Story One of The clan SteelClaw Chronicles: Season Two

Resolutions

By Vashkoda and Kahreen
Story contributions by Ed and Shaiya
Artwork by Kahreen

My name is Thaylog Legacy. I don't care what you've heard of me, or what you yourself believe. You know nothing about me, nor do you need to know.

My friends, however, are a different matter. I feel it is necessary to tell you a little about them. Take care not to betray them--or my trust--or you will find yourself in greater peril than you could possibly imagine.




Thaylog had asked his friends to assemble in the mansion's great hall, where chairs and pillows had already been arranged in a semicircle before a roaring fire. It was the night before New Year's Eve, and Thay had mentioned on several occasions that he had plans for a special celebration to commemorate the beginning of their new year together as a clan. The other members weren't sure what to expect. Some--like Sabrina, Llewelyn, and Silver's son, Chaz, hoped for a wild party. Others like Flynt and Dayia--who had known their leader the longest--knew him to be too somber and reserved for a large celebration. 

When everyone was seated, Thaylog took a position near the fireplace and began to speak, his gaze encompassing the entire clan.

"A year ago, I was...well..." the ivory gargoyle paused as he tried to put his thoughts to words, then shrugged and continued. "I was a very different person. I had befriended a few humans in the past, but I had also suffered at the hands of others, and their hatred towards our kind was mirrored by my own hatred towards theirs." Thaylog saw nods from several in the group who shared a similar feeling. Others frowned or hid their reactions behind seemingly neutral faces. Thaylog began to choose his words carefully.

"But humans were everywhere, and no matter how many I vanquished, there were always more. I slowly came to accept that we live in a world of the human's creation, in which there is no place for our kind. The only way to survive was to live by their rules, no matter how much I despised them. To my surprise, not only did I survive...I thrived! As I amassed power, all I could think of was how I could turn it against those who so foolishly placed it in my grasp. I wanted to make them feel pain, because pain had been my only companion for...a very long time."

"Then Flynt came, and his friendship tempered my thirst for vengeance. As our clan grew, my concerns turned towards keeping all of you safe. When the Dominion menace was uncovered, I fought back with everything I had--as I know you all did. But I wasn't fighting to save the humans, or the rest of this blasted, forsaken planet." Thaylog's voice grew intense, and a few clan members shrank back, thinking that he was angry. "I did it to protect you, my friends, my clan--because you are more important to me than anyone I have ever known. My fortune and power brought me nothing but misery, except when I used it against the Dominion, because I was using it toward a greater purpose."

"I don't want to carry that darkness inside of me any longer. When this new year begins, I wish to be reborn. The humans will no longer rule me---by their acts or in my thoughts. I don't give a damn what happens to mankind, one way or the other. All I care about it you, and I pledge that I will do all that I can to keep us all safe and well."

The clan was shocked, unable to speak as they recovered from their leader's words. Was this what they had been summoned for? Those who had hoped for a party tried to hide their disappointment.

"The celebration of rebirth is an old tradition that was practiced by my adoptive clan. Before tomorrow night, everyone here must come to terms with whatever burdens have plagued them, so that they will not follow them into the new year. A resolution must be reached, even if it entails a confrontation between members of the clan."

Thaylog ended his speech with a nod to the group, then caped his wings and walked past them. He turned briefly to address the startled clan.

"I will be in my office if anyone needs to speak with me...for whatever reason. Remember, your affairs must be settled before tomorrow night. An hour before dawn, I will meet you here and we shall travel to a place I have chosen for the ceremony."

With those words, he turned and merged into the shadows.



I suppose I should start with my brother, Flynt. No, we are not brothers by blood or by rookery, but we have traveled similar roads, and share many thoughts and experiences that link us more tightly than the bond between kin. 

Such as our suffering at the hands of human kind.

As difficult as it was for me to renounce my quest for vengeance, I know that it will be even harder for Flynt. I have had centuries to recover from the wounds they inflicted upon me. Flynt was only recently torn from the world he knew, and from the arms of his mate, who was killed by beasts under a human's control.

I don't know if he can ever forgive them, or if he will ever find peace.



Flynt gazed at the full, golden moon. It was one of the few things that this world shared with the one of his birth. The sight of it often brought back memories of his past; especially of the way things had been before the armies of the warlord Roah had swept down from the north. The warlord had taken away everything that Flynt held dear, and it was little consolation that Flynt had taken from Roah the one thing the human needed to complete his goal of world conquest.

The goat-horned gargoyle stared at the scar in the palm of his right hand. It was there that Roah's amulet had burned him and transferred much of its magic to Flynt's body. He had already managed to return twice from the dead. He didn't know what other powers it might have bestowed on him, nor was he very eager to find out.

His thoughts turned to Thaylog's speech, and then to memories of his fallen mate, Nightshade.

"Should I forgive the humans?" he asked the stars, where he had often felt her presence. "What would you do in my place?" 

