Season Two, Part Seven of the SteelClaw Chronicles
Thaylog...where are you? From her perch on the mountain, Shaiya could see the city of Newbridge spread out far below. The layout had become very familiar to her over the last several days. She had been searching for her missing friend since the night he disappeared--first at his workplace, and then at the other buildings and hideaways she knew he visited. Her sense of smell was greatly developed, and although she found traces of his scent that told her where he'd been, she never found anything more recent than the night he vanished. She had even cornered a few people from Thay's office and used mind-altering drugs on them to find out if they knew what had happened. The humans claimed that Mr. Legacy had left on vacation without saying where he was going or when he'd return. Shaiya knew that wasn't the case; Thaylog would never willingly leave without telling his clan where he was. She had checked everything she could think of--business records, transportation logs, news reports--but none of them hinted at where Thaylog might have gone. She had even resorted to spying on the clan, watching for any signs that they knew more than they let on. Long ago she had managed to plant tracers on the other members without them noticing. Some were mechanical homing devices, while others were made of a venom she could track by scent. She had never had the nerve to place one on Thaylog, which she now greatly regretted. She had been forced to conclude that her friend was no longer in the city, nor was he anywhere in the surrounding mountains or forests. There had been a news report claiming that his car had crashed and exploded in a nearby ravine. Shaiya instinctively knew the report to be false, but checked out the site anyway. Thaylog's scent was no where to be found, which was reassuring, but brought her no closer to finding him. At a loss for where to look next, she decided to return to the mansion. Perhaps the following night she would have better luck. She had to believe that Thaylog was out there somewhere, and that he was all right and would soon be returning home. The alternative was...unthinkable. Shaiya glided down into the clearing around the clan's home. As she walked through the door, Sabrina looked up from the television show she was watching. The gargoyle beast Sirius opened one eye to gaze at her lazily from Sabrina's feet, then yawned and settled back into sleep. "So you're finally back," the gargoyle remarked, shutting off the tv. "Care to say where you've been?" "Out." Sabrina frowned, and Shaiya could feel her own body stiffen in response, as if bracing for an attack. Sabrina was part fae--a species her people had learned to fear and despise. Shaiya knew that not all fey were bad, and that Sabrina and the other halfling, Llewelyn, had done nothing to deserve her mistrust. Yet the magical power Shaiya sensed in them set off warning bells in her head every time they were near. She needed to get away. "Has Vashkoda returned?" Sabrina's expression shifted from anger to concern. "No. I haven't seen her since last night." Shaiya nodded and turned, heading back towards the door. "Then I will go out and search for her." "Now wait just a minute!" the half-fey cried. "What happened to staying at the mansion in case Thay returns? I thought that was the whole point of not going to New Orleans with Silver, Chaz and Llew." The words stopped Shaiya in her tracks. "One reason I stayed behind was so that you wouldn't have to be all alone, but it turns out you're never here anyways. I should have just gone with the others." "That was your decision. I never asked you to stay." The gargoyle glared at her. "Ya know, I'm starting to think making you leader was a bad idea." Shaiya frowned. "Thaylog is still our leader." Sabrina growled in exasperation. "Look, Shaiya, I want Thaylog back as much as you do, but there's a chance he isn't coming back. We need someone to run things while he's gone, and that replacement just might end up being permanent. So whether you like it or not, Shaiya, you're in charge of this clan. And as leader, you can't just run off whenever you feel like it. You have to learn some responsibi-" Sabrina's words were cut off as she was enveloped by a bluish glow and vanished from sight. Shaiya stood unmoving for several moments, staring at the place where the gargoyle had vanished. What had happened? Had she teleported? Shaiya ran outside and quickly scaled the side of the mansion. From the roof, she peered out at the surrounding woods and sniffed the air for Sabrina's scent. She knew from studying the half-fae that Sabrina couldn't have teleported very far, and that it took a lot of energy for her to do so. Yet there was no trace of Sabrina on the wind. She slowly climbed back down, her thoughts racing. If Sabrina hadn't teleported under her own power, then something else must have taken her. Could that something else have also taken Thaylog? She had to get in touch with the rest of the clan. Shaiya would have to search the city for Vash, but the others had taken a cell phone with them to