Feeling the beginning

of the fire

Those first licks of smoldering smoke

I’ve started this all for the lie of the tale

For I write the lies

to fuel the fires

The heat, it never fails

I write, I learn, I wait to burn

For my endgame is no more pages to turn!

The ending, the ending, the ending

Don’t, don’t bring it to a close

The story, the feel

This shit that ain’t real

It must go on, I don’t know how

That ending, don’t don’t lose it now!

The ending, the ending, the know and the how

Don’t, don’t, oh please, don’t stop it now!

Sticks like plots,

coals like the liars

My fake friends shall burn

to feed the pyres

Fueling this tale of once begotten

I shall fucking burn to be forgotten

Did I walk, did I talk, did I fight for no reason?

I burn, a heathen,

for it’s in season

Fuck this, I fought this

I know this, I’ll do this!

I lived it, I’ll light it

This ending, I’ll fight it!

The ending, the ending, the ending

Don’t, don’t bring it to a close

The story, the feel

This shit that ain’t real

It must go on, I don’t know how

That ending, don’t don’t lose it now!

The ending, the ending, the know and the how

Don’t, don’t, oh please, don’t stop it now!

Light a match

and throw it in

Oh shit yes, let it begin!

This damn cold rain, the wind, it stings

The pain in my heart, it fucking sings!

Though someday, I’ll light afire

This tale I’ll tell, all heart and no liars!

The ending, the ending, the ending

Don’t, don’t bring it to a close

The story, the feel

This shit that ain’t real

It must go on, I don’t know how

That ending, don’t don’t lose it now!

The ending, the ending, the ending

The know and the how

Don’t stop it

The know and the how

Don’t stop it

Oh don’t, oh don’t you fucking stop it now

I’ll wait, you’ll learn

Wonderful flames… Glorious smoke…

Don’t make me wait

Don’t make me wait

Please

don’t

make

me

wait

~Tired of Smoke, a song of festering rage

~Feldyn Goldchord, the Endless Bard

* * *

Four males were sprinting after them at uncanny valley level speed, the three hellhounds keeping pace. They were older teenagers, pale in the light of the flashlight, and in amazingly good shape. Which was obvious, as they were wearing only blue jeans. They were grinning, fangs quite evident.

“Incoming vampires and hellhounds!” Reba called to the group, mostly for the benefit of those up front in the cab. She had no idea why none of the vamps had shirts on. Unless they were going for the asinine pop culture image of vampires. If that is what they were going for, they were succeeding. She swore, the shit teenage girls got all hot and bothered over. “Let Masque and I deal with this, you guys just use your legs and don’t let the dogs in the truck!” Reba instructed. Caleb and Bryan didn’t exactly give her a confident look, but she had no further time to explain. They were almost on top of them now!

Standing, Reba bashed one of the leaping vampires in the face with her -now extended- staff, knocking it and herself from the vehicle, as it hit a pothole and bounced. Masque was gone in one rocketed leap that sent him through one of the other pursuing vampires.

“Like this!” Feldyn shouted to Caleb, lying on his back in the bed of the truck. Caleb followed suit just as a hound leapt over the tailgate. Feldyn caught it with his feet, and with a roaring grunt, continued the dog’s momentum to send it over the side of the truck. Caleb caught the second, very heavy demon dog, and sent it flying out as well.

Lightning -and a manastorm- flashed as Masque pulled his nightblade and shadowstepped into the bed of the truck. He sliced a hellhound in half that was leaping straight at Bryan, who was frozen in panic, flashlight in hand. Then Masque jumped, spinning somersaults, hitting another vamp like a giant buzzsaw – causing another gory mess. He then immediately shadowstepped to Reba, someways back down the road.

She had already dispatched her opponent, who lay with its head smashed in, and some two dozen holes punched through its body from her staff. Destroy enough organs, and lets see these baby bloodsuckers come back from that!

The remaining vampire had slowed down some, but was still chasing the truck. Apparently, he was not as eager to dive headfirst into his death like the other three. The two hellhounds tossed over the side, had caught back up.

Masque scooped Reba up in his arms, and bound away with her back to the truck. As soon as they were in the bed, the lycanthropeire crashed from the trees near the vehicle. Masque turned and -manastorm flash-banging- sliced it with his blade that was once again in hand, barely keeping it from flipping the vehicle. Stryker, not wanting to slow, skid the truck into a barely controlled drift around a corner.

“Shiiit!” Reba cursed, as she was once again sent flying. Bracing for impact, she was shocked as Masque caught her, and in more confusing, spinning, blurring inertia, had her back in the bed of the truck. Then he was gone again, after the giant black oily dog that had crashed into the trees on the neighboring side of the driveway. “Perhaps you should remain seated,” Feldyn said, only half joking, holding the flashlight now instead of Bryan, who sat frozen and wide-eyed, back still to the cab.

“RrraRARCK!” was her shouted reply, throwing herself to the side as she hit a leaping hellhound with a great swing of her staff, barely keeping it from taking Feldyn’s head off. “Maybe you should pay better attention,” Reba said, and Feldyn noticed she was smiling.

“Teri’kre!” John shouted, hanging out the passenger’s window, the hellhound Reba had knocked over the side going rigid, then getting stepped on and crushed by the lycanthropeire as she burst back out of the woods.

Turning and trying to catch Masque in her open jaws, she got only black smoke; reappearing in front of the last vampire, severing the head from its body. Masque’s netherweave was greatly diminished, but he had more than enough energy left to stop the giant mutt that he owed a serious payback to. And from the look in the beast’s eyes, she knew it.

The vehicle suddenly hit the traction of paved road, and Stryker hooted a cry of triumph. Masque was out of sight now, but could still be heard, crashing and fighting.

Street lights farther down the road, closer to the main streets, were actually still working, and quite welcome in the dark raining night; so was Masque’s return to the bed of the speeding truck. “The beast will not be following us,” he stated, and Caleb swore he was grinning under that mask. He had never seen Masque fight, and was stunned stupid. “That was fucking awesome!” Caleb honestly complimented. “I try,” was the dry reply, and even Reba (a little jealous at not being told how awesome she was) had to laugh.

No one noticed that Bryan hadn’t laughed, or even joined in the cheers of triumph from those in the cab. Tears of shame ran down his face with the rain. Everything they had been through, and he hadn’t panicked once. They had seen much worse, and he had managed to keep his cool. But when he shined the light on those… things, that was when his panic decided to attack. He didn’t know why it chose that moment. Maybe it was seeing the vampires run? It was so damn unnatural! Or maybe he had finally gone too long without his medication? Perhaps it was the sight and smell of the infernal, red, spiked bulldog-looking canines; the reek of infection so strong you could drown in it, that crashed over him as they tried to jump in the truck?

Not that the reason mattered. If there even was one. It wasn’t normal fear he was feeling anyway, he knew that. It was panic. Raw, sheer, pointless, panic. Though that was something he did not want to admit. For anyone who has ever had a panic attack knows the shame and guilt that follows is almost as great as the panic itself. Bryan had successfully hidden the condition with a combination of medication and timely exits. No more.

So he let the tears stream freely down his face, hidden by the rain. And tried to accept the fact he may soon become completely useless to those that needed him.

* * *

Iiyni was both amused and pissed the fuck off!

She could hardly believe the band of idiots she had been allowing to survive, had caused such a ridiculous amount of damage. And all just by bumbling along.

It was fucking awesome!

Truthfully, Iiyni had figured they would have died by now. They were nothing. The Dragonbitch and crew would explode like gnats on a windshield before her. Everyone and everything here was pathetic. Fuck, she could even destroy Auntie Xal like she was nothing, before that old cuss had sealed her.

And just how the fuck did she let herself get sealed anyway? That was a pretty epic fail on her part. It’s not like a human can just walk on up and say, ‘Well, hiyuck, be sealed an’ all that!’ and poof, it was done! They had to channel that shit. Everything holy was such a righteous pain. Pun intended! She would have loved to let the priest try to seal her. She would have even allowed it, just to see how big the explosion would have been when the spell failed to contain any of her power.

Shuzariel was about the only one who had come away from the night’s events unscathed. She was pissed, but no real harm done to her. Belle’anne had almost been torn to ribbons by that (admittedly more and more interesting) thrall in the cheap ninja costume. He would have killed her, if he had not abruptly left when she fled back towards the house.

The death of the new bloods was no big deal; Auntie had a small army of them. They were just busy harassing the military, to keep them out of the immediate area.

All of the hellhounds on the immediate property had been destroyed, and all of the undead chimera dogs of Larry’s had been obliterated.

Speaking of Larry… What happened to him was by far the best fucking part of the entire thing! Half of his head had shrunken horribly, and his left arm looked like some tiny baby arm now. And no matter what he did, he could not restore his head OR his arm! BUAHAHAHA! He was also dead set adamant that he would have the homunculus or would not cooperate further. He didn’t even care if she was alive or dead, though he preferred alive.

