by J. J. Egosi
“Hey!” Alexa groaned. “You and your big mouth.”
“Wait, you decided to do this?” Michael asked, perplexed.
Alexa sighed and nodded. “Isabella told me a bit more about your struggle last night.”
“You mean after the fire?”
Michael vaguely recalled heading to bed and seeing the two of them converse by the dwindling fire, staring at one another with concern in their eyes.
“By the sounds of what I heard, I assumed quitting wouldn’t be so easy. So I thought you could use some motivation,” said Alexa.
“Instead of waking up with a hangover, how about four women by your side?” Julianna said.
“And all you have to do is refrain from drinking,” Isabella said with a smile.
Michael looked down at his blanket. Feeling a sensation rise as they gathered closer, he smiled. “I think that could work.”
The girls responded with a laugh.
“Let’s hope so,” said Alexa.
“Now that I’m up, what’s on the schedule?” Michael asked.
“Training. Lots and lots of training,” said Julianna.
“I see,” said Michael. “We should be better prepared next time Lucifer strikes.”
“Exactly,” Ursula said, recalling their entrapment and his robbery of their rings. The helplessness she felt ate at her. “So, hurry. We all need to get in top fighting shape. Especially you, Michael.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Michael nodded with a smile. As he tried to get up, he felt a sharp jolt in his pants.
“How about you girls get a head start? I’ll meet you guys in about thirty minutes.”
Alexa sighed. “Thirty minutes? Please try to be more discreet with your plans.”
“Yes, we all know what thirty minutes means,” Julianna said with a devious grin.
Michael blushed. “Now, I think I could use a drink.”
“Calm down. I was kidding. Just get dressed,” said Alexa.
“Alright,” Michael reluctantly said.
He got out of his tent to the clanking of swords outside, dressed and ready after nearly forty-five minutes. He looked around and spotted the girls sparring. A sense of warmth filled him, knowing the semblance of his new normal prevailed through the panic of the last few days. His old and new friends trained together in harmony, and he had the chance to be a part of it. He walked towards them with a smile.
“Sticking to the same weapon, I see.”
He walked towards them, amazed by the swift and scrupulous movements they made almost effortlessly with their blades.
“Indeed. We believe doing so will prove to be the most efficient way of gauging our individual strengths,” said Julianna.
“As if. You clearly have an advantage over the rest of us. You just want to look good in his presence,” said Isabella.
“And what’s wrong with that? It’s not my fault I’m the only one trained in the art of sword fighting,” Julianna said, unapologetically.
Alexa rolled her eyes and walked to the side. She placed her sword to her side and pulled out a device from her pocket.
“Hey, where are you going?” Isabella asked.
“Nowhere. Just reading something.”
She scrolled through the screen with her fingers, reading virtual news articles. The others swarmed around with intrigue.
“Unholy shit; there are words on that thing,” Isabella said.
“It’s called a screen and yes. You have a lot to learn about steam technology,” Alexa stated.
“I suppose so,” Isabella said with widened eyes.
Alexa continued to sift through various articles, twitching with frustration as they all continued to loom over her shoulders.
“Have you found anything interesting? Perhaps something on magic restrictions in a certain forest being lifted?” Ursula asked with a hopeful smile.
“Fat chance of that,” Julianna said.
Alexa stopped scrolling and froze in place. She quivered in disbelief as her hand shook out of control.
“Is everything alright?” Michael asked.
“You tell me,” said Alexa, handing Isabella her device.
“It’s a news article,” Alexa began, “Clockwork Designs declares bankruptcy, falling to the new ownership of”—
Terrified, Ursula snatched the device from her hand to read it herself. She gasped at the name on the screen.
“Lucifer Morningstar? This must be some kind of joke!”
“I’m afraid it’s not. I don’t know how he did it, but that snake bought my company from under me,” Alexa said.
“Are you sure you’re reading that right?” Michael asked.
“I am,” Alexa replied in a sullen tone. “The Steam Gazette is the most trustworthy resource in my home dimension.”
“I don’t know how things work in your homeland, but don’t you have to approve a buyout before it can happen?” Julianna suggested.
“I guess when you’re as conniving as the demon king, you can work your way around such restraints,” Alexa replied.
“You really think so?” Isabella suggested.
“I don’t have any explanation. Just that my money’s gone,” Alexa said with a tremble in her voice.
“That’s terrible. Just when you thought he couldn’t sink any lower!” Julianna shouted.
“I don’t think he forgot you guys, either.” Ursula continued, pulling up the other tabs on the device.
Isabella and Julianna looked at the headlines in shock.
“No way, my jewelry company,” Isabella lamented.
“…and my sword company,” Julianna added.
“All bought out,” said Alexa.
“Oh, no. Does this mean?” Ursula began.
“Yes,” Alexa replied. “This means we don’t have a single gold piece to our names. That prick cleaned us all out.”
“He even liquidated my lizard farm in the first dimension. How could he? That was my only source of income!” Ursula shouted.
How could this have happened? Michael thought as he watched his friends grieving. Unaware of a shadow looming over them. He then remembered what Lucifer said about his plundering magic. “That’s it!”
