The Maiden Medallions: Beastkeeper

by Edward Shawn

  Jeremiah slipped on his parka. Performing the ritual to activate the portal, the haze of blue flared, then froze in place. Walking through and out onto the rocky, pitted surface of The Wayward, he once again found himself enveloped by icy bitterness. Stepping off the ebon platform, he crossed over the crater and then ascended the crude path leading to the mouth of the cave.

  You have returned.

  “Yes, and I have news.”

  As do I.

  Stepping into the cave, nothing moved within the pervasive blackness. “I’ll go first,” Jeremiah said. “We recorded an energy reading matching the one from our medallion. This suggests the location of a second one. I need something that can track the energy to its source. Otherwise, my people could end up looking for a needle in a great big haystack.”

  What do you mean?

  “What I mean is, the search area is large and this new medallion won’t be easy to locate.”

  Then I will assist you. But you will have to wait a short while.

  “You do understand what I need, don’t you?”

  You desire a tracker with the ability to locate energy.

  “Yes, that sounds about right,” Jeremiah said, drawing his coat tighter around him. “How long is a short while?”

  It will be prepared before your need to return home.

  “You mean before I freeze to death.”

  I do.

  “How reassuring. What have you learned?”

  We will discuss it later.

  The presence in his mind immediately vanished. Staying within the cave, Jeremiah stared out over the bleakness of the asteroid. He knew a large portion of The Wayward was hollow and often wondered about the concealed technology running it. To be able to generate a breathable atmosphere, the tech found here was far beyond anything he could ever imagine. He looked forward to seeing the tracker his companion mentioned.

  The cold deepened as the minutes went by. Pacing back and forth, Jeremiah did his best to stay warm. A quiet hum filling the cave, a sky blue, flask-shaped container wrapped in metallic silver embroidery materialized on the ground. Jeremiah stopped and stared at the bottle. “That’s it?” He found it hard to believe an energy tracking device could be contained inside of it.

  Yes. Pick it up.

  Jeremiah scooped up the bottle. Hardly weighing a thing, the turquoise material was pliant as it yielded to the slight pressure from his hand. The flask was corked by a shiny black stopper placed at the end of its long neck. Holding the bottle up, he examined it closely. “What’s inside?”

  I call it essence.

  “Essence,” Jeremiah repeated. “How d-does it work?”

  The essence must be combined with a corporeal entity with an innate ability to track.

  “Hmm, like what for example?”

  Your world has an endless variety of life. Some must have this capability.

  “Oh. I g-get it. I know just the thing,” he said with a grin.

  Follow these instructions. Open the container only when the entity you have chosen is confined with it. No other can be present during the merging or the essence may select incorrectly and join with the wrong being.

  “Then how can it be opened?”

  There will be time. Open it but do not linger. When the merging is complete, introduce the energy it is to track.

  “I understand.” Jeremiah turned with flask in hand, then looked over his shoulder. “You’re not coming b-back with me?”

  No. I have maintenance to complete. Do you want to know what I have discovered?

  “I c-can’t stay any longer. The c-cold is just too much. I’ll come b-back later.”

  I know you will.

  Jeremiah left the cave. Following the path down to the surface of the crater, the frozen portal waited to take him home to a more enjoyable climate.

  ***

  Evelynn left the Gardens Cafe after Jeremiah did. Unsure of what to make of her latest assignment, the fact Sandra was coming along didn’t make her feel any better about it. She was heading for a town called Charmington to look for a medallion that would, somehow, reveal itself to her. Depending on how things went, it might be easily accomplished or extremely trying. She really didn’t know what to expect.

  Jeremiah was right when stating this wasn’t her usual kind of assignment. This didn’t involve thievery, or blackmailing a business rival or bribing a politician. It didn’t seem to require a high level of discreetness or even careful planning for that matter. Evelynn found it puzzling he wanted her on this mission. Perhaps it was simply a matter of trust. Whatever his reasons, she was back on the job once again. It had been over a year since her last assignment. If this was to be her first since returning to work, it would have to do.

  Stuffing additional articles of clothing into a gray duffel bag, she zipped it up and left it on the bed. Reaching for the long leather coat hanging in her closet, she put it on, the familiar weight of it settling over her. Sliding the Glock 23C semi-automatic into her shoulder holster, Evelynn gazed at the wall-mounted, full-length mirror and was satisfied with her appearance. Hooking sunglasses into the front of her top, she left the bedroom and headed for the stairwell down to the lower levels. Her next stop in preparation for the upcoming mission was the weapons tech lab.

  Jeremiah told her to prepare for anything. She thought his warning was somewhat overstated and doubted she would run across any situation she couldn’t easily handle. Still, she needed her leather coat to be restocked with her favorite gadgets and toys; her work attire had been neglected during her time away.

  She peered into the retinal scanner beside the stairway door. Her identity confirmed, the door slid open and granted her access to the stairwell leading underground. Descending to the next level, she ran her keycard through the reader, then stepped into the lobby of the science labs. Passing the security station, she unlocked the door into the science lab corridor and headed for the last lab on the right. Entering the weapons technology lab, she was immediately greeted by smiling faces and warm feelings.