call in case anything happened. Shaiya looked for the number and then began dialing. She could hear the phone ringing, but no one was picking up. She slammed down the receiver. Had they been taken as well? Was she the only one left? She glanced over at Sirius, who whined and pawed at the chair where Sabrina had been sitting. Well, he didn't really count. She couldn't dismiss the possibility that the ones who had kidnapped the clan were of the same evil force that had destroyed her village. Shaiya had traveled to many worlds, and on those where the Enemy had already established its hold, she would be taken in and protected by the local resistance groups. There had been times, however, when she had unwittingly led Enemy hunters to those who sheltered her. Had they come again? Shaiya looked out of the window at the snow that was beginning to fall. No, the weather was still too cold. The Enemy knew that Shaiya's race were weakened by heat, and a sudden shift to higher temperatures was always the telling sign that they had begun their invasion. Where are you, Thaylog? They might not be attacking, but the Enemy had already sent some of its lower minions to this world. Shaiya had run into them by accident, and it was only with Thaylog's help that she had managed to defeat them. He had saved her life, and she would do anything for him. He was her Leader and her friend--both of which were binding relationships in her culture that needed to be earned. Now she was part of his clan, although she didn't feel much of a bond with the others. They were fellow warriors who she respected, but there were few among them who she called friend. The closest ones had been Diamond and Dayia, who had left a few months ago. If Thaylog was truly gone, she wondered if there was reason enough to remain with the rest. But they are still Thaylog's friends, and they have made you their leader. Thaylog would want you to take care of them.... She recalled Sabrina's last words to her. "And as leader, you can't just run off whenever you feel like it. You have to learn some responsibility-" Sabrina was right. She was just trying to run away again; avoid her duty. She knew what she had to do...what Thaylog would trust her to do. This was Thaylog's home and for him she would protect this place. Shaiya walked down the steps into the exercise room. There on the far wall were the swords the clan had used during their battle with the ronin spirits. Shaiya looked for Thaylog's blade, but it had been taken from its mount. She realized that her friend must have had it with him when he disappeared, which also explained why they hadn't seen the ghost of Thaylog's master since that night. With her objective missing, Shaiya suddenly felt fear and uncertainty take hold of her. She pushed the feeling aside and took down her own sword--the one that Thaylog had given her. A rearing dragon--the symbol of Steel Claw, his master's clan--had been etched into her blade to allow the spirit to link with it and guide her. When Thaylog had declared that he and his friends would continue to uphold the master's teachings and traditions, they had been accepted as members of that ancient Japanese clan. The dragon emblem was now their own. The sword was not her weapon of choice, she preferred to use knives and her own venom. Still...this was a gift from Thaylog. "Thaylog, I will take care of your clan...my clan," she cried aloud. "I will make you proud of me!" Her eyes shimmered with emotion, but she didn't care--there was no one around to see her weakness. Suddenly an alarm sounded. Shaiya raced out of the room and ran upstairs to the study. She switched on the computer monitors and typed in the commands to interface with the mansion's security systems.
Security measures activated. Security measures destroyed! Alert! Intruder detected in sector 004. Alert! Intruder detected in sector 012.
She hurried out of the study and approached the mansion's entrance. She could hear the sound of explosions and people shouting outside. Any moment now, they would come charging through the front door. As the clan's leader, it was Shaiya's duty to defend their home. She drew her sword and planted her feet firmly on the ground. And waited. * * *
Earlier... The building had served many purposes in the past. In the 1900's, it had been used as a grain exchange warehouse. In the 30's it had housed the dealings of underworld criminals. As time passed, the walls saw many things, but never before had it seen the like of what was to come. In 2004, the building passed into the hands of new owners. Those who were not employees of the Newbridge branch of the Zentech corporation never saw the inside of the building. The executives of this branch would not allow it. And for good reason. The large roll-up doors to the rear of the building now played host to top of the line security systems. The area had been divided into a series of rooms, and on the ground floor the windows were tinted in such a way that those inside could see out but those on the street could not see in. Getting past the security guards at the front door was a near impossible