Urban
Mystic

written by Aelius

 

Beyond Chicago’s late night
inner-city bustle echoing through the air, some of the region’s older sections
remained oddly silent. Amidst dilapidated buildings, only the wind disturbed
the night air until footsteps pounded on an old creaking fire escape ladder.

Two figures climbed to the
roof of an empty building and waited, listening to the gasping breaths of a
third as he made his way to the top.

A skunk finally crested the
top of the ladder and tumbled onto the gravel roof. His gear clinked and
rattled with his movement and the wind billowed his old leather longcoat,
threatening to blow away his wide-brimmed hat. He held out his paw, panting,
“You two… really need to slow down… when we do this…”

The two others traded
glances—a ferret clothed in black and a rabbit doe decked out in a headband and
a form-fitting coat that wavered in the wind.

“C’mon John, this is
nothing,” muttered the ferret. “I thought you said you’ve been exercising…”

“I have!” said the skunk. “Last
week I actually managed to jog two miles.”

“I run ten miles every other
day, and on the off-days I lift weights for an hour.”

John stood straight and
adjusted his coat. “Well, I’m not a fitness nut like you, Lance.”

The ferret tilted his head.
“What might help is not wearing that big coat or strapping yourself down with
all that heavy gear.” Lance pointed at the skunk’s belt, where a secured
hardcover book dangled against his hip. “Especially that. Why do you think you
need to carry an entire five-hundred-page book with you when we go out and do
this?”

John walked past them to the
other side of the roof. “Because there are no ancient mystical tomes in ebook
format. Besides, you never know when we might need some way of quickly
referencing the exact words to a spell or a method on defeating frost wraiths
or the motions to conjure… stuff…  Plus I
haven’t memorized the entire thing yet.”

The rabbit giggled and
followed him. “Kinda makes you wonder about the market for cursed spell books
in electronic format. You’d think it would be pretty lucrative if it weren’t
for all the skeptics.”

John glanced across the
horizon and pulled a red lens from the belt on his hat. “I dunno what’s worse,
Alexis… that the majority of the public refuses to believe the things we’ve
seen, or that the only ones that do seem to believe us are complete
lunatics.”

Lance approached. “Well, except
for that secret order of mystical warriors you keep telling us about.”

John grinned. “Yeah…  What I wouldn’t give to be inducted into the
Order of Aurora…”

“If they even exist…” said
Alexis, winking.

John fixed the lens to his
spectacles and chuckled. “We all know they do. They’re just better than we are
at keeping secrets.” The skunk looked up into the sky for a moment as his tail
swayed in the slight breeze. “The ley line should be... There!” He pointed
east. “See it?” He turned and noticed them looking at him oddly, not having the
special lens themselves. “Er, of course not. But it’s there.”

Lance tilted his head. “I
thought ley lines were just geological connections.”

John grinned. “People once
thought wraiths were just luminous phenomena, too.”

“Actually, they still do,”
Lance replied.

“Well, we know
better.” John turned and gestured as best he could. “Geological consistencies
are the result of ley lines. With the
right tools, you can see severe ley lines along both the sky and ground. This one stretches all the
way from the Yellowstone Caldera. Thanks
to that comet, it’s already warping, and that means we’re gonna be busy
fighting off whatever spawns from it for the next few nights.”

Lance sighed. “Right when
final exams start.”

“It won’t be so bad,” said
Alexis. “We’re already pretty good at this. We just gotta pace ourselves.”

John pulled the lens off and
glanced over to another patch of sky where the Schwalzi-Berner Comet was
clearly visible among the stars. “You think if I can figure out a descent
thesis on why comets screw with ley lines so much, I might get noticed by the Aurora?”

“You might want to wait
until after the semester is over before starting that,” said Alexis. “You
haven’t even studied for your chemistry exam yet.”

John shrugged. “Chemistry’s
just another variant of alchemy. It’ll be a cinch.”

Alexis’ ears swiveled. She
turned and leaned over the roof’s edge, narrowing her eyes. “It’s starting
already.”

John and Lance gathered at
the edge and saw two homeless raccoons ambling along the sidewalk. Movement
shifted in the shadows surrounding the weak streetlamps.

Lance pulled a mask up over
his muzzle, “Time to work.”

 

The two raccoons froze,
hearing shuffling sounds behind them. They turned and saw an eerie, wire-thin
lizard-like creature emerging from the shadows. Its fangs dripped with glowing
fluid and ash continually shed from its body.

A bright flash erupted and
Lance landed right on top of it, jamming a sword through its skull.

The creature shrieked and
writhed under the blade until finally crumbling away into dust.

Lance twirled the sword
around and stood to face two more preparing to lunge. He crouched, ready to
fight back, and summoned a fiery orb in his free paw. “Bring it…”

Another pair of creatures
lashed out from the other side, rushing for the raccoons, but Alexis landed
between the two and flung her arms out. A glowing sphere burst out and
enveloped all three of them. The creatures collided with it and lightning arced
out, turning them to dust.

“They’re serpent imps!”
Alexis shouted.

Nearby, Lance effortlessly dodged
his two assailant’s furious swipes, spinning to slice back with his sword. He
split one demon in half, then teleported to escape the other’s retaliation and reappeared
behind it to fling a fireball.

Three more darted toward the
group and then burst into flame. Behind them, John stood aiming a
bronze-colored pistol with glowing runes hovering around the barrel. “I hear
more coming!” He pulled back his coat and grabbed a vial of red-colored fluid
from his belt then slid it into his pistol grip.

Shadows warped all around
them and imps darted out, screeching in fury.

Alexis kept her arms spread,
maintaining the glowing protective sphere around herself and the frightened
raccoons. She calmly reassured them, “We’ve got this, don’t worry. Um, but it’s
best if you don’t watch…”

Flames engulfed Lance’s
sword as he continued his agile display, shredding anything that came close,
while John expertly sniped down the imps lunging from afar.

Another shape lurched out of
the shadows, this one much larger. It opened its enormous dripping mouth and shot
out multiple tooth-laden tongues. Lance backflipped into a teleport, escaping
at the last second. The tongues embedded themselves in a brick wall and pulled
free, ripping portions away as they went.

Glowing-red projectiles
nailed it from afar, but the creature absorbed them into its skin and leaned
toward Alexis and the raccoons.

John blinked and lowered his
pistol. “That’s new…”

The beast lunged at the
protective sphere, slashing at it with its toothed tongues and trying to bite
through it. The lightning ejecting from the sphere did not even phase it.

Alexis’s eyes widened. “Guys?
Do something!!”

Lance reappeared above it
and jabbed down with his flaming sword, but the creature’s oily skin jolted out
and grabbed the blade, sucking it into its body. “What the…? John! It’s immune to fire!”

John unlatched his book and
frantically thumbed through. “Just keep it distracted for a minute!”

“Are you serious??”

Alexis winced. “I can’t keep
this shield up much longer…”

Lance tried to pull his
sword out but to no avail. He flipped back and charged his fist with ki,
then launched a powerful blow.

The creature warbled and
split, growing a second head that turned on the ferret while the first
continued to eat away at Alexis’s sphere.

Lance backed away and threw
poisoned shuriken at it. “John!”

The skunk kept looking
through the book. “Just hold on a little longer!” He finally found the entry he
was looking for. “No wonder! They’re weak to the water element!” He ejected the
red vial from his pistol and shoved in a vial of glowing blue fluid, then
pulled the slide to vent it.

The second head pulled free
from the creature it spawned from and rushed at Lance, but the ferret quickly
sprang back and tossed a powder bomb, halting it.

Blue streaks sliced through
and tore the creature open. John fired again and the demon dissolved from
within, shrieking as it died. John spun and fired into the first monster,
killing it with the same effect.

Alexis let out a breath and
lowered her paws, collapsing the sphere. “Nice job…”

The two raccoons stared back
in mute shock. John approached. “We get that a lot…  You two okay?”

Nearby, Lance picked up his
sword from the vanishing remains of the beast. “We better leave. I hear police
sirens approaching.”

Alexis muttered a soft
chant, waving her paws in front of the raccoons. After a glow surrounded their
heads and dissipated, she turned to her friends. “That should help them forget
and keep them from being too shaken up. Let’s go.”