But now, with Auntie Xal sealed (was only a partial seal, but a seal was a seal), Larry even uglier, and Suzie scorned, they were fighting with each other like a group of bratty children.

The problem was all this convoluted bullshit drama of her aunt’s. That shit doesn’t work in real life! In reality, you needed to get it done. Efficiently, no delays. Unless one just wanted to take their time and have fun, like Iiyni’jeari’eea liked to do. Yet Xal had been making it so boring. Regardless, there was no more time to be wasting. Well, there was enough left to have fun, but they needed to speed things up.

Word was the Order would soon be here, and with almost their entire state-side force. They needed to get that gate open, and go back home, now. Iiyni would be damned if she was going to die here, and burn like some human pig, for fuck knows how long. She could take out dozens of colors by herself, but when there was an army of humans trained to vanquish you, moving in from all sides, and you’re on Earth and gimped as fuck… Yeeeeeah, that shit sucked.

Plus if any of her summoners got taken out, the hits to her power would not be good. And she was starving. Very close to literally. Fuck, why the hell did it have to be a summoning? At least she could count on her sisters to stay alive and kicking.

So, standing before the three terrors sitting on one couch, all arguing loudly, Iiyni'jeari'eea gave an honest sigh. Her sisters were standing behind and to either side of her. Belle’anne was wisely stalking the property, to avoid her master’s punishment, while her wounds healed.

She hated taking charge. But enough was enough, time to wrap this little chapter of her life up. Taking a deep breath, “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Iiyni shouted, in her almost squeaky little voice.

The terrors quit bickering and looked at the imp, shocked, annoyed, and a bit concerned.

“Quit bitching and get ready for the ritual,” Iiyni began. “We are heading into town to start this shit going tomorrow. Aunt X’al’antra’s plan remains unchanged, and we will continue as she has already laid out, no more fucking delaying.” Iiyni spoke calmly. “Is that so?” Suzie asked with a wry grin. “Yup. It is. And if any of you don’t like it, then I’ll just pop your heads off, and be done with this retardation.”

It was Larry’s turn to voice a comment. “Have you forgotten that you were summoned? You couldn’t harm us even if ya wanted to.” He didn’t sound so sure. Iiyni feigned surprise, “Y’know, you're fucking right! But guess what? See my two sisters here? They are not bound to you, and if I tell them, they will pop your heads off for me! I can deal with the loss of power from a few summoners, so let’s just shut the fuck up, listen, and do as told. Kay?” She gave them a huge adorable grin.

Larry felt fear rush through his body. He farted loudly. “I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!” Shuzariel screeched at him.

Waiting a moment, to make sure there wasn’t going to be a flatulence induced brawl, Iiyni continued, “The Dragonheart,” she almost gagged on the title, “will return if humans remain alive. He’s one of the pathetic wannabe hero types. The whole ‘I won’t leave anyone behind‘ bullshit. If they do recon, and they should, the thrall will detect the humans still hiding out, and no doubt bring the entire fucking fag squad to their rescue. Especially the ones we have up here. So make sure they can still get inside the barrier-shield-thing, in case they actually flee outside of its radius.

“I’ll have some… fun planned for them, to keep 'um worn down. They have been troublesome so far, and since we need two of them alive, wearing them down would be best,” Iiyni'jeari'eea explained. Jenta knew that was just Nini making an excuse so she could make things entertaining. “Then, I will retrieve the Dragonheart myself. My sisters will get the elf and the homunculus. We ain’t fucking playing this time, so it will get done.”

Standing with hands on hips, Iiyni’s eyes suddenly opened wide. “Oh yeah, the soldiers!" Or mercenaries. Whatever the fuck the Order is calling them these days. "Me, Belle, and my sisters will rout them from the area. We'll make it brutal and flashy style. Should butt-fuck their morale pretty good, giving us plenty of wiggle room. We will also keep an eye on ritual sites, making sure everything is accurate and unmolested. Which also means we can't wait for Titties, or whatever the fuck her name is, and your reinforcements," The last was directed at the witch queen, who rolled her eyes, before saying, "I'll make it work."

"You're right," Iiyni threatened, "you will." She looked over the terrors. "The Any questions? No? Good! Plan starts now.”

As Iiyni’jeari’eea and the other two imps turned to leave, X’al’antra was having a hard time not smirking. That had worked out perfect! She hadn’t had a clue how she was going to get that little bitch to listen to her after what happened, let alone Larry. Suzie was loyal. With her niece taking charge like she just did, it couldn’t have worked out better. Everything was still on track, and now even the most defiant of the group was on board. She had been waiting for this for a very, very long time. Soon…

Prophecy would be fulfilled, and she could return to Aethra to help usher in Antioch's eternal paradise. He may even let her keep the Dragonheart. Once properly tamed, Caleb would make an excellent toy.

While X'al'antra fantasized over future pleasures, Iiyni was angrily marching off the property, sisters and sliced up stupid pet in tow, preferring to stomp her feet over leaping and zooming about. The talk had went well, and the fact things were finally about to get fun, should have put her in a pretty decent mood. Instead, she was still pissed the fuck off! Why? Because ever since that douchebag Dragoncunt had given her that ridiculous nickname, SHE COULDN’T QUIT THINKING OF HERSELF AS IIYNI!

* * *

The ‘heroes’ had made it out of Castle Rock, though it wasn't easy. The bad guys hadn’t chased after them, but there was now a new problem. All the roads in and out of town had military blockades. At least they looked like the military, none had a chance to inquire, the soldiers opening fire almost immediately. Thankfully, normal roads, highways, and bridges are not the only way in or out of towns.

With the help of Masque, they ripped open a gated access to some logging roads. Once past the gate, navigating the dirt roads was a simple thing, until they hit an area that appeared to have suffered some recent catastrophic disaster. Upheaved, broken, and scorched land. Whatever had happened it had been extensive, as it went as far as they could see in either direction. After a couple of hours of zigging and zagging, they finally found a place to cross the field of destruction, and stopped to rest, and figure out what to do next.

It was no longer raining, but still dark. The night was deep, though none knew the time. Bryan, Stryker, and Caleb were currently trying to build a fire with the wood Masque had collected. The vampire had assured them that they were well away from Castle Rock, and in the mountains not far from the city of Longview. He also informed them the scorched earth appeared to go all the way around Castle Rock, and into the mountains behind X'al'antra's property. Apparently, his firewood searching covered a broad area…

John, Pazely, and Trixie were in the cab of the still running truck, heaters blasting, trying to stay warm and dry, despite no driver’s side window and the passenger’s window being rolled down. John had fallen asleep some time ago, exhausted from the white spell casting, and all the expended psionic energy. Pazely wasn’t even cold, but Trixie had been shivering horribly, and was still pretty shaken up.

Outside, near the tailgate, Feldyn and Reba stood talking. The shackles, sans chains, still on the half-elf’s wrists. Reba had lacked what she needed to break down the metal properly, so Masque had simply sliced the chains free. “Well, we can not stay here,” Feldyn stated the obvious to her comment of not knowing where to go next. She sighed. “Since when did I become the one in charge?”

“I was only pondering aloud. I meant no offense,” Feldyn answered. “Mmm hmm,” was the reply, rolling her eyes, and smiling a little. She walked away some now, stretching, her arms high in the air, and standing on her tiptoes. Feldyn had to admire the way that bodysuit fit…

“Thank you,” he said, startling the girl, and he laughed at her jumpiness. “Don’t mention it,” she mumbled, looking over her shoulder. “I mean, it’s not like you wouldn’t have done the same for us.” He winced, and she noticed, so he decided to just go with it. “Actually Reba… I do not believe I would have.” She turned to face him fully now, a deep confused frown adorning her pretty face. “For Caleb, yes. The rest of you?” Feldyn closed his eyes, and sighed, hanging his head. “Yet, you all came. Every one of you came and risked your lives in order to save... me.”

“Well, not just you,” Reba corrected, and he looked up, surprised to see her smirking. “I actually thought you were dead. We found out by accident you were still alive. We came back to get you, and the others that were there.” She shrugged. Close enough to the truth. He didn't need to know how inexplicably worried they were. “But other than you, we only managed to save Trixie.”

After a moment, he nodded. “I understand.” Feldyn walked towards her now, his face serious. “What are you doing?” she said, taking a step back, looking at him suspiciously. When he was mere feet from her, and she was preparing to have to slap him, he suddenly flourished an elaborate bow. “Thank you,” he repeated. Then, his face still facing the ground, “I am truly sorry, Reba.”

