The Silver Orb

Chapter 1 ~Albert Einstein

The sound of voices carried over the seemingly empty town. Empty that is, except for the theater. Crowds of people were slowly making their way inside and taking their seats. Most of the people coming tonight were of a higher status from the Science community.
The lights began to dim, and a man in a tuxedo stood and took his place at the center of the stage.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to present you with a special occasion. I’m sure many of you have heard of the works of Albert Einstein.” he watched and waited for a few nods here and there. “Please give a big hand for the very man himself.” he stepped off to the outside of the stage, putting one arm out as he did.
Clapping filled the auditorium and a spotlight swung to the middle of the stage as Albert Einstein stepped through the curtains in a rather nervous manner.
“Ladies and Gentlemen I would like to present you with yet another discovery.”
A few of the men in the crowd nodded appreciatively, thinking of the all the achievements this man had had thus far.
Albert held up a plane paper bag in the air. “I would like to show to you something of great importance this night.”
He set the bag down on a small table that had been set up, and he reached his hand inside.
A young woman in black stood up and made her way down the row along with a young man. They walked up the aisle and pulled on cloaks before going out the door.
”Ladies and Gentlemen. I present to you…
As he pulled his hand out of the bag his voice faded. Suddenly the theater went black, and the stage was lost from view. There were the sounds of a slight scuffle, and then all went silent.

c v d

When the lights came back on Albert Einstein was still standing at center stage. There was a look of shock on his face, and a slowly forming bruise on his left cheek. The bag he had been seemed to be missing. Guards immediately rushed up to the stage and out the door.

c v d

”Did you get it?”
The young man who had left the theater stepped out of the shadows. He was addressing the hooded figure who had just slipped out of the stage door.
”What do you think?”
A female voice came from the shadows beneath the hood. The couple turned and walked out of the small side alley next to the theater.
”He really was going to show every one wasn’t he.”
She nodded, looking up at the moon rising in the sky. Clare slid her hand up and pushed the hood off her head. Her face glowed white in the moon light.
”I knew that giving it to him was a bad idea,” he said also looking up at the moon.
”The council thought he would be a great holder.” she said shrugging her shoulders.
”Well they were wrong.”
Clare glared at him, but quickly turned her head.
”We’ll have to give it back to the council again, Trae,” she said with a hint of disappointment.
”We can’t risk it.”
She looked over at him in disbelief. Then stopped and turned towards him. Then the burst of a door was heard and Trae grabbed her and pulled her into another alley. They stood still for a while as the noise of foot steppes disappeared in the other direction. Trae had been looking out of the alley and as Clare spoke in a hushed voice he still kept gazing out.
“Are you saying we can’t trust the council?”
”That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
She gave him a questioning look.
”Haven’t you heard,” he looked down at her for the first time that night, “they want to destroy it.”
”There is no way that is true.” She looked him in the eye to detect any sign of his lying. He had dark eyes, almost black, that had yellow specks in them that looked like gold dust. Then she turned and stepped out of the alley and started walking again, “Why would the council want to destroy the Melken.”
He stepped out behind her, but was quickly beside her again.
“They say it’s too powerful to risk having some one else try to use it. They don’t think we can find another holder.”
He looked at her as they were walking; his black, shoulder length, hair fell in front of his face. She felt a twinge of a smile on her lips, but she fought it.
”They know I could hold it if I had to.”
”Come know Clare. We both know that’s a lie. You shouldn’t
have had it this long, now hand it over.”
He put his hand out in front of her and they both stopped.
”No, besides I’ve got the perfect holder.”
”Oh really. Whom might that be?”
She could see the slight greed in his eyes.
”You’ll find out at the meting, when I present it to the council.”
”Well I hope who ever it is better than him.” he gestured towards the theater.
”So do I.” she looked up at him. He was taller than her, but not by much.
”I’m really not going to find out who this is, am I?”
”Nope, not until the meeting,” She smiled.
”By the way have you heard where it is this time?”
”Yes, it’s just outside Cork Ireland, on a small island. “
”And the Melken is....” he looked at her inquisitively.
”Safe.” she replied and gave him another smile.
”I guess I’ll see you there then?”
”Of course.”
He turned and walked into the fog that had formed while they were talking. She pulled the hood back over her face, and walked back toward the theater.

