by Char Cam
"Lenny might get nervous," he explained. "Vehicles coming down the drive usually ain’t good."
As they walked down the driveway, Liaylaha noticed their new charge had a hero-worshipper and worked hard not to laugh aloud as she ease-dropped on the children’s comments.
"Yous gots three mothers and three fathers!" Jem breathed with awe. "I cun bare manuge the one mom, and ma dad when he wuz home."
"It’ll be a challenge all right," Timothy agreed. "I’ll figure it out," he said looking slyly Liaylaha’s way. She made sure to look around at the others--who seemed to have bitten lips or sucked in cheeks. Cryson whistled off key.
"And I think that one is Liolith the Terror," Jem whispered loudly with terrified glee. Liolith, however, chose to pretend she didn’t notice, plucking lint from her sleeve. "Don’ see how yull get anythin’ past her!" Jem continued and patted his new friend comfortingly.
Timothy looked at Liolith and gulped. "I-I’ll have to be extra sneaky," he managed. Then his confidence returned. "But there’s always a way, and I’ll find it."
Liolith stumbled.
“All right, Dearest?” Liaylaha asked innocently.
“Fine, I’m fine,” was the strained reply. Liolith took deep breaths trying to restrain her amusement. Mostly, she succeeded. The boys were such innocents. She shared a wry look with Tindra.
The drive was leading to large structure about a hundred yards distant. Where before the plant growth was scarce, here it was rampant; wild and overgrown. The structure was only just visible through unkempt shrubbery and trees. As they headed toward it, Timothy began a running commentary.
“This is the Evergreen Palace. A real real Palace, not just a big house that they calls one. The owner died about five years agone and there weren’t no heirs so it was empty."
The gamers did not miss the sudden interest of Elsbeth and the scrutiny she suddenly gave the building ahead. As they neared it, it became apparent the structure was huge. A massive amount of stairs led up to a domed, oblong entrance arching inward that made a shallow cave. Four storied rays splayed out to either side and Liaylaha estimated they were perhaps a hundred yards in length, Various windows and balcony’s broke the smoothness of the wings giving glimpses of the dilapidated glory still held within.
"My mo...Milly,” Timothy amended quickly, “started bringing hunter animals here awhile back. They didn’t do too good at first, but she brought a man in and theys doin’ better. He lets me help sometimes. Says I got a real feel for how they think and I might have Hunter blood,” he said, puffing up. “Leastways through my father. Never did know who he was,” he shrugged philosophically. “Shoot, some of the caretakers said she wasn’t even my mother. I’z always hopeful bout that; that my real folks would take me away.”
“Well, you got taken away, all right,” Liaylaha laughed, gently punching his arm. “Just not the way you expected, I bet.”
Timothy laughed. “Yeah. Yeah I did get taken away, didn’t I.” Suddenly he was a little boy, enjoying the freedom of being young. “WOOOHOOOOO!” He jumped, pumping his arms in victory, then ran around the adults, spun in place and was off again, all the while yelling what Liaylaha could only think of as a victory cheer. Jem, not to be outdone, joined him. The puppy, who Liaylaha had wondered if its legs worked at all the way Jem carried him about, barked and jumped and chased them both. The grown-ups laughed at the three of them and Cryson caught Timothy as he ran past, tossed him up, caught him, then spun him like an airplane before sending him off on his feet again: And he didn’t forget Jem, who got a wistful, then gleeful smile as Cryson caught him and did the same.
“Here now, what’s this about then?” asked a gruff, suspicious voice. The man it belonged to was in his late twenties and brawny. A mop of curly dark hair set off a pair of sapphire blue eyes and straight pointed nose. He looked as if he didn’t know whether to smile or frown as he studied the unorthodox behavior of his visitors. Then the sun sparkled off the opals worn by three of the party and he blanched.
“Lenny, Lenny! These are my new moms and dad and sister. Milly got herself ‘rested and I said I’d work for you, but they said no ‘cause I gotta live with them and I don have to get beat no more or pinched or kicked or screamed at or.... Lenny, what’s wrong?”
“Milly was arrested for true?” Lenny asked tensely.
“Yep, for true,” Elsbeth assured him. “And not by her fake wannabes. The real enforcers got her.”
Lenny looked at Cryson warningly and said, "She’ll be out in an hour."
"Not this time, ‘cause she got 'rested by a Solonaress. And theys 'dopted me," Timothy announced proudly, looking at his new parents with shining eyes.