Before Reba could ponder that long, John said something out the window of the truck, but it was drowned out by the dual screams from Pazely and Trixie, who had almost fallen asleep before the old man startled them half to death. So use to screeches from this group, everyone outside the vehicle hardly even looked up.

Trixie and Pazely were now giggling hysterically, and John turned around in his seat to give them a ‘do you mind?’ expression. Despite his scowl, it was obvious he was trying not to smile. The sound of laughter was quite welcome after all the chaos and doom.

When the giggles (and occasional snorts, which reinvigorated the giggles) had died down, John leaned out the window some, and cleared his throat loudly to get everyone’s attention. “I have an old friend in the area, and he owes me. We should head there, eat, rest, and get cleaned up. Come, get back in the truck, these hills are not going to stay safe forever.” With only a moment of hesitation, they began to filter back to the vehicle, Bryan kicking the fire out. Reba didn’t move.

An old friend... Was he referring to Jeff? Reba stood in the darkness, thinking. This… was not going to go over well. She supposed Jeff did owe him- owe them. Yet they had not helped him with the expectation of having the favor returned. And Jeff wasn’t the type to return favors to begin with. Oh well, she guessed they didn’t have much of a choice.

* * *

They got to the turnoff for Jeff’s property around sunrise, after a great deal more zigzagging through trees. He lived in the back mountain roads, just outside the city limits of Longview. Stryker had the truck parked in front of a large gate (almost identical to those blocking the logging roads) that would presumably lead to his home.

Masque was staring at the gate in the headlights, arms crossed as he thought in silence. “Why don’t you just kick it or something?” Pazely asked from the bed of the truck, where she had been riding for a bit. The vampire had been unmoving for minutes now, ignoring questions as to what was wrong. Hopping out of the truck, Pazely walked over next to him. He paid her no heed. “Jeez! What is so interesting?” He continued to ignore her, so she got closer to the gate, to try and open it. “It has a barrier of some variety,” he finally spoke. “I am trying to think of a way to remove it safely.”

A barrier? Pazely looked around, but didn’t see anything. Was it safe to touch? Leaning in to look closer, she still saw nothing. Masque didn’t tell her to be careful, so it must not be dangerous. She reached out and touched the air over the gate to see what the invisible barrier felt like. “No!” Masque tried to warn. Too late. There was a brief zap, boom, pop -like a transformer blowing- and poor little Pazely was blasted off her feet and into a startled Caleb. He wasn’t far behind her, coming to see what the delay was as well. Both of them were knocked down into the dirt and gravel, Caleb skidding a good distance on his back, Pazely atop him.

“Pazely!” Reba gasped, and hurried out of the cab, where she had been with Trixie. Caleb got out from under Paze easily enough, though his heart was slamming in fear. Lifting her in his arms, he saw she was a bit singed, and epically frowning, but appeared to be okay. “Ouch,” she squeaked, Reba kneeling down to check her.

Masque sighed, sounding more irritated than relieved, despite the contrary being the truth. “It is dangerous; we should not touch it,” he lectured the girl. “WELL, MAYBE THE GROWNUPS CAN EXPLAIN THAT SHIT SOMETIMES!” Pazely shrieked back at the masked man. “She has a point,” Bryan defended her from the bed of the truck. “Most of the time, you guys just stand around silent, ignoring us, in some infinite thought loop. Reality check people- the kids are currently your teammates! Quit doing the old people thing, and talk to us!”

“Bryan is right,” John mumbled, hating saying those words. This boy still irked him for reasons he could not explain. “This is a simple barrier fence,” John explained, out of the car now and walking over to the gate. He had assumed it to be the case, and Masque was trying to understand the energies, and if it was safe to break through. Even if it was taking some some time. “The technology is rare, and requires a tremendous amount of power to sustain. It's highly unpractical. Such fences are usually lethal...”

“Sure felt lethal…” Pazely bitched, back on her feet now, with Caleb brushing the gravel off of her. 'Because it was,' Masque thought to himself. The electrical current running through this should have killed the girl as soon as she touched it, cooking her through in the blink of an eye. Masque himself would have been gravely injured if he had touched it. Again, these children displayed another feat of the impossible and -so far- unexplainable.

“I assume there is some reason we can’t just go around it?” Bryan asked. “Your assumption would be right,” John answered, not looking back at him, as he leaned in close to look at a fence post. “Probably stretches up high enough to take down a low flying plane. I’m guessing quite far to the sides as well. It would be difficult to tell where exactly it ended.”

“Let’s ram it!” Trix suggested eagerly, still in the backseat, having trouble hearing the conversation outside. Stryker grinned, “Now that’s the spirit! Keep that up and you’ll fit right in with all this crazy shit in no time!” Reba, standing near the driver’s busted window, smacked him upside the head. “Language,” she scolded. “Dad was just saying that it would take down a plane, so I doubt we could just ram into it.” Trixie looked a little disappointed, Stryker even more so.

“What about a shadowstep?” Feldyn finally chimed in from the bed of the truck. “Can ye not just switch it off or destroy the mechanism powering it from the other side?” Masque was already shaking his head before the half-elf had even finished talking. “The objects that appear to be powering it, are actually within the barrier, not on the other side.”

“Masque,” John casually called, a little ways down from the gate. “Can you destroy this post please?” John stepped back, pointing at a fence post he had been looking at. “It is within the barrier still, but you should be able to penetrate it here easily enough. If you destroy this post, it should short out the generators, killing the field.” Masque moved to the post, flared his netherweave, and tensed for a kick. “I think,” John clarified, stepping even farther back. “Wonderful,” the vampire grumbled, and kicked. Another zapping pop, and the post broke, the air in front of them flickering. The stench of burning hair was overpowering.

“Ye God, that smell!” Feldyn bitched, covering his mouth and nose with a hand. John, pinching his nose, got back in the passenger’s seat. This was an old version of a barrier fence to smell like that from being shorted out. They were notoriously unstable. Though if he was right, it was impossible for Pazely to have survived touching it, let alone come away uninjured. “Thanks, Masque!” Trix called out the window, as a smoking and steaming Masque made his way on foot back to the bed of the truck.

With everyone back in, Stryker looked at John, “Anything else to worry about? Lasers? Bombs? Samurai giraffes?”

“Yes,” was all John said in reply. The concern on Stryker’s face was quite real.

The road was basically like on Rashelle’s property, dirt and gravel, just a lot shorter. They drove through some woods, and past a small overgrown field, before rounding a bend and coming into sight of an average sized cabin. And in front of said cabin stood a tall, very skinny man, who was maybe in his late forties or early fifties. His hair was thin and black, cut short, with no traces of gray. He wore a dark blue, buttoned up shirt, which was tucked into his belted tan slacks. Thick framed glasses with large lenses were pushed high up his nose, adorning the clean shaven face. And the combat rifle he held was aimed at Stryker’s face.

“Shit!” the cop cursed, ducking into the center console, and hitting the brakes, as the man opened fire. Everyone in the cab ducked down, Trixie screaming; the deafening roar of the rifle hammered bullets into and through the cab of the vehicle. Masque quickly shadowstepped in front of the truck, flaring his netherweave out greatly in all directions, letting the bullets strike his body. Momentarily shocked at the sight before him, the man quit firing, and Masque shadowstepped behind him, grabbing his shoulder with one powerful crushing grip, causing him to drop the rifle and cry out in pain.

“Jeff, it’s me! John!” the priest called, as he hurriedly got out of the passengers seat. Reba and Feldyn crouched behind the vehicle, Bryan flat on his belly with Caleb and Pazely in the bed of the truck. Stryker staying in the cab, telling Trixie to stay down until it was safe. “I know!” Jeff called back, and stabbed Masque in the face with a knife, which he apparently had hidden in his belt. The vampire still held him by the crushing grip on his right shoulder, so when he got stabbed in the face with the human’s other hand, his response was to promptly turn the man around and punch him in his face, knocking him the fuck out, and breaking his glasses.

As the others peeked to see if it was safe, Masque casually picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground, his hand smoking. Avenger class. Explains why it cut him. No matter, the superficial wound had already closed and healed.

John and Reba hurried over to the unconscious man when they saw he was down. The others regrouped, a bit confused. “Did you kill him?!” John asked in horror, and knelt next to his friend. “He stabbed me,” the vampire growled in defense, still standing in the same spot. He decided to keep this knife as well. He was getting tired of people stabbing him as of late.

Kneeling on the other side of Jeff, Reba wondered just what had elicited his homicidal reaction to them. “He’s fine,” Reba told her dad. “Shattered most of the bones in his face. Nothing I can’t fix. You, carry him,” Reba directed Masque, as she calmly stood. “I need to get him into his lab, or whatever medical facilities he may have here.” The vampire didn’t complain, though he felt the attitude in her voice was a bit uncalled for. This man tried to kill them! Masque felt a single punch was quite appropriate. It wasn’t like he had put much force behind it.

