Mob Sorcery 5 - Ch31

The bright and welcoming smell of coffee woke Vince on Thursday morning. His eyes fluttered open to see Alessia entering the bedroom with a tray containing two glasses of the delicious brew.

He pulled himself up and his body protested. Most pain rippled from his crotch and hips, but his back, legs, and arms felt used and abused. His memories came roaring back about the same time as the thick, heady scent of sex and sweat struck his nostrils.

“Don’t move too much,” Alessia said, hurriedly placing the tray on her desk before pushing him against the pillows. She bit her lip. “I didn’t think it’d get that intense.”

A small box of chocolates lay on the floor near the door, next to some hastily tidied clothes. Alessia had only awoken a short while ago, he assumed. All but one of the chocolates was missing.

Vince tried to move to take his coffee, but ended up groaning. “I like good coffee, but I think I need painkillers.”

“Sorry.” Alessia bit her lip and ducked out of the room.

He rubbed his face and tried to ignore the aches. Yesterday had both gone exactly to plan and horribly wrong at the same time.

Sure, he could fit in six dates in the same day, albeit with some delays. But each of his girlfriends wanted some alone time with him that he hadn’t properly accounted for.

Nina had it easiest. She’d spent the previous night with him and woke him up at 6AM. They barely left Lionetti Tower thanks to how much she wanted to play for her Valentine’s Day. Fia at least enjoyed the coffee date and grabbed some hilariously overpriced coffee beans before dragging him into her car to break it in.

Even if Gaby couldn’t take Vince for a joyride, he still left her a puddle to clean off her bike seat. Her horn proved very sensitive. As for Ally…

Well, Ally remained innocent and adorable. The same couldn’t be said for the server he was ninety-nine percent certain was Anzu, who questioned Vince about why he hadn’t used the room’s soundproofing. He’d bitten back a smartass answer. The fact Anzu knew he hadn’t used the soundproofing was enough reason.

Pola went exactly as expected. They were on a boat together. Alone. At least he’d remember the sight of her bouncing up and down on him, completely naked, with the sun setting behind her.

But the greatest surprise turned out to be Alessia. He’d gotten back to the penthouse much later than intended. Throughout the day, he’d either dodged or set aside any chocolates given to him by other Lionettis. But when Alessia offered him some from a small box, he’d taken them.

Only for her to go into heat and nearly shatter his pelvis. He’d been using muscle strengtheners for Pola, but they’d either worn off or Alessia worked out.

Vince wouldn’t complain about the night. He’d given as good as he’d gotten, or so he thought. The smell of the room proved that. But he was only human and Alessia was a wolfgirl built to ride her mate all day long.

“Maybe you should learn some magic so you can rail her all day long,” Daji said. “Five girls in one day is impressive, but imagine how much larger your pride will become.”

He didn’t want to imagine that, so he didn’t. Would he need time travel to keep up with his girlfriends next year?

Once Alessia returned with water and fast-acting painkillers, his morning improved drastically. She cuddled up against him in bed while wearing nothing more than silken lingerie. Her tail brushed repeatedly over his legs beneath the blanket.

“Yesterday was everything I dreamed of.” She gave him a kiss. “But we’ll need to get up and work today. Eventually.”

He grunted and let her warmth soak into his body.

“The lawyers have finished with the contract,” Alessia continued. “I’ve already made arrangements for where we’ll meet. Learning of the scale of the spying operation means we can’t use somewhere traditional.”

“And it’s dangerous to let Hamelin and Ashley in Lionetti Tower,” he said.

She nodded, tickling his face with the movement. “Fortunately, I have somewhere very secure to meet. It helps that we’ll only do this once. We’ll bring everything and make our plans in a single swoop, then act on them.”

“A bold idea. I don’t think it will survive contact with reality.”

“Maybe not.” She sighed. “But this isn’t a grand heist inside a heavily guarded facility. Mei and Kigenai are only two people, even if they’re extremely powerful. Our plans will be relatively simple. What matters is how we prepare and the execution.”

“In more ways than one,” he said darkly.

