The Cold

Gargoyles are the property of Disney and Buena Vista and are used here with out their knowledge or permission. Damon, Torrence, Alexandra, Natalie, Mitchell and Whittier are the property of the author. Please ask the author for permission to use any of the characters.

Cold, alone, gathering dust in the corner of a secret Nightstone warehouse, one Thailog made sure that Demona didn't know about at all. For some reason he felt a great connection to this project in particular and he didn't know why at all. He thought bitterly of Sevarius and his latest plot at the mere idea of being stolen from his eyes took the unnatural glow of crimson. As he brooded like his predecessor Goliath he tried to traces this back to were this had started, he reasoned to guess that it had to have been in Paris when Demona's discovery of Angela as her daughter.

Paris

"Thailog my love, I know that she is my daughter, I don't know how she got here and I don't care she's mine. Goliath is more then likely corrupting her with her ideas of protecting humans and caring about them. It's just enough to make me ill, I have to do something to make sure that she becomes something more that just a simple human loving gargoyle." Demona pondered out loud. Obviously she was talking about that lavender female that had shown herself in the middle of their battle with Goliath and the attractive human detective. "Demona, my pet what if we include her in our little plan with the rest of the clan. It would almost be as good as having a real daughter. But there's still hope that we could change her mind. All we have to do is come up with a plan and unfortunately we would have to use Sevarius." As Thailog said this he pondered this he thought of the new lovely creature that was dwelling in his mind. Delilah. She would be perfect and he wouldn't have to worry about Demona finding out because he would use the same treacherous plan that Demona herself wanted to impose on Macbeth. It really wasn't a bad idea create the illusion that he truly did love Demona and being her mate then when she least expected it he would cage her and use her for her money. He'd just have to doctor up a fake marriage license and say that he is the widow of Dominique Destine and then he would have the money and power he craved. Although the thought of the Angela clone intrigued him for some reason probably because she would have the same coloring that he would have had. She would be the closest thing that he could have to a real child. But never mind having a child was something that he couldn't think of right now. He mentally scolded himself such trivial things didn't matter to Thailog, well not, right now at least. He had to focus on getting Demona and her money. Realizing that being put into a deep thought had cost him something with Demona she was now looking at him in a peculiar fashion. Quickly he settled for saying "My love we have plenty of time to explore either option so let's not worry about it right now." With saying those lies he pulled her into a selfish kiss.

Months before the Reckoning…

Demona finally gave the go a head to clone Angela with her full approval. So Torrence was going to become a reality for both of them. Just as this sole thought processed through his head there was a rap on the door. "Come." Rumbled Thailog, at that Sevarius entered. "Thailog my boy we are almost ready to begin the entire clone process, but I wanted to get your permission to try a new process I've developed from that lovely red headed mutant. You see it's quite simple I take the DNA from our little fiery telepath with Angela's and fertilize an egg cell and add the growth hormones and then she'll be ready in time for the big rumble with the whole dysfunctional family." Sevarius arrogantly finished. "Yes go a head I hate to waste resources once we have the necessary sample go right a head. But one mess up you old fool and I will kill you myself." Thailog added bitterly. "Fine, fine everything will be done to speck don't worry about it. Thailog, I'm almost led to believe that you are becoming an over protective papa. Ha… the mere thought is so ridiculous you a father of anything is appalling." At that Sevarius left the room to go prepare to begin for all six of the clones, then he just thought why not have there be a beast like that dog that they had. But no that would be over doing it anyway not like it wasn't over doing it with the Delilah clone and the Angela clone. But there is work to be done and plenty of it to do and he'd best get to it. Back in the lab Thailog returned to his deep thought he was going to be a father in some way but it wouldn't really be his child that he could raise by himself without that arrogant bitch Demona. He supposed there was another option that he hadn't even explored all it would take is some slight of hand or more just making sure that Demona and Sevarius never did find out what was happening right in front of their noses. He would take one of Demona's egg cells that Sevarius hadn't wiped blank and provide the necessary sample on his part. Put them together mix them in a bowl and he had a child that actually came from his family line and then he would grow the child to the appropriate age then he would have two children that he could call his own. But it would have to be an outside job someone who would be familiar with the arrogant genius of Herr Doctor but also hate his guts and not want the crude German to take the credit for the work. Trying to think who that one person was, he became vaguely aware that when he looked into the circumstances of his "Birth" that there was a Doctor that had worked on the project but his ego was the size of Sevarius. So Xanatos put him in the unemployment line and hopefully he could get to him before he reached the front of the line and they were masse-producing gargoyles. He picked up the phone and said "This is Thailog, I've got job for you if you want it."