Reba couldn’t help but smirk a little when Masque gave an audible sigh and hoisted the skinny man into his arms. “Gather your stuff, and hurry along!” John called to the rest of them back at the vehicle, Reba walking to the door of the cabin.

The headlights from the truck were on and shining more light than was helpful, while she checked for things like wires, springs, anything flashing; y’know, the usual ways one would trap a door. Stryker pulled the vehicle to the side to park it, without asking if she needed the light. She hadn’t, so didn’t voice a complaint. Reba was double-checking things now… One thing was concerning here in the locking mechanism. Probably nothing, but she couldn't quite see what it- John obliviously grabbed and turned the doorknob; Reba barely stifling a shouted warning. Nothing happened. Oh, thank God…

“What the hell?” Bryan said in absolute shock when he reached the group near the door, taking John’s attention just as he had been wondering why Reba was making weird faces. “Uncle… Jeff?” Bryan stared in disbelief at the unconscious -bloody and bruised- man in Masque’s arms. “That's impossible. He died. I went to his funeral. I saw his body.” John walked a few paces towards the boy before stopping. He was frowning deeply. “Bryan, you… know him?”

“Of course!” he snapped hatefully at the old man. “That’s my fucking dead uncle! And don't even try and tell me I might be mistaken because his face is messed up!” Caleb and Pazely had stopped near, but kept quiet.

“He was in the Order,” Reba answered casually. “He wanted out, so we helped him fake his death.” She looked strongly into Bryan’s eyes. “I did not know he was related to you Bryan, I swear. The reason Dad and I came to Castle Rock, was because we were familiar with it, after helping Jeff set up out here. I promise, neither of us-”

“Golston,” Bryan interrupted, “the same last name as mine. How could you not know?”

“I never knew his last name. Dad probably did, but it isn't like he-"

“Would you have even told me?” Bryan interrupted again. “If I had known, and things remained normal, no," Reba replied honestly, "I would have respected his wishes. But once Dad decided to come here, then yes, I would have told you. Do you really think I would let you be blindsided like this?” Her voice was a mix of commanding and sympathetic.

Bryan took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “I’m very mad right now, but, I - I'm sorry I doubted you.”

“Always drama with this group,” Trixie said to Feldyn, still in the truck. He laughed at her dry, snarky tone. “This gravel is a bit sharp, would m’lady like her servant to carry her?” Feldyn asked the small girl, who was clothed only in a shirt and underwear.

She blushed, and tried hard not to grin. “If you must!” she said, trying to sound hoity, but her voice squeaked partway, her blush deepening. Feldyn hoisted her easily into his arms. He had noticed that she kept stealing glances at him, so thought he would give her some attention. She had been dragged into all of this against her will, and was more a victim to the situation than the rest of them.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

As he hurried after the others, Trixie started jabbering to him about music. He did his best to follow, but she was talking a mile a minute, and he had no idea who the musicians were she spoke of. Entering the small cabin, no one was in the main room. Instead they had gone down a staircase, which apparently was hidden under a trap door covered by a large rug. How unimaginative!

True to form for these Order individuals, Jeff’s actual complex was underground. Though the complex was more than a bit… unusual. After going down the stairs, which changed material from wood, to stone, to metal, Feldyn and Trixie entered a moderately lit hallway, stretching to their left and a good ways straight ahead. Many doors, and what appeared to be other hallways, could be seen along their lengths. The entire complex (at least as far as he could see), appeared to be one giant piece of silver metal. There were no visible seams, or breaks, or ridges. The ceiling had random light fixtures, no cords visibly present, and there were a few throw rugs on the ground. It was also freezing. Much colder than outside, and to the half-elf, it felt like a refrigeration unit.

Trixie had quit talking, transfixed by her surroundings, as Feldyn walked slowly down the hallway, taking it all in. No door closing off the side rooms was the same. When he reached the room the others were in, it too appeared seamlessly connected to the hallway.

Insider and to the right was a kitchen area. It contained a curved counter with a deep double sink, a fridge that looked fairly new, and a huge chest freezer. There were also many cabinets without doors, brimming with food, yet not a single chair or table.

“Dammit, this stupid... Where the hell is it?” Reba bitched, off to the left of the half-elf. He looked over to see her near the far side of the room, crawling around, looking for something on a wall that was identical to everywhere else. Masque stood near her, still holding Jeff in his arms. The others were expressing their own awe and confusion. The fact they had not started raiding all the food said volumes. They were starving, yet too transfixed to care. That was just how very weird this place was! “Oh? … Ugh… There, finally!” Reba exclaimed after locating whatever it was she was searching for.

The entire group gave one collective gasp, as things started to rise out of the floor. In the center of the area near the alchemist, a large circular platform rose, creating a raised portion of the room about a foot higher than the rest of the floor. All around the platform, what seemed to be blobs of silver, in varying shapes and sizes. Several more blobs rising out of the floor closer to the group by the door. Then, all at once, the silver liquid metal melted back into the floor, leaving objects behind that had apparently been housed within.

Around the platform, the blobs had housed many shelves, cases, and tables, containing everything from books, to surgical equipment, to scientific gadgets you only see on TV. One large glass-door cabinet caught Stryker’s eye. It had rows and rows of multi-colored vials and was back-lit. It just looked really darn cool!

The blobs closer to the main group held an assortment of recliners, and a couple of love seats. They looked brand new, and expensive. John wasted no time in moving to sit in one of the chairs.

Pazely, and Trixie were more fixated on the several fish tanks. A few were on tables, others had fancy wooden cases designed to hold and display them. Pazely counted five: two fish bowls, two twenty-ish gallon tanks, and one that had to be at least a hundred gallons!

Trixie forgot how horribly cold she was when she saw them! She loved aquariums, and had always wanted something like even one of these! She struggled to be set down, and a spaced out Feldyn obliged. When her feet touched the cold ground, it suddenly dawned on her how she was dressed. Quickly looking around horrified, she was both relieved and offended that none of the guys were paying any attention to her.

You weren’t supposed to be surrounded by so many cute guys when you looked like this! Stryker was old, and Bryan was boring, but they weren’t exactly unattractive… Then, she also remembered where she was, and what had happened. Trix was as close to a breakdown as any of them, her mind trying desperately to make sense of things, while denying the bad. For now, she would keep trying to push it back! She had embarrassed herself enough for a lifetime, with all the crying, and screaming, and... no pants.

“I don’t know if I should feel impressed or ashamed,” Bryan stated in all honesty, and Caleb assumed he was probably referring to Pazely. She had her face inches from the glass of the largest aquarium, and for some reason kept rubbing her hands on her butt, which she was happily wiggling. “I would say probably a bit of both,” Caleb answered.

What Bryan was -obviously- referring to was this place.

Reba, who had again been searching for something, finally found it under one of the tables. Another silver blob rose in the middle of the circular platform, then melted away to reveal a fancy-looking gurney. “Put him here,” she told Masque who was trying to not appear as stunned as everyone else. At Reba’s further instruction, he helped her secure the man, with straps that were a bit too readily available.

Everyone, save Pazely, Masque, and Bryan, sat down while Reba went over bottles and vials. Finding what she wanted, she injected injecting him in the cheek. His face began to heal before her eyes. Looks like he had improved on the rudimentary healing potion she taught him.

Dramatic arrival over, Reba felt like she was about to pass out. Still, she took a pair of spare glasses he had on a shelf, and put them on his face. Waking up strapped down and blind wasn’t very cool. The others in the room looked like a bunch of half-drowned rats right now. Reba was content that they were probably at least temporarily safe. Now they needed food, baths, and private places to have a meltdown.

Unfortunately, Jeff didn’t stay unconscious long. “Wha?” he said loudly in a slurred voice, before Reba even made it back to one of the tables. Fuck, they didn’t need this now! Everyone was tired, and needed rest, not the drama this was sure to bring.

“Did they send you to torture me?” Jeff abruptly snarled at Masque, recovering quicker, and sounding braver than the poindexter exterior would have you believe. “What in the blazes are you talking about?” John asked, honestly wondering what had gotten into his old friend. “Quit the damn act, John!” he snapped, eyes still locked on the large vampire. “Like the Order had nothing to do with that barrier the other night!” Jeff shouted, puzzling everyone in the room.

“Barrier? What barrier?” Feldyn asked, ignoring the situation and interrupting John as he was starting to speak. Feldyn decided to just walk in front of the old man, so Jeff could actually see him when he looked over. “What shield?” Feldyn stressed, this time getting the black-haired male to look his way briefly, then do a double take.