  “Evelynn! I heard you were back from Paris.” A tall, wiry man in a lab coat walked towards her with outstretched arms.

  But Evelynn wasn’t interested in feeling him pressed against her. Extending her hand, she kept it between them giving him little choice but to accept her offer. “Dalton, how’ve you been?” Smiling as she glanced around, she nodded in acknowledgment at some of the younger techs working away in the lab.

  “Busy as usual,” he said, brushing at some of his thinning black hair.

  “I’m sure you are.” Evelynn ended the small talk. “I’m heading out on assignment.” Removing her leather coat, she handed it over.

  “Lucky you. I miss those days.” Dalton promptly passed the coat to another technician working nearby. “Restock the coat and make sure all features are functioning properly,” Dalton ordered the technician. He motioned at a second tech to assist the process.

  “Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.” Dalton excused himself and returned to his desk to leaf through some paperwork.

  Evelynn watched the techs at work. One retrieved small devices out of storage lockers embedded into the lab’s back wall. The other checked the integrity of the coat and made sure all the built in components were working. Placing low yield explosives, extra ammo clips, night-vision specs and various other devices into the pockets lining the inside of her coat, the techs made sure Evelynn was prepared for the mission.

  Giving the coat one final inspection, Dalton brought it over and handed it to her. Slightly heavier than it was before, Evelynn slipped it on.

  “How does it feel?” he asked.

  “Feels good,” Evelynn said, inspecting the inner lining.

  “It’s not too heavy?”

  “Nothing more than I’m used to. Good job, Dalton.”

  Dalton looked pleased by her approval. He waved at Evelynn as she exited the lab.

  12

  After missing a day of school, James had plenty of homework
to finish, though he found it hard to focus on physics and math. Castle lay stretched out on the bed as the aroma of pizza filled the bedroom. Susan was in the kitchen making use of the ready-made dough she brought home from the supermarket she managed. From the smell of things, it was almost done.

  Belle arrived on the scene. Jumping up on the bed, she greeted a resting Castle with a gentle headbutt. Rousing the dog from his partial slumber, he nudged her away with his head. The cat landed gracefully on the floor, then sat down to clean her paws.

  “Pizza’s ready,” Susan called out from downstairs.

  Castle climbed off the bed and left the room. James followed him down to the kitchen.

  Susan held a knife and smiled at him from beside the sink. “Just in time,” she said, pointing it at him. “Cut it into pieces, would you please?” Placing the knife next to the pizza on the cutting board, she walked over to the fridge. “Drink?”

  “Juice, any kind–doesn’t matter.” James picked up the knife and began cutting the pizza into slices. “Hey, Mom? What was Grandma like?”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you asking me about...about Jea?”

  James kept his eyes forward as he sliced up the pie. “Yeah, I am. We’ve never talked about her before, not in any real way,” he said, placing dinner onto plates.

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  He felt her stare. James regretted letting the question slip out.

  “Why the sudden curiosity?” Susan asked.

  “I don’t know. Sorry I brought it up.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Placing the juice glasses on the kitchen table, she sat down but stayed silent.

  James watched her as he set the plates down. A distant look adrift in her hazel eyes, he wished he hadn’t reminded her of this painful part of her life.

  But he also wanted to learn more about his grandmother. Since finding the medallion hidden inside the chest and hearing Micah speak of destiny and such, James felt a need to discover the connection between Jea and the medallion. It might help him understand what was expected of him now that the medallion was his.

  Sitting down, James picked up a slice. “Ouch! It’s still hot,” he said with a smile.

  Susan gazed at him from across the table. Picking up a piece, she blew on it, then nibbled on the tip. “There’s not a lot I can tell you that you don’t already know.”

  “I don’t remember much, only what she looked like,” James said before taking a bite.

  “What brought this on, James? You never showed any interest in your grandmother before.” Her eyes wandered over to the basement door and then back to him.

  He knew she was thinking about finding him down there yesterday. He decided to tell the truth, or at least half of one. “I saw a picture of her the other day. It got me thinking about her, that’s all.”

  “There’s really nothing to tell.”

  “Okay, Mom.” If she didn’t want to talk, there was nothing he could do about it.

  Susan looked down at the barely eaten slice. “She was there, and then suddenly she was gone,” Susan said quietly. “No one knows what happened, if she left or if...something else happened. The police investigation was inconclusive and eventually closed.”

  “She disappeared after you married Dad, right?”

  “That’s right. She vanished a few days after we returned from our honeymoon. So, you do remember some of it.”

  “Yeah, some. But what was she like? Was she a nice lady? Was she good to you?” Leaning forward, James eagerly awaited what she had to say.

  Susan smiled, but sadness shimmered in the light of her eyes. “She had a hard life, and raising a child as a single parent didn’t make things any easier. And yes, she was a very kind and loving mother.”

  She was about to continue when Castle jolted upright and started barking at the front door. James stared at it, and after a few moments, his father entered the house. The moment he was sharing with his mother was now lost. His father being home changed the mood of the evening.

