John, Alexis, and Lance interrupt an occult ritual only to discover there’s more to these cultists than expected. Cerberus is now involved.

Today’s story is the second of two parts of “Urban Mystic” by Aelius, who can be found at FurAffinity under the same username, showing both stories and artwork in his gallery. He has also been published twice, in Inhuman Acts and ROAR 8 by FurPlanet.

Last time, John, Lance, and Alexis found themselves at the forefront of a demon incursion brought on by the passing of a comet. After barely surviving an encounter with a terrifying demon, they discovered evidence that a dark occult ritual would be taking place soon. Though outmatched, they know they’re the only ones capable of facing cultists with mystical powers, and are preparing themselves for the fight of their lives.

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

You’re listening to The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

and today’s story is the second of two parts of

“Urban Mystic” by Aelius,

who can be found at FurAffinity under the same username,

showing both stories and artwork in his gallery.

He has also been published twice, in Inhuman Acts

and ROAR 8 by FurPlanet.

Last time, John, Lance, and Alexis found themselves at the forefront of a demon incursion

brought on by the passing of a comet.

After barely surviving an encounter with a terrifying demon,

they discovered evidence that a dark occult ritual

would be taking place soon.

Though outmatched,

they know they’re the only ones capable of facing cultists with mystical powers,

and are preparing themselves

for the fight of their lives.

“Urban Mystic”

by Aelius, Part 2 of

2 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,

her rabbit ears swiveled at 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…” he said, “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 then turned to see John peering out from the hallway,

his eyes reflecting from the streetlamps out the window.

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…” “N

-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,

and denial would only put more in danger.

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

“Is that an 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 everyone’s stress,

Lance’s techniques did help,

though as they finally calmed enough to drift off to sleep together in the living room,

fear over what they may face continued to linger in their dreams.

Tomorrow was certain to be life-changing for all of them,

and they refused to let doubt stop them from protecting their city.

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.

Upon arriving at his storage unit,

John slid newly-filled vials of glowing,

multicolored quintessence fluids 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 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.”

Lance put a paw on John’s shoulder.

“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 paw.

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 paw along the cracked walls,

nose twitching. She then stopped.

“Here.” She stepped back and waved her paws,

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 Underworld 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 paws 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 paws.

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.

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.”

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 paw 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 Underworld 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.”

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.

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 the leader aimed their guns at one another.

The skunk snarled,

“Close the portal before you doom us all!”

The leader, a jackal, scowled and lowered his weapon.

“You have no idea what you all just ruined…”

Another glob struck the wall behind them,

forcing a wince. A smaller demon bounded over cover and lunged.

The jackal 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,

he signaled to a companion, a horse.

“Debra! Show him!” The mare sprinted over to John

and grabbed his forehead, chanting a quick incantation.

John froze as images accompanied the mare’s telepathic voice flooding into his mind,

showing him exactly

what the presumed occultists were doing, all in a single instant.

This is a rescue mission.

We are members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,

charged with 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 Underworld 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 Underworld 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 Underworld 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, the jackal and an iguana fired at unseen creatures beyond their cover,

while Alexis arced lightning from her staff and Lance threw fireballs.

John’s jaw dropped.

“The F.B.I. has a paranormal division…

Of course they have a paranormal division.”

He looked at Debra.

“We just made a horrible mistake, didn’t we?”

“Yes,” she said. “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.

The jackal glanced over in surprise.

“Where did you get that gun?”

“Heirloom!” John replied.

“Name’s John, by the way.”

“Agent Samuel Davis,” replied the jackal.

A shrieking, winged beast charged out from the portal toward the mystics.

Debra and Alexis flung out their paws,

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 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 Underworld,

and no one leaves the Underworld. 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 paw 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 Underworld…”

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 paws

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 like an arcane shape charge,

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 Underworld.

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 paws 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 Underworld is far more than just fire and bare rock.

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 F.B.I.”

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 paw on John’s shoulder.

“We didn’t know at first.

But we did figure out a ritual was happening at all. And we helped!”

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 Underworld to rescue us,

I’d say you’ve got dedication!”

John sighed. “I lost my tome in the Underworld, 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 pulled out his smartphone, tapping into an app.

After a moment, the jackal then stowed the phone

and a message pinged on John’s own phone.

“Since you’re committed,”

said Samuel, “this might help.”

John blinked, looking at his phone.

“How did you… Wait,

what is this?” “One of our policy manuals,” Samuel replied.

“As an ebook. Our grimoires are in the same format.”

Debra grinned and held up her own 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.”

John grinned wide.

“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. 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.

This was the the 2nd of 2 parts of

“Urban Mystic” by Aelius,

read for you by Khaki,

your faithful fireside companion.

As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog, or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you for listening

to The Voice of Dog.