Humor works always as a good defense against the absurd, allowing one to indulge in that weirdness themselves, and thus blend in if only for a moment. That was perhaps why Kathy insisted upon tossing their grocery bags into Daggeuro's enchanted bag in the trunk of their car in various silly fashions, including snapping a bag of Doritos like a football up between her legs, letting other shoppers look at her like a lunatic. Just out of their sight was a magical artifact from another plane of existence, one which could easily hold the four-hundred dollars' worth of food they'd just purchased in a space no visibly larger than a duffel bag. They had no clue.
There was also the matter of Daggeuro in the back seat, the kennin warrior using his limited shadow magic to weave an illusion over himself, thus appearing as a passable body double of Javier Bartem. Byron caught a can of corn that went rogue when Kathy pitched a plastic bag into Daggeuro's bag, tossing it in.
"People think we're nuts," he muttered.
"Let them," she replied with a grin. "I'm only shocked I'm the one doing this instead of you." She looked over at Byron and immediately put her words in perspective. Using his magic, Byron had turned his outward appearance into that of a clown smacking the parking lot pavement with a wet blue fish while drawing a hopscotch grid with his other hand in peanut butter. "Honey?"
"Yes dear?"
"Do you ever think about these little outbursts of yours before you indulge in them?" Byron stood up and snapped his fingers, and he was back to normal, a yellow card falling off of his chest and crumbling into ashes.
"Not really. If I was able to, I wouldn't come off as a mental patient." He put the lid back on the peanut butter and underhand tossed it into the trunk. Kathy shut it, and wheeled the cart back to the store. When she got back to the car and started it, Byron was rummaging in his jacket pocket. "What are you doing?"
"Just watch." He pulled out a bag of Beggin' Strips dog treats and took one out, held it up. "Look." Kathy peered in the rearview mirror, and saw that Daggeuro was staring intently at the treat.
"That's mean! Knock it off," she admonished, unable to restrain her giggles as he tossed it and the kennin snapped it up. "Okay, enough clowning around. Let's get back to the apartment."
"You may want to hurry," Daggeuro said in the back seat, looking out at the driver of the car next to theirs.
"Why?"
"Because my veil is fading," he said. Kathy stole a look over and saw that the woman in the next spot was staring wide-eyed at the kennin. She quickly backed out of the spot and took off, heading for home.
Kathy sat on the couch, her stone tablet active in her lap. She had used her power to manipulate inanimate objects to create a kind of magical Kindle from stone in Ether Plane, and loaded it with tomes of history and lore from libraries and bookstores in Celia. At the moment, she was studying up on blue dragons, having already read through passages on greens, the most common and second-smallest of the wyrms. The smallest, white dragons, were far less common and, according to Daggeuro, a lot deadlier than the greens.
Blue dragons were the second most commonly sighted breed, and Kathy was encouraged to discover that they were among the less aggressive breeds. Daggeuro had already indicated that the greens could be contended with by just they three. "But if there's a gather, we hide," he added.
Kathy kept reading while Byron prepared yellow cards. His own unique Awakened power allowed him to manifest nearly anything he wrote down on these, so long as he had the magical energy to pull it off. He no longer used ice weapons or armor on the cards, having learned water and ice magic on their own. But he kept several copies of 'hellfire shotgun' on hand at all times, as before.
Daggeuro looked over at him and asked, "Can you make me a rounding plate?" Byron wrote down 'rounding plate' on a card, snapped his fingers, and with a flash of yellow light, the card became an arched plate of iron. Daggeuro used it to hammer his breastplate back into shape and set it aside.
"You've got it for an hour," Byron said. The three remained quiet as they made their separate preparations, the television hooked to Kathy's laptop, 'The Office' running as background noise on Netflix. At one point Daggeuro looked up and just stared at the television for a few minutes.
"I'd forgotten the marvels of your world for a long time," he said, returning his focus to the armor. "Mayhap if we are able to put things right, I'll bring Selena and the kids over here for a while." Neither human made comment, and soon they were all once more bent to their individual tasks.
A 'ding' in the kitchen told Kathy their dinner was ready. "Come on. Last dinner at home for us for a while," she said, nudging Byron. The trio went to the kitchen, enjoying a meal of baked chicken in a cheese gravy sauce, with green bean casserole and garlic mashed potatoes on the side. There was a lightness to their quiet company, the fears and worries held off for the time being. They all three knew that there would be perils ahead, though none knew how great.
