You've passed test three, time for the last Mark." He goes through the same procedure, powder, Athame, etc. and this time mutters "Third of three to defeat what you see", and the triangle is surrounds by flames.
I spend another day reviewing what SaLevou taught me and recovering some of my energy. My arms are burning from all the sword use, and even with SaLevou's restoring potions, my mana is down.
As I get ready to return SaLevou says. "I've taught you a few new tricks boy, but don't get cocky, that bitch and others out there gunning for you are out of your league. At best, it will buy you time for some luck. Now, if you survive, I want you to return the favor. There is an old manuscript I've been searching for for years; it's the most powerful control spell ever devised. An amateur got a hold of it right after World War II and built himself a small empire, then he died and it disappeared. If you find it, I have the means of destroying it, or at least removing it from this plane for the next thousand years. No Mortal is ready for it yet."
"Oh, and one more thing," and he shoves his palm at my forehead and I get one mother of a headache. "You will not be able to tell anyone about me, nor will anyone be able to telepathically pull this information from you head. If someone needs to know about me you will be able to tell them only if they met conditions that only I know. Safety first, remember that. You've been too loose with your background lately."
"Now, just so you don't feel too put upon, Moon Flower has the same spell on her."
As I backtrack down the trail sore and aching, I notice the other three defenses as I pass them. Nasty ones. Thank the Goddess I came up here with no ill intent.
I get back to the van and thank the nature spirits for watching it while I was away, and drive home thinking, "how the hell am I going to be able to tell the 'rents what happened?"
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| Jacque's cave. | Ley lines around Jacque's cave. |