"Humans and gargoyles are as different as night and day. We cannot exist in harmony. The humans have always understood this, which is why they don't waste time talking about peace between our kinds."

Flynt saw the figure of a female gargoyle approach him. At first he thought it was the spirit of his mate, until the moonlight illuminated Diamond's white hair and peach-colored skin. She stopped at his side.

"Humans are weak, cowardly things," she spat, her words dripping with venom. "Once, our numbers would have matched theirs, and we would have had the power to stop them. But our leaders wait and talk as the humans hunt us down, and now only a handfull of clans survive. Sometimes our kind disgust me as much as the humans, and I think that our race deserves its fate."

Flynt stared at her in surprise. Diamond had expressed her distrust of humans before, and fought them in battle with a savage efficiency that frightened even her fellow gargoyles. But she had never before revealed the extent of her hatred, or what she truly felt about those in the clan who didn't share her views.

"You...you seem to have given this a lot of thought," said Flynt, not certain how he should respond. He agreed with much of what she had said, but he could not ignore the implications of her words.

Diamond snarled. "I did not need to wait for Thaylog's permission to reflect on my situation. I have been thinking about it ever since we defeated the Dominion. I had hoped that once the alien threat had passed, our clan would focus on the human problem. I knew that neither you nor Thaylog have any love for their kind, and that with you two to lead us, we might have a chance at taking over control of Newbridge and the neighboring cities, keeping the humans in submission. And with Thaylog's resources, who knows how much human land we might have conquered?"

Flynt's mind reeled. He pictured words very similar to Diamond's, first being spoken by the warlord Roah, and then by the leader of the alien Dominion.

"But tonight Thaylog has made it quite clear that he will not be doing anything about the humans. He would prefer that we hide in his mansion and let the humans believe that they have killed the last of our kind. But I refuse to leave this world whimpering and beaten. And I know that you, a true gargoyle warrior, feel the same way."

She moved closer, so that he could smell the scent of her hair. It smelled like the flowers that bloomed around the forest lake where he had accidentally walked in on the female gargoyle bathing. He had instantly felt an attraction to her, and his persistent efforts finally convinced her to join his clan. Yet the pale gargoyle never seemed to return his interest, and his guilty memories of Nightshade helped suppress any attempt to approach Diamond on the matter.

"You and I could leave this place, and look for other gargoyles who feel as we do. We could start our own clan." She looked at him carefully, searching for a reaction. Then she let her hand gently run down the curve of his arm.

"And perhaps, in time, we could become more."

Flynt grabbed her hand, stopping the caress. He fought hard to hold his emotions in check, but could not keep a tear from streaking down his cheek.

"You misunderstand him. Thaylog is not surrendering us to the humans. He still has great power through his company, and with all of the money-"

"Money? Company?" Diamond pulled her hand out of Flynt's grasp and glared at the tall gargoyle. "Those are part of the humans' world, not ours. A gargoyle fights with fang and claw! But I suppose Thay has been masquerading as a human too long, and no longer remembers what it means to be one of us."

Diamond backed away from him, clutching her hands into fists.

"And it seems that he has corrupted the rest of you as well."

Flynt watched her escape back into the mansion, and decided against following her.  Nothing he could say would change her mind--she seemed to have reached her decision long before tonight.  It was his mind that she had hoped to sway.

Thay had asked the clan to resolve their problems before tomorrow.  Flynt envied Diamond in a way, because she believed so strongly in her position.  Although much of what she had said made sense, Flynt also trusted Thaylog, and knew that he had the experience to make the right decisions for the clan.  And as the Second in Command, Flynt had to put the clan's welfare before his personal vendettas.  But he felt that to forgive the humans so quickly would be a betrayal to those of his kind who had died fighting them.  And nothing in his experience had ever convinced him that humans deserved his trust, or his mercy.

He resumed his watch of the night sky, hoping for an answer in the stars.

I met Shaiya in an alley as she was being attacked by two thugs.  At first I thought she was human, until she mutated into a gargoyle before my eyes.  Yet there is something about her that has since convinced me that she is neither human nor gargoyle.  As I myself am half-alien, I recognize an otherworldly quality in her, which the others in the clan are perhaps unaware of.  But as I have my own secrets to keep, I have chosen not inquire too deeply about hers.

I am concerned for her, however.  She needs friends in this world, yet experience seems to have forced her to be cautious in extending her trust.

"Don't forget what I told you, mom."

"Yes Chaz, I know.  Now please play quietly.  Your mother has a few things that she needs to think about."

Shaiya froze in hallway outside of Silver's room.  Her enhanced senses allowed her to hear the conversation from where she stood, and to detect Silver's footsteps coming closer to the door.

Now's your chance, she thought to herself.  But as the door opened and Shaiya came face to face with the deep brown gargoyle, habit suddenly took over.  Instead of the words she had wanted to say, her face settled into a cold, emotionless mask.

