Discord Celebrates First Accurate GOP Prediction of 21st Century

He would never be sure who grabbed who. Phillip had moved quickly, but then turned as if he wanted to attack Vile Darken. With a hundred Xemmoni at their backs, Jack didn’t favor their chances going up against the most powerful villain of the age.

Together they toppled back into the room covered with Felix’s viscera as a similar shower of body parts rained down as Cleo’s body continued to explode in the hallway behind them. 

Eyes of Vile

Over all this Vile’s voice boomed. “What? You think to escape? This world has never seen a gathering of Xemmoni such as I have summoned! Capture them alive. Their blood will aid with the spell. Ha, we might be able to wrap this up tonight and with the Multi-Verse heroes gone, the worlds will all quickly fall to me.”

Bedroom of Blood

“He’s always been a gabby one,” Jack said, as the pair scrambled through the gore onto their feet.

Phillip’s eyes were wide open and he yelled straight into Jack’s face. “Become a small serpent. Do it now!”

Trusting Phillip had a plan, Jack began to transform into a Mojave Rattlesnake while Phillip tossed a heavy chair through the bedroom window. At once, the growls and threats of more Xemmoni reached his ears from below, but soon those ears disappeared as his reptilian form took hold.

Vile might had shouted something, but his words would be forever lost. Phillip snatched him up and leapt onto the graded roof outside of the bedroom. But at once, Jack noticed that his friend’s body was transforming into… His pointed tongue snapped out long enough to realize that Phillip’s body was disappearing and becoming wine. 

Wave of Wine

Caught up in the small tidal wave Phillip’s body had become, Jack’s serpentine form twisted and fought to keep his head about the rolling violet wine. He might have gasped, if his body possessed such an ability, when he went spiraling over the edge of the roof. 

He hit the ground hard as wine rained down on him. The Xemmoni appeared stunned, but a big Caradon went to grab him. Jack rewarded the attack with a mouthful of venom and the Xemmoni withdrew his hand with a scream.

Then the waves of wine moved him again and he tumbled over the lawn. He could just determine they headed for the street when he felt himself falling again. It looked like it was into the sewer this time. Looking back, he saw they had passed through a storm grate. 

Phillip’s body carried him a sways further but then disappeared. Jack took this as a cue to become human again and found his drenched body standing in two feet of stagnant water. 

Phillip appeared out of the water a minute later. It relieved him to see that, like him, Phillip transformed with all his clothes and weapons still present.

“Neat trick.”

 

“I’ve learned a few things along the way, but yeah, it’s a newer one.” But then the reality of what had just occurred set in and his head dropped.

Placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, Jack said, “I’m sorry man.”

“She… she deserved better.” But then his eyes raised and met Jack’s. “But what are we going to do? Besides Vile being here, did you see how many Xemmoni are out there? There must have been hundreds. And we just lost two of the last of our own.”

Jack adjusted the grip on his sledge hammer. “Not like you and I can run away. We don’t have a choice. If Vile eliminated the effects of that damn scroll had on the heroes present when it was casted, we both just might cease existing even if we’re a thousand miles from here.”

“So we just attempt the impossible because we are doomed anyway?”

“No, we do everything we can, when we can do it. One thing, with all those Xemmoni here, I doubt Bruin and Lanna had to fight much. Let’s at least reach them and make sure they are safe.”

“Fine,” Phillip said, while drawing his cutlass. “If I have to go down, it might as well be with a sword in my hands and I don’t care who he is, I’m going to kill that bastard Vile.”

Jack led the way through the sewers, but called over his shoulder, “No worries, I’m sure one of your incarnations has already killed the bastard here or there.”

“Well there is this one world, where I helped an Apollo man named Narrows. I think I killed Vile there for sure. And on this other plane, I dreamt that I was a reporter…

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!

\

Worst Case Scenario

Despite his reluctance, Jack decided to go with Bruin’s plan of letting Jack and the Dionysus worshippers try to rescue the healer Felix, while Bruin and Lanna attempted to destroy a Darcarre nest. They made it deep into Boston unopposed, but this also made sense for the Xemmoni no doubt wanted them as far into the city as possible before they set their trap. For the team would be kidding themselves if they didn’t admit there was a trap being set for them. The only questions would be if Felix still lived or if they would be able to live through it themselves. 