A Couple of Weeks later

"Dam it, Dam it, how did this happen what when wrong…"Anton Sevarius cried not at all the last time either. But why and how could there two clones in one tank, there could be one conclusion to be drawn from this it had to have been it had to have been that vibrant red headed mutant bitch! But could he use this be used to his advantage he could use one of them for his own use. The major thing would be not to have his great new boss find out that he was going to use one his so called daughters as his own personal assistant he grinned wickedly. But could he transfer her into a new pod without Thailog noticing that would require whom knows if that could even be done. But who cares if it's possible he could do what he could. It could be more then a couple of weeks before he could do something he had to plan something out. Then it struck him he could start cloning someone else like that stupid blue beast and hide the girls some were else. He would have to do something and do it fast; first off he would have to program the bug to bite the beast. Then he could take both of them really rather quickly and then knowing Thailog's plans would probably fail horribly so then he could go in with the girls and take the other clones and have something that could challenge the clan. But little did he know that Thailog was listening and watching his every move and making sure that he didn't mess with his daughter's. Thailog supposed that this must have happened even to Xanatos when he had a child they actually do something to change their father's evil ways and if any one especially Sevarius would try and mess with his daughter's he would make sure that he paid dearly.

Sevarius was just trying to go through with the procedure before his boss would find out what he was doing. Just then there was a huge BAM… as Sevarius wheeled around and saw Thailog murder in his blood red eyes and then he knew that he had been caught and he has to do something to insure that he didn't loose his life. But whatever he was going to do he'd better now or else he was just about to die and there were only so many times that he could come back to life, at this thought he gave himself and inward grin. "Thailog, well what can I do for you? What's the matter you look as though someone has stolen money from you." He said nervously rather uncomfortably. "YOU know very well what I'm so angry about you were going to take my children from me and that is something that I will never allow you to do. You'd better give me a very good reason not to kill you and strain your innards across the whole of Manhattan. You perverse human scum, I really should have expected you to do something like this but not with my children, ever do you understand me and if you do I will make good on my promise. Not my threat but my promise do you get me you idiot." At this his eyes faded slightly. "But while you are thinking about making a clone of the beast I suggest that you do the same thing you were planning. But in regards to my daughters we shall not tell Demona about Alexandra. The less she knows about this the better it will be for my children and me. She has a daughter and she doesn't need two more children they are mine and no one else's and no one will take them from me." Inwardly looking like he was just brooding he thought about this, he didn't care about the cause he was a father and he wanted to be an example for his daughters and son but no one knew about this son that he had not even Sevarius and Demona. Which was extremely hard on Demona's part because he was her son. But Damon was something that just couldn't be explained it was an outside project he wanted a son and didn't want Demona to be involved. But that was something that he would worry about later right now he had to focus on Torrence and Alexandra. He was going to have twin daughters he couldn't be happier right now, he could finally have a family with Delilah, Torrence, Alexandra and Damon. Plus there was Malibu, Hollywood, Burbank, Brentwood, and Whittier. But he could be satisfied with having just the clan life and just give up on the money, could he sacrifice his happiness with his daughters for money? Maybe he would just put these plans on hold for just a little while he could always put the girls on ice and he could wait to go get Damon and Delilah would always be there no matter what. Little did Thailog know that putting this thought in his head would cost him his family and any hope of having his children care for him? Snapping about of his thought realizing that doing just that cost him something with Sevarius. But what did it matter in a short time he would have everything that he's wanted for a long time.

The Reckoning…

This is my new clan this is Brentwood, Malibu, Burbank, and Hollywood my new clan I named them myself. During this little verbal exchange Thailog grinned sinisterly in just a matter of minutes Delilah would be coming through the door and then after they got rid of the clan and Demona he could retrieve his children and they could start raising a family. Funny this isn't what he thought dying would be like and yet there was not a lot that he didn't know about life for that matter due to his limited amount of years he had to his credit.Breathing his last breathes Thailog realized the full cost of his greed he lost his family, Delilah, his clan, his children, now there has never a chance for him to meet Damon, Alexandra, Torrence. If he did live through this he wouldn't make the same mistake and he would get his children back and make sure that they were a family.

Warehouse near the labyrinth…

Why was it that Delilah kept coming back to this place was is some sick plot of Thailog? Talon couldn't believe that someone could have such a disregard for life not just human life but life in general. But now there was life here that some people did have a regard for and that was what really mattered. He still didn't get why she kept coming back to this place. Was there some hidden meaning or some hidden evil that lay with is that wall of this warehouse? Maybe it was some fail-safe that made sure if she got lost; Thailog programmed her with a subliminal that she would instinctively know to come back to this one spot. When he questioned her about this she said no something important there. So he decided that he would poke around and see what he would find. As he suddenly wished that he would have called Goliath or someone to come check this out. His brain suddenly started thinking about what could be found inside of this warehouse, Thailog himself could be hiding biding his time to come back and get the clones. But as he entered all he saw were three tubes at the opposite side of the floor covered with drapes and dust covering the drapes. He had major conflict but did he really want to do this by himself he had no idea what was under these drapes. But some how he had a feeling what lay beyond the drapes. Whatever the case he felt that he needed at least some back up. He would return at dawn and see if that was really needed at all. When he returned he flung the curtains open and could not believe his eyes behind the curtains were sitting in solid stone four gargoyles, two females in one tube, a male in one and a beast that wasn't quite mature yet. But he immediately knew who they were, there were two clone of Angela sharing one tank which Talon found to be quite odd, another of Bronx that look like a puppy but also a female. Then lastly there was a male that looked like he could have been Demona and Thailog's son. But he decided that he would bring back Maggie, Talon, Delilah, and the Clan.

