Wardens of Avalon chapter 15

Chapter 15
Bailey York

1. As one might imagine, the Citadel was a buzz about Linda's little visitor. They were calling it an “Infiltration by a Member of the Fae”. Most of us who remembered who built the place laughed at those who called it such. We were worried of course, it was a scary concept given the possibilities. However, being we are the ones who took the place by force, can one of the old occupants sneaking back in really be called an 'infiltration'? I thinks it's a stretch.
2. With the help of Colonial Maylander, I was able to swing Linda as a Witness/victim. The latter is how I saw her in this anyway. I asked Hannah and Scott to keep an eye on her anyway and make sure no one harassed her. Steven will probably also being paying close attention to her actions. He may be on the symphonists side of things but he's a watchman and anyone being offered “help” by a spirit or Fae is a cause for concern. I can't really blame him.
3. I wrapped my day up and went home. I heard scratch on the other side of the door. Reginald must have been exited for me to get home. The lock turned with a click and I opened the door.
4. I was immediately struck by the force of raw magic.
5. I reach for my family sword before I fully opened the door and gun. I felt a buzz in my hand as I touched the cold wood of the handle.
6. I charge through the door and drew the sword from its scabbard only for it to rip from my hand and stick in the opposite wall.
7. A tall figure stood between me and the window. The silhouette cast a coat and wide brimmed hat with spiky ears jutting from a small head with razor sharp features.
8. I froze for a moment at seeing my sword pulled away from me. The figure begin to turn. Just as I began to level my gun at the figure I felt a sinking in my stomach.
9. I felt like something was ripping power from me. Forcibly drawing it out of me. It felt like my soul was bleeding. I rapidly grew woozy and my gut began to do somersaults. Before I knew it, I had his my knees. Only the last remnants of my concentration kept me from going prone.
10. “Now, is that how you Yorks welcome a guest?” The figure said in a voice that felt slippery and squeaky like the strings of a violin. He turned and I saw He was eating one of the cookies from my fridge. “It's very rude.”
11. I was lifted by an invisible hand, knuckles and all, and slammed against the wall knocking the wind out of me. I tried to regain my wits as I hung against the wall. I looked around.
12. “Where's Reginald?” I asked.
13. “The Dog?” The being squeaked in a curious tone. “I have you magically pinned against the wall. Of all the questions you could ask? “Who are you?” “What are you?” You ask “Where's my Dog”?” You have bigger fish to fry, Bailey.” As he said this, I saw a small drip of purple ichor drop from oversized sleeve.
14. “Why not.” I asked. “I'm guessing he was the one who made you bleed.”
15. “True.” the being said looking at the arm. “He's game face was...” He paused and smiled an impossible grin at me. “More than I expected. He was an impressive member of the breed. Unique hound to be sure.”
16. “What did you do to him?” I asked.
17. “No worries for your Dog.” He said sauntering over to me. “He is on the other side of Avalon, mostly unharmed.” He turned back out the window. “It will take him some time to get back here.” And he looked back to me. “Enough to chat.”
18. “Well.” I said. “Chat.” I looked down. “I seem to have found an opening in my busy schedule.”
19. “I bet you have.” The being chuckled. He seemed to at least find me amusing. That's good. Things don't tend to kill stuff they find amusing. Unless they are on the “Blowing cute stuff up because it's funny” team.
20. A 410 slug explosive round to a dollar store teddy bear made me laugh for a week. Don't look at me like that. We all do stupid things in collage.
21. “I am sure you have already spoken to your lady friend Linda about my proposition.” He said ambling closer to me as he looked to a picture to my left and laughed. It was a picture of a kitten holding on to a fence with the Captions “Hang in there.” I laughed too.
22. “We talked only generalities.” I stated to my deadpan. “I only know you offered to help. I she didn't say how.”
23. “I didn't tell her how.” Elf said. “But you already know what I would have done.”
24. “You were going to give her the Wardens sense.” I said plainly. “That way she can feel the magic in a way that no Sorcerer has in generations.”
25. “A little innocent gift.” He said. “Something you and your like run around with all the time. Well...” He paused and looked me up and down. “Not your ilk I suppose.” I didn't say anything. “You’re far from a Normal boy, Bailey. Something like you hasn’t happened naturally in such a Very. Long. Time.” He begin to cackle. “And like your little lady friend, the ripe part is you don't even know.”
26. “Well?” I asked plainly. “Are you going to enlighten the audience or are you just here to gloat you know something I don't.”
