Not far from Las Vegas is a small community. Armand von Krauss stands in front of the main house at the heart of the community. His tailored business suit is torn in places and an inky dark stain is upon his clothing from where a wound once was. His clothes are blood splattered as is his black steel sword with fiery red sigils along the flat of the blade. Those in the know would recognize it as one of the Nine Blades of Ekenara Varkas, weapons that steal the souls of slain targets so they can be emptied into the Vault, a wagon that travels with the carnival that acts as a containment unit for monsters and other enemies of the carnival.
Armand von Krauss - Come out, Jasmine Minton! Come out and end the spell upon my wife!
Jasmine Minton steps out of the house, but she is not the only one. Four others come out with her, long with nearly a dozen from surrounding houses.
Jasmine Minton - You may have gotten past a few guardians, but we have you surrounded. Surrender and your execution will be swift as will your wife’s!
Armand von Krauss - All I am surrounded by is fear…
Armand keeps his eyes trained on Jasmine, despite the fact that there are plenty of other members of the Profane Court of the Raven around him. He brings his sword up into a fighting stance.
Armand von Krauss - …and dead witches.
Jasmine Minton - Kill him.
Several witches act at once, sending gouts of flame at Armand, who blocks the powerful attacks with his sword. He rushes at the nearest witch and slashes at him and connects with the blade, cutting the man in half from crotch through to the top of his head. Another watch sends a lightning bolt hurtling at Armand, but he seizes half of the witch he just killed as the body halves fall to throw it in the path of the bolt of power. The body part explodes from the power put into the spell.
Armand von Krauss - I am at war…
He beheads another witch, hurling the head at another witch to stop her from finishing her spell.
Armand von Krauss - And my cause is just.
He seizes one witch by the throat while running another through. He turns as another stream of fire comes his way and uses the witch to block the attack! The witch screams as she catches fire and her flesh is melted quickly before she dies.
One by one, the followers of the Profane Court of the Raven attempt to kill Arand von Krauss, and one by one they die. The last few run away, screaming, into the night. Armand is now bloodsoaked and begins advancing on the porch where an uncertain Jasmine Minton stands, clutching a book in her arms.
Jasmine Minton - You won’t get me, Armand! I have this! The Order of Sariel gave this to me!
Armand stops in his tracks and narrows his eyes as he looks at the book.
Armand von Krauss - Childress and his treachery. He will pay for this. Break the spell on Esmeralda von Krauss or I will murder you.
Jasmine Minton - I thought you would be so entitled as to think to make demands of me. And you think that waving that sword around will stop me?
Armand von Krauss - An eternity with the monsters that have grown up and been defeated by the carnival will do you well.
Jasmine Minton - NO!
Jasmine speaks a word of power and sends a ball of force at Armand’s feet where it explodes and sends Armand flying with the sword being sent from his hand.
Jasmine Minton - I call upon Jath'tunith the Destroyer! Come form a body of cloven flesh and deal with the caretaker of the Krimson Kharival once and forever!
Flesh rips from the bones of dead witches and bones move of their own accord crushing into dust and reforming into larger bones. The flesh seems like it liquifies and attaches to the new frame that stands seven feet tall, forming into new flesh until the demon has a host. It snarls and advances upon Armand, who is still just getting up to his feet.
Jath'tunith grabs Armand and throws him into the side of a car hard enough to nearly fold the car in half from the impact. Armand groans in pain as he starts to get back up when he looks up to see a fist coming in his direction as Jath'tunith punches him full in the face! This move almost tips the car over onto it’s side, but it falls back down to all four wheels with Armand essentially attached to the side.
Jath'tunith - It is good that you yet live. Not many mortals can withstand my assault and stay alive for more than a few seconds.
Armand comes peeling off of the side of the car, a jagged edge of metal slowly being pulled from his back as he pulls away from the car. It’s covered in black blood. Armand falls to his knees, black blood trickling from his nose and down his face onto his chest.
Armand von Krauss - I am no mortal. I am tasked with capturing beings like you and keeping them away from society forever.
Jath'tunith frowns, looking down at Armand for a moment before he smiles.
Jath'tunith - Ah, the jailkeeper! Easily slain and then all of my comrades can be freed.
A swift kick to the ribs brings Armand down to his hands and knees, coughing up black blood to the ground. He brings back his right hand with a laugh.
Jath'tunith - Time for your pass to Hell!
Jath'tunith brings the fist down to crush Armand’s skull, but Armand catches the hand. He pushes against Jath'tunith’s might and begins to stand up.
Jath'tunith - No mortal can do this!