Just as the last rays of the sun disappeared from the window and all present in front of these growth tubes. Little did they know the magnitude of what they were getting themselves into; Goliath and Talon were getting ready to open the tubes and seeing what would happen. The three that were from Thailog's gene pool had skin as dark as if it were craved from darkness itself, hair almost as white as the snowy glaciers from Antarctica. They were obviously so similar to Thailog that even with there eyes closed, all were wondering if their eyes were red as the blood that was trickling from the clans wounds from the first encounter of their doppelgangers. But there was only one way to find out, as they opened Angela just started to think how she was feeling that there were two clones that were from her blood that were like her sister's or cousin's. The liquid from the tubes drained from around the bodies of the clones, out popped four gargoyles. At this Goliath stepped forward to greet these newcomers and welcomed them into the world. There was a huge conflict going on his head one the one hand or claw in his case these were gargoyles and females which there kind was in great need of, then on the other they were programmed to be their enemies. "Welcome friends, I am Goliath. Do you have names?" Goliath rumbled nervously as if he didn't know what was going to happen as he posed this question at them. "I am Torrence." Purred one of the Angela clones said seductively towards Brooklyn with a slight tint of crimson behind her eyes. Comparatively for her sister when Alexandra said her name it almost sounded like an assassin. The curt replies from Damon was a low rumble sounding suspiciously like Goliath and slightly lighter then the clan leader's of the rumbling tones. Then they acknowledge the beast females know as Whittier. But in the next moment know one would have thought this conversation would have taken this kind of turn Alexandra, in a surprising event lifted every one into the air and started tossing them around. At this display Talon and Maggie tried sending a volley of their bioelectric bolts the clones way but then they were mysteriously put back in their faces. Then they were gone and the clan and Talon and Maggie were dropped to the floor with a harsh slam. The aches and pain were nothing to the embarrassment that they were feeling from being defeated by one gargoyle against all of them. But how could Thailog make just one of them so strong if properly motivated Alexandra could take care Thailog in no time flat. But there was obviously some Demona influence with the head tiaras of the twins. But what were they going to do with them. "Lad, maybe we could try to reach out to them again. Who knows they could have just been shocked by all of us here, we expected that they would be dead set against us because of who there father is or was."

Roof top above the Nightstone warehouse…

"What happened to father, with everything that had happened with those strange gargoyles. But did you see one of that female, Alex she looked just like us except with different coloring. But did you guys see Delilah, that makes me wonder were the others are?" Torrence related to her sister and brother. Damon who had been looking down at the mystery gargoyles and whatever those other two creatures were, choose this moment to speak. "We have to get out of this city, we have to avoid seeing this clan and even if we could get close to the others it looks like there becoming part of the clan of those other freaks. But were could we go though some were, were there isn't any knowledge of Thailog who think that we are going straight off of our programming and just going to try and take over the world. Like our deadbeat dad I wonder what's going through their minds right now seeing as how my little baby sister Alex bet them just with her mind. But how could someone do that unless they were a mutant right? Okay but where can we go, some where that they can't find us and if Thailog ever comes back he won't either. Somewhere were there are already gargoyles or sightings you know. Where we would be welcomed by others." Just as he said this, a newspaper blew up into Damon's face by the up draft from the wind that the Manhattan clan was creating by the up draft that they caught. As he pulled the article down from his face and look at the print and picture and grinned and then he handed this to his sister's their faces lit up and then reason they gave off this smile. On the print what a blacked out figure, not just any but a winged figure. "Well kids, it looks like were going to Boston. But maybe we should go see if there is any money to be had and we should go check the warehouse. They were all clad in just loin clothes and halters for the twins. As they descended down into the warehouse, the checked out and found a secret room with everything that anyone could ever need. Alexandra changed into a gray with red trim two piece and Torrence into a red with gray trim once piece. Damon finally put on a half-bronze breastplate held up by a belt. "Complete with accessories." Damon said fingering a dagger. "Yeah I'm kind of this liking the sword." Alexandra said "Nice Bow, Tor." She added reading her sister's mind. "Maybe we should try and get going it's along glide to Boston.