“You… Your ears… Who are you? Are you one of those things too?” Jeff finally was starting to sound a bit shaken. 'So my ears are more disturbing to him than our black-garbed friend, aye?' Feldyn was actually mildly insulted. “He’s a friend. Which is more than I can say about you, Uncle,” Bryan explained, walking up beside Feldyn and into Jeff’s view. All the anger and bluster the black-haired man had shown since they pulled up, washed away in an instant, his features falling to dread.

“Oh, God.” Jeff looked like he may possibly vomit. It had been many years since he had spoken to his nephew, and he would have died screaming to never have had to confront the boy. The boy he had betrayed and abandoned.

“Oh God, Bryan,” Jeff gave a single sob “Why? Why are you with them?” That last sounded like a plea, and it was. He was begging his nephew to recognize how wrong the Order was! Their darkness! Their evil! Was this because of him? If he had just stayed their slave, would Bryan have never joined their ranks? Jeff never got to ask.

Walking up to his uncle’s side, Bryan punched the man in the groin hard enough that Reba went for some more potions. His uncle’s mouth opened, face contorting in a silent shout of agony.

“Why am I with them?” Bryan seethed, fists clenched. Masque stayed standing near, smiling slightly under his shadowcloths. “Why am I with THEM?!” Bryan screamed in such a fury that spit flew from his mouth and his eyes became bloodshot. Masque’s smile vanished at the dramatic escalation. “Who else was there? My family?! You?! NO! My friends! And these people that you are being so rude to, YOU PIECE OF SHIT, have done more for me in just a few days, than you could have hoped to in your LIFE!”

Bryan was sobbing as he yelled. Feldyn and Reba both had to resist the urge to interrupt him and explain that he was misunderstanding his uncle’s words, but both kinda sorta understood his rage -even if he seemed on the verge of a stroke- and Jeff had just tried to kill them all, after all. More than a few in the room were enjoying his ruptured testicles. Reba was delaying the injection, giving Bryan time to vent, and Jeff time to hurt like a sonuvabitch.

“Do you know what we’ve went through just to live, and end up here?! What I’ve went through?! And where were you? All these years? Hiding like a fucking COWARD!” the last word a barely intelligible scream. So great was Bryan’s rage, that Jeff forgot his own pain in the face of it. “Bryan, I-” he started, and Bryan slapped him hard across the mouth. “I didn’t say you could speak!” the normally calm and controlled boy hissed. Pulling back his fist to punch the bound man- Masque caught his arm.

“Enough,” the vampire stressed calmly, and Bryan resisted for a moment, before giving in, arm going limp. Jeff opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it, turning his head away instead. Bryan turned to walk from the room, but stumbled, and sat near a wall behind a chair, then curled into a ball on his side, silently sobbing.

Overreaction and overall breakdown from Bryan or not, how could any of them rightfully judge him? They were all under some serious psychological (and a fair share of physical) strain. No, they would not judge his anger, nor would they judge his tears.

And these people that called Bryan friend, allowed him his moment. Never did they look down on him for a second, and did their best to provide him his privacy as he wept.

* * *

“Yes, a barrier. Or shield, dome, force-field, all semantics in this case,” Jeff said, over his cup of steaming coffee. He sat in a large, almost throne-like, red, cushioned chair in the odd ‘study’ with a brick fireplace, and bookcases lining the walls. There were also large fancy carpets on the floor.

After being healed -again-, Jeff had insisted they go somewhere more comfortable to speak. This room was definitely more cozy, at least. Besides the fancy chair, their were three large sofas, equally as ornate as anything else fancy they had seen.

Insisting Reba make coffee in the nearby -out of place- white coffee pot, Jeff had also demanded Stryker start a fire. As Stryker and Reba grumbled about their tasks, the others had settled into the sofas.

Jeff adamantly refused to answer any questions without his coffee. Even turning his nose up at cute little Trixie, who was wondering what the odd silver metal was that made up this place. John whispered a promise to explain it later, if Jeff still wouldn't. Upon getting his coffee, and the fire burning strong, he had finally answered Feldyn’s original question from earlier.

“What type of barrier?” Feldyn inquired, trying to appear casual at the sudden answer. “What type?” Jeff laughed, taking a sip of coffee, and burnt his lip, starting a little. “As in scientific or magical?” he asked unblinking, eyes locked on the half-elf. Feldyn didn’t flinch. “Or force?” the still shirtless (but shackles now removed) bard added with a smile to the rude human. “Might as well name all three of them, aye?”

“I knew it!” Jeff said, and grinned, slapping his knee with a self-satisfied head shake. “I knew there was more than the Order let me in on! And you bastards didn’t tell me,” he pointed an accusatory finger at John, then Reba, who sat on a separate couch. John sat next to the half-elf, and Reba was next to Stryker and Bryan. He then suddenly squinted thoughtfully at Reba, “You haven’t aged a day! What type of creature are you?” She flinched like she had been slapped, and averted her eyes to look at the floor.

Pazely took a heavy candlestick from the solid black coffee table in front of the sofa that she, Trix, and Caleb sat on, and threw it at Jeff, sending his coffee mug flying. “You are such an ASS!” she shouted, and everyone had to agree. Even John. Although… “It is not quite that simple,” the bearded old man sighed to Pazely.

Jeff scowled now, covered in hot coffee. “I think you should all explain what is going on,” he told them, standing and adjusting his glasses with one finger, much like Bryan. “Then, and only then, will I explain what I know.” He walked across the room, ignoring the spilled coffee and dropped mug, retrieving another mug from the black cabinet attached to the wall above the coffee pot.

“You sure he isn’t just an ass?” Pazely asked John, to more than a few snickers. As Jeff was returning to the chair, Feldyn clapped his hands, almost causing the man to spill this cup of coffee as well. “Since we have little time for games, yet ye insist on playing them, we shall oblige you,” Feldyn’s kind smile did not seem so sincere.

“Can I at least get Trixie a shower, some food, and a bed?” Reba asked. Trixie had fallen asleep rather abruptly with the warm fire going, leaning on Caleb. Jeff ignored her. She guessed Jeff would be Jeff… Even if these years in seclusion made him even more rude. “Aye, ye know my tale Reba. You don’t need to hear it again,” Feldyn told her. “John can fill in your side of things, if ye too would like to freshen up,” Feldyn smiled, his accent thick again. “And me!” Pazely announced, “I feel super gross, and I’m starving.” She blushed a little.

Continuing to ignore them, Jeff sipped his coffee while the girls left the room. Feldyn began his tale, starting with his arrival on Earth, skimming things to do with the Dragonheart and prophecy. This man was already on Feldyn’s bad side. If he didn’t understand how things were, he could be lost, for all the bard cared.

Once Feldyn’s tale caught up to current, John provided a heavily abridged account of his and Reba’s past. Finally telling his friend -who had almost no knowledge of the supernatural- the truth. Caleb joined in to explain his side of things after. When Stryker (and to a lesser extent Masque, who stood off to the side brooding as usual) added in their story, Feldyn was floored. And once it all culminated in his rescue, and them being here, Feldyn found a tear in his eye.

Just one tear. He knew not why it was there, nor what it meant. Bryan had not said a word the entire time, nor had his uncle. After the lengthy story time, Caleb and Stryker had to pee, despite their lack of being offered coffee. Caleb was about to excuse himself, when Jeff began to speak, and Bryan finally looked up from the floor.

“I was -and probably still am- the most brilliant scientific mind the Order has ever had.” There was no arrogance in his voice. “And that’s all I was. A scientist. I knew the Order did something with religious and fringe mumbo jumbo, but I did not care. My research had unlimited funding, and they let me focus on some of the most amazing theories, and projects that my brilliant mind could fathom. Some hardly so!” He laughed, and shook his head, closing his eyes.

“But I was a fool. I began to realize the Order was much more the sinister operation than I had believed it to be. Around that time, I made a breakthrough. More of a flat success, really. A new metal- alloy- neither really, but that is not the point. For the purpose of conversation, I shall refer to it as I do in my head: a smart metal. It could be be programmed, and reshaped into whatever form the programmer desired. It never degrades, is stronger than steel, and, usually, lighter. I call it quicksilver.” The name garnered more than a few eye rolls. “If you had not figured it out, quicksilver is what I have formed my home out of.”

He took a large drink of coffee. “I hid my discovery from the Order. I feared that if they knew, they would simply kill me and take it. You see, they view intellect as replaceable. Can you believe that? Their researches and scientists had a tendency to… vanish," he waved some fingers around. "Also, around that time, my older brother had his first child. Bryan. I used that as an excuse for a leave of absence. They agreed quite easily. Probably due to them seeing me as a failure, intending to disappear me when I returned. Due to that very concern, I not only stole my research, but looked up information on anyone who may be… should we say, not so friendly to the Order?

