Sisters of the Mists Ch. 14

C'seka shuddered as if in ecstasy, the familiar sensation of Danica calling upon her Hellgate coursing through his body. With his newly increased power, he attempted to breach her realm.

The demon snatched his hand back when the portal closed as fast as it had opened. The woman had closed her Hellgate. Ever patient, C'seka returned to his Master's side in Nightmare Castle.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Danica wrenched away from her mental contact with the demon, a croaking cry bursting from her lips. She collapsed to her knees even as Marlena and Celes grabbed her to support her.

"Danica, are you okay?" Celes demanded, her face filled with concern.

A nimbus of sparks danced about Andrea's hand as she turned toward the entrapped demon.

Danica gagged on the taste of bile, but managed to say, "Andrea — don't."

Andrea let her hand drop, but the electrical fury building there lingered for several seconds.

"The hells happened?" Celes asked.

Danica's stomach roiled once more as the horrifying images flashed through her mind. "It's my fault," she answered as she allowed her two friends to help her stand. "I couldn't break free once I found what we were looking for."

Ashley stood at Danica's side, steadying her friend. "So you have the name of a more powerful demon?"

"V'brak — a Kreisbruch," Danica answered.

Ashley tensed and revealed the more common name of the demon in a tight voice. "A coven slayer."

Danica nodded and gestured toward the caged demon. "This one pointed it toward a coven, and the Kreisbruch promised it one of the witches in exchange. I couldn't break away from the thing's daydream about violently raping her before it devoured her."

Celes' eyes narrowed as she turned toward the demon. "Well, I guess we don't need our ugly little prisoner any more, then."

Still seething with anger at seeing Danica hurt by a creature she'd shown compassion for, Andrea's hand once more erupted into barely contained electrical fury.

"Don't," Danica admonished. "This one knows more, and I knew the risk when I waded into its cesspool of a mind."

"We have to stop it," Andrea said with uncharacteristic finality.

Ashley asked, "Do you know where the coven is?"

Danica shook her head, but then said, "I know how to find out, though."

Celes waved her finger in front of Danica's face. "Oh no — not right now, Missy. You've been pushing yourself all day. You go have something to eat and get some rest." She then glanced over her shoulder at the demon and said, "The critter knows we can pluck whatever we want out of its head now, so maybe it will cooperate."

Danica started to protest, but couldn't argue with what Celes had said. She felt as weak as a day-old kitten, and her head still pounded from wrenching away from the demon's thoughts. With a little acquiescent tip of her head, Danica said, "You're right."

"Off with ye to bed, then," Celes said as she turned back to the demon.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

The Kreisbruch perched high in the branches of an oak, drooling as it watched the women filter into the glade. The demon's obscenely large mouth split into a grin as the witches placed wards and charms all around the edges of the secluded forest clearing. Such pitiful charms from mere practitioners wouldn't even give him pause.

The women greeted each other and mingled until the last of the coven arrived, oblivious to the danger lurking above. The demon waited until the women joined hands in a circle to ask for a blessing upon their conclave before bunching the powerful muscles of its legs.

The demon felt only the slightest sting from the witches' wards as its supernaturally strong legs propelled it from the treetop perch to the ground below. As soon as the Kreisbruch hit, it seemingly exploded amidst the terrified screams of the surprised coven. A dozen green-scaled copies of the demon burst forth into the midst of the terrified witches. When one of the doppelgangers drew first blood, all cried out in dark bliss at the slaughter to come.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Swirling whirlpools of mist curled around Danica and her friends as they rushed through the portal into the chaos. Danica started as the bright flash and thunderous boom from Andrea's stroke of lightning blasted one of the green monsters into quivering bits of goo. Even as Danica and the others assessed the field of battle, a chill, straight-line wind roared from Andrea, sweeping aside demons as she sprinted toward the woman that the now vanquished demon doppelganger had injured.

Ashley unleashed her power, causing the attacking demons to slow, and revealing the identity of the host creature. The true Kreisbruch resisted her power more effectively than its copies.

Danica called upon her telekinetic powers and hurled one of the potions Ashley had provided toward the nearest demon, which had knocked down one of the women of the coven and now hovered over her. Even as the demon burst into flames and faded from view, so too did the women of the coven. A second later, Danica could once more see the women, though Marlena's spell would certainly still confound the demons.

Danica sought another target, but could no more than lock her eyes upon a demon before Ashley, Celes, or Andrea destroyed the hellspawn. Andrea, standing protectively over the woman who had first tasted the claws of the demons, destroyed more than half of the creatures in an almost startling display of elemental fury. Leaves and dust mingled with demon pieces and oily smoke as the determined blonde wreaked havoc on the monsters.

The host demon realized the danger and leaped toward one of the women of the coven, having managed to penetrate Marlena's magic to some limited degree. The Kreisbruch wrapped one clawed hand around the brunette's throat and warned in a hollow, growling voice, "You can't destroy me before I can tear her throat out, bitches."

The thin lines of blood trickling down the woman's throat from the demon's claws punctuated its warning.

