Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 11.1: A Lesser Known 3 R's (Ridicule, Revelation, & Reprimand)

I'd rather skip ahead and go to straight to the aforementioned reaming; for the sake of brevity, if not anything else. However, there are some parts that happened between what happened on the House of Bliss' front lawn and then that I can't just skip. Some of it is integral to the plot, some of it to answer some of your questions, dear Readers. But, mostly because a lot of it was too cool not acknowledge, my own words included. In order to make this chapter feel like War and Peace, I'll try to condense a lot of what happened. That will make this part relatively brief. 'Relatively' being the key word:

Before we went back up to our allies back on the third floor, I made a quick stop from the drug-room to pick up some 'leftovers' for the impending ass-chewing Norah and I were going to get. FYI, I didn't get any of the hard stuff, just a baggie with an assortment of pills- with a note inside saying which colored pill was what- a few tabs of acid, and a few ounces of grass. Of course, Norah was opposed to this; because we were on duty and other straight-laced crap like that. After a small but heated debate, Norah persuaded me not to use the drugs. And by 'persuaded,' I mean threaten to rat me out as soon as we got back. Not wanting to call her bluff, I promised not to take them. But not without persuading her to let me keep a hold of the pills and a bit of the grass. 'Solely for scientific research purposes when I'm off duty,' I told her. Well, that was mostly true. Either way, she agreed under protest.

As soon as that was settled, the three of us then went back through the passageway via the TV room back up to the third-floor room. Our formation, the same as before, but our pace slower this time. As we followed the scorch marks Rozz made on the walls earlier, I glanced over my shoulder at Norah, looking still a little shaken from what had happened outside. Facing forward again, I decided to take her mind off it, even for a moment or two.

"Quick pop quiz, Norah," I said to Norah in a neutral tone, not bothering to stop or look back at her. "What's the difference between Black Magick and Red Magick?"

I heard her let out a small huff. "Again, with the pop quiz?" she asked, sounding both upset and annoyed. "Now, after what just happened?"

"Well, it's not like I had the opportunity to do this when we discovered what was going on back there," I snapped back, still a little raw from what happened, myself. "Not without blowing our covers. And we were a little busy catching up with Alice for me to quiz you then. So, go on! What's the difference?"

Norah let out a small groan. "Black Magick," she began in a clipped tone, "is an umbrella term of any Magickal practice or spell that deals with negative and taboo subjects, such as necromancy, controlling another or summoning De—" she stopped herself midsentence. No doubt looking over to Rozz, who was leading the way while generating a fireball in his hand for extra illumination.

"...Summoning certain entities illegally," she quickly rephrased. Rozz simply chuckled good naturedly as he continued to light the way.

"Red Magick," Norah continued after a beat, "AKA Infernal Magick, refers to a specific form of Magick that originates from Hell. Specifically, from a covenant made between a Magick-User and a Demon. This covenant can be sealed in a variety of ways depending on the Demon." She paused before adding hesitantly. "One of them being, of course, human sacrifice."

"You got the gist of it, luv," I heard Rozz say as he continued to light the way without looking back. "However, like they are in Black Masses these days, human sacrifice is considered old hat when it comes to my lot and the Red-Magick users, at least among the more modern Earths and other Realms. Well, mostly; depends on the Earth or Realm. By the by, ta for the rephrasing. You'd needn't have bothered, though; we Demons have some thick skin, literally and figuratively."

"And where does these Magicks originate from?" I asked her.

"Same as all Magick," Norah replied with a weary sigh. "From the Wyrd, the life-source of all Magick in the Multiverse."