Dragon Eye: And so it Began-Part III
William "Revel" Anson: Samrx5@cs.com
Disclaimer: The Gargoyles Universe is the property of Disney and Buena Vista it is used without their knowledge. The Dragon/Fey War and several other themes are the property of TGS. All original characters in the Dragon Eye Universe are the property of William "Revel" Anson
Dragon Eye
And so it Began-Part III
Eleven Thousand Years Ago
"What did he say, does he know?" Klaru whispered in case someone was listening. Nouri smiled touching a claw to his lips.
"He tried to make me faultier, but received no clues from me. I have had to deal with Karos for some time, I am not afraid of him," replied Nouri returning to her work.
"Why is so pressed to persecute you?" The gray dragon sighed, setting down her tools again. She had not told her new love everything about her past, but now it appeared inevitable.
"He is pressed to expose me as corrupt any way he can because he desires revenge," said Nouri with a pained look in her beautiful eyes. Klaru waited patently for her to continue. "Several decades ago Karos proposed his courtship to me," Nouri paused to see the horrified look upon Klaru's face. "I refused him as a life partner and he has been looking for a way to return the insult I gave him. That is why I must be careful."
"Why did you refuse him?" Klaru was not sure why he asked, but there was a sensation in his heart that demanded that he know the answer. Nouri sighed again smiling weakly at the black dragon.
"Because I did not love him," she replied softly before turning back to the task at hand. "Now," she began, her voice restored to its usual tenor, "this is going to be the tricky part and I will need your help. I will cast a spell to nullify the fairy magic long enough for you to place the new eye within the casing. I will need total concentration for this task so please, if you value our lives and future do not disturb me." Klaru nodded his anxiety already beginning to rise.
"Will that purge the fey magic from the casing?"
"I do not believe so," she replied, "but it may at least keep from causing an energy backlash destroying the entire city. If I had more time I would have created an entirely new case, but the rest of the Heiri want results now no matter the cost." Nouri relaxed her body and mind chanting lightly as a light blue aura formed around her entire body from nose to tail. Most common dragon spells required no incantation to perform; they were simply a power of a concentrated thought. Klaru had rarely seen an incantation spell enacted because it took such concentration, the kind that was rarely offered on a battlefield.
Nouri's green eyes flashed blue for a moment as both the enchanted gem and eye case beamed with an unnatural array of colors. Klaru placed the gem within the case and the gold rim enveloped it like a protecting mother. Nouri stopped chanting and the eye took on a subtle glow of it's own. The gray dragon took several deep breaths recovering from the spell, but so far nothing had happened, good or bad.
"That's strange," she mumbled, carefully picking up the eye, "it has no signature, like there is no magic at all." Klaru sniffed a few times trying to detect the fairy magic that had been present only moments before.
"Is it possible that they destroyed each other?" he pondered aloud. Nouri inspected the jewel with her mind trying to detect any kind of power. It felt as if it had none but the blue gem itself was glowing with power that could only be magic.
"This is most strange," she said. "I have never heard of the two powers ever being able to nullify one another. They usually end in violent explosions or at best repel one another. Such a marriage as this has never been accomplished."
"But what does it matter if it is useless?" Nouri scowled for a moment at the black dragon before flashing a smile.
"All thing serve a purpose, my love. We need to run some test and quickly. It will be night fall in a few hours and Apep will be awake." Klaru gulped hard. He had not come face to face with Lord Apep yet and from what he had been told it was a good thing. Apep had indulged in magic far beyond what any other dragon had ever done. The magic was now apart of his body most of which was a dark magic. He was now not even able to see the sun anymore because of the damage it causes his body. Nouri, although she would never admit it to the other Heiri, believed that it also warped his mind beyond recovery. She feared Apep and his power, but worse, she feared how it would affect his young daughter who would see him as a role model. Nouri shook her head focusing on the matte at hand. "Come, quickly," ordered Nouri leading the way outside.
The two dragons dove to the earth in the direction of a land that was an ally to the dragon war campaign. The humans had spread themselves out over the continent, but only a few had concentrated themselves in cities. There were several good candidates to choose from that volunteered, but which was the best one? A human mage would mix a third magic, which could be potentially dangerous. A warrior may not understand the magic and just not use it. Someone was needed who was young and strong, but also open minded so they could be taught. The gray dragon's eyes stopped on a young man who tried to stand erect, but his knees shook slightly. He was tall and trim, tanned from hours of work in the sun on crops or irrigation.
"What is it that you do human?" asked the gray dragon softly so as not to scare him more. His eyes turned up to the large serpent like creature, his voice temporarily lost. She waited patently with a simple grin that made him feel like the wrong answer meant death.
"I am but a simple farmer," he replied finally gulping a lump in his throat. Nouri could not refrain from smiling. Part of her felt bad that the human before, like all of them were afraid of her kind given their size difference. On the other hand, having someone fear her did make her swell slightly with pride. She was a dragon of the highest order; she should be feared and respected.
"You have never touched magic or fought in a war?" asked the dragon quizzically. The young nodded, "I cannot even read."