"Hi Shaiya," greeted Silver, glancing at her curiously.

"Silver," nodded Shaiya, her eyes only briefly meeting the gargoyle's as she continued down the hall, as if their encounter had been merely by chance.

Shaiya sighed.  So much for the direct approach!  Shaiya wondered if Silver suspected anything, and chastised herself for letting Silver see her outside her room.

She suddenly found herself standing outside of Thaylog's office.  Shaiya then realized what it was that she finally had to do.  

She knocked timidly on the office door.  Thaylog's muffled voice welcomed her inside.

The gargoyle's red eyes widened in surprise when he saw who it was.

"Shaiya!  I certainly never expected you to be among those with a grudge against me."

"Oh, no, that's not why I'm here," she amended quickly.  "I...wanted to talk to you about the ceremony."

Thaylog raised an eyeridge as he studied her.

"Really?"

Shaiya nodded.  "You said that we should try to work things out with any of the clan who we've had troubles with. But every time I try, I can't seem to say what I need to."

Thaylog folded his arms against his chest.  "I'd like everyone in the clan to be just that--a clan, a family.  I hoped that by asking all of you to resolve your differences, it would bring us closer and allow us to better work together."

"I suppose that my differences aren't that big a deal; I don't really have a bad relationship with anyone so..."

Thaylog pointed to the door.

"But-"

"Shaiya, if you would like to talk about it, I am here.  But stalling for time won't help you.  Sunrise is only an hour away, so if you need to speak with a member of the clan, you should do so now."

Shaiya sighed.  "Yes Thaylog."

She left Thaylog's office feeling worse that she had in the hallway.  Usually her talks with Thay improved her moods, but now....  What if she couldn't do what he asked?

Shaiya entered the dining room, and saw Silver sitting at the table, deep in thought.  She went over in her head what she wanted to say, and began to walk towards the table.

I know little of Silver's story, save that she lost her clan to a fire when she was young, and for many years, had only a gargoyle beast to keep her company.  I've been able to piece together that she has joined several clans since, and has also spent time among humans, no doubt using her shapeshifting abilities to blend into their society.  She also has a young son, and so must at one time have had a mate.  I know nothing of his fate, however I assume the worst, knowing that no gargoyle would have willingly left Silver to suffer alone.

Having been abandoned so often, Silver seems in constant fear of rejection.  She tries her best to avoid being noticed, as if her mere presence were a sin.  Or perhaps she believes that she is cursed, and fears what might happen to the clan if she grew close to them.  Yet it is clear that she yearns for that closeness, if not for herself, then for her son.  She would spare him the loneliness that she was forced to endure as a child.

Silver felt a presence nearby, and quickly stood up from her chair and looked around to see who it was.  Shaiya was there, only a few feet behind her, and seemed startled at Silver's sudden movement.  Her strange yellow-green eyes were wide open and staring at her.  Silver tried to remember that other gargoyles often found her own eyes unsettling, because they glowed green instead of red the way normal females' did.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to sit here?  I can move-"

Shaiya shook her head, her expression once again neutral and calm.  "Silver, I need to talk to you."

The gargoyle slowly sat back down, but her muscles remained taut and ready to bolt if necessary.  "All right.  What's this about?"

Silver watched Shaiya studying her, and imagined the many things that might be running though her head.  But what finally came out of her mouth was a surprise.

"Tell me about your powers."

The horn-crowned gargoyle stared at her warily.  Shaiya sighed.

"Silver, at every place been to, the first thing I do is find out everything I can about the land and the people around me.  I've been in great danger in the past, and I've learned that it's important to know who and what might be a threat.  I know nothing of your powers, Silver, and it...well, I need to know."

Silver felt her heart beat and breathing quicken.  "You mean my shapeshifting?"

The white-haired female nodded.  "Silver, I need to know where your abilities come from."

Silver closed her eyes, and began seeing images of her past flash before her.

"I don't know where the powers come from.  My father had them...and my uncle.  But all I can do is change my shape, and sometimes my size if the difference isn't too great.  But...my powers aren't evil!"  Yet as she spoke those words, she thought of her uncle, who had pretended to be her clan's Second as he killed her father and trapped the rest of her clan in a burning building.  Had the powers corrupted him somehow?  Could she be tainted by some kind of darkness?

Silver shivered at the thought.  When she opened her eyes, she realized from her blurred sight that she had been crying

"You're... crying?"  Shaiya watched in shock as the tears continued to streak down Silver's cheeks. Her own face finally broke free of its usual passive expression to show signs of concern.  

"I'm sorry, Silver...I didn't mean to upset you."  She looked away as she continued.  "It's just...when Thaylog asked us to resolve our differences within the clan, I thought about you.  I avoided you because your abilities frightened me....  But we are Clan, and you are my sister.  I'd...like to be able to trust you, and for you to trust me.  All I can really offer in return is information about myself, although I can't tell you everything, but...maybe we could be friends?"

