Celtics Rising: Birth of an Oracle

by Leo Charles Taylor

  Why was Seattle Summoning?

  The trio could wait no longer, and the three of them left their place of observation. James had kept them shrouded with a command to be ignored, and it appeared to have worked fairly well. As they approached, he slowly lifted the disguise, making no sudden moves and giving the demons time to adjust to their arrival.

  Camulas held onto Arinai and spoke into her ear.

  "I don’t trust this," he said. "Stay close to me. I will pick out an exit point and if needs be, you will follow me."

  "You wish to retreat?" she asked. "I would have thought you were braver than that."

  Camulas squeezed her arm in anger as he kept pace. "Don’t fight me on this, Goddess," he seethed. "It’s not fear, but sound strategy. We will be outnumbered and fighting forces with varied and unknown powers. If I have to, I won't retreat, I will run, and you would be wise to follow the tactical advice of a man that has defeated as many Roman legions as I have."

  Arinai nodded her head in agreement as they headed down the open-air entry ramp to the parking garage. They were soon below the public park and entered the darkness of the structure. Arinai gasped in awe as she saw many of her kind.

  "Problems?" James whispered.

  "No," she replied in reverence. "It's just been so long since I've seen them that even this ill-conceived meeting gives my heart some joy. I didn't realize how lonely I had been for their presence."

  James nodded his head and looked about the group. He saw Drake, Badir, and Alicia. They were joined by another of their kind, who James had never met. The raven was also there, and to her side was a crow. James had to smirk as it eyed him warily, before hopping another foot away from him. The raven, not so fearful, smiled wickedly at James. James could sense jealousy from Arinai, and when he turned to her, he watched her eyes turn to slits—she did not like that raven.

  Camulas noted the area from a military mind and found his points of position, quietly pointing them out to his companions. He had already visited this location and scouted it after James revealed the meeting's location. James watched the man find his chalk marks on the floor, placed there as reference points for battle. With subtle movements, Camulas ensured that James and Arinai were in what he called the protected zones—areas of the garage marked off by orange chalk rather than white.

  James tried to remain calm and appear confident. This was a difficult task to perform while fighting his bladder, which wanted to relieve itself. He hoped that no one sensed that particular weakness. As he looked about, he smiled slightly. Everything that he saw was amazing. The dim lights of the garage cast shadows everywhere, while his own shadows from the tree roots above began to permeate the room. No one but himself saw it.

  Just as expected.

  That foreign thought entered his mind and he cast about for its meaning. Why? Why was it expected? Those questions raced into his mind, but he had no answer.

  He hadn’t expected this, so why would some voice in his head think that he had. It was an unusual thought produced by his fracturing mind. James couldn’t locate its origins.

  Concentrating on a controlled blink, James closed his eyes, and when he opened them the area was filled with light and color. Each being had its own aura—some lighter than others, and some with more hues. The raven was much as before; her hair was a little more alive, and he could see her clothes were that same extension of her feathers, rippling as they shrouded her naked form. Her companion was anything but a normal crow and appeared to vacillate in her form. It was still a crow, but he could see a ghost-like after image of the woman the form represented.

  The vampires, or Dearg, also appeared much the same, with enhancements to their eyes and faces, while other creatures appeared vastly different. The succubi and incubi had lost their human appearance and were more demon-like; Pixies could be seen clinging to walls; the hell hound lost its false pretense and appeared to be ghost-like with a bluish vapor surrounding its body.

  Around the room, James turned and gazed at the wonders before him. He could feel their minds, and he took a moment to delve into the more simple creatures; they didn't even suspect that he was invading them, watching passively while their lives opened up to him. He witnessed a sprite dance across the waterfalls of her youth, and a troll gaze at the moon from under the bridges of ancient Edinburgh.

  Arinai had to bring him to his senses, and James blinked again, replacing his images with the more mundane ones of normal reality.

  "I wish to thank you all for coming this evening," he began. "It’s very late, a fact which means little to some of you, and a difficult feat of staying awake for others. I can sense your tiredness. I can also sense those of you that are alert, and I can sense your curiosity. I sense all of this, because I am the Oracle."

  James felt like a liar. Not only did he feel like one, but he truly believed it was a lie. However, they had practiced this speech, he and Arinai, and he knew that, like the Oracle of Delphi, he would need to employ deceit.

  "Many of you feel my presence. When I allow it, anyway." Another lie, but he continued. "And you have followed me to my home and around the city. Some of you have seen me, others have not. But you’re here now because I have called you. Our world is changing and you want answers. I may be able to provide those answers. But not now. Not like this. Like the oracles of the past, I will lay down rules and you’ll abide by them. I will also remain neutral. I don’t want to be placed in the middle of your challenges, so leave me out of them." He paused for effect and to gauge how his words were being perceived. He looked to Arinai; she was safe with Camulas at her side, and very near the exit.

  "I will also give you a warning," he said. "Violate my rules, and I will provide you nothing. Attack me, as I was recently attacked by a Dearg and a crow, and there will be consequences."

  "And what will be those consequences?" Badir asked of the room and the speaker.