Urban Issues

The tension, in the new van Jack had purchased, lay thick and no one had spoken for so long that Phillip’s voice caused him to jerk the wheel. “It’ll be great to have a healer with us, if nothing else. All we need to do is be able to fight our way toward him and he’ll get us ready to fight our way out.”

“I just hope he still lives,” Cleo said, with less optimism in her voice. 

Jack glanced at her in the rear view for a moment before saying, “Phillip’s right though. We have just one goal. Grab Felix and go.”

“What if he still refuses to leave with us?” Phillip asked.

“We just have to assume, by this point, he’s knows better. Even if he’s too scared to hit our enemies with us, we can still hide him in some hotel and use him as a healer after our conflicts.” They rode in silence for a while, but then Jack added, “And one more thing. I could care less about coordinating some attack with Bruin. If the Darcarre come at us and lighten his burden, so be it. But I’m not risking our safety to do anything other than rescue Felix.”

Soon they arrived at Felix’s home. It was lit up like the man expected company, and Phillip mumbled, “I hope all those lights are a good sign.”

“Or maybe he’s just trying to keep the Darcarre at bay,” Cleo said.

“Brace yourselves,” Jack said, through clenched teeth, seconds before he hopped the van over the curb, drove across the lawn, and pulled up next to the front steps.

Phillip jumped out of the van first. “So far so good. No sign of anything.”

As one, the trio raced up the steps. Cleo gazed in every direction. “Is it possible that there isn’t a trap set for us here?”

Before he answered, Jack reached for the doorknob. It proved to be unlocked. Looking back over his shoulder, “This is getting strange.”

Phillip’s voice dropped to a whisper as they shut the front door behind them. “His room is upstairs. He’s either there or in the library on this level.”

They checked the library, but found no signs on him. Phillip and Jack lead the way up the stairs while Cleo watched their backs. Approaching Felix’s bedroom, the Stalwarts drew weapons. Again the door was unlocked, Jack opened it, and the men rushed inside.

The sight before them caused even those veteran Stalwarts to draw back and gasp in horror. Felix floated in mid air like he had been crucified on an invisible cross. He moaned slightly, but gave no indication that he was aware of their presence. His naked body showed signs of horrible abuse. Bruises and angry red lacerations covered more parts of his body than not. Only the whites of his eyes were visible, but they only had just enough time to take this in before the healer exploded.

Death of Felix

His very body became weapons and Phillip and Jack cried out as sharpened bones impaled them and viscera blinded their eyes. The men stumbled back into the hallway and struggled to wipe what was once Felix from their faces. Before this could happen, an insane laughter filled Jack’s veins with ice.

He’d heard that laugh before.

“VILE!”

Vile Darken

Jack looked on in horror as Vile Darken himself, both the Earth’s and Jack’s ultimate enemy, stood before him opposite of the stairs. His nemesis’ black sorcerer’s hat did little to contain Darken’s wild mane of unkempt hair. His goatee had become a raged beard since the last time Jack had confronted him, but insanity still burned behind his evil eyes. Tall ebony jack boots met a midnight blue uniform that made the foul villain look like some sort of space pirate. One hand clamped onto a smoking, black cutlass, while the other had Cleo’s body suspended by the neck so that her feet dangled a full foot of the floor.

“Ho, Jack Primus we meet once more, but then again, I’ve meet you so many times over across the Everywhere War, that such encounters tend to lose their uniqueness.”

He has your love in his hands

“Let her go, you horrid freak,” Jack hissed. “Your battle is with me. Let’s finish this!”

“Jack,” Phillip said in a low voice. “Behind us.”

Jack took a second to discover that dozens of Xemmoni rushed into the house behind them. In seconds they would be heading up the stairs at their backs.

Vile’s voice drew Jack back to the dark villain. “I’m been enjoying causing people to explode latterly. You could say it’s my newest trick or perhaps hobby.”

Evil thy name is Vile

Then, before Jack could do anything, Cleo exploded into a thousand gruesome pieces.

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!