“That information led me to John and Reba. The top fugitives from the Order. I am not so foolish as to believe they had really done something wrong! Who would think those two anything dangerous or special? It took me only minutes of going over the databases to discover they were vigilantes. Tracking down, and killing, what seemed unreal to me. Supernatural. Monsters. Rubbish, I would have said. Regardless, I used that information to get their attention. It is quite the unexplainable miracle how the Order has not already caught them, to be quite honest with you.

“Though it did take me some time to gain their trust. Once they agreed to help me, we began planning my death. The leave of absence I took turned into several years, due to a manufactured illness, Reba was kind enough to inflict upon me. Officials from the Order even came to verify my condition, and allowed me to stay here while I recovered. If I recovered. We wanted it to seem as believable as possible, the eventual car wreck, that is. But the unexplainable happened.

"During my stay with my brother and sister-in-law, I grew quite close to their son. You, Bryan. I spent most of the early years of your life with you, and grew to care for you like my own. Which is quite unusual for me. I was trying to think of a way out of my rapidly approaching fake death, when the Order discovered I had taken research.

“Contacting John, we quickly put the plan into motion earlier than expected. I called the Order, swearing to them I had taken nothing and was on my way back! For why would a guilty man come back on their own? And on the way back, I conveniently lost consciousness due to my illness, and ran off the road, dying in the accident.” The way he sat there, silently drinking coffee, the others assumed he was done with his awkwardly told story.

“But your body,” Bryan finally spoke, “I went to your funeral. I saw it.” His voice was quiet, but there wasn’t a trace of anger. Jeff nodded at the boy’s words. “That was Reba, again. She made an almost identical clone of me. All artificial, nothing living about it. Quite astounding work.”

“Of course it was astounding.” Reba said, as she returned to the room, hair in a towel on her head, another towel tightly wrapping her body, barely long enough.

Not answering her, Jeff at least nodded as she sat down next to Caleb, and the boy’s heart began racing and slamming. She smelled so good, and was only in a towel! Bad time to need to pee!

“I could not risk coming out of hiding, nor having any contact. So I remained here… in Cowlitz, because, well, hiding in plain sight.” Jeff smiled weakly now. “That, I believe, is all.” At those words, Stryker excused himself for the restroom, and hurried out. Caleb quickly followed, lest he pee his pants.

Bryan also rose to his feet. “Is there somewhere I can rest, Uncle?” he asked quietly, his eyes again falling to the floor. “Bryan, I-” Jeff started, but his nephew cut him off. “I get it. I understand. I need to be alone.” Jeff still seemed a bit hesitant to accept that it was okay. He wanted to tell him he had kept track of everything he had done via the internet! That he never quit thinking about him! Instead, he just gave him general direction to where the rooms were with beds. As Bryan was about to leave, he stopped, and without looking back said, “I’m glad you’re alive, Uncle.” Still not turning around, “I'm sorry for... hitting you. I forgive you… and… thank you.” He left the room now, hoping no one noticed his voice crack. They did.

Jeff began to cry. A cry becoming a sob. Masque rolled his eyes from the corner of the room near the fireplace. The priest smiled as Jeff took his glasses off to wipe his eyes with a sleeve. Looks like the man he had quickly felt a friendship with was finally coming back to himself.

“Hate to rush, truly I do,” Feldyn started, “but as you know, the situation is quite urgent. Not to mention, I highly doubt we are safe here for long.” He would also like a nap! How long since he had actually slept?

Returning with a small hop in his step, and whistling a happy tune, the look Stryker got from Reba said it all. “What the hell did I do?” he asked defensively, then saw Jeff’s red eyes. “Well, I’m sorry for the bad timing, but do y’all really have to be so dramatic about it?” Stryker mumbled, and chose to help himself to some damn coffee! He was tired of waiting for it to be offered!

“I believe we actually are safe for the time being. Even though you all are the ones to bring danger to my home in the first place,” Jeff said in reply to Feldyn’s concerns, like the interruption never happened. “Y’know, I’m done with this!” Stryker snapped, turning with his coffee in hand, to look at Jeff. “I get that we just crashed your home, but you trying to kill us was more than enough to get your point across! We have just explained everything, and for some reason, you are still being a royal prick!

“Stryker!”

“No, Reba, you need to sit there and be quiet for a moment!” He reprimanded the girl that had snapped at him, and took a drink of his coffee, not seeming to care about the scald, or the foul bitter taste; took several steps to look down at the girl, who had one hand holding the towel on her head. “I don’t care how old you're supposed to be, you are still a teenage dance instructor at my town’s dance studio. And I’m still a cop. So sit there, and be quiet."

Stryker’s words were harsh, but his eyes and tone were kind. Someone had to put their foot down with this girl sometimes, y’know? She got a bit… feisty, if she wasn’t reined in from time to time. It’s just who she was! He hoped he hadn’t hurt her feelings. Then she smiled at him. Not just any smile either, she grinned like some happy little girl that just got the gift of her life. In the light of this unexpected smile, he blushed fiercely. He had never seen Reba look so damn cute before. He also became painfully aware that the towel on her torso revealed a good amount of cleavage.

“Was there more to your verbal assault, officer?” Jeff uncharacteristically addressed Stryker. Feldyn sighed at the same time as John, both for the same reason. There were important matters at hand, and people kept causing unneeded distractions! “I believed you were all here to kill me, and I doubt you would have responded any less drastic in the same situation. Or could the way I interact be what’s upsetting you?” Jeff smiled to the cop.

“You see, I have horrendous anxiety disorder. Terrible to the point of madness. So bad, when there are all these strangers, my mind actually, more or less, becomes akin to that of a sociopath’s. Hence the rational of confronting a truck of men here to kill me, alone, with a rifle. Over the years, I have learned to control it slightly, talking minimally amidst the madness, until I can medicate properly, or keeping myself distant from what may become dangerous interactions.” Jeff held his cup up for Officer Stricksent to see, “By medication, I refer to this coffee. Took a while, but I finally created a medicinal formula I lace into the grounds. Works wonders for me, and also why I didn’t offer all of you any. The lack medication in my system, was the reason I did not explain.”

Stryker looked more than a little horrified now. Feldyn was so taken aback by the random change of situation, he forgot his irritation. Not John. He already knew all of this. Well, not the coffee aspect, but he suspected it was something like that. They may not have known each other long, but they truly had been friends. Still, Jeff really had been more of a manic ass than usual at their arrival.

“Do not worry, it won’t harm you in such small doses, though you may want to quit drinking it,” Bryan’s uncle cautioned, and Stryker hurried to set the cup back by the pot. “However, from the amount you did consume, there may be some involuntary bowel movements for the next few hours.” So seriously Jeff said that, Feldyn couldn’t take it, and exploded into intense enough laughter he was clenching his sides, irritating John who sat next to him.

“What’s so funny?” Caleb asked, just now getting back. Stryker looked like he was about to cry, and Feldyn was practically having a seizure.

Jeff sighed, and abruptly returned to the previous topic, “The enemy hasn’t ventured outside of Castle Rock since the Order sealed things off.”

“The Order?!” John stood from his seat with the shouted question. “Yes, the Order,” Jeff snipped back. “When the barrier appeared the other night, everything went to hell. And by the sound of things, you do not even know about it.” The mood was somber now, even with the occasional stifled giggle from the bard. “My central system is tapped into security cameras all over the county, so I witnessed a good deal of this myself, as it occurred.

“That night, not long after sundown, a purple-colored solid barrier appeared out of nowhere. Far as I could tell, it curved in towards the top, like a dome. However, the line it drew was... odd. I do not know if it surrounded Castle Rock, though from the data I was able to collect, it did encompass the town and some surrounding county, before cutting into mountains where I could no longer follow.

"What truly was a reason for concern, were the electrical storms; the ones that have been reported recently, manastorms you called them, I believe, were racing up and down the shield, as well as the area near it. It was like nothing I have ever witnessed, destroying houses and killing anyone near, scorching and tearing up the earth, and starting fires."

Jeff paused for a good minute before continuing. “The storming eventually stabilized, though the... the horrors were not over. Dozens of mostly young men, were running all over Longview and Kelso that night, killing people by the hundreds. They were not human. Too fast, and strong. They could jump atop a single story building! It was... unsettling. Then, right before the sun rose and the barrier vanished, so did they. At least from my cameras. What remained of them.”

“Vampires,” Masque rumbled. “Truly?” Jeff asked. “Truly,” Masque answered. “How very curious,” Jeff accepted.

Reba blinked. The hell… “What are you saying? That a shield or something, erected itself around the town the other night, manastorms caused that destruction we saw, and an army of vampires was going around the county killing everyone?” Jeff thought for a moment, then nodded. “And the Order?” John asked. “To be honest, John, I am only assuming it is the Order. When hundreds of un-uniform soldiers seal off most of southwestern Washington, and northwestern Oregon, it isn't the normal military.”