Danica's mind whirled through possibilities, but she need not have bothered. Her eyes widened when the arm of the demon simply vanished. The creature vibrated violently for a few seconds, and then exploded into a spray of gory bits. A dozen or so feet away, the Kreisbruch's arm blew up as well.

"You think so?" Celes smugly responded to the vanquished demon's challenge.

Seeing the threat ended, Andrea immediately dropped to her knees to tend to the wounded woman.

"You can teleport pieces of someone?" Danica asked, a little disturbed by the thought and the gruesome evidence of exactly that happening.

"Guess so. It just came to me, and it seemed like the perfect solution," Celes answered.

"The prophecy," exclaimed one of the women of the coven, the words quickly echoed by others of the circle.

"So, you have come," the brunette who still bore the bleeding punctures of the demon's claws declared. "The sisters of the mists."

"The what?" Danica asked, taken aback by the grandiose title, although she understood how it applied to her and her friends.

"The sisters of the mists," repeated the woman that Andrea had just healed. Though no evidence of the tears in her flesh remained, the woman struggled to maintain some decency in her tattered blouse as she stood. "It's a prophecy that has been passed from coven to coven for generations."

One of the other women stepped forward and recited the prophecy.

When darkness comes — The light obscured — By demon wings of black — The sisters come — Born of the mists — To drive the evil back.

"Thank you," the brunette said after Andrea healed the puncture wounds in her neck. The rest of the women moved in beside her even as Danica and her friends gathered as well. "I'm Lacine, and I brought this coven together when I felt a calling to leave my homeland and my coven for this place."

"You're practitioners, then?" Ashley asked.

Lacine nodded. "Some of us come from long lines of witches, but most have simply felt the calling."

"Your charms and wards are strong," Ashley noted. "Nothing less than a coven slayer could have reached you."

One of the other women in the coven suggested, "We should send someone to inform the other covens nearby as soon as possible."

"If they've discovered us, they may have found others," Lacine agreed.

"You don't have any quick way to communicate?" Danica asked.

Lacine answered, "A few know spells of far-speaking — very few."

Celes chuckled. "Dearie, I can hear your mind working from here."

Danica wrinkled her nose at Celes and then turned to Ashley. "How much of a problem would covens that could communicate and help each other cause the demons?"

"One of the biggest handicaps of the craft is that the secrecy necessary to avoid persecution keeps witches from banding together. That's what makes triumvirates and covens so powerful," Ashley answered.

"So if they could all talk to each other and come to each other's aid in a heartbeat?"

A wide smile spread across Ashley's face. "It would overshadow the advantage that demons gain from the contentious power structure of the hells."

"Could give us a lot of eyes to watch for what Zoraster's pawns are up to, too," Celes added with a smile of her own.

Lacine bowed her head and grinned as well. "The prophecy unfolds before us. If you can do these things..."

"I think we can." Danica then turned to Ashley and asked, "Should we stay — in case more demons come to try where this one failed?"

"I don't think there's any immediate danger. Their wards would be more than sufficient for anything less than a Kreisbruch."

Celes said, "We should take some of what's left of the critters to make more scrying charms."

"And give them the spell to make the charms," Andrea suggested.

Danica nodded. "Let's get to it, and then back to Darkni's island. I have an idea, but I'm going to need a lot of help to accomplish it."

Celes' grin turned positively wicked as she said, "Time to put a burr in the butts of Meckataur and Zoraster's bootlicker."

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Vellana sat cross-legged on the floor, bathed in the glow of the stone. Next to her, the guardian smiled, knowing that she had crossed an important threshold this day. The song of the stone had truly reached her, allowing her to stretch her consciousness across the world.

"What do you see?" Tam asked, though he knew full well. Having communed with the stone for so long, he no longer required meditation to hear the song of the stone.

Vellana answered, "They plan to aid the witches — allow them to speak across the miles. It feels... It feels right."

"Indeed." A chill shot up the old guardian's spine. "But is there more?"

"That woman..." Vellana cringed. "Master, I cannot bear it."

"You must be strong, Vellana."

"Y-yes, Master," she responded. Tears rolled down her cheeks from behind closed eyelids as she watched the horror unfold.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Camilla smacked the old witch across her bruised face, but received no response. She let out a little moan of disappointment and muttered, "Oh — poo. I would have hoped that you'd survive at least a few days. Useless old bitch."

With a sigh, Camilla crossed the weathered floor boards of the small cottage and picked up an athame. The dagger had served the battered witch — who now lay strapped down to her own kitchen table — for many years. Camilla held up the dagger in the flickering lantern light as she approached the table once more. "I suppose I have everything I need from you, but you could have let me play for a while."

Camilla raised the knife over the old woman's breast. "Well, not quite everything I need from you." She then laughed and plunged the knife down.