27. “That is exactly why I'm here.” The Elf announced throwing a long finger to the air and tapping the ceiling. Then He pointed to me. “You'll see soon enough. Dots are going to start connecting into place for a whole lot of people and. Oh boy! If you think they hate you now.” He surged forward and grabbed my face. “You haven't seen nothing yet, Boy.” He groaned with a smile. He threw his head back and a laud guffaw the sounded like the male counterpart to the laugh of the Wicked Witch of the West as he walked away. Then, it stopped dead and he turned his head around to look at me, a demonic grin on his face “Piece of Professional curtsey?” He offered and motioned to the room. “Start packing and get ready to run. Also, get your hands on a copy of your family tree from the old library.” He walked to the window as he kept eye contact. “I think you will find the one you know lacking a number of certain details.” He stopped at the window and stepped sat on the windowsill. Then he squeaked out “or two.”
28. And then he leaned forward and let himself fall. A half second later the force pinning me to the wall let off. I fell to the ground and began to cough. It felt like my brother Travis had been doing a hand stand on my chest.
29. The magical signature he left stunk up my room. It felt slick and raw like a sour clam. It felt pulled and charge. It had an energy to it that tasted like a hundred different flavors.
30. It felt like a signature from the Forest. But the swamp? No, that wasn't in the swamp.
31. The sense of a spirit was like the taste of an alcohol. You can use the words like “woody” and “caramel” but before all that, if you have tasted a whiskey you know when something else is a whiskey and when it's not. No matter how many different flavors might be used to describe an individual, a Human feels like a human, a Dragon feels like a dragon.
32. And there was something in the Forest that was clearly not an Elf.
33. I got myself off the floor and things began to make sense.

Linda Yeoman

1. I keep seeing him around. He's been following me. The Watchman from a few weeks ago. I see him standing around a lot. He's never close, but not far ether. Just close enough to get to me if something goes down.
2. I'm sure Bailey sent him to watch me. Make sure no one tries to pull anything or make any accusations because I happened to have a Sidhe in my room last night.
3. Rethinking that statement it sounds a bit lewd.
4. It sounds like the kind of thing that Bailey would do. At least from what I've seen of him. He’s a bit course but I think he's okay after a while.
5. Tonya and Frieda have been acting weird since news got out. Frieda has been oddly quiet and I have noticed that Tonya hasn't been around much. I think she might be avoiding our room when I'm there. Trying avoid being convicted by association most likely.
6. I don't blame her. I might do the same thing if I were her. But of all times, ow I really would like to have a friend.
7. I stood out in the woods of Sanctuary, on a blank stone court. The chalk in my hand left my fingers dusty as I rolled it round. Biting my lip, I took in a deep breath and drew the circle.
8. Three meters in diameter with string assist to make it perfectly round.
9. Five point star.
10. Runes of binding in the spaces between the points, Runes of power in the points themselves.
11. A ring of iron caltrops laid around the perimeter.
12. I look at the book. An old tome of things that could hurt you. Things that didn't get called a lot because “what if it goes wrong?” I ran my eyes over the circle given and made sure I was doing it right.
13. I taped one of my cold iron rods onto a long wooden pole.
14. Finally, I walked into the middle and laid a five pound brick of cheddar into the middle of the star. Next to it I placed a pile of store bought cookies on a wood platter.
15. Exiting I willed the circle closed. Then I turned to it.
16. “Ulmrick! Ulmrick! Sundered and torn from the land long past and soon future. I call on you.” I called. The wind blew in an odd direction. “Ulmrick Statter Hron, Bringer of Pain and band leader, I call to you.”
17. The wind swirled lightly and faded, leaving the leaves and dust in a spiral.
18. “Ulmrick Statter Hron, Lost Son of the greatest of Orcus. Return Home and Heed My call!” I Shouted. “You exile is at an end, I acknowledge you and Call you, his heir.”
19. The calm was shattered by a whirlwind. Dust and leaves and everything not nailed down suddenly blasted and spun in the circle. It looked like a miniature tornado. It was tough keeping my eyes on the circle and focused. In the ruckus, I saw a figure appear.
20. Then the wind stopped and everything dropped. Thing that should have be flung with inertia instead simply dropped straight down to the ground.
21. In the middle of the circle stood a figure. He had his arm out against the walls of the circle and touch the opposite sides with bent arms. His skin was a blueish grey color like worn cement and covered in puckered scars. His jaw was set in an over bite, made worse by two massive tusk jutting up and out from his lower lip.
22. “What right does a little girl such as yourself have to call me?” He asked straining against the walls. “How can you speak with such confidence about my birthright?”
