The Heavenly Host

Almost without warning, a large black-and-red object about fifteen feet in diameter came racing out of the sky and smashed into Exador’s head with brutal impact, sending both the object and Exador spinning through the hole into the Abyss. Alexandros waved his staff again in the same sweeping motion and another black, fiery object came hurtling out of the sky and through the hole into the Abyss at an even faster rate, smashing into the falling archdemon.

Randolf, Gandros, Tureledor and Davron all moved closer to the hole to observe. Jehenna could see into the hole from her current position. A third fiery rock followed. Randolf drew his breath, realizing that the fiery rocks were meteors. Alexandros was actually pulling celestial bodies out of deep space and smashing them into Exador!

“I think this was worth the wait!” Randolf told Jehenna over the communication link.

Exador and the meteors struck the ground in the Abyss, producing a very large mushroom cloud, into which a fourth and then a fifth meteor crashed. A sixth, very large one followed, and then they heard Jehenna scream into the air and over their link, “Stop the showers, the wards are coming up now!”

Randolf looked up to see Alexandros staring upward, working hard to redirect the course of the next few meteors off to a more harmless location. Suddenly the light level in the foyer changed dramatically as the portal closed when the wards kicked in. At the same time, the sky above the open roof once more turned the familiar red of the demon wards.

Randolf crossed his fingers that all the meteors had been redirected; it was not clear if Alexandros would be able to control them through the magic-blocking wards. Before he could finish crossing his fingers, the wind in the room shifted direction. Suddenly the air, smoke and ash in the room were streaming upwards at a very high velocity.

“The wards were my clue to exit!” Crispin shouted in his head. “Based on last time, I should be back in half a day or so!”

Within seconds, the air was completely still, the ash and soot slowly sinking to the ground. The upwards rush of air had snuffed out the flames in the upper foyer. Alexandros Mien landed in the middle of the foyer and looked around at the mess. Gandros had finally managed to bring the collapsing upper walls to a gentle rest as a huge pile of rubble.

“First the demon escape, now this. I think they are going to cancel our building insurance,” Alexandros Mien said drily.

Chapter 109

^{DOF +9}

^{After Last Time Note, A bit before Next: Local Time Known}

Calyph Ser Sayat Tel Bastios unlocked the wards using his signature code and entered the shielded space of the Calyphadrome. He was the first to arrive. The space was soothing and quite relaxing; being shielded, it was cut off from the cacophony of Djinnistan. Only here and at his home space was there mental peace these days.

How he had envied the Grand Calyphos when he had been a scattered youth. He had foolishly believed that the Grand Calyphos were above the daily rituals, tasks and servitude of the lesser djinn. A common misconception of those not in power about those in power. Yet no matter how many tutors would try to explain to the young that power was but a burden, best shared, a grave responsibility that made one the servant, not the master, the students never believed.

They dreamed and dreamed, and for only a poor few — those who worked and strove relentlessly for centuries to perfect their studies and rise to the height of their profession — only those poor few realized, too late, that their tutors had been correct. Power was a burden, a responsibility that somehow, in a weightless world, weighed heavily upon the spirit of those who held it.

The room flashed with the signatory colors of Calyph Her Tanaya Tel Barthos, quickly followed by the colors of Calyph Te Narthos al Biyam. As the two calyphs entered the chamber, Ser Sayat flashed them pleasant, warm colors of greeting, which they generously returned.

“We are awaiting Calyph Le Senara al Vistra and Calyph Cryan Ser Viat Tel Malthos?” Her Tanaya expressed to Ser Sayat.

Ser Sayat flashed a scent of amused agreement. It was no surprise that the other two were late, albeit for very different reasons.

“It shall be amusing to receive Le Senara’s explanatory dialogue this time,” Te Narthos expressed to them.

“Hir explanatory dialogues are always a source of great amusement!” Ser Sayat agreed.