Silver laughed between her sobs, and Shaiya looked back at her with questioning eyes.

"My son, Chaz," she explained, wiping away the tears with her hand.  "He told me tonight that I needed to make peace with you before the New Year.  I didn't even realize that there was a barrier between us, but now it's clear that there has been.  I guess I've been scared of your powers, too," she admitted.  "But Chaz has always spoken well of you, ever since you stayed him while the rest of us made our first strike against the Dominion."

Shaiya smiled.  "He's a good boy.  But why do you always keep him in his room?  It's been a while since I've seen him."

The gargoyle sighed.  "I know that Thaylog doesn't like children, so I try to keep him out of sight.  And it's also one less reminder that when I joined the clan, I came with two extra mouths for him to feed--my son and my beast, Sirius."

"That isn't right," frowned Shaiya.  "You and your family are a part of this clan--all of you.  Thaylog knows that, and even though he doesn't care much for children, hiding Chaz isn't going to make Thaylog forget that he exists."  Shaiya began to move purposefully towards the doorway.  "I'm going to speak to Thaylog about this right now.""

"Wh-where are you going?" Silver asked her fearfully.  She worried that a confrontation with Thaylog would trigger his rage and get her thrown out of the clan.

"Thaylog said that all of the clan should resolve their problems.  You and Chaz are as much a part of the clan as anyone."  Shaiya looked back at Silver and smiled slightly.  "I'm going to talk to Thaylog about Chaz.  It'll be alright."  As she continued through the door, her face settled back into its usual cold expression.  Except that now, Silver knew that it was only a facade, and had captured a glimpse of what lay underneath.  And if Shaiya really could convince Thaylog--and herself--that she was truly welcome in the clan....

"Thanks Chaz," she whispered, then rose up and headed for her room to spend what remained of the night with her son.

Vashkoda's story is long, and reads like an epic tale of fantasy--oaths and quests, kings and sorcerors, holy talismans and dark betrayals....  It is difficult to realize, after the telling is done, the tale is in fact true, and remains unfinished.  And then it strikes you that as a member of her clan, you are now a part of that story, and it is a little unsettling that its ending could be influenced by your actions.  

I have promised to help her with her quest, but in truth, I think the best way to help her is by offering the support of the clan.  Though she appears fit and able, her duty has all but consumed her inside, leaving her vulnerable.  I am hoping that the strength of the clan will fill that emptiness, and prepare her for the days to come.

Vashkoda sat by the remains of the fire, tucking her wings around her for warmth.  She would have preferred to take a relaxing glide over the forest, but decided that it would be best to remain somewhere in plain view for any who might seek her.  Although she herself held no grudges against the clan members, and couldn't think of any reason why they might confront her, she realized that she knew none of them very well.  In fact, she still hadn't grown fully accustomed to the different culture and traditions of the present place and period.  It was very possible that she had offended someone unknowingly, or neglected to do an expected service.

The golden-furred gargoyle sighed.  She still had problems accepting the possibility that she might live out the rest of her days outside the small, twenty-first century American town.  She missed the excitement of traveling to different lands and different eras.  It was one of the small rewards that she and her friends enjoyed in exchange for their lifelong dedication to the cause.  Yet even though that reward had recently been taken from her, Vash still felt obligated to continue her sworn duty.

"Hi Vash.  Can I ask you something?"

The gargoyle jumped at the voice, then turned around and saw Daiya take a seat beside her.  Vashkoda shifted her position to make room, pushing her venomous tail safely out of the way.

"Of course."  She nervously awaited the other gargoyle's question.

Dayia hugged her knees and looked down at her feet.  Strands of her long blue hair feel across her face, and Daiya paused to brush them aside before she finally broke the silence.

"Vash, why haven't you left the clan?"

Vashkoda was stunned.  What crime could she have committed that was severe enough to be banished from their group?  She voiced her concern, and Daiya hastily apologized and explained.

"What I mean is, why haven't you left to continue your quest?"  When she saw Vashkoda stare, Daiya blushed and admitted that Silver had told her a little about her past.

The scorpion-tailed gargoyle nodded.  "I am sworn to find Duval, the leader of the false Illuminati, and take back the Holy Grail and avenge King Arthur's death."  She released a long sigh, thinking of how seemingly impossible her quest had become after so many years of searching.  "I haven't given up, but without the resources I once had, the task has become much more difficult.  I've realized that if I do find Duval, I may need the clan's help to reach and defeat him.  Thaylog has already promised his aid.  And by staying with the clan, I have access to...other helpful resources," she finished, thinking about the deal she had struck with Llewelyn's father.  By helping to protect the fae's daughter, she was granted periodic access to Avalon and its magical mists.

"Why do you ask?"

