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As the others separated to their own tasks, Rachel turned her attention back to studying her environment.  She put Benedict and the twins onto questioning the residents to discover how much they could get about Camagüey; the more they knew what they were getting into the better.

Scarlet went on the hunt to destroy the wolves once she saw them heading back northeast to the city, and after a bit of searching, Rachel discovered there was one of the wolf mutated humans four miles away, controlling them.  He was sending the packs to hunt any human settlement nearby.

Grace was content being on guard-duty with Hayan, Rose, Coral, and Gisele; her pets seemed to be getting along great with Jim, the horse.  In fact, Rachel could practically see Gisele on Jim’s head, pointing the way with a wing while the three rabbits jumped up and down on his back, ready to ride off into battle with Hayan taking point.

Her focus was momentarily pulled to the cowgirl and her rabbits as they gathered to accept some gummy bears the girl had stored in Jim’s saddle; Gisele wasn’t a fan, but she accepted a few corn nuts.

Grace had fun tossing the gummies into the air and watching the squishy blobs jump up, using their lunar disk skill to do little tricks in the air.  However, the real interesting part came when her small bag whittled down to two, and without being asked, the three played some kind of game to see who would get the spoils.

Hayan squared off against Rose first; the white rabbit versus the pink.  Rachel folded her arms with a small smirk while watching the two give each other a confident look, and Grace was getting into it as she caught on and started the contest—even the prisoners had grown bored of threatening to kill one another to get out of the wind prision and watch with a few of the former prisoners.

“Ready … Set … Go!”  Grace cheered, Gisele and Jim observing like referees.

Hayan’s left ear shot out to slam Rose’s head, but her own blocked it; four ears a blur as they attacked, parried, blocked, and tried to fake the other out.  Rachel already knew who would win, but was learning more about her blob’s personalities by the competition.

Several seconds of dueling and Rose’s ear slid down Hayan’s to firmly bonk Hayan on the head; his ears froze inches from their own target—Rose was the victor.  She gave him a cute smile that he huffed at, but a small smile soon brightened his zig-zag mouth as they shook ears.

Rose was by far faster and more accurate than the white blob, which likely came from her much higher skill levels with the Blush Moon’s energy cycling through her system.  She took her prize with grace, and it was now Coral and Hayan’s time to square off.

Coral was leaning left and right to her own rhythm before jumping and spinning into flips while watching the two, doing her little dance.  She looked so cute; however, the moment it was Hayan versus her, the facade dropped to reveal a pumpkin grin.

In practice, Hayan was slightly faster and far more skilled than Coral, but the little girl puff bunny had her own skills that made a competition like this a bit suspect, yet Hayan wouldn’t back down.

If she were to put a label on each of them, Rose was the big sister, making sure no one got into trouble, but she could have a little princess attitude.  Hayan was the middle child; the brother with something to prove, and Coral was the mischievous little sister that needed attention at times, such as when she pretended to need help from falling off one of the benches to get their focus.  She liked to be in the background until she didn’t.

Coral and Hayan’s ears dueled for several seconds with Hayan coming dangerously close to smacking his little sister on the head, but she managed to have save after save, but oddly, her curse skills seemed to be countered by Hayan, and eventually, the boy managed to strike between her cross eyes.

“Aww…”  Grace cooed upon Coral’s sad expression.

Hayan puffed up his chest, jumped up to grab the gummy and caught it with his ear before landing and offering it to Coral with a big smile.  The little girl took it with a teary-eyed smile, ears hugging Hayan like her big brother; Rachel wondered if that was Coral’s plan all along though … She was a little devious.  Still, Hayan got what he wanted out of it and so did she.

Rachel walked over to Fiona as she got on the radio with Tom, Edelira helping; the older twin didn’t seem to be enjoying the investigation because she excused herself pretty early on.  Not surprisingly, given the looks on Benedict and Isabel’s faces from what they were learning.

“Erm … Tom … Tom, it’s Fiona.  Are you there?”

Static was heard for a few seconds before he responded.  “Yes … What’s going on?”

“Umm … I just wanted to know if the team you're sending will be strong enough to handle the Demi that are here.  They’ve got some stronger attacks; I have to strengthen the barrier every so often.  I’ve been having to eat sugar periodically while we wait, and I don’t want the soldiers to get hurt.”