Lenny, straightened, then slumped with resignation. “Then you’ve come for the rest of us then, have you?” he asked grimly.
Suddenly it occurred to the players that Milly was an 'organization'. People worked for her, and now her various businesses effectively had no boss and the 'employees' would be running around loose.
"Um...."
"Yes, yes, Elsbeth. Good point but..."
Elsbeth snickered at Cryson.
Timothy looked worried. “You aren’t gonna hurt him, are you?” He looked suddenly scared...and guilty now that he realized he might have gotten his friend in trouble.
Sonetshea realized Timothy could be crushed in the avalanche of Milly’s downfall. She took a deep breath, trying to think through this tricky situation. “You seem a nice enough fellow and all," Sonetshea began cautiously. "And uh...Timothy here speaks well of you. Do you want to be 'rested?” Sonetshea asked Lenny as she looked obliquely at Timothy.
Lenny looked shocked she would even ask and quirked an eyebrow silently asking if she was serious. Then his innate sense of humor bit him and he scratched his head as he answered. “No, no of course not. Given the choice, I’d rather just quietly slip away if you don’t mind,” he answered honestly. He shrugged.
Liaylaha looked into Timothy’s concerned face. “Well, since you vouch for him, he can’t be all bad, now can he? He’ll be fine. I promise.”
Relieved and assured, his smile broke out all over again. “Come on, Jem. Let’s see if your puppies are here.” The boys raced off like professionally thrown frisbees and Timothy aimed them toward a rectangular building about fifty yards ahead.
Lenny gave the gamers a considering look, then nodded as if he’d made a decision. “You’ll be wantin’ to see the operation I imagine. Since I’m already good and caught, I might as well show you around,” Lenny offered wryly.
“What about your crew?” Sonetshea asked sternly. “How rough are they? It’s just occurred to me we might have a bunch of thugs running around without a keeper.”
Lenny considered. “This crew is all right, but yeah, there’ll be a problem with some of ‘em. My advice would be to infiltrate those ones and contain ‘em.”
“And would you be interested in helping with that?” Cryson asked pointedly.
The boys were halfway to the building when two men exited. Around the first mans neck was a heavy collar from which dangled a chain. Chains also hobbled his feet and he shuffled forward, eyes intent on the ground so he wouldn’t stumble. The man controlling the chains and collar followed closely and closed the door.
Jem stopped abruptly. “DA!! DA!” Like a jet-propelled projectile, the boy zoomed in on his target. The man mouthed ‘Jemiah’, then went to his knees and braced for impact. When Jem slammed into his goal, the man’s arms wrapped around him securely and a crow bar wouldn’t have found leverage to separate them. After a moment, the man looked around him expectantly. His gaze stopped on Tindra and didn’t look away.
“Maglon. All this time. He was so close all this time,” Tindra breathed shallowly. Tears trailed her face as she looked at those standing beside her. “Thank you,” she said simply. Then she, too, was racing toward the man. He welcomed her with a freed arm and she too became an inseparable part of him.
“Bad job, that,” Lenny comment
ed. “They had one of the top Hunter breeding businesses in the world. Milly wanted it, but they wouldn’t work for her,” he explained grimly. “No they wouldn’t. So she took, like she always does,” Lenny said with angry disgust. “Took the animals. Took him. Threatened his family if he didn’t do the job here. Milly’s the one burned their house. The man I sent to warn ‘em said the little tyke and the wife barely escaped. Good that bits at an end,” he said kicking violently at a rock.
By the time the emotion filled reunion finally calmed enough that the one became three again, Timothy had joined them. Tindra said something imperiously to her husbands captor, stamped her foot and waved her arm toward her husband. The chain-holder screamed, “What?!” Then he noticed the company heading toward him; and Timothy only a few feet away. The obviously now panicked man aimed and shot at them with a dart gun, grabbed Timothy by his shirt front and slammed open the door behind him. Hurriedly he backed in, then shoved it shut. Cryson stepped forward blinkingly fast and struck the darts out of the air with blurring strikes, knocking them aside. If they had struck, Sonetshea would have taken the hits, but she didn’t let that faze her.
“Not our son you don’t!” she growled angrily. She charged the door and didn’t bother with the knob. She gave it a powerful kick worthy of any martial art guru and caved the door open. The villain hadn’t moved far into the room. The door whacked his posterior painfully as he was bent over Timothy, fist still gripping his shirt. The impact sent him sprawling and Timothy dodged sideways.