The three quickly made their
way through the empty streets, sticking to shadows.

John glanced back. “How did
the authorities know to come here, anyway?”

“They probably saw the flare
ups,” said Lance. “Maybe they figured a meth lab was going up in flames or
something.”

Alexis chuckled. “That
reminds me… John, how did you convince the dorm’s R.A. to let you keep your
alchemy lab?”

“He still thinks it’s just a
regular chemistry set,” John replied. “I agreed to relocate it to an old
classroom where it would be locked up and safe.” The skunk ejected the vial
from his pistol, releasing a faintly glowing, steamlike vapor as it slid out.
“It’s about time for me to use it, too. I’m running low on quintessence fluids.”

 

After stowing their specialized
weaponry at the storage depot, the trio finally arrived back at the college,
tired and weary from their walk.

“I still think we should go
back to using the L…” John muttered, panting.

Lance raised an eyebrow.
“Right, they’re gonna allow me… carrying a sword… or you… carrying an aether
pistol—well, any pistol… on board a public train.”

“True…” The skunk paused and
smiled, seeing a vending machine. “Perfect.” He approached and dug his paws
into his pockets. “Um… either of you have change for a twenty?”

Lance shrugged. “No, sorry.”

“You’ve got at least eighteen
pockets on that uniform and none of them have money?”

“What good is money on a demon-slaying
mission? These pockets have herbs and powders.”

John turned to the rabbit.
“Alexis…?”

“Nope, sorry. Hearing change
jingling distracts me.”

The skunk sighed and put his
paw on the machine. “Ironic…  We have the
skills to command the elements and weave magic with little effort, yet we’re
stymied by device whose only function is to dispense aluminum cans filled with
carbonated sugar water.”

Lance crossed his arms. “You
can’t enchant it to accept a twenty and dispense twenty bucks’ worth of soda?”

“I’m not that
thirsty…  And using an unlocking spell is
just plain wrong.”

Alexis smiled. “I think
that’s rather noble of you. Y’know, not using these talents for something so
petty like stealing or manipulation.”

“Never abuse the power,”
John replied. “Such would be unbecoming of an Aurora order brother.”

Lance put a paw on his
shoulder. “C’mon, we’re already at the dorms anyways. I’ve got some sports
drinks in the fridge.”

 

***

 

The next day, Alexis arrived
at the males’ dorm and knocked on the door.

Lance opened up, wearing
only a towel while still rubbing his soaked hair. “Hey Alex. C’mon in.”

The rabbit giggled as she
entered. “What, John too busy to answer?”

“You know how he is when he
puts his mind to something…”

The ferret returned to his
room to continue drying off while Alexis headed for John’s room and knocked on
the door. “Hey, it’s me.”

“Come in. It’s unlocked.”

Alexis entered to find the
skunk poring over two books and multiple note pads. “Wow, which exam are you
cramming for?”

“Huh? Oh, nah, these are for
my study on the comet. That beast we fought last night was way too big for a
simple ley line tearing. Either this comet’s closer than everyone’s predicting,
or it’s affecting more than one ley line.”

Alexis’ ears flattened.
“John, you need to get serious. Your G.P.A.’s been slipping ever since we
started going out on these missions.” She put a paw on his shoulder. “I’m
beginning to think you’re using the world of magic and mysticism to escape your
college priorities.”

John leaned back, removed
his glasses, and ran a tired paw through his white hair. “I know, I know…  It’s just so much more interesting than all
this boring… practical, real-life stuff.”

“Even hobbyists need a break
every once in a while.”

“I’d hardly call this a
hobby, considering we’re protecting innocent people from demon attacks here. There’s
a serious need for what we do.”

“Yes, but there’s also a
serious need for you to finish what you committed to when you enrolled. You
said you geared your studies toward what you expected to use as an Aurora
member. I’m sure they would demand you follow through. Y’know, to prove
you know the basics and can commit. And remember how much money you spent to
enroll?”

John sighed. “You’re right…”
He closed the books and leaned up to stretch. “Okay, I have a calculus exam this
afternoon. Wanna help me study?”

A knock came at the dorm’s
door, catching their attention. Lance’s voice called out from his room, “Can
you get that one?”

John opened the main door to
find three figures in dark suits staring back—a jackal, a horse, and an iguana.

“Um… hello?”

The jackal pulled out an
I.D. “My name is agent Samuel Davis from the FBI. We’d like to ask you a few
questions about an incident last night.”

John and Alexis traded
glances. “Uh… sure,” said John

“We have witnesses reporting
that a skunk fitting your description, along with a female rabbit and a male
ferret, were seen around the same time as a series of mysterious fires in the dilapidated
sectors south of here around midnight.”

Lance exited his room, now
clothed. “Who’s at the d—”  He paused,
noticing the agents staring back.

The iguana grinned. “And
there’s our ferret…”

Samuel remained deadpan.
“Can we get your names, please?”

John tugged at his shirt
collar. “O-okay. My name is John J. Striker, my friend here is Alexis
Carmichael, and my other friend there is Lance Harcourt. As for last night, well,
w-we wanted to get a better look at the comet and figured it would be easier
away from the main city lights. Y’know, uh, light pollution and all.”

“And did you see any fires?”

“Well… from a distance…” He
took a sideways glance at Alexis, whose eyes were widened as she shook her head.
John turned back to the agents and sighed. “All right…  The truth is, we saw a series of demonic
entities roaming the streets, which probably spawned from the Underworld as a
result of the Schwalzi-Berner Comet’s presence creating fractures in ley lines
running through this region, and apparently Cerberus was unable to prevent
their escape.”

The agents blinked, stunned,
and exchanged glances with one another.

Lance leaned back against a
wall and covered his face. “Oh you gotta be kidding me…”

John took a breath and
continued, “I assure you, I am not on drugs and have never touched alcohol. To
my knowledge I do not have a family history of mental illness.”

The iguana snickered,
fighting back laughter while the horse rolled her eyes and motioned to the
jackal to leave. The jackal sighed. “I really hope you’re aware that you’re
speaking to federal agents…” He pulled a card from his jacket and handed it to
John. “You’re lucky we’re in a hurry tracking down some other leads. If you
decide you have a better explanation, give me a call.”

After they left and John
closed the door, he let out a breath and turned back to the others, smiling.
“They let us off a lot more easily than I expected!”

Lance stomped over and held
out his arms. “Are you crazy?? Did
you honestly think that was the best way to get rid of them?”

“Well, they did
leave, and technically I didn’t lie.”

“But now they’re gonna label
us as psychos! If we have a record with the F-B-I,
then we could get expelled!”

Alexis meekly spoke up,
“They didn’t seem that annoyed… come to think of it, I find it rather
strange they managed to discover that we were around there last night. I
masked our scent trails.”

John managed a wry grin.
“Hey, I told them the truth. They had a chance to believe it if they chose to.”

Lance groaned, “It’s not
about truth, John…  It’s about keeping
the men in white suits from
hauling us away while demons are running around terrorizing people. Now thanks
to you, we’ve already got black suits watching us.”

“Technically they’re dark
blue suits…”

Alexis stepped in. “Okay you
two… I think we need to focus on something else.”

John checked his pocket
watch. “All right, I’m sorry…  Look, my calculus
exam won’t be for another few hours. How about a little hike while there’s
still sunlight out?”

Lance sighed. “Sure,
okay…  Wait, is this so you can do
another comet or ley line study?”

John grinned. “Well, you
coming or not?”

“John…”

“I’m kidding. We can do some
study drills in the park. I need a break from my, er… hobby.”

 

* * *

 

The sun shone brilliantly
over one of Chicago’s many parks overlooking Lake Michigan. John, Lance, and
Alexis sat on the grass enjoying the cool breeze, having taken a rest from over
an hour of hard studying.

John leaned back and
attached the red lens to his spectacles. “The mystical properties of that ley
line are actually visible in daylight now. That’s a bad sign.”

Lance lay back in the grass
with his eyes closed, enjoying the breeze against his fur. “So does that mean
we’ll be facing bigger opponents?”

“Yes, but if the line is
this visible, there’s definitely something more than just the comet interacting
with it.” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Wait a minute…”

The skunk stood and focused
on the horizon. “There’s two of ’em.”

