Deviation Actions
Literature Text
To her left, Solstice heard Ultra Woman mumble something. “What was that?”
“We..we can't give up,” said Ultra Woman. “There HAS to be a way...AHHHH!!!” A sizzling sound and the smell of burning flesh hung in the air.
“Silencccce among the sacrificessssss” hissed an unseen acolyte.
The lock clattered and Solstice looked up as the Priest of Shadows stole in, cradling a familiar form in his arms.
“WHITE OWL!” screamed Solstice, only to find herself on the receiving end of her own shock treatment. The pain was intense and the pretty brunette slumped forward in agony.
****
Back in Queen City
Mr M took another drink of the tea and felt more of his strength returning, along with his wits.
“I don't know what you did to that tea, Hizuka, but it seems to be working.”
Hizuka gave a coy smile, “Ancient Clan secret,” she giggled. “It just a strong Oolong with a few herbs. The real magic is that the Saffron House knows the secret too.”
Mr. M nodded, a knowing smile breaking over his face. The smile belied his worry though. He had been unable to contact Ultra Woman, Curia or White Owl and Sapphire Hawk had seen the Jade Eagle kidnapped by the same unholy creatures that had defeated him, and killed Professor Kismet's friend.
“Tell me about the Oni, Sapphire,” asked Mr. M.
Hizuka's face screwed up under her mask, and she frowned. “They are mythic creatures in my land, capable of great harm. Our legends portray them as clever, tricksters but not terribly dangerous on their own. One almost never encounters them in groups though. These Oni seem to be directed though, an army.”
“Yeah, some joker calling himself the Priest of Shadows is their head.”
“You have met him?”
Mr M rubbed the back of his head. “Let's say we're acquainted.”
Sapphire Hawk looked over the vast library. “Your mentor has volumes on multiple subjects. Might he have more information?”
“I suppose he would. I wouldn't know where to look though.”
“Well we won't find anything by looking at each other. I'll take that end,” she said, gesturing over Mr. M's shoulder. “Those books look like they may be more Oriental.”
“Then I'll take the other end, and we'll work toward each other?” Said Mr M. “I swear, if Kismet ever comes back, we're going to have a LONG talk about a catalog.”
“He hasn't taught you?”
Taught me what?”
Hizuka sighed. “Taught you to empty your mind, reach out and seize the volume you need.”
Mr M looked skeptical. “Sounds like a Jedi Mind trick to me.”
“Lucas got his ideas from somewhere,” giggled Hizuka. Then, putting on a straight face, she said, “If he hasn't done it, then we need to search manually.”
Mr M agreed, and headed toward his section. “Of course the books make no sense,” he said. His eyes scoured titles dealing with all subjects from summoning demons to raising the dead to bonsai growth.
“This is quite an eclectic collection,” said Hizuka, from across the room. I am finding books on butterflies, medicine, Japanese and Chinese Magics, and the private letters of Japan's greatest lover.”
“And our answers could be in any of them?”
Hizuka nodded grimly. “Look at this one,” she said. She held up a book of woodblock prints.
“What is it?” asked Mr M.
“A book detailing the capture and keeping of ghosts. A special trick, drawing them into a spirit jar, then sealing it with candle wax. But look at the illustration.”
“That looks like.....” Mr M snapped his fingers. “Kismet had something like that on the mantle. I'll be right back. Mr M slipped down the stairs to the study where Kismet's chair sat empty. But on the mantle 2 nearly identical spirit bottles stood. Mr M studied them closely, emptying his mind and probing gently. One flickered with a familiar glow. M seized the bottle, bringing it to the chair.
Carefully, Mr M used his Swiss Army knife to cut away the seal of wax around the lip of the bottle, then opened it and turned the bottle over. A swirl of mist decanted, sparkling and swirling into the familiar form of the late Professor Kismet.
“Oy boychik! I thought you were never coming back!” said the ghostly mage.
“No time for that, Professor. How did you wind up in there?”
“How? How he asks. The ferschluggener Priest, that's how!”
“He got in here?” asked M, incredulous. “I thought you had warded the place.”
“I did, but the wards have to be renewed by the new master of the realm, and you're still apprenticing as it were. They were weak—they'd stop Morgana, but the Priest? Hoo boy. Wait. Did he take the book?”
“What book?”
From the library a scream rang out.
“You didn't tell me we had guests,” said Kismet to Mr. M's retreating back. "Use the cloak like I taught you! Oy, that boy never listens..."
Mr M scrambled up the stairs in time to see the Sapphire Hawk surrounded by two dozen Oni, acolytes of the Priest of Shadows. Her cape was shredded and the little demons were binding her with a golden lasso that Mr M recognized as Curia's.
“Stop!” shouted Mr M. His hands dropped to his sides and balled into fists. He swung his left and pulse of pure magic shot across the room, disintegrating two of the Oni. Mr M smiled.
“I'm not afraid of you anymore,” he said.
“You should be,” hissed the leader, stepping forward. The Oni held a staff that was half again his size.
A lightning bolt shot from the staff, but crashed harmlessly against Mr M's cape. But the blinding green-gold glare left Mr M without sight for a minute and the acolytes used that time to make their escape with the struggling but helplessly tied Sapphire Hawk.
Mr M's vision returned with the spectral face of Kismet staring down at him.
“They got her,” said Kismet. “But you can still stop them.”
“How?” said Mr M.
“With this.” From the kitchen, a familiar cookbook floated into the room. “I told you this was an important work; Phoebe though it was worth dying for. Now I'm going to use it to teach you how to beat the Priest quickly. But you HAVE to be ready to learn; parlor tricks aren't going to be enough, I'm afraid.”
To be continued
Mr M is the OC of 
and used with permission
Jade Eagle and Sapphire Hawk are the OCs of 
and used with permission
Solstice is the OC of 
and used with permission
Ultra Woman is the OC of 
and used with permission
Wonder Woman/Curia is the OC of 
and used with permission
All other characters are the OC of 
And this takes place in 
Thanks for reading, comments accepted gladly!