And for the time being, they would let it wait until they needed to address it.
Kathy could feel all of her nerves twitching as she donned her green travel cloak the following morning, and she saw the way Byron's shoulders kept tensing up as he tied up his boots. She put her axe through its holster loop on her belt, handing Byron his katana. He had extensive martial arts training, and had purchased a combat-ready blade from a specialized retailer in downtown St. Paul a few months earlier. He wouldn't always be able to depend on his magic for defense, he'd explained, and she quite agreed. He tied the sheath to his own belt and took a shaky breath.
"It probably wouldn't kill us to ask for some chain mail when we get over there," Byron said. "We've got weapons covered."
"Not a bad idea," Kathy said. "For right now, let's just hope we can avoid trouble." Byron scoffed audibly. "I know, what are the odds?" She and Byron headed out to the living room then, where Daggeuro was fixing his last armor plate in place on his cuirass. He secured the final bolt and slipped the armor on, fanning out the chains that partially covered his groin and thighs. Boon and Bane hung in their traditional places on his hips, and he looked far better than when he'd arrived.
"All right," he said, hitching up his enchanted duffel across his back. "Kathy, you're going to use your dragonbone dagger to cut open a rift. I could use my claws as I did before, but such rifts close quickly on their own. I will go through first, and you'll watch for me to signal an all-clear before crossing over. Understood?" The humans nodded together. "Good. Now, once you're through, follow me directly into the house, no slowing down. Before we cross, there's one last warning I would issue you- hold your breath until we're all in the house with the door shut. The east end of what's left of the city was torched a week ago, and might still be streaming ashes."
Kathy drew out her dagger, pushing her will into the blade. She carved a narrow line in the air, which widened on its own to reveal Daggeuro and Selena's family home fifteen or so yards away. Daggeuro slipped through, darting looks left and right before running to the door and throwing it open. He signaled for the humans, who each took a deep breath, held it, and ran through, Kathy first.
She felt the difference before seeing or hearing it, a latent heat in the air, a filthiness that clung to her hair and exposed hands and cheeks. She was inside of the living room of Selena's family home moments later, with Byron panting right beside her and the door slamming shut.
She looked up from where she stood, bent over with hands on her knees, and saw three curious canine faces peering at her. Daggeuro's children all looked like slimmer teenaged versions of the kennin warrior, but for Marianna having slightly more feminine features, including armor shaped to express a female nature. Turot, the older boy, sat on the left end of the couch, Rasmus on the right, and they might have passed for twins if not for the streak of golden fur down the center of Turot's snout. He was also slightly heavier of frame, being older.
Kathy stood up, reflexively smiling at the three children of her great faerie friend. Selena came quietly into the room from the hallway, and when Kathy looked to her, she felt tears threaten at the backs of her eyes. The elven woman had always been graceful, pretty in a way that spoke to Kathy of the myths of fae folk she'd grown up with. She had been smooth-skinned and fair, her hair worn long and flowing. Her frame had been elegant and classically sylph-like.
Now she wore a simple, loose chain shirt over half plate leggings, which appeared oversized at first. Her neck and left arm, exposed from the elbow down, were corded with lean muscle. Her right arm was entirely gone except for a stump off of her shoulder, which appeared to be fitted with a circling bracket. An angry white scar parted her hair on that side of her head, a thick ribbon of shock white growing out under it. The eye on that side of her face was pearl white, blind for certain.
"Selena," Kathy breathed, running over and embracing the elven woman, who clung right back to her with her one good arm.
"I know," Selena said quietly, stroking Kathy's hair. "I know." When finally Kathy let her go and stepped back, the elven woman said, "It happened four years ago, now. A red we managed to ambush got me in his jaws for a moment. He paid dearly for it with his life." She headed over to a hutch cabinet behind the couch and opened it, revealing several multi-jointed arms made of wood and one composed of steel. She pulled this one out and hooked it onto her bracket, channeling pale blue magic over the connection. The arm moved, made a fist. "I make do, thanks to dwarven tinkers."
Daggeuro set his bag down and snapped his fingers, which brought is children to their feet. He briefly made introductions between his children and the humans, all of whom shook hands. Rasmus paused when he took Byron's hand, eyes blinking rapidly. He turned to his father and said, "This one is different." He squinted up at Byron, expression otherwise blank. "The dragons will know it."