23. “I've seen your legends.” I said bending down and taking the poll in my hand and leaning on it. “I think your claims at your parentage has merit.”
24. “I'm glad to hear.” He said. “Old Daddy never acknowledged me.”
25. “You must have understood why.” I said with a shrug. “One of the highest members of Unseelie society have a Bastard, with an ogress no less. Scandalous.”
26. “Why did you believe me?” He asked.
27. “Well, mostly?” I asked. I lowered the poll and poked him in the shoulder. His skin broke out in a massive rash with blisters.
28. “AHHH!” He screamed. I quickly pulled it back and out where he could reach it.
29. “Mostly that.” I smiled. “Iron rarely hurts Ogres to the level it hurts the Fae.”
30. “Bitch!” He shouted.
31. “Well I would hope that it would hurt at least as much as Daddy saying he didn't love you.” I said walking around the circle with the pole clicking on the ground. I winced. “I'm sorry, that was mean and uncalled for...” I rubbed my eyes. “It's been a rough couple of days for me.”
32. “I can see.” Ulmrick responded and he held his hand over the rash.
33. “Okay, so here's the plan.” I said going to a close resemblance of the stance “attention”. “I will ask you a few questions. If I don't believe the answer or you get mouthy...” I raised the pole.
34. “Got it.” He said waving his hands.
35. “Who was it that I found in my room thins morning?” I asked.
36. “Here I thought it was tradition for a human woman to know a man’s name before she find him in her room.” He laughed. I pointed the stick at him. “Sorry, it was a joke.”
37. “I'm. Not. Laughing.” I said.
38. “Whoa. Okay lady.” He recoiled back to the edges of the circle.
39. “My room smells like Fae.” I made a quick jab in the circle and back out. “I want to know who it was that was watching me sleep.”
40. “I don't know his name. I don't know most of the high court’s names. Never did.” He pointed to himself. “Never claimed, never told.” He held his hands up in surrender. “They didn't talk in names.”
41. “They what was he called?” I asked.
42. “I don't know.” He said holding his hands out. “I don't know who it was.”
43. I poked his gut. And I held it.
44. “Ahh!” He screamed. A blister burst releasing a plume of a reddish smoke. “I don't know. I don't know.” he shouted between his cries.
45. “Who would?” I Shouted.
46. “I don't know.” He answered and began to sob.
47. I pulled the pole back. His entire chest was covered in sores. The part that the iron had touched and dragged along had turned to a yellow ash like substance and fell off him, leaving a zagging gouge along his torso.
48. He crouched on the far side of the circle. A ten foot tall Fae/Ogre hybrid was trying to hide from me. Ulmrick Statter Hron looked at me like child wanting to call out to it parents when face with a monster, only to remember the Monster had already killed Mommy and Daddy. A feeling of horror and pride rolled over me. The latter leading to its own feeling of horror.
49. “Who would know?” I asked slowly.
50. He sniffed.
51. “I... I don't know.” He said between sobs.
52. “Tell me something.” I said solidly.
53. He sat. His face frozen. I could see him behind his eyes scrambling to around his brain for any tiny little thing to tell me so I wouldn't hurt him again.
54. “I... I have heard something.” He said. “A Sidhe has recently been seen wondering the Spirit world, causing uproars and havoc in the Dark forest. Some say he walks the surface of Avalon and prepares to bring the Fae back to their former Glory.”
55. “His name?” I asked but it felt empty.
56. “I already told you.” He started to tear up. “They never told me names.”
57. “Then what is he called?” I demanded.
58. “They... They call him, 'The Walker'.” Ulmrick recoiled and anticipated another stab.
59. I flicked my hand and he faded away like a pile of throw dust.
60. “That was some Super Villain kind of stuff.” A voice said behind me. I turned expecting to see York, Martial or the Watchman who was following me.
61. Instead I saw a tall man with Black hair and a thin mustache. He wore an inquisitors coat on thin shoulders.
62. “It's a rare thing for someone to scar a Monster so thoroughly that they didn't even acknowledge me. Normally I'm the one scaring them so much they forget about everyone else.” He twilled a blade of grass in his fingers as he approached. “You had him crying like a baby.”
63. “I was trying to find out who it was in my room last night.” I answered before swallowing my own throat.
64. “I saw that.” He said coming close. He lightly reach for the pole. I let him take it. “You were most... inventive.” he said. He looked it over. “Cold Iron to a long pole. I like it.” He said spinning it in his hand. “It a bit off balance.”
65. “It wasn't meant for fighting.” I said plainly.
66. “What if he had gotten out?” He didn't look down at me. He was far over two meters tall.
