Chp 47: Down the yellow brick road

Location: Cirque du Freak

Out walked a truly beautiful woman, with well tanned skin the colouring of Spanish descent. But the lady had a strange look to her there was a disonnance in her eyes as if she was seeing something no one else could see.

Walking slowly and mysteriously around the room the crowd took in a collective breath as she gave a graceful bow stopping in front of Sirius and Adam. "I wonder what your future holds young man you have fate about you. Turning away she moved off to speak to the next member of the crowd her body pulling taut like the string of a bow.

"In blackest night ... lies brightest day, a flickering flame almost out ... " said the woman spacing out her eyes unfocused and clouded. Then her smile stretched unaturally widening at the edges like a sickening sycophant.

"Tic toc, cahahaahha ... time to play" cackled a voice which seemed to come from all over the room at once.

Adam and Sirius had all but a second to state confusedly at the woman as the woman sprouted a beard, before both them and their seats fell through a gaping black portal in the groudn which swallowed them like a great maw with crack.

Everyone in the room, looked at each other blankly not quite comprehending what had happened, 'waaaahhhght'.

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The alarm at the department of Magical Accidents and catastrophes went off.

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Adam and Sirius dropped still in their chairs into a black abyss, seconds later the air resistance flipped them upside down before pulling the chairs out from beneath them ... or wait was it above them now.

(1 second)

"Arrrrgghhh" screamed Sirius as he saw massive blade like structures peel at speed into view like the barbed ends of a wired fence.

(4 seconds)

Adam hesitated in shock for a moment before orientating himself in the air, gliding as fast as he could to Sirius.

He hit him at pace causing them to caterwall through the air in a tumble of limbs and bruises.

(6 seconds)

The shapes through the gloom became clearer great towering spike like buildings cut through the air beneath them like shattered shards of obsidian.

Untangling themselves Adam screamed at Sirius through the wipping wind "we're going to need to apparate before we hit the ground or it's going to come up and flatten us".

Sirius nodded firmly fighting to keep his eyes open through the terrifying winds.

(8 seconds)

Adams face tensed up as they passed below the top of one of the highest towers, a bone chilling aura cascading out from its tallestest spire.

Swoosh

They passed inch's by a protruding walkway getting a glimpse of a whip curling mid crack.

A great structure suddenly came up from beneath them encompassing the entirety of their vision.

Pop

Sirius aparated instinctively to his home. Adam and Sirius felt like they were being squeezed through a tube before they were spat out again their stomachs in their figurative throats ... in the same place they'd disappeared from. Before begining to fall again as if their inertia which had dissapeared took hold gain causing them to to acceleration anew.

Now with a bit more time to think Sirius spotting a platform with some kind of goth motorbike looking thing, apparating again still reeling from the magical effects of a failed apparition. Both Adam and him reappearing landing in a heaving heap on the platform, their hearts threatening to jump out their chests.

'It would be nice to have some warning next time' piped up Calcifer.

'Tell me ... About it'!

"Emperor's tits" gasped Adam as his adrenaline spike slumped like he had just come off a little a four day bender.

Sirius simply kept gasping for air as they both lay there staring into the kalidascopic display of every shade of grey and black above their heads, shimmering craft wizzing by at horrendous speeds above and below them.

"I don't think we're in Surrey" said Sirius s minute late.

"No ... No no nooooowh" let out Adam as he looked visibly upset and offended as he started to cotton on to how fucked they were his eyes passing over a black sun in the distance it's baleful light causing a hundred shadows to dance around them.

'Black sun Check, spikes everywhere Check, that was a whip I saw Check and if I'm not wrong that's the dull throbbing sound of a trillion souls crying out in pain' thought Adam 'Fuck'.

Adam suddenly turned to Siris a look of abject terror on his face his emotional control cracking.

"Adam are you okay" asked Sirius worried having just finished up his coughing fit.

"Speak quietly ... oh we're fucked, it's happening again your going to die I'm going to die".

"Adam calm down why are ... we fucked buddy also language your twelve yet"?

Adam almost smirked before returning to the situation at hand look away into the distance. Sirius saw the the shadows crossing his face making him look hauntingly gaunt, "We're in Commorragh".

The word made Sirius feel ill but not knowing what that meant he spoke up, "Adam whats Commorragh.....".

"Not where we want to be" said Adam as he quickly pulled Siris behind some storage containers as two jetbike pilots wizzed by passing through spiked structures at hundreds of miles and hour chasing after a cackling scourge their wings impossibly manouverable pulling off seemingly incomprehensible flips and twists before passing beneath the handrail of a gantry in the splits.

"Those ... are dru-kahri, if they find us it will make some of the spells you told me about look like a walk in the park... keep down, we don't and I repeat don't, want them to see us".

"Apparating didn't seem to work we must be too far" said Sirius.

"Too far is the right word, we're not even in the same plane of existence, damn". Adam taking a knee, taking off his shrunken trunk from around his neck kissing it, 'prepare for situation FUBAR, thanks kaldor'.

Engorgio

Adam unshrunk his trunk with his wand cracking it open. Adam pulled out the holo suit belt and mask his invisibility suit and a knife, strapping the knife with scabbard onto his belt.

"Here Sirius put this on".

"It's a clown costume"?

" Your a joke anyway but It'll keep you from being bothered, it's the uniform of the universes unnerving murder clowns and consequently it'll keep the drukahr and most species off your back unless we bump into another harlequin, lets hope that doesn't happen".

Sirius shrugged, though he looked embarrassed as he slipped into the skin tight body suit.

"And here's the flip belt be careful, it spits on gravity and air resistance and we don't won't you flying off the edge".

"Got it ... Wow that feels insane" said Sirius as he jumped up and down like the first man on the moon with a wide smile on his face.

'I think that's the most genuine happiness that's ever occured in the dark city ... No wait did I just see it get slightly brighter ... No it's already gone' commented Calcifer Sarcastically.

'You, staying in the box' asked Adam.

'Would slannesh not turn up to an orgy just leave the box unlocked so I can make a quick getaway'.

'Now how am I going to blend in' thought Adam, 'Jeez this is going to hurt'.

Adam drew on the warp for the first time in a while careful. It felt especially twisted though thankfully muted from the usual cacophony of daemonic creatures waiting to overwhelm him at the slightest sign of weakness. Channeling it slowly into his bones he lengthened them climbing in height through the pain to a tall 6ft 6. Turning next to his ears he extended them before darkening his skin and sharpening his feature, his eyebrows morphing into sharp blades, the sides of his mouth distorting to give him a truly inhuman smile.

"Merlins balls you look traumatizing".

"Owwwwww" complained Adam as his bones and ligaments throbbed from their quick growth, then Adam fell over not used to the height.

Standing up Adam walked to the edge of the platform, "It's a good thing I have more than one heart, I'm feeling a bit heady I still don't feel confident enough to mess around with them".

Finally as Adam stopped wobbiling like a baby gazelle, 'Now what we do' thought Adam with melancholy as he took in the abominable city.

"We've got each other Adam and am I fuck going to let you go through something like this alone again I owe it you and James" embracing Adam in a manly hug.

"Thanks Sirius" said Adam remembering who he was and what he had been trained to do, "Maximum effort" stepping off the ledge Adam pulled Sirius with him.

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