"Hush, Rasmus," Daggeuro chided gently. "These two are our friends, here to help us."
"I do not doubt that, father," Rasmus said, sitting back down with his brother and sister. "I merely mean to say they will recognize his power." All eyes were upon the Awakened man now, who visibly squirmed under their collective gaze.
"We'll speak more in private later," Daggeuro said to his son. "For now, I would you tell me what has happened in my absence." He took up residence on the floor before the couch, Selena sitting down beside him and leaning her head on his shoulder plate.
Turot began their report. "Upon your departure, several others from the houses about came to ask us where you had gone. When they learned of it, they too tried to cross, but they have not the power to rend an opening on their own. Yet still they tried, right out on the street." Kathy, curious, went over to the window beside the front door and twitched it open. Byron joined her, and together they stared out in disbelief.
Where once had stood miles of homes and storefronts to the south, there now lay wasted wreckage and ashes. The skies themselves were choked with smoke-gray clouds scudding overhead, small specks dotting the sky here and there. Dragons, she thought. At least half a dozen of them. What destruction could they wreak here? She realized she needn't have asked, but only look outside for her answer.
Turot was still giving his report behind them. "Zinelsh the green came down and smote them all with his claws and tail. Seven died trying to open a rift," he said. Kathy looked back at the kennin youth, troubled that he was so detached in his telling of what had occurred. She realized a moment later, though, that he and his siblings had spent most of their young lives in a world dominated by such horrors; they knew no other way for things to be. They'd been children carved of wood, compared to she and Byron.
"What else," Daggeuro asked. Marianna now leaned forward to take up her part, her voice husky but decidedly feminine, more like her mother in tone.
"Shortly after that, loyalist lizardmen arrived, dispatched from Harrow Keep," she said. "They came around to announce themselves. They've a Regent with them, Flaborg Hinswell. He issued a command of open house."
"What does that mean," Kathy asked, returning to the center of the room to sit with the other adults, leaving Byron at the window.
"It means we leave the door unlocked," Daggeuro said. "If they discover it locked they storm in and engage to kill. They'll take no chances." He looked to Rasmus. "Your turn, young one."
"They are afraid," said Rasmus, hands fidgeting, eyes half-lidded. "They suspect you are who you are, and that they may face your wrath. They also are troubled by the coming of a large pack of steel rendermen from the north toward this town. The Regent has orders from Kigla the red to destroy the pack if they attempt to settle into one of the remaining buildings here or attack any of the livestock kept by the loyalists."
Kathy looked back and forth from Rasmus to his parents, who appeared to be silently analyzing what he was telling them. "How do you know these things," Kathy asked. Rasmus' eyes fluttered wide, then fixed on her.
"It is called the High Mind, a rare form of magic. It allows me to sense emotions and hear the unguarded thoughts of many people. It does not work on those whose will is strong or who are accessing moderate to high amounts of magical energy. I cannot read you or Byron, nor either of my parents, for all of you possess great willpower."
"Jedi mind tricks," Byron said over at the window. Rasmus cocked his head at the human man.
"I do not understand."
"It's a reference, we're prone to that," Kathy said. "Don't worry about it. Rasmus, do you use conjunctions at all?"
"You refer to my speech pattern," said the young kennin, grinning. "I do, but when using the High Mind, I tend to speak in a very structured fashion. I'm sorry if it's off-putting," he said, now sounding more natural, at ease. Daggeuro rose, moving toward the kitchen.
"Thank you, children. Love, Kathy, may I speak with you two in the kitchen? Byron, why don't you do some hand drills with Turot? He needs to learn some unarmed techniques from someone other than his father." Byron turned from the window and nodded, smiling at the bigger son as Turot rose from the couch. Kathy and Selena followed Daggeuro out to the kitchen, which appeared to have been scrubbed by professionals. It was immaculate, offering a sharp contrast to the ruined township outside.
"Any reason Byron's not in here with us," Kathy whispered as they gathered at the far end of the room from the living room archway.
"Because he is the subject I would address," Daggeuro replied quietly. "You heard Rasmus before; if Byron uses his unique abilities, the dragons will sense it."
"He does have the use of water and ice magic," Kathy said. "I've discovered a knack for earth magic myself as well. He said that's normal for Awakened."
"Indeed it is," said Selena. "It's actually surprising it took so long for your secondary powers to come alive. How potent is his water magic?"
