Becky screamed when she saw the hellhound bite into Dave's arm. She couldn't help it, it was instinctive. She didn't even know why she was screaming for a few seconds. Ashley stopped pulling her and looked back as he went into convulsions. Her mouth formed a small 'o'. She wasn't surprised enough to not stop Becky from going back over to him though.
"You'll get yourself killed!" snapped Ashley, "Hate to break it to you but magonisi don't tend to last too long in magical duels!"
She turned and sent a glare so venomous at the girl that she shut up immediately. Becky took in the panicked look on Jack's face as saw Dave's convulsions, which were getting steadily more violent. Michael was yelling something to him, setting up a shield to protect the three of them from the remaining hellhounds.
"I leave for two weeks. Two."
Becky turned around to see Kate coming up the stairs, smoking furiously and lugging a suitcase. She glanced briefly at Becky and said;
"Small world."
After that she directed her attention to the combatants. She took a drag of her cigarette and placed the suitcase on the ground. Reaching deep into her pocket and gesturing to the suitcase she snapped to Ashley;
"Don't let that out of your sight!"
Without another word she hurried across the tracks. Becky looked after her and Ashley said soothingly;
"Don't worry. If anyone can help him right now, it's her."
.
.
.
"Hold his arm down!"
That was the last thing Dave heard before a searing pain shot through him. It was somehow sharper than the fire, purer. It poured through him for awhile before stopping abruptly. Hesitantly Dave opened his eyes and looked down at the wound. It was still raw, throbbing, and bleeding, but at least the flesh was no longer burning.
He started up woozily and looked at the woman kneeling beside him. Dave coughed a little from the cigarette smoke as Jack started to bandage his arm. In response she put it out with her left hand. In her right hand was clutched an uncorked bottle with a small cross on it. She picked up the cork and fit it snugly back in.
"Holy water," she said, "Best thing there is for hellfire related incidents. Always carry it with me in case I run into any undead things. It's good for healing this kind of thing too. I have a friend who swears by it."
She smiled at him, showing her white teeth.
"Name's Kate unregistered kid whose girlfriend I met at the subway. And hey, look where we are now. That's what I call irony," she said before looking over and calling out, "Your boyfriend's fine!"
Dave saw out of the corner of his eye Becky waving and shouting something he couldn't quite make out. Kate got to her feet and looked to where the last of the hellhounds were clustering around the man. She walked beside Michael, made an impatient gesture, and lit another cigarette. Before taking a long drag she said;
"Guess it's the sheriff's duty to round up nutcases like you, but you'll have to make do with the deputy. 'an the deputy says your aura smells like something crawled into the garbage and died, which makes you no good their book. So I'm tellin' you to get outta Doge."
He laughed and Kate rolled her eyes.
"You have a very irritating laugh," she said.
"So I've been told," he said, looking past her at Dave, "Have fun?"
"Just let me get up," Dave said, trying, and failing to do so.
"Take it easy kid," commanded Kate, "And nutcase, I don't know who you are or where you came from. But you just summoned hellhounds so that makes me just a tad suspicious of you. Just a tad. I want you out of my city now."
"I really was just leaving," he assured her, "Not the city though, just the train station. By the way…the deputy? Merlinian? Hm. Did you enjoy cleaning up after my snacks?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"If you're talking about the skeletons in the sewers, then no," she said tersely.
Skeletons in the sewers? Swallowing Dave looked at the man a little strangely and with a touch more apprehension than previously. Hellhounds and skeletons. This was the Halloween stuff that he had always hoped he wouldn't get mixed up in. He should've known better before he started to get involved with the magical world.
"I wondered if anyone would find those," he said thoughtfully, "And on that note I think I'll be leaving. See you soon Dave."
He turned on his heel, straight into a blast of fire. The man was knocked back, straight into the wall of the train. He left a dent in the door and scrambled to get onto his feet. Balthazar strode into view, Veronica behind him. Fire swirled around his arms and he glared at the man, not taking into account the hellhounds that were coming towards them.
Veronica put up a shield and moved forward. She had brought one of her swords and beheaded the one nearest to her before swiftly drawing it out and killing. Balthazar burned a few of them that came towards him, not slowing his pace in the slightest. He continued his stride until he was only a few yards away from the man.
"Dave?" he called, no taking his eyes off of the man, "You alright?"
"Mostly," Dave said.
Reaching their small group Veronica knelt beside him and started unwinding the bandages. Her eyes flickered nervously over to where Balthazar and the man were.
"And Becky?"
"She's good too," Dave said nervously, casting a glance back to where Becky and Ashley stood.
"Good," Balthazar said sharply, "Good."
There was silence for a few seconds.
"This may feel a little funny," said Veronica as she ran her fingers over Dave's arm.
It did feel strange, but not as strange as watching the two men.
"Ah, hello Balthazar," the man said patronizingly.
"Mordred," growled Balthazar, "You should be dead. Seeing as you're not, I think we have a score to settle."
