TTW - 24 (Patreon)

Esmerelda made her way to the door.

Agatha stood at the doorway, flanked by three other members of the coven: Meredith Cleary, whose sprightly energy seemed to defy her age, Evelyn Moss with her serene, motherly demeanor, and Dorothy Weaver, her deep-set eyes giving her an aura of otherworldly wisdom.

"Good evening, Esmerelda, Thomas," Agatha greeted them, her voice carrying the weight of authority. "We must discuss the Aegis. And Esmerelda, we need to know if you're ready for the Infusion Ritual."

Esmerelda's expression hardened. "Non, I will not do it. Not yet." Her tone left no room for argument, yet her eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty.

"Surely, you see the enormity of our project."

"I know what we face, but I alzo know zat your name waz once Kathy Richardson." She turned to Meredith., just as you were once Bethany Clark, and Evelyn was BetsyJoe London. I do not zee you three considering the Infusion Ritual."

"That is because we've had decades to learn our magic, dear." Meredith said. In the coming conflagration we all need to be full strength. What if at the moment of crisis, you make a fatal magical mistake that allows the enemy a toehold, or worse yet, access into our realm? As the Thirteenth witch, it is your duty to provide strength to our cause, the anchor to our will against the coming conflagration! reality itself could be completely unwound by your selfish act!"

"Do you really wish to be our weakest link?" Evelyn said. "When you could be our strongest?

"Esmerelda Devereaux was the strongest witch of not only her time, but all time," Agatha said. "Your magical abilities would eclipse all of ours combined!"

"But it would mean giving up zat inner part of 'me' that makes me!"

"It is a time to be selfless rather than selfish, child. You have yet to truly see what—"

As if on cue, an earthquake shook the house.

The witches looked at each other in consternation. "What was that?" Thomas said, heading for the basement door. "It sounded like it came from—"

"Do not go down there!" Agatha said. "Do not open that do—"

Before Esmerelda could stop him, Thomas opened the basement door.

Like turning on a fountain a river of black…things came pouring out. They seemed to have no form at all, just blobs of goo, that flooded over and through Thomas as they sought the door.

Instantly, the coven all brought up amulets, jewels, a cane, or other magically infused shields. Agatha was the first to launch a fireball, chanting in a loud voice as cryptic writing sprang to life on her shield.

Esmerelda could only see Thomas as they flooded over him. "Thomas!" she screamed, her magic springing to her fingertips like a shout on the wind. She made twisted hand motions, sending tendrils of magic into the flood, and hauling Thomas out by an ankle, and up into the air. He appeared unharmed, struggling in the grasp of the levitation spell. He was covered in a viscous fluid that seeped off him in squelching masses.

"Do NOT let any of that escape this house," Agatha said. "Those are protoplasmic pseudopods that Nyarlathotep can control from the other side of the veil!"

Each witch used cold fire, a blueish flame that consumed the protoplasm, but left wood and other structures intact.

Esmerelda ran to Thomas, using threads of magic to scrape the pseudopods off him. He moaned, hanging upside down, and Esmerelda was struck that this was the second time in a week she'd been forced to hang the man from the ceiling.

"Do not let eet enter your body," Esmerelda yelled up at him. "Cloze your mouth, my 'usband!"

Instantly, Thomas closed his eyes and mouth, but the fluid had already seeped into his nostrils.

The witches dispatched the rest of the flood, but some of it seeped through cracks in the foundation, around window frames, and through the floorboards. The majority of the fluid was burned away, and Agatha led a sorty into the basement were they took care of the rest of the psuedoplasmic bubbles of ooze.

"Balsamic vinegar and rosemary!" Dorothy Weaver said. "Fill a netti-pot, and flush his sinuses. The vinegar will cleans the protomatter from his sinus cavity!"

"Take him into the Kitchen, dear." Agatha panted. "We will deal with the rest of this incursion."

Esmerelda nodded, setting Thomas down, and helping him into the kitchen, where she filled a netti-pot with the balsamic vinegar and rosemary.

"Zis will be uncomfortable, my darling," she said. "But we must get the pseudopods out of you before the Crawling Chaos can react."

Thomas nodded, setting the two nodules into his sinuses. He pressed the button and fluid streamed up into his nasal passage. He winced, closing his eyes, but Esmerelda was proud he didn't yelp or make any other signs of weakness. "My 'usband is strong," she said, running her hands over his shoulders.

A short time later, they came back. Each of the witches were frayed and exhausted.

"We got as much as we could," Meredith Cleary said, her eyes dancing with excitement. "But some appears to have escape."

"We will deal with those issues as they arise," Agatha said.

The group nodded, knowing they were in for some long nights.

***

Once they had re-charged, the group went down into the basement to see about the artifact.

Thomas wore a terry-cloth robe and slippers. He'd taken a hot shower in an effort to get rid of the last of the proto material.

The quilt that had been over the mirror had holes burned through the fabric. The copper circle had been pried up from the floor, and split, overwhelmed by the psuedopods that had flooded through the portal.

"We need to get this into a stronger Blessing," Dorothy said.

"We can't risk getting any closer," Agatha said. "We aren't strong enough to resist if the device activates in the middle of transit."

"Yes, if we only had someone powerful enough to support our efforts to contain it," Meredith said, in a voice filled with frustration.

Esmerelda gave a scream of frustration.

"Don't torture the woman," Agatha said. "I suspect she'll be willing soon enough."

"You think the boy managed to get some of the proto-matter inside him?"

"We'll find out soon enough. He certainly was covered in it."

Esmerelda heard them speaking in low soft tones, but refused to get drawn in. They stood around the Aegis, and Esmerelda had enough.

"Zo, what iz to be done about zis?"

Agatha sighed, "Right now? Nothing."

"And why is zat?"

"Because you refuse to complete the Infusion Rite, dear. We aren't strong enough to resist the will of that thing if it gets out of control. Right now, we create another holding blessing around it, and we'll need to keep an eye on it for any more eruptions."

"Do you zink zere will be more?"

"Oh, undoubtedly. We got lucky it was only a protomatter attack. There's dozens of different things Nyarlathotep could flood this reality with to achieve his design."

"Like what?" Esmerelda said.

"Alerons, Islerons, Windarrys, Percosians, Viegres, Plutars…"

"I feel like you are making zose up."

Agatha shook her head. "Each cosmic diety have their own minions they like to send to soften their enemy up."

Esmerelda looked up at Thomas. "How are you feeling, my 'usband?"

"Right as rain." he said, smiling, and looking at Agatha.

"You zee?"

Agatha nodded as the copper circle in the floor was whole again. She charged it with an effort of will, and the six pointed start lit with an eerie crimson glow.

"Well, that will do for now, girls." She took Meredith and Dorothy by the hand. "Let's leave these two alone for now."

"Shall we watch another movie?" Thomas asked, taking her hand and helping her up the stairs.

"I 'ave a better idea," Esmerelda said, smiling.