Vile Darken

YIG Entropy Guide

The Path of Life has Eight Hundred Directions at Once

Each day we are Faced with more Choices then we Realize

Servants of Yig

Are one with the Chaos

Like a Snake they can move in any direction at any Time

But move Forward once the Direction is Chosen

I seek to be like the Snake

Let the Chaos Embrace Me

I Wish to be like the Leaf in the Wind

Which Lands on the Pot of Gold

Let the Chaos Infuse Me

Entropy shall be my Guide

Take me down the right Road

The path of Greatness Awaits

The Journey continues Forever

I am the traveler, who Seeks, Finds, and becomes Complete

Yig

 

Find out more about Followers of Yig Here!!!

Between a Dark and a Darker Place

Lanna rolled onto her back. Her lean body glistened with a layer of perspiration. “I think that was our eighth bout since we checked into this place,” she purred.

Jack’s back was toward her as he slipped on his jeans. “Sounds about right and it works for me.” He smiled over his shoulder, “Eight is Yig’s lucky number.” 

“I hope you’re all happy. You showing up at The Joint pretty much insures that I’ll never work in Boston again. Hell, never go back to Boston again.”

 

Jack stood and watched the waves crash against the shore below them. Rain hammered the coast and showed no signs of slowing. “How long do you think it would have been before they dragged you out of that place whether or not we were around?”

“I’m not sure,” she purred. “I can usually find some what to convince most people that I can be a very useful girl.”

Lanna

He smiled, despite himself. “I’m sure you can. Still allowing some Caradon’s mutated hands to touch you… I’m not sure much is worth such a price.”

“Don’t underestimate mutates, hun. Sometimes they have things that—hey where you going?”

“I need to find Bruin and see where he stands.”

“Wait, you don’t even know where I stand.”

He flashed her another smile. “Nah, I think I do.”

*         *         *

Jack found Bruin and Phillip drinking in the hotel’s small dark bar. Shadows played over both men’s faces and Jack wondered if they had asked the bartender to dim the lights. As he drew in closer, Jack felt pleased that the Stalwart of the dark one had at least removed his hockey mask.

 

“What can I get you?” Phillip asked while hurrying behind the bar.

Jack had learned better than to ask where the bartender might have been and just requested an ale before joining Bruin at the center table. 

The man’s black locks covered his face almost as well as the hockey mask had. The rest of his wardrobe would have made a Darcarre jealous. Black jeans, met a black shirt and high boots. Even his drink looked like ink.

Bruin

“So what have you two been discussing?” He asked.

“Mostly how amazing it is that you all still draw breath,” Bruin said.

Jack leaned in. “So you’re saying we shouldn’t be trying to keep the Xemmoni from claiming the whole city and perhaps initiating a ritual what could damage the war on multiple worlds?”

“I’m not saying that at all,” Bruin whispered. “I’m just saying that I’m surprised your luck hadn’t run out and it probably would have if Lanna and I hadn’t come to your rescue.”

“We’ve been through worse.”

“Again, I’m not surprised. Your blundering methods must lead you into all sorts of trouble.”

“Hey,” Phillip said, before Jack could reply. “We were luring them back into the woods. That worked well for a while.”

“Yes,” the Tezcatlipoca follower said, “but when we’re dealing with a mixture of Magick backed up by technology, secrets don’t keep long.”

Trying to keep his voice even, Jack asked, “So what big innovate plan would you suggest?”

Bruin steepled his fingers. “There are many things I might suggest, but first we have to determine if Felix and Blaze are ready, willing, or able to join in this battle.”

Jack tiffed and took a sip of ale. “That’s your big idea? We would have been doing that anyway.”

Stalwart

“Perhaps, but I have another idea. I know where a Darcarre nest is located. I’d like to hit them where it hurts.”

“You want us all to attack it?”

“Noooooooo, just me and maybe Lanna for back up. I’m immune to their darkness Bestows. I go in, assassinate as many as possible. If any try to flee, Lanna can be waiting for them outside.”

“What if there are too many?” Phillip asked.

“That’s where your team comes in. You will go for Felix. This will perhaps empty out more of the nest when the Darcarre call for back up. Then, hopefully before they reach your battle, the Darcarre will be summoned back their own nest to keep me from slaying them all.” He favored them with a dark grin. “This way, we have a chance to free Felix, keep a huge group of Darcarre out of both our battles, and wipe out a nest all at once.”

