Into the Abyss

Ramses looked out the window. “The wards are getting weird.” They all looked out the open doors to the wards over the city walls. The wards were oscillating, as if the entire sphere was rotating, each slice starting to have a different color. Mostly shades of red, but also violet and green. More colors began to appear, as the rotation of the ward sphere seemed to increase.

“What in the Abyss is the council up to?” Exador asked.

“I’ve never seen wards do that before.” Ramses stated.

Bess swallowed hard. “I don’t know about you, but it’s starting to make me nervous.”

Exador and Ramses both did a double take and stared at her. Archdemons didn’t get nervous, and if they did, they didn’t say that. Suddenly there was the sound of glass crashing somewhere outside, but in the palace. A moment later another sound of glass shattering and then screams of anger, rage and frustration started.

Exador got a sick look on his face. “Ok, now I’m feeling nauseous and anxious myself.” Ramses nodded, he was looking a bit paler than usual.

“This is very strange.” Bess said. “It’s been about three thousand years or more, but if I didn’t know better, I’d think I was having a panic attack.”

Ramses growled through gritted teeth. “A panic attack is caused by a rush of neurotransmitters in the brain; it’s a chemical reaction. I seriously doubt your body has the chemicals necessary to induce a panic attack.” He was breathing heavily.

The screams and roars from around the palace were getting louder. There were a few more glass crashing noises. “What the fuck is going on?” Exador looked towards the wards. “Holy shit!”

They all turned to stare, there were demons flying through the air, from the palace towards the wards. As they hit the wards there was a flash of light and then the demons were on the other side of the wards.

“It’s a fucking banishment spell!” Exador raged.

“Fuck, they’re banishing demons from the city.” Ramses raged.

“How the hell are they doing this?” Bess grabbed her head, she was bent over trying not to puke. “It’s effecting us!” She was taking very deep breathes, they all were.

Exador grunted. “I can’t, I can’t fucking understand how this is possible. All my demons, they’re fleeing, every one of them.” He was clasping a large talisman on a jeweled necklace. There was an explosion from somewhere, the sounds of stone and mortar being blasted apart. Apparently, some demons were having trouble getting out. Screams from around the palace were getting louder as more demons were being thwarted from leaving.

“How is it affecting us, all of us, and all of them.” Ramses asked.

“No fu...uh...cking idea!” Exador raced to a closet door and yanked it open. He pulled out a large rug and gestured for them to help him unroll it. “Since, I am sure, none of us wants to shape change into a flying form and we need to maintain our appearances; I suggest we get on this frigging rug and get the hell out of here.”

“Amen...” Bess said tears of pain running down her cheeks as she helped the other two unroll the carpet.

“Fuck.” Ramses shouted. “I really, really don’t fucking like this feeling. You fucking wizards are a royal pain in the ass, Exador.”

Exador laughed, “Not me, my friend, this has got to be the work of one, and only one fucking cocksucker; and by all that’s unholy is he going to pay for it. Oh Lenamare, if you thought you had an enemy before...” Exador laughed over his own gasps of anxiety and pain. Exador barely had enough wits about him at this point to order the carpet up and out of the palace.

∼

Glass was exploding around them; demonic screams were coming from all over the palace. “Well, I guess that explains what they are going to do.” Edwyrd said. Antefalken was pure white at this point and Rupert was also looking rather Gastropéish.

“Ahh fuck!” Rupert screamed and dove over the edge of the balcony changing form even as he did so. It was fast and it was furious and he damn near hit the ground before being able to take flight, but then he got up into the air and headed out.

“I’m with him!” Antefalken stated and took off.

Edwyrd shook his head. He felt it, he felt it bad. It wasn’t as bad, yet, as it had been when he’d needed to get into the castle. He hoped Tizzy would get out OK. Yes, it was definitely building. Edwyrd flashed to flame and then to his demon form and took off after the others. The feeling was definitely growing in intensity; he was feeling nauseous at this point.

He turned and flew backwards as best he could, watching as other demons, hundreds of them burst out of windows, a few through walls and headed to the wards and out of the city. There were demons going in every direction, from almost every direction. The vast majority were coming from the palace, but there were quite a few from other parts of the city as well. Were there over a thousand?