"Good," she replied gently pulling him forward with her claw, "then you are pure and we can teach you from the beginning. Come, we have little time." The two dragons left the village trotting out towards the fields of grass and trees to test their theories. If something went wrong at least there was a good chance the village would survive.
"So what are we trying to prove," said Klaru sitting upright.
"We know that the original eye was create for a winged who most likely had no knowledge of magic," she said once again trying to harness power from the trinket with her mind but was unable to even register its existence.
"So?"
"So maybe the problem is not that the eye is broke it is that the fey magic is preventing a dragon from using it," she replied putting the final touches on a chain from which to hang from. Nouri sighed turning her eyes now to the scared human who listened to the exchange with confusion.
"Now comes your part," she said softly. "Are you sure you are willing to accept this responsibility. If this works it may be a long time before you see your home again. Do you understand?"
"I do. I will serve my lords," he replied trying to look brave. Nouri placed the eye around his neck and waited, nothing happened.
"Can you feel anything?" she asked softly.
"What am I suppose to feel?" Klaru sighed; this human was a fool.
"Listen," said the black dragon growling slightly, "do not try to feel with your body, reach out with your mind. Concentrate on the energy that is around you, ours especially." The farmer closed his eyes trying to sense the world around him. He could feel nothing until Klaru growled streams of smoke rising from his nostrils.
"There!" screamed the man his eye flying open. "I feel a strange sensation in my body when you did something." The gray dragon grinned happily.
"He has our senses, the sensation of the mind. It is underdeveloped, but that can change. He was able to detect your shifting signature."
"Perhaps," said Klaru skeptically, "Or perhaps he heard me."
"A test then?" Klaru nodded glancing for a moment at the sun, only an hour or so before sunset.
"I want you to do something," said Nouri addressing the young farmer. "Close your eyes and point to the direction that you feel the sensation when it comes to you. My assistant will observe your accuracy." Klaru caught the last line and sneered, a smile wrapping his beak face. They were taking a great risk leaving Skema under these conditions. They had no doubt that they were being watched and that someone had reported their leave. They needed results or needed to prepare their deathbeds.
Nouri trotted several yards away hoping that it was far enough that the human could not hear. If he was lying they would soon see.
Nouri conjured a small flame in her hand waving it back and forth. The young farmer raised his hand but could feel nothing.
"Use your mind not your body," repeated Klaru. "Juts point when you know where she is." The human concentrated suddenly detecting the energy pointing directly at her. Nouri smirked, now for the real test. The gray dragon held her hands before her creating a second fireball sending them out slowly in opposite directions. The man turned back and forth confused, there was now more than one and they were moving.
"There are two of them." The farmer gasped opening his eyes, "Now there are many more." Klaru frowned as energy suddenly touched his senses as well. The black dragon looked up as several drakes and royal guards landed surrounding the three in a semi-circle.
"Cease this at once!" shouted Karos landing before Nouri. The forest green dragon growled stared down upon the Nouri, but she did not waver.
"Are you mad? If we could sense your magic that far away surely the fairies could as well," shouted Karos his eyes burning bright magenta.
"The risk was necessary for the test you have just interrupted," she replied her own eyes glowing green.
"You risk the lives of the humans here by playing foolish games."
"Since when do you care what happens to the humans, Karos?" she replied her voice far darker that its usually tone.
"My concerns are for the progression of our race against all our enemies, the fey and," he paused to glance at Klaru who had not moved, "others." Nouri caught that undertone and growled slightly.
"You and your, assistant," he said practically spitting the word, "will return with me to Skema by order of Lord Apep."
"I do not answer solely to Apep, only to the Heiri as a whole," she replied with a scowl. Karos smiled his eyes level with the gray dragon's, "You do now." Karos raised his hand and the drakes and royal guards presented their pikes in attack position. Klaru and Nouri exchanged glances and silently confirmed to one another there was no escape. Klaru scooped the human farmer into his arms following the others back towards the city in the sky.
* * * * *
"Hello father," said a hollow voice that echoed all around the elder dragon. The night had not yet fallen, restricting Apep to his chamber of near total darkness, lit only by magic flames.
"You know why I have come, I can tell just by your voice. You never could hide anything from me," said the elder controlling his anxiety. His son's power was far greater than he had ever dreamed. It seemed to vibrate all around him as if Apep himself were apart of the hanging fog.
"I know you only come to my chambers to discuss family matters," replied the voice. Two electric blue eyes appeared in the darkness facing the elder dragon.
"True," he replied, "I come to discuss your welfare and that of my granddaughter. She is still very young and I do not want you to make a poor impression upon her." Apep chuckled lightly his form appearing as an electric blue silhouette.
"How could you think such a thing, I would never harm my own blood," he said with a disturbing joy in his voice. Something was not right, thought the elder. Apep rarely laughed and certainly not when discussing family matters.
"It is not physical harm I am afraid of," he replied his voice slightly raspy, "It is her mind. Your lust for blood and power are not admirable qualities and I do not wish to see her possessed by them like they have possessed you. You are not the child that I once knew."