  Castle greeted the man at the door. He stroked the dog’s head, but his eyes were on Susan.

  “You’re home early,” she said.

  “I could say the same for you.”

  Looking at his father, James sensed his mood wasn’t a particularly good one. “Hey, Dad, you want some pizza?”

  Jon Mason, a tall man in his late thirties, was lean and strong. His dark brown hair was longer than most men his age kept it. “Doesn’t look like enough for three, Son,” he said. He glanced at Susan and then at James. “What happened to your face?” he asked, staring at the fading remnants of James’s scrape.

  “I fell hiking.”

  Rolling his eyes, Jon walked to the refrigerator, opened it and plucked out a beer. Twisting off the cap, he drank down half the contents, then exhaled vigorously as he wiped away the droplets from his mouth with the back of his free hand. Looking in the fridge, he shook his head before slamming the door closed. “I can’t believe you work at a supermarket and there’s absolutely nothing to eat in this house!” He glared at Susan.

  “Just have some pizza.” Susan glared back at him.

  Coming back to the table, Jon picked up a slice. Taking a large bite, he dropped the bitten wedge onto Susan’s plate. “Tastes like crap. I’m going out to eat.”

  “Then go! I don’t know why you came home at all!”

  “Oh, you don’t?”

  “No, I don’t, though it seems you came home just to be a pain!” Susan appeared tired and anxious. “James, could you finish your dinner upstairs?” she asked. “I have to speak with your father.”

  Frowning at his parents, he lifted his plate and left the kitchen. Mounting the stairs two at a time with Castle directly behind him, James entered his messy room, closed the door, then attempted to restart his homework. Reaching for the stereo, he turned the music up to help dampen the yelling drifting up from the kitchen.

  He’d heard them argue since he was a small child, but it happened much more frequently now. It wasn’t always like that; there were plenty of happy times spent as a family. But now those moments were lost to the past, and James knew in his heart they were likely gone forever.

  Even with the music on, he still heard their raised voices. Going over to his window, he gazed out at the evening sky. He thought about Micah and the old man Galen and longed for the chance to have a new life for a while.

  A new sound reached his ears. A loud crash cut through the music and grabbed his attention. His heart beating wildly, James opened his bedroom door as a second crash resounded from below. Standing in the hallway, he heard his mother’s muted sobs beneath his father’s continual screaming. He was angry and James couldn’t believe it could be over something as trivial as what was for dinner.

  “Where are you going?” Jon yelled. “You’re going to him again, aren’t you? If you walk out on me, don’t bother coming back!”

  James heard Susan near the front door. A shoe clattered off the floor. Sprinting down the stairs, he almost collided into her as she stepped back from the closet with her jacket on, tears glistening on her cheeks. James shot a glance at his father standing in the kitchen. His face was almost unrecognizable all twisted with rage.

  “If she wants to go, let her!” Saliva flew from Jon’s mouth.

  “Where are you going, Mom?” A surge of emotion ballooned in the pit of his stomach.

  “I’ll be back soon, my prince. I love you.” Attempting a smile, Susan kissed his forehead and then left him standing alone.

  James watched her get into the car. He was confused and upset at seeing his mother so distraught. Their evening had been a pleasant one and everything was going along just fine until his father came home.

  “Dad!”

  But his father retreated into the kitchen. His anger searing his guts, James found him drinking another beer. “Where’s Mom going?”

  Jon sat at the table picking at the label on the beer bottle. J
ames looked around the kitchen being mindful of where he stepped; the remains of his parent’s quarrel lay shattered in the form of broken glass. Over by the sink, sauce stained the wall and a pizza slice hung precariously on the water tap.

  “Dad? Answer me!”

  “Mind your business,” Jon said. Leaving the table, he started for the living room.

  But James blocked his path.

  “Get out of the way, boy!”

  Ignoring his father, James stood his ground. “Why can’t you stop fighting?” he pleaded.

  “You’ll never understand. Not until you’re older and find out trust is just a word. Now, move!”

  He didn’t respond so Jon shoved him away. Stumbling backwards, James fell awkwardly and slammed his right shoulder along the edge of the coffee table.

  “James! Son, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Jon reached out to help him up.

  Slapping his hand away, James got up on his own. Heading upstairs, he gathered up his phone, grabbed a jacket and cap, patted Castle, then left the room.

  Jon waited at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m sorry, James. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  James bumped his father’s shoulder as he walked past him and out the front door. Running from his home, Jon’s continuous apologies faded quickly behind him.

  13

  I need a place to stay. The text he sent was short and to the point. Even with Danny being somewhat aloof today, James knew he could rely on him, just like always. Setting his phone aside, he sat nursing a coffee inside a sandwich shop called Frankie’s in a strip mall close to home. It was a place they frequently visited, a place his friend could easily find.

  James received a quick response inquiring where he was. Texting the answer, Danny soon messaged him stating he was on his way to pick him up. Slipping the phone into his jacket, James got up and went to wait outside with his coffee.