Dave's eyes widened. There was a fury around his master that seemed to pulse with the flames. Also, did he just hear Mordred? He hadn't gotten up to the Arthurian part of his Incantus yet, but he knew who that was. For confirmation he could see that the Merlinains, including Kate, had all gone a little pale.
"You know, I don't think we do," Mordred said, "I'm not even going to try to kill you."
Balthazar looked at him, his glare still intense but very careful.
"And why not?"
"Someone else has priority," he said, "You should be thanking me you know."
Veronica's grip on Dave's arm tightened, almost to the point of pain. Without giving Balthazar time to respond Mordred continued;
"I gave Letholdus a good, dignified death after all. It wasn't clean by any means and he did put up a valiant struggle, but it was dignified. Catherine was much easier though, barely even knew what was going on. Always had a thing for blondes. Still, like I said, dignified."
Next to him Veronica's breath caught. Dave had never heard the names Letholdus or Catherine before and he found himself wondering who they were. He cast a glance up at Balthazar, who no longer looked furious. Instead a deep, dark, terrible blankness had come over him as he stared at Mordred.
"Albin now, he screamed far too much-"
With a roar Balthazar threw his hands out. Mordred blocked quickly and turned. A hellhound went for Balthazar and it was met immediately with a plasma bolt. It howled and died, but Mordred didn't seem perturbed at all. He simply kept his shield up and continued walking around Balthazar. The rest of the hellhounds followed him like strange sentinels
"I don't think you understand the gravity of my being here," Mordred said, "But you can't be expected to."
He smiled faintly at him.
"Off you all go now."
The last nine hellhounds rushed forward. The Merlinians, including Veronica and instinctive motions from himself, started throwing plasma bolts at them. Balthazar used fire, looking past them and trying to get to their master. Mordred did a mock salute at him, and Balthazar swore in a language Dave didn't understand. Then, like he had done on the train, Mordred vanished.
Still swearing in the different language Balthazar struck out with his palm and destroyed the last hellhound. He was breathing heavily, closing his eyes. Veronica quickly got up and hurried over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Very slowly Balthazar opened his eyes and slowed his breathing fractionally.
Only then did he appear to take in the scene for its entirety. His eyes flickered from Dave and the Merlinians, Michael and Jack standing in awe of him. Kate looked remarkably at ease. He then directed his attention to where Becky and Ashley were, though they had almost returned to the group. The young girl looked like she was about to faint.
Then his eyes turned back to Kate. He frowned a little as though trying to figure something out. Dave felt himself staring at her as well, although he had absolutely no idea what it was he was supposed to be looking for. For her part Kate just continued to smoke unhelpfully, although a little angrily.
"Who are you?" he asked warily.
She didn't answer. Ashley, probably out of nervousness, blurted out;
"That's Kate Falstaff."
He looked at her with a quirked eyebrow and she turned away. Michael shook his head as Kate took a suitcase out of Ashley's hands. Becky ran up and knelt by Dave.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Fine," he nodded.
Her eyes narrowed before she kissed him on the forehead.
"Do that to me again and I'll kill you."
"Fair enough."
Balthazar rolled his eyes at the two of them.
"Both of you need to be more careful," he said, "I heard the train come in all the way from my place. Screeching like you wouldn't believe. It was deafening."
"I didn't hear anything," Dave said defensively.
"Well no," said Balthazar thoughtfully, "Did you use a vacuum spell? Feels like it."
He nodded.
"Not bad. It sucks the sound out of the area too," Balthazar said before redirecting his attention to Kate, "And Kate Falstaff is a combination of two Shakespeare characters."
"I'm going by it," she said, "No one can say I can't, especially the guy who changed his last name to Blake. I'm guessin' the kid's your apprentice, so the Prime Merlinian yes?"
Balthazar didn't say anything, but Ashley, Michael, and Jack all turned to stare at Dave. Kate nodded a little.
"Glad we got that sorted out," she said dryly, inhaling again, "And seeing how that was Mordred it looks like we've been caught up in another one of your petty squabbles that's been going on for centuries."
She blew a smoke ring. Veronica opened her mouth angrily but Balthazar held up a hand. He looked at her with great scrutinization. His eyebrows raised.
"Bianca?" he said disbelievingly.
"For ninety-four years," she said vaguely, "Looking good for my age, although you an' your gal pal are doing better. But like I said, Kate now. Call me Bianca again and I'll start calling you by your full title."
His fist clenched and she said in a softer tone;
"I don't want to go by Bianca for the same reasons you don't want to go by Blakeson."
Kate paused. She looked around her at the staring faces and sighed.
"But let's get indoors," she said, "Need to introduce you all to the sheriff, and…that's the Prime Merlinian. Kind of a big deal and this place is a little public."
Balthazar hesitated before nodding.
"Still using the Chrysler building?" asked Balthazar.
"Like we'd leave," she snorted.