“What’s it?” Alexa asked.
“I know how Lucifer did it. His plundering magic. It allows him to steal whatever he wants. That’s how he took your companies and money. I’m so sorry,” Michael said.
“That belligerent cunt!” Alexa shouted. “Just how low is he willing to go?”
“I didn’t think he could get much lower than beating an innocent young girl,” Ursula said, remembering her conversation with Julianna after dinner the night prior. She broke down into tears as she went through the memories. “No. He just has to ruin everything around him when he doesn’t get his way. Fuck this guy!”
“He’ll pay for this. The next time we met, he’s dead! Do you hear me?” Alexa shouted to the sky. “No one crosses the queen of the sixth dimensions and gets away with it!”
“Why is he even doing this? Is it simply because we’re allied with his enemy?” Isabella suggested.
I’m sure he’s been planning this ever since he evaded our last encounter, Michael thought with a sneer as he remembered him leaving into his portal.
He’s callous but shrewd. He knows how to use every piece on the battlefield to his advantage. Even the ones that aren’t his own.
He recalled their chess game—how his pieces slowly diminished as the game progressed, and those of his opponent. The disregard in Lucifer’s moves proved clearer with his latest action.
Tears flowed down Michael’s face as he watched them run down Ursula’s. He then remembered something he found.
“Here.” Michael dug into his pocket, revealing a small golden orb.
“What’s that?” Ursula asked.
“It’s the core of the beast I slew in the swamp the other day. Sell it.”
“Sell it?” Isabella asked.
“I don’t know how much it’ll be worth,
but it should last long enough for us to sort this out,” Michael replied.
“Michael?” Alexa’s eyes widened. Teary now from the gesture. “You don’t have to.”
“Yeah, that’s your money,” Isabella insisted.
“It’s fine.” Michael smiled. “I can always make money some other way. Maybe hunting livestock or chopping wood.”
His unbridled kindness swept them away and left them lost for words. They simply let their tears trickle down.
Julianna took a deep breath and picked the core from his hand. “Thank you, Michael. But we can’t sell it.”
“Why not?” Michael asked.
“Because it’s a gift from you,” Julianna said. “We could never part ways with it.”
The other girls looked at one another, nodding in agreement with the sentiment.
“She’s right. It’s way too precious. Also, it carries the memories of when you saved of in that swamp,” said Ursula.
“And were we reconciled,” Isabella said with a smile.
“Are you sure?” Michael’s eyes widened, taken by both the tenderness in their eyes and the sincerity they carried.
“Besides, we could use it in our future battles,” said Alexa.
Michael watched the solemn expressions on their faces and nodded.
“Alright, if that’s your choice, then it looks like we should get busy taking on quests to raise the money we need.”
The girls nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Ursula’s infinity bag began to glow.
“Hey, what’s going on?” She looked inside and saw a flashing light.
“That means you’ve received a parcel or mail,” Julianna said.
“Really?”
Suddenly, everyone else’s infinity bags began to glow. They opened up their bags to see what awaited them. Inside them were small books, identical in appearance.
“Gaming manuals?” Michael wondered, reading through his copy.
“To Eve the Art of Witchcraft. By Lucifer Morningstar.” Julianna read the cover with a disdainful look.
“Just what is he up to now?” Isabella said.
“It looked like he sent out a copy to every black magic user across the omniverse,” Alexa said, scrolling through a long list of recipients.
“These appear to be new battle regulations on how to fight in formal battles,” said Isabella.
“Fuck that shit. I’m not following his dumb rules,” Ursula declared, crossing her arms in defiance.
“Sounds like the first piece of good news we’ve heard from him,” said Julianna.
“How do you figure that?” Ursula asked.
“Simple. Because now we are on the same playing field as his,” Julianna replied with a grin.
They all looked at her, realizing her point.
“That’s right. If we have to follow these same rules, so does he, right?” Michael asked, remembering the various games he played with him in his dream.
“Yes, and by the looks of it, there are many,” Isabella said, skimming through the book.
“Indeed. Witchcraft, as a game, seems rather complex. For one, we have to maintain a certain number of terrains on the battlefield if we want to perform certain spells,” Alexa said.
“Terrains? What does that mean?” Ursula asked.
“Places like jungles and oceans. Seems you can call them forth much like you can familiars,” Alexa said.
“You mean you can summon an ocean?” Ursula’s eyes widened.
“It says here the number of terrains we have is determined by the number of turns we take in battle,” she explained.
“So, we’re battling on a turn basis?” Julianna groaned.
“Yes, and the terrains become part of an entity called the landscape.” Said Isabella. “The larger your landscape is, the more familiars you can summon.”
“This game sounds kind of fun. It says here the more terrain a familiar needs, the more powerful it is,” Michael said.
“It also says some familiars require a sacrifice of other familiars, too, because they’re so powerful,” said Ursula.
They all looked down at the orb.
“I wonder how powerful this one is,” said Isabella.
“Let’s find out,” Alexa said, scanning it with her device. “Xendrazi, the jagged distortion. A monarch class familiar.”