"I'd say it's middling," Kathy answered. "He can craft armor and weapons of ice, use ice shards and lances, a kind of high-pressure water cannon. Nothing too complex, but forceful."
"He'll have to rely on that primarily," Daggeuro said. "Unless we find ourselves in the most dire straits, he should refrain from using his Awakened gifts. Will he understand?"
"I think so," Kathy said. "He and I were also hoping to get some chain mail. I can manipulate my cloak, and he can craft ice armor, but we both want some non-magical protection."
"Hephin has some spare armor," Selena said. "Turn right off our walkway and look for the yellow house about two miles down."
"Be very careful of the loyalists," Daggeuro said. "If the two of you go now, you can claim to be wanderers if spotted. Humans are uncommon, but usually go unmolested. I would be quick about it, though, and mind your tongues if a patrol happens upon you."
Kathy nodded and went to the living room to grab Byron. They exited the house, and merely stood there, surveying the ruins of the once-proud city around them. "It's terrible," Byron said, sniffing and coughing as he lit a cigarette.
"I know. I always imagined this place would withstand anything. The first time I was here, when Luga and his army laid siege, they had this great dome of shielding magic over the entire city. I remember thinking nothing would ever break it."
"How did they ever get into the city," Byron asked, walking beside her down the ash-covered street, keeping his eyes sweeping the area for movement.
"Farouk found an old secret trade passage that went under the dome. He was a troll vindicator, Luga's right-hand man," she said. "Baron Dimanche ambushed him down in the tunnel, killed him, but another servant of Luga's got into the city and killed several of the sages who'd been maintaining the barrier." Kathy was also looking around, stealing glances over her shoulder back the way they'd come. They were a mile down the road when she whispered, "We've got company coming."
"How many," Byron asked.
"Four, lizardmen. Keep it cool, look like you're checking wreckage visually." She halted and leaned over the edge of what was a collapsed building, kicking idly through detritus. Byron did the same a few yards on, though with more depressing results; his foot pulled up a rotted outer board, revealing a small skeletal arm, still clutching at some sort of ancient wooden toy. He choked down a sigh and continued on.
They made twenty more yards when someone called out behind them, "Halt, travelers!" They did, turning about and standing side by side, hands loose at their sides. Four lizardmen in battle armor, wearing open-sided drapes with a golden dragon insignia, came jogging up to them, their spears held quick. The foremost of them, taller and more muscular than his kin, stepped closer to them when all feet ceased ten yards distant. "Humes," he hissed, making a disgusted face. "Adepts or Awakened?"
"Awakened," Kathy answered, opting for truth. She figured that if they were mostly honest, these men would ultimately leave them alone. The spears held by the leader's three companions had been butts-down on the ground, but were now being held at the ready. "We're just scavenging, looking for some things to grab before we find a place to hunker down a while."
"Where are you from," the leader asked.
"Iowa," she replied. "Or did you mean here in Ether?"
"Here, foolish," the lizardman snapped.
"We just crossed over from Mortal Plane a few days ago," she lied. "We showed up a few miles south of here. We've been to Celia before, prior to the time slip." The lizardman quirked his mouth to one side, seeming to weigh options. Finally, he made a motion to his men with one hand, and they once more stood at ease.
"The time slip," the lead loyalist said, shaking his head. "It has been many years in Ether since you were here last, then. You would not know, but I shall tell you- the dragons are dominion here, humes, and their god's decree is law. Have you any questions for us, 'fore we make our way?" Kathy and Byron exchanged a glance, and then shook their heads in unison. "Very well. Do not gather with more than a dozen or so people in any one place, for the masters do not look kindly upon such numbers. We who wear the dragon sigil are known as loyalists, and we are their eyes and ears among faerie. Obey the command of any who bear this mark, and of any wyrm who is merciful enough not to smite you on sight. Follow these words, and you may yet return to your Plane in one piece."
The leader pivoted on his heels and led the others away, marching off on patrol once more. Kathy and Byron started away once more, hurrying their pace some. When they arrived at the yellow house, Kathy knocked on the door rapidly, trying to remember the name of the faerie they'd come to see. The door was opened, revealing a disheveled living room behind a stocky bear faerie man dressed in maroon robes of sack cloth material.