Daiya blushed again, the rose in her cheeks clearly visible under her pale violet-blue skin.  "Lately, I've been having strange feelings...like I'm supposed to be doing something, but I'm not sure what.  All I know is that it isn't here, with the clan.  I'm supposed to be out there, somewhere," she said, motioning towards the window at the lands beyond the mansion.  "I was wondering whether you felt the same way, and if you were also thinking about leaving."

Vash shook her head in apology.  "No, I've come to realize that my place is here, at least for the time being.  But I have experienced the same thing that you are feeling, and if destiny is indeed calling to you, you must follow."

The gargoyle sighed.  "This isn't the first time that I've felt...guided somehow.  Some would pity me for the life I've had--losing my clan young and being forced to live alone in the wilderness or human slums, scavenging for food.  But I've survived, and luck has always saved me from getting killed or being hungry.  When Thaylog and Flynt first caught me, I thought my luck had finally run out, but they've taken good care of me.  I'm just afraid that if I leave now, they'll consider me ungrateful."

Daiya winced from the pain the inner conflict caused her.  Vashkoda lay a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders.

"You know what Thaylog said to us tonight.  I think he'd prefer that you go and follow your instincts, rather than stay here and possibly regret missing an important opportunity.  And you shouldn't feel that you owe the clan anything.  You helped contribute to our victory over the Dominion.  I think all debts have been paid."

 She pulled back her arm as Dayia rose to her feet. 

"Thanks Vash.  I still need to think about this some more, but thanks for listening."

She watched Dayia leave, and noticed that the fire had now completely died down.  The scant light illuminating the room came instead from the approaching sun.

So much for confrontations, she thought to herself, as she walked toward the balcony where she usually spent the day.  But talking to Dayia had sparked new questions in her own mind, and issues that she thought were settled had become less certain.  Perhaps I still have some resolving of my own to do.

*       *       *

The sun rose and fell.  Those who had made their peace the night before felt comforted, and eagerly awaited the coming ceremony to affirm their new beginnings.  

But others had yet to reach a resolution.

If I had to choose one word to describe Kahreen, it would be 'deceptive'.  Her form is that of a feline humanoid, and one might assume that she was a poor victim of some madman's experimentation.  But she is in fact completely robotic, calling herself a biomech.  The technology that created her is far beyond anything our world is currently capable of, and after seeing her ship, I do not doubt her extraterrestrial origins.  She once worked for the alien Dominion, and kidnapped two of our clanmates for their studies.  She has cloaking technology that makes her almost impossible to fight or capture.  But thankfully, she turned against her employers and joined our side.

And yet, as dangerous as she is, something about her tells me that I can trust her.  She may be fully mechanical, but I cannot deny that she has a conscience, and perhaps even a soul.

But my trust will not be enough for her.  Before she can find peace among our clan, first and foremost, she must learn to trust in herself.

"Well here we are again."

Kahreen stopped and turned in a wide circle, listening, watching. There was not a single soul for miles around. Nothing but the night, the silent forest and her.

"Don't ignore me."

She continued walking. The ground beneath her feet began slowly descending into a small valley. The snow that covered the ground had made the slope slippery, and once or twice she found herself grabbing onto a branch to stop herself from falling.

"You let me speak. Don't ignore me."

She stopped and closed her eyes. "You'll be silent until I say so."

"No. I have a voice. We will speak."

Kahreen opened her eyes and looked around. Just below her, at the side of the small ice frosted stream that ran through the bottom of the valley, stood three rocks. The two larger rocks had fallen against each other, forming an arch that the snow had now made seamless. Between the pillars of this arch lay a third rock--it's flat smooth surface forming the perfect seat on which to think. Shielded from eyes on three sides, it was perfect. Kahreen walked to the rocks and sat down. She sighed and closed her eyes once again. She wasn't quite sure why she had come down here. Her first thought had been to confront Flynt about his lack of trust in her, but she knew that words alone were not enough for the large male. What he needed were actions...or time.

And it was that question of time that had brought the red-haired biomech to this place. Things like trust and acceptance were things that happened to Kahreen over time. They seemed to sneak up on her much like the change of the seasons on this world. She found herself trusting people, accepting them, becoming fond of them and most of the time she was never even aware of it. When that awareness dawned on her, however, an old voice surfaced from the depths of her mind. It was as if the realization weakened the walls of the prison she had built for the voice over the centuries, allowing it to speak through the gaps, to threaten her once again.

"You like it here don't you?"

"What is it to you if I do?"

"It is everything to me. I was born within your mind. I am part of you."

"You are not."

"No?" the voice took on a mocking tone. "If I am not part of you then why do you fear me so? Do you fear that you are weak? That I will break these walls and be free once again?"

There was silence from Kahreen.

"Or is it that you fear that when you and I become one you will enjoy the things that we will do? Will you enjoy hurting these creatures? Would you enjoy tearing apart their fragile flesh and blood bodies even as you tear apart their minds?"

Silence.

"I think you would."

"I will never hurt them."

"You will. In time you will...in time you will do as you have done time and time before. You will hurt them."