Alexis tilted her head. “Two
different ley lines?”

“Yeah…” John grabbed his
smart phone and pulled up a satellite app. After several minutes of looking
from the line to the maps, he scratched his head. “It’s only visible now due to
the comet. Before then, no one even knew it existed.”

“What does it connect?”

“Well if I’m reading this
map right, I think it goes from Chicago to Holland, Michigan. It intersects
with the Yellowstone Caldera line directly over the lake, roughly three or four
miles east of where we are now.” He turned to them with widened eyes. “This
isn’t good. Two intersecting lines means a deeper fracture with the Underworld.”

Lance leaned up. “So the
monsters that come out will be stronger?”

“Yes, but we should be more
concerned about the volume of demons that might spawn.” John sat down in
front of them. “Have either of you read up on the Great Chicago Fire of 1871?”

Alexis shrugged. “Only in
history class.”

“Well, that’s mostly what I
was researching this morning. Some people assumed the fires that spread all
over the region were caused by Biela’s Comet passing by around the same time. You
know how everybody used to call comets ‘doom-bringers’? Well, in a way, they
were. The Biela’s Comet didn’t directly cause the fires, but demons escaping did.
The Underworld is incredibly hostile and, well, fiery, so when the tears opened
that released the monsters, fire was also released, and that’s besides the fact
that some demons breathe and manipulate fire. Now, there’s not much of a threat
from fires nowadays due to advances in firefighting technology. However, the
threat of demons still exists, and given how large the Chicago Fire was, we can
expect a lot of paranormal activity going on soon. Not only that, but
dark occultists typically use the presence of comets to strengthen their
summoning rituals. Remember how they wait until eclipses, comet passings, and
so on to perform major conjurations? Celestial phenomena interact with ley
lines and weaken the separation between our realm and the Underworld, which
allows demons and other monsters to escape. Now, ley lines are part of a
geographical network that seals Earth and our local realm from other realms
like the Underworld. The reason people thought they made patterns between
geological anomalies was because the land itself can warp and reshape when the
seals are ruptured. Those fractures distort anything around the opening. Notable
comets, such as those that are really bright or really close to Earth, can
affect the ley lines more severely. Two nights from now, the Schwalzi-Berner Comet
will be closest to Earth, and the ley line mystical fractures will be at their
severest. If there’s gonna be a ritual, it will be then…” John pointed out at
the lake, “…and there.”

“I’m sure you noticed
‘there’ is over water,” said Lance. “Most creatures from the Underworld don’t
like water.”

Alexis’s ears fluttered.
“What better way to ensure whatever’s summoned doesn’t run away before the
summoners can get it under control?”

“Good point,” said John. “The
ritual could occur on a barge, or it’s even possible that an island will
actually rise up out of the water from the fracture event.”

Lance squinted his eyes as
he glanced out at the lake. “Okay then…  We’ll need to rent a boat. Something fast so
we can zoom in and interrupt the ritual.”

Alexis tilted her head. “Um,
it might help if we can actually confirm a ritual will occur. Sure,
conditions will be right, but right now all we have are inclinations. We don’t
even have hushed rumors to go by this time.”

John sighed. “The lack of rumors
is particularly disturbing. I know we’re not the only mystics in the world, but
for this particular city, I fear we’ll be alone on this one.”

Lance grinned. “Of course
we’ll be alone. We’ve been doing this by ourselves from day one. The only
reason we know there are others out there is because of that internet support
forum for other mystics you stumbled upon last year, and its lack of activity
proves how rare we are. I’ll bet
that’s where you learned about those Aurora rumors, too, isn’t it?”

John smiled. “Well, I
actually knew about them from stories my grandfather taught me. Did you know
they’re the reason the world didn’t end on 2012?”

Alexis snickered. “Seriously?
You’re telling me there was a doomsday event occurring then?”

“There would’ve been, but
the Aurora joined with some other leagues of mystical defenders from different
nations and faced some of the most horrendous apocalyptic eldritch abominations
known to our kind. The Aurora saved the world while the general public was
completely oblivious, as usual.”

Lance leaned back again. “I
suppose Ben Franklin and his time machine were involved?”

John laughed. “Come on, you
know Da Vinci was the one who perfected time travel.”

Alexis blinked. “Wait, when
in this conversation did the sarcasm start this time?”

John’s smart phone beeping
interrupted them. “Time to head back for my exam. Can you two look into some
boat rentals in the mean time?”

The trio then went their
separate ways, a plan in mind and just enough hope to act on it.

 

Lance’s first and only
attempt did not work out as he had hoped.

“Sorry, but we can’t have
boats rented out until the weekend.”

“What? Why not??” Lance
tapped his claws the counter, staring at the bored-looking beaver behind the
desk.

The beaver droned,
“Governor’s issued a nautical curfew this week. No vessels out on the water.”

“Yes, I know, you said that
already, but you haven’t told me why.”

The beaver yawned and
shrugged. “Think it had something to do with a cargo spill. I dunno. I wasn’t
paying attention to the reports. All I know is we can’t let anyone rent boats
until the week is up.”

Lance narrowed his eyes.
“Listen, we really need to get out there in two days. Isn’t there
something you can do? Anything?”

“No.”

The ferret groaned in
frustration. His phone rang, displaying a picture of Alexis. “Thanks anyways…”

Lance exited the building
and answered, “Any luck?”

The rabbit’s voice returned,
“Nope, all tours are halted. Fishing, skiing, diving…  Nothing’s available due to a—”

“Nautical curfew, I know.” Lance
sighed. “All right, I guess we’ll have to try plan B, then.”

“We never discussed a Plan
B… wait, you’re not talking about stealing one, are you?”

“Well… it’s for a good
cause…”

“Lance, no. I know
we’re trying to protect people but we can do it without breaking the law. No
interference with the status quo.”

Lance closed his eyes and
stifled another sigh. “Then we better do some scouting for people trying to
break curfew. Listen, I’m at the stadium so I’ll check around the docks here,
maybe see if there’s anything suspicious going on. We can investigate Navy Pier
after John finishes his exam, so you two meet me there once he’s done.”

The ferret hung up and
peered around. After minutes of looking, sniffing for strange scents or trying
to hear odd sounds, he found nothing. He rubbed the back of his neck,
frustrated. He glanced around again at the people casually milling about. A
multitude of species, couples, families, and a few just minding their own
business without a single worry about of the danger that lurked in a realm
whose barrier would be crumbling soon. Despite what he, John, and Alexis did to
protect them, no one would ever know, and strangely, that was how it was supposed
to be. Still… he figured it would be nice to be thanked every once in a while.

He looked up. The sun had
already begun to set, making the Schwalzi-Berner Comet easily visible in the
sky.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, Alexis met John
at one of the L stations and boarded the train toward Navy Pier.

“How’d the exam go?”

John set his backpack on the
seat. “Not as good as I hoped, thanks to me being a nervous wreck over what we
might be dealing with over the next few days. Plus, I wonder if we might get
followed.”

“By something like from last
night?”

“Yeah, but luckily I haven’t
caught any sulfuric scents that normally surround those creatures yet.”

Alexis rubbed her chin.
“Y’know, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were
followed somehow. Some demons are frighteningly smart, but I’ve never known
them to be able to cover their scent trails the same way we can.”

John looked out the window
at the eastern horizon where he knew the ley lines were crossing over the water.
“Yeah, but remember… Cerberus might have his paws full with these fractures. Some
of the more dangerous ones might have escaped.”

The train descended into one
of the rare few subway tunnels along the L, darkening the interior. John turned
back to the rabbit. “Well, where are we on the boating situation?”

“Stuck on dry land. People
are saying there’s been a cargo spill, but I haven’t seen anything out
there.” Alexis blinked. “Hey… what if the curfew is meant to discourage
occultists from performing rituals out there? It’s not like the government is completely
oblivious to the mystical underworld here.”

“That’s a possibility,” said
John. “But I would also think if that’s the case there would be police patrol
boats moving about over the water.”

“Invisibility spells, maybe?

“Hmm… I’d actually expect
the occultists to be the ones utilizing those. Of course, we can still detect
them if they are.”

The lights went out and the
train halted, shifting everyone forward.