"Of course I'm not, I am beyond such trivial matters as existence. I now know why the fey are so happy all the time. It is magic, they are made of it, their very existence depends on it and it is a wonderfully intoxicating power. It is all around me now, it exist within me."
"But it is dark magic," argued the elder, "the darkest kind, a magic of evil. It has consumed you, destroying your mind and your body. I do not wish the same thing to happen to Isfet." Apep once again chuckled darkly.
"She is my daughter and will travel the path that she desires. She is a Heiri and if Isfet wishes to learn the magic I have learned then it will be done. My child will know no limits in this world." Apep's father shook his head growling slightly. He was gone now, Apep was no longer his son, he was a power hungry monster that must be stopped. Sadly the elder began to chant a spell while Apep's eyes shifted with curiosity.
"You would destroy your own son?" Said the electric blue dragon, but his father continued to chant. With a single word the elder was thrown back, his concentration broken. "Very well, you leave me no choice, I did not desire this. Good bye father." Apep's eyes burned bright blue as the dragon spoke his own incantation.
"No," whispered the elder as he recognized the spell, "listen to me son, you cannot defeat the fey, they have a new weapon at their disposal, one of blood. The mix of fairy and human blood can kill you, you need me to help you, to guide you." Apep did not respond as a void opened beneath the elder swallowing him.
"You cannot win!" screamed the elder before the void closed sealing his father in another dimension. The black room was quiet for several minutes as the dragon reflected upon his father's last words. Were they words of desperation or truth? It did not matter now, he was gone and the first step had been taken. There was now turning back now that the plan was in motion.
* * * * *
Darkness had fallen over the city in the sky when Nouri, Klaru, and the others returned. Magical flames lined the walls and cavernous halls as the two dragons and their human companion were marched towards the great hall. Klaru gasped upon entering the spacious room his eyes falling upon the midnight blue dragon cradling a baby dragon in his arms.
"Apep," whispered Nouri to the black dragon. For the past four months Klaru had been able to avoid being in the presence of Lord Apep. It had not been difficult to do since Apep had no desire to see the lesser, until now.
The dark dragon tickled and cooed his infant daughter paying little attention to the gathering that was now in his presence. He spared a moment to smile at the crowd before returning to his daughter.
"My lord," said Karos as respectfully as possible. Apep raised his head again this time without a smile.
"I receive such little time to spend with my child what is so important that it must be discussed now?" said the Apep his voice hollow, seeming to echo all around the room. Karos nodded respectfully gesturing towards Nouri and Klaru. It was then that the dark dragon noticed the two prisoners and smiled like a predator does to a cornered prey.
"Ah yes, the master-of-the-smith and her lover," said Apep handing young Isfet to one of his aids. "Return Isfet to her mother," he instructed to the aid that did so without question. Apep turned back towards the crowd his body seeming to pulsate with energy. "So, where do we begin?"
"If I may sire?" said Karos bowing his head. Apep gestured for him to continue. "I had a list of charges and crimes that this lesser and our own Heiri have committed that is longer than my tail. These two have consciously engaged in sexual relations and have wasted valuable time and materials on the construction of a weapon that was tainted with fairy magic from the moment it enter our sacred city. If that were not enough they, as you can see planned to give this weapon to a simple human."
"These are serious crimes against the society. Do you have anything to say?" Klaru scowled at Fet who was behind Karos with his head bent in obedience or shame, he could not quite tell the difference. He knew that the red dragon had something to do with this whether by eavesdropping or confessing the conversation the two had shared before even arriving in the city.
"We have committed no crime," argued Nouri, "The personal indulgences of a Heiri are not a crime nor are they to be question in public in such a disrespectful manner. Such an insult and false accusation could call for execution."
"No crime?" replied Karos pointing to the human. "Then what do you call that." Nouri scowled at Karos her eyes glowing slightly.
"The magic within the eye was designed to be used by a lesser mortal, otherwise it would be futile to use our magic being that it has no effect on the fey themselves. I successfully merged our two powers and this is the result, the Dragon Eye." Apep eyed the human carefully sniffing the air lightly a disapproving look on his face.
"I sense no power from the eye," said Apep.
"As I had stated my lord, they failed to complete the project and tried to flee the fate that awaits them," said Karos with the hint of a smile.
"We were testing it and it does work," said Klaru before being struck in the muzzle by a drake with a spear.
"I did not address you, lesser," said Apep nodding to the drake. "Where is the eye's energy if we sense none, master?" Nouri nodded respectfully to Apep. Something was rotten about this entire interrogation. Where were the other Heiri, where was the elder and why was Karos treating Apep as if he were a king? All Heiri were of equal stature in the eyes of the society.
"The energy is present, but it is masked by the two powers within the metals. We will demonstrate this." Nouri turned her attention to the petrified farmer who had remained silent during the entire exchange. The gray dragon smiled to him edging him forward of the crowd.