Liaylaha, whose track days weren’t far behind her, managed to catch up with them. She grabbed her victim by his scruff and heaved him upright and back into the barn wall, while Sonetshea checked Timothy. The man struggled briefly, but she harshly banged him back.
“I wasn’t goin’ to hurt him,” he declared earnestly. “Besides,” he said to the room in general, “you’re just Healers. What can you do?” he sneered.
“Healers we may be, but there’s Healers, and then there’s Druid Healers. Beside that fact, do you really really really want to make her angry?" Liaylaha pointed back over her shoulder to Sonetshea.
The thug paled as he looked more closely at the woman he’d threatened. Light slanting through cracks in the roof glinted off an opal shining mystically through the poor light. ‘Kada’, he mouthed, stunned. "N-no. I really really really don’t want to make her angry." Then he noticed the opal Liaylaha wore. "Oh, you’re safe with me, since Sonetshea is calm. I’m not the one to worry about."
"WHERE’S MY SON?!" screeched a furious voice.
The miscreant squeezed his eyes shut. "Is that...is that Liolith the Terror?" he asked with trepidation.
"‘Fraid so," Liaylaha grinned evilly.
Liolith barged into the barn, and saw that Timothy was fine. Then she looked around with a gimlet eye and marched quick time to Liaylaha’s manhandled culprit. Then she gasped with shock.
"Franklin Mint! Is that you? Frankie, what are you doing mixed up with this crew?!"
"Franklin Mint? Really?" Liaylaha smirked.
"My mum is from the other world and she named me. Why does all the other worlder’s smile every time they hear my name?"
Liaylaha grinned. "I’m not going to be the one to break the silence."
"Yeah, they all tell me that too," he said grumpily.
Timothy stepped in front of Liolith, saying anxiously, “He wasn’t trying to hurt me. He just wanted me to tell him true ‘bout Milly.”
“What took you so long to get here,” Sonetshea asked irritably.
“I had to make sure that brainless twit of a man hadn’t hurt himself deflecting those darts. I knew you two could handle yourselves.”
Sonetshea grunted. “Never thought ‘bout that. He all right?”
“I’m fine,” replied Cryson joining them. “Would have been here sooner, but someone had to check for injuries I might have. And turn down another proposal.”
“Dang,” Sonetshea complained. “We missed it. Don’t ask again without witnesses,” she told Cryson sternly. “If she ever says yes, you’ll need corroboration.”
Cryson barked a laugh. “Check.”
“Oh do be serious,” Liolith said crossly. “Now, you can let Frankie go. He wouldn’t have hurt Timothy. And come give us a squench, you dreadful boy.”
Liaylaha stepped back and relaxed her hold on Frankie. Then watched astonished as he greeted Liolith.
“Hello Auntie ‘Lith,” he said giving her a warm hug.
“Now tell us what you’re doing with this bunch.”
“Well, I’m trying to find and infiltrate the ratter who’s selling Hunter pets into death arenas,” he explained grimly. “I’ve recently found they’ve been coming from this farm.”
Liaylaha gasped. So did Liolith. Sonetshea and Cryson looked confused.
“It’s true,” remarked Maglon bitterly. Lenny had unlocked his chains and with his wife’s assurance that ‘these people‘ would set things right, he’d entered into the barn. He was a tall, wiry man with a shock of red hair that screamed there’s a fire, put it out.
The son followed the mother in coloring then, Liaylaha thought with humor.
Maglon’s eyes were a curious hazel with brown specks and they were very angry indeed. “Milly was selling my animals to the fight rings. I had to stop training them to be Hunter pets and become outright killers--of each other.”
“By the Designed,” Liolith croaked faintly. “Do you know where the fights are held? We, of course, must put a stop to this.”
"Well, before you get too deep in your plans," Mint commented, "There’s rats comin’ to pick up tonight’s fight animals that ought to be gathered up. Some of ‘em you don’t want running loose without someone keeping ‘em in check."
"Right," said Cryson. "Is there a building that can be used for a meeting to be called? Easiest way to gather ‘em up. If you want to keep your cover, you’re gonna have to be in with them."
Mint smiled sagely. "I’ll just call the meeting then shall I? And be inside with ‘em when you lock the whole of us in."
Cryson chuckled. "That’s not bad."
"All right," Lenny nodded. "I’ll call my boys in. Don’t want them runnin’ off to warn anyone. We’ll meet in the wheat silo. It’s where we usually do that sort of thing.” He looked speculatively at Cryson. “Should I tell them they have a new boss and they’ll be paid?”