“Uh oh…” said Alexis. She
whipped out her phone and texted Lance.

John’s eyes widened. “You
feel something, don’t you?”

“Yep.”

The entire train jolted and
violent sparks flashed outside the windows.

“I really wish I had that
same ability to detect demons…” John unzipped his backpack and pulled out his
tome. “We gotta get everyone out of here. I smell a faint scent of sulfur this
time.”

Something slammed the train,
throwing everyone to one side. Metal groaned, followed by loud clangs from the cars
ahead. At a deafening, fiery burst up front, cracks raced along the walls and
the train pitched downward. People in the forward cars pulled the doors open
and spilled in, trying to escape the flames at the front.

John and Alexis forced their
way past the frightened civilians and shouted for everyone to get to the back
of the train. After passing everyone, Alexis flashed a barrier spell to protect
the passengers along with a mental ward to keep their curiosity at bay. She let
out a breath from the mana discharge and turned to join John.

When the two mystics finally
reached the front, they saw portions of the train torn away as if ripped by
giant claws. Beyond the mangled metal, small fires illuminated a horrendously
deformed tunnel and broken rails splayed out in an unnatural shape.

Alexis pulled a rod out of
her backpack, which extended in her paw to form a staff that glowed at each end.
“There’s mana residue all over this place.”

A chill ran down John’s
spine. “That’s not good…” The skunk cautiously stepped out and sniffed the air.
“Its scent is still lingering.”

They turned to face the
train and saw shadows moving over the tunnel’s ruined ceiling. Alexis climbed
up and saw a hulking beast hanging from the tunnel, drawn to the shouts
emanating from the rear of the train. The rabbit gasped, “John, it’s heading
for the civilians!” She held her staff out and lightning pulsed at the tip
before streaking toward the creature.

The beast jolted and landed
on the train’s roof, then contorted to twist and face her, snarling as it went.
Its body was devoid of hair or fur, a scaled combination of serpent and demonic
goat with spiny horns and glowing eyes lacking pupils.

Alexis gulped. “This is
gonna suck…”

The demon roared and charged.
Alexis dropped down, missing its claws as it sailed over. She flung up a shield
covering her and John while it kicked off one of the walls and spun to face
them.

John already had his book in
paw, skimming through pages. “I don’t think I’m gonna have enough time to
figure out what this thing is…” He stood and muttered a hurried incantation,
conjuring a glowing crossbow composed of pure mana. Lit runes danced along his
arms, bonding the weapon to him.

The demon opened its mouth
and shot a searing stream of acid, nailing Alexis’ glowing shield sphere. Lightning
arced over the liquid, but had no effect on the demon.

Alexis winced. “I hope you
have a plan…”

The beast charged and
slashed at the shield. Acid soaked its claws. Every strike sprayed more on the
cracked tunnel walls and portions of the ruined train, letting poisonous vapors
steam away on contact.

“We have to take it out
fast,” said John. He nudged the book toward her. “Cover me with a protective
spell and I’ll distract it while you find some way to neutralize it!”

“What should I look for?”

The shield collapsed from
strain, leaving the pair vulnerable.

“Do it!”

Alexis waved a quick
incantation and a bright glow surrounded John’s form. The skunk lunged but the
demon swatted him away. “John!!”

John hit a wall hard and
sank to the crumbling floor. All the while, more cracks opened up around them
in the tunnel, spouting fire.

Alexis backed away against
the mangled train and held out her staff. A glowing wave pulsed from it, but it
only shoved the beast back without harming it. It opened its mouth and prepared
to spit acid, but a sharp burst nailed it from the side, knocking its head
sideways.

John held his conjured crossbow
out with a circle of glowing runes wrapped around it. Trying to ignore the pain
and trail of blood streaming down his face, the skunk shouted a second chant
and the weapon blasted out more bolts, striking the demon’s neck. The crossbow
then dissipated, drained of mana.

The demon roared in anger
and charged at him, ripping more cracks in the ground as it went. John dove
away before it crashed into the wall, unleashing a storm of fire from the
impact.

Alexis sprinted over and smashed
it with her mana-charged staff, then sprung away from its retaliation and helped
John up, singing a quick healing spell as she did. “This place is gonna cave in
if we don’t do something!” she yelled.

They split and dove away,
avoiding another charge.

John rolled to his feet and
dodged a flaming geyser. “This fire is not natural! We’re right in the middle
of a dimensional fissure! The ley line must be running straight through here!”

Alexis hopped over a sudden
gap and darted behind a large rock to avoid the demon’s gushing acid. The beast
rushed at her, but three shuriken struck its head and exploded, shrouding it in
poisonous dust.

Behind it, Lance stood with
his sword drawn. “Attacking my friends was a big mistake…” The ferret
lunged and slashed, then teleported to avoid the demon’s acidic retaliation. Alexis
and John regrouped on the other side of the tunnel, but more cracks appeared
under them.

Alexis stared in disbelief.
“We’re powerless…”

John blinked. “All that
acid… aw crap, I got an idea, but none of us are gonna like it. Lemme borrow
your staff.”

Lance slashed and dodged, growing
increasingly frustrated at his inability to harm the demon. All the while, the
ground continued to crumble and give way, letting loose more fire.

“Lance, move!” John sprinted
toward the beast and pole-vaulted using Alexis’s staff to sail right at it. Lance
suddenly realized what the skunk was doing and teleported away before John
pulled his shirt back, lifted his tail, and sprayed right into the demon’s
face.

The demon roared, clawing at
its own face as foam poured from its mouth. It fell back and hit the ground
writhing.

Alexis and Lance maneuvered
around the beast’s throes to join back up with their friend, covering their
noses. “I can’t believe you actually sprayed it!” shouted Alexis.

John shuddered. “I hate
doing that…”

Alexis cast a spell removing
the excess musk and odor while Lance jumped back to avoid a flame burst from
the ground. “Clever way to neutralize its acid, though.”

The entire tunnel shook as
the creature shrieked and flailed. The ground split and flames erupted from
underneath, tearing apart anything they touched.

The trio leaped back in
shock. John grimaced. “I think I only angered it more.”

The floor beneath them gave
way, plunging them downward. They grabbed rock outcroppings, but John’s
handhold crumbled. Alexis reached out and clutched her staff with the skunk
dangling at the other end. Far below, a hellish sight greeted them.

Fire violently swirled and
the loud, angry screams of countless demons deafened the three mystics. Multitudes
clambered over each other trying to reach the surface, shrieking for blood. Nearby,
the acidic demon grasped at anything it could, trying to crawl back out even as
more parts of the tunnel collapsed.

John gasped in wide-eyed
fright. “Pull me up! Pull me up!”

Lance and Alexis strained,
drawing him back as the creatures below slashed at his feet and tail. The
intense heat threw flames up all around them, embers sparking on their fur and
clothing.

John finally grabbed a solid
portion of rock and climbed up. “We need my book! It’s the only way to close
this back up!”

Alexis looked over and saw
John’s tome, resting on the edge of what remained of the subway’s tracks. The
rails glowed from the heat and more flames arced up, threatening to ignite the
pages.

Down below, demons suddenly
scattered and a chorus of ghastly roars echoed all around. The flames surged
higher and a gigantic black paw reached out.

Lance quickly teleported and
grabbed the book, then flung it back to the others. Alexis caught it and held
it out while John grasped the other half and skimmed the pages.

The giant black paw grabbed
the acidic demon and dragged it back down as it violently protested, screeching
and slashing.

John found the incantation
needed and directed Alexis to hold the book out, freeing his paws. The skunk
quickly motioned and chanted, trying to close the otherworldly fissure and seal
it back from their realm, but another burst of flame interrupted him.

Alexis nearly dropped the
book and a corner of it caught fire. Lance teleported over and swiped it out.
“Hurry!”

The black paw emerged again
and reached for them. Through the flames, Alexis plainly saw three pairs of
glowing eyes staring back.

John quickly tried again and
finished just in time for Alexis to pull him out of the paw’s grasp. Fire faded
and rocks shifted below them, filling in the hole until finally closing up. The
tunnel became eerily silent, lit only by scattered orange glows left from the
heat.

John, Lance, and Alexis sat
there panting, bewildered.

“What…” said Lance, “was
that?”

