Resplendent Return

Chapter 2 · 19 pages. Tap a page's title to see its notes and comments.

Page 13

Caption: Javi Martell, age 25. Massive occult enthusiast, local gigworking hermit, mostly chill, has a green thumb. Javi sits on his bed in an occult-decorated room looking at his phone. Narration: And then... life happened. As terrifying as Sigil was, having her back on Earth would solve so many of my problems. I could endure thousands of macabre transmutations if it meant being able to cast a spell again. If I stay depowered, I might as well have peaked at ten. After performing literal magic, anything I do feels dull in comparison. Javi opens his front door onto the city street.

Page 14

Caption: Houston, Texas downtown area. 15 years after Sigil's deal, Earth seems to have remained an arcane void. Javi walks down a busy street. Narration: The financial gains are a massive part of the appeal; organizations offer hard cash for real evidence of the supernatural. I could get millions from that alone. Family medical debt gone. Evan's start-up well-funded by a generous donation. His phone shows a balance of 5.00. After that, a vacation to Japan or Spain. Maybe someday. But for now, he stands outside a Halloween-decorated bar called Nosferatu's Nightcaps.

Page 15

Narration: ...back to our regularly scheduled wageslaving. Javi enters the gothic bar. Caption: Evan Kamen, age 26. Javi's best friend, owns a bar, 2020s-era hipster, knows hundreds of Cajun recipes, built like a brick house, won a local shooting league once. Evan, sweeping, says: Oh, hey! What's up, Javi? Javi: Hey Evan, my dude! My buddy! My pal! Evan: You aren't subtle. I know that tone. What do you need? Javi: Dude, I don't always use that voice to ask ya for something. Evan: Oh really? Let's see...

Page 16

Evan: Let's start with the usuals. Reschedule our Longboats and Lindwyrms session? Get you synth-wave records again? Javi: No. Not that either. Evan: Did you wanna go ghost hunting? Javi: We're not clout-chasing ghost hunters; we look for faeries and spirits instead. At the piano, Evan: Very high-brow stuff. What's the difference anyway? Javi: Ghosts are dead. Evan: Am I missing something, or are you just being a smartass? Javi: Lil' bit of both. Evan: Up yours. Javi: Save the flirting until after I explain. Ghosts need something to manifest, while spirits are living concepts. Fae come from other worlds, or as Sigil calls them, Nexuses, and those ar-- Evan: OK, I shouldn't have pushed the hyperfixation button. You didn't come here to talk metaphysics. Javi: Right. Could you give me a ride to a few gigs? We can split the pay 50/50 again.

Page 17

At the bar, Evan holds a drink. Evan: Sure, but you know you could work here full-time if you'd like. I could use another bartender. Javi: Eh, I dunno. I'm trying to aim for a job higher up on the economic totem pole. Hopefully something dealing with fewer customers. Evan: You make it difficult not to say something about temporarily embarrassed millionaires. Javi: You'd be a hypocrite if you did. I distinctly remember ya talking about this place like it was the second coming. Evan, holding his car keys: OK, fair, but if the place doesn't completely blow up, that's cool. I just want you, Laurel, and the others along for the ride. Business might take a while to get off the ground, but it'll work out. Note: Laurel is Evan's girlfriend. Javi narrates: It's not a bad gig, the money would be decent, but working here would cut into the little time I have to take care of pops. Javi: I'll keep the offer in mind.

Page 18

Leaving the bar, Evan tosses his keys. Evan: And please don't spend your tips on fake mystical knick-knacks again. Your landlord's going to freak out if your rent's late again. Javi: Are you sure I should? They've been a wash so far, but the quicker I can prove magic exists, the sooner we'll have it made. No more late rent problems. Evan stares silently. Javi grins: Just kiddin', don't worry, I've kinda given up hope on that front anyway. Outside by Evan's car, Evan: If you have the time, stop by the opening celebration tomorrow. It would be kinda weird to have our interior designer MIA. Javi: Wouldn't miss it for the world. And just gimme a few days to think about the job, OK? It'd mean some very big schedule changes for me. Evan: Of course. The car pulls away.

Page 19

A montage of Javi's gig work: walking a pack of excited dogs, delivering a pizza to a yelling customer, carrying a box past a pawn shop, and driving at sunset. At night Evan's car waits outside an apartment building. Inside the car, Javi slumps in the passenger seat, sweaty and tired. Evan: Uh, hey man, are you OK? Javi: Fine. Just exhausted. Evan: Do you wanna talk more about that Nexus stuff while I drive you home? I'm curious about that.