"Think of a fire and it will appear, but you must concentrate," whispered Nouri to the human. Swallowing hard the young farmer closed his eyes thinking of a fire like he had been told. He thought of the flickering light it gave, it's warmth, and power of destruction, all the things he had come to associate with fire.
Before they could even see it they felt it spark to life, a power like no other that any of them had ever felt before. The farmer raised his hand a blue flame burning in his palm. Ever dragon present except for Nouri and Klaru all took a step back, some from fear, others in defense.
"This power is unnatural!" shouted Karos a slight tremor in his voice. "No dragon can cloak itself in such a way. It is tainted and must be disposed of at once, the proximity danger is too great."
"There is no danger the magic is stable," said Nouri.
"But what of the user," said Apep suspiciously, "is that not where the real danger lies. The only threat I see here are all those who should not be here. Tell me Nouri, were you aware that the eye was brought to you by a mere lesser who broke the laws of procedure?" Nouri did not reply as a feeling of dread washed over the gray dragon.
"I will interpret that as a yes," said Apep, "then the eye is illegal and must be disposed of immediately."
"You do not have the sole authority to make such a decision, where is your father? Where are the other Heiri?" demanded Nouri. Apep smiled sin, his eye burning bright blue, "My father is no longer apart of this world along with Greglur and Yacosta. All the others have fallen in line like Karos, behind my authority."
"This is treason!" shouted Nouri, her eyes burning bright green. Apep approached the gray dragon taking a spear from one of the drakes.
"No master, this is revolution. I am taking the war to the fey and you can either join us or join the others in imprisonment," Apep turned his eyes towards Klaru. "The lessers will not have such an option."
"NO!" shouted Nouri. Karos moved behind her casting a restraint spell. Apep turned to Fet his eyes burning brightly now. The red dragon was shaking with fear as the dark blue dragon stood above him.
"Do you have anything to add to this issue?"
"I, I am l-loyal to my Lord Karos, Lord Apep," stuttered Fet. Apep turned an eye to Klaru for a moment then back to Fet.
"So you have no allegiances to this dragon, even if he is to die?" asked Apep raising a brow ridge. Fet swallowed hard glancing momentarily at Klaru's face.
"Your will is law, I have no allegiance to him." Fet caught Klaru's look of betrayal before bowing his head submissively. Nouri watched with horror as Apep backed away gesturing to the drakes to attack. Klaru stared into Nouri's as several spears were thrust in and out of his body the black dragon's bloody screams echoing off the walls for several seconds before he fell in a pool of his own blood.
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Screamed Nouri shattering her magical bonds. The gray dragon lunged at Apep a ball of energy in hand. Apep disappeared from the line of fire the shot striking the floor.
"Nouri, please do not do this!" shouted Karos pleading with the berserk dragon.
"I will not yield to a murderer and a band of cowards!" screamed Nouri releasing a barrage of blast all over the room. "I will die with my love before I join behind a tyrant!"
"As you wish," echoed Apep from behind her. The blast struck the gray dragon with such speed that she did not even have time to scream. The legion of drakes surrounded her as she struggled to sit up.
"Hear my Apep," she hissed, "You will fail, you are too young to fully comprehend the power of the fey and that lack of knowledge will be your down fall. I curse upon you a fate worse than death so that from the afterlife I will be able to mock you for the rest of eternity." With a gesture from the dark dragon once again the floor became stained in dragon blood. The echoing screams silenced and blood was thick in the air with only one loose end left to tie. The young farmer looked at the still form of Klaru and then back to Nouri. He was alone now.
The human took off running down the hall with several drakes moving to intercept. Like before he generated a fire, but this time released it upon the drakes scorching their hides. He was not sure where he was going, but anywhere was better then there. The farmer ran blasting any creature that stepped in his way heading for the edge of the city only to find that there was no land, the city was in the sky.
"Humans are such annoying creatures," said Apep staring down at the farmer. The man began to form another blast, but Apep struck first shooting flames from his mouth. The farmer fell from the island his body engulfed in the magical fire.
"That should take care of him and if not the fall will," mumbled Apep to himself starting back towards the inner chambers.
The young farmer could feel his flesh burning away his entire body seeming to restructure. The eye suddenly exploded with energy replacing the fire with a blue aura. When the aura faded the farmer found his decent slowing as two wings protruding from his back caught the wind. His skin color changed, as had his entire body into a winged creature of the night. He had become a grotesque creature similar to the ones he had seen late at night in the forest. The farmer struck the ground hard dazed for several minutes. He looked at his blue-green hands and feet screaming to the moon lit sky like monster hungry for blood, hungry for vengeance.
* * * * *
Chicago Illinois, 1990
(Three weeks following the car accident)
He had nothing now. If someone had asked Jeff Degger a month ago how life had been treating him he would have happily replied life was good, but not anymore. His world had been turned upside down and then some. On top of that, the last three weeks had been nothing short of hell.
The first week had been the hardest. Jeff tried to tell as much of the truth as possible to the police, but there were certain things that made it difficult. He had described the red haired man down to the most minute detail, but doubted it would help in finding him.