John slowly closed the book.
“Cerberus.”

 

* * *

 

The trio remained silent on
the cab ride home. They sat close, alternating between staring at the
floorboards or aimlessly out the window, unsure of what to say about the
encounter in the tunnel.

Lance fiddled with his smart
phone, checking every streaming site and newsfeed he could find. There was
nothing covering the incident, proving Alexis’ barrier spell and mental wards
had effectively stopped the passengers from recording or even seeing what had happened.
The incident had been deemed a catastrophic natural gas explosion. He sighed.

When they finally reached
the campus, Alexis nervously rubbed one of her ears. “Guys… what we encountered
back there really freaked me out… 
Can I spend the night in your dorm? I don’t want to be alone.”

John put a warm paw on her
shoulder. “Sure, of course. I don’t blame you.”

Lance stepped closer. “Nor
do I. This whole comet thing is beginning to make me wonder how prepared we
truly are to face what’s out there.”

“We’ve only been at this for
about a year. There’s a whole lot we haven’t experienced yet.”

Alexis glanced back at the
city lights. “We’re not ready for tomorrow, are we?”

The two males did not
answer, but knew she was right.

John sighed. “At the very
least, we know where to be.”

Lance glared. “What?? Are
you suggesting we go back there?”

“That portal was no mere
dimensional fracture. It was purposely created. The residual mana was all over
the area and it disrupted the already-unsteady bond left from the weakened ley
line. We’re definitely dealing with dark occultists, and they’ve been experimenting.”
He pulled out his smart phone and activated the maps. “That fracture goes from
where we were all the way to the crosspoint at Lake Michigan. The ritual, and
there will be one, isn’t going to take place over the water. It’ll be
underground.”

“You can’t be serious,” said
Lance.

“I am. My guess is there’s a
hidden tunnel buried somewhere beyond that subway line, accessible only to
mystics who can bypass the magic that locks it from the rail tunnel. Kinda like
those hidden passages in New York’s subways.” John pulled out the card agent
Samuel Davis gave him that morning.

Lance blinked. “You’re not
actually thinking of contacting him over this, are you? He’ll never believe
us.”

John sighed. “He won’t have
to. Not at first. Something’s going on down there and someone needs to
know. It’s obvious we’re not equipped to handle what might be down there, but
maybe if we get some federal agents with years of training to investigate and
see for themselves that something is going on in those tunnels—”

“They’ll be worse off than
we are. Maintaining the status quo aside, they don’t have protective spells or
weapons that can harm demons.”

“Neither do we!” John
shouted. “We nearly got killed down there!”

Lance paused, brow furrowed
in thought. “John, listen…” he said, glancing up. “It has to be us. We’re the
only ones capable of dealing with this sort of supernatural phenomenon. Need I
remind you how rare people like us are? Chicago has a population of
two-and-a-half million and we three
are the only mystics in it. This task can only done by those with our
talents, and no other mystics have shown up by now.”

“Lance...” John started.

The ferret continued, “When
we started going out and fighting demons, we chose to use our unique abilities
to help protect others. We chose to be urban knights. If we’re the only ones
around who can fight back, then we have to do it. The city needs us.”

“We’re not capable enough.”
said John. “We didn’t defeat that demon. We didn’t even hurt it.”

“But we survived,” said
Lance.

John ran a paw through his
hair and sighed. “All right… but we have to warn people.”

Lance nodded. “Leave agent
Davis a message before we go to stop the ritual tomorrow. Er, when do you think
that might be, anyway?”

“The same time any important
ritual takes place,” said Alexis. “Midnight.”

 

* * *

 

Alexis stared up at the
ceiling, unable to sleep. As she lay on the couch in her friends’ dorm, she
could only wonder what they might face, and it frightened her. In spite of what
they had fought against when they began their journey to protect their world
from dark magic, she knew there was so much more out there than what they could
prepare for. She was well aware that there were beings and places totally
beyond her understanding, and she and her friends could face them in mere hours.
“We’re not ready…” she muttered.

After another sleepless
hour, her ears swiveled at movement behind her in the kitchen area. She shot up
and whirled, only to find Lance’s form lit up by the fridge’s tiny light.

“Oh… sorry, I thought you
were asleep.”

Alexis lay back and rubbed
her face. “No…  It’s all right. Just
still shaken from… you know.”

The ferret walked over and
sat down on the floor next to the sofa. “I am, too.”

The two then turned to see
John peering out from the hallway, his eyes reflecting from the streetlamps out
the window. Lance grinned. “Can’t sleep, either?”

The skunk walked over and
plopped down on a worn recliner. “Nope. I find it odd how, after facing all we
have so far, only now are we having trouble sleeping. I think we must’ve been
facing some wimpy demons before now…”

Alexis smiled. “We’ve never
dealt with a comet or eclipse event. We’re experienced, but we’re still rookies.”

John sighed in acceptance,
then showed a small grin. “Remember our first night? When we tried to chase
down a pair of serpent imps that had broken into a butcher’s shop?”

Lance groaned. “I try not to.
Not only did the imps escape, but we nearly set an entire block on fire due to
throwing the wrong spell.”

“That’s nothing,” said
Alexis. “When I was younger and learning hexes and spells, I accidentally blew
up my grandmother’s home. Luckily she was on vacation at the time, but no one
ever believed me when I tried to own up to it.”

“Disbelief is too common,”
said Lance. “Why do we keep doing this when no one’s going to believe us or
thank us, anyway?”

John winced. “Don’t tell me
you’re doing this for recognition…”

“N-No, of course not. I
just… well, it’s frustrating that no one acknowledges the work we put in. I’d
almost consider letting a few imps go just so people might see ’em and start
thinking there’s something else out in this world, but then again people could
get hurt if I let that happen, so… I’m stuck fighting in the shadows.”

John smiled. “The shadows
are where you do your best work, considering your mystical combat style. But I
understand what you mean. It’s tough, though you gotta consider the fact so
many people out there aren’t ready to believe in a hidden world yet, and denial
would only put more in danger. This is the sort of thing that has to gradually
return to public knowledge.”

“Is that an Aurora belief?”

“Actually it’s my own. People
are stubborn, and they can be dangerous when trying to believe whatever they’ve
set in their minds. It can’t be forced.”

“Look at it this way,” said
Alexis. “Maybe we’ll be the ones helping to herald a new age of mysticism. With
the increase in supernatural activity, this could be a sign that magic is
returning to our realm. The evidence that we can live in harmony is already
there — just look at John’s aether pistol. Technology and magic, embraced!”

Lance was silent for a
moment, then, “Maybe. First we’ll have to live that long, though. We’ve just
barely survived most of our encounters thus far.”

John nodded. “There have
been plenty of tough challenges, close scrapes, and lethal situations, but
we’re still here. I can’t imagine any circumstance we’ve been in where we
didn’t pull through by utilizing everything we know to keep each other alive. We’re
a team.”

Alexis grinned. “Fated to
friendship, perhaps? Destiny?”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Oh,
come on…”

John laughed. “We do get
along well enough. We’ve known each other even before we discovered our
mystical talents.” The room was silent for a little longer, then John spoke
back up, “Truth is… there’s no way we would be here if it weren’t for that. You
two are the best friends I’ve ever had. I’m glad we’re doing this, all
of this, together.”

Alexis and Lance both nodded.
Alexis added, “I am, too. You guys certainly put up with my spacey nature a lot
better than most. And I’m sure there’s no one else Lance could get along with.”

The ferret blinked. “Hey! Well…
yeah okay, you’re right. I do enjoy hanging out and fighting with you two.”

John shifted in the chair.
“So no matter what happens then…”

“Yes,” said Lance, grinning.
“We’re stuck with each other.”

Alexis leaned up. “And
tomorrow night?”

John answered, “We do what
we’re meant to do. We finish our exams, then gear up for the fight of our
lives.”

“Provided we can get to
sleep first…”

“No sleeping spell?”

Alexis shook her head. “I
don’t trust ’em. Besides, there might be a stipulation that a prince or someone
of equal or greater royalty has to kiss you before you can wake up.”

Lance rolled his eyes again
and leaned up. “Here, how about some meditation, then? I’ll teach you.”

