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Chapter 1

Change

Seven years have passed, the world has become a new strange place. Battles once fought in shadows between hunters and demons now pour over into city streets. Monsters now walk the streets by light of day and pretend to be normal men and women. The monsters even have a voice in the courts, Senator Laurence Walker.

Hell is coming and everyone knows it. But what is one to do? The loudest 'Fuck You' most of America can come up with is to do nothing, ask as if nothing has happened, nothing has changed, there are no monster, no gods or demons.

Lances Jacob finds himself chained to a table in a small gray windowless room, a spotlight hangs over head. Lances has a thick Saint Nick beard, his skin leathered with age and hardship his features ruff and squared like a soldier, which is a good of a description of any other. He is dressed in the Jesuit Armor, A gray overcoat, high top boots, black gloves, and a fedora gray and worn.

The door opens and a man with black and white peppered hair similar in age to Lances walks in, but he doesn't care himself the same, he has a sway to his step, a deviant smile, he has a green sports coat on and walks with a cane, he also has on gloves, his are fingerless.

"Lances, Lances, Lances." The man in green declares as he walks in "you my good sir have cost me a good deal of money. You ruffed up some of my best men, and killed a number of my contacts. Now let me tell you my boss, she can't wait to see you swing." He explains "but me on the other hand, I'm the savvy and where some see a net loss, I see the opportunity for an overhaul." Joe Dove takes the set across the table from Lances "Now you and me, we know the type of world this is, we know how these games are played. Street walkers you and me, we are guild'ies when the shit hits the fan, we get traded. But Charlie..."

Lances Takes off his glasses and sets them on the table before him, his head tips with a quire gaze "What about Charlie? What does he have to do with this?"

Joe slaps the table in a huff "come-on old man, do you think I didn't read Millie's report? Worldwalkers, void worshipers, gods, dragons, the Garden of Eden. You, her, him. You think this is all by mistake?"

Lances smiles thinking he is now in position of power "you know nothing."

Joe stands up throwing the cup of water that had been set before Lances across the room "I know everything. Keys of Salvation. Sound familiar by chance?" Joe taps his cane to the ground as he starts walking back and forth "every world has a number of key, forged by Fate, a security measure to guaranty that sovereign worlds reman sovereign. We had 12 on our world once. I don't know how many we have left but I know that Charlie Belmond or his son has one."

"one out of twelve, not of to a good start, are we?"

Joe's gaze shift sharply from aggressive to playful "have you ever seen a demon Lances? A full blooded high pit lord? I know you are the type of guy that runs with danger, so am I. If you aren't in the mood to chat with an angel maybe a monster will help loosen you up some." The door silently slips open as a new beast slides in with them.

From behind Lances starts to rise a man with stretched out features, land arms, long fingers, a log face, skin that looks like burned leather, eyes loosely set in there sockets and a dozen horns arranged in a crown.

Joe ushers behind Lances "His name is England, he is my personal pet monster. Ill tell you, having a shapeshifter at your beacon call has some advantages." The demon England draws back one hand threateningly.

Lances punches the table standing up in a pivot to face the monster, he uses his thumb to push against the monsters scalp a bent iron nail and starts chanting in Enock, the monster rears back in pain shouting as Lances pushes it backwards. Lances burns with holy rage as the monster melts to its knees cowering before Lances Jacob.

Joe shouts in a laugh "Ye Ha Cowboy! You are absolutely the hard ass motherfucker people told me that you are."

England rolls up in a ball on the ground at Lances feet. Lances turns to look at Joe Dove, "as I was saying, you have nothing at all. I could have got up and walked out that door at any time and you would be hard pressed to stop me. You want to know about the Keys of Salvation, I know all about them. my family protected one of the keys for 15 generations. I know what they are, and what 3 words I can never speech if I want to keep it."

Joe's voice drops to a whisper "you have one?"

"Nope, I gave my key away four or so years ago."

Joe goes somber "Where are they Lances?"

***

Senator Walker steps into a hotel room after a long day's travel, the room he has is in every way as extravagant as one would exspect for a billionaire playboy politician. Walker is tall, well sculpted, well dressed and keeps around a trio of planshifter bodyguards, a fox succubus named Krystal, a demon hound called Hetatsubachi, and a fox morph Karin.

As Walker takes off his coat Sa-la-day-namO call attention to himself on one of the chairs in the room reading. "Hello Sage." NamO addresses Walker by a name form an earlier life.

Walker does the same "Mathew Beljona."

"in this life, it's Mac."

"Mac, it is." Walker finds a set nearby. "most of the time when people want to talk to me they go through my secretary."