"No."

The voice persisted. "Is it not better to leave before they know you? Before they know what you are, what you have done? When they find out what you have done they will hate you. Leave now...it will be easier on them if they remain in ignorance."

Kahreen opened her eyes and looked up at the night sky. Above her the stars flickered in the icy air. Above her was her past, and each night she could feel it looking down on her, passing judgment. And yet....

"This song you sing is an old one," she sighed. "Yet why do I keep listening to it? Time after time I listen to it, and time after time you sing it again."

"It is the truth."

"It's old." Kahreen stood. "And I'm not listening to it any more."

"No?"

The images came out of nowhere. People screaming as flames filled the skies, a hand held out to her in friendship and love, never faltering as the flames rose up and consumed it too. And later, the smoldering ruins of a city; of a world. And an image of what she had been then, the smile that played around her lips as those around her fell.

Kahreen collapsed on the ground, her hands clutching at her head. "Not like that...it never happened like that...."

"How can you be sure?"

"I never stood by like that! I fought! I was not me!"

"How can you be sure?"

"I would never hurt them! Not then, not now, not ever!"

"How can you be sure?"

"I won't hurt them! I will not betray them! I will not be alone any more!"

"You will always be alone. They will never understand or trust you."

"In time they will. I need to take the chance. I'm afraid of being alone!"

"I am with you. You will never be alone."

"No no no no...."

"This is a fact you cannot deny."

"SHUT UP!" Kahreen threw her head back and screamed at the stars.

And for once the voices were silent.

She stood. The snow had soaked her jeans; the muddy ground below had dirtied her hands. She brought them up so that they were level with her face. These hands had done may things in the past. She closed her eyes and let her hands drop to her sides. That was the answer. All these things the voice claimed it could do were in the past, gone, dead. She was still here, she still had a future. And the voice...

...had no power over her whatsoever. It's words and threats were empty, hollow. She was the one who decided. And she had decided to break the habit of a lifetime.

"I will not run away. I will not be alone."

The words once spoken quickly became a solid resolution. She would stay here, she would take her chances. She would protect them and in their turn they would protect her from the doubts that had always kept her alone.

She turned and began to walk back up the valley side.

And if they found out what had happened? It was something she would have to deal with when and if it happened.  Perhaps...perhaps one day she would tell them herself.

One day.

She began to walk back to the mansion, encouraged by this new resolution.

And the voice remained silent.

I had heard of Oberon's Children, of course, and most likely run across a few in disguise during my travels.  It had never occurred to me that gargoyles could also be born of their magical blood, and now two of them have joined my clan.  Just as the stories tell, their kind are Children in more than just name, and have a reputation for trickery and getting into trouble.  But despite this, they have good hearts and are capable of great acts of kindness.  This may, however, simply be due to their gargoyle nature tempering their wilder half, in which case I have no desire to meet a full-blooded fae....

"It seems like everybody had something they wanted to sort out these past two nights apart from us," Llewelyn said, as she slouched in her chair and sent a small fireball into the dying embers of the fire Thaylog had lit the previous night. 

Sabrina looked up from the cushions she was lounging on. "But we haven't got anything we need to resolve."

Llewelyn stood and stretched. "Yeah, I guess we're lucky in that respect. I mean, I'm happy here and I haven't really got any issues with the others."

"Same here."

"And the past is the past. Can't do anything about that now."

"True."

Llewelyn let out a big sigh. "Then why do I feel the need to go and do something?"

Sabrina sat up. "Because we'd probably look pretty silly in front of the entire clan if we haven't done anything. I mean, even Kahreen has gone out somewhere."

"Yeah?" Llewelyn stood, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Where did she go?"

"Into the woods somewhere."

"When?"

"About an hour ago." Sabrina raised an eyeridge. "What are you planning, Llew?"

"Moi? Planning something?" Llewelyn brought a hand up to her chest and took a step backwards in mock astonishment. "Sabrina. You know me better than to think I'm plotting some foul and secret thing."

"Uh-huh." Sabrina stood and folded her arms across her chest, a smile playing across her face. "What's going on in that mind of yours?"

Llewelyn grinned. "Well...."



"And this is the only thing you think we need to have resolved by midnight?" Sabrina said as she pushed a snow ladened bough out of her way. They had been following Kahreen's trail for about twenty minutes and still had not sighted the biomech.

"Oh you can't say you haven't entertained thoughts of paying her back for kidnapping us all that time ago."

"But I forgave her for it. And besides, if she hadn't captured us, would we have ever met the clan?"

"Maybe not." Llewelyn stopped and sniffed the frigid air. There were many scents that were about that night, but none were the sharp, slightly acidic smell that belonged to the biomech. "Don't get me wrong, I've forgiven Kahreen for that. I just don't want her to go around thinking she's top dog in sneaking up on people. I want to show her that we're just as good as her." Llewelyn moved forward. "Maybe even better." She stopped as the ground began to rise. The footprints belonging to the biomech led up the slope and over the summit.