Phillip looked over at Jack. “The plan has some merits.”

“True, if it looks like we’re heading toward Felix, they might allow us to continue into the city so we can spring the trap they have undoubtedly set for us there. The downside… they have set a trap for us there.”

“But your predictability will work in our favor instead of against us.”

“Easy for you to say,” Jack grumbled. “You’re not in the trap springing group.”

“Yes, I’m in the wipe out a whole nest from the inside by myself group.”

Phillip shrugged. “I’m not sure what else we can try, Jack. We keep thinning their ranks, but more pour into my city every day. At least this way, maybe Bruin can take down a few leaders.”

“Perhaps,” Jack leaned back in his chair. “It’s time for Felix to either join us or leave town. At least with this plan, he’ll have that chance. I do agree with Bruin on one thing. We’ve been mostly spinning our wheels killing the rabble while their leaders probably grow closer to their real agenda.”

“Yes,” Bruin said through clenched teeth. “If we don’t get our act together your end game will be fighting pudwacks and then wondering what’s happening while you and Phillip fade into nothingness.”

Jack stood up. “Alright, we’ll review this with the ladies, but Bruin, I want you to do me a favor.”

“Which is?”

“If you do run into some high ranking Darcarre. Try to take one of them alive.”

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!

Darkness and Speed

“Apparently we aren’t the only people that can set traps,” Phillip yelled over at him as he sprayed a group of advancing Caradon with jets of what might have been Merlot. 

Boston

“Yeah, how many damn Xemmoni are here?” Cleo barked. “I feel like if this keeps up we’ll be killing them all tonight.”

Xemmoni

But despite their bravo, Jack knew they were in serious trouble. They had attempted to find Lanna, the Stalwart of Inanna, and figured if Xemmoni guarded her they would have the villains chase their group out into the forest again. However, this time the Xemmoni had prepared themselves and dozens of the dark hearted fiends waited for them. The ebony Darcarre mixed with the wispy rag covered Glooms. The foul twisted bodies of the Caradon had shown up in droves and Jack thought he spied some brown robed Nexus in their midst.

Horde Attack

The first thing the Xemmoni had done was destroy the van the Stalwarts had been using. The second was to surround them outside of the strip joint and do everything in their power to cut the team to pieces. Like usual, the only thing that had kept them breathing was the protection from damage that luckily both Yig and Dionysus afforded their followers.

Lancing Magickal attacks mixed with hurled weapons, for none of the horde wanted to be the first to meet Jack’s axe or Phillip’s enchanted saber. Again the only thing 

keeping their bodies from dissipating into the wind or becoming a chemical soup was the fact that most of the Xemmoni’s Bestows proved too weak to pierce the Stalwart’s protection. Still even the small wounds began to take their toll and as the Xemmoni sensed weakness, they started to close in.

Jack Attack

The group retreated until their backs were against the rear wall of the strip club. “Okay, just because they still outnumber us ten to one, doesn’t mean this is over,” Jack began. “Let’s show these scumbags who really owns Boston.”

The Xemmoni answered with a roar that left their ears ringing. They were about to rush the Stalwarts when those in the rear of their horde began to cry out. 

Jack assumed, correctly, that Lanna might had come to their aid, and this proved true for he could just detect a whirlwind of powder blue tearing into the rear of their enemy, but something else was there a s well. A dark shadow. It moved with a speed the like of which he had rarely witnessed. 

Lanna

The Xemmoni forces wavered and not to be undone, Jack shouted, “Charge!” and he had his Dionysus allies stormed into the front of the Xemmoni ranks. 

Confused and uncertain, their leadership tried to rally their minions until Jack took the Gloom captain’s head off. The rest scattered and Jack and his allies quickly found themselves panting for breath in an alley emptied of all the Xemmoni save for their death and whimpering wounded.

Lanna walked toward them wearing a grin and little else. She appeared to have not bothered to put on as much as a long sleeve shirt before joining in the fray. Yet, despite her exposed female perfection, it proved to be the other figure that drew his attention.

