The page shook his head, “No, just the critical ones for the wards and the spell.” Damien just looked at him waiting for more. “Uhm, Alexandros Mien, Gandros, Lenamare and Jehenna are taking the key positions; then the rest of Lenamare’s team, Gandros’ top rune wizards and conjurors; Zilquar, Sier Barvon and his top three wizards, Davron and the two main aides he had here along with Turelador and the ward team.”
Damien ran through his head at who was missing, “So no Exador, Randolf or Trevin?”
“Trevin was invited but declined due to health concerns on her part.”
“Ok, wait here.” Damien said as he rushed to his dressing room. He started changing into his ceremonial robes, bath be damned. “Antefalken...” he hissed at the demon.
Antefalken came out of the bath looking puzzled. Damien gestured him closer and bent down to whisper. “The Council is about to evict all the demons, forcibly. Find our friends and get yourselves out of town fast. I don’t know what they are going to do, but I doubt it will be pleasant given the fire power they’re unleashing.” He gestured for the small demon to get going as fast and stealthily as possible.
Edwyrd and Rupert were wandering back from breakfast, taking a scenic walk along an upper open air walkway when Antefalken finally found them. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you for the last hour. Where’s Tizzy?”
Edwyrd and Rupert stopped as the bard came up to them. “Hi, what’s up?” Rupert asked.
“Haven’t seen Tizzy yet this morning.” Edwyrd replied.
“We need to get out of town quickly.” Antefalken stated.
Edwyrd looked at him in puzzlement. “The Council, with Lenamare’s guidance along with Alexandros Mien is doing something to evict all the demons in the city. Forcibly.”
“What do you mean forcibly?” Rupert asked, concerned.
“I don’t know, myself, but I’m thinking sort of like a banishment spell, a repelling spell, you know like the reverse of a binding pentacle that keeps us in.” Antefalken replied.
“So like we’re all going to feel an overwhelming need to flee the city?” Edwyrd said, thinking about the compulsion he’d had to get inside the wards. “What about the wards?”
Antefalken shook his head, “I have no idea, presumably they’ll be tuned to let us out.”
Rupert was lost in thought. “Do you suppose any of them thought to open the windows?” The other two demons looked at him in puzzlement.
“Are you ready, Councilor Damien?” Lenamare asked.
“I believe so.” Damien said taking his place and staring at the notes that he’d been given.”
“It’s very short notice, I realize, but we couldn’t locate you that easily yesterday.” Gandros said.
“I was working to integrate Lenamare’s and Zilquar’s forces into the city guard and deal with getting them out of the dungeon.” Damien said.
“Yes, thanks, but this is truly important and we need your power and experience.” Lenamare said, rather tediously. “We are aligning these new parasympathetic pentacles and wards to the main city wards and then aligning them to create a demonic reverse vortex, that will basically suck all the demons, of whatever level, out of the city.”
Damien’s eyes were rapidly scanning the notes. “Insane, absolutely astonishing, I have to admit to being impressed Councilor.” Lenamare smiled coldly, a gleeful pride shining in his eyes. Jehenna grinned as well. “I would never have thought of something like this; and the scope, the sheer power we’ll be channeling...”
“Yes.” Lenamare agreed, positively beaming with the adoration. “Ready?” Damien nodded.
“A very nice tea, I must say.” Bess complimented Exador. The three allies were in Exador’s suite enjoying tea, toast and fresh fruit as the morning sun filtered in through the wards onto the balcony and through the wide-open French doors in the suite.
“Hmm. Decent.” Ramses said.
Exador nodded. “I had it imported from the southern hemisphere, very rare down there even.
Bess paused while sipping. “Do you feel an odd thrumming noise?” She asked suddenly.
The other two stopped and listened, there was definitely a thrumming noise, a low-level bass droning that was getting steadily louder, they could even feel slight vibrations in the table.
Ramses looked out the window. “The wards are getting weird.” They all looked out the open doors to the wards over the city walls. The wards were oscillating, as if the entire sphere was rotating, each slice starting to have a different color. Mostly shades of red, but also violet and green. More colors began to appear, as the rotation of the ward sphere seemed to increase.
“What in the Abyss is the council up to?” Exador asked.
“I’ve never seen wards do that before.” Ramses stated.
Bess swallowed hard. “I don’t know about you, but it’s starting to make me nervous.”
Exador and Ramses both did a double take and stared at her. Archdemons didn’t get nervous, and if they did, they didn’t say that. Suddenly there was the sound of glass crashing somewhere outside, but in the palace. A moment later another sound of glass shattering and then screams of anger, rage and frustration started.
Exador got a sick look on his face. “Ok, now I’m feeling nauseous and anxious myself.” Ramses nodded, he was looking a bit paler than usual.
“This is very strange.” Bess said. “It’s been about three thousand years or more, but if I didn’t know better, I’d think I was having a panic attack.”
Ramses growled through gritted teeth. “A panic attack is caused by a rush of neurotransmitters in the brain; it’s a chemical reaction. I seriously doubt your body has the chemicals necessary to induce a panic attack.” He was breathing heavily.
The screams and roars from around the palace were getting louder. There were a few more glass crashing noises. “What the fuck is going on?” Exador looked towards the wards. “Holy shit!”
They all turned to stare, there were demons flying through the air, from the palace towards the wards. As they hit the wards there was a flash of light and then the demons were on the other side of the wards.
“It’s a fucking banishment spell!” Exador raged.
“Fuck, they’re banishing demons from the city.” Ramses raged.
“How the hell are they doing this?” Bess grabbed her head, she was bent over trying not to puke. “It’s effecting us!” She was taking very deep breathes, they all were.
Exador grunted. “I can’t, I can’t fucking understand how this is possible. All my demons, they’re fleeing, every one of them.” He was clasping a large talisman on a jeweled necklace. There was an explosion from somewhere, the sounds of stone and mortar being blasted apart. Apparently, some demons were having trouble getting out. Screams from around the palace were getting louder as more demons were being thwarted from leaving.
“How is it affecting us, all of us, and all of them.” Ramses asked.
“No fu...uh...cking idea!” Exador raced to a closet door and yanked it open. He pulled out a large rug and gestured for them to help him unroll it. “Since, I am sure, none of us wants to shape change into a flying form and we need to maintain our appearances; I suggest we get on this frigging rug and get the hell out of here.”
“Amen...” Bess said tears of pain running down her cheeks as she helped the other two unroll the carpet.
“Fuck.” Ramses shouted. “I really, really don’t fucking like this feeling. You fucking wizards are a royal pain in the ass, Exador.”
Exador laughed, “Not me, my friend, this has got to be the work of one, and only one fucking cocksucker; and by all that’s unholy is he going to pay for it. Oh Lenamare, if you thought you had an enemy before...” Exador laughed over his own gasps of anxiety and pain. Exador barely had enough wits about him at this point to order the carpet up and out of the palace.