“There are different classes of familiars?” Michael asked.
“Yes, and by the looks of it, monarch is a pretty high class. Albeit, not as high as titan,” Alexa said.
“Great!” he said, enthusiastically.
“Not exactly,” Alexa replied as she continued reading.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Apparently, if you want to summon a beast like this in battle, it’ll prove quite costly.”
“Costly how?” he replied with a nervous gulp.
“From what I gather here, a monarch type familiar requires four terrains and two other familiars.”
“Two other familiars? Just for this one?” Ursula’s eyes widened.
“Seems servant class familiars are best to use as a sacrifice, as they are the easiest to bring out and the weakest,” Alexa suggested.
“But, what good is all this information when titans and this monarch are the only familiars we have in our possession?” Isabella asked.
“So, you’re saying we can’t even use it?” he asked.
“I’m afraid not. And looking through here, it seems titans are even tougher to use. Seven terrains and five sacrifices. Ridiculous,” Alexa said as irritation grew in her.
“No kidding. So, we can’t even use our best familiars?” Michael said, realizing Lucifer’s underhandedness in the rules of the game he crafted.
“We can still cast enchantments, however. They cost terrain, as well. They can be used to protect us in battle,” said Isabella, reading her manual.
Michael took a sigh of relief. “Better than nothing, I suppose.”
“However, it is highly recommended to use familiars in battle, as they are the central focus of the game,” Ursula read out.
The girls looked at her at once, realizing how difficult this game would become for them and what that would mean in challenging Lucifer again.
“If that’s the case, I wonder what sort of familiars Lucifer has in his possession. If he’s creating this game, he must have some powerful ones at his disposal, and some weaker ones to bring them out,” said Julianna.
“So much for an equal playing field,” Isabella said, downhearted.
“Hey, don’t get so down. We can still do this,” said Michael.
“How? He’s clearly rigged this from the start!” Alexa fumed.
“That’s not true. Familiars or not, he’s only as strong now as his terrain count will allow. We just need to find some weaker familiars to help bring out our heavyweights, while also mastering spells that debilitate his landscape. Then, we’ll smash his stupid face in,” Michael said, confidently.
“You make it sound so easy,” Ursula said, warming up to the idea, but still unsure if it wielded any credibility.
“And what makes you think he won’t cheat?” Julianna asked.
“That’s a good point,” Isabella began, “Lucifer’s a dirty snake. Regardless of how the battle goes, I bet he’ll still try to pull a fast one on us.”
“I’m not saying it will be easy. I’m saying victory is there for us if we want it. We just have to work hard and believe. And as for whether or not he plans to cheat, let’s just say I’ve found in my own way he’s a man of integrity in games. I doubt he or anyone else could cheat, even if they wanted to,” said Michael.
“Anyone else? I forgot other members of his legion may be after us.” Ursula slumped into an anguished state.
“Their familiars will most likely be very powerful, as well, given their ties to the creator of the game,” said Alexa.
Creator, Michael thought.
“Whatever the obstacle, we can face it together. We may have the disadvantage, but I st
ill believe with the right amount of teamwork, we can conquer whatever adversaries come our way.”
“You know how to rally the troops. I like that in a leader. I’m in,” said Julianna.
“Me, too. Besides. I want to see that look on that destroyer jackass’s face when we take back everything that he took from us and so much more,” said Isabella.
The four of them smiled and nodded.
“Me, three. Especially if Michael will be there every step of the way to support us,” said Ursula.
They all now focused their looks at Alexa as she looked off to the side. She sighed with a smile.
“Very well. If you’re all in, so am I.”
“Then, it’s settled. We’ll beat Lucifer at his own game, using the very titans he seeks to gather,” said Michael.
“And get our money back!” Alexa chanted.
The five of them placed their hands together in a circle, ready to raise them high towards the sky when quaking below their feet broke the mood. A thunderous noise threw them into a sudden panic.
“What’s going on? Some sort of earthquake?” Ursula exclaimed over the sounds of the ground cracking wide.
“I don’t think so. This feels different, somehow,” Michael said, analyzing the strange sensation he felt.
Out from the ground rose a strange figure clad in robes, a blackened mask, and a pointed hat. Female in physique with a shadow complexion, the figure stared directly at Michael and the girls, as they all stood there, completely frozen—baffled.
“Is that a witch?” Isabella gazed at the unusual female figure and the aura she gave off, sensing a demonic presence.
“Seems so, but where did she come from?” Alexa asked.
“That’s the work of Lucifer,” Michael announced.
“How can you tell?” Isabella asked.
“The energy emitting from her. It’s the same as Lucifer’s,” said Michael.
They looked towards the witch’s face and only saw a swirling stream of shadows where it would be.
The skies darkened too, forging a sweeping tempest of writhing clouds hanging over them. They gazed, petrified, as gusts of fire rolled and hurdled through the thundering heavens.
“Entering witchcraft sequence. Battle will now commence,” the witch said in an eerie, unsettling tone. Like a machine, she raised her arms with a creaking movement of gears in each joint.