Amish Country Pennsylvania…

"Damon we have to stop, Whittier is getting to tired, besides my wings a getting a little cramped." Torrence commented slightly annoyed. Then the question became were could they stay for a little while were they could roast safely for a couple of days before they moved on to Boston their goal for themselves. Still there isn't any were in view were they could lie low. Then Damon saw it a horse and buggy, his sister's saw it to. "You know Damon we could always lie low with the Amish they do cook really well and we could train well in the forests honing our skills." Alexandra said sagely. "Alright let's do it I say we stay were for at least a week that way we can actually work on our moves. We can learn about each other moves it will work out very well, I think." There was a nod of agreement from the others. "Well let's go scout out a place to roast for the day, the sun is almost up." They started to circle around a forest then Damon suddenly just dove and the girls started to follow him. He just kept diving the blur of twilight blue changed to a streak of green and it looked like Damon was going to hit the ground but he pulled up at the very last second and his wings skimmed a lake. The girls following their brother's move did the same thing. Torrence who was holding Whittier so she throws her in the air and she does an elegant dive right into the water. There on the water edge there was a rock formation with what looked like a mouth of a cave. "This looks like the perfect spot to stay for a couple of days we can fish here and start training tomorrow night, I'd like to start scouting tomorrow night for hunting if we can learn to hunt as a team and a unit. If we can do that we can learn to be a stronger family and then when and if we get to Boston we can provide a reason for them to except us." Alexandra provided helpfully. "Yeah I agree, I think that we need to become a family, excel beyond what Father programmed us to be for. But I think that we also need to make sure that we don't attract too much attention to ourselves because we have to remember; that our immortal mother could still be out there looking for Torrence and then if he discovers the rest of us were in for a world of trouble. I don't think that Alexandra's powers could even stop her because she does dabble in magic." Just as Damon finished his thought there was a snap, at that were Damon, Alexandra, Torrence, and Whittier standing there was just empty space but a slight rustling in the trees as two more Gargoyles entered, looking slightly confused. "Gabriel I thought you said that you saw gargoyles gliding down through here and this is obviously were we need to be but I'm not sure why Avalon sent us here." Commented the golden female with the most unique wings. "Natalie, we just have to wait a little bit I'm sure that they're right around here." Said the male named Gabriel. Alexandra and Torrence were rapidly communicating to each other telepathically, "Gabriel, I know that name from some where but were. I know that it doesn't have to do with our lives but Angela's almost." Torrence mused to Alexandra, but Alex knew exactly who he was. "That is Angela's rookery brother, from Avalon he's kind of cute though." Alexandra thought towards her sister, Damon gazed quizzically at the pair of them. "Damon, that's Gabriel he's our half sister Angela's rookery brother and Alex thinks that he is kind of cute." Torrence said scandalously. Damon just gawked at Alexandra something wasn't really likely to supply that unless it was Torrence. "Well I guess we should go and introduce ourselves." Damon said unsure of himself. Torrence and Alexandra took a moment to look at each other and see if they thought that he was serious, but when they turned back they saw a blur and Damon was going down to meet them startled by this they leapt down and shocked Gabriel and Natalie. "Well, I told you if we just waited a little while that they would show up. Well I'm Gabriel." He was saying to Damon, then he gazed at the girls and his jaw dropped. He knew their faces instantly; they were identical to Angela's. But as in the light had been drained from their faces and put into a darkness that was different and exotic he thought that he might like it. At this Natalie elbowed him in the side. "While my brother is rude, hope I'm not quite so much. I'm Natalie, you two kind of like our rookery sister Angela and you look slightly like Goliath though don't you." Natalie finished lamely. "Well, were in a way related to both of them in some weird way but pardon our manners, I'm Damon, this is Torrence, and Alexandra, this little twerp is Whittier." Flirting so obviously that Gabriel scowled at him. As the scowl disappeared from his face and the skiff that Gabriel and Natalie arrived in disappeared beneath the water. Gabriel and Natalie turned as fast as the possibly could. "This is what we were meant to do Gabriel travel with Damon and the others." Said Natalie but as she said this it seemed like a stress was just lifted from her shoulders like a dead weight that she didn't want. She reached for the first person that she saw and it just so happened to be Damon, which didn't bode well for the over protective brother. Over the next couple of the hours Natalie and Gabriel related there story, how they had become dissatisfied with the life they were living on Avalon, how they wanted to see others of their kind out in the world and doing the right things with their lives. They didn't want to live under a protective veil while their species were suffering out in the real world. Honing their skills as warriors that were weak at very best, being trained by Guardian Tom. Who by in large was a peasant for most of his life then became a father to thirty six children with wings so skill any skill at was more or less picked up a long the way. They wanted to learn about what it really meant to be gargoyles that you could learn from the human parents that they loved and cared for so much but they still couldn't do tell them anything about actually being a gargoyle. But it seemed a fair assessment that Gabriel was interested in Alexandra who was everything that he really was looking for in possibly a future mate, everything that Angela had been lacking but he had been willing to over look just for a possible future with her. But she left him there on Avalon why shouldn't he move on he inwardly thought. It was also crystal clear that Damon and Natalie had a growing interest that was going by every second they spent together. But this was all just from Torrence's point of view at least, she was really happy for her siblings and she knew that they were just about ready to begin their respective courtship's, and that Damon and Gabriel would be playing the over protective big brother. So obviously Torrence would be expected to play the mediator so that Gabriel and Damon could stop being such arrogant males and maybe grow to like each other and maybe become something as close as brother. But that would be a long time before that happened. But the one thing that no one could be expected to react to be that Damon and Gabriel had differing opinions on what they should to do. Such as the fact that Gabriel thought that they should try and get to Boston rather fast when Damon obviously disagreed with that point big time. But they eventually learned to compromise and then the next night started and then the training began. They first prepared some store of food in the back of the cave, of wild fruits and nuts. Natalie and Torrence went to the lake with the intention of bringing back enough fish for a feast worthy of castle Wyvern in the day when their clan dwelled there. But nothing was almost as poetic as the rest hunted; it was more of a fluid motion. They worked as a team or a unit as Alexandra said earlier but they observed each other's movements they relied on each other. Gabriel track a heard of deer and then Damon and Alexandra rushed through the treetops not making a sound. Gabriel took a look at Alexandra through the trees her moves were just flawless. He knew from the first moment on that she would be the one that he would mate with for the rest of his life. Once they had a moment he would ask Damon if he could court her, he had a sneaking suspicion that that Damon would be asking the same of him with Natalie.