Mac set the book he had been reading down on the desk, 'Prophecy by Dylan Hiler', "Come on Walker, we are both guys on the move, we can't get tied up in stuff like secretaries."

Walker chuckles "I see, looks like you're a big-time rock star these days, Avatar."

Mac sets his hands on the back of his head with a knowing smile "Yeah, and you are one of the richest men in the states."

Walker points with a smirk "and I just dropped my hat in the ring for the presidency next term." He lowers his hand to his side "assuming the world is still around."

"About that," Mac leans in his expression turning stark "Do you still have the Cruciform Dagger."

Walkers head tips "do you mean 'the Crystluse'?"

"yep."

"I have it, yes, but do you know what that thing is? Do you know what will happen to whoever is touching it when that thing trips?" Walker folds his hands dropping his head lost in thought. "you are talking about nuclear levels of force, I don't think even you are strong enough to hold that thing."

Mac nods his smile not yet fading "I can hold it no problem, will I live though using it, that is the $64 question." Mac moves in ever closer to Walker, "where is it?"

"hidden alongside the other world destroying artifacts I have dug up. I'll have to plan a trip up to Carlton Minnesota, I can take a hike in the woods and unearth it for you. It will take time."

Mac rises his voice slightly aggravated "the best trained, most gifted wizard in the universe and you are going to what? Take the bus cross country to go get it?"

Walker laughs off the announce "what are you suggesting? Do you want me to uncap my wings and fly?"

"would be nice, yes."

"why don't you?"

Mac has lost his since of humor at this point. He leans back in his set sitting in silence for a moment "walker, I'm losing it. Like all Tamreal I need to sleep on the grounds which I was born to rejuvenate my divine power. I haven't been home in 30,000 years, I have almost no magic left. It takes almost 40 years' worth of meditation do regenerate a fifth of my power."

Walker looks concerned "that explains why you went into hiding I the 50's. I can brow you an elixir, it won't be as good as rest but it might give you a boost."

***

As Mac and Walker catch up on old times El Driver stands in the empty addict of a nearby hotel. The old bold war-dog places a satchel on the ground and removes from it the parts to assemble a rifle. He taps the ear peace on the side of his head turning it on. He whispers into the microphone on his caller "I have arrived at the target location."

A deep feminine voice comes over his ear peace "good, look out the window facing 3 o'clock."

As El is screwing the parts of his gun together he leans out the window looking around "what am I looking for?"

"end of the block, 15 story building, floors 4-6, 8-12 have been evacuated. On floor seven there should be 2 women, 1 man and a dog, the women are SS against, they are expendable. The man is your target."

El sets down his rifle and picks up a pair of binoculars. "your intel is rubbish, there are 2 men, 2 women."

"Excitable collateral. Take them all out."

El steps away from the window "negative, that's not the way a surgical strike works. I have 1 bullet, I will take 1 shot and get 1 kill. I wait till the target is alone."

"Mr. Driver, need I remind you? I own you."

El voices sears with anger as he shouts in a whisper at the voice on the other side "your Gestapho jazz doesn't intimidate me von Richton. I know well that you can't harm me in any way and you won't harm Nile because you are afraid of me."

The voice on the other side of the ear peace becomes slow and aired "Mr. Driver, do not overestimate your value to me. You are an asset, one I was willing to invest in. but if you become to expensive to upkeep I can and will replace you."

El argues with von Richton "I will fall back to a minimum safe distance, regroup and plan a new diminution of attack." El cuts off his radio and throw it across the room. He takes another look at the hotel tacking inventory of the people around his target. He whispers softly as he does "Karin? Then that must mean that Lacerti was here also. Who the hell is this Walker bloke?"

Two more von Richton agents appear in the room with El shortly: Marin Duphran, a fay gunslinger, and Charlit Davis, a Sephcalian, something between human, cat, lizard, and bug, an alien with passive mindreading power. Marin pulls from her blue overcoat a weapon that looks like a caulking gun at first glance.

El reaches onto his hip to pull out the Eagle. Marin is faster, Marin is heartless, soulless, she is everything El's father wanted him to be. The only thing that matters to Marin is finding her target and destroying it. El is struck between the ribs by a needle fired from Marin's gun. His bloodstream is filled with a chilling fluid. He falls to his knees gasping. "The von Richton requires your presents."

Charlit is Marin's opposite, she is the one that feel, and care. Likely why the two of them travel side by side "you need to learn not to pick fights with people out of your paygrade." Charlit kneels down next to El pulling him up to his feet.