task for those without proper clearance. Getting access inside was not a problem for the man who now strode through the front door of the building. He was know to his employers and to those below him as Varges, and on this night he had a mission to complete. As he went over the orders he had been given in his mind, he passed in front of an open doorway and heard men talking. "So did I hear right? Are we really going to go after gargoyles?" "Yup. That's what the big guys told me." The voice was unmistakable. Varges turned back to look inside the room. A group of Zentech soldiers surrounded a large winged beast. The creature was definitely part wolf, but it had human shape and bat-like wings coming out of its back. It towered over the men, but they didn't seem the least bit afraid of it. "Aren't gargoyles dangerous? Hey Cesar, do you think they'll let us use the big guns on 'em?" asked one of the men eagerly. "I reckon so," said the beast. "Ahm part ga'goyle mahself, ya know," it proudly reminded them, pointing at its chest. Varges marched into the room, heading straight for the group. "Do not forget, Cesar--dee directors put me in charge of dis mission. Joo will be teking my orders!" Cesar smiled as he recognized him. "Well if it aint mah buddy Varges. Hey fellahs, this guy's da best. Make sure y'all listen to everything he says!" Everyone was now staring at him. Varges struggled to stay calm. "We are to meet at dee transport in twenty minutes. Do not be late!" He turned on his heels and stormed out of the room. "Hey boss!" someone called out to him from the corridor. Varges waited as the man ran up to him and gave a short bow. The gesture almost made him laugh. "Sir, I was wondering why we're going on this mission. After all, someone of your talents shouldn't be out chasing simple gargoyles. Our company has bigger threats to face that are certainly in greater need of your attention." Now Varges was sure the man was kissing up to him. He wore the uniform of a new recruit, and was probably hoping a little brown-nosing would get him quickly rising up the corporate ladder. It was a technique that Varges knew all too well, but it had worked for him. He was now only a step away from being a junior executive. He had worked hard to be where he was, whereas others... Varges looked back at the doorway with an expression of pure hatred. Cesar had been a nobody, a jobless orphan. For some inexplicable reason, Zentech took an interest in him, getting him into the company and assigning him as Varges' partner. Varges had years of special-ops training with the CIA before he joined Zentech, and he knew that he was a valuable asset to the company. Cesar was practically worthless as a partner, but instead of getting rid of him, the company decided to offer him a free mutation upgrade. Cesar was no smarter than before, but he was definitely strong, and for certain things, Zentech valued brawn over brains. It was possible that Cesar would even be promoted ahead of him. "You are right, Mister..." he looked down at the man's nametag. "Harvey. I should be working on more important things. But I have reason to want dis assignment." The board had chosen him to lead the mission. Him, not Cesar, and he was planning on taking full advantage of the chance to rub it in his hairy face. "Besides," he continued, "dis gargoyle matter will not take long." "Perhaps you should be taking this assignment more seriously." Varges spun towards the voice and found himself facing another new recruit. "What is your name, and what do joo know of my assignment?" The man barely batted an eye. "My name is Aynton, and I am the one who brought the gargoyles to the board's attention. I dare say I know more about your assignment than you do." Varges raged. "So I have joo to thank for dis waste of my time? Well I don't care what joo know about de gargoyles. I am the one in charge of dis mission, and joo will treat me with respect! Joo should take a lesson in manners from Harvey here-" "Who?" Varges looked around, only to realize that Harvey had vanished. Aynton snorted. "You have no idea what you're facing. Just make sure you listen to me when we finally find them." "No, joo listen-" Varges stopped as he realized that Aynton's eyes had turned completely white. He moved away from him in surprise. "Are...joo possessed?" The man smiled. "Something like that." Then he turned his back on Varges and walked away. Varges stared after him, a thousand questions clamoring in his mind. He would have answers, but right now there were other matters to attend to. He entered the garage and searched the group of men in front of him for a small skinny fellow, finding him crouched by some crates. The man looked up, seeming to sense that Varges was looking for him. He nodded and Varges returned the gesture. They were ready. Varges checked his watch. Fifteen more minutes before they moved out.
* * * As the sounds of battle continued outside, Shaiya finally grew tired of waiting. Yet before she could make a move towards the entrance, the mansion doors flew wide open and a chocolate-brown figure dashed into the room.