  Drake's eyes widened, and he held his friend in place.

  "This is no time to be rash, my friend," Drake said.

  "I survived the last encounter," Badir spat, pulling free from Drake. James raised his eyebrows with concern. "Yes, Oracle, I remember the attack, and I doubt the strength of the man before us."

  James smiled, attempting to project strength, but he didn't immediately answer Badir. He knew his next speech. He would beseech each member for protection, and they would all give it. An attack by one would be met by a counterattack from the rest; at least that was the hope. He smiled at Badir and chuckled at the man's asinine question about what the consequences would be, but he didn't know why he chuckled at the Dearg. He just did, and as he did, his laughter increased becoming difficult for him to stop.

  The consequences will be most dire.

  The thought entered his mind, and the words left his lips soon after. He had no idea why he said it or where the words came from, but they did come.

  The few lights in the garage began to flicker, and tendrils moved from the roots above. They extended into the area and felt along the inhabitants. Confusion could be seen on the faces or the humanoid figures, while the shuffling of feet or odd movements expressed the same feelings in the others.

  The open-air entryway of the garage darkened and the outside night was gone. In its place was a moving wall of shadow and through that wall could be heard approaching footsteps.

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  They approached, and everyone turned to look. The slow, methodical nature of the steps gave the impression of a being with no rush, no hurry, and infinite patience. Camulas grabbed the arm or Arinai and glared at James.

  "We have been betrayed," he whispered.

  Arinai put her hand to Camulas' and soothed him with music. She didn't share his sentiment.

  James, like the others, stood dumbfounded by the events, and as he watched the moving wall of shadow, wisps of darkness began to separate and allow a small opening. The thudding continued, and James could only think of how odd the sound was. They were footsteps to be sure. H
owever, the ground was concrete, and what he heard was the unmistakable sound of a large person walking determinedly across hardwood floors—the deep reverberating thud was very distinct.

  The darkness continued to part and a figure began to emerge, striding in unison with the thudding and accompanied by her shadows, many of which extended from her body, joining with others that appeared to be completely external but companions in spirit.

  My god, they're still protecting her, James thought as Vera came into view.

  Her protectors began to evaporate, retreat, and reveal their hidden treasure. She was barefoot, but other than that she was well dressed. She wore loose-fitting but tailored pants, which complimented the satin and lace blouse. The cleavage shown was tasteful, and accentuated by a pendant necklace that matched her earrings. Those earrings were easily visible and framed by her curled and brushed hair. All of this was set off with the slightest touch of makeup.

  Beautiful, he thought as he watched her approach.

  James marveled for a moment. Gone was her child-like face; the musculature of her cheeks and tone of her skin had changed ever so slightly. Her demeanor and focus of mind aided the illusion, and he could only think that she appeared many years older. It was a maturity he had only seen develop this rapidly when young women gave birth and became mothers—the responsibility of motherhood forced them to face the realities of life.

  The thudding dissipated as she came to a stop and surveyed the crowd. She took her time, scrutinizing each creature as they scrutinized her. They didn't know what to make of the figure before them. It was new, they could tell that much, but it was also confusing to them.

  "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Badir said casually as he strutted closer. "Vera Linn, if I'm not mistaken. The police have sure made a fuss about our last misunderstanding, and that has certainly put a crimp on my activities. It’s nice to see that you recovered so well. If you should ever like a re-match, just let me know."

  He smiled wickedly, and the leering stare of his eyes could be felt by everyone, especially the recipient of the stare. Vera said nothing; she only turned her head from side to side as she watched Badir and his cocky expression. For a moment, everyone held their breath.

  James felt the awkward pause and was about to approach Vera when his body locked in position. He couldn’t move, but he could envision the next few moments of life. It was plain to him: the solution was before him, and as it hit him, he could only think a single thought.

  Oh, damn.

  Vera moved faster than almost anyone could perceive, and much faster than Badir could react. He tried, but her leap had caught him off guard, both by its velocity and its audacity. He hadn’t expected the small figure before him to be a threat, a mistake he was now paying for.

  The creature that left the ground wasn’t the same that arrived at her prey's location. Her hair was thicker and red, tinged with streams of violet. Her skin was now a vibrant green and blue, much darker in some areas than others, with sections that were only one color or the other, which then mixed with a blending of the two at her torso.

  She landed, and simultaneously a large mouth unhinged as double rows of jagged teeth bit into Badir's neck and shoulder. The nearest spectators were showered with flying debris from the concrete floor that exploded into shards as her taloned feet dug in for leverage.

  Those talons had a difficult time due to the brittle nature of the material, and a second talon unhinged from her Achilles and anchored her to the floor. Strong, tendoned arms wrapped around Badir and dug into his spine, while similar talons as those from her legs unhinged from her wrist and dug into his back. Bone and flesh could be heard giving way to the attack of keratin hardened claws.

  Badir couldn’t move, and the last anyone saw of his living consciousness was the complete look of surprise as Vera lifted him backward, using her secured feet for leverage, and pulled her arms wide. Badir was ripped into three pieces. Sinew, bones, and jagged flesh were scattered about the vibrantly colored demoness who even now had Badir's upper torso held by her clenched jaw.