Mei wouldn’t be escaping alive. Too much was at stake to allow it.

Arranging the meeting place and getting word out to everyone took most of the day. Vince stayed inside, especially as his girlfriends all trooped by to visit. Even Nina, who ignored Pola’s bared teeth and hissing when she strode into the penthouse.

Friday meant more training. Salome let him know she’d have several burlap sacks for them by Monday, just in case Juliet destroyed one. Getting the hops proved trivial. One of the Lionetti branch families owned a brewery, and Fia organized for a trusted capo to pick up some hops in person during an “inspection.” Salome’s goons would deliver the sacks to the penthouse along with energy drinks and other supplies that would hide the true purpose of the delivery.

On Saturday, a full week after meeting Hamelin, Vince and the others began their trek out to the meeting place. The Lionetti family estate south-west of the city.

Just like last time, two separate convoys transported them to the forested hills beyond the city limits, but just short of the state border. Black Benz after Benz trundled along the dimly lit roads mid-morning. Alessia had wanted to meet earlier, but Hamelin refused to meet before 9AM, and wasn’t even happy about that time.

By the time Vince arrived, a team of Lionettis had already established a perimeter. The exterior stone wall acted as both a physical and magical wall, and was the reason Alessia wanted to meet here. The estate’s wards prevented assault and scrying. A competent spy could still see into the mansion grounds, but aural wards meant they’d understand nothing.

The mansion looked identical to the last time he’d been here, which was eerie. A barrier over the building ensured nothing damaged it, while the gardens looked pristine. Time hadn’t penetrated this place. Almost as if the wards kept the estate in a bubble that had been created five years ago, when Alessia and Pola left it behind.

Once again, they met under the gargantuan steel gazebo behind the mansion. Fia and Lucia brought thermos full of espresso, which Vince helped himself to.

“Did you use the good beans?” he asked Fia when she poured him a cup of mouthwatering coffee.

“All my beans are good,” she said. “But no, I’m not turning coffee beans that cost that much per pound into batch espresso. I made this in a machine.”

“My machine,” Alessia clarified. “The one you complain about all the time.”

Fia stuck her tongue out. “It’s better than a French press. Can’t get the concentration with that.”

The group relaxed while waiting for Gaby, Ashley, Kiyoko, and Hamelin to arrive. Nicki explored the grounds after growing restless. After trying to be patient, Pola joined her to keep herself busy, and Fia followed to make sure they didn’t get into trouble. Nina stared into space while playing with Vince’s hair idly.

Dressed in a flared black and white dress, Alessia enjoyed her espresso. She eschewed the extra defenses used against Mei the last time they met here.

Gaby turned up soon enough on her bike, with Hamelin riding on her back. While the unicorn soaked in the size of the estate, the necromancer strolled up to Alessia.

“So, you’re my billionaire sugar mommy, huh?” Hamelin held out a hand. “Contract is signed, so I’ll be leaving you alone until V decides he’s through with me. No hard feelings about trying to kill you, right?”

Alessia raised her coffee cup and took a long, deliberate sip. The diminutive mousegirl didn’t budge.

“I’ve spent most of my unlife around monsters who pull that move off better than you.” Hamelin half-smiled. “You pay V and I’m his little mouse bitch. You’re paying me, too, to help rip this fox’s tails out. So why not start fresh?”

“I’m well aware of your past, Christine,” Alessia said.

Hamelin froze, and her eyes turned solid black. She clenched her fists and blood dripped from them. “Don’t call me that. Ever. I’ll let V’s pack of bitches take turns reaming me with spiky dildos before you can use that name.”

“Then you should understand why we can’t start fresh, Hamelin.” The mafia don’s cup clinked against the table. “The past doesn’t vanish because we want it to. I’ll work with you, but very little is truly ‘just business.’ Even for an enforcer and a mafia don.”

“Tch. I get it.” Hamelin shook her hands, and the scars in her palms had already scabbed over. “Your rep as a cold bitch isn’t for show. Makes sense you held the mafia together long enough to find a knight in flaming armor.”