"Are you Hephin," Kathy asked. In reply the bear reached out, taking each human by the arm and hauling them inside, clapping the door shut roughly. Kathy and Byron stumbled, wheeling on the bear as he ran a hand back through his hair.
"Apologies," he said, his voice rumbly, low. "I saw you down the road with the patrol. I don't want them to see me receiving guests. I am Norick," he said, extending a large paw to Byron, then Kathy. "Hephin is in the back, allow me to get him." The humans stood in the center of the squalid living room, surrounded by clutter of all sorts. It took Kathy a moment, but she recognized an order to the way things were piled together. The living room looked at first glance like a dump, but it was actually a resource bin dominating the floor space.
Norick returned a minute later with a burly dwarf in tow, the little bearded man dressed in simple brown leathers and a blacksmith's apron. Norick made a sweeping bow. "Presenting to you, master Hephin, blacksmith extraordinaire."
"Oy, bugrit you flap-lip," the dwarf said, his English-like accent thick, ruddy. "Oo's this, then, and oo sent ya," he asked. Kathy curtsied, holding imaginary skirts to her side.
"Comes to you Kathy Potts and Byron Torg, Awakened humans, friends sent by Sir Daggeuro," she replied. She inwardly flinched; he wasn't 'Sir' anything right now, and might never be again. Of all his former titles, the only one that applied anymore was 'wielder of Boon and Bane'. The dwarf didn't seem to notice this, however, and responded as if such were not the case.
"Aye, Lord Daggeuro of the Watch that was," he said. "Any ro', you needn't curtsy or bow, leave off wiv'at nonsense I says. Whatcha' need from meself?"
"Chain mail," she replied. "For both of us." The dwarf looked them over, arms folded over his chest, tugging at his braided beard.
"I've two chain surcoats should fit a nice piece," he said after a minute. "Wait 'ere, I'll fetch 'em." He trundled away, favoring his left leg. Norick cleared some bits of scrap wood off of a small love seat and motioned for them to sit, which they did.
"Shall I get you tea? There's still water in the kettle," the bear faerie offered.
"That'd be great," said Byron. When Norick walked out of the room, Byron whispered, "If we bump into that patrol again, what do we say about the armor?"
"Found it in the wreckage of a smithy shop," she said quickly. "I already thought about that. You think they'll bother us, though?"
"Not likely," said Byron. "They already have us pegged for wandering scavengers from Mortal Plane. I figure they'll leave us be." Norick returned with two orange clay cups, the tea sweet and light. The humans thanked him. As he sat on the floor, Byron asked, "So, how long have you and Hephin been hunkered down here?"
"Three years," said the bear faerie. "We've been raided twice, had whole loads of weaponry confiscated, got threatened with expulsion out into the wilds. But whenever those cretins need their gear fixed, they drop in. They wouldn't soon get rid of us."
"Make yourselves irreplacable, and you're solid, in other words," Byron said. "Business thinking, and not bad as such things go. Are you a smithy too?"
"No, I'm versed in healing magics," said Norick. "We make a good pair, Hephin and I. Faded Army units pop in when they have operations nearby, keep us up to date on new information." They all looked up at Hephin as he returned with two long surcoats of chain, which Byron and Kathy draped on over their clothes and under their cloaks.
"Thank you for these," Kathy said. She grabbed her bag, reaching inside. "I have some drakes," she began, but Hephin shook his head.
"Nope, wouldn't dream of it. Money's not much good to most folk nowadays any ro'. But I could use some tea. Norick?" The bear faerie got up to fetch it, and Hephin said, "Now you two be quick getting back down the street. There's a new Regent in town, and he likes to go out on the patrols sometimes. He sees you armored, he'll assume the worst and make trouble."
Kathy and Byron left, both ready to bolt if there was any sign of trouble. But they made it back to Daggeuro and Selena's house unmolested. Kathy opened the door, and the humans stood staring at the scene before them.
The kennin children were seated as before, with Daggeuro and Selena standing behind the couch. Opposite them, between the family and the humans, stood five lizardmen in heavy combat armor, a sixth man in light half-plate and a feathered helm behind them, standing sideways so his reptilian face was in profile to Kathy and Byron. His visible eye squinted, a leering grin spreading over his lips.
"Well, it looks like you folks have company," said the helmed reptile. He turned to face the humans, the scimitar in his left hand now visible. "Hile, humans! I am Flaborg Hinswell, Regent of Celia! Come in, won't you?"