That night they had a feast of venison, fish and berries. They were sitting around eating and talking in the cave when they heard a huge resounding splash. At first they thought that it was just Whittier but they glanced up she was just laying out on one of the high ledges of the cave. Alexandra decided to take a chance and sneak out and see what was going on outside the cave. As she did she saw something that she least expected a group of Amish boys out for a swim. She turned back and told them that it was just a bunch of boys but they started swimming a little closer and their voices started getting louder. "I think that this is the part were we scare the little Amish kids away so we can be safe to stay here." Alexandra said mischievously with a red tint coming into her eyes. She took to air and let her battle cry and started to circle the boys, the boys were plenty scared with much reason they stared to run as fast as they could to their respective farms.

The next morning the parents of the Amish boys were meeting and talking about what went on last night, they were still finding hard to believe what they were saying. "But mother it was a she devil with eye red as blood, we just went to the lake to swim last night and were swimming towards the cave. You know the lake on the edge of Jeb's parents farm and like I said we were swimming towards the cave and out came this she devil came out and was circling around us, she started to sing her unholy song and it scared us half to death. Then we came right back here to relate the tail to you all. I swear that we are never going to go back there again, mother, father what are we going to do?"

The very next night, in an Amish town meeting…

"Friends our children went out to the lake near the mountains and there they saw a demon that was trying to attack them. Are we going to just stand by and let this unspeakable evil effect our families, our children, or even further down the road our grandchildren? We have to act now and make sure that we have secured a future for our families. I say we go out to put a stop to the end this evil before it becomes a foot hold into our lives." The father of Jonas said. There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd, then it started to swell like a crowd of angry bees and the swarm was getting angrier, one could feel the rage like a cloud so think that no one could see. But they got to their feet no one said anything but everyone knew what they were going to do. They were going to leave here get torches and pitchforks and they were going to go out to that lake and going to catch whatever that thing was and burn it and send it back to Satan. If someone came into from the outside they might have thought that it was a scene out of the Salem witch trials, or even something from the Crucible. Through the forest and the country -side there was a huge roar of men and young boys. They all had the same goal in minds to stomp out this evil.

In the mean time the group of gargoyles that were hiding in the cave, were trying to get to know each other a little but better. Which was proving to be a little bit more difficult for the guys then for the girl's. Due to the fact that Gabriel and Damon were hardly letting other out of the other's sight just to make sure that the other didn't leave with either Natalie or Alexandra didn't leave with Gabriel or Damon. They didn't want to trust the other but there would come a time when there would come a time when they would have to trust each other or die as an effect of their distrust. Because as they sat there with looks of distrust in their eyes there were angry men coming towards them with fire, pitchforks, and guns. As they sat there talking the men were drawing closer, Whittier was growing exceptionally anxious like she was right outside with those men coming up to the intent to do God's work in killing innocent creatures. They were beginning to watch Whittier, and saw how anxious she was and realized that something was wrong. Then there was a crack and snap of a branch and came to the realization that some one was drawing closer to them by the minute. In that instant there wasn't any harsh feelings towards anyone, they were a clan and they had to rely as a team or else this was going to be the last night they would feel the wind beneath their wings. They scattered grabbed their weapons, and booked it out of the cave and took to the air, when the they let the winds carry them and the torch light of the Amish hit the skin of Alexandra, Torrence and Damon there was scared and harsh collective intake of breathe. There was screaming all over and gunshots rang through the night dodging the bullets they took to the sky higher and higher. There was an enraged yell and a loud BANG and a anguished roar from Gabriel, Damon looked over and saw the green male fall from the sky and he dove after him and he caught him and tried bringing air-bound. Torrence drew her bow and inserted an arrow into the temple of the man who shot Gabriel. Natalie and Alexandra let out their harsh roars dripping with rage and anger. They dove towards the men to bring their shots among the others that we in their party and amazingly they never did get hit by a bullet. There was a man who was trying to take aim at them with a pitchfork, Alexandra took her sword and sliced it in half. At the man that tried to kill her she bathed him in the red from her eyes and said this "You arrogant male, you humans just can't let us live in peace. You had to come and invade were we had chosen to stay for a couple of day we were not even staying here at all and now you've almost destroyed a person that your own GOD created." Alexandra said barely containing yourself. "That male was no creation of God, besides we are doing God's work by riding the world of you evil creatures. I don't care about you or any of your kind." The man named Jonas said. "You pretend that you are going about the holy work of the lord but you aren't doing anything but being a bigot, that is what you are teaching your children that is okay to be racist towards anyone, any creature, person." Although Alexandra said this to make a point but you could tell that the rage was just emanating from her person. Someone that she could possible start a future with was more then likely not going to make it through the morning were the glorious sun would heal them something that she most assuredly knew in her short life that she had lived thus far. But as these thoughts she was becoming surprisingly aware that there was someone coming up behind her, and she was also mildly conscious that there was some hostile intent coming from the man. So right as the mystery man was going to put an axe in her back she levitated the broken pitchfork and intercepted it with the axe, luckily it was deflected into the nearest tree. This turn of events made the Amish a little scared of what was going on they started to run faster then their legs could carry them. With that Alexandra took to the air to find the others and to make sure that Gabriel was going to make it till dawn. She thought what would happen if he didn't make it, what would she do… No I can't think like that I was to be positive, he's going to make it and he going to be fine were going to be fine. We are going to make it to Boston and were going to find the clan and going to be all right. She saw smoke coming from just ahead she circled it for a few times and saw that it was her traveling companions she tucked her wings in slightly and drove using increased speed and pulled her wings out and landed gracefully by Natalie's side she looked devastated. She walked over to Gabriel who had Damon tending to him, Natalie got up so fast that Torrence and Whittier who had been hovering around the outer edge of the fire that had been giving of so much heat, were shocked. She left so fast that they were surprised and left them wondering were she was going. Natalie suddenly had remembered all the potions that the Magus had used whenever any of their rookery siblings had gotten seriously injured a long while before the sun had risen. Natalie hadn't been the Magus's best pupil, but she did remember what the herbs had looked like to create the proper potion. She dropped to her hands and started to run around trying to find the herb she needed, looking franticly for that single plant that would help her brother get well. Then she saw it and first she had run past it but she had seen it out of the corner of her eye and had to back pedal to get what she needed. She plucked and much of the herb as she could and took to the trees going over branch by branch flipping as fast as she could pump her legs then she finally could smell the smoke from the fire. That overwhelming sense of relief just washed over her. Natalie knew that Gabriel would remain safe, she approached charged through the last bit of bush and say her small clan circled around the figure of her rookery brother. When she saw his figure lying limp on the cold earth she ground the herb up into a fine powder and added water from one of the flasks of water that were lying around and applied it directly to the entry wound in her brother's shoulder. After several tense moments of waiting the green-gray coloring of Gabriel returned to its normal green tone. There was a collective sigh that parted from each gargoyle's mouth. The sound of branches breaking alerted them to the approaching mob, the trickle of the morning light that went a long with the predawn was upon them. Damon, who had been silent through the whole ordeal ordered the group to take to the trees of a giant granny pine that they had sought refuge under he flung Gabriel over his shoulder and pounced with an ounce less of grace then that of his sisters. The branches of this great pine were strong enough by anyone's judge to hold the weight of a gargoyle locked in stone slumber. From that moment on they, bonded even tighter as a clan. Oblivious though they were of the closer family bond each of them had through their respective sires.