Without another word, Hamelin strode off and glared at the wall for a few minutes. Gaby grimaced, shrugged, and took the chance to hug Vince.

Kiyoko fluttered down a few minutes later. Although she still came through the front gate, Vince saw her dark figure cut through the air.

“The wards block fliers?” he asked.

“They’d be useless if they didn’t,” Nina said. “Wards this dense might as well be barriers.”

“To be accurate, the wards will trigger a barrier that blocks fliers,” Alessia said. “We have limited allowance for wildlife, but flocks are driven away by magic so they don’t crash into the barrier.”

Finally, Ashley arrived on foot. The first warning Vince received was the gate opening. Then she strode in, still using her foxgirl appearance. Her amber skin glowed in the sunlight, while her massive fluffball tail bounced with each step. As did her gigantic tits. She’d worn a more conservative outfit than last time, leaving only her cleavage and head uncovered.

She walked up to Vince and crossed her arms. “I don’t have to waste time on introductions, right?”

Alessia frowned and looked at Nina, who shook her head.

“Even if you’ve met her before, she changes appearances like you do dresses,” the lioness said. “Alessia, this is Quintus’s dumbass lieutenant. Ashley, this is Vince’s newest girlfriend.”

“Nina,” Alessia said.

“Bitch!” Ashley snapped, baring her teeth.

“I didn’t lie.” Nina grinned.

“If everyone’s here, can we start?” Pola asked, bouncing back over due to the noise.

Alessia shook her head. “Another few minutes. There’s one more guest.”

For a minute, Vince wondered if she’d invited the Miuras. The rumble of an engine drew his attention to the driveway that led around the back of the mansion.

A silver Rolls Royce Phantom glided to a stop, its surface shimmering with magical runes and oozing with as much power as the mansion gave off. The moment it stopped, a towering figure stepped out and shook his long red and silver hair free. His two split silver horns rippled with thin lines of lava, while his body glittered in the sun thanks to numerous pieces of gold jewelry and gaudy rings.

Wagner straightened the lapel of his old-fashioned pinstripe suit, then glanced over the assembled group with powerful amber eyes.

“Oh, shit,” Ashley breathed. She took a step back.

Hamelin’s jaw dropped and her head spun as if trying to find an escape route. She muttered, “My fucking bones are vibrating. How damn weak was that German dragon I met?”

“Uncle Wagner is my guest,” Alessia said, rising to her feet and walking over to the scariest person within several hundred miles. “I had hoped you’d get here before us, to save some trouble.”

“My apologies, Lessa,” Wagner said. “An unexpected business call held me up. Several, in fact. The DoD wants to finalize as many contracts as possible before election season heats up.”

Alessia looked like a child next to the eight-foot-tall dragon, yet she held her arms out. Wagner bent down and took her in a brief hug.

“Thank you for coming, Uncle.” She smiled at him.

“I can always spare some time for you, especially since…” Wagner’s eyes turned to Vince.

Once again, the full weight of the dragon’s gaze bore down on Vince. He heard his blood pumping as an odd pressure built up inside him. Daji remained completely dormant, without even a whisper of her presence to be found.

The sensation vanished far faster than the first time Vince had experienced it. Wagner placed a hand in his jacket pocket and frowned.

“While I’m curious to hear your plans to vanquish a potential kyuubi, there is a matter of utmost importance to deal with first,” Wagner said.

He raised his other hand and gestured for Vince to approach.

Alessia nodded, and he was unwilling to piss off the ancient dragon, so Vince did so. The others watched in mesmerized silence.

Seconds passed in awkward silence as Wagner stared down at him.

“I’ve been told not everyone knows, so…” The dragon gripped the old-fashioned pocket watch hanging from a chain and pressed a button on its side.

Power erupted around Vince, and Daji’s presence exploded within him. Her power wrapped around his mind. Raw magic tingled at his fingertips, as if she expected a fight to the death.

“Ah, so there is something there.” Wagner raised an eyebrow at Vince as he let go of the watch. But he did nothing else.