In spite of everyone’s
stress, Lance’s techniques did help, though as they finally calmed enough to
drift off to sleep together in the living room, fear over what they may face
continued to linger in their dreams.

 

* * *

 

In spite of the trio’s lack of sleep, they managed to
complete their last exams for the semester through the next day, freeing them
to prepare for their trek into the tunnels.

Sunset dimmed the sky to deep red. John emerged from the chem
lab with newly-filled vials of glowing, multicolored quintessence fluids. Upon
arriving at his storage unit he slid them into one of his belts and holstered
his aether pistol. The skunk grabbed his spell tome and secured it closed, then
slung it to another belt and pulled on his old leather longcoat. He gave his
spectacles one last polish and donned his worn, wide-brimmed hat, running a
finger along the brim before leaving.

In another unit, Lance ensured his pockets were filled with
whatever poisons, medicinal herbs, potions, or powders were needed, then
checked his mask. He inserted multiple shuriken, knives, and rolled spell tags
into his belts. Upon sheathing his sword, he strapped it to his back and exited
to meet John at the storage depot’s entrance.

The skunk sighed uneasily. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

John allowed himself a tiny grin. “Y’know, I think that’s
what we said to each other on our first night, too…”

Lance put a paw on John’s shoulder. “Stop talking like we
won’t come back from this. I know the odds are against us but if we let
ourselves believe this is a suicide run, it’ll become one. Focus… and whatever
happens will be our fate.”

John nodded. “Yeah… thanks, Lance.”

 

In her dorm, Alexis fastened her coat and slid her retracted
staff into one of its pockets, then carefully wrapped a tiny silver chain
around her right paw. The rabbit secured her headband, keeping her bangs from
covering her eyes, and let out a breath to calm herself. “Just like any other
night.” She clasped a necklace around her neck, from which an ankh symbol
dangled over her chest.

She exited to find John and Lance already waiting for her at
the fountain just outside the building. “Let’s do this.”

 

* * *

 

Evening had well progressed by the time they reached the
subway tunnel exit from where yesterday’s incident occurred. Outside, the
tracks were completely blocked off by hazard barriers and police tape.

John kneeled, rubbing his shins. “If we’re going to avoid
public transport while in full gear, then maybe we should invest in some
motorcycles.”

Alexis tilted her head, looking at all the equipment. “You’d
think they would station some guards or something…”

Lance narrowed his eyes. “This entire area is vacant. What if
whoever’s in there took ’em out already?”

The trio stood silent as the thought sank in. John finally
spoke, “I know we’re committed not to break any laws in our quests, but this
time… I think we have to pass those barriers.”

The three mystics made their way in, hurrying alongside the
rails until coming to the spot where they faced the acidic demon last night.

Alexis ran a paw along the cracked walls, nose twitching. She
then stopped. “Here.” She stepped back and waved her paws, muttering a quiet
chant. Runes ignited over the concrete, lighting an enormous, decorated circle.
More broken runes glowed around them on various parts of the floor and wall,
though the portion of the floor where John had sealed the gate to the Underworld
remained dark.

Lance glanced around at all the symbols. “You were right…
someone has been experimenting. Which one of these leads to the hidden
tunnel?”

Alexis frowned. “None of them. These are containment runes,
and hastily-summoned ones at that. I see a few basic symbols indicating someone
was testing the area for mystical properties, but there’s no indication that
someone actively connected to an unknown tunnel from here.”

John motioned to the giant glowing circle on the wall. “What
about that? It’s a gateway design.”

“Yes, but that’s the exit. Someone cast it here
without even connecting it to an entrance, so right now it’s completely useless.
I dunno why someone would go through all the trouble using their energy to make
it if they’re not gonna use it.”

Lance rubbed his chin. “Maybe whoever cast it was interrupted
before making the entrance? Or perhaps the entrance is cast somewhere else,
like the hidden tunnel we’re looking for?”

Alexis shook her head. “Half the designs needed are missing
from the circle, which means there was never an entrance cast in the first
place. It’s like putting a door in front of a brick wall.”

Behind them, John had fixed a blue lens to his spectacles.
“Well, it’s obvious we’re in the right place, at least. There are signs of
mystical seals cast here before. Someone’s used this area to get to the hidden
tunnel.” He squinted, looking at various sections of wall, then pointed, “There.
A recently-sealed gateway.”

Alexis panned her paws over the area and a glow formed,
showing an elliptical design with spiked symbols hovering around it. She nodded.
“Yep, this is definitely recent. Probably cast a few hours ago at the most.”

John stowed the blue lens and unstrapped his spell tome. “I
think I recognize that particular seal. There might be a way to bypass it.” He
flipped a few pages and examined the text, then set the book down and held out
his paws. Rotating them slowly, he spoke a broken line, paused to recheck the
correct pronunciation, then chanted.

The seal glowed brighter, then the concrete blocks behind it
detached and spread, opening the path.

John restrapped the book and smiled. “Told you this thing
comes in handy.”

Lance shrugged, following the skunk through. “I never said it
was useless… just unwieldy.”

John lifted his nose as they walked through the smaller
passage. “Scent trails… multiple figures.”

“Well, occultists are known to travel in groups,” said Alexis.
“Makes summoning rituals easier when you have enough people standing in the
right spots.”

Lance lit a fireball in his palm to provide light. “Just how
far is this tunnel supposed to go, anyway?”

John scratched his head. “At least a mile, probably two or
more. The ley lines cross at a point over the water, so we’ve got a ways to
go.”

Alexis smiled. “I don’t hear any shrieks, so hopefully we’re
not too late.”

“No traps, either,” said Lance. “They were apparently
confident in their ability to hide this place.”

Alexis stopped and looked back. “Actually… it’s better than
we thought.”

The two males turned to see the doorway behind them gone.

John grimaced. “I didn’t expect it to reseal itself…”

Lance continued on. “Well, we’re still breathing, so
apparently there’s another way to the surface further on.”

After a lengthy silence, Alexis spoke up, “You think that
perpetually-burning crater in Turkmenistan is a gateway that was never sealed?”

John grinned. “The official story is that it’s all
burning methane, but you never know.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” said Lance. “Are we to truly
expect to see actual souls of the damned if the ritual goes through?”

“I doubt it. The Underworld, to my understanding, isn’t quite
like the underworld you read about in Greek or Christian accounts. Based on my
research, it’s one of many realms sealed off by mystical barriers. Creatures we
call ‘demons’ are its inhabitants, and Cerberus is a guardian that prevents natives
of its realm from escaping into another, or intruders from invading.”

Alexis’ ears panned sideways. “So… heaven and angels then…”

John chuckled. “Wherever angels originate from, that’s another
realm entirely. Apparently they come and go as they please. We’ve met one
before, remember?”

Lance nodded. “Azriel, right? The one who dressed like she
came out of a late-90’s cyberpunk flick?”

“I hope you didn’t tell her that…”

“Of course I did.”

John halted. “Lance, Azriel is an angel of death. You
criticized her sense of fashion?”

“She didn’t kill me. Besides, she looked rather conspicuous. Sort
of like how you dress when we go out on these excursions.”

John’s ears blushed as he straightened his coat. “This was my
grandfather’s coat and hat. He wore them when he went demon-hunting, and
the enchantments on them haven’t completely faded yet.”

Alexis continued on. “C’mon guys. Clock’s ticking.”

The narrow tunnel stretched on and on, angling downward as
they traveled. Between the claustrophobia and the fact they were getting
further away from the surface, the trio became wary once again.

Finally, they saw a faint light ahead.

Alexis put a paw on Lance’s arm. “Douse that flame…”

The ferret’s fireball disappeared and the trio snuck forward,
trying to remain quiet while drawing their weapons.

The tunnel opened up into an expansive chamber with dozens of
glowing runes decorating the cavern walls. In the center, a bright sphere
hovered, arcing lightning. Five hooded figures surrounded the sphere, chanting
incantations to maintain it. With a bright flash, the sphere flattened and
opened from the center, spouting fire. The hellish Underworld lay within.

One of the figures stepped toward it, pointing to those at
each side. “Okay, we can keep this sustained for only a few minutes. You two,
make sure it stays open.” Two other figures joined him in front of the portal
as he continued, “Debra, Jacob, you’re with me. Cerberus will detect us soon so
be prepared.”