This second figure garbed himself completely in black save a goalie mask that Jason wouldn’t have minded barrowing. For a weapon he held a long hockey stick, which had both side of its end covered in a thick assortment of gleaming blades. He looked a bit like a Grim Reaper that had taken up the sport of hockey.

Bruin

To his side he felt Cleo tense and Phillip leaned in close enough to say, “You’ve met us all now.” Then louder, “allow me to introduce the last surviving Stalwart of Boston that you have yet to speak to. The man of Tezcatlipoca, Bruin.”

“This should prove interesting.”

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!

The Serpent and the Grape

After Cleo slit the Darcarre’s throat from ear to ear, the small female Gloom became much more talkative.

Jack leaned in over her, while Phillip stayed busy sharpening his knife. The gentle stoke of the blade over the oiled whetstone, punctuated the room with a gritty rhythm.

Forest Jack

The Stalwart of Yig continued to lean in until his unshaved chin loomed only inches before her wizened face. “So you’re known as Wisp?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you that much, but why should I tell you anything else? You’ll just kill me anyway.”

Wisp

“There’s also that whole torture thing, that’s best to avoid,” Cleo said from behind her.

“Stalwarts don’t torture…”

Phillip looked up, his blazing brown eyes just visible under the rim of his hat. “Jack might not, but I’d have no problem with it. The only thing worse than being kicked out of my city by Xemmoni, would be kicked out of my city from Xemmoni that aren’t even from Boston and by the sound of your accent, you weren’t born in bean town. So you must have been imported to help take over my city. Is this true?”

When she didn’t say anything, Jack prompted her. “Is this really where you want to draw the line in the sand? I suggest you answer him.”

When Cleo rested a hand on the Gloom’s shoulder, she said, “Okay, yeah, I’m not from Boston. Darken has ordered all of us to meet in Boston.”

“What do you mean all of you?” Phillip asked and Jack noticed the deep lines of concern playing over his friend’s face.

She leaned forward, which hid her glowing red eyes. “Listen, I don’t know everything, but I’d like to know what will happen to me if I tell you what I do know?”

Jack lifted her chin so his green eyes met her red. “Let’s just say the more you tell us the more body parts you might get to keep.”

She sighed and then let her gaze drop to the floor. “Lord Darken instructed all of the members of the Dark Alliance within America to head to Boston.”

Phillip spoke slowly. “What do you mean all the members?”

Wisp showed some Xemmoni fueled aggression for the first time. “Just what I said, Stalwart. We’re all supposed to meet in Boston.”

Life and Death

Jack moved back a pace and chuckled. “What all of you. Every Gloom, Darcarre, and Caradon is supposed to head to Boston?”

“That’s what I said.”

“But that’s impossible,” Phillip said.

“And insane,” Cleo added.

Cleo

Jack spoke next. “It would seem to be that if that many Xemmoni showed up here the city would implode to the point where reveling the existence of Xemmoni to the general public would be a real possibly.”

Wisp had gone from being terrified to perhaps enjoying herself in as many seconds as it would take so say it. “You’re forgetting two things. The first is, certainly not all Dark Alliance Xemmoni are aware of Vile’s order and many that are, either can’t or have chosen not to travel to Boston. The second is,” and she looked up and let her blazing eyes burn into his as she spoke, “Soon Vile Darken will be reveling himself to this planet and nothing you can do will stop that.”  

Vile Darken

“Interesting,” Jack said. “Wrong, but interesting. Just one other question for now.” He paused, but then moved in closer again. “Why are all the Xemmoni being brought here? What is Vile attempting to accomplish?”

Wisp appeared lost in thought perhaps weighing her options. “Since you can’t do anything to stop it and telling you might allow myself to live long enough to see the glory of the eternal night… I’ll tell you.” She paused for affect, but then spit it out when she saw their patience waning. “Vile intends to use the power of every Xemmoni he can find to reenact the Everywhere Spell, but this time use it to kill all of the Stalwart archetypes throughout the Multiverse.”

“So I was right,” Jack said in a low voice. “But you were wrong about something.”

“Oh yes,” she hissed. “What would that be?”

“That we can’t do anything to stop it.”

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!