Vince gulped as he took in the aftermath of Wagner’s tool. Reality had vanished, leaving behind a void broken up only by glowing white lines in the shape of squares roughly Wagner’s height. The squares comprised a prism only a little larger than Vince.

He’d been trapped inside some sort of magical box, along with Wagner. Abruptly, he realized the ground remained as it was, but without color.

“This is a domain spell, isn’t it?” Vince asked, struggling to speak with a dry mouth. “I’ve seen the idea in stories. And studied examples of sorcerers protecting their homes and ateliers with them, but this…”

The core concept of a domain spell was to turn the sorcerer into a god within that space. How a sorcerer bent the rules came down to their expertise, but the most common uses were to instantly cast spells, conjure magic from any direction or location within the domain, or to disrupt enemy spells.

Both of Vince’s meister-tier spells were domain spells. His dragon was basically a domain spell in the form of a dragon, which allowed him to launch a massive number of spells instantly and with far greater efficiency than normal. Whereas his fire tornado manipulated magic itself, suppressing enemy spells and empowering Vince’s.

From feeling alone, he knew Wagner’s domain spell did everything both of Vince’s managed, and better. The atmosphere weighed down on Vince, and he felt as if Wagner surrounded him.

“It’s a domain spell in the form of a pocket dimension,” Wagner said. “Battles of sorcery are decided by the advantages we hold over our opponents. Casting speed, how much magic we can bring to bear at once, mobility, disruption capability, resisting disruption—anything that affects our spells, or ability to cast them. Even for me, a domain spell is vital to bring my sorcery to bear against the greatest of foes.”

“I’m not a threat,” he said.

“Of course not.” The dragon chuckled. “You misunderstand. The domain is to keep others out, so they cannot observe us. Alessia tells me she has great concern about spies, and if they can pierce this spell, then you were doomed from the start. My senses will be sharpened, making my next request far faster.”

Wagner extended his hand and opened his palm. He waited.

“I… don’t follow,” Vince said.

“The artifact,” Wagner said. “While I may overlook many things in Aulfair, for many reasons, a soul egg that contains a being as dangerous as Daji so close to Lessa is not one.”

Vince gulped.

“I can’t hope to challenge him here,” Daji said, her voice sorrowful. “He can’t separate us. Not unless he secretly possesses skills heretofore unknown, but his power cannot be denied.”

Even so, Vince refused to let go of the magic swelling inside him. Daji had helped him far too many times to simply surrender her. Even if this was Wagner himself, a dragon so old and powerful that Quintus had fled Italy to escape him and La Lupa had dueled him as an equal.

Wagner frowned. “The power still swelling in you tells me you misunderstand. I don’t intend to take it from you. But I must analyze it. If you are possessed and without your faculties, that is a true problem. Alessia tells me otherwise, and the presence of a tengu suggests she is right. I will not leave her fate to others when I can determine it myself so easily.”

An explosive breath escaped Daji and washed through Vince’s mind. His tense muscles relaxed so fast he nearly collapsed.

“No wonder this dragon infamously doesn’t get along with anyone. His people skills are terrible,” Daji said. “How many fights has he caused by acting like this?”

Vince pulled Daji’s soul egg from his jacket, and Wagner’s amber eyes lit up.

“Before I give it to you, I want to know something,” Vince said. “How many fights have you gotten in due to miscommunication?”

“Do you count the ones with La Lupa?” Wagner asked. “I’m not sure those count. She enjoyed fighting.”

“… Okay, Daji is right that you have terrible people skills.”

The dragon narrowed his eyes at him. Vince hurriedly handed the egg over.

Distracted by his new prize, Wagner forgot the insult. He held the egg between two fingers and stared at it for nearly a minute in silence.

Daji’s presence didn’t change. Vince felt no magic from the dragon.

“Curious,” Wagner eventually said. “I’ve handled several soul eggs. They’re fascinating constructions, as they’re a blend of divine artifice and sorcerous skill. But each generation of the eggs becomes less divine, yet just as capable of restraining demigods and false deities. This is the newest one I’ve seen. Someone in Knightsgate makes these, and they seek to unravel the mysteries of divinity just as I do.”

