A/N: This chapter is inspired by Teny's post on Tumblr for the #zouxieweek2022, Day 7 - goth. Before she posted it, I didn't really know what to write about "goth" because I hadn't really come into contact with this lifestyle yet except sometimes for the annual Wave Gothic Meeting near me. Further, Douxie's title Shepherd of Fire is also by her.


Goth

"I'm proud of you."

With a long sigh, Douxie accepted Zoe's words. If he didn't expect an unspeakable headache from the important conversation to come, he might be proud of himself too.

"Hey." With an encouraging tone, she nudged his with her shoulder as he leaned forward slightly to fasten the last buckle of his top. "Really, Douxie, how long have you been avoiding them? And yet now you seek to talk to them to help Toncor's tribe. You should be proud of yourself, too! And besides, might I add," she slowly stroked his sheathed arm, "you look very good in that outfit! Maybe we should consider regularly wearing this for ADP."

Slowly, Douxie straightened up and looked at Zoe in disbelief. "You do realize that this is pure chicanery? Chaka's out of his mind, if you ask me! That you have to dress like that to be allowed to come forward for a meeting! Outrageous!"

When he had received the conditions for an audience the day before, Douxie almost exploded. That he had to leave Archie behind, he could even understand. After all, both Akane and Adalar had both had extremely bad experiences with dragons in the past. The rule that dragons weren't allowed to appear before the Council of Wizards was therefore ancient, and Douxie respected it. But this nonsense with the dress code?

"He's just bored. Don't take it so hard. Besides, don't you think I'm sexy?" With a seductive gesture, Zoe let her fingers glide over her pentagram, which was the connecting piece between her dress and her shoulders flattering stole made of raven feathers, and her chest before placing her hand on her hip. "You're definitely sexy, my dear. And so badass…" she purred. "If you're so upset about having to wear something that makes you look so insanely handsome and attractive-"

"Yeah yeah, stop that, okay?" Douxie grumbled, adjusting his collar once more. "Let's just get it over with."

Less than half an hour later, Hisirdoux was so annoyed that even Zoe's soothing words couldn't really calm him down anymore.

"Seven! Zoe, who needs seven damn gates to bring the claimants to themselves and keep uninvited guests from finding their citadel?!"

"Hmm..."

"Or don't you think that's silly, too? Crazy? Suffering from delusions of persecution?"

"I do. But what you should keep in mind is that the council will hardly listen to us if you pay your respects there with an expression like you're about to kill them all."

"That's probably exactly their goal," Douxie muttered as he stepped out of the portal and began walking across a snowy plain without looking back. No sooner had the two of them left the immediate area around the portal than he heard the gates close behind him, and immediately after, felt a wind coming up that seemed to whisper to them.

"Ah! See? Here we finally are."

Douxie heard his companion's amused chuckle and grabbed her hand to help her walk through the snow with her shoes unsuitable for this surface.

At least, he told himself, that was the only reason. But of course, Zoe saw right through him.

"While I think it's a gallant gesture, I know you know I can certainly enchant my shoes to be both warming and non-sinking, my magical knight. But, of course, you're welcome to use me to cool your mind a bit. Raven's voice grows louder. We should be crossing the barrier in a moment, and then you should bring out your acting skills and put on a more easy expression."

Douxie nodded. But this time he found it hard to hide his feelings. This wasn't about him, after all, but about an entire tribe of forest trolls, already considered rare in Camelot's best days, and now even more so and steadily being further reduced thanks to the depletion of forests all over the world!

Then, all of a sudden, a bright light blinded him and for a short time he literally saw the snowflakes dancing on the insides of his eyelids before coming back to the there and then while blinking hard.

"What was that, Zo?!" Douxie asked, rubbing his slightly sore eyes.

"Sorry. Magically enhanced flash to pick up anything magical. And believe me, that's going to be a spectacular picture when I print it out for our photo album. Here," Zoe spoke, turning her cell phone toward him so that he could see himself on the screen.

But he couldn't really recognize himself in the photo. He was looking at a man with an expression of fierce determination, in whose pupils a blue fire seemed to blaze. And this fire had already inflamed him everywhere - not only his runes shone in the color of his magic, but also many accents of his long coat and all metal buckles on his clothes!

"Archie's going to be so mad he missed this." Zoe laughed softly. But then she abruptly turned serious as she made her phone disappear somewhere in her dress.

For at that very moment their surroundings changed, while crossing the threshold invisible to mortals. The snow-covered plain disappeared and instead they were now in a small hall, at the end of which a door stood open.

"Let's go, you two."