 

Hiding behind a boulder at the mouth of the tunnel, John’s
eyes widened. “They’re not just opening a portal to summon demons… I think
they’re summoning Cerberus himself!”

“That doesn’t make sense,” said Lance. “What would they want
with a realm guardian?”

Alexis simply stared at the lead occultist. “That leader’s
voice…”

Otherworldly shrieks interrupted them. Shadows darted out
from the flames of the portal—serpent imps.

The occultists whipped out submachine guns and lit them with
spells, driving the demons back. A larger figure burst from the portal and
lashed out with dripping, oily tentacles.

John, Lance, and Alexis leaped down, hitting the demon back
with charged spells and searing fireballs.

John shouted, “Stop this ritual immediately! We won’t let you
bring any more abominations into this realm!”

The occultists whirled to face them in shock and the mystics
halted, recognizing them.

Lance blinked. “Agent Samuel Davis??”

The oily demon roared and flung a glob at them, forcing them
behind a boulder while more demons slid out from the portal.

John and Samuel aimed their guns at one another. The skunk
snarled, “What do you think you’re doing?? You’re an FBI agent, you’re supposed
to be a protector!”

Samuel scowled and lowered his weapon. “You have no
idea what you and your friends have just ruined…”

Another glob struck the wall behind them, forcing a wince. A
smaller demon bounded over cover and lunged. Samuel held out his arm and
lightning coursed between him and the monster, sapping its energy dry until it
fell to the ground shriveled. Over the sounds of gunfire and reverberating
spells, Samuel signaled to his fellow agent, the horse. “Debra! Show him!”

The mare sprinted over to John and grabbed his forehead, chanting
a quick incantation. John froze as images accompanied the mare’s telepathic voice
flooding into his mind, showing him exactly what the presumed occultists were
doing, all in a single instant.

 

This is a rescue mission. Our division of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation is in charge of handling matters of paranormal activity and
the occult. Last year, a team from our division used the passing of Comet
Lovejoy to study fractures by weakened ley lines. They discovered that a portal
to the Underworld could easily be forced open during these celestial events and
they entered the underworld to gather research. Unfortunately, they encountered
Cerberus, who stopped them from escaping before the portal closed. They have
been trapped within the Underworld ever since. We have been sending beacons
through smaller, less sustainable portals during every celestial event since to
try and figure out where in the Underworld they might be, and now we have
finally zeroed in on a possible location where we can enter and pull them back
out. This comet’s passing weakened the fractures enough to allow a portal large
enough to enter ourselves—an opportunity we will not get again for months,
possibly even years.

 

John snapped back into consciousness to find Debra staring
back at him. Behind her, Samuel and Jacob the iguana fired at unseen creatures
beyond their cover, while Alexis arced lightning from her staff and Lance threw
fireballs.

John blinked. “We just made a horrible mistake, didn’t we?”

“Yes,” she said. “Huge.”

The skunk shouted a quick spell, covering his pistol and arm
in runes, then spun and fired. Blue sparks nailed a slimy, coiling demon and
sent it flying back, disintegrating.

Samuel glanced over in surprise. “Where did you get that
gun?”

“Heirloom!” John replied.

A shrieking, winged beast charged out from the portal toward
the mystics. Debra and Alexis flung out their paws, summoning shield spheres that
warped and then combined. The demon nailed it and vaporized upon contact. The
rabbit and mare nodded uneasily to each other in thanks.

Samuel reloaded his gun and stood. “We don’t have much time. Jacob,
let’s go!”

The jackal and iguana rushed toward the portal. Huge glowing
claws ignited around Jacob’s hands and he slashed away the demons blocking
their path. A haunting roar echoed through the flames and a black figure
darkened the portal’s opening. Flames vanished and a gigantic fist reached out,
pounding the cavern’s floor.

Samuel and Jacob stopped in their tracks. The iguana waved
his free hand to summon a glowing diamond and then threw it at the arm, but it
shattered harmlessly against the beast’s skin.

The rest of the creature emerged, its huge form blocking the
portal. Black skin covered bulging muscle, and three scowling canine heads with
glowing-red eyes stared back at the mystics. Cerberus’s three heads spoke in
sync, growling a deep, reverberating voice, “Leave this place, Earth dwellers. You’ve
no business in my realm.”

Samuel shouted back, “We’ve only come to rescue our allies
who are trapped there! They are from our world!”

Cerberus snarled, “No one enters the Underworld, and no one
leaves the Underworld. If they are within, then they shall remain.”

Jacob rushed forward and slipped out of view, trying to
teleport, but reappeared before passing the portal. “What the…”

Cerberus held out a paw and blasted a wave of white-hot fire.
The mystics darted out of the way before it left behind molten rock.

Jacob tried to circle around. “We need a clear line of sight
to teleport through. Otherwise that giant dog’s aura will block us!”

John pulled out his tome. “Alexis, cover me!”

The rabbit tossed up a shield sphere. “This won’t last
against Cerberus for long. Hurry!”

Samuel’s jaw dropped. “You brought an entire spell tome?” Another
blast forced him to dodge.

As John feverishly skimmed the book, Lance and Jacob took
turns sprinting in to slash at Cerberus’s claws, keeping the creature
distracted while Debra helped the other two summoners maintain the portal.

“Whatever you’re planning, do it now!” she shouted.

John stopped on a particular spell. “This might work…  Lance, Alexis, get behind me!”

The shield dropped and John dashed toward Cerberus with his
friends following close.

Samuel stopped firing at Cerberus’s heads, noticing what
John’s crew was doing. “Wait, don’t!”
He dove away from another blast just in time to see John and Alexis weaving
spell runes as they ran. Lance grabbed their shoulders and the trio
disappeared.

 

* * *

 

John, Lance, and Alexis hit the steaming rocky ground and
gasped for breath. Alexis cast a quick spell, allowing them to breathe.

“This will help for now,” she panted. “The air here is toxic
in large doses.”

John got to his feet and looked around. “Welcome to the Underworld…”

All around him, the bleak landscape painted a picture of
death and hopelessness. The ground was completely bare, save for an occasional
patch of spiraling dead thorns. Plumes of fire gushed out from cracks here and
there. In the distance, rocky crags gave way to a vast sea of glowing vapor,
where more flaming geysers spurted out. High above, black smoke obscured
whatever sky there may have been, while arcs of lightning angrily flashed. “What
sort of being would ever call this place home?”

Lance brushed himself off. “What did you do to make that
teleport work?”

“An aura bypass. Shifts our auras to slingshot around that of
a larger, stronger presence, kinda like how a star can throw a comet around
with its gravity.”

“Hmm, wonder why the agents couldn’t do that.”

“I doubt they know the spells I have in my tome.” John grinned
and patted his book. “All the more reason to carry this along. Though due to
the mana that bypass consumes against a powerful aura like that of Cerberus, we
won’t be able to use it again. Not until long after that portal closes, at
least.”

Alexus shuddered. “Let’s not wait that long. I don’t want to
be here any longer than we need to. Hey, why are we here, anyway?”

John pointed at a glowing blue light nearby. “I’ll bet that
doesn’t belong. It’s a beacon. Let’s go!”

As they ran, John explained to them the vision Debra cast in
his mind, defining the mission to rescue the trapped agents.

Lance frowned. “You sure you can trust them?”

“Casting a lie-detecting spell was easy enough to prove it. Let’s
just hope those agents are there waiting!”

When they arrived, they found the area empty. Lance nervously
glanced back to the portal in the distance. “How long do we have to wait?”

The ground burst open, sending the trio flying back with
flames trailing from their fur and clothing. John landed hard and rolled back,
dazed. He tasted blood in his mouth. “This is not gonna be fun…”

Lance guided himself into a tumble and cast waves of light
around his sword blade.

Ahead, two large shapes rose from the fiery pit. The same
type of acidic demon they had faced in the subway tunnel.

Alexis helped John up and held out her staff. “I did a bit of
research of my own earlier this morning. I think I know what might work against
them.”

Lance flipped back, deflecting acid globs with his sword. Alexis
leaped past him and jammed her staff into the ground. The demons rushed forward
as the staff’s tips glowed, then Alexis unleashed a powerful shockwave that
sent them soaring backward along with embers and pieces of rock.