“That’s sweet,” Clay replied.  “However, these are highly trained men, Fiona; we wouldn’t send them in without proper support.”

Tom took a long breath before yawning.  “Yes … After Rachel explained to us how the System operated, we’ve been able to develop a specialist program and offer it to those that are interested in following that path—two of those are a Containment and Enchanter Class that deals with debuffs, restraints, and other control methods, such as imbuing handcuffs that weaken physical strength.”

Scarlet had a tiny earpiece connected to the device, and upon hearing the explanation, giggled, talking to Rachel from two miles away.  “Soooo … The SCP?”

“Resistances?”  Fiona pushed, and Edelira was listening closely the moment they started talking about their powers.

“Taken into consideration with Penetration.”

“Okay,” Fiona breathed a sigh of relief.  “I guess that’s something passing through all the policing agencies in the U.S., huh?”

“Some … the major details of how the System operates is still being kept in classified circles.  Is there anything else you need?”

“Nope.  I just got a little worried; one has this small penetrating skill that focuses a lot of energy on a single point that is a bit troublesome.”

“Noted, give me the details and I’ll pass them along in the report.”

“Right … uh, let me compile the information real quick…”

When there was a pause, Rachel cleared her throat.  “Tom, have you heard anything else about Camagüey?”

“Rachel … Ah, I have, actually, and it’s not good.  The agents I told you about were going to the Ciego de Ávila Province … Well, they discovered the area was ransacked of its goods.  It’s primarily used for cattle ranching, sugar, pineapples, and other citrus fruits—it’s a major agricultural area for Cuba, but thousands of corpses have been discovered in small settlements.”

“That’s horrible,” Fiona mumbled.  “Another Warlord?” 

Edelira puffed out a long breath.  “Is it The Devil of Camagüey?  There were…”  she performed a cross in front of her chest.  “It’s not good, from what I’ve heard.”

“A part of it, most likely,” Tom groaned, seat creaking as he leaned back.  “From what we’ve been able to catch and the survivors they’ve come across, attacks came from the east and west; the guys trying to defend the place were slaughtered and put out on stakes, stripped of flesh, demonic symbols carved into their muscle … all while still alive, and that came from Camagüey.”

Edelira made the symbol again, looking up at her sister and friend as the two broke away to talk to them; their faces were ashen.  Rachel could see a similar look on those they questioned, eyes distant with horror.

“What’s it really like?”  Rachel asked.

Tom’s tone became confused.  “I can’t … oh…”

He went silent as Benedict cleared his throat and scratched his neck.  “Umm … I don’t know if I can really even talk about it…”

Isabel rubbed her shoulders, tucking in her lower lip with a short nod.  “It’s … he really is a living devil … It’s … it sounds impossible—like out of a horror book.”

Tom hummed.  “We’ve taken satellite pictures of the area, and from what we can tell, everything is normal.”

“Are you kidding me?”  Benedict mumbled, quickly shaking his head.  “No … no way.  Have you seen a gigantic red barrier over the entire city?  No one can go in or out; they’re trapped without some special thing the devil gives his followers.”

“Excuse me … a massive barrier?  Clay … do you have, yeah … No, there’s nothing like that, and we took images from the drones we have in the sky … bring them lower, to be sure.”

Isabel went on, vision darting to Grace as she walked a little closer to listen; Rachel could still hear Scarlet massacring the shadowy wolves like the reaper she was, teleporting all across the fields and trees.

“They said … his name was Asher, and he came from another country—out East somewhere.  The first week after The Oscillation, the train stopped, and everyone was scared of him at first, but he was the only one bringing back food and water.”

Benedict nodded.  “A lot of people tried to go get help, drive to the neighboring towns when all communication was cut; Armand—The Beast—he was causing a ton of trouble, destroying everything, but Asher stopped him … Well, trapped him, at least.”

“Manipulation tactics,” Rachel’s eyes narrowed.  “He got The Beast to cut all the communication methods, kill those trying to leave, and allowed him time to set up everything he needed.”

Isabel’s voice went a little hoarse.  “Yeah … at the end of the first week, a big red barrier expanded to fill the entire city, and he released Armand to kill whoever he wanted—people were forced to stay inside, run from the wolves, and they strung up skeletons everywhere … demonic totems and effigies—part of the city went up in flames, and no one could do anything but run.”