The police themselves had not been helpful either. They grilled Jeff for hours about how he survived the car wreak and then why it took three days for him to return. Jeff claimed amnesia and disoriented confusion, but having the house mysteriously blow up upon his return did not help. Bomb squad and forensics covered every inch of the blast site but could find no physical evidence for the cause. That took Jeff off the suspect list, but made them all the more suspicious about him in general.
The only one who had been helpful was the mysterious man called Prometheus. Jeff was still not entirely sure who or what he was, but he had been comforting and a friend. Since Jeff had no more living relatives that he knew Prometheus had stepped in claiming to be his uncle from Ireland. Not surprising to the teen the Irishman was able to produce authentic documentation to support his claims. This solved a lot of unnerving questions for Jeff and Prometheus had been there at the teen's side for both his mother and Jill Anderson's funerals.
Jill's father had not been happy to see Jeff, blaming him for the death of his only daughter claiming that it was his voice she was trying to silence. Jeff could not retort or even respond knowing it was true he had inadvertently caused her death.
Degger closed his eyes tears threatening to flow again. Jill's death had been the one that had hurt the most. He had thought her smarter and stronger not to succumb to despair in such a way that she would take her own life. Jeff had seen her overcome ankle surgery that the doctors said she would never be able to play sports again. They had competed for everything nothing easily won to the other, especially love. He had not expected her to fall apart so easily.
Jeff's sad veneer hardened as his thoughts lingered to his mother who was a different story. A man or something that looked like a man murdered her and he was not even sure why. It happened so fast, but even when Jeff played it back slowly in his mind he could not find a purpose beyond cold-blooded murder. All he was sure of is that he wanted to pay that thing back and then some.
"So how do you feel today, Jeff?" said the stout man a small smile on his face. Prometheus was wearing his usual attire of a flannel, jeans and suspenders. He claimed to be a fey, one of the Fairy Folk, a being of magic and clothes were just something he could manifest. What ever he was he did manage to come and go like the wind.
"That's kind of a silly question. I already told you I won't start feeling better until I rip the heart out of the thing that called itself Randolf." Jeff walked to the mirror combing his golden brown hair to a fork down the middle.
After his mother's death Jeff found that he was able to disguise himself in human form thanks to the magic in the eye shaped pendant that he wore. Appearing as a human had several obvious advantages. He did not turn to stone in the day and he could walk around in public blending with the crowd. Although Degger appeared human Prometheus assured him he was not. If Jeff ever took the eye off he would revert to his gargoyle form. Such a transition could also occur if he tried using too much magic at one time while trying to maintain his disguise.
If that was not enough of a head-trip his human form did not appear totally human anymore. Jeff's ears remained pointed and his eyes were black and sensitive to light. Prometheus said they would even glow when he became frustrated as well. Still, Jeff could not be mad at the fairy. Prometheus had given the teen a place to live allowing him to get things situated in human society while teaching Jeff to better control the power of the eye. The only thing Prometheus would not do is assist in his search for his mother's killer. Jeff was sure the fey knew where Randolf was, but he was a pacifist and if nothing else the teen had to respect that.
"Off to the library again?" said Prometheus his smile fading.
"Yeah, but I'll probably stop by the police station on the way to see if they have any leads," he replied cleaning his sunglasses with his shirt.
"If they do they will not tell you."
"That's why I'm wasting my time in that records room. This guy has to have an address or a drivers license."
"Do you believe that even after what I told you," said Prometheus in that teacher tone Degger called it.
"Yeah I know he is a big bad dragon with an attitude and stuff." Prometheus smirked for a moment.
"He's a middle aged dragon who survived the war and he is not your problem, his master is." Jeff stopped shuffling at that remark; he had not mention that last part earlier.
"You mean there is more than one of them?" Sadly, Prometheus nodded.
"There are several dragons about, all over the world hidden much like Randolf. Some were refugees that did not want part in war or were survivors, others were deserters who fled before the end. They are all hiding themselves in human form, masking their energies from anyone who would try to discover their identities.
"Truth to tell my people gave up hunting them not long after our own civil war. Much like us they retained a low profile simply becoming myths." Prometheus paused letting out a long sigh. "Jeff the reason I have done all this for you is because you have a long road ahead of you and unfortunately I will not be able to help you. Soon my master will call us to return to Avalon, my home, and you will be on your own. To survive you will need to be able to do two things. Protect yourself and try to exist in human society without drawing a great deal of attention. That is what is most important. You have to try to live your life."
"Life?" Degger growled. "What life? My life is in two caskets now six feet underground. All I have is my mission, nothing else matters." Jeff quickly exited the apartment before Prometheus could retort. He wanted to believe life would push on, but it was not going to happen overnight or any time soon.
* * * * *
Jeff always felt awkward in a police station. People would often stare and whisper thinking he could not hear them, one of the double edge swords of having enhanced hearing and pointed ears. The officers themselves were also getting tired of seeing Jeff everyday asking the same questions that they did not have answers for. Sometimes the teen thought that they were intentionally giving him the run-around just to annoy him.
