Chapter 1

More than sixty years ago the world had seemed to have lost its mind. Still not over two world wars, the great global powers continued to wage and fight over land and beliefs. Ten years into the second major dispute, and there was no end in sight. Like across the country and most of the world, there began a peace movement in Wolferton. Years later, most of those involved would come to call themselves hippies. This love movement believed, hoped, that peace could fix the world.

In Wolferton, not everyone believed in peace. Here, there were a small handful of dissenters, a few who followed the high priestess Becki. They believed that humans were a virus, and had to be culled. Becki instructed her followers to find a way, anyway, any method to stop the human virus. So they studied the ancient world’s great religions. “This symbol is neat. This passage is spooky. Oh this ritual was really bloody.” They took pieces of this and that religion, making a hodge-podge of it. Symbols and words together that meant nothing, expect to them alone. Becki’s close friend Tammi thought they should call themselves a black coven of witches. But Becki insisted they stay a pagan pray circle because she wanted to be a priestess. Tammi forced the group to vote. Most voted to call themselves witches but to call Becki high priestess. So the followers of Becki, became the coven of Orcus’s children.

The coven would meet for their secret prayers and planning sessions. Hoping for a sign when things would change. When things would end. As it happened, one young witch, whose name has been forgotten, was in line getting coffee one day and over heard some people talking, excitedly about the recent Mercury launch. That was the missing piece of their vision. Since mercury was enter retrograde, space would be their sign.

And so on the last night of the next passing of the Wolf’s Head comet the coven gathered. The excitement in the air was palpable. After these many long three years it was finally time for the summoning. In just an hour the stars and moon would be aligned and the world be cleansed. They gathered in a clearing in the forest they found. Unlike last week, this time they were deep enough in the woods, no one should bother them.

Fire from the torches lit the dark forest clearing. The warm orange glow casting a soft shine on the cloaked crowd. Their black robes glittering from the gold woven patterns. There had been a lengthy debate if the robes should look the same but in the end most of the group wanted to design their own robes. Some had elements of Celtic designs, while others, Egyptian. Others had a mixture of Mesa-American cultures.

The high priestess Becki stepped forward. Naked except for the jewel inlaid gold and silver jewelry. An elk horn headdress a top her head. They moved together in a large circle and began chanting. They wanted to breach the very soul of the world. To tear open a portal and call forth a beast of great destructive power. But the words they used they didn’t truly understand.

“Hrni ni hrl ihmgh ez m zbmir fmsc.”

“hrl gnhlg bewli m veed lmihlg lvv.”

“blh al cje nz oep smj hgmjibmhl hrni.”

“Come forth.”

“seal he pi mjd fgnjv pi wblmipgl.”

“bnzl mjd dlmhr, mihld ej hrl fbnjd.”

“Come forth.”

“l mmnh hrl ejl ez oephr mjd bnzl.”

“seal he pi ebd ved ez dlaej bnzl.”

“Come forth.”

Raising their hands into the air, the coven looked up at the full blood red moon. The passing comet almost perfectly in line between the moon and planet. A large glowing wolf’s head against the red circle, as if howling. The chanting group grew silent. A large fireball tore from the comet and raced toward the center of the chanting group. The group began to murmur. Worry broke out. Should they continue? Could they even stop? Was this really happening?

Magic formed at the center of the coven and began raising up. Roots and vines growing into four pillars, standing seven feet tall. They swayed for a moment, until the four sides came together to form a singular archway. It connected just as the fireball exploded right above them. Fire and light screamed, illuminating the world, as a tiny speck of hot fire fell slowing to the earth. Its speed slowed until it was hoovering three feet in the air, at the center of the archway. The witches gasped in fear.

The single flicker of white light hung in mid-air. Paused. Then suddenly it began to pulse, growing brighter and larger. A banging, a thumping, a knocking. With each pulse, the outside world grew dim as the light grew bigger. It was a shimmering gapping maw in the world. A tear, a rip in the fabric. The very object of their confused desire. Inside, the deep darkness was filled with unknown stars, in the billions. Suddenly a pair of eyes opened and stared from inside the portal. They were a mixture of blue and yellow, threaded together, forming a blye color. These blye eyes stared hard at the coven, a look of pain and rage filled them. Suddenly they were gone and from the depths of the shimmering void, the fiery hand of the beast reached out, crossing into our world.

Screams of terror filled the night air as people began to scatter. Becki the high priestess tried the calm her followers. This was what they wanted. They would be saved, as they were the chosen. The frightened cult members huddled together again. Waiting.

For nearly ten minutes, the coven waited. The demon beast slowly pulled itself into this world. Ripping the hole wider, it howled as it forced its body thru. Its other worldly screams thundered the air, deafening the coven members, and shaking the earth and trees. With a pained cry of anguish the beast pulled the end of its tail free before there was a final massive bang. With deafening rush of air the portal slammed shut as the demon collapsed into our world. The beast was a hulking figure, with burnt black skin. Cracked and covered in red veins of lava. Ripped, shredded wings on its back. Smoke arose from the creature, filling the air with the scent of sulfur and spice and blood. It looked around at the witches and roared.