"Shaiya! This place is swarming with human soldiers--we have to get somewhere safe. Oh and by the way, it's great to see you again!" Shaiya stared at Sabrina in disbelief. Less than an hour had passed since she had last seen the gargoyle, and yet somehow she looked years older. She also cradled a large round object in her arms, which looked like it might actually be- "This is my egg," she explained, almost matter-of-factly. "C'mon, we have to hurry!" Shaiya eyes widened as she took in the sight before her, an egg, a youngling! She moved forward, hand reaching out toward the egg as an old obsession stirred within her. She had only taken a step forward when she suddenly tensed as a second figure came in through the door and shot a round of gunfire at whoever was outside. Several small explosions followed soon after, and this new gargoyle took advantage of the distraction to slam the doors shut and push several pieces of heavy furniture against it. "Sabby, take your seester and find a safe place to hide. I will stay here
and try to take out es many "No way, B, you're coming with us," Sabrina replied, grabbing him by the hand. "If we're going to make a stand, the best place to be is the exercise room." She began to lead him downstairs. Shaiya hesitantly followed, feeling very confused. "And you can put that gun away," Sabrina continued. "I don't want any explosions inside the mansion." "But Sabby-" A loud crash upstairs announced that the invaders had managed to break down the door. The three hurried into the room and activated the mechanism that would lock them inside. Because of the dangerous weapons that were stored there, the exercise room was the most secure place in the mansion. Still, they knew that it was only a matter of time before its doors were also breached. "All right t'en, I'll use my sword." The long-beaked gargoyle attached the gun to his belt and drew a strange weapon from a sheath strapped to his back. It looked like a sword, but the handle consisted of electronic parts hooked up to a wire running along the edge of the blade. He flicked on a switch and the wire began to glow and emit a faint hum. "By tha way, my name is Madbrook," he smiled at her. "You er Shaiya, correct?" Shaiya frowned, suspicions stirring in her mind. What right did he have to be so rude? To guess her name like that? Her eyes flicked to his weapon and then back to him. She didn't know him or the weapons he carried and for Shaiya those things did not equate to trust. "Beloved, you stay beheend me and Shaiya and protect our igg." "Not a chance, B," Sabrina replied, wrapping the egg in a blanket as she set it down in the far corner of the room. Then she grabbed a katana from the wall and joined them at the door. Shaiya looked at Sabrina's weapon in surprise. "I thought you and the others refused to touch the swords you were possessed with." The gargoyle's face turned pale as she finally noticed the green cord and dragon-head symbol on the sword. "I'd...forgotten all about that. Oh my gosh, I hadn't even reached for this one! Nuh-uh, there's no way I'm fighting with this thing!" she cried, holding it as far away from her as possible. "Well if you want to stand up here weet us, you'll need a weapon. What about your mageek?" Sabrina shook her head in dismay. "Not right now--I used up too much energy blasting the forces outside. I'll need at least fifteen minutes to recharge." The news was actually a relief to Shaiya, who didn't want to be anywhere near the half-fae when she was casting spells. "T'en take thees und geev me your weapon," he offered, holding out his sword in exchange. Madrook whistled in admiration as he examined her katana. "Thees is a fine blade. I don't know why you don't want to use eet." "Long story," she replied. "But if you want it, it's yours." She glanced over at Shaiya. "So I take it no one else has shown up since I left?" Shaiya shook her head. "I was alone when you returned. Alone except for...." They heard the sound of heavy boots plodding slowly down the stairs and into the basement. Madbrook growled, baring his fangs at whatever was coming. Sabrina looked at Shaiya worriedly, waiting for her to finish her sentence. "...Except for Sirius. He must still be somewhere upstairs." The footsteps had halted. All three gargoyles tensed. "He'll have to take care of himself for the moment," Sabrina said, adjusting her grip on Madbrook's sword. "We have to greet our company first." ******* Strange scents, strange noises, not friend. Sirius stood alert at the foot of Chaz's bed and sniffed the air. He had taken to sleeping on the bed during his young master's absence, something he would have been forbidden to do if Silver was present. He padded across the floor and stood in the darkened doorway. The sounds of fighting outside ended abruptly, only to be followed by the sound of the mansion doors slamming open. Sirius stiffened and growled softly, only relaxing when the sound and scent of Sabrina came to him Friend. There was also a new scent, one he didn't recognize, but there was no fear-scent coming from Sabrina. Sirius now moved to the edge of the staircase and looked down. Sabrina moved with familiarity around the orange male and that meant one thing. Friend. And then Sabrina, Shaiya and the newcomer vanished down the steps leading to the exercise room. Seconds later the mansion doors once again burst open, this time swinging back on their hinges with such force that one of the great oak doors came loose from its frame and fell to the floor with a crash. Through the door streamed a number of humans that Sirius didn't recognize, neither by scent or by sight. Each man wore a dark uniform, and from memory, Sirius knew only one thing. Uniformed people were bad, and these people had burst into his home. Not friend. Intruder. One of the humans turned a flashlight and ran the beam along the upper levels. Sirius turned and bounded back into Silver and Chaz's room. There was shout from the hallway and then came the sound of heavy boots ascending the stairs. Sirius ran behind the bed and crouched there. And waited. ****** For the first time, Varges doubted the ability of his employers to give him accurate information. There had only been two female gargoyles and one