"Look kid, we looked up every address in the mid-west for this Fet Randolf and still came up with nothing," said the balding police officer.
"What about ID?" asked Jeff, ignoring the body language the cop was sending him. "Drivers license, birth certificate, a social, anything?" The officer shook his head.
"This guy gave you a bogus name. Not surprising if he really did introduce himself. My guess is that he's probably in Canada now and very well might have come from there."
"I guess that means you are not going to check," said Degger with a scowl. The cop rubbed his nose bridge tempted to just give the kid false information to appease him, but decided against it.
"I can send the information and that sketch we just came out with to the Canadian departments, but that doesn't mean they are going to do anything with it. I'm sorry kid, but this one got away."
"Um... excuse me, Sergeant Henderson?" The balding cop looked up at the younger officer an almost frightened look on his face.
"Yes?"
"They told me that you were working the Degger case." Henderson gestured for the officer to sit.
"You're in luck, I happen to have the victims son right here, again." Jeff caught that last add on, but decided to ignore it.
"I'm sorry, you have my condolences," said the officer looking at Jeff before turning back the sergeant.
"So what do you have for me Keith?" The younger cop placed the file he was holding in front of Henderson. The balding cop skimmed over the DMV report arching an eyebrow. "So what is this?"
"Well, on the night before the murder we were patrolling when my partner and I heard an explosion off the Green Creek bridge. The same spot Mr. Degger's car crashed." Jeff shifted slightly remembering that night all too vividly. The teen stopped moving when he noticed the balding cop was watching him carefully.
"Explosions seem to follow you around, don't they?" Jeff did not answer.
"Anyhow," said Keith, "we reported it was a natural cause, but what was not important until now was that the guy in the suspect sketch that was just released was at the site when we came out of the creek bed.
"Are you sure?" said Henderson speculatively.
"Absolutely," he replied. "I wrote down his plane numbers as he sped away figuring I would look it up later." Henderson glanced back down at the file then back up at Jeff smiling thinly.
"Maybe you shouldn't be here, this is police business." Jeff scowled hoping that his eyes were not glowing.
"You could not drag me away." Henderson could sympathize, Jeff had been hurt and he wanted vengeance, but the cop had also seen the results of people trying to take the law in their own hand in such cases. It was probably a bad idea, but he let the teenager remain.
"The long and short of it is that the car is registered to the New Dawn Corporation," said Keith pointing at the folder. "Dillon is already trying to get a hold of someone about the car, but I already dug a little on what the company is. Get this, it's a translation company, one of the largest in the world."
"Translation? Of what?" asked Henderson flipping through the files.
"Lots of things from what I can tell, software, documents, even ancient world text for museums and scientist. Companies and foundations all over the industrialized world use them. Someone named K. Redhorn owns it and from what little I could find is that he's one reclusive SOB."
"K? What he has no first name?" asked Henderson. The younger cop could only shrug.
"I looked, but he is always listed as just K." Jeff had heard enough and jumped up heading for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To get something to eat, is that a crime?" replied Jeff putting on his sunglasses and walking away.
* * * * *
Jeff sat at the outside tables of the Chili Bowl thinking silently. Did he really need to charge the building with guns blazing, or the nearest magical equivalent? It was possible that the company just had one of their cars stolen, but that was a rare possibility. More important than anything did he really want to even go through with this. Jeff was human again, subject to human laws.
Ever since his reappearance some things had shifted back to normal. Jeff had his bank accounts, his old job, and even school again, but it was all so different now. Not simply out of routine, but totally wrong. Jeff found that he was beginning to have the same problem that Jill was having that all the things of his past life did not mean much anymore. He was not sure how to interpret the unsatisfied feeling, but he did feel a longing for more. Jeff saw the world through different eyes now. When something bad would happen he wanted to jump in the middle of it to help or if someone was in danger. It was the instinct that Prometheus had told him about and it always seemed to be on no matter his form.
Jeff ate his sourdough chili bowl as he flipped through the yellow pages. Yes, something had to be done. He had to know if the company was involved, but the direct approach was not going to work, subtlety was going to be key.
"So you found him." Jeff did not even have to look up to know who it was.
"Yeah, maybe, the police think that he is tied to this translation company, but that is all they have is speculation. They will never get in with that." Prometheus sat across from Jeff folding his hands on the table.
"So what are you going to do?" Jeff took of his sunglasses sighing.
"I'm going to say hello and see what I can find out."
"Oh good plan, you might get to the end of the lobby before they have you arrested," replied Prometheus.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"You have wings lad," said Prometheus standing up, "use them. Just take heed of what you're getting into and use your head. I can talk and teach till me face turns blue, but it will be up to you and your descions that will determine your survival." Jeff nodded unsure what to say. What could he say? Prometheus had be a good friend through the entire ordeal on a level that Zack and Ryan could not understand and in a way were afraid to.
"Thanks, if nothing else, thanks Prometheus." The fey nodded a smile on his face. Jeff watched him walk down the street turning the corner knowing he had vanished again.