John knew he was right. The Order had their own army, with no few mercenary companies. Their appearance might pass for a Hollywood version of the U.S. Military, but anyone with a brain would know better.

They must know of the Terrors, and what it is they plan. It wouldn’t be long now until the colors arrived en masse. Or possibly even angels. Things just kept getting worse and worse. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The day had been long. Or at least for some of them. The adults spoke of barriers, demons, rituals, and time frames; while the kids ate, bathed, and were deeply asleep shortly after noon. Jeff had plenty of extra empty rooms and blankets, some even with mattresses. Many of the rooms had bathrooms of varying size, and there was even a single large multi person shower room. That was just what the kids had found in the rooms they checked! There were at least a dozen more doors left un-opened! Just why he set this place up like a small army would be living here, none of them knew. Not even Jeff seemed to know why he had designed it so.

Caleb, Pazely, and Trixie all slept on the floor in one of the bed-less rooms, filling it with tons of blankets. Trixie had crawled over to snuggle next to Pazely (and secretly be near Caleb) where they slept in a corner. Everyone had their clothing washed. Trix was only wearing a large white t-shirt now, which was much longer than what she had on before, and was practically a nightgown. Pazely fell asleep in a towel.

When the red light started flashing in the room and a klaxon began to go off, Trix woke with such a bloodcurdling wail of terror (shortly accompanied by Pazely’s), that she feared she had peed herself in fright! Caleb was looking around wildly, though at least hadn't screamed.

Stryker opened the door to their room, standing just in jeans, shirt in his hands. The lights and alarm seemed to be in the hallways as well.

“Well, looks like it’s time to wake up,” Stryker said, far too casually. “The fuck is THAT?!” Pazely yelled at the officer, who shrugged. “No idea, but no one’s screaming- other than you, and nothing’s trying to eat us yet, so assuming it isn’t an intruder alert.”

The alarm stopped. John went sprinting (wearing his brown robes and a matching brown nightcap) past Stryker, heading down the hall without slowing. “I say we follow him,” Stryker said, and headed after John at a brisk walk, putting his shirt on.

“I am getting so tired of wearing the same clothes!” Pazely bitched, as she hurriedly got out from under the blankets, and the few steps to where she had put her clothes. All of her clothes. Trixie blushed furiously, as butt naked Pazely quickly dressed in the now blaring white lights from the overheads Stryker had flipped on.

She was up and dressed too fast for Caleb to even tell her. She had slept with her hair up too, so not much concealment. He guessed it was just him and Trixie. Actually, from the look on Trixie's face, maybe Paze should be embarrassed after all.

“The barrier reappeared,” they heard John telling Stryker as they entered the new room everyone had been hurrying to. “Only, this time it’s different.” This new room was small and circular, with one entire side filled to the ceiling with a bank of monitors. A station of keyboards, a couple small monitors, and other things overlooked them from the center of the room, where Jeff stood facing away from the door.

“What’s different?” Feldyn asked, having just gotten to the room, as Caleb was comforting an embarrassed Pazely who finally realized she had given him and Trixie a free show. He was wearing a pair of Jeff’s jeans (which were almost too tight) and a white t-shirt. “This time, the shield is blue, smaller, and the, what did you call them?” Jeff both answered and asked. “Imps? They are nowhere in sight. One of them finally discovered a camera, and took it upon herself to smash every other one she came across, so I can't be sure they are not still there, only out of sight.”

There were more than a few puzzled and angry questions. “Calm down!” John snapped to the group. “The imp and the lycanthropeire showed up on surveillance yesterday, after most everyone had gone to bed; wreaking havoc on the soldiers in the county. You all needed rest, and it didn’t directly involve us, so I chose not to wake you. I had Jeff promise to tell me if the shield reappeared, or if any of the demons got too close.” He glared at Jeff now. “Though something less heart attack-inducing would have been preferable.”

Without looking to the old man, “I chose to turn my alarms back on,” Jeff explained. “They are an important part of my process. I shut them off after you all arrived, and we nearly did not even notice those imps were out there. We may have even missed the barriers reappearance if I had kept them off.”

Caleb sighed heavily. “Guess our break is over.” The looks from the others were mostly puzzled frowns. “What?” he asked to their stares. “Has our goal changed? Stop the bad guys, save our friends, and anyone else still alive?”

No one said a word for a while, all pondering if that is what their goal had even been.

“We need weapons,” Feldyn said. He could hardly believe he was going along with this. “And a vehicle!” Stryker added, then smacked himself in the forehead, remembering they had one. “Food and supplies this time would be nice,” Pazely mumbled, face still hidden against Caleb. “I’ll try to get some supplies from the lab!” Reba offered from the doorway, and hurried down the hall.

The nerdy man with black hair and glasses looked at the group like they were insane. “You are all actually going out there?” he scoffed. “Indeed,” Masque confirmed from beside him, causing Jeff to gasp violently.

“We are the type to go down in flames,” Caleb said with a grin. “But we are all praying that we don’t. We have friends out there, sir. To get them out, I think any of us would die or suffer,” Caleb looked to Feldyn. “Some of us already have.”

Feldyn didn’t fully agree with the Dragonheart’s views. In fact, he still wanted to hide Caleb; to let everyone die if need be, until the coast was clear, then whisk him away to Aethra. But recently… After what they did to rescue him… After they succeeded in rescuing him, he was trying to convince himself that these people were worth saving; worth helping. That they could win. Yet, if Caleb died, a number higher than the population of Earth, many times over, would be doomed.

Right or wrong choice, just sitting here doing nothing was foolish. At least, out there, they had somewhere to run. Also, the Terrors appeared to want Caleb alive. So putting him in harm’s way may actually make him, and those around him, safer. The enemy would have to hold back on the entire group, if they were truly trying to not harm the Dragonheart.

Feldyn hoped he was right. If he wasn’t, they would all be dead soon, regardless of if they stayed here or went out there. No, they needed to end this. Even delaying to see if the Order could handle it, wasn't worth the risk. Not with what the enemy was planning. And with their current information, flight appeared quite unlikely.

The group then descended pretty much into chaos; running this way and that, getting food, packing bags, finding clothes. Luckily for them (unluckily for Jeff), he had a decent stock of things. They packed three backpacks full of food and survival gear. Reba managed to mix a nice little pharmacy of fun things to stuff in her bag, and was quickly dressed again in her brown leathers. Stryker, Caleb, Pazely, and Feldyn also took (with approval) large camo jackets. Jeff had another -combat- rifle, which he grudgingly gave to Stryker, as well as extra ammo. Plus two revolvers, giving one to Caleb and one to Bryan.

All were now gathered at the base of the stairs leading up to the cabin. Bryan sighed and tried handing his revolver to John. “You need this more than me, since I’m staying here.” Everyone looked shocked. “We can’t leave Trix alone. Uncle can barely care for himself, let alone a little girl.” Trixie was offended at the word ‘little’. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, thank you! John smiled, and declined the gun. “I do not need it, for I too am staying.”

“What?!” was the collective question. “Dad, we need you out there!” Reba said, in total shock at his words. He never avoided danger! Ever! “You do not need anything, because you are staying as well,” John informed her. “LIKE HELL I AM!” Reba roared loudly enough to rival Pazely, just with more authority and far less squeak. “Yes, you are. With the Order no doubt to be arriving soon, not just their mercenary army, it’s too risky for either of us to be out there. We should wait here and only get involved as a last result. What can we do that the Order can not? No, we are not needed. Technically none of you are either, though I have no authority over your actions.”

“John, please,” Caleb begged, as Reba huffed and growled. “We can't trust some evil organization to be the heroes, that's insane! They are villains too, aren't they? Wouldn't it be best to resolve it before they get more involved? I believe we can win, but we're seriously outgunned, and you and Reba have powers that we don't!” John scoffed at the Dragonheart’s words. “Powers? You are judging this on terms of powers?” When Caleb didn’t immediately defend himself, Feldyn took the opportunity. Besides, he was fucking angry.

“Is he not right? This is war, my friend. Combat. We must judge it in terms of combat prowess if we are to win, let alone have a glimmer of a chance to survive!” Staring right into John’s eyes, Feldyn could tell the old man was pained. He knew what they were up against! “Please, John, come with us!” Regardless of his reasoning, the old man had to see things their way!

“No,” John stated, emotionless and without hesitation. Feldyn felt as if he had been slapped, taking a step back. John’s eyes… he had not even blinked! So... so very cold! Who was this ruthless man now looking back at him? “You will all return once you find no way to penetrate the barrier,” John stated flatly. “That is the only reason I am not hindering your departure. It should be safe enough for you to scout the area. There are not even storms accompanying this barrier.” Now Feldyn understood why he was telling Reba to stay. For, undoubtedly, she could get them through. “We need to hurry,” Feldyn said as he turned, snarling through clenched teeth, “Try not to die, you old fool.” He would not let John get to him! Calm. He needed to stay calm.