  She dropped the torso, unhinged her jaw, and a long red tongue darted out and licked the blood from her face, much like a lizard would lick its own eye. The tongue retracted suddenly while she took a deep breath and let out a mind piercing shriek. Every beast in the garage was in pain, and when the scream ended, Vera's large orbital eyes darted from one beast to another.

  "Everyone, get the hell out of here," yelled Arinai.

  An instant of silence was followed by a sudden instinct to survive, and the room became chaotic. James felt beasts moving past him, but they kept their distance from him. The chain link fencing was ripped from its anchors and pushed aside, and more than one section was hit hard enough to create a large hole by whatever beast had decided to leave without waiting for the removal of the barrier. The common thread of the evacuation was simple: they didn't know what this beast was, but they sure as hell weren’t going to be its next victim.

  Arinai paused for a second and moved towards James, but a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her backward. She tried to fight Camulas, but he was too strong. A blast of music hit his mind and he closed it to her. It had been a long time since that trick had worked on him, and it was certainly not going to work tonight. He put her over his shoulder and moved out of the garage, up the ramp, and out onto the street. He allowed his captive to kick and scream. He didn't care; he would save her to live another day.

  A bird's eye view is what the raven now had. She had been able to leave very quickly and watched from the rooftop of a building farther up the street. From here, she could see the last remnants of the fleeing beasts. Those too slow or too stupid to move were straggling, but at least they were being allowed to move. A crow alighted near her and she turned a keen eye to her sister.

  "This one is very clever and very dangerous," she said. "He used his beast to demonstrate just how powerful he is and what kind of force he can command. And he has made one rule very clear. Mess with me and I will tear you apart."

  She laughed as she thought about her new playmates. This was going to be fun. Badir had certainly been torn asunder, and she enjoyed the death of the idiot who dared challenge a god. She continued to consider her rapist and lust filled her eyes as she watched over the garage.

  "Oh, I like this Oracle," she said. "He could have tried for peace. Instead, he shows us force and kills a beast that had wronged him in the process. He demonstrated his power and handed out justice in one fell sweep, killing two birds with one stone." She smiled as she admired the man now hidden behind concrete and metal. Her sister cawed next to her; she didn't appreciate the reference to killing birds.

  James was now alone with Vera—he could sense no other beings nearby—and she turned to him slowly. Those large eyes seemed vacant, and her demonic face was difficult for him to look at, but he did. He held her gaze and walked carefully to her. He wasn’t sure what she would do, but he moved anyway.

  Her breathing was loud and heavy, and her head tilted from side to side in fluid motions as he approached. He got close enough to reach out to her, and she reacted slightly. He pulled back his reach and leaned in with his torso.

  "Vera," he said.

  She bared her teeth, and a guttural noise escaped her throat. It was ancient in tone, young in experience. They each leaned toward one another, and James could say only one thing. Like his faith in this meeting, he somehow knew it was right. He looked at his lover, and his face saddened by what he saw.

  "Vera," he said once again. "Please forgive me for what I have done to you."

  Vera jerked back as if struck and let out a yell as if in pain. James felt for her mind and sensed rage. She didn't want his pity, and she didn't want his love. All she wanted was to hate him, but she couldn’t.

  She stopped her scream and looked to the vampire whose blood and body was covering the ground. The demon that had torn her world apart was now torn apart himself, but that fact didn't dissipa
te her anger. She hated these demons, she hated being alone, and she hated that her sister was dead. Her thoughts fed on each other and increased in force as they circled about her mind.

  "She's not dead," James whispered.

  Vera startled, blinked rapidly and hissed in confusion.

  "My shadows…," he began before looking downward and taking a deep breath. "Our shadows protected her," he said, bringing his gaze back to her. "What we saw was an illusion. Anna escaped the attack, and when Arinai found her, she took your sister and put her in hiding. She is alive, Vera."

  Vera appeared confused, uncertain how to handle this news. Her demon form rippled as it fought to understand this new form of hell. Finally, she let out a shriek of exasperation and fled. James could barely see the movement. One moment she was there, another moment the shadows moved and she was gone. He could still sense her, though.

  He ran to the entryway, exited the structure, and then began to head up to the street, but she was already disappearing into the night. He could feel her leaping on powerful legs and finding purchase on the buildings before her; the softer substance that many of them were made of allowed her talons to dig in much easier than with the concrete, and she moved with a speed that boggled him. It was only a matter of moments before she was too far for him to feel. A minute later, Arinai and Camulas joined him. Upon their arrival, he clouded them all from view and they spoke.

  "If you ever try that again, Oracle, I will take my blade to you and be damned about the consequences."

  "That wasn’t my intention. I had no idea that Vera would be here. I really wanted this truce, and if that failed..." he didn't finish his sentence.

  Arinai was rapidly losing patience. She had been much more lenient than Camulas, but it was time to talk straight.

  "If that failed then what? You would let them kill you? You would side with one of them, like that raven?"

  "No, I was going to make you all forget about me," he said.