“They said it was a bloodbath,” Benedict shivered.  “Most people stay indoors; they don’t know anything else after that…”  He pointed at the people in the wind prisons.  “Those guys blindfolded them and took them through the barrier, but they didn’t know why.”

Fiona’s eyes were wide.  “How many people … That sounds way worse than Miami Beach.”

Rachel heard Tom intake a sharp breath, likely looking at his monitors.  “The last estimate was over 300,000 people in that city ... Clay, figure out the distance … shit…”

“What’s wrong?”  Edelira asked, arms held tightly against her chest.  “I have an uncle in that city.”

“It’s … There’s some kind of illusion cast over the area … I never expected anything like this.  I need to contact the President.  The company I sent to recover those prisoners will be there in five … Rachel, make this your priority—if you fail … we’ll have to consider very drastic options because this is on a … Get me some answers as soon as you can.”

He got off to speak to the President, Clay getting on in his stead.  “... Rachel.”

“Still here,” she replied, the others waiting with bated breath.  “What are you looking at?”

“In short, our enemy can seal off an entire city and generate some kind of illusion that can trick our satellites; you need to be within 300 meters of the barrier to see it, and the moment we crossed that sky barrier, we were detected, and the drone was destroyed by some flying thing.”

“Hmm…”  Rachel turned her head to the northwest.  “Did you catch anything on the recording before it was destroyed?”

“Only a few images from a small portion of the edge of the city, but it was enough to draw speculation.  It’s big … big enough to contain over 300,000 people.”

Rachel tucked in her lower lip.  If they were killed indiscriminately for almost two weeks without interruption, then they could be on a level we haven’t seen before.

“This smells like Relica business,” Fiona growled.  “Is this why she pointed us here?”

“I don’t know,” Rachel muttered, “but we’ll see soon enough.  Just prepare yourself to step into a warzone.”

Benedict shook his head.  “Warzone … more like a slaughterhouse.”

“Can we handle this?”  Edelira forced a chuckled.  “Shouldn’t we … You know, let the Americans handle devils?”

Isabel’s eyes shifted to the left, rubbing her arm.  “I … I have to follow through, Edel; if you want to go back with Ben, then that’s totally fine.”

“Are you kidding me?”  Edelira sniffed, gaze hardening.  “What can you do without me?”

Her twin shrugged, still not meeting her gaze.  “I don’t know … have … have … Grace shoot me?”

“Eh, heh, sorry, darlin’,” Grace laughed, adjusting her hat, “but you’re not the caliber I’m accustomed to.”  It was a more polite way of saying she was a lot weaker than her own weapons.

“W-What about—I can learn a new skill to do things on my own,” she mumbled.

Edelira gave her a dirty look.  “Why are you being so stubborn?  This is way over our heads!”

“Because, Edel,” she choked, fighting back tears, “because I have to blame someone for Máximo’s death, and—and do something about it or I’ll—I’ll blame myself.”

Fiona and Benedict’s ears drooped with emotion, but they kept their mouths shut as the two fought.

“Yeah, blame them, sure!”  Edelira shouted, soon swapping into Spanish.

They went back and forth with the huddled citizens watching until both women were in tears and hugging.

Benedict cleared his throat, whispering, “Edel decided to … to stay and help Isabel, even if she thinks she’s being stupid.”

“You are, too,” Edelira growled, clearing her cheeks.  “If—if we’re going to survive this, then we need to get stronger … Fiona, c-can you help us … Please?”

Grace’s hand shot into the air with a grin.  “Oh!  Oh!  Me, too!  I want to learn more about this System business.”

“Ugh … eh-he-he-he, umm,” Fiona glanced at Rachel.

“Go for it,” Rachel replied, looking down the road; the lights of the caravan with a helicopter overhead were just coming into view.  “We’re going to be on the move soon, but we’ll have time after scoping it out and retiring for the day.”

“Is … there a reason we’re not gonna keep goin’?  Oh!  The Vampy!  Heh.  Okay, got ya!”  Grace asked, before answering herself, nodding thoughtfully while removing her hat to scratch her head.  “Huh … I guess y’all are kinda nocturnal.  Cool,” she mumbled, studying the moon falling below the treeline.