"And?" asked Sabrina as she joined the horned gargess.

"And well I kinda think it would be fun." Llewelyn grinned. "You know I love doing things like this."

"Y'know," started Sabrina as the two gargesses made their way up the slope, "It's on days like this that I wonder exactly which one of us had the trickster for a father."

Llewelyn laughed. "Yes indeed." She suddenly stopped and held out her hand to halt Sabrina. "Can you smell that?" she whispered to her companion. 

"Yeah," Sabrina replied as she crouched down. "It's her."

"Excellent," said Llew, rubbing her hands together. "This is going to be so good!"

The two gargesses traveled in silence as they neared the top of the ridge. Once there, they flattened themselves on the ground and peered over the top.

"You see her?"

"No, but her footprints go behind those rocks and I don't see any leading away from them."

"Guess she must be still behind them then."

"Yeah, and look at all the snow that's on top of those rocks." Llewelyn grinned. "If that snow melted and she was still there, she'd get soaked-"

"And then we could teleport out of here and she'd never know it was us!" Sabrina finished.

"Ok then." Llewelyn raised a finger and a small flame danced on it's tip. "Here we go."

It was then that they heard Kahreen speaking. Just who she was speaking to, they couldn't tell--there didn't seem to be any other soul down there with her. The two gargesses looked at each other and Llewelyn lowered her finger.

"What's going on?" Sabrina mouthed at her.

Llewelyn shrugged "I don't know.  I--"

"SHUT UP!"

Both gargesses jumped. Never before had they heard the biomech scream; never had they seen her so....vulnerable....

For a few uncomfortable moments there was silence. When the gargesses glanced over the ridge, Kahreen had moved away from the rocks and stood there looking at her hands. What she said next had never been intended to be heard by any of the clan. But the cold night air carried her words to Llewelyn and Sabrina.

"I will not run away. I will not be alone."

The two gargesses looked at each other, and then with an unspoken agreement, vanished as Kahreen began her ascent of the valley slope.



If Kahreen had crested the sloped a few meters to her right, she would have noticed the footprints and scuffed ground that the two gargesses had left behind them. However, she continued on her journey back to the mansion, oblivious to the company she had kept. Oblivious until--

"Hey Kahreen!"

The biomech looked up as Llewelyn and Sabrina slowly glided out of the night sky and landed beside her.

"Hey yourself." Kahreen looked from one gargess to the other. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Killing time until that ceremony of Thaylog's starts," said Sabrina. "What are you doing out here?"

"Taking a walk...it's quiet out here. You have a chance to do some thinking."

"I dunno," Llewelyn folded her arms and looked around her. "I think it's too quiet out here. You could do a little too much thinking."

"Ah...and what would you rather be doing?"

"Umm...how about watching the New Years celebrations in other countries on the tv?" Llew suggested. "That could be fun."

"Yeah, and it'll kill time 'til Thay comes to get us," agreed Sabrina. "Do you want to come with us, Kahreen?"

The biomech hesitated. "I don't know.  I..."

"Aww come on." Llewelyn said as she placed an arm around Kahreen's shoulders. "Two people setting off party poppers is just sad. Now three people, three people is a party."

"She's right."

Kahreen sighed. "Fine. I'll come."  She began to walk towards the mansion. Behind her, the two gargesses smiled at each other. 

Sometimes the best resolutions were those that weren't planned or spoken.

"Hey wait up!" called Llewelyn, as she and Sabrina joined Kahreen on the long trek back home. This was one journey that none of them would be making alone.

*        *       *

Flynt carried Kahreen, and Silver carried her beast, as the clan glided over the forests surrounding Thaylog's mansion. The white-maned leader pointed at their destination--a stream tucked in between the foot of the mountains and the trees. Farther down, it emptied into a lake that Flynt recognized as his old thinking spot. It was also the place where he had first met Diamond. 

He was a little disappointed that the location obviously wasn't much of a secret, but realized that Thaylog probably knew every inch of the lands surrounding his home. Flynt glanced at Diamond to see what her reaction might be, but she had turned her face away from him.

"What's down there, Thay?" asked Llewelyn, steadying her grip on the torches she had volunteered to light and carry.

"The stream where we will perform the ceremony. It requires a flowing source of water, which will wash away old wounds and grievances."

"We have to stand in it?" the half-fey asked unhappily. Her link to fire naturally caused her to be uncomfortable around water. 

Vashkoda also grimaced, and Flynt wrinkled his nose as he remembered that Vash's fur gave off an unpleasant odor when it was wet.

Thaylog nodded. "From dawn until until dusk. When we cast away our last stone skin of the old year, we will be born anew."

"What about me? I won't turn to stone," Kahreen reminded him. 

"Afraid you might rust?" smiled Flynt.

"I don't rust!" the biomech replied indignantly.  

