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Urban Mystic

written by Aelius

In spite of 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 hand, 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 two hours."

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. He then pointed east. "There it is, 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 lay lines. 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."

Behind them, Lance leaned over the roof's edge and narrowed his eyes. "Hey... you two feel that?"

Alexis paused. Her ears slowly lowered. "Yeah..."

They 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, "It's starting already."

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 jammed a sword straight through its skull, landing right on top of it.

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 hand. "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 hands, 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 hands in front of the raccoons. After a glow surrounded their heads and dissipated, she turned to her friends. "That should 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 RA to let you keep your alchemy lab?"

"He still thinks it's just a regular chemistry set, so 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 hands 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 hand 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 a Aurora order brother."

Lance put a hand 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 GPA's been slipping ever since we started going out on these missions." She put a hand 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 hand 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 complete your education. Even the Aurora would demand that you possess a degree of some sort. Y'know, to prove you know the basics at least. 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 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."

"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 Tartarus 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."

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. "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 to 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 Tartarus."

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 Tartarus 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 Tartarus, 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 Tartarus. 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 Tartarus 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 around here, but for this immediate area, 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. 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?"

***

"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 cell 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. 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.

"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 hands 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 line, 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. 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 hand 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 hand, 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.

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 helped him up, singing a quick healing spell as she did, then, "This place is gonna cave in if we don't do something!"

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!"

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 hand 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 hand 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 hands. 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 hand 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 hand'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.

When they finally reached the campus, weapons stored, 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 hand 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 I'm positive there will be one, isn't going to take place over the water. It'll be underground."

"You can't be serious."

"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. They don't have protective spells or weapons that can harm demons."

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

"John, listen... We're the only ones capable of dealing with this sort of supernatural situation. Otherwise we'd have seen other mystics. This is up to us and us alone. We chose to use our talents to help protect others. We chose to be urban knights."

"We're not capable enough. We didn't defeat that demon. We didn't even hurt it."

"But we survived."

John ran a hand through his hair. "All right... but we have to warn people."

Lance nodded. "Leave him 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, she heard 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 shared a wry chuckle, then turned to see John peering out from the hallway. 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..."

"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. This is the sort of thing that has to gradually return to public knowledge."

"Is that a 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 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 then 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 hand 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 hand. 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 hand along the cracked walls, then stopped. "Here." She stepped back and waved her hands, 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 Tartarus 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 hands 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 hands. 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 Tartarus, 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 hand 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 Tartarus 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 and voices flooded 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 Tartarus 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 Tartarus 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 Tartarus 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. 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 hands, 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 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 Tartarus, and no one leaves the Tartarus. 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 hand 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 Tartarus..."

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 hands 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, 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 Tartarus. 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 hands 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 Tartarus 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 hand 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 hands."

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 Tartarus 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 Tartarus, 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 slid a memory card into his smartphone. After a moment, the jackal then ejected it and handed the card to John. "Since you're committed, this might help."

John blinked. "What is it?"

"One of our policy manuals, as an ebook. Our spell tomes are in the same format."

Debra grinned and held up her 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 gesture 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 seven 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.