“Aren’t you a dragon?” Vince asked, confused. “I thought you’d have the same magic.”

“Hardly.” The dragon chuckled. “My age and power allows others to confuse me for a deity, but dragons are creatures of sorcery. The terms immortal and mortal confuse matters. Understand that the fundamentals of my magic tie into yours, rather than those of divinity.”

“… is that what you wanted the soul egg for?”

“Partially. If I could, I’d take this apart to better understand it. But if I probe any deeper, I’ll free the being within. That would be a mistake.” Wagner closed his fist over the egg, hiding it from view. “What little I learned of Daji in the past week tells me she is the exact opponent I do not want to fight. Fighting a fire with oil is a foolish proposition, yet I would be forced to do so.”

“You’re talking about her magic-consuming flames,” Vince said.

“More than that, she’s a spirit that consumes. Men, empires, magic. She sustains herself off others, and I would be the perfect meal.”

Daji said nothing, which terrified Vince.

“That sounds bad,” he said.

Wagner shrugged, then handed back the egg. Vince stared at it, then the dragon.

“I’m sorry, that’s it?” he asked.

“Not exactly. I learned two things while analyzing it, even if I can’t pull apart its every mystery,” Wagner said. “First, the seal is intact, if damaged. Soul eggs use multiple layers to separate different aspects of the sealed entity. This one possesses more than most, and I suspect whoever tampered with it to grant you access didn’t know that. They damaged the outer seals, meaning parts of the spirit mingle with its excess magic, but the core of the huli jing is contained.”

“The core?” Vince struggled to follow. “Wouldn’t that be Daji herself?”

“Yes and no. Whoever you are speaking with is Daji, as they represent the spirit inside the soul egg. But divinity comes in shades. Much like these soul eggs. Once, the eggs were so wrapped in divinity I couldn’t hope to understand them. A millennium later, Knightsgate has created derivatives with only a thread of the original divinity. Yet the result is identical. This is the key to how I study the divine and create new sorcery.”

“You’ve lost me,” Vince said.

Wagner sighed and raised a hand, as if to inspect his rings. “Imagine millennia ago, Zeus and his famous thunderbolt. A divine artifact capable of killing gods and titans in a single blow, manufactured by divine manifestations of lightning itself. It is unfathomable to sorcerers. But perhaps Zeus creates an artifact with similar power. Or has children. Or another false deity creates simulacrums of his thunderbolt, as Hephaestus did. Each step between the original divine creation and the watered down versions becomes easier to understand, even if the magical power is the same.”

Before Vince could say anything, one of Wagner’s rings flashed.

A three-foot long bolt of flaming fury appeared in his hand, swirling with miniature infernos that wrapped around the bolt. Miniature tornadoes of flame tore across the strange creation.

But its core was unmistakably that of pure lightning. A crackling rod of purple lightning magic so solid it looked physical, and Wagner’s hand gripped it like a flaming javelin. Enough magical power to disintegrate Vince a hundred times over poured off the thing.

“Eventually, we create it ourselves,” Wagner said, handling his spell very carefully. “I’ll create my soul eggs one day, just as I did Zeus’s thunderbolt.”

Another of his rings flashed and the flaming javelin vanished.

“That was a thunderbolt?” Vince asked.

“The Greeks viewed it differently to us. They only had four elements, and lightning was a form of fire. Recreating this with sorcery means combining lightning and fire magic to produce the same result.” Wagner pointed at the egg in Vince’s palm. “Whoever this Daji is, I am doubtful she is the original. Much like this thunderbolt, she possesses the same power, yet lacks the divine origin. Perhaps each escape, each possession, each resealing has changed her nature, much like the tengu who shift with the winds of history.”

“I am absolutely the original,” Daji hissed in Vince’s mind. “How dare he!”

“She doesn’t agree with you,” Vince said, trying to shake off his confusion.

“It doesn’t matter. What does is the likelihood that the version of the spirit you are dealing with is potentially the best one,” Wagner said. “However she escapes—and I assume it is a when, not an if—the more of her sealed core she consumes, the more she will change. My assessment may change should she change.”