A moan of ecstasy escaped Camilla as the life and powers of her victim flowed through the dagger. Once the power ebbed away, Camilla purred, "Don't worry. I'll put them to good use." Camilla left the dagger in the black witch's still chest as she rifled the old woman's cottage for the tools of her craft.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Zoraster chuckled and waved a hand in front of the mirror, dismissing the image of Camilla plundering the spoils of the cottage. "Very good, Camilla."

Another mirror flashed to life, drawing the gaze of the Archmage into its shimmering surface. "Splendid," Zoraster remarked as the scene unfolded.

The clothing littering the floor of the small room bespoke wealth and power. The man lying upon the bed still wore his chain of office around his neck, and a look of almost surprised ecstasy on his face.

The dark haired woman atop him slowly rocked her hips, milking his pulsing cock into her warm sheathe. Even as his seed seeped from him, so did his will. She held him captive in her emerald eyes, his every thought and memory hers to peruse at will.

With his passion spent, she lay down atop him, pressing her perfect breasts against his hairy chest. His cock remained inside her, still throbbing from the power of his orgasm as it slowly softened. She kissed his neck and whispered into his ear, the words taking root deep in his subconscious.

Zoraster continued to watch as she helped the man rise, washed him, and aided him as he dressed. The Archmage laughed as the spent Count left the high class bordello through the secret tunnels below the house.

"Ah, my ambitious little Delilah," Zoraster remarked as the demoness cleaned up for her next client, who would arrive in only minutes. Since arriving at the house of prostitution, her reputation had quickly spread through the aristocracy. The high and mighty kept her bed warm through the day and night.

The nobles of Freeland slowly traded their free will for the ecstasy of Delilah's embrace.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Darkniciad sat back and scratched his silvery beard. "Yes — Yes, I see great promise in all of this."

"So, do you have enough people to spare to accomplish it?" Danica asked.

"For such a potential boon — of course," Darkni answered. "The same rift magic needed to provide you with the means to capture demons and send them here can be applied to allow communication and travel between the covens. I think we would do well to include Egoria and my isle in those communications. It may be that we can assist you in protecting and nurturing the covens."

"I think that's the best chance we have of stymieing the demons that Meckataur has unleashed," Danica remarked.

"Speaking of which, I need to get to work on what's left of the demon we destroyed," Ashley noted, shaking the jar full of demon slime for emphasis. "If I wait too long, it will be useless."

"Damian and I will work on the rifts," Darkniciad promised.

Danica offered a little bow of her head. "Thank you. We'll head home, then." Two distinct and very similar emotive thoughts hit Danica just then, from Marlena and Andrea. Danica grinned and said, "If the two of you want to go back to Blackhawk for another night, I think we can get along without you."

Celes and Ashley grinned as well, knowing exactly why their two friends wanted to visit the ducal seat of Cratel. Everyone already knew of Marlena's affection for Brandon, and Marlena had revealed Andrea's encounter with the young man.

"I think I will," Marlena responded with no hint of embarrassment in her voice or manner.

"Me too," Andrea agreed, though color did flood her cheeks.

"Well, you have your teleport eggs to get you there." Danica then stood and turned to Celes. "Give the rest of us a lift?"

Celes chuckled as she stood to teleport everyone back to the manor.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Hathortari and Rehkmire stood hand-in-hand, looking out over the city. Both could feel the tension in the air. The city seemed quieter than usual, the people whispering as they hurried from place to place.

"We should go back inside," Rehkmire remarked upon seeing a large group of soldiers marching double-time toward the center of the city.

As a former slave captured by just such a group of warriors, Tari knew very well what her lover feared. She nodded and stepped back into the house. "What do you think has happened?"

"An ill wind blows from across the sands, but from where it comes, I cannot say." He glanced at the holy symbol around his lover's neck. "Has Sekmamun given you any insight?"

Tari's face flushed with color. "I am but a novitiate, and still unsure of this calling. The god would not choose me as a messenger."

"Have faith, young Hathortari. Sekmamun smiles upon you, and welcomes you to his fold," a voice sounded from deeper within the house.

The couple smiled as Harkhuf emerged from the front room. Rehkmire bowed his head in greeting and said, "Welcome, Harkhuf."

"Unfortunately, I bring ill tidings," the priest of Sekmamun revealed. "There will be no reprieve, and no negotiation this time." Harkhuf paused, and took a deep breath.

"Pharaoh calls upon his army. There will be war."

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Hope you've enjoyed this long-delayed new chapter. I wanted to wait until I had enough chapters complete to maintain a regular posting schedule, but life and my muse don't seem to be cooperating with that plan. I finally decided that I'm going to release the completed chapters — probably around 2-4 weeks apart — and hope that the feedback spurs me to get rolling at a decent pace again.

I have up to chapter 17 completed as of the moment, with quite a few still to go. I don't know how long it will take, but I'm dedicated to finishing the story, no matter how long it takes. This will be the last time I'll make this mistake, as well. Everything I write now will be finished before I post a single word.

Take a moment to vote, and perhaps comment. Feedback is the fuel that gets my creative fires burning, even in the rough times. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me despite the unconscionable delays, and welcome to anyone who is stepping into my world for the first time.