Armand von Krauss - As I have said…I am no mortal.
He changes his grip to that of Jath'tunith’s right wrist instead of his fist and grips tight.
Jath'tunith - What are you -
Armand casually tears the arm from its socket and throws it to the side. The demon’s mouth hangs open in pain and shock. He staggers backward a few steps, looking at the arm that is spraying blood and not Armand.
Jath'tunith - How did you do this?
Armand von Krauss - I am Armand von Krauss, formerly Sidsimund of the Goth, formerly King Herod, formerly…well, I had many names. I will NOT stand idly by and allow my wife to die while there are enemies to kill in order to secure her release from that foul spell.
Armand slams home a heart punch that causes the demon’s eyes to bug out of his head and he falls to his knees as Armand walks over and picks up his black blade.
Jath'tunith - I don’t want to be sent back to Tartarus…
Armand von Krauss - Don’t worry. Your destiny is not there.
Armand slashes and takes the demon’s head off, stripping the demonic soul into the blade which flashes hungrily. Armand turns to look at the porch and begins advancing on Jasmine Minton.
Armand von Krauss - Make peace with yourself, Jasmine!
Jasmine Minton - No, no, no, no, no, no! He said I could stop you!
She flips open the book to a random page and begins reading from it as Armand nears.
Jasmine Minton - Turbo aucti ignis calefacti!
A fiery tornado begins to form around Jasmine Minton and expanding out slowly to grab Armand and fling him through the air, sending the black blade in a random direction until it spears into a tree! Armand slams into the side of a prefabricated house and lands on the ground. The tornado expands a little more until Jasmine is totally within the eye of the tornado with a few feet of space around her to keep her safe from her own spell.
The house at the center of town does not agree with this spell and is quickly torn apart piece by piece and catches fire. Jasmine just chuckles as the roof of the porch catches fire and is torn away to send the burning debris crashing though the window of another house.
Armand von Krauss stands up and walks slowly over to the tree impaled by his sword and slowly pulls it out. He turns back to Jasmine Minton, looks at her through the swirling fire, and then begins walking toward her.
Jasmine raises one hand and speaks a word of power. A humanoid covered in black goop appears next to her. Armand halts in his tracks as Jasmine draws out a long dagger.
Jasmine Minton - You thought I wouldn’t have a trump card? She’s still alive somehow, Armand.I could kill her now while you watch! Now, drop the sword!
Armand sighs and drops the sword, looking down in defeat.
Armand von Krauss - Name your price. You can have anything You can even own my share of the CWF if you would just let her go.
Jasmine seems to consider things before shaking her head and bringing the blade down so hard that it goes through the head of the covered figure and into the wooden porch floor. Armand looks on, barely registering what has just happened.
Armand von Krauss - You…YOU!
Armand does not pick up the sword, but begins walking toward Jasmine. He does not blow away when the fiery winds strike him, burning at his clothing and hair. He does not stop when his jacket and shirt are swiftly burned away to bare his chest and cause it to blister and burn. He steps into the air of the cyclone and seizes Jasmine by the shoulder.
Armand von Krauss - Death is too good for you, but it will have to do.
Jasmine Minton - Wait!
Armand plunges his hand into Jasmine’s belly, just below the ribcage, and seizes her by the sternum so that he can rip it out of her body, tearing clothing,and flesh, and snapping bones like they were simple twigs. Jasmine lets out a pained scream and we can see her lungs and heart open to the elements as blood sprays everywhere. Armand drops what he had taken from her and seizes her by the heart, tearing it out of her body and crushing it in her hand like a vise. Jasmine’s eyes roll up into her the back of her head as she dies and Armand lets her fall to the floor. The fiery cyclone dies and the black ooze bleeds away into nothingness. Armand looks down at the body with a frown.
Armand von Krauss - You are not Esmeralda.
His cell phone begins to ring and he quickly answers it while marveling at the fact that it survived everything
Armand von Krauss - My love? You are okay? Me?
Armand looks down at himself as he is slowly regenerating from being like Freddy Kreuger.
Armand von Kruss - I’ve been better. Let’s take a break to recover from recent traumas and then get back at it. Ian Childress and Valora Salinas can handle the ppv and the nKo if they need to. Meet me at the airport. I’ll have the airship pick us up.
He gets ready to walk away from the burning house but stops to pick up the book.
Armand von Krauss - A spell book that was once thought lost to the ages from before the Flood. I am no witch, but I’m sure that something can be done with this.
Armand tucks the book under his arm and walks away from the house as it collapses from the fire.
Armand von Krauss - Something dark indeed.
The scene focuses on the book as it fades to black.