Three Glooms

Night Hunt

Pit looked over at his dark mate, Midnight. Although much of her tight ebony dress had splashes of blood covering it, it pleased him to know she had fully healed herself, which appeared to be more than he could say for the rest of the whining rabble that filled the black van with him. 

Darcarre Vilain

Riding in the back were what remained of the dozen Xemmoni who had positioned themselves around the Stalwart Doctor’s home. A full half of them had been slain when the Serpent and the Grape had come calling, which had become the tag the Xemmoni of Boston had given Jack Primus and Phillip Brownhurst. The only satisfaction he got was when the Doctor refused to join the three Stalwarts when they fled, with their tails between their legs, back to the suburbs. It hadn’t been a difficult decision to give chase.

One of the Caradon’s annoying voices, a man named Sender, sounded over his shoulder. “Hey, a few of us could use some more healing back here, including me.”

“I already told you that you have all the healing you’re going to get from us tonight. 

We aren’t going into this final battle with nothing.” He passed to add a lie. “Besides if one of you goes down hard, don’t you want us to have a chance to save you?”

Nasty

This seemed good enough for the Caradon and he sat back down on one of the benches that lined the side of the van. 

Pit opened up telepathic communications with his mate. “They act like there’s some reason I would want any of them alive. Boston has always belonged to the Darcarre, despite who our elders had been foolish enough to align themselves with. As far as I’m concerned, let them all get killed off. It will make for a more pleasant Boston when the last of the Stalwarts are cleaned out.”

She placed her pale, delicate finders on his leg. “Yes, my dark prince, but we may need them before this night has closed. Primus and Brownhurst have a way of surviving.”

“Bah. it’s only the protection afforded by their Pagan gods that allows it to be so. With enough concentrated Bestows, they’ll go down.” He could just make out glaring red tail lights of the truck the Stalwarts drove fleeing before them. It mattered not if he lost sight of them, for he could detect their presence far past what his eyes allowed. He needed no headlights to see in the night and the van sped after the retreating truck like a giant black bullet. “They know their minutes are numbered. They must have been wounded before the battle even started. Why else seek out their best healer. We will crush them before sun up.”

Glooms

The only other female in the van, a Gloom, interrupted their silent communications. “I worry that the surroundings become more rural,” she said. “Perhaps they have no hide out and are just retreating into some random farm.”

“Wisp, are all Glooms as paranoid as you?” Pit’s voice kept its cruel edge. “You should be thankful that you’ll be honored by being with us when we eliminate the last Stalwart threat.”

“Their vehicle slows my mate,” Midnight said.

Wisp, who still had her wizen grey head between their chairs, “I think it’s stopped.”

“I know that,” Midnight affirmed quickly.

“Ready your weapons. Get ready to be the monster you’ve always wanted to be. We’re hunting Stalwart!” A ragged grunting cheer answered him and he wondered once again how he got stuck with such obtuse ‘allies.’

He knew an ambush would be impossible since their presence glared at him like to colorful splinters in the night. “They had already fled their vehicle. Get out, they’re fleeing, there’s no worry of attack.”

The other Xemmoni did as they were told and they eight of them entered the harsh cold of the Massachusetts winter. There was a trail wide enough to drive a car down on the other side of the Stalwart’s truck. The couple chuckled when Sender instructed the Caradon to help him flip the pickup over. 

Wisp appeared less pleased. “The sign here says, Easterbrook Forest. I was told never to fight Stalwarts in the wilderness.”

“Idiot! You would come all this way just to let them go? We could even just freeze them out if we had to.” But looking over at his mate he realized he wouldn’t be popular with her if he made her wait outside in the middle of the winter in just a mini skirt. 

“Sender, your kind can track by smell correct?”

“It’s actually done by following the trace particles-”

“Enough, do it find the trail.”

The Caradon began to grow and stretch.  They let out a howl and both their arms and legs elongated to twice their normal lengths. They looped into the woods, building speed as they went. Pit nodded and the Glooms drew their sickles and a fog began to grow within the forest as they joined the case. Wisp however remained close to the Darcarre. She kept her hooded back to them as though they might forget her foul presence.