c v d
The council was dressed in its usual white, and at the center was their council leader, an elf named Nicodème. He was magnificent yes, but he, then again, didn’t like Clare. She had caused the council a lot of grief when she had been younger. The fact that she was older now seemed to have slipped his mind.
The council sitting around him was made up mostly of elves, as they were supposedly very wise. Centaurs, leprechauns and other “wise” creatures made up the rest of the council. Nicodème raised a hand and the talking slowly died down.
”Now we can begin,” he said, “as evidence that we are here the Melken has once again lost a holder. And seeing as it’s getting late I will get straight to the point. We have talked about this before and have come to a decision. It will have to be destroyed. Unfortunately I must ask. Are there any objections?”
”I object.”
Clare stood. Nicodème stood also, then he spoke.
”You object?”
She nodded.
”Well state your reasons.” And with a sigh he sat back in his seat.
She walked to the middle of the room.
”In the past we have tried many inventors, leaders and even normal people. The Melken has gone through the hands of Caesar Augusts, Ben Franklin, Peter the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, and now Albert Einstein. From the beginning of time we have been moving it from one holder to another. Now we are going to destroy the one thing that can keep humans from knowing that magical creatures really do exist. The Humans would have to deal with the fact that there were other things, other beings living with them for...”
"Miss. LeBaron, would you please get to the point."
“Of coarse,” she stepped forward, ”there is only one thing in common with the holders chosen. She looked into the elves’ eyes and simply stated “There all over 16.”
A great murmur ran through the assembled creatures. Nicodème slowly raised his hand once again and the murmurs subsided.
“Mrs. LeBaron,” He addressed her with a stern face. “Are you suggesting that we give this sacred relic to a…a child?” When Clare nodded, the council burst into objections.
“Mrs. LeBaron, we will need to discuss this proposition. Members of the council please come with me.” He stood up and the council dismissed. Conversation broke out, and many of the on lookers stood to go out side. Clare slightly smiled and turned around to find Trae. He was sitting in the front row and had a smile on his face. She walked over and sat down in her seat. It seemed to last for hours. Those that had left were just sitting in their seats when the council returned. They didn’t sit. Clare stood and returned to her place in the center of the room.
The voice of Nicodème broke through the noise and the conversation stopped.
“We have decided to try this new idea. But, Clare this is you last chance. If you fail this time then the Melken will be destroyed. The council is now dismissed” He turned and beckoned Clare to him as the crowd stood and the noise of conversation filled the room. He whispered something in audible to the rest of the people in Clare’s ear. Then he walked out, the council members trailing behind him in their various forms.
c v d
Everyone but Trae and Clare left the auditorium. The magic from the elves wore off and the white walls turned to hard brick. The seats for the council and the on lookers faded away to leave an empty great hall.
“You presented well.”
Clare looked up and found Trae only a few feet from her. He was grinning. She smiled back then looked down at her hand. She was obviously preoccupied by some thing.
“But you still haven’t told me,” he walked around her, “who this new holder is.” He circled her again like a bird of pray. She looked at him and gave a twinge of a smile.
“And you still won’t. I’m not to tell any one.”
For a moment disappointment flashed on his face, but he quickly replaced it with a smile. “Oh really. Can you tell me where they live?”
She looked at him inquiringly, ”And why do you want to know?”
“Oh no reason, but we always worked together.”
She smiled, “So?”
He made another round, “So, why aren’t we working together now.”
Her smile faded. She couldn’t tell what it was, but some thing was wrong.
Trae noticed her facial change and His smile disappeared as well.
“What’s wrong Clare?” he stepped closer.
“Why is it, Trae, that you want to know so much? The Council told me not to tell.” Then she noticed that he was making circles around her.
“I just want to help you find the right person.” He had an innocent look on his face.
“Trae you’re not going to help me.”
A look of anger was on his face now and he didn’t try to hide it.
“Clare hand it over.”
She could tell he was getting impatient. She took a few steppes back. “No Trae I won’t give it to you.”
He lunged forward and grabbed her by the wrists. She had almost gotten free from him, when he suddenly griped harder. He wrestled her toward a wall and shoved her up against it. Then he moved one of her wrists over to the other, so he had a free hand. He began to search her person for the small round sphere. It didn’t take him long to find is stashed in her coat pocket. His hand reached in, fumbling to find the opening.
With a growl of rage, Clare arched her back away from the wall. Her eyes flashed and her cheeks flushed. Trae realized too late what was taking place. When he looked up at Clare his face turned pale in astonishment.
Trae’s thin form was forced from the wall with shocking force. He landed on his back, some thirty feet away, staring at the woman still clinging to the wall, her beautiful face scowling at him—the ire she felt completely unbridled.
“So you’re the spy we’ve been looking for.”
“Y-yes Clare I was.” He instantly realized that he had said the wrong thing. She advanced toward him and seized him by the neck.
“Traitor” she growled.
c v d
Out side a leprechaun was telling some of his friends a rather funny story of his uncle when a laud bang made them all jump. Next they heard a thump and they turned to the auditorium. Clare had thrown Trae out of the auditorium by his neck, and he had landed a few feet from the creatures standing outside.
Trae picked himself up and ran. He turned his head to see if she was following and tripped, crashing to the ground. He rolled as he landed, minimizing the impact. But he still lay on his back, dazed, for moments afterward. Clare appeared in front him and, grabbing him by the front of his shirt, lifted him into the air and shook him violently.
“You tried to steel it last night didn’t you”
“N-now Clare I wouldn’t c-call it stealing.” His voice faltered as she shook him in the air. She gave a grimace and through him across the yard. He landed looking up at the cloud-covered full moon. He smiled at himself and stood up.
“What are you smiling at Trae?”
“Look at the moon Clare.” She took a second to look up at the sky. The cloud cover was slowly uncovering the moon. She stepped back and she turned human again. Now it was Trae’s turn. He slowly changed, but to Clare it seemed like no time.
His eyes changed first, becoming a stark, feral yellow. Hair grew at an accelerated rate over his whole body. His clothes melted into his skin and his body elongated, becoming that of the fierce, muscled canine. The instant his own transformation was complete he bounded over and leapt on Clare.
He held her form prone with his massive front paws and raked her body with his rear legs, tearing cloth and flesh. His sharp fangs rent her upper body, being held from her face only by her arms.
She struggled beneath his immense weight for a time, then stopped
Wizards and elves responded swiftly to the events, rushing forward and using their combined powers to force the werewolf off the girl. The blast from one wizard’s stave threw him across the yard and toward the building. He landed on all for paws; his back arched and fur bristling The werewolf looked back at the gathered magical creatures, his enchanted, amber eyes piercing through the throng to regard Clare as she lay still, bleeding upon the ground. He gave a long low howl that pierced the silence of the night.
. The elves knelt down and carefully turned her over. Then one checked her pulse.
“She’s hurt badly,” he looked at the others, “but she’s still alive.”
“We’ll take her to Nicodème. He might be able to heal her.”
They all surrounded her and disappeared. None of them noticed the small silver ball lying on the ground.