gargoyle beast at the mansion all night. He and his men had watched the mansion since sunset; no one had gone in or come out. That meant that there were three creatures in there to deal with. It should have been a simple operation. He hadn't expected to see two gargoyles suddenly appear in the midst of his men, hadn't expected the female to start blasting green fire at them, and he certainly hadn't expected the male who accompanied her to start firing away with a weapon he'd never seen before. And before Varges could react, before he could order his men to regroup, they were gone--running towards the mansion. He had been given the order to 'deal' with this small clan. How he accomplished this was up to him; capture or extermination, either option was agreeable to Zentech. But at that moment, it seemed that capture would be the more difficult of the two. Varges gave the signal to a group of men to follow the gargoyles into the mansion. Cesar and some others were to remain outside just in case their quarry tried to escape. Varges himself followed the first group into the mansion. He wanted to personally ensure that this operation ended inside the mansion and that he was the one to finish it. Not Cesar. Him. As Varges passed the wreckage of the mansion's front door and vanished from sight, a figure emerged from the darkness of the forest. He halted just beyond the circle of light thrown out by the mansion and sniffed the air. Through the bombardment of scent coming from Varges, his men and the gargoyles was something so different, so pure that it could only be that which he had been sent to retrieve. Varges could keep his gargoyles. They weren't important, the vampire though to himself. The Pure was and when Varges had finished his little game that was something he would learn too. ****** "Damn them to hell!" Aynton screamed as he threw his gun aside and began pounding on the metal door with his gloved fists. "What is this door made of?" A hand landed heavily on his shoulder and he instinctively swung around, fists raised and ready to strike at whoever had interrupted him. His fist halted in mid-swing and dropped to his side as he found himself face to face with Varges. "Joo are not tinking straight," Varges said, his voice barely more than a whisper, but in the crowded space at the bottom of the stairwell it carried to each and every man there. Aynton backed away. "Then how do we get past these doors? They're virtually indestructible!" "De doors, yes." Varges allowed himself the luxury of a smile. "But de walls around dem? I tink not." Aynton's eyes widened in understanding. "But won't that bring the ceiling crashing down on us?" "Joo would do well to watch and learn. We do not win battles by going after our prey like a rabid dog." Varges made a motion with his hands and one of the men came forward carrying a small box. Varges took it from him and then walked slowly to the door, forcing Aynton to step aside. "Dis is what separates us from beasts like that," he said, indicating the door and the gargoyles behind it. ****** "They've gone quiet," said Madbrook as he backed away from the door. "That, I don't like." He glanced over his shoulder at his mate and her clan sister. "Sabby, are you...?" "Almost." Sabrina offered him what seemed to her to be an encouraging smile. "A few minutes more and then I should be able to teleport us out of the mansion. After that we'll have to make a run for it and hope for the best." Shaiya said nothing. She was still trying to come to terms with the events of that night--so much had happened in such a short span of time. New friends, new enemies, and the clan's home overrun by hostile humans! More importantly there was now an egg to take care of. How she wished that Thaylog were there! Mad brook's eyes widened as his enhanced hearing caught the faint thuds of something against the wall surrounding the door. He waved his arms and shouted to the others, "Away from tha door, now!" Sabrina ran to the back towards her egg while Shaiya and Madbrook moved to either side of the room. Just then there was a burst of light, sound and smoke as a gaping hole appeared in the middle of the door and enemy soldiers immediately began crawling through. Madbrook took advantage of the cover the smoke provided to pounce on a group of humans who had been making their way towards his mate and their egg. Sabrina's eyes widened and warned him just in time as a second group was about to ambush him from behind. The katana whistled through the air as it cut indiscriminately through metal, bone, and flesh. Shaiya was equally proficient with her blade. She had raced towards the opening and was now slicing at anything that poked through the door, preventing more soldiers from coming in. She noticed that the men carried large laser rifles, but most seemed to favour attacking her with some sort of energy gauntlet. Shaiya had felt a painful charge as her blade made contact with one of them. Unfortunately, that made attacking them much more difficult, as the soldiers learned to use these gauntlets as both a weapon and a shield. Suddenly she found herself overcome, unable to simultaneously block off so many attacks at once. Just then, Sabrina appeared at her side and with her strange sword, was able to slice right through the gauntlets, severing the men's' hands in the process. Apparently whatever material her sword was made of was non-conductive. "B, it's time!" she shouted, and Shaiya noticed that Sabrina had carried the egg over next to them. "I think I can do it now! We won't get far though." "It's better than nothing," he replied as he came up beside his mate. He eyed the doorway nervously, noting that the surviving soldiers were beginning to recover and regroup, motivated by the furious shouting of two humans still on the other side of the doorway. Sabrina nodded and sheathed her weapon and picked up her egg. "I'll try," she said as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Shaiya scowled as the air around them began to dance with magic, her skin crawling as she felt the fae magic surround her. The soldiers were almost upon them, and for a moment Shaiya realized that she was trapped between two evils. Then the dim light of the exercise room vanished.