He was just about to command her forward when the yelling started. Shouts of alarm became screams and the screaming was over far too quickly

“Pit,” his mate looked his way. “Perhaps we should…”

He saw that Wisp already fed toward the van and gave a shrill scream when the trees came alive and appeared to be attempting to draw and quarter her.

Within seconds both he and Midnight were also ensnared by the mighty bows of the trees.

Primus came walking out of the forest. A bloody axe filled his hands. “You know what the great thing about this spell is?” When his answer was only him witnessing their struggle to escape, the Stalwart continued.  “It doesn’t matter how resistant to Magick you might be, they are still only trees and trees hate Xemmoni… a lot.”

“I’ll show you Magick, fool!” Pit yelled as he sent his Black Veins Bestow crashing into the Stalwart.

Jack took a step back and grunted as the Bestow hit him. When he raised his face, a grin could be seen there. “That hurt. Congratulations. You get to die first.”

Pit’s awareness toppled through unconceivable pain long enough for him to figure out he had been decapitated two seconds before he died.

To be continued next Monday

Get in on the beginning of Jack’s Adventures Here!

Xemmoni

Snowed In

Jack sat in the small living room of the lake side house and watched the snow cover the earth in silent white blanket. For once he hadn’t argued when his Dionysian allies had suggested they stay an extra day in the rural outskirts of Concord. It would be good to start their next step at full strength, but he worried they could end up getting snowed in.

White’s Pond

This didn’t seem to be a concern with Phillip as he sipped on an ale and channel surfed like a pro. There had been some concern over whose bed Cleo would share or if she’d chose either of theirs and make one of the men sleep on the floor. Jack couldn’t have answered whether he felt disappointed or relieved when she chose her former boyfriend Phillip over him. She was a beautiful woman, but Jack could also use the rest.

The owner, one James McBannon, turned out to be a man of Yig, which had surprised Jack, but he had barely gotten a chance to speak to the man. James had married and chose to leave both the Stalwart life and the city behind. He had only stopped by long enough to let the small group in before rushing back to western Massachusetts to be with his growing family. Even though Jack knew they could use the help, he didn’t have the heart to press the man to risk leaving his family fatherless.

Such thoughts lead him back to the few Stalwarts they had left behind in Boston. Sure, most of them had been given a chance to either flee or join them fighting back, but besides Cleo, none of the others had done either.

Cleo was in the shower, so Jack sat in a large chair that faced the television. He took a long sip off his own ale before asking, “So have you tried to contact the Stalwarts we left behind?”

“Blaze emailed me,” Phillip said without moving his eyes away from the rapidly changing screen. “So I guess he still lives. I suppose we’ll find out how right Lanna and Felix were about them having nothing to fear from this Xemmoni ultimatum.”

“It could be possible that we did enough damage to them that they’re licking their wounds for a few days like us and this storm could help settle things too.”

Phillip looked over and smiled. “We did do a pretty good number on them, huh? What, we waxed about fourteen on those Dark Alliance bastards.”

Darcarre

 

“I thought it was fifteen,” Jack said.

“You must be counting the Hyades.”

“Well, I did decapitate him.”

“That doesn’t always work, with them,” Phillip said while taking a long pull.

“We’ll see, but what should we be doing now? We can’t stay here forever.”

Phillip looked back at the TV. “I wish we could. This New London Pizza is the best I’ve ever tasted.”

Jack leaned forward. “I think we need to discuss something else.” When Phillip didn’t reply, he went on. “I think we need to figure out why the Xemmoni want Boston and what they intend to do with it.”

“Xemmoni want well… everything, don’t they?”

“Yes, but I have a feeling this is different. Isn’t there some evidence that Darken and bunch of his villains, and even we, are associated with Boston on multiple worlds?”

Thoughtful Jack

“I try not to think about those things. The dreams are bad enough.” Phillip looked at his beer, the television, and the falling snow, anywhere but toward Jack. 

“Maybe since Boston has been so damaged on this world, Vile is trying to use our Boston to create some effect that could damage multiple worlds. It’s the type of thing he might try to do. And if he does, we would be the weak link letting every other world battling for survival down. If multiple worlds are robbed of their heroes, then it could cost us the whole war.”

Phillip finally looked his way. “You have quite the imagination.”