“Alright,” Fiona sighed, motioning for them to go a bit away to have some privacy from the group, and forty seconds later, Scarlet teleported back.

The soldiers arrived in three humvees, two military transport vehicles for the victims and an armored prison vehicle.  Benedict shot more dust into the wind prison to pacify them, diminishing returns finally reset, and the two Magus Champions put the enchanted restraints and cast weakening spells on them for transit. 

It went without incident, and the soldiers made a perimeter for the screening and medical team to set up shop; with everything under control, Rachel told the captain running the show that they were heading out.

Fiona lifted them into the air after eating more sugar, having fallen to 35%, until she was up to 175%, having increased her overstock amount recently with her cost mitigation; it was a good investment, considering it was her literal life-source, and her defense, offense, and utility depended on the pool.

However, just before they were about to take off, the little guinea pig Beastkin girl came jogging over in a panic with the moose-lady, addressing Scarlet.

“T-Thuke y-you!  Ferr … ‘elping!”  she stammered, trying to work through English with the woman’s help.

Fiona hesitated, dropping them down a little for Scarlet to speak to her.

“O-Oh, hello, Laritza!”  Scarlet smiled.  “I’m happy you’re safe; make sure to stay with Claudia.”

“Oh.  My.  Goodness!”  Nia chimed.  “She’s adorable!”

The little boy was hurrying to join them, shyly hanging back a bit as Claudia continued to struggle through English.

“I—I will!”  Laritza said, holding up an old, bent bottle cap that she’d probably found on the side of the road while waiting for the caravan.  “I—I keep to … to reminderer of pretty Vimpire lady—save mi cousin and—and auntie!”

Rachel had no clue how holding onto a bottle cap would be a reminder, but she was a child; it wouldn’t be the thing she kept as a reminder.  Claudia was giving them an embarrassed but thankful smile while whispering the words into her niece's ear.

“Oh!  My…”

Scarlet choked up; Fiona and Nia were right with her.

“Y-Yeah!”  Scarlet smiled.  “You be a good girl and help your aunt with Joel.  Okay?”

“Oki!”  She grinned, showing missing baby teeth.  “I—I be strong like Vimpie lady!”

“So adorable,” Fiona whispered.

“Thank you,” Claudia said, ushering the two kids away while speaking in Spanish.

“Just think what could have happened to them if we hadn’t shown up…”  Fiona mumbled in a sad tone.

Rachel hummed.  “The innocent are always the first to suffer from the strong … nature is cruel, and under every society lurks monsters seeking to take control—for good reasons and bad, they tend to end the same.”

Grace folded her arms with a solemn nod.  “Ah—I’ve heard lots of stuff like that …What has more beauty and terror than innocence, and usually, I find heroes are often more villainous—In the end, how do we know what the difference is?”

Scarlet hissed, scratching the back of her neck while watching the group grow smaller as they rose.  “Yeah, I’d rather not think about all that stuff … I have enough on my mind.”

“Agreed!”  Fiona sighed, increasing their speed.

They passed various small communities and towns that, for the most part, were functioning independently.  Some areas were totally unaware of Cuba’s state and seemingly ignorant about the effects of The Oscillation at all.

Rachel winced, knowing they’d probably believe the U.S. was just randomly invading Cuba.  Who would believe the entire world had been changed overnight by a single global event that rocked every society to its core and changed people into superpowered monsters—that their entire government had been usurped by a small group of magical men and women that beat their military?

Grace saw it before anyone else, but she just shook her head when Fiona asked her to describe it, and Rachel could see why when they neared, making excellent time with Fiona’s swift flight.

Clay spoke through the floating radio by Fiona as the city came into view; the illusion seemed to be only pointed at the sky and not from the side.  “Scarlet, you have an hour before the sun will be a problem.”

Maria soon followed.  “Yeah, so get that pale ass of yours underground!”

“I—I’m not that pale,” Scarlet defensively mumbled.

Benedict winced.  “Eh, pretty pale.”

“No doubt,” Maria followed, “and yo, Clay, and I worked out a way to leave the stupid flower on the ship…”

“I helped!”  Cahira cut in.  “My idea!”

“Eh … aren't you supposed to be sleepin’?”

She groaned, brushing her hand through her hair.  “I would, but Alistair keeps tellin’ me he can’t join me in bed!”