Then he saw Reba. The look on her face was heart-wrenching, and familiar. She was still wrestling with the decision to obey or betray her father. Feldyn decided to help her along. He turned back around, walking the few steps to John, and punched him in the face.

Trixie covered her mouth and shouted in surprise, as John reeled back and into the wall, blood streaming from a broken nose. “Let’s go!” Feldyn snapped to the stunned group, storming past them and up the stairs. There! Now Reba would be mad at him, feel sorry for her dad, and stay here, where it was safe.

Feldyn was more determined then ever now! No more doubt! They were getting through that barrier, and they were going to win. Or they would die fighting. There was a reason this was happening, and he was here, it must be possible to stop what the Terrors had planned!

Caleb followed suit up the stairs, before he too started throwing punches at the friends abandoning them. He didn’t blame Reba, though he was pissed at John and Bryan. Pazely quickly followed behind him, after she took the gun from Bryan, Stryker in the rear, closing the doors behind them. Masque was already outside, avoiding the drama. Caleb squinted as he exited the cabin, surprised that the sun was so bright to him. Jeez, what time was it? What day was it?!

Masque, Pazely, and Caleb got in the bed of the truck. Paze had her hair back in twintails again, since any other way she did it up was even less manageable. Keeping it up to sleep was nice, but too heavy to practically wear. Ponytails worked well, but the ties always broke. Braids were not even an option, as -for some annoying reason- they always came undone. “You are going to freeze, even in that coat,” Caleb pointed out to her. She had a large t-shirt on over the sports bra, and the camo jacket she wore swam on her. She also wasn't wearing any shoes. It was really quite cold out on this frosty but clear morning, but she didn’t seem to care. She rarely cared about the cold.

As Stryker started up the truck, Feldyn didn’t say a word in the passenger’s seat. Pazely was staring at the door of the shack the entire time. “They… Are they really not coming?” She looked about ready to cry “Why? There’s barely any of us! What do we do if they don’t come too? Why would Bryan abandon us?” Pazely sniffled. Caleb hugged her tightly. “Bryan has issues, and John is a grumpy old ass,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “Reba will sneak out as soon as she can. I’m confident Bryan will come help too. Maybe even John.” He smiled. “We just gotta make sure to live long enough for them to meet up with us!”

“I wish Ally was here,” Pazely said, surprising Caleb. “Tell her that and I’ll kill you.” He laughed. “Honestly Paze, wouldn’t surprise me if her and Gigi showed up. They are probably already back in town, waiting for us, raging at how slow we are.” This time Pazely laughed. She could honestly see that too!

Stryker finally began driving into the trees, along the curving road. “Get us as close to the barrier as you can,” Feldyn told him. “Somewhere we can park without being seen or drawing attention. Can you do that?” Stryker, who was wearing ridiculous large black visor-style sunglasses he had found in the glove box, nodded without a word. He seemed pretty sullen too. How could he not be, having almost half their team just abandon them at a time like this?

Slowing the truck to a stop when they got to the busted gate, Stryker frowned. “Should we at least try to close this better, since we did break it and all?” Before anyone could give any input, they heard something.

Someone was running, fast, from the way they had come. Caleb and Pazely tensed as the sound got closer… And Reba rounded the bend, sprinting faster than Caleb had ever seen someone (non-demon or monster) run. Clearing the distance from the corner to the truck, in her leathers, backpack over shoulder, she slowed just enough to jump into the bed. No one more shocked than Feldyn.

They heard John shouting her name. Loudly.

“Go!” she gasped, and Stryker didn’t object or hesitate; flooring the gas. The arrival of Reba somehow seemed to lighten everyone’s mood. Even Masque was grinning, having heard her coming well before the others had. One extra party member secured, the group sped away, hope once again in their faltering hearts.

* * *

Stryker finally pulled the truck to a stop in front of the large solid blue barrier, which went as far up and to the sides as they could see. Having driven through some roundabout dirt trails and through a few properties and yards, he had finally gotten them close, as promised. Closer than Feldyn had hoped for, and unseen too. If there was even anyone left to notice.

The barrier must be quite a lot smaller than the previous one, as the destruction Jeff said was caused due to storming, was quite a ways behind them.

“Now, we get inside,” Stryker contemplated, looking at the strange blue wall before them. “No, you can’t ram it,” Caleb teased the cop, who made a pouty face. Reba walked up to the barrier-wall; Caleb, Stryker, and Feldyn’s eyes went directly to her butt; those leathers making it hard not to.

Reluctantly, she placed a hand on the wall, and felt that it was solid… Definitely alchemical, but… “This is… odd,” she mumbled. Watching her, it was like Reba was listening to something none of the others could hear. “I… can understand it. But… it’s… not much more than a simple barrier. Well, not simple,” she said, her voice seeming to trail away. “Mind elaborating?” Feldyn asked, and she refocused quickly. “Oh, uh, it's an alchemically made shield. Not totally sure of its purpose, but I am sure that it is climate controlling, at a minimum.” She sighed and shrugged, taking her hand from the barrier.

“Can you get us inside?” Stryker asked, and Reba nodded, going to the truck to retrieve her bag. “I can make a hole in it large enough for us to get through, but we will need to hurry. The hole will close fast to keep the entire structure from destabilizing. “Won’t take long,” Reba continued, returning to the barrier. “And I’ve been thinking about what our next step should be once inside.” She knelt, and began to mix chemicals. “Oh, have you now?” Feldyn asked, curious. Nodding, not looking up from the liquids she mixed, “Dad and I have several hidden caches of supplies in town. Some are not far from here. I think we should hit those first, and try to get as many weapons and supplies as fast as possible. Then try to get to one of our hideouts, where we can do some recon and come up with a proper plan.”

“Why was this not mentioned before?” Masque grumbled from the shade of a nearby tree. Reba shrugged, “Dad didn’t mention it, and I was trying to be respectful, and not go against his judgment on the matter. Besides, none were close enough to have been of help to us earlier anyway.” She stood now, holding one large open vial.

“You all might want to be ready, because I'm not sure how long this hole will stay open, and I don't have the materials to make more.” Without waiting for a single word of confirmation from the others, she splashed the liquid on the blue wall, covering as much of an area as she could. A hole easily large enough to fit the truck through opened. Then immediately, and rapidly, began to close.

“Shit!” Reba cursed, and ran through. Feldyn was through quickly, as was Masque. Caleb and Pazely dashed inside, accidentally leaving their bags, with Caleb needing to duck to get in. Stryker grabbed a random backpack, and the assault rifle, before running to the rapidly closing hole. “Hurry the fuck up!” Caleb yelled, and Stryker barely rolled through in time, grabbing Reba’s bag she had left outside the opening as he rolled, though he accidentally dropped the rifle in the process.

* * *

The zombie king wheezed, walking past the pickup to the now closed hole in the wall of solid blue, looking at the gun where Reba had crouched moments before. So far, that imp was more or less right-on with her predictions. They were even ahead of schedule.

Larry was more than pleased at the sight of the homunculus he had lost, even though he only had one eye left to see her with, the one on the left side of his head more of a raisin. Damn that elf for injecting him with so much at once! Was taking forever to work out of his cells! He was at least thankful for that red shit splashed on him during the rescue. After replicating it, and fixing the imperfections, he adjusted it to apply on himself. It didn’t exactly make him invisible, but it did hide his odor, making him close enough to invisible. Despite his appearance, Larry was rather stealthy.

Even that thrall vampire in black had not sensed him approach for a closer look at the girl he had lost, in her deliciously tight leathers... Too bad he didn't have hormones, or he was be hard as a rock right now, in drippy anticipation.

Damn it all to cocksucking shit, checking the perimeter of this barrier was going to take forever like this, especially if he kept daydreaming! He needed to get it done, and back inside, so they could erect the rest of it. Perhaps he could find a way to adjust his form to both cover more ground and sate himself properly... For it wouldn’t be long now until he had his Philosopher’s Stone back. And he was going to bathe in the ecstasy, as his pleasure ripped her apart. Hormones or not.

Looking around, he caught the whiff of some cows a ways away, and smiled. Leave it to cows to be the only animals stupid enough to not have fled. First, he would eat his fill of their meat. After that, there should be plenty left for a mutation or two… Or twelve.

As Larry charged with the speed and agility of a cheetah through the trees, his mind was awash with all the creative things he could grow to help him get this done faster. And then use to rape that bitch, while maybe flavoring her meat while he was at it.

Homunculi tasted like dry dog biscuits and cow shit.