Below the dormant sleeping clan, the mob that had assembled stood puzzled they had been sure that they had seen one of the she-demon's descend on this very spot there had definitely someone in that spot just moments before. Mayhap some poor unfortunate souls had run a foul with the demons. No matter they had triumphed over the evil minion's of the prince of darkness himself. Their land was free of the curse that plagued them, for hardly a time at all. That in and of itself was something to be proud of. Little did they know that demon's were not the problem of this land. All would feel very stupid but none would admit when they heard news of the gargoyle protection act, and when they saw what a gargoyle truly was.

Just as the sun's last rays of the day were seen glimmering behind the mountains, the so-called clan group awoke with a mighty sound that swept the forest surrounding them. All eyes were on Gabriel who had yet to awake, panic has apparent on every face around the group. Tears began to form on all of the females eyes, but in Damon's eyes did not hold any emotion of any sorrow; but that of blood lust. His eyes turned that of the deepest crimson, of the blood running warm in his veins. Bathing the treetops in crimson light, he let out a mighty war cry that seemed would shake creation with rage. "Torrence stay with him, we will bear him back to Avalon, or Castle Wyvern." Damon issued this command with his voice dripping in rage that his sister's drew back from him. "Natalie, Alexandra, you are with me. We will got out in force and seek revenge for our fallen brother." Damon growled. With that word the two female's eyes became the same deep shade of crimson. They took from the tree with such swiftness that the branches quaked with the sudden movement. After a time Torrence could hear the impassioned cries of Natalie, and Alexandra sounding like vicious lioness on the hunt. Damon's however would have done Goliath proud on the night were he found the perch of his beloved second-in-command empty with the exception of shattered stone. Torrence privately thought that the three of them should not have been going out to avenge Gabriel's death in the state that they were in. Almost as if that thought had been said aloud. Cracks began to form on Gabriel's stone form, Torrence upon seeing this assumed that this was just part of the death cycle of gargoyles. Crumbling into dust and ruble. But then she realized that it was because Gabriel was merely waking up. His stone form burst into existence once more. The sound of his triumphant return to life, upon casting his gaze around he realized that he was only seeing Torrence, and Whiter. Seeing the puzzled look on his face Torrence knew what the question was and responded. "We thought you had died during the day, because you didn't arise when the rest of us did. Damon took Natalie, and Alexandra to go out and seek revenge for your death. There was much hunger for blood in their eyes." Gabriel's look of horror on what his friends were about to do only stopped him for a mere fraction of a second. "We must move now, we must stop them now, there's been enough blood shed to last both sides quite a while." With that being said he picked up the young beast and looked to Torrence as if to question to see whether or not she was coming then was swallowed by the darkness. Torrence quickly left to follow, due to her unique genetic training she was able to glide faster the Gabriel so that made catching up with him even easier. But would her speed be enough to catch up with Damon and the other's, before they killed innocent lives? She thought to herself.