“Ugh … Leave the man alone,” Maria moaned.  “Any normal woman would have given up by now.”

“I know, isn’t it thrillin’,” Cahira giggled.  “No fella would deny this Irish bootie!”

“Uh-huh … anyway, I’ll be back over to join you tomorrow, so get some sleep ta come up and grab me, Fi!  I’m going crazy up here…”

Fiona giggled.  “I can see it.  Yeah, I’ll be up to get you; get some sleep, too!”

“Yeah, yeah, I got ya…”

The Fairy slowed, eyes going wide as she caught sight of the barrier.  “... Umm, Twinkle Horn, I’ll need to call you back … We’re coming up on the town … It’s insane.”

“I’ll see tomorrow; don’t get caught without me there!  Ya hear?!”

“... One time,” she mumbled, referencing Relica catching Scarlet and her by surprise.

Rachel’s focus was entirely on Camagüey; there wasn’t a living thing besides insects and tiny rodents within a mile because of the shadowy wolves prowling the perimeter.  Benedict created an illusion around them to obscure them from view, and as they drew closer to the ground, the carnage grew more evident.  It was clear why Tom instantly hung up to contact the President because hundreds of skeletons and bloodstains were visible from outside the barrier.

It looked like the surrounding townsfolk that saw it in the rural areas came closer to see what was happening, and when enough gathered, the massacre began.  The picture was slowly coming into focus as they continued to canvas the 28-mile circumference of Camagüey.

The entire area was enclosed by red lightning that sounded nothing like electricity; a dull hum reverberated through the air and into Rachel’s ears as it exited large crimson masses within the barrier, located at the top of each point inside the elongated pentagon.

Dozens of floating masses of flesh hovered overhead, the size of a person with monstrous, demonic mouths.  It was one of these things that destroyed Tom’s drone, but Benedict’s magic seemed to be blinding them of the group's presence.

“This is insane,” Edelira whispered.  “You can’t even see into the city with how bright those flashes of lightning are.”

“Parts,” Grace mumbled, sharp blue eyes darting to specific parts.  “They’re only about a foot wide gaps, but you can see inside … Damn.  It’s not good.  Part of the city looks burned, and blood and bodies are lining the streets.”

Rachel kept silent, taking in the sounds; nothing was heard beyond the veil; it rose 100-meters into the air.  She got a threatening sense from the pulsing energy.  Signs of fleeing people were everywhere; it was clear none of them made it out alive.  Even when accelerating her mind, Rachel couldn’t penetrate the barrier; its walls like fogged glass.

“Grace,” she whispered, “what can you see within—And can you teleport inside, Scarlet?”

Scarlet was hugging herself, blood reaching out to touch the barrier as she shook her head.  “No … I feel living things in there … it’s a mass of lives, fueling it.  I could try to cut through it—but I’d be taking lives doing it.”

Grace’s light tone had fallen dramatically, expression solemn.  “There’s some kind of magical circles at the point of each edge … where the balls of blood are.”

“Those are entirely…”  Isabel looked like she was going to be sick, unable to complete her sentence.

“Yeah … over there … to the northeast, there’s what looks to be a huge airport—there’s a gigantic pentagram that’s being created, though—twice the size of an airplane.

Rachel’s ears snapped to their left as she heard an unnatural wind collect several meters to their right.  “Something’s coming!”  She pointed, causing Fiona, Scarlet, and Grace to react on instinct.  The twins were slower due to their transformation but on point, and Benedict was more or less left to hide behind Fiona due to his skillset.

Magnum pointed, blood circling, and four massive icicles forming, their a preparatory attack formed around black shadows that revealed a smiling witch—Relica’s smug, smiling face appraised them, hands rising with a light giggle as Scarlet instantly tightened her blood around the woman.

“My, my, my, girls—is this really necessary?  Oh, you have a boy with you!”

Grace’s brown eyebrows drew together, head tilting toward Rachel.  “Eh, is, umm … this a good guy or bad guy?”

Relica giggled, seemingly not having difficulty breathing from the pressure Scarlet placed on her form, which made sense since this wasn’t the real witch.  “Oh, most definitely bad, my sweet—well, at least by their rather strict ethics.”

She glanced toward Benedict and the twins.  “I know who these three are, though; I haven’t had the pleasure to meet Benedict yet; I’m always looking for new recruits!  And who is this lovely cowgirl?  I can’t…”  She rolled her eyes as Scarlet’s blood filled her mouth.