Raven's voice manifested to that very person as the wind swept once around Zoe and Douxie and then dissipated as a small tornado rippled across the ground before them.

"Raven," Zoe greeted the witch, while Douxie could only stare at her.

Instead of her usual pitch black hair, she wore a mixture of soft pink, purple and blue. But while that still looked tolerable, her clothes just screamed at him.

"Why, Raven?" Douxie asked, shaking his head. "That's not you! You look like a rebellious anime teenager! You-"

With a groan, he grabbed his side where Zoe had more than rudely punched him. But Raven only laughed.

"Ridiculous, isn't it? Try to take it with humor, Brother Hisirdoux. Chaka is, after all, currently our chairman and has proposed a change in dress code to be closer to the spirit of the times from our sisters and brothers. And yes, my pastel explosion is a rebellion against it while at the same time it's accepted because of the subculture, but don't tell him that," she whispered the last sentence and winked at him. "But come now. And try not to stare. Caralyn has found her true self with this change and now shines inside and out. Oh, and Akane and Amaniel are currently a couple. You won't miss that in a moment..." she spoke, gliding lightly ahead of the two.

Sighing, Douxie offered Zoe his arm, and with a serious nod, she put hers around his before they both followed the council member with measured steps.

No sooner had they entered the hall, where the other five council members had already gathered, than Douxie felt Zoe get goosebumps under her thin gloved gauntlets.

"Damn! She wasn't exaggerating! Caralyn just looks... otherworldly ethereal..."

Douxie could only agree with that. It had been ages since he had last seen her. Back then, Merlin had taken him on a trip to Avalon, where the young Hedgewitch was also present to meet with the High Priestess. Even then, she had had an unnaturally pale taint, which had made her skin almost radiant.

"I wonder if white hair would suit me as well?" Zoe murmured with a clear envious tone.

"Don't even think about changing your pink, Zo! Yes, I openly admit that her white gothic style looks killer and suits her immensely, but it wouldn't be for you. You have to remember that her sanctuary is the Arctic and Antarctic. If you were to suddenly walk around Arcadia completely in white, you would only draw unnecessary attention to yourself."

With a heavy and unladylike snort, she made her displeasure known. "Sometimes, I really hate it when you're right. But one thing you can know, the next Samhain is coming for sure and then I won't care if I scare the mortals with my white appearance if I go to the Wild Hunt like this!"

"Welcome," Chaka addressed them both then, saving Douxie from having to find a retort for Zoe. "It is not often that we see you here with us, Sister Ashildr. But never before have we had the pleasure of receiving the Shepherd of Fire within this ancient halls. Tell me, how is your Familiar Archibald, Aspirant Casperan?"

No sooner had he spoken it than Douxie felt Zoe's fingers squeeze his arm imperceptibly. And yes, he would thank her later for the silent encouragement, but right now he didn't need it. Chaka was going to rub his nose in the fact that he wasn't a master wizard yet? Ha! He could do that all he wanted. Eventually, Merlin would wake up again, and then Douxie would show him that he was worthy. Dignified, he therefore indicated a curt nod before answering in a calm voice.

"Archibald sends his regards to the Council of Wizards and hopes that you will help us in our cause, Master Chaka."

Greeting the other members each with a nod as well, Douxie then waited until Zoe had also greeted them with a formal curtsy.

"What is your business that you wish to bring before us, Brother Hisirdoux?" Adalar asked then, smoothing out his coat as he sat down, which could have come straight out of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and removing his top hat, which he placed with an elegant gesture of his hand on the small table in front of him, on which eight glasses were also ready.

"And please, help yourselves. The way here is by now no longer the shortest..."

"Our thanks, Master Adalar," Zoe addressed him. "But our time is short. After all, there are lives at stake that we have sworn to protect."

"Then please speak. Enough formalities have now been exchanged," Caralyn's bell-clear voice floated through the room, officially ending the obligatory and age-old greeting part.

And while Akane and Amaniel settled down on a two-person couch, holding hands in their partner-look black and emerald green attire, and Raven conjured up a windball and sat playfully cross-legged on it, Caralyn and Chaka remained standing. The latter positioned himself in the middle of the others with his hands clasped behind his back and a grim face, and Douxie secretly wondered if he had chosen that place because of his status as chairman of the council or because he thought he was a general with his military-looking uniform frock coat.

"Now then," Douxie began, directing his thoughts solely to the matter for which he and Zoe had come here. "Four days ago we encountered beings of a nearly extinct species, and that encounter brought home to us the obligation of our brothers and sisters to support the entire magical community..."