******* Trapped. Sirius backed away and growled at the three humans who had cornered him in Silver's room. One stood in the doorway while another blocked any attempt at escaping through the window. The third was advancing on him, weapons drawn. There didn't seem to be any way out except through the man before him. Sirius braced himself, ready to leap. Below the sound of an explosion rocked the mansion. The man in front of him hesitated, turning slightly towards the sound of the explosion-- It was all the opening Sirius needed. He collided with the human in front, knocking the man to the ground. It didn't slow him down a bit. Another leap brought him to the door and straight into what should have been the man standing there. However when he reached that point, the man simply wasn't there. He had stepped aside, leaving the gargoyle beast a clear path out of the room. Sirius wasn't going to pass this chance up. With a few more leaps and bounds he was out of the mansion's front door and heading toward freedom. Back in Silvers room, Harding allowed himself a small smile as around him his fellow soldiers picked themselves up off the floor. Then with his gun in hand, he ran after Sirius, shouting, "I'll get it!" to his dazed colleagues. He was gone before they could say or do anything. ****** For Cesar, the evening had not proven to be as exciting as he had thought. He stretched his wings and peered into the darkness surrounding the mansion. Not a living soul moved in the icy blackness. He sighed and tried to listen in to the noises that were coming from inside the mansion. There were raised voices, the sound of fists being pounded on metal, but no sound of actual conflict. "Those gargoyles must've found a good place to hole up in," he said aloud, more to himself than to any of the other Zentech soldiers who had been placed outside to guard the mansion. He listened as the voices in the mansion went silent, wishing that he were in the thick of things there. Something was about to happen, and he wanted to be there when it did, not stuck here on guard duty. What kind of hero sat on the sidelines while his colleagues took all the risks? The explosion was a bit of a surprise, but the cries of battle that followed were all too familiar. Things didn't seem to be going too well for his side, as the screams were more often human than gargoyle. Minutes later there came another moment of silence, followed by a howl of frustration from deep inside the mansion. Cesar frowned in confusion. What was going on in there? He raised his head and stood, meaning to enter the building. However, as he took one last look at the forest beyond, all thoughts of going into the mansion were dismissed. There, at the edge of the woods, he caught a fleeting glance of three figures disappearing into the trees. "Ah see 'em!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs and then, spreading his wings wide, took off in pursuit. He couldn't help but smile as below him the gargoyle beast shot out of the mansion's entrance, hotly pursued by a Zentech soldier, one of the new recruits. Cesar vaguely remembered his name, Aaron, Aynton...something like that. Not that Cesar was bothered by that. All he knew was that he now had a chance to show his employers how good he could be. He'd bring the gargoyles back. ****** "I don't think I can go on much further," Sabrina said as she leaned against a tree and sought a few moments to catch her breath. "I need to rest." The gargoyle beast, who had caught up with them moments before, whined in agreement and rested its head on its paws. "But the humans must have followed Sirius...we can't rest yet." "I don't think they're coming after us," said Madbrook as he turned and gazed into the darkness they had just emerged from. "I think there eez only one soldier pursuing us. He should be easy enough to deal with." Shaiya nodded in agreement "If we deal with him then we will have a chance to escape and keep Sabrina's egg from harm." She broke off as she found both Sabrina and Madbrook looking at her expectantly. It was strange, a clan member who had changed and another who was still very much a stranger to her, and yet both stood there waiting for her to make the final decision. She could deal with the human herself but as she glanced at Madbrook she found herself wondering if he remained here with Sabrina if he would be enough to protect her and the egg. But there was no time for hesitation, only time to act. She wanted to protect Sabrina and her egg but she also needed to ensure their escape. "You will come with me and we'll deal with this human," she said to Madbrook. "Sabrina can stay there." she pointed to a hollow, overgrown with bushes "And Sirius can