Cleo in Boston

Cleo walked into the room wearing nothing but a towel and a serious expression. “He does, but the sad thing is… he’s right.”

 To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!

Darkness, Death, and Corruption

The three Stalwarts moved into a back to back formation as the nine Xemmoni that surrounded them drew in closer. Cleo addressed Phillip, “It always was a ball of fun every time we got together.”

Alley of Doom

“I like to show a girl a good time,” he tried to joke but his words sounded tense and strained.

Jack stayed focused. “How do you want to work this? I’d just assume try my hand at that Hyades bastard again.”

“Be my guest,” Cleo said, “I’ll take the Darcarre.”

“Oh great,” Phillip groaned. “That means I have to take on all six Caradon!”

“We’ll back you up as soon as we can,” Jack shouted and then rushed toward the armored Hyades. The attack began with two tossed throwing knives. The Xemmoni batted one aside with his oversized machete and the second tinged harmlessly off its armored shoulder.

 

“Not the greatest start I’ve ever had,” he said, under his breath, as he raced toward the villain. The Hyades prepared for the charge, but Jack wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. At the last moment, he veered to the man’s left. A swing just missed his ear and he dodged through.

Jack’s weaponless hands locked onto the thing’s left arm and he tried to swing it off balance, but he might as well be trying to push-start a semi. The Hyades didn’t budge. Instead he grabbed Jack’s wrist and heaved him forward. Jack tumbled ass over elbow as he hit the icy pavement. The Xemmoni moved in to take advantage of the situation.

As Jack struggled to his hands and knees, his hands found themselves slipping through a small patch of snow, but this gave him an idea. He waited until the Xemmoni was almost upon him. During his wait, he heard the shouts and cries as his allies took on a far superior number behind him and he knew he needed to aid him as quickly as he could. But this Hyades had already beaten him once and that was when Jack was at full power, not drained of his both physical and mystical strength as he currently was.

At the last moment, Jack dove to his left. The machete made a dull clang as it hit the pavement behind him. Moving quickly, Jack regained his footing and rushed behind the Xemmoni. Snow filled his hands and he slammed the snow into the eye holes in the man’s helmet.

It swung at him wide and missed, but its free hand already clawed at the snow that obscured its vision. Jack used this time to snatch away one of the machetes the Xemmoni had built into its leg armor. The fiend hesitated as it cleared more of the snow away.

Jack picked his target, saw a weakness around the Hyades neck, and then swung. He gave out a woop as the villain was decapitated. Before the head had landed, Jack had already rushed toward his allies. 

Jack Primus with a Blade

Cleo fought the two Darcarre using twin short swords. She held her own and would have probably triumphed, but they didn’t have the time to find out. Jack decapitated his second Xemmoni as he ran past, but didn’t slow his pace as he rushed toward Phillip. Phillip had dropped two of the Caradon, but the remaining four looked like they were about to drop him.

 

The hurled machete took one of the Caradon in the back and it fell with a groan. He kicked another in the face and it stumbled back as Jack drew the sledge hammer off his back. Then it was go time. He didn’t remember how many swings it took, but before long Cleo had joined the two panting and bleeding men as they wavered over the mangled bodies of their foes.

 

“Search them for keys,” Phillip said as he leaned against the van with one hand. “We need to get our asses out of here.”

“I think they’re still in the ignition, dumb ass,” Cleo said with a smirk. Turning toward Jack she added, “Nice fighting by the way.”

“What him,” Phillip complained. “I took on six by myself. That guy with the blue jacket isn’t dead. I saved one for questioning.”

“Good, because we need to bail. We’re all spent and just this side of death’s door,” Jack said. “I guess in the end the Xemmoni won, because we will have to leave Boston before sundown.”

“It’s okay,” Phillip said. “We need to recoup. I have some allies in Concord that can put us up and at least let us recharge before we fight the leaders of these droogs.”

“Sounds good,” Jack began, but then his words caught in his throat. “Where… did that Hyades go?”

As one they all looked back the way they had come and besides a pool of blood deep enough to drown a rat, no sign of the armored Hyades remained.

Jack Primus

To be continued next Monday

Find out how Jack’s Adventures Started Here!