“Shut up!”  Scarlet hissed, but she was really resisting the urge to back away and hug herself.

Rachel sighed, scratching her temple; when Maria told them to not get caught, she didn’t think it would be the same person that got the jump on them.  “She’s not the real Relica.”

“I know,” Scarlet mumbled.  “I just hate her creepy voice—I should blind her too….”

“I agree, but … sadly, we need answers.”

A growl rumbled in Scarlet’s throat as she begrudgingly removed the gag.

Relica’s tongue slid out to sample her lips, looking thoughtful and entirely in control.  “Mmh … the taste of life … Quite delicious if I say so myself.”

Fiona’s eyes twitched.  “Could you bring the creep-level down to ten?”

Scarlet’s blood appeared to shiver a little from the witch’s comment, responding to the girl’s discomfort.

Relica directed a small smirk toward Scarlet.  “I know you agree with me—ah, but that is not why I am here, my little darlings.  By the way … it’s going to be dawn soon.  I wouldn’t want my precious Scarlet turning to ash … I believe I see the glow in the distance.  I hope you have a plan.”

Rachel’s lips tightened as Fiona shifted them around in the air to look to the east; she wasn’t wrong.  “Hmm … Let’s go to the cave you scouted out, Scarlet.”

Scarlet groaned.  “You all aren’t going to like it … but we need to go through my blood portal.”

“Oh, new experiences!  I’m excited,” Relica chimed.  “Although, I will promptly leave if you keep treating me in such a—unbecoming manner.  I will not be abused.”

“Abused … mmhmgmhmm … right…”

A long puff of air shot through Rachel’s lungs.  “If Relica wanted to attack us, then she would have done so in a much more … flashy manner.”

“You know me so well!”  Relica smiled as Scarlet hesitantly retracted her blood to create the large portal for Fiona to levitate them through.  “Oh … I’ve seen you do this before,” she mused.  “I look forward to the journey.”

Fiona pulled them through first, taking a deep, shuddering breath before diving in with tight muscles.  “It’s … not comfortable—just tense up and breathe,” she advised.

Passing through the liquid, even Rachel couldn’t help a shiver as the liquid stimulated every micrometer of her skin.  The others took it much worse, including Grace.

“W-Why … Why…”  the Legend mumbled.  “I … I like being squeezed much more … Everywhere … Just … just why…”

The twins and Benedict were speechless at the experience.

They entered a pitch-black cave room, large enough to accommodate them all, and the moment they were on solid ground, Gisele, Hayan, Rose, and Coral pounced into a diamond formation around the witch as she appeared, of course, she looked to be aroused by the sensation, her cheeks were flushed with a savory grin.

“My … Scarlet, you nasty thing … how … sensual you are!”

Scarlet jumped back, creep-meter hitting a million.  “J-Just get your stupid thing over with and go away—Why are you even here?!”

Fiona recovered quickly, glowing bright white before generating a ball of neutral light to illuminate the cave space for the twins, who didn’t have the best night vision.

Relica ignored them while walking a little off to study the area, expression showing her interest.  “How did you manage to find this little gem … And with air for those that require it?  I applaud your taste, Scarlet!”

Figuring the woman would continue to stall, Rachel decided to press a little; it wasn’t like she had many friends—not that they were, but in her mind, who knew.  “Could you get to the point, Replica … I’m growing bored.”

The witch directed a mild glare her way.  “I may be many things, Rachel, but boring is not one of them.  In fact, it was you that kept me waiting, and for quite some time, might I add.  I’m afraid a rather disastrous outcome is about to happen … And all because of your sluggish reaction time.”

“What?!”  Fiona growled, her arms folded tightly against her chest.  “The city?”

Relica waved her hand with a slight huff.  “Honestly, so impatient; I only just arrived, and you cannot rush a proper explanation.”

Finding a nearby rock, Relica hummed, casually flicking her fingers to generate a shadowy cut that made a clean line through the stone, passing a few feet in the wall beyond.  Making another gesture, a hammer-like shadow formed to knock the top off for her to sit, crossing her legs.

Her gaze shifted between her pets with interest.  “How … curious.  I did not take you for the leashing type, Rachel.  I wonder what you are into under the sheets.”