Page 20

In the car, Javi: Damn, did ya get that bored in here? Evan: No? I wasn't lying when I said I like your rants. They're hella interesting, and I think you need some post-work decompression. Javi: Well, alright. So, Nexuses. Nexuses are weird. A full-page illustration shows a pink and blue castle on a cliff in a starry void with glowing orbs and a pink moon with eyes. Javi narrates: They're like a mix between an alternate dimension, a plane of existence, and another world. Even our physics is a suggestion in some of them. Evan: And you think magic from those Nexuses is going to flow into Earth? Javi: It's what Sigil told me, but these days, I dunno. Evan: Really? The occult expert doesn't even know where magic is gonna come from? Javi: Not an expert. Everything real about the arcane that I know is from Sigil; even managing to summon her was a stroke of sheer cosmic luck. All the research on the occult I can find here is just rambling from quacks, scammers, and the literally insane.

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Evan, driving: Which one of those groups includes you? Because you aren't a quack and I don't see you running any scams. Javi: Ha! Considering I've been talking about this stuff for years now, my sanity was never in question. Evan: I'm messing with you man, you aren't insane. All of this might just be your mind playing tricks on you. The car drives along a highway through the night city. Javi: Spawning in portals is a tad out there for a trick. Evan: Are you sure? You can't cast spells now, and don't underestimate people's minds, it's turned things like barn owls into Mothman. Time can distort things. Plus, don't you find it weird that magic never existed here but you mention a lot of local folklore when you talk about these things? Javi, thoughtful: And therein lies the rub. Sigil noticed that too, and it fascinated her something fierce. A good sixty percent of what we got here wasn't accurate, but we got just enough right for it to pique Sigil's curiosity.

Page 22

Evan, driving: If magic is real, then we have a problem on our hands. Javi: Oh yeah? Evan: Yeah, it means I'm going to have to get you off the hot seat again. Judging by what those notes of yours have to say, a deal with a faerie will probably backfire. Javi: I know that now, but when you offer a kid a deal for superpowers, he tends to ignore the fine print. Hell, I probably would have settled for Yu-Gi-Oh cards. It is what it is. The deal's already been sealed, so now all I can do is get mine. The car pulls up on a dark street, unaware of hulking wolf-like monsters with glowing eyes and green miasma lurking in an alley nearby. Evan: I'm just saying you shouldn't let your ambition override your good sense. Have you thought about the political mess that would happen if this is true? Every country on Earth would move heaven and hell to try to monopolize your portals. And if they can't, how do you think they'd feel if some guy could disregard every national border instantly? You'd have a massive target on your back forever. Javi: Eh, for all I know, I've got years to think about that. So we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I'd better start focusing on things I can actually influence.

Page 23

At Javi's door, Evan: Which, on that note, I'll see you at the bar tomorrow. Javi: Fair, hypotheticals are for the party, and we're gonna need all the help we can get, so thanks. Well, I'm gonna remember that offer of helping me if things go haywire with Sigil, so I figure it's the least I can do. Evan: That deal seems heavily lopsided, but relax, I wouldn't just let some faerie try to take advantage of you, slime. Javi: Same for you, and don't worry, I'll let you renegotiate the deal later. Alone in his dark room, Javi narrates: Clock's ticking, I gotta bring her back quickly. I owe it to pops and everyone else. I can make sure they'll be rich, happy, and most importantly, healthy. Javi flops onto his bed. I just gotta find out how I can summon her again. Must be something I'm missing. Some tricks I haven't learned, some locations I haven't found, some ingredients I don't know. I can solve this. I have to.

Page 24

Javi sleeps, then wakes as warm light fills the room, his eyes snapping wide open. From his bed, he sees a fox-like figure in a long coat standing in his kitchen, cooking at the stove, red smoke curling around the room. Narration: Sigil...

Page 25

Javi, startled on the couch: Jesus H Christ! You coulda knocked or something! Scared the crap outta me... Sigil, holding a frying pan: The spell to bring back your abilities would have been even more strenuous had your slumber been disturbed. Thus, I graciously allowed you to continue to rest. Javi closes his eyes, then grins wide. Narration: Finally... Javi: Bullshit. You scared me because you thought my reaction would be funny, didn't you? Sigil, grinning and holding a pan of eggs and bacon: That was certainly a factor, yes. Surely you understand that upon concluding such a ritual, your weakened sponsor was in dire need of mirth.