Alexis staggered to her feet, leaning on her staff. “Please
work…”

The beasts tumbled and rolled to their feet, snarling in
fury.

Alexis’s ears fell. “You can’t be serious!” She knew she
lacked the mana to cast more shields after that blast.

A metal spike shot from the ground and impaled one of the
beasts, dangling it high above the landscape. The second beast whirled in
surprise only to be blasted with a wave of violet lightning, tearing off its
face and part of its shoulder.

As it collapsed, three figures rushed over—a bear, a deer,
and a bat. Their clothing, once the decorated robes worn by the FBI’s
paranormal division, had been reduced to tattered rags. Their bodies were thin
and malnourished, covered in soot and grime.

The deer waved to John. “You three trapped here, as well?”

John motioned for them to follow. “No, we’re here with agent
Samuel Davis and his crew. We have a way out!”

The three agents traded glances, then rushed to join with
John, Lance, and Alexis on a sprint for the portal. Roars echoed behind them as
more demons drew near, attracted by the sounds of the previous scuffle. John
whirled and fired back with his aether pistol, nailing pursuers with perfect
accuracy. In front, Lance slashed at anything that stood in their way, aided by
the bat’s lightning blasts. Alexis used what mana she had remaining to heal the
others, boosting their stamina in the process.

The portal ahead warped, destabilizing. The deer’s eyes
widened. “We must hurry!”

The bear waved his paws and spoke a quick incantation, then
stone pillars rose up ahead of them to provide steps up to portal.

John blinked. “The demons have stopped chasing us…”

Cerberus charged through the portal and smashed the columns,
roaring, “You will not leave!”

The six mystics froze, unable to pass the gigantic
three-headed canine. John pulled out his book and opened to the inner back
cover. He hesitated, then sighed. “Get ready to summon those steps again.”

Lance lifted an eyebrow. “What are you doing…?”

“Demonstrating how knowledge is power. Literally.” As
Cerberus charged at them, John read the final incantation and let the book
hover in front of them. Red runes lit up all over its form. John grimaced and
punched toward the giant.

The book struck Cerberus in the chest and detonated like an
arcane shape charge, throwing him back so fast his body carved a trench in the
ground as he went careening backwards.

Alexis gawked. “Are you… gonna get it back?”

John pointed at the portal. “Now! Go!”

The stone columns returned and the six mystics rushed up and
out of the Underworld. As soon as they hit the cold ground of Earth, the portal
flashed and faded away.

Samuel and the others gathered around the six, smiling.
“Welcome to Chicago.”

The cavern jolted and cracks appeared all around them,
spouting water. Debra waved her paws over a lit portion of wall. “The energy
sustaining this cave is fading. We gotta go before it collapses!”

Decorated circles ignited on the wall and the rocks parted,
opening a door. Alexis grinned. “So that’s why we only saw the exit seal.
The entrance wasn’t cast yet!”

Debra shot her a glance. “You saw the seal??”

Everyone bolted through the gateway with rocks crashing down
behind them. They tumbled onto the ruined floor of the subway tunnel just
before the seal faded and concrete filled in the hole.

John breathed in the air of his own realm again and smiled.
“We did it. We actually went to the underworld and survived!”

Lance shifted under him. “Yeah, feel free to get off me
anytime…”

“Oh! Sorry…”

Everyone helped each other up. The three rescued agents found
themselves surrounded by their fellow mystics. Debra and the bat tearfully
embraced while the bear set down a loaded, oversized satchel.

Samuel’s smile faded. “Where are the other two, Richard?”

The bear shook his head. “They didn’t make it. They had an
equal part in our discoveries, though. The Underworld is far more than
just fire and bare rock.” He nodded to the satchel, “There are a few samples of
things we collected while searching for a way out. Between those and our
testimonies, I think we can familiarize ourselves with the Underworld a bit
more. Hopefully prevent this from happening again.” He then handed the jackal
two necklaces. “And they deserve to be remembered for their bravery.”

John’s eyes widened as he saw the symbols on the pendants.
“Those are Aurora runes…  Are you…?”

Samuel and the other agents traded glances, then pulled out
their own identical necklaces. “The U.S. arm of the Aurora order exists as the occult
and parapsychology division of the FBI.”

John smiled wide. “This is unreal…  Do you realize how long I’ve dreamed of
joining your ranks?”

Jacob grinned. “I’m not so sure. You did interrupt and
nearly sabotage a rescue mission…”

Lance put a paw on John’s shoulder. “We had our reasons. We
didn’t think you all would believe us if we tried to contact you about it, so
we took matters into our own paws. And hey, we did figure out that a ritual was happening at all!”

Debra nudged Samuel. “They’re pretty gifted, from what we’ve
seen. Much more than anybody their age that we’ve encountered.”

Richard chuckled. “Considering the fact you came into
the Underworld to rescue us, I’d say you’ve got dedication!”

Alexis turned to Samuel. “How long have you been watching us,
anyway?”

“Since we discovered residual mana in the dilapidated sectors
the other night. Normally we would’ve taken you three in after John admitted
the truth about what he saw, but since we had a rescue mission to prepare for,
we had to delay that and instead put on a show to make sure you believed we
weren’t paranormal investigators.”

Lance tilted his head. “And the demon that suddenly attacked
the subway?”

Jacob looked away in discomfort. “That was another exit we
set up in preparation for tonight’s ritual, but we miscalculated the fracture’s
severity. Luckily we were able to contain it from the other end, but you three
had already defeated the demon before we could return there and help.”

“We didn’t defeat it…” said John. “But sealing the portal
back, that was my doing.” The skunk sighed. “I lost my tome in the Underworld,
though…”

Lance squeezed his shoulder. “You’ll find new spells. At
least you won’t have to lug that big thing around anymore.”

Richard nodded to Samuel, who rolled his eyes and pulled out
his smartphone, tapping into an app. “Since you’re committed,” said Samuel, “this
might help.”

After a moment, the jackal stowed the phone and a message
pinged on John’s own phone.

John blinked, looking at his phone. “How did you… Wait, what
is this?”

“One of our policy manuals,” Samuel replied. “As an ebook. Our
grimoires are in the same format.”

Debra grinned and held up her own smartphone, which displayed
a series of runes on its screen. “Spell tomes for the new age!”

John couldn’t help but smile. “Wow… thanks! You actually
trust us?”

The bat tapped his head and winked. “Mind reader. Don’t let
us down.”

“So… does this mean we’re becoming Aurora?”

Samuel directed the others to prepare to leave. “Consider
this your preliminary induction. Study up on that manual, and we’ll be contacting
you soon.” He snapped his fingers.

John, Lance, and Alexis blinked, finding the agents gone and
their scents erased.

“Whoa…” said John. “Teleportation?”

“Nope,” said Alexis, looking at the clock on her phone. “Hypnosis.
We were standing here in a trance for four minutes.”

Lance leaned against the wall. “Great… they tell us we have
all this potential, then put us under a spell to remind us how pathetic we are
compared to them.”

“Not necessarily,” said John. “They didn’t erase our memories.
This is amazing! After what they told us, we might be able to become some of
the greatest mystical warriors of our era! Not only that, but they didn’t
confiscate our weapons or bring us in for rogue magic use. That means they
trust us!”

“But they’re watching us,” said Lance.

“We’re being judged for worthiness,” said John. He paused,
then said, “How about some food? I’d say we deserve a victory meal.”

Alexis perked. “Ooh, how about that place on the corner of
Wells and Lake? Y’know, with the really good fried bamboo shoots?”

Lance shrugged. “Works for me. I could use a decent sake.”

The trio exited the tunnel into the cool night air. Seeing
the brightly-lit skyline of Chicago, John took another breath and smiled. “Look
at that… a perfect reminder of why we do this. Sure, people might not believe
us, but did you see the relieved smiles of those agents when they made it back
into our world? Just think, we’re working to ensure nobody else will ever have
to go through that nightmare.”

Lance stoically nodded. “True enough. I guess protecting them
from that is better than being recognized for it.”

Alexis smiled. “I can live with that.”

The three friends made their way back into the city, knowing
they could expect a visit from the Aurora soon. Confident in their abilities,
they felt ready for anything.