"Then you should be able to stay in the stream with us.  Come, follow me." Thaylog began his decent, diving down towards the slope of the mountain before making a sharp turn that carried them along the shore of the stream. When Thay finally landed, Flynt dropped down right beside him, and deposited Kahreen gently to the ground.

"I want a torch here...and there...and over there," said Thaylog.  Llewelyn followed where he pointed and planted the torch poles into the soft earth of the riverbank, lighting each with a flick of her hand. Thaylog had explained that the fires would be extinguished when the ceremony officially began, and would not be relit until the following night, symbolizing their rebirth.

The ancient immortal gargoyle gathered his clan around him and addressed them.

"I know that it isn't easy to let go of past grievances or burdens. Yet sometimes peace requires only that we sit down with one another and talk things through, and that is the purpose of this ceremony. The clan must be united if it is to survive. We depend on each other, and must be able to trust one another. Like a sword, this clan has been a mighty weapon, and we have been tested in battle and won. But with time, the sword becomes nicked and loses its edge. It must be reforged, and the defects and impurities cleansed away in fire and water."

Thaylog's eyes rested on each of the clan for several moments before continuing. "But it is important not only that we be united in spirit, but also in purpose. A warrior cannot effectively fight several targets at once, nor can he succeed if his objective is in doubt.  I know that several of you joined us while in pursuit of your own personal quests.  And I know that others of you have voiced objections to the ways in which Flynt and I have run this clan.  Know that I do not keep you here against your will--you are free to leave if you must, with my blessing.  I will hold not hold it against you, for this is the night when all between us must be forgiven.  But if you do have plans to leave us, it will be much harder on us--and on you--if you go after tonight.  Consider this carefully."

Flynt noticed Diamond and Dayia silently exchange looks before stepping forward.  Dayia addressed Thaylog.

"Thay, Diamond and I have talked, and we've decided that it would be best for us to leave."

Murmurs and cries of surprise came from their fellow clanmates.  Although Flynt was not surprised that Diamond was going, Dayia's decision came as a shock to him.  When she had agreed to join Thaylog and himself, their small group had finally begun to feel like a clan, and he had thought that she would always be a part of it.  How could she be leaving?

"It's not because of any problem with the clan," she explained, looking apologetically at each of them.  It was clear that she only spoke for herself, as Diamond kept her eyes facing forward, avoiding all of them.

"You and I have spoken of this before, and I understand," replied Thaylog somberly.  The ivory gargoyle approached her, and a little awkwardly, accepted her embrace.  He also put his arms around Diamond, pausing to see how she would react to the gesture before quickly finishing the hug.  Diamond stiffened in surprise, and seemed embarrassed as Thaylog drew away.

Others in the clan also exchanged blessings and goodbyes with the pair.  Diamond's hard expression finally melted and she admitted to the clan that she would miss them.

"It is almost sunrise--we should go," said Diamond.  Dayia nodded, and they began to climb nearby trees to reach the necessary height for their glide.  The clan called out a final farewell, and watched as the two gargoyles dove from the branches and swooped over them and into the brightening sky.

"And now, let us begin the ceremony," said Thaylog, extinguishing the first torch.

I had previously asked you to research the clan, so you should already be familiar with what they look like and where to find them.  Now that I have told you more about them, I hope you realize that they are good people.  Yes, most of them are gargoyles, but one in your profession should know not to place too much weight on appearances.  

The white haired human rose from his desk.  In seconds, his already pale skin turned the color of ivory, and his eyes glowed a bright red.  The man's body grew taller, and as the wings and tail appeared, it was clear that he was no longer a man...if he had ever been one at all.

We are a peaceful kind, but nonetheless humans fear us, and so I was forced to take their form to build the wealth and power one needs in this age to survive.  In so doing, I fell prey to the dark human world of greed and conquest, but it also gave me the resources to care for the clan, so that they would never need to experience that world for themselves.  

Yet I fear that I will not be able to watch over them much longer.  There are things that I must take care of which may keep me away from them for a time.  How long, I do not know.  Two of our friends have just left us, and if the clan loses me as well, they will be alone.  That is why I need someone else to look after them, and act as their link to the human world.  They need someone to protect them from it, and connect them with it.  As you've probably surmised, I have chosen you for the task.

It won’t be easy.  They may not like the idea, and some have reason to hate humans. Some may be a little too naïve.  And it might be wise not to mention that you’re getting a salary out of it.

I am giving you this responsibility because I've followed your career, and I know that you can be trusted.  Be careful, as danger has never been a stranger to myself, or my friends.  

Good luck, and tell them...tell them that I am sorry, and that I will return when I can.

*   *   *

The VCR clicked as the video came to an end.  A hand reached out and pressed the remote, ejecting the tape.

The figure sat in the shadows, staring at the snowy screen as he digested the information and contemplated the gargoyle's request.

to be continued...

Index | Part 2