“Didn’t you just demonstrate that you can reproduce divinity exactly? What was the point if Daji will be so different based on how much she absorbs?”

“I can summon Zeus’s thunderbolt. But it will not slay a god in a single blow. That is the difference.”

Satisfied with himself, Wagner banished his domain spell. Light and sound washed over Vince.

As did hot women, as Nina and Pola crashed into him.

“Uncle!” Pola snapped at Wagner.

Ignoring the angry wolfgirl, Wagner instead faced Alessia, who glared at him nearly as fiercely.

“Everything is fine,” the dragon said. “I have given Vince some advice I believe he can use.”

Alessia bit her lip and nodded. “I see.”

“I will see what I observe and leave you to your planning.” Wagner inclined his head at Alessia and strode down a pathway further into the garden.

While struggling with the weight of his girlfriends, Vince’s mind whirled. He directed his attention inward.

I take it you still don’t agree with him? he asked Daji.

“… I won’t dismiss his idea entirely,” the fox said, voice low and full of uncertainty. “My memories are complete and my own. But…”

But…? That didn’t bode well.

“I’m not usually this passive. I assumed it was a side-effect of the soul egg, as it’s intended to restrain my power and will. As a spirit, my magic is partially powered by the emotions that turned me into what I am. If the dragon is correct, some of that is still bottled up. When I possess someone, I leave pieces of myself behind in old soul eggs unless the seal is broken in full. I had intended to…” She paused. “I’m sorry.”

For what? he asked.

“The idea is to gain more power, bit by bit, to weaken the seal, and then use that power to either possess someone you let me or conjure a body for myself. The latter is much harder, but as you saw with the necromancer, life itself can be created with enough power. But if Wagner is right, then by the time I regain enough strength to do that, I might not want to risk sacrificing it to abide by your wish.”

Hence the apology. He took a deep breath and stared up at the sky.

Daji sounded genuine. Sure, she’d admitted to deceiving him insofar that she’d always had a plan to regain her body. Especially as he understood the implied problem with her plan. She was regaining that power by making him use her and rely on her. Nothing else made sense.

He relied on Daji and had grown attached to her over the past couple of months. But much like he worried he might change without noticing, he wondered if he could observe a gradual change in the fox. She’d grown hornier and more aggressive lately.

A change that had taken place ever since the battle with Mei.

Daji stirred uncomfortably. “The sooner I take a body, the weaker I will be. I can regain that power over time, but the soul egg will shatter the moment I leave it. It’s a safety mechanism. Not to mention that there can’t be two of me in the world. The necromancer will understand that aspect. Her phylactery likely relies on that property to activate. But if you’re truly worried, then perhaps the time for me to take a body needs to come. If you’ll let me.”

- - - - -

Commentary: Wagner finally shows up again after being absent for an entire book.

This chapter has two controversial decisions that I'll explain.

One, Valentine's Day. I expect quite a few people are unhappy it's only a summary. This is unfortunately a matter of pacing and time. Valentine's Day would be a novella like the Christmas arc in Book 3, except I don't have extra plot stuff to add to it. So it would completely derail a plot that's already taking a while to get back to killing Mei. The sheer size of it also means it would add a ton of pages (and time to write them) to a book that's already on track to be my biggest ever. I'd have to split the book in two if I added Valentine's Day lmao (and it would be a pretty terrible first half tbh, given how rear-loaded the book is with action and plot development).

Second, Daji not being the "true" Daji. I love the Ship of Theseus, so you get to decide whether it's still the same ship if you rip out the really troublesome engine and replace it with a new one but keep all the other parts the same when you rebuild it. Daji is blatantly inspired by Lasciel from Dresden, and so is this aspect. I went through a couple of variations of it, and landed on one that still had her being mostly Daji, just less driven by the shit that made her infamously cruel (and vengeful, corruptive etc). This implementation of the idea also keeps the "lossy" nature of Daji copying herself repeatedly whenever she's sealed, so it's an open question of who Daji truly is after thousands of years.