Cryson didn’t hesitate. “Double. And tell them they’re on protection duty now. Not one animal is to leave and the Dunlo’s are now to be guarded.”
Lenny nodded. “Maglon here can show you where the silo is. Give us an hour from now and everyone who’s coming should be there."
Cryson nodded.
“Right. I’ll be off then. A few things to tidy up. See ya in an hour.” Mint sauntered out of the barn, not a worry apparent.
Maglon sighed and combed his hair back with his hand. “Once we stop the fighting, what are we going to do with the animals? I don’t know if they can be reworked. Some will have to be killed and the bodies burned so there’s no resurrection. A place will have to be made where those that can be saved and those not are weeded away from each other.”
“So who owns this place?” Elsbeth asked. “You’re already set up here. Make this place your base.”
“No one owns this place. If I had the money, I might buy part of the land, but no way I can afford to get the whole; and I’d need a lot of space.”
Liaylaha, Cryson, Liolith, and Sonetshea all looked at Elspeth with various degrees of amusement; from shocked to outright glee. They could see the wheels spinning in that little miss. Sonetshea simply went to a corner of the barn and gently banged her head against the wall. Most of the group looked at her strangely, but Liolith let out a little giggle.
"Hmmmm yeeeeees," agreed Elspeth. "I can see the problem clearly."
Sputtering and choking sounds came from Sonetshea’s corner.
Elsbeth whipped out her Epic Card and asked with a saucy grin, “W
ho do I see about buying it?”
Sonetshea burst into laughter. Holding her ribs, she turned sank into the straw.
"High Priestess," the acolyte bowed respectfully. “We’ve just received word from Azdromadarim. Zanya sends that the clouds are gathering.”
The High Priestess whirled to face her messenger. She paused a moment before responding. “At last. At last,” she breathed prayerfully. “Gather the trusted ones. We must be able to move swiftly. We must enfold her in the safety of our embrace and guide her to do as she should.”
“Zanya was vague about who she is, High Priestess. How will we find her?”
The High Priestess looked sharply at her trainee. “Do as I bid. Contact those on the list and have them meet stealthily at Mystic Hall.”
The High Priestess stared unseeingly onto the garden terrace. How best to control the Incarnation of the Consort had always given rise to heated debate. Well, the time for debate was over. Now was the time to decide. Whatever the decision, the Vessel must be made to act for the good of all.
SEVEN
Bliztarf and Alvaro barely made it out of Council Hall before they exploded in maniacal laughter.
"That Cryson fellow sure has it bad," Alvaro gasped.
"He cer’anly be brought low, he has," Bliztarf agreed. "Well whas ta beh don firs, then," he asked calming a bit.
Alvaro looked quizzical. "You sound as if you’re going to tag along with me."
"Well...yeah. Thought I’d do that a bit, ifn ya don’ min’ an all," Bliztarf looked around nonchalantly.
Alvaro laughed and slapped Bliztarf on the shoulder. "I don’t mind at all, my friend. And the first order of business is to understand just what an Epic Card can do."
“Yes indeed. What can an Epic Card do?“ Bliztarf just happened have his in hand when Alvaro asked his question. Both were startled by the immediate reply--from The Card.
"An Epic card allows its user to buy a residence, including full staff, for the entirety of the holder’s retention of the card. This may include obtainment even after quest time expiration. An Epic card allows its user titled status of Lord or Lady and the special title of Solonar or Solonaress, since this card is only given for a quest line that is of pandemic importance. Even the Royal Family, Healers, and Legendary/Mystic card retainers are below the Epic card holder in rank--with the exception of the Imperator, High King or Queen, or the Kadan or Kada of a country--due to any possible necessity needed to save the world. Access to the Imperator palace is granted and residential requirements may be obtained within. As Solonar or Solonaress, all citizens must obey the card holder’s orders or requests. Be reminded that Healers must be obeyed above all in matters of health. Contradicting a working Healer is disallowed. As Solonar or Solonaress’s responsibility for citizenry as law enforcer is required on par with the Royal Family, Healers, and Legendary/Mystic card retainers. The rulings of the Royal Family, Healers, and Legendary/Mystic card retainers cannot be disavowed. The Epic Card may, in some cases, be eligible for use outside game parameters. That right is also reserved for Legendary and Mystic Cards. For more information, please read the owners manual.”