* * * * *
Jeff went to school on Monday like he always did, attended class, but hardly listened to what was said. Only that afternoon was on his mind. He thought silently of different ways to approach the building, but only one seemed reasonable, the front door. This was a human world so he had to try the human way first.
The teen took the bus into downtown Chicago following the directions he had scribbled on a napkin from the phone book. When Jeff arrived at the skyscraper he stared up at the building of glass and iron for a moment before taking a breath and entered the lobby. The lobby was simple gray marble with a granite pattern on the walls. There were a few cheap paintings on the walls of landscapes that were similar to ones in a fast food restaurant. Jeff hardly noticed or cared because his eyes were on the security desk that was right in front of the elevators. One of the guards stood stepping out from behind the desk approaching the teenager.
"Can we help you sir?" said the guard his arms crossed over his barrel chest. Jeff smirked lightly masking his frustration. He did not think the ground level security would be anything except cameras. If he wanted to get in now it was going to take playing the right cards.
"Yes, I'd like to talk Mr. Redhorn," said Jeff politely. The security guard just smirked.
"Don't make me call the police kid."
"Just call him," said Jeff closing his eyes to conceal their glow. "Tell him the eye wearer wants to talk to him." The guard signed, all appointments were always made prior to the client's arrival, but he decided to check just in case.
"Wait here." The guard walked over to he desk picking up the phone. Jeff waited patently as the guard's sarcastic expression dropped and became more professional, almost frightened. The guard hung up the phone clearing his throat. He walked over to the elevator inserting a key into the slot below the buttons.
"This one will take you directly to Mr. Redhorn's office, sir." Jeff nodded entering the elevator. After several seconds Jeff's anxiety rose with each floor number, now things felt too easy.
"Why do I feel like this was really stupid." The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Cautiously Jeff exited the elevator stepping into the single floor office. The tile floor was polish black and the majority of the walls were windows. Opposite of the elevator was a single black wooden desk with a high back chair that was turned away. The entire scene for some morbid reason seemed very amusing all the sudden.
"Let me guess," said Jeff with a smirk, "this is where you say, "good evening," in a Hitchcock voice right?" The chair swiveled squeaking slightly. The elder man gazed at Degger his face flat and unreadable. His skin was a dark tan; almost mud colored contrasting his age and stereotypical CEO position. His face was hard with lines creasing his skin under his eyes.
"Mr. Degger, am I right?" said the man with a smile breaking his stone expression. Redhorn stood coming around his desk to greet Jeff extending his hand. Jeff stared at it his eyes glowing momentarily.
"The only one who calls me mister is my chemistry teacher and it annoys the crap out of me."
"Very well," he replied gesturing to the chair before the desk. I understand that you wished to talk to me." Degger sat down his scowl remaining on his face. The red haired man who called himself Randolf was no where in sight so he would just have to bide his time and see what he could learn.
"Actually I wanted to talk to Fet Randolf, I have a... matter to discuss with him."
"Such as?" Jeff shifted slightly uncomfortable under the elder man's stare. The response told Jeff that at least he was in the right place, but there was something about the elder man. His gut was contorting half from anxiety the other from frustration. Jeff was at the end of his rope in the politeness category and decided to lay it out whether Redhorn knew what was going on or not.
"Three weeks ago I was involved in a car wreck and became something else, something dragon like. A few days later I was confronted by an associate of yours," Degger paused noticing the genuinely interested look on the CEO's face, apparently he knew what the teenager was talking about.
"Yes, we both felt the energy signature of the eye returning to life. I had long since stopped searching for it. There was no need to. For the longest time I could not sense any power from it until as you stated, around three weeks ago."
"So you sent that red haired guy to find me," Degger finished his expression growing cold. The teen's scowl curved into a smirk contrasting his feelings. He had to stall and milk this thing until he could find Fet, which was the reason he came. "I do not suppose he told you what he did once he found me." Redhorn arched an eyebrow.
"He reported that you were in the presence of one of the Fairy Folk and that you refused my offer to join me, have you reconsidered?" Degger's eyes burned bright white as he jumped up from his chair.
"So you're telling me that was all he said." Jeff was barely controlling his voice now. The CEO nodded not seeming bothered by Jeff's outburst.
"Well it was not," growled Jeff, "not by a long shot."
"I do not believe my servant would act beyond my orders," said Redhorn softly. Jeff's eyes continued to glow as he growled again.
"Don't give me that crap! How could you not know he killed my mother in cold blood? It has been the top story on all the news stations several times in the past weeks." Redhorn sat quietly unfazed by Degger's outburst. He had seen the news following the young man's story, but did not want to believe his loyal servant committed such a crime in view of the public without his consent.
"Are you sure it was him?" Jeff sat back down again his eyes returning to normal.
"Oh yeah, lots of red haired guys shoot magical energy blasts from their hands in the middle of the night," he replied with full sarcasm intended. Redhorn remained silent with his hands in front of his face. The elevator ping diverted Degger's attention as a red haired man in all black exited.