“Okay, can we get rid of the stupid dirty witch lady?!  She makes my threads crawl…”

I wish…

“Yeah, keep wondering,” Fiona grumbled.

Rachel didn’t respond, knowing it was exactly what the woman wanted.  “Have you been inside?”

Relica waved her hand dismissively.  “Naturally … Asher and I had a rather lovely chat.  Ah, Asher is a rather smug blue-skinned demon, the Legend of Abezethibou … Quite a powerhouse in his own right, and … showed me a rather fascinating way to experience pleasure that I hadn’t even thought…”

“Keep it PG-13, at the least!”  Fiona cried, violently shaking her head.

“Yeah!  Yeah!  I don’t wanna hear your horn-stuff!  Eww!  Ewwww!!  Rachel, get it out of my head!  Ease my suffering!”

I think that’s beyond salvation, Nia … sorry.

“No-ho-ho … Send her to prison—FBI friends!”

Relica’s expression soured a bit as she looked away, flicking back her hair.  “Although … admittedly, I have not been welcomed in for a good week now, and I believe it is for a reason.”

Rachel rolled her eyes.  “We know about Armand, the Beast of Gévaudan, and Asher.  Why are you worried?  What is your purpose here?  Are there any surprises we should look out for?”

The witch’s lips lifted a little.  “Always to the point—I rather like that about you, Rachel.  This makes things so much simpler.  You see … in truth … Asher actually frightens me—a nasty fellow that has this fetish—oh, more than one, let me be clear,” she raised her hands, “that is even beyond my palate, which is extensive, might I add.”

“Rated-R … Rated-R,” Fiona groaned with Nia.

Grace slowly raised her hand.  “Eh … I’m kinda with the wagon here—not lookin’ to scar my brain for life, if ya get what I’m sayin’.  Ya seem like a fine lady and all, but, umm … I ain’t got that kind of … inclination—you know, to each their own, heh, but uh, yeah…”

“Such fragile minds,” Relica shook her head in exasperation.  “You see, the fellow has this … obsession for demons, this biblical figure … Asmodeus or something, I don’t know, I’ve never read the book myself.  I don’t believe in such silly things.”

The twins made a cross symbol across their chests, and even Benedict was mirroring her action at the direction they were going.

Scarlet lifted an eyebrow.  “Seriously … after everything we’ve seen—you’ve done.”

“Science is magic, darling,” Relica giggled.  “They are one and the same, but … I have seen some rather … disturbing sights within those walls.  They’re certainly summoning things from somewhere, and the experiments were … noteworthy, would be the word.  I will applaud some of their more scientific minds, working with that Armand fellow.”

“Asher?”  Rachel pressed.

“Right!  Right!  So many things to talk about … Hmm … He’s convinced he’s been possessed by Abezethibou, and it acts as a sign of his ‘master’s’ return … kinky, really.  Asher has a rather … unconvincing past, rooted in Iraq as a defected Jew of some kind—anyway, he’s been actually making progress on his rituals, which I was very fascinated by at first, yet … even I have my limits.”

Fiona gave Scarlet a frightened look.  “Eh … I’ve seen where this goes—you don’t just summon minor demons and call it a day.  Right?”

“Right…”  Rachel mumbled, skin prickling with the news; Tom was right to get in touch with the President after seeing the remains of the slaughter.  “What kind of demon is he trying to summon right now?”

Relica gave a dismissive shrug.  “How should I know his plans?  Everything was so disjointed at first, but I could see the manipulation tactics, and using Blood Magic is kind of my specialty, which he was all too happy to make use of.”

“What?!”  Scarlet barked.  “You helped him in all this—All that?!”

“Eh, the beginning stages, sure.  You must know how enthralling this was for me—uncharted territory … It was breathtaking, to say the least, and he is a master!  I gained so much insight from my time here and loved the beginning stages … Until we moved away from Blood Magic as a whole and into it as a source for this … this demonic business that I’m not so interested in.”

Her gaze darkened, lips pulling in with a stony look in her eyes.  “I have spent most of my time in Havana, recently, but I wonder if even some of those groups can tackle this challenge … One of my people, a Seer, had some visions recently—she needs a lot more time to properly expand the skills, but according to her Lesser Oracle Sight III Skill, he is going to unleash a great calamity on the world tomorrow night—you’ve come at the best time, it seems … prophetic.