protect you till we return." Sabrina nodded. "No one should see me there." She hung her head. "I'm sorry about this. If I hadn't wasted so much energy in the beginning, we could have been far away from here by now." Madbrook drew her close to him. "You 'ave nothing to be sorry for! Without you, we would all be trapped in tha mansion!" Sabrina looked up and smiled. "I guess." Through all of this Shaiya had kept a neutral expression on her face. "We need to act and we need to do it now." Madbrook nodded and after a quick embrace with Sabrina, he and Shaiya ran towards the pursuing human. Clutching her egg close to her, Sabrina descended the slope of the hollow and did her best to hide herself from unwelcome eyes. ****** Where were they? He had lost sight of the small group of gargoyles soon after they had entered the forest. The thick growth of the evergreen trees made it much harder to keep track of the fleeting figures below. He couldn't have lost them! His heart sank...only to be lifted moments later as the scent of a gargoyle came to him on the breeze. There was only one...no wait, maybe two. He should be able to deal with that. Shouldn't he? He landed and began to creep forward, always making sure that he remained downwind of the gargoyle. He needed the element of surprise if he was to get this over and done with quickly. And then he saw her. A female gargoyle crouched behind a bush and cradling something...her egg?...close to her body. She looked exhausted, worried and scared, a far cry from the image of gargoyles he had been taught to become familiar with.
"It does give you second thoughts, doesn't it?" a voice, low and barely audible, said from behind him. Cesar turned, relaxing only when he saw the uniform of one of his own people. "Harvey...right?" The man nodded. "A brave bunch of men, aren't we? Forcing mothers and their children to hide in the snow. Want to know what will happen to that mother and her egg if our bosses or people like Aynton get their hands on them?" Cesar tore his eyes away from Harding's stare and looked down at the female curled protectively around her egg. "Ah know." Images of a laboratory, of a mothers cry, of an egg that would grow cold and dead filled his mind. As much as Cesar prided himself in the work he had done for his employers, there was something sour about this mission. The heroes he saw on TV and in his comic books didn't hunt down mothers and their children. They didn't evict families from their homes with threats of a bloody death. Tonight he was a far cry from those characters he tried to emulate. Tonight he was one of the bad guys, and that was a thing Cesar wasn't too proud of. His face set in resolve and he was about to speak when a shout and several gunshots rang out through the wood. "What the-?" Harding turned. "Aynton must have found the other two gargoyles. I guess someone had better go scrape what's left of him off the ground and take him back to base." He began walking towards the source of Aynton's last stand. A few meters away he halted, his back turned towards Cesar. "I guess I'll be seeing you back at the base..." He trailed off, leaving the silence to ask a question of Cesar that needn't be spoken. "Won't I?" Cesar sighed and turned his attention back to the hollow. The female, the beast and the egg were gone. "Maybe," he said, listening to the soft crunches of snow that Harding's feet made as he walked away from the mutate. "Maybe." ****** "Sabrina?" Madbrook stood in the middle of the hollow and called to his mate. He nursed the flesh wound on his upper arm. The human had managed to get a lucky shot off before Shaiya had fallen upon him, filling the human with enough venom that the orange gargoyle doubted that he would be waking up any time this decade. "I'm here." Sabrina descended the slop of the hollow, her eyes widened as she saw the wound on Madbrook's arm. "You're hurt!" The few remaining meters were crossed in a matter of moments and the two mates embraced each other. "I'm fine, Sabby," Madbrook assured her, caressing her face. "Eet's only a scratch. What's more important ees that you and our igg are safe." Sabrina smiled and pulled away from him. "Yes, but you're not going to get away with me doing nothing about it, are you?" she said as she set their egg gently on the ground, and then tore a few strips of material from her top to bind around his arm. "You were not alone here, Sabrina." Shaiya's voice came from the opposite ridge of the hollow. Sabrina and Madbrook looked up. "What do you mean?" they asked in unison. "What I mean is that this ridge is littered with recent footprints and scents." Shaiya looked down at the crumpled snow beneath her feet and then back at Sabrina and