En Route to the Amish Village…

They knew that the pathetic villager's would be meeting in the church for evening mass. That would be the easiest time to strike is then and there. They had one encompassing thought that that was revenge. They had done nothing other then maintain their safety. What had the human's done in return? Killed one of their own, Damon bore the wounds more then the other two. Due to the fact that he hadn't taken the steps to getting to know Gabriel. He had let his brotherly concerns take over the fact that he hadn't let himself get to know a fellow gargoyle. The first male gargoyle he had met since departing from the clone tank. Finally the had arrived at the village, but the towns folk were still going about their business prior to attending the evening mass. So much the better Damon thought. "We must strike quickly and with such force that they pig's won't know what hit them. Leave no claw marks or prints of any kind, if we do our job correctly it will be case to send the human police out to this village. Spare the children and stick to the shadows they shall be our only ally in this place tonight." Damon ordered malevolently. With that he let out the roar the shook the windowpanes in the village. He had their attention and he knew it. With that Alexandra fired a volley of arrows into the midst of the crowd causing them to scatter. But all with one goal to make it to the church, with that there would be no problem picking them off one by one. Damon thought to himself. Then he saw something that inspired him, a human child was lagging behind. The children had been the cause of the death of Gabriel, why not ended it on a similar note! Moving swiftly from his perch in the darkness, letting out a blood-cuddling roar of challenge he took this young boy in his arms. The scream's of the child and the woman were more the enough to satisfy. But for some reason Damon gazed into the child's eyes, and saw the fear. Something inside Damon snapped, their kind caused fear by their fierce appearance. But that would stop now, this would stop with this young child. As if someone was whispering in his ear, A gargoyle can no more stop protecting, then breathing the air; it was strange to hear because he'd never had a thought so bizarre. He closed his eyes and the crimson glow was gone, he tried to bring about a change of appearance. Putting on a prize-winning smile, he spoke "You have nothing to fear from me any longer child." The trembling young one in his hands, with tear-stained eyes murmured in barely more then a whisper "I don't?" "No young one you don't." Damon confirmed. With that he swooped down and deposited the child on the earth. "Tell your people they need not fear us any longer, we are moving on. Tell them we are not demons, but gargoyles who protect the night. We are also sorry for the harm that we have caused your village." He informed the boy. Just a surely as he appeared Damon vanished just as quickly.

"Damon, why didn't you go through with it, why didn't avenge Gabriel's death?" Alexandra said frustration pouring over her. "Because if did go through with it what would that have accomplished? Would those humans have learned anything, no they would have died with the same ideas of gargoyles that they had from our first encounter. Thinking that we are demons and monsters. Now they have the capability to learn from their mistakes." Again as Damon was saying this he had no idea where these word of wisdom were coming from. "Let's get back to Torre…"Natalie had started, but the reason that the words hadn't left her mouth were extremely evident two winged figures were approaching and Natalie knew who the first was, but she dare not believe who the third was either. It was Gabriel… HE WAS ALIVE! With that Alexandra and Natalie darted towards the two oncoming gargoyles. Damon slowly joined them. While Alex and Natalie where exchanging hugs and tears with Gabriel. Damon approached. "Brother it's good to see you alive and well." "It's good to be alive and well." Gabriel replied. All of that had passed between them was no longer there; they were brothers. Almost rookery brother's by the same token. Then it struck Gabriel that Damon reminded him of someone who has been very close to him on Avalon. David, his rookery brother; come to think of it he even looked like him a little bit. Except for the coloring, David had twilight blue skin and shocking red hair. But he had grown dissatisfied with his life on Avalon far before he and Natalie had. He had left a full two weeks before they had but with the time difference it would have been almost a year he'd been gone from the Isle of Avalon. But where could he have ended up? Oh well he'd pay it no more mind. He was alive and well; the group of friends that he had made was bonding really closely. Soon they'd be searching for new gargoyles of Boston and they'd hopefully find a clan worthy of calling themselves protectors of the night. But right now they had to focus on getting out of here, making there way to Boston would still require a night or two's worth of gliding. Damon having a similar thought made the step too get going back to the tree with all of their possessions. The rest followed wordlessly they were just happy that everyone in the group was alive and well. Not fairing overly well for their first day as a clan group at all…

Two nights later in Boston…

"Wow, so this is Boston? A little bit different from New York." Torrence said mildly. Then the heard a scream of a women in trouble. "Apparently I spoke to soon." She added. Then she looked towards Damon, who'd be far had been far to silent, almost brooding slightly. He had a look of being torn on what to do. Alexandra however knew what has going on inside his head. He wanted to change people's outlook towards gargoyles. Privately she agreed with him, in their short time of life they had been met with fear from humans. "Damon." She said. "We should go down and help that women." That was all the invitation that he needed, no sooner had those words left her mouth had he dove towards where the scream had originated from.

