Post by StoryGirl83 on Jun 24, 2009 23:31:33 GMT -5
Chapter Eleven – Reconnaissance and Battle Time
and Knøtlittenmester
Knøttlitenmester was not known for his patience, so when his tiny minions returned he could listen only for so long before he grew annoyed. “You only disabled one of them?” He sneered. “You know better. Go back and finished the job. You know I don’t like things left undone.”
He scoffed at their response. “I don’t care if he is in a crowded room. Finish him off. They won’t see you.”
And that was that.
At that moment Chris was orbing into his brother’s office at the museum. It was a mess as Nathan said. He breathed in deeply and focused hard on not being seen. Any evidence those tiny demons might have left would probably be invisible.
He saw nothing impressive or at all interesting in Wyatt’s office so he started for the hall. Footsteps in the hall stopped him short.
The door opened and Nathan stepped in mumbling to himself. “What happened up here, Wyatt? I’m not so niave as to believe this was random, but who’d want to hurt you?”
If he only knew. Chris would have stayed and listened, to see if this guy was on their side or not, but something in the hall caught his attention, so he slipped past Nathan and out the door.
In the hall he squatted down to get a closer look. Apparently not all the tiny demons had left, but one lay motionless against the wall, a streak of green ooze on the wall giving Chris a pretty good idea of what had happened.
He picked it up between his fingers and orbed out.
When he reached the attic he was visible and though he could feel the tiny demon between his fingers, he saw nothing. Maybe with practice he’d learn how to keep the invisibility up when he orbed. “I just proved that Wyatt and David were attacked by the same demon.” He held up his hand. “And I have something to scry with.”
Piper looked at him rather doubtfully. “I don’t see anything.”
“Not surprising,” Chris retorted. “I don’t either, but I have a tiny demon there. Looks like Wyatt went down fighting. Now, let’s find what attacked him.” He went over to the shelf and with his free hand grabbed a scrying crystal and a map.
Piper raised an eyebrow. “And if the demon is in the underworld?”
“Then, I’ll go there,” Chris said without hesitation. “This thing put my brother in the hospital.”
“Actually, I meant how will you find it?”
That caused Chris to pause and frown. “Oh.”
Seeing that Chris had no answer, Leo tried to change the focus. “Why don’t we test Chris’ idea first and come to that if we have to?”
“Are there maps of the underworld?”
Leo glanced at his son and shook his head. “I doubt it.”
“Perhaps a summoning spell,” Piper suggested.
Chris shook his head. “No, that would take . . . something of the demons.” He chuckled. “Same as scrying. Let’s trying.”
When they had set up a crystal cage to hold the demon, Piper walked over to the book. It contained a summoning spell that only worked under certain circumstances.
“Tiny demons from the invisible realm, find this demon at the helm. I call you here to answer crimes, committed at tiny a dagger chimes.”
The air around them turned cold and wind began to blow. It swirled about and landed within the crystals.
Chris waved his hand and the last crystal slid into place.
Knøttlitenmenster glared at Chris. “You? I will not go down at the hand of a mere child.”
“After what you did to my brother, be glad I only plan to vanquish you,” Chris shot back. “The last demon to mess with him got his body parts melted.”
The demon sneered at him. “If I am going to be vanquished by the pitiful likes of a child, then it is a good thing I will be taking at least one of you with me.”
“What?!” Piper exclaimed from where she stood. She flicked her wrists at the demon, making him flinch, but not exploding him.
It had an odd effect on Knøttlitenmenster. He smiled. “Ah. One of the Charmed Ones. Killing you will be much more of a privilege.”
“Killing me?” Piper asked surprised, flicking her wrists, again. “You aren’t going to kill me. I’m going to vanquish you.”
“Vanquish,” the demon scoffed as wind began to blow through the room, again, scattering the crystals. “What a neat little word for such a messy business. I shall much enjoy making a messy business of you,” he said as he stepped away from where the crystals had lain.
The wind continued to whirl and Chris felt a tug at his leg. His eyes widened. “Mom, freeze the room!”
Piper looked at him, hesitant.
Feeling a tug on his other leg, Chris pleaded, “Mom!”
Piper waved her hands.
Leo froze.
Knøttlitenmentster didn’t freeze, but Chris ignored him and focused his mind on turning invisible. He gasped as all around him tiny images became tiny frozen creatures with tiny deadly knives. He pulled a tiny creature off one leg and then the other before running over to the shelves where they stored dozens of potions. He grabbed a potion and threw it at the demon now lifting his mom into the air in a whirlwind of air.
Piper couldn’t do much, but she did see the potion come out of nowhere and hit Knøttlitenmenter. She focused all her attention on ignoring the fact that she was suspended over a foot in the air and waved a hand at Leo releasing him from her freeze. “Leo, potions!”
It was the last words she could manage as the air around her began to steal the breath out of her. She was helpless to do anything as potions appeared out of nowhere toward the demon, as Leo joined his invisible son at the shelves, throwing potions
And then one potion worked.
Piper dropped to the ground as the wind stopped and the demon exploded.
It was Chris who had the best view as all around him tiny creatures dissolved into nothing and tiny knives clattered to the ground. And as quickly as those knives hit the ground they dissolved, too.
Chris dropped his invisibility as he ran to his mother’s side where his dad already knelt. “Mom, are you okay?”
Piper looked up at him, breathing heavily. “I believe so. I am a bit bruised, but let’s go make sure he didn’t do more damage to your brother.”
“Wyatt!” Chris exclaimed. “He said he was going to kill him . . . I think. Or did he mean me?”
“Let’s just go,” Leo suggested as he helped his wife to her feet.
Chris nodded as dread began to fill him.