Fiona’s expression dulled.  “A demon … It means he’s summoning demons.”

“Wonderful … A gate to hell or something,” Scarlet sighed, scratching her head.  “We’ve got to stop a gate to hell … What movie is this?!”

Nia’s scared voice rumbled in her mind, but she was practically eating imaginary popcorn.  “This is getting crazy, Lunar Abyss!  It’s the Abyss vs. the infernal depths!  Secret Society, mobilize!”  She was utterly enthralled by the prospect.

Relica shifted her legs the opposite way.  “Mmh, who can really say?  All I know is that something terrible is happening within those walls, and I can’t get in … That blood magic has gone out of control—have you seen how big it is?  It wasn’t always that large, only a small wall so people couldn’t get over it, but now … humph.

“Armand is also a big concern—only two threats, really, but they’re powerful, and they had an army the last time I was there … You’ve probably met a few.”

Rachel folded her arms, shifting her weight to the opposite hip.  “Why are you telling us this, Relica—the competition is getting out of hand?”

“Heh-he-he, my dear, everyone is!  When you’re allowed to do whatever you want and kill indiscriminately, certain individuals will rise above the rest.  You see, my plan is quite simple—use every faction I can, and have your team break them apart, so they don’t grow too much.  A win-win for both of us!”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Scarlet growled.

Relica’s hands gripped her knee as she leaned forward.  “Oh, I am very much on your side, Scarlet!  Your mother and I are doing great work, and I have learned so much here that will help in the future.  Sadly, these are a rather paranoid bunch, yet I’ve gotten what I want … for the most part.  I would be cautious, though, my little helpers … Asher has put together something even I cannot fully grasp, and it frightens me.  Beat his little wolf enforcer and stop the rituals—plural … he is a busy boy.  Good luck!”

She waved with a bright smile before vanishing into smoke.

Grace smacked her lips, glancing between them.  “Mmh … So, this is a regular for ya lot—And, heh, I thought my life was a calamity—she’s a crazy one.  This is turning into … Hmm, quite the tale.”

“Ugh,” Scarlet brushed back her hair in annoyance, “you have NO idea!”

Fiona hissed, noticing how lost the twins and Pixie were.  “What’s the plan, Rachel?  Are we really going to go in and … stop a gateway to … yeah—imp central?”

“Worse than imps, by the sounds of it,” Grace mumbled.  “Damn, I don’t know if I brought enough bullets … oof … This’ll be rough—maybe I pick up a bullet salvage skill, hmm … I’ll sleep on it.  Oh, thanks for the tips, Fi!  I’m excited … Man, y’all are fun!”

Rachel glared at the floor for a moment, compiling the information as everyone looked at her.  “... We sleep, wake up, update Tom, get his recommendation, and likely use Scarlet’s powers to cut a hole in the wall, slip through, and tear-up the place while protecting who we can.”  They didn’t seem too confident in the direction they were going but nodded.  “Rest up … It’s going to be a rough night.”

Grace’s lips became a line as she glanced around.  “Mmh … speakin’ of sleep … what we usin’?  I’ve got a blanket and sack for a pillow, but what about the rest o’ y’all?”

“We use what we can,” Rachel sighed, glancing at the small pack Fiona had been hauling around with them; it didn’t have anything for sleeping.

“We … can use my blood?”  Scarlet hesitantly chuckled.  “I know it’s weird, but … there’s the option.”

Fiona shrugged.  “I can sleep in the air, and Benedict should be able to, too.”

“That works,” Rachel nodded.

The twins didn’t like the idea but soldiered through it; Relica clearly pushed them outside of their comfort zone, and Rachel couldn’t blame them.  Tomorrow’s brush with hell wasn’t a pleasant thought either, and it might even be comparable to the Legend’s Quest, given the scope Asher had gone in his beliefs.

Settling into the rather soft blood bed Scarlet made, she was impressed at the elasticity and give it gave to her form; they were extremely thin, given how she had to create four of them, but no less comfortable than a regular bed.

Rachel took a moment to drift off to sleep with Nia’s excited chatter in her head, talking about the battle between the Abyss and Hell.  Eventually, she managed to drift into sleep, but it seemed the others were having a much harder time.

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