There in a dark alley stood a woman about in her mid-thirty's if Damon had to guess. The assailant has one of the homeless of Boston, just trying to survive. Obviously doped up on something like crack or heroine. Damon was about to move in when a series of events took place that he hadn't expected and surely the other's had not either. There was the sound of swiftly moving wings and in a flash there were gargoyles. Helping out the women, there were three in all one of them was a dark blue male with black hair and black feathered wings. He had the build of Brooklyn or Malibu, Damon thought. Another was a female with tan skin and an odd sort of wing that the other's had never seen before they looked like there were feathered wings but however they were skin the same color as her. But her hair was something else, blond but it went all the way down past the base of her tail. She was dressed in something almost out of a province in Japan that you would expect a warrior to wear. But most the most striking was a male that was twilight blue, with a crop of shocking red hair. Damon saw himself in this warrior, but that could simply not be. Before any of them could react the gargoyles had taken wing and were gliding away. "Quickly follow them but let's try not to be seen." Damon issued this order in no more then a harsh whisper. "But Damon…." That was all that Natalie got out before she was silenced by looks from all three of Thailog's children. Instead of taking to wing they went from rooftop to rooftop so that their wings made no sound upon the night winds. Gabriel and Natalie were not as into the chase as the other's were, not that they noticed but they kept trying to say something to Damon but it was falling upon deaf ears because all the other's cared about were that here were three other gargoyles. That did not know them and did not have preconceived ideas of who they were and what they were going to be. Gargoyles that didn't know them for who there parents were, and their creator. By this time they had come out of the city and were flying now in the direction of the forest. So by compromising from jumping to rooftops they were gliding low among the trees, in hopes that they would not be noticed. They were very successful in their endeavor to keep themselves unnoticed by the trio of gargoyles gliding above them. Gabriel looked down and saw that the forest was getting extremely thick so that he could barely see the ground bellow him, but instead thick foliage replaced the once visible ground underneath them. Gabriel couldn't fathom what his rookery brother was doing in Boston with such a strange assortment of gargoyles. Gabriel's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden dive of David and the gargoyles he traveled with. Damon and the other's back winged and landed as quit as the could landing in trees, tried to move forward to see were the other's of their kind had gone! But that was soon answered by the site of a huge fort that was made of wood that clearly had been there for ages. They finally stayed still gazing down into the fort and saw various activities being preformed by a fairly moderately sized clan. True they were larger then their numbers were at present. Their were two elder gargoyles that were sitting near a fire looking out at the clan making sure all the tasks were being preformed to the age old gargoyle standards. Then there was a flock of young hatchlings numbering six, now that Damon counted them. There in the middle were a group of young warriors in training, honing their skills as warriors. If Gabriel were any judge he would say that they were years away from achieving their status as warriors in the eyes of the clan, but they did show promise. But there were only nine of them, if both the Avalonian born gargoyles were now aware that a clutching the size of their rookeries would be a rare thing indeed, in this day and age were humans were largely against gargoyles. But then at last all of them saw something that they were looking for young adults much like themselves. There was a group of seven of them. Which David and the other two joined him in. A female approached the group of young adults and looked around to see if the elders where busy dealing with the hatchlings to notice the conversation the leader had with her young warriors. They moved to the wall near where Damon and the other's were hiding in the trees.

"How was the patrol, David?" The blue feathered female asked. "Well we just stopped a mugging felt like we were being followed when we left to come back here though Fenway. But we didn't see anything that would suggest that we were followed." David finished. "Good we need to keep this up for a while, to see if we can do it with out the elders knowing, the council would never stand for anything like that. They barely allow you young warriors to venture into the city. They've never trusted that humans didn't have anything to do with the disappearance of our parents generation." She said in a side to Mitchell. "Well who cares, why should we care what the elder's think, Sis you're the leader not them, why should we show them compassion when they've shown you and my none!" Mitchell said that with his eyes flaring slightly. "What we need is more gargoyles from your clan David, they've been really impressed with you and what you've brought to the clan."

Outside the fort…

After hearing what David and his new found clan mates were saying Damon decided that they would reveal themselves. But they had to do this very carefully they could end up with gargoyle fighting gargoyle and that just wouldn't do especially since they were hopeful to join this clan of gargoyles. "We're going to go reveal ourselves to them, but we have to be very careful about doing this…

Back in the fort…

While Fenway and the young warriors were conversing, the elder's were looking over at them with looks that did not favor the young headstrong leader. But the elder's council had always been pretty against her, she was the former leader's daughter and when she took her adult trials, her father decided that she would be the leader that would follow himself when he died. Almost as if he knew that he disappearance was coming, the next month himself and all his rookery siblings vanished from their perches on the wall. Leaving Fenway, and her brother Mitchell to lead the clan. The elder's council thought that they could mold her into the perfect leader to insure that the old ways were retained. But that might have got differently had they not treated the leader with such open hostility when himself and his mate decided to show open affection to their hatchlings. So making sure that they couldn't do a thing to effect the leadership style of Fenway. But these thought of contempt towards their leader vanished when in the center of the courtyard weapons appeared. Then down glided five gargoyles and open adolescent beast with them. Once touching down on the ground the cloaked their wings and kept their talons at their sides so that they would not appear threatening by any stretch of the imagination. The whole clan greeted this with shock, until David hailed two within the group as his rookery siblings from Avalon. Also the male that wasn't rookery kin with David, yet helooked so much like David. Fenway stepped forward, gracefully but yet so fierce went and extended she hand to greet the newcomers...

To be continued...