"You," growled Jeff. Randolf stopped and looked up realizing whom it was. "MURDERER!" Jeff tossed his chair aside charging Fet with energy orbs forming in his hands. Fet dropped to a defensive stance gathering his own energy.
"STOP!" shouted Redhorn in an echoing voice raising his hand freezing the two only a foot apart from one another. The energy Jeff had gathered dissipated and his whole body felt like it was restrained, unable to move any direction.
"There will be no bloodshed here." The CEO touched Jeff's shoulder releasing him from the spell. "I think you should go." Jeff scowled at Randolf his eyes flashing again.
"I'll be seeing you again." Fet just sneered as Degger entered the elevator. After Redhorn was sure the teenager was on his way out he released his servant encircling him. Fet felt like a piece of meat, he was in trouble for some reason or another. Respectfully the red haired man dropped to one knee bowing his head.
"Why did you destroy the boy's mother, that was unnecessary." Fet swallowed hard, he assumed that it was about that.
"Because I could not attack him with the fey present, he would have defended him," he replied with out lifting his eyes from the floor.
"You were not instructed to kill anyone that night," said Redhorn, his tone flat and cold.
"I had my reasons, my lord."
"Your reasons do not compare to my orders!" he shouted. "I thought I had matured you over the centuries, but you still seem to have a long way to go. Now you have created an enemy for life and put our current identities in jeopardy."
"He is nothing to us, not even a true dragon and easily disposed of," replied Fet just above a whisper.
"Yes, he is artificial, but he still has power and therefor potentially dangerous."
"I can easily destroy him and if I can then you most certainly can, my lord," said Fet daring to look up for a moment before returning his eyes to the floor.
"With what?" asked the CEO quizzically. "Your magic comes from the same training as mine, you cannot kill with it."
"True sire, but I can weaken him and slay him with my own claws." Redhorn narrowed his eyes as they glowed a slight magenta color. He had never seen such hatred from his servant before. It was slightly disturbing, but would have to wait. The business came first, but the issue would have to be addressed later.
"We could have persuaded him with time, but that is not possible now," continued Redhorn.
"He never would have joined us," hissed Fet, "he is just like the last one, he is too gargoyle to be one of us." Redhorn turned to his windows gazing out upon the city. Humans had denounced his kind as fiction, the same with what Degger was now. A prolonged confrontation could bring unwanted eyes to himself and his company. Degger was young and impatient, he would not care if the world knew of him, but he had survived the fallout of the Fairy War and had lived in the shadows of the world while others who had revealed themselves had perished. This Jeff Degger could be just enough of a nuisance to cause problems that would risk all that he had created. That was intolerable.
"You will attack him only if he jeopardizes our identities or our lives or this company. Do you understand me?" said Redhorn his eyes glowing again. Fet nodded.
"As you wish, my lord."
* * * * *
"How could he do that, I could not even move," said Jeff sitting at the table. Prometheus handed him a glass of water sitting across the table.
"I tried to tell you, but you would not pull your head out of your ass," said the fey with a smile. "Karos Redhorn is no ordinary dragon. He is a Heiri, one of their elite in both all classes. The Heiri indulged the most in their magic abilities making them the strongest, but others, one in particular took their magic a step further." Prometheus sighed recalling what he could from a time long ago. "Apep seized control of the dragon society pushing the war harder than before. It was he who led the final desperate attack against us and was imprisoned for the rest of his life."
"How long is that?" asked Jeff curiously.
"Apep was young when he was imprisoned so he could easily live for another seven to eight thousand years."
"Seven to eight thousand YEARS!"
"Dragons have long life spans when they are not killed first," said the fey sipping his water.
"Well Fet is not going to be around that long," said Jeff with a scowl.
"He already has lad. I told you the war was over ten thousand years ago. Besides you cannot kill him with your magic, dragon magic does not work that way. Believe it or not dragon magic comes from the core of the earth's mana, a magic of life.
"Not all dragons were evil. Ones that revealed themselves in parts of Asia and China were considered teachers and bring good fortune. Others were a menace and were treated as such."
Degger sighed looking at the clock; it would be dark in a few hours. That gave him time to think things over.
"If magic can't kill why did my mother die?" Prometheus sighed again.
"It's complicated, but the easiest way to look at it is the magic cannot kill, but using magic on something that can, will."
"The house," said Jeff closing his eyes. "The debris fatally injured her because he attacked the house." The fey nodded sadly. Jeff had a quick intellect and a good heart; he hated that such good qualities could go to waste on something as small as vengeance. The two sat in silence for several minutes lost in their own thoughts.
* * * * *
"This is so stupid," mumbled Jeff as he glided over the city back towards the New Dawn building. If he could not kill the dragons then maybe he could expose them for what they were. That damage could be just as serious as any thing he could do with his hands.
Jeff landed on the flat roof silently creeping his way towards the roof entrance. Not surprising it was locked, but not for long.
"It's probably rigged to an alarm." The young gargoyle examined the door carefully not finding a device on it or the jamb. Jeff reached for the handle when it moved and the door swung open. Instinctively Jeff jumