The Enforcer

I hope everyone enjoys chapter 3. I have been uploading by copy and paste until I can find out how to upload a google doc. Some of the grammatical errors come from that but not all. As always, all comments are welcome.

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Lights were dim along the base of the walls as I glanced down the hallway. The passage was empty with only the marble colored walls and floor. Symbols lined the ceiling as I walked along the passage. Halfway down I noticed the same symbol I had seen on the barn and on the thrones. No doors were connecting to the sides. Looking toward the end I spotted a door with light shining around the edges.

Scratching my head I wondered how I got there. Or where there actually was. The last thing I remembered was passing out on the couch with the coven around me. I began to shake as my fear came to the front of my mind. As the fear grew stronger the magic began to show along my hands. Blue flames engulfed my hands as I held them up and turned them over to inspect them. Still amazed that this was actually happening.

Walking slowly along the hall as I kept my eyes on the ceiling trying to recognize any other symbols. Continuing until I made it to the door. As my hand grabbed the door knob I felt a coldness come over my body. As the knob turned and the door opened the coldness opened up to a warmth that encased my entire being.

Entering into the room I noticed the room was dark and I realized I was in my living room at home. The furniture in the correct places and the tv had snow which created the only light being shone. What stuck out in my mind was Hekate sitting on one of the couches watching me. My body began to move on it's own until I was taking a seat across from her. The television illuminated our bodies just enough for us to make out the features on each other's faces.

After taking my seat I was shocked that I hadn't told my body to move. Which only confirmed my suspicions that Hekate could potentially control me. As the fear began to show again so did my magic. I still couldn't control it. The protection spell had only succeeded due to Hekate's help. As the flames engulfed my hands, Hekate's face showed no emotion towards me.

Her eyes were staring at my hands for what felt like minutes but was only seconds before our eyes locked. The tension began to grow as we stared at each other. Not knowing if I was supposed to say or do something I just sat there. As we stared my anger began to show. Being drug into this life when I had my life sort of planned out for me.

"What the fuck have you got me into?" Anger was showing through in my words. I didn't even think about speaking that way to a goddess. As the words left my mouth I felt my airway tighten and I began to lose my breath.

"You will not speak to me that way. I can end you right now. You are here because I need you. Gods and goddesses are not allowed to interact with humans free will. Due to your parents swearing their life to me. That gives me the ability to interact and control if need be. Now as far as what you are now involved in. Do you want the long version or the short version?" As she spoke her anger lessened. I could tell my words had angered her and knew not to make that mistake again. The whole time I have watched her she hasn't moved. Her facial expressions changed to show her anger but that was all.

"The long version. I'm sure to get more answers that way since it's so hard to get anything from you. And where are we by the way?" I was a lot calmer now but still frightened of saying something the wrong way and getting choked again. I felt like I was talking to Darth Vader and was just waiting on the choke to happen at any time. Although I couldn't hide a little sarcasm in my voice as I responded.

"We are in your head. You are unconscious still in my church with the coven. When you are unconscious I can enter your mind and we can speak face to face. The reason for meeting like this is that my power is weak right now. Less followers means less power. The magic is there but hard for me to access. Even with the small amount of followers I have though I am still very powerful. I am a goddess after all." The smirk appeared on her face as the last words were said. I knew it was meant as a threat. That I shouldn't oppose her. Which I wasn't planning on. I just needed a way out of this and didn't see one.

"So why do you need me? That seems to be something I have no understanding of. Really I have no understanding of how any of this works?" Now I was intrigued. This would let me know how deep I was in and what I was up against.

"Alan Cuth was one of my followers. Power corrupted him. He killed a chosen and stole his medallion. The medallion is what gives the chosen their powers. With the power that he wields he was able to maintain a direct link to the magic. He now has three medallions. With the use of his enhanced magic he was able to start a following. With that following he forced more people to join with threats." I could hear the distress in her voice as she said this. Wondering how I was going to stop someone with that kind of power. Then another thought occurred to me.

"How was he able to do all of that? You're a goddess, shouldn't you be able to just stop him? And what are these medallions and what do they do?" It made no sense to me. I'm sure confusion showed on my face as I was starting to put at least those pieces together.

"You are asking too many questions at one time. The medallion looks like a coin until you hide it. The purpose is to give you power. The owner can transform them into whatever is needed. Whether it be a piece of jewelry or just something that can be on you all the time. It also needs to be something that can't be easily stolen by Alan. Something that only for that owner to know. I don't know how Alan was able to find them and take them. They are supposed to be hidden." I felt like that wasn't the whole truth in this case. Maybe something else was going on here.

"To answer your other question. Normally, yes, I would have been able to stop him. He found an ancient book of dark magic. The spell he used allows protection from me. I can't harm him. He is too powerful to just send someone after him. I have a plan that centers around you to stop him for good." Thoughts were running through my head now. Would she really put me in there to just die? What about my plans and college? Did I even have a choice?

"If I refuse and just live my life without magic?" The concern was evident. I was close to hyperventilating now. Will I be able to have a normal life now? Am I always going to have to look over my shoulder for someone after me?

"Your refusal will be you submitting your power and life to me. Then I will use those to help aid the next chosen. You are my first choice though. The potential you have is greater than anyone else, so that makes you my first choice."

"So I have no choice then. I didn't know goddesses resorted to threats." I couldn't stop the words from leaving my mouth before I felt the choke begin on me. It didn't last long until it eased off though.

"That's one of the reasons you are my choice. You are beginning to show yourself now with that tongue of yours. It can also be your downfall so you need to be careful with it."

I knew she was right as she said that. My emotions are something I needed to work on. Knowing that people were going to be after me for being her chosen so I would have to keep my head clear. If that was even possible anymore. I didn't think I had potential either. I'm an average person with just more brain than some. How did that make me different?

"Okay, so you give me enough power to take down Alan Cuth and then what? Do I get to live my life the way I want?" There had to be some way to get past all this or maybe in the future find a way out of it.

"For now, yes. That can change though. When you are needed you will be called. The power that you speak of, no I just can't give it to you. The knowledge and knowing the spells is easy, but you're the one that has to work at it to learn to control the magic. I just can't give you power and make you great. You have to learn to use it." Great, this is going to take a lot longer than I wanted. I guess college is out of the question while all this is going on.

"Yes, college is not in your near future. What, you thought I couldn't read your mind? As she said this I felt sick to my stomach. Did she know my thoughts of finding a way out? "Yes, I know about that. But, there's no way out without giving up your soul. So I know that won't happen." Oh shit, I thought. I really am fucked.I can't even have a thought without it being known.

"If you can do that then why can't you just read Alan's thoughts and stop him?" Maybe that would make this over quicker. I had to find some way to end this soon. I didn't want to give up MIT. That was going to be my easy way through life. A happy life doing what I've always loved.

"With the spell that he used he's also used one to block me out of all of his thoughts. So that means I can't look into what he's going to do." I'll have to think of something else then. "You know the more you deny this, the harder it's going to be to embrace the magic and let it take over you." This is starting to get old. I can't even have a thought to myself now. I hadn't asked for any of this.

"Why does the time it takes me to do that matter to you?" The more I found out then the easier it would be to find a way out. I couldn't do this all my life. With the intelligence that I have you would think it'd be easier to find a way to end it.

"The longer it takes you to get to an enlightened stage, the more people he is going to convert. He's trying to become a god. He is just a mortal who found a way to steal power. Once you become enlightened I can make you an enforcer." That didn't sound good the way she said it. Her tone grew dark as she spoke "enforcer".

"What is an enforcer?" I shut my eyes and shook my head as I asked that. I didn't want to know by the way she said it. It couldn't be good for me. Not something I was looking forward to.

"As my enforcer you will have authority to kill magic users on your own accord. You kill without cause and I will make you an example. I have never had a use for an enforcer before. You are the first. I plan to use you as an example of what can happen if you cross me." I don't want to kill anyone were my first thoughts. I just thought I would take away Alan's power and be done. This burden may just have been too great. Just more reason to find a way to end it, quickly. With no blood shed by my hands. The practice I did wasn't real.

"I think that is enough for now. Those thoughts in your mind are beginning to take over. I can't have you distracted. It's time to practice your magic." As she stood we were transported to an open room that was all white. "This is the training room. You can enter it at any time, all you have to do is picture it in your mind. There are a lot of uses for that skill. By visualizing a specific place in your mind you can be transported there. Now you have to have been to that place at least once before. Only the chosen and higher can do this." That should make things a lot easier and cheaper. I was chuckling at myself in my mind. Knowing I wouldn't need a car or buy gas anymore.

"You will still need to have those things unless you want people to get curious about you." Damn I hadn't thought of that. I have to keep people from getting suspicious of me. It's going to take a lot of time just to learn what I have to do to keep up my daily appearances. Sighing in my mind as everything was beginning to show me the type of life I would live from now on.

"How did we just leave my living room though?" That had piqued my curiosity. How can a room change that quickly? Then again how can I be speaking with a goddess about to practice magic? My whole reality has been flipped.

"We weren't actually in your house. That was just a projection. I wanted you to feel comfortable. If you were somewhere you didn't know, would you have made those comments?" She was right. At least in that location I was able to at least put that out of my mind. The only thing that put me at ease in this situation was sitting in my house. But it wasn't even real. I really need to talk to a shrink when I get out of here.

"No, I wouldn't have said hardly anything. Thank you for that. At least I know you're not all bad." A smirk was on my face as I said it.

"To practice you have to work on two key points. The body needs to be able to handle the magic. That is the physical practice. The other is the mind, you need to know the spells and that's the easy part. Being chosen all you have to do is skim the library in your mind to refresh the spells. Each chosen can do this. I can also put things in your mind by putting it out of me and into you. Like when I touch your forehead." That's when I thought about the conversation with her in my head when I was in the backseat. What was it she said? Your mind connects with mine. I thought there was something I was missing in that conversation. If they're connected does that work the reverse way?

I quickly placed my palm against her forehead. Knowledge of the history of magic came to me. People devoted themselves to her and in return earned the use of her magic. Once they were devoted they could only have offspring with other magic users. The children would grow into their magic at eighteen. The choice wasn't given to them. They just followed their parents and obeyed Hekate. This is how things were for hundreds of years. Until Alan Cuthren began his quest for power.

As I pulled my hand away I was stunned. The people he has killed and threatened to get to where he is. He needed to be stopped. I also knew Hekate was holding certain information back. She knew that I knew. We just looked at each other.

"In time you will know the rest. The information you have should be plenty for now." Then she turned and walked to the other side of the room. Holding out her hand with her palm down, a test dummy appeared. "This is what you will begin your practice on. Remember to know the spell and chant it either out loud or in your mind. Draw your magic from within, then force is out. Use your hands to control it unless it is unleashed." Her being a teacher was not going to go well for me. It seemed like she was going to be impatient by the way that she was looking at me as she walked toward me.

Her example to show me ended up blowing the dummy into thousands of pieces. She wasn't using fireballs like I had to practice with the Cuthren in my dream though. More like daggers shooting through and exploding the dummy. I at least knew the spell for this.

After what seemed like hours of practicing I still hadn't killed the new dummy. Wondering how I was able to do it in my dream to the cuthren and getting very frustrated with myself. I have already used magic before. Why was it so hard now?

"You were able to use magic then due to fear. You were frightened and your instincts took over. Along with an extremely easy spell you used. Now I want to use your magic and kill that test subject." She almost yelled that last part. I guess I was right with her being impatient. I had that part right about this situation.

I finally destroyed the dummy. It took hours of me producing magic and her insulting words to piss me off. Which she laughed at me about when I got angry. But I was able to control the flow of the magic at least enough to do that. Being able to stop with the practice made me relieved. This was worse than P. E. in school. My body ached all over.

"Your body needs to heal. Imagine yourself on the couch in my church. You will go back to your body and be asleep. When you awake the coven will be there. You can fill them in and get them to help you practice. Then when you're ready we will begin the next step." Then she was gone. As I thought about that couch and me laying on it I slowly began to disappear until everything was black.

I heard voices around me before I opened my eyes. I was about to open my eyes until I heard something curious. The cuthren had never shown up. I heard they were debating whether or not to believe me. Conversations were going back and forth. Sarah, her parents and my parents were the only believers. The rest of the coven were against me. A young newcomer.

"Without opening your eyes or showing you are awake, feel your pants pocket. You have a coin in there. That is your medallion. I was going to wait until you had more control. You don't need that amount of power with no control but the situation has now changed. Put your hand over the medallion and imagine what you would like it to be." I don't think I'll ever get used to a voice inside my head like that.

Thinking about what I could make my medallion into. Something not so easily stolen. I placed my hand over the coin in my pocket and thought about what I wanted. I felt the tattoo form on my back. The tattoo was the same symbol on the barn door and the thrones. As the tattoo formed on my back then I felt pain. It felt as if my whole body was being reformed from the magic.

When the pain began to ease off I noticed that everyone was now watching me. Standing up and looking at them everyone was quiet. The tattoo began to burn as I levitated off the floor just a few inches. My eyes began to glow and change color. Magic orbs began to shoot out of my body. My body lowered onto the floor and my eyes changed to blue. The same blue as the magic balls.

Watching them intently as Hekate began to speak through me. "You will not go against my Chosen. Any action taken against Derek is a direct attack against me." The feeling of the power and magic coursing through my body began to feel good. Knowing I could get lost in that feeling and having to keep control of myself.

"Does anyone go against me?" I growled and got angry with this situation now. The few people that were against me were now babbling incoherently. Sarah came over to me and gave me a tight hug. As I held her back I realized how nice she felt with my arms around her. My anger left almost immediately. She leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. "I am on your side. Don't ever question that." Then she leaned in and kissed my cheek. I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks as she released me and stood by my side.

My parents walked over to me and gave me a hug. Knowing I've always had my parents' support made me feel so much better. Then Sarah's parents came over and gave me a hug showing they were also with me. One by one everyone started coming over until just Randy was left. He was still questioning me in his mind. Eventually he walked over and shook my hand. We were both skeptical of each other but also knew we had to show respect.

"What happened after I fell asleep?" I was curious now that we could finally try to get moving forward with this. Everyone was looking at me and Sarah was the one that started talking at first. I could tell she was very nervous because of her body language.

"The cuthren never showed up. All we did was wait. It's been over a day since you passed out. That's why we were discussing whether to believe you or not." Talking with her hands is something I noticed as well. Watching her do this made me smile. It was something I thought fit her. She was a lot in a very small package being so short.

"Someone informed them of what was going on. That's why no one showed up. Someone on the inside of the coven is helping them. We have to keep quiet about this until we can find out who it is. Be skeptical of everyone, even Sarah and your parents. Magic is being used to block me from knowing who it is." As this was spoken in my head I watched the faces of each person. Could it be Sarah. Was she getting close to me to get inside information?