Mana in the Modern World non illustrated version Read online

  Mana in the Modern World

  non illustrated version

  R. McCullough

  Copyright 2014 by Robert McCullough

  Smashwords Edition

  Ever wonder - What If?

  What if :: Magic; once referred to as Mana; were real?

  Well this novel is my What If to that question.

  Some will rejoice, some decry it, others take advantage of those that cannot.

  Then some zealots will want death for those that do magic.

  And then there are those truly eeevil that just take and take n take - like now!

  This story is what could happen should Magic return.

  Enjoy:

  Copyright © 2014

  By R. McCullough

  License Statement

  This illustrated eBook and content is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook and content may not be re-sold, lent or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re viewing this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return go Smashwords.com to purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Jackson Albright, a medically retired NSA analyst and agent, has literally fallen into a situation that grows more complex day by day. Then finds that magic was once not only very real and is now returning to the world!

  An ancient and powerful artifact, wielded by a somewhat deranged wizard, has come to America. The artifact gives the proper type wielder the ability to draw life energy and health from a victim, transferring it to the wielder. This enables the wielder a vastly longer life while curing his or her ills. The victim however, has about a minute of intense agony, unable to move, screaming insanely as the life energy is drawn and transferred. The corpse, arched back, facial features frozen, mouth open, eyes bulging, clearly shows the last horrific moments of life. The process leaves the victim looking like someone that starved to death, skin now drawn tight against the bones tho retaining the skin’s coloration. Looking like a dried up rice or corn husk, sucked dry of moisture and life.

  ***

  It all began in Ancient Asia::

  Prologue

  Mana is Dying

  ***

  A group of wizards have come together to find, and hopefully correct, whatever is causing the slow decrease of Mana. Only the most powerful mages have detected this decrease. So far, it only seems to affect the stronger spells, reducing them by a sixth. Working for some years to date the group’s research has been unable to find a reason. They have began attempting to construct an eight sided stone like artifact that will slowly draw the weak Mana, store and then allow transference of more Mana for use. So far the effect, when working, is somewhat erratic but at least now there is renewed hope.

  ***

  Disruption

  Word has just reached the group that a powerful Warlock, Juneau from the adjoining province of Manji, has been hired to assassinate the Khan before he can attack Manji. The Khan’s death would bring total chaos and, in all probability, disrupt all attempts to find and stop the energy loss. Aiguo, at 44 the youngest Wizard, volunteered to go keep the Khan safe.

  ***

  Thirty three months before present time - Stonehenge

  The last tour group of the day is a small one of only 11 people. All are gathered around the center stone listening to the travel guide explain what little is known about the site’s altar stone. One of the younger women, June, raises her hand with a question. “Yes, umm June, isn’t it? You have a question?”

  “What causes the sound?” “What sound June?” “I hear a very faint sound, like that of a slow heartbeat. Like thump, dlump, like that. It seems to be coming from the altar stone.” “Yes, I have been hearing it too,” says a young man with a strong Irish accent. “Good Lord! It’s starting to glow!” he says excitedly. “Everybody back!” shouts the guide. As everyone backs away the faint reddish glow subsides. “Well that is a great ending for today’s tour. Hope someone managed to get pictures and video of that. OK folks, time to head back to the bus,” says the obviously shaken guide.

  Tourism to Stonehenge increased rapidly once word, pictures and especially the video hit the internet. However, it has now been some weeks since the excitement and no further glow has been seen by the disappointed tour groups. Several Tabloids were claiming the glow was staged to increase tourism tho none could produce proof. One of their science ‘experts’ was claiming Saint Elmo’s fire as the reason for the glow.

  ***

  Twenty four months before present time

  The last tour group of the day of 16 people are approaching the altar stone when a faint reddish glow begins to form around the altar and an area on the tallest outer stone. “Whoa! Should we call the cops?” says one young and punk looking American. “Constabulary, the word is Constabulary mate,” states an Australian accent. Steve McDuff, the 22 year old punk looking young man, rolls his eyes in an exaggerated manner and spits to the side.

  The guide says she will call the office for instructions and meanwhile everyone should stay back. Ignoring the guide’s words, and also now hearing a faint thumping from the Altar, McDuff quickly steps to the stone and starts to place his hand on top. A red spark jumps just as his hand is in the process of touching the altar; he starts screaming, hand now stuck, his back arching in agony. As two men rush over to knock his hand from the altar he starts shouting something in a foreign language. Help arrives and successfully knock him away.

  His rescuers quickly drag McDuff’s unmoving body to a, hopefully safe, distance away. As they dragged him away what looked like another red spark jumped from McDuff back to the altar. Meanwhile the guide has called the rescue station. McDuff does not appear to be breathing. A doctor and his nurse wife, here on their honeymoon; quickly begin CPR. Ten minutes later the rescue people arrive with an ambulance, oxygen and more medical help. After another 10 minutes they declare McDuff dead and load him onto a gurney for transport.