Page 25a

Sigil grins in the dark, a clawed black hand raised. Sigil: Now, do not keep a lady waiting; show me my spell worked. Javi stares at his hands as glowing teal lines run through them. Javi thinks: It's back. Fuck yes! My magic is back! Javi grins and reaches out with a clawed, glowing teal hand against a purple background. Javi thinks: Now all I have to do is... fulfill my end of the bargain. Javi's grin turns nervous and sweaty. Javi thinks: Y'know... the favour I owe the scary fae lady with no morals and fifteen years to think of something fun for me to do. Uh, it-it'll be fine, right? Sigil smiles wide behind him. Javi thinks: Probably. Hopefully.

Page 26

Javi: Sorry, it's just surreal that you're here. I was starting to think I had hallucinated you. Sigil: I take an intermission, and you doubt my existence? I'm offended. Tell me, what has my favourite sorcerer been doing while I was gone? Javi: Just been hanging in this meat prison of mine. Honestly, we shouldn't get into it; you'd think my life is boring. Sigil, serving breakfast: Oh come now, I'm not only interested in the occult. You've grown into an ambitious young man! I'm sure you have tales abound. And your past is more relevant than you realize. Sigil conjures a glowing blue image of a stern blue-skinned elf woman. Sigil: As the one I traded your favor to has arranged an appointment near your old college. Javi thinks: An elf? Javi: Why do they wanna meet in the middle of nowhere Nac, Texas? Sigil: It likely concerns the recent gathering of monstrosities near the reservoir. Javi: What?! I didn't hear anything about that. As far as I could tell, there's still no magic in this world, even after you left. So any monsters would be pretty damn newsworthy.

Page 27

Sigil: That would be something to ask your employer. Javi: Alright then, tell me more about this employer? Sigil opens a glowing cyan portal with her clawed hand. Sigil: Bedelia von Heiligeberge. An elven noble from another Nexus, and quite the skilled alchemist. Be warned, however, she's a bit prickly. Javi: Eh, I've worked retail. I can handle prickly if it means getting a contact like that. Sigil: Oh? Are you plotting something, wyrmling? Javi: I need to learn more about magic. If she's as skilled as you say, I'm hoping she can tutor me. Sigil: Understandable, your spells were inelegant last we met. But why not ask I, your beloved patron, to teach you?

Page 28

Javi steps toward the portal. Javi: Uh-huh, Sigil, would you tutor me? Sigil: No, your flailing is part of the fun, dear! I just would've liked to have been considered, is all. Javi: Figured. Sti-- They step through into a forest. Javi: W-whoa... Caption: Angelina National Forest, Nacogdoches, Texas. A wide shot of an eerie, red-tinted forest with fallen trees and drifting lights. Sigil: Fufufu, quite the fascinating sight, isn't it? Javi: What the hell happened to the forest? Why is everything so damn red? Where are the locals? Back in the day, I couldn't go five seconds around here without seeing a hiker, but now? It's just desolate. Man, that's eerie. Sigil: Calm yourself, child. In this quest, a distraught mind will do nothing but betray you.

Page 29

Javi: D-do you think I can do whatever it is she needs me to do? Sigil: Tragedy is frequent, and you are a callow wyrmling. So probably not. Javi: Thanks, Sigil. Your faith in me is truly inspiring. Sigil: Oh, don't be so glum. A comforting lie would do you more harm than good, lest you be subsumed by undue confidence. Sigil opens a glowing portal. Javi: Seriously?! You're leaving already?! Sigil: Apologies. My time is limited, and your place on this stage is set. But do not fret! For if you survive this ordeal, I have arranged the most radiant festivities for you! Until then! Ta-ta! She vanishes, leaving Javi alone. Narration: It's been fifteen years, and she doesn't even stay for fifteen minutes. Whatever.

Page 30

Fiery wisps with beaks drift around Javi in the red forest. Narration: Let's uh... try to look on the bright side here. At least I'm not completely alone. I have these creepy wisps to keep me company. That's good, right? Joking aside, this much magic on Earth is downright freakish. Nothing for years and then a full-on mystical treasure trove outta nowhere? Talk about going zero to one hundred. And to top it all off, I think it's affecting the air. It'd explain why the place looks like it's out of a liminal nightmare. Javi walks alone into the misty forest surrounded by wisps. Narration: God, I hope the elf lady knows what's going on. To be continued...

That's the end of Resplendent Return. Keep going with Grisly Groves!