Madbrook, who had instinctively drawn closer together. "How many?" Madbrook asked as his eyes darted about the hollow and then the ridge above. "Two. One scent I do not recognize but the other..." Shaiya turned to Sabrina. "Do you remember the human named Harding? Sabrina frowned for a moment, then he eyes widened as she remembered. "Yes! He helped us defeat the Dominion aliens!" "He was here." Shaiya paused to let that sink in. "He stood on this ridge with one of our enemy. I think..." again Shaiya paused, trying to piece together the picture that was painted before her. "I think he may have persuaded the other to let you go." She watched the reactions of the two mates while she found a growing anger inside herself. She should have not left Sabrina and the egg alone and unprotected like that. Next time...no there would not be a next time. She would not let the egg be endangered again! "I didn't know," Sabrina said in a small voice, her arms curling in an even tighter embrace around her egg. "We shouldn't stay here," said Madbrook as he climbed the slope, with Sabrina and Sirius in tow. "They may 'ave let us go, but if we stay here they'll be back." Shaiya nodded. "I agree. We may have lost the mansion, but I will not allow this clan to be lost. Thaylog should have a clan to come back to." "Where do we go?" Shaiya considered this for a moment. Of all the clan she knew the land around the mansion better than anyone. "There are caves, places we can be safe during the day." Sabrina frowned. There was one more question that weighed heavily on her mind. "What about the others? I remember Silver, Llewelyn and Chaz were down in New Orleans. Vash is somewhere...." She sighed. "What happens when they come back and find the mansion is in enemy hands? They could be captured, or worse!" "We'll watch for them." Shaiya said. She paused and glanced back through the trees in the direction of the mansion. They had lost their home but at least they were still all alive. That was the most important thing to her. Still... "I'm sorry Thaylog." she whispered, her words torn away into oblivion by the blast of icy air that weaved through the trees. But perhaps...perhaps the wind would carry those words to wherever Thaylog was and maybe he would hear them. Shaiya just hoped that he would forgive. ****** Varges watched as his men returned empty-handed from their search through the forest. He had expected as much--the snow was already beginning to cover their tracks, and the creatures could fly whenever they chose and leave no trail to follow. The only thing they had found was Aynton. Gargoyle fangs weren't supposed to carry venom, but the man had been severely poisoned. No one thought he would survive, then suddenly, Aynton was awake, brushing himself off as if everything were perfectly normal and began demanding that the soldiers resume the hunt. Varges no longer cared about the gargoyles. The one concern on his mind now was Cesar. The mutate had also gone missing, and although that was something Varges might otherwise have celebrated, in this case, it was a problem. As the agent in charge of this mission, Cesar was his responsibility, and if anything happened to him, Varges would take the blame. "Well, what have you to report?" asked a raspy voice, interrupting his thoughts. Varges looked up and realized in dismay that it was a vampire. A very important vampire, judging by the robes wrapped tightly around it. "Dee gargoyles have been flushed out. Dey're hiding in dee woods somewhere, but in dis weather, dey're as good as dead. Besides, dere were only t'ree of dem, and I don't see-" "The gargoyles are no longer our priority. I have been given new orders." Varges looked stunned. New orders? So this whole mission had been a waste of time? This, on top of everything else that had gone wrong that night, was more than Varges could take. "Well I did what I was sent here to do, and now I'm going home." He looked around at the scattered soldiers who remained, and said to him, "Dey are yours now,"--realizing too late that by putting them in the hands of a vampire, he was dooming them all to a certain fate. Aynton would probably be spared, however. The board considered him useful, and besides, whatever entity he was possessed with had given him uncanny abilities. Varges continued his musings over the strange individual, then climbed into a truck and took off down the road. The vampire lord Rakaar watched him go, uncaring, then turned to face the mansion. Yes, he could definitely sense its presence. The Pure was there. It was only a matter of time now before they found it...and his masters could begin their work.
....to be continued.
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