  As they are lifting the gurney into the ambulance one of the lifters stumbles and falls, spilling McDuff to the ground onto his back with a loud thump. Suddenly McDuff sets up screaming, “Help! A demon is trying to take my soul! Someone help me!” He falls back clearly unconscious and now shivering as if freezing. The paramedics quickly place an oxygen mask on him, carefully load him into the ambulance and head off to the hospital.

  A very old Asian woman speaks up, “Did anyone besides myself understand what he was shouting while in contact with the altar?” A girl of about seventeen and slight Asian look spoke up. “I have been taking Chinese lessons at school and my Gram’s has been helping me at home. But I only recognized that it was something like a Chinese dialect.” “Yes, you are correct my child; it was a Chinese dialect but one I have not heard in at least 90 years! It is an obscure dialect from very ancient times. He was shouting; Alive, Alive, I am alive again!” A cold chill sends a shiver down everyone’s spine as silence descends over the group.

  ***

  Stonehenge again makes the news.

  London doctors examining McDuff could find nothing physically wrong with him. Mentally was a different matter as he now could speak fluent Chinese but in a very old, almost extinct, dialect. He dimly remembers being imprisoned within a very dangerous place with great dangerous beasts and fighting with strange looking people. He also remembers a furiously maddened demon trying to take over his mind and body. He fought to remain himself and suddenly he was on the ground freezing and with everyone staring at him.

  Two days
later at the hospital two suits, very professional looking men, came to interview him at the hospital. After hearing McDuff’s story first hand they want him to accompany them and to meet with several more fellow researchers and scientists to see if they can recreate the incident. McDuff tells them no in no uncertain words and that he has no interest in recreating anything and demands that they leave. One of the men then grabs McDuff by the arm and attempts to drag him from the room. McDuff twists the man’s arm and a loud crack shows the arm breaking. The man screams; orderlies and nurses quickly arrive to see what is going on.

  “Call the cops! These guys are trying to kidnap me!” shouts McDuff. Several male and female nurses prevent the two men from leaving. Once the police arrive and do some checking it is found the two men are from a small religious cult advocating the ‘rescue’ of the creature trapped within Stonehenge. They are quickly arrested for attempted kidnapping and taken to jail. Reports are duly made and forwarded to all other enforcement agencies. Now McDuff is really concerned as he not only previously did he not know a foreign language; let along Chinese and now, …..martial arts? He is definitely ready to head back to Tennessee and his internet business.

  Once back home in Tennessee at his software company McDuff is visited by an old Asian man who; speaking in the old dialect; asks what he remembers of his fight with the being that attempted to take him over. The most he now remembers is a tiny winged woman and a truly intense hatred and anger, especially that someone was chasing him. Thankfully the memories and nightmares of huge creatures are fading. Although he does tell the old man that he looks vaguely familiar, somewhat like the owner of a local Tai restaurant.

  **

  Fourteen months before present time

  After the McDuff ‘incident’ the British government had the army station guards to prevent anyone from touching the altar stone. Several cults had formed in the UK and Europe and most seemed intent on freeing whatever was reputed to be imprisoned within the altar. Two of the UK cults had been coming once a week to pray at the ‘Demon’ altar. Each time one or the cults was there the altar developed a very faint red glow. The glow was photographed numerous times and several of the pictures appeared in Tabloids around the world.

  There are also several Christian and Islamic groups pushing for the destruction of the heretic site, claiming it to be the work of the Devil. Druid organizations also want the site preserved and that they be allowed to perform Druidic religious rites on a monthly basis. There were often too many people for the guards to control so, to insure the safety of the site and people visiting, the army erected a twenty foot steel cage around and over the altar. This was large enough to prevent even the longest armed people from reaching thru to touch the altar, as many idiots had often attempted.

  So far two planned attempts to destroy the site had been foiled. One had a small truck loaded with explosives and a suicide driver for the attempt. However that attempt was prevented by the driver’s sister informing the authorities. The other attempt was planned by a group that evidently had zero experience handling explosives.

  Lately things have quieted considerably so the guards had been reduced to ten, plus a senior sergeant to oversee the detail. Several tents had been erected and three portable latrines placed about a hundred or so feet from the site. The patrolling guards walk a two man four hour shift around the outer stones. The entire guard detail is rotated every five days. They are currently are on their last day of a very boring duty and all are looking forward to being relieved at noon the next day.

  About 2am two shadowy figures converge on the patrolling guards, very faint pops are heard and the two guards stagger, then collapse to the ground. Seven other figures approach the two large and one smaller tent. Even fainter pops are heard from two of the tents but the sound of a short scuffle then comes from the small tent. Hooded figures exit the two large tents dragging the soldiers out and begin taping them up securely. A moaning figure staggers from the small tent, a knife protruding from his side. As others go to their wounded associate’s aid the larger figure takes out a flashlight and waves the beam toward the road. Moments later a well muffled truck is heard approaching.

  The truck has a small crane and welding equipment mounted on the back. It quickly backed up to about 5 feet from the cage and a tall woman, dressed in Priestly robes, steps from the truck. She says, “Bob get these people moving, we have no idea how often the guards check-in. What happened to him?” pointing at the figure on the ground.

  “That old sergeant was a tough old bird. E’ managed to stick Rodney good before the sleep shot worked completely. Rodney be dead soon. Was starting to scream too loud so I had to tape his hands and mouth to keep him quiet less some passerby hears,” replies Bob. “Well, leave him for now and let’s get the cage down. Look how the altar and that tall stone are pulsating. He’s waiting for me! Hurry!” Jill almost screams.

  Bob yells “You, Taylor, finish taping all the soldiers tight and the rest of you get over here on the cage. HE awaits and our Mistress commands to hurry.” The deep seated cage anchors are quickly cut and cage then lifted away from the now brightly glowing altar. In a chanting sing-song manner Jill starts reading from a very old book, flips her cowl back and approaches the altar.

  She looks to be about 35 or so. Closing the small book with a snap she slides the small book into a pocket. Then raised both arms and calls out in a loud voice, “I conjure thee to appear and do my bidding.” As she starts to place both hands on the altar the pulsing glow brightens slightly, then dims as her hands touch the altar and the now faint pulsating glow. Nothing happens. Angrily slapping both her hands again and again onto the altar further dims the pulsating light and still nothing happens.

  Looking at Bob she says, “All this and it is a fake?” “But the thumping Mistress; how can that be fake?” “What thumping Bob? I hear nothing.” “Will I do,” says Bob as he reaches to place his hands on the altar. As his hands decent toward the altar two red sparks leap to his hands and seem to pull both his hands onto the altar.

  The altar’s red glow flares brighter and begins flowing up Bobs arms and then on to cover his entire body. Bob is arched back, mouth open wide as if screaming, but no sound is heard. Suddenly a large red spark jumps from the glowing tall stone to hit Bob in the chest with the sound of a large thunder clap. Bob is knocked back onto the ground; the altar and tall stone’s glow’s are gone.

  Mistress Jill rolls Bob over and checks his neck for a pulse, nothing, and then a faint pulse. Bob groans as he sets up, suddenly his eyes open wide, rolling around in his head, he begins jerking and thrashing about. He starts flailing about, shouting gibberish, then shouting, “Get out, Get OUT of me!” He suddenly goes rigid and falls back.

  After a minute or two one of the men reaches over to also check for a pulse. Bob raises his arm, pointing a finger at the man and says some gibberish. A bright white spark leaps from Bob’s finger and knocks the man back several feet back in a smoldering heap; his chest blackened as if struck by lightning. All except Jill back some distance away.

  “Bob, what’s happening? Speak to me.” Bob stares at her and, haltingly but with a very strange accent says, “Alive, I am alive again.” “You’re not Bob are you? Are you the being that was imprisoned in the altar by the Druids?” Getting to his feet and speaking in a less halting fashion he replies, “Yes I am…. Not Bob. Much time seems to have passed. What are Druids?” “I am Mistress Jill, leader of the Irish Fighting Force, the one who rescued you from your prison and I will call you NB. You must now do as I command,” says Jill.

  Laughter from the Not Bob erupts in Jill’s face. “You? You think you command ME? None command me! But I may have some use for you and,” pointing to the men staying well back; “those groveling fools. But NEVER think you or anyone commands ME!” Jill turns to her men and shouts, “For now we need to remove ourselves before the army gets here. Someone may have heard the ruckus. Tully, take another man and load Rodney and Clyde’s bodies on back o
f the truck so we can leave.”

  “Why do you bring dead men with us?” asks Not Bob. “To prevent anyone identifying them and leading the coppers to us,” answered Jill. “What are coppers? Ah yes, I see the information now. It will take some time to know all his knowledge, even limited as it appears to be.” “Yeah, Bob was not the sharpest tack around,” comments Jill.

  “Very well, have them place the bodies on the altar and stand well back. I will dispose of them,” NB said. He then turned to face the bodies; starts speaking gibberish while waving his arms and hands in a precise manner. A streak of bright white light jumps from his hands toward the bodies. Striking the bodies with a loud ‘Frump’; both bodies are quickly alight, flames burning a unnatural dark red, then with white hot heat and a loud roar. “They will burn until only ashes are left. Ah, to have more power again,” says NB as he holds up and looks at his hands.

  “Ye Gods!” shouts Jill. “That will bring everyone here faster! Let’s go – NOW PEOPLE!” “Please NB do not do something like that again, you’ll get us all killed!” NB looks at her with a smile, “Nonsense, I cannot be killed again. Foolish female, do you think I would allow that to happen?”

  During the trip back to the safe house Jill answers Not Bob’s questions and fills him in on some of the IFF’s struggles. Between her explanations and NB ‘remembering’ things from Bob’s memories the two hour trip passes quickly. “Many wonders have happened during my enforced stay in the other world,” states NB. “I believe I will enjoy this new world and making a portion of it mine. You….. Jill, what wealth do you have? From his memories Bob believes your organization’s wealth is on a shoestring, whatever that is.”