67. “He wasn't getting out.” I said.
68. I was answered by a blow to the side of my face. The Iron, true to its name, felt cold on my skin. It didn't matter, the blood ran warm over where I was hit soon after. He brought the other side up and struck me in the gut. It hit so hard I left the ground for a moment. I threw up a little as I went to the ground. It tasted like blood. I swallowed it before he could see.
69. “Thinking you will always be able to hold the spirits you summon? That's not wise.” He said. He clicked the back side of the pole against to stones as he walked around me.
70. I wanted to get up. He was only a man, a Warden might make him a little more likely to find me if I run, but if I killed him that would make him little more than a man.
71. 'Arcane Healing and Necromancy and are sister Disciplines.' Plantagenet said in my memory. 'A Major difference is how long it took you to get to the body.' I thought about how many people had died close to where I was. I didn't feel any of course but in the millennia that Avalon had existed someone was bound to have passed on within range. I had never looked into Necromancy. It was a quick way to get a black thread in you sleeve if you got caught. Likely the quickest. Then again, I had at one point had my hands on a copy of the Necronomicon and read a few pages before I realized what it was. A little reverse engineering of Healing magic plus the vague memory of what I remember and if I sent something out, I might get a bite.
72. It would likely be the Spirit of some poor sole trapped by a deal with a Fae. And I would be trapping them again. Or I might get a wisp, the spirit of a dead faerie or something else from an old inhabitant that would likely be hard to control even if I knew what I was doing. And then there was the whole proving the wardens right thing.
73. I stayed down.
74. “I will be more careful next time, Inquisitor.” I said.
75. “Good.” He said stopping in his tracks. He walked off with the pole in hand.
76. I got up in time to see him leaving.
77. My first thought was that he was an ass. Not because he beat me for not doing my job the way he thought it should be done. Others had done the same. No, it was because when the others were done, they at least they gave me my stuff back.
78. Where was I going to get a new cold Iron rod?

Rachel Katsaros

1. The dream was odd. I stood in a hilly place. It was a clear spot in a forest. Yellow Larks sang ancestral songs pasted from father to son and mother to daughter. The distant grunting of a great stag echoes throw the branches.
2. I knew it was a dream. This was where Bailey took me for our graduation from the academy. Whenever I dreamed of Bailey, it was here.
3. I stood in a white dress with soft white flats. I could feel something on my head, like a hat, but it was out of my periphery. It held a cloth over my face, but I could see fine.
4. Bailey stood far away on the hill. He wore that long inquisitor’s coat he always did. It was brand new and this date was the first time I saw it on him. I thought he looked very serious wearing it, and it hit me the contrast of who I knew him to be and what Job he had taken. In real life, the coat is black, now a dark Grey from all the washing, but in the dream it was light brown. He wore his father’s sword on a belt under the coat with the hilt sticking out from under.
5. That was how the dream always went.
6. I started for him, but I stopped. Something was wrong. Something in the air had changed. I could feel it. I noticed his coat wasn't brown, it was as deep blue as the sky at night. His head was cast in shadow with a wide hat that covered most of his shoulders.
7. Bailey looked at me with very sad eyes.
8. “I missed you.” He said. “Why did you have to leave me?” He asked.
9. “I haven't gone anywhere.” I laughed. “I'm right here.”
10. “No you’re not.” He said turning away from me. “You aren't really here.” His head turned down and he whipped his face. “I can't do this without you.” He sniffed. “I'm not strong enough.”
11. “You can.” I said feeling schmaltzy for doing so.
12. “I...” He stumbled. I touched his shoulder. It felt bony. “Get away!” Bailey shouted. He pulled the hat down and covered his face “You... you never knew me like this. You can't see me like this.”
13. “See, I have to be real.” I said. “Otherwise you wouldn't care if I saw you with a bad haircut.”
14. “Bad haircut.” He laughed, there was something distant and joyless to it. “You really don't know who I've become.” He walked away. “I have to do this. Too much will be lost if I don't.” He took a deep breath in and turned.
15. It was then that I noticed it was raining. Not a light mist or a genital sprinkle, but a full on storm with driving rain but no lightning.
16. “What's going on, Bailey?” I asked holding my hand out to block the rain. The dress grew heavy and soaked. I began to sink. “What are you doing?”
17. I then saw he was turned towards Avalon. The massive towers of Sanctuary still shown from all the way down. The land looked like upside down mountains. The rock of the Citadel was next to it.
18. The wind began to howl and spiral. Tree began to crash down and the air filed with ozone. My hair felt the static build and build. Arcs of blue and yellow energy cracked from Baily's hands.
19. “Too much has been done.” He shouted over the wind. “It much be started over. Better and with greater kindness.” He balled his fist and long streaks of energy ripped from the ground to it.
20. “Bailey! What are you..?” I screamed but the sound of thunder roared too loud for even me to hear my voice.
21. I did heard Him scream a cry of pain and blood ran red down his leg. I turned and looked to see two people in Inquisitor's coats running up to us, one holding a bolt actions rifle. Behind them ran a few of the Watch and two Women in Magester robes. Leading them was a Massive built man is brass Armor holding a sword consumed in white hot heat. The rain to steamed and evaporated around it.
22. “It!” He screamed. “It! Must! Be! Done!”
23. And the largest bolt of lightning I have ever seen shot from him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the rainbow of color launched from his arm, ripping apart his sleeve and flew throw the air. It landed on the joined area of Avalon. There was a massive blast as the bolt tore through the floating island. Earth and stone melted and sprayed under the power of the bolt. The Citadel Begin to plummet to the ground, disintegrating on its way down.
24. Bailey fell to the ground as the others ran past me. One of the Women in Magester robes stopped. She looked worn, most of her will dashed but I knew her. Bobbie York, Bailey’s mother. She looked to Baily, who was on the ground being beaten by a large man.
25. The Man being beaten was not Bailey. He had a long nose and knife like ears. His skin was far too pale to be human. And as the pebbles that had been the Citadel landed on our faces, he laughed.
26. She cried. “What have you done?”
27. I shot up awake. I felt cold in my soul.
28. Across the foot of my bed stood a small built Middle Eastern Boy.
29. “What?” I pleaded. “What was that?” I touched my face. It was clean. And wet.
30. “You were called forth.” Timotheos said.
31. “What do you mean called forth?” I asked getting out of bed to wash my face. “Why?”
32. “A force in the future will call you to that place.” he answered. “I was sent to explain this.”
33. “What does that mean?” I asked turning the light on. The sudden turn from dark to light burnt my eyes as the strained to adjust.
34. “It means that only the work of God can turn Bailey from that path now.” Timotheos said following me but standing outside the door.
35. “Do you think he will?” I asked.
36. “What did you see?” He asked. I told him.
37. “So?” I asked, “Will the big man upstairs stop it.” He closed his eyes and waited
38. “I cannot say.” Timotheos said finally.
39. “Don't know or can't say.” I asked washing my face. My hair was wet and would need to be dealt with now or be a disaster when it dries.
40. “I can't say.” He answered. I looked at him a nodded
41. “He looked.” I stopped. “He sounded sad. He said I left him.” I looked at Timotheos. He stood very straight and bit his lips. “What happened?”
42. “I...” he paused. “I shouldn't say.”
43. “What?” I asked resisting the instinct to grab the angel.
44. “Bailey is a very good man.” Timotheos said, his voice strained. “He has good intentions.”
45. “Which I hear is asphalt for the road to hell.” I said.
46. “The Man you saw.” He sighed. “That was not Bailey. He is...was... Will be?” he muttered to himself “Freaking English tenses. This would be easier if you spoke ancient Greek.” Then re returned to me. “He will be something entirely different.”
47. “Is this a case of...?”
48. “Do not make me explain!” Timotheos asserted. “I can only tell you one more thing and you must listen.” I nodded. “Bailey will be getting a new enemy. One who is out of his league and he will not be able to handle on his own.”
49. “And I need to help him.” I inferred.
50. “No.” He said. “You must abandon him.” He looked at me with glory filled eyes. “You will be called on in the morning and you may go. Know that after this, you cannot help him or you both shall be lost.” the glow faded from his eyes.
51. “But.” I asked. “I... I can't just let him drown. Not without explaining why.”
52. “We know this is a hard thing to ask.” Timotheos said.
53. “Hard. I can't...” I pointed to my door. “Get out!”
54. “I am done here anyway.” he said.
55. He was gone like a bad movie edit. Popping straight from there to nothing. I sat on the bathroom floor.

Bailey York

1. I walked through the woods. Oreo Wind, The Pegasi glamoured to resemble a Motorcycle, was waiting patiently back on the road, tied to a tree with a length of rope.
2. Slowly, I made my wake back to where the “Scent” stopped. I felt around.
3. The Signatures all mixed together now. The age of the “Scent” was muddling it, causing everything meld into the aether as it faded. I sat and tried to concentrate. Was looking for something.
4. It didn't take long to find it. It was like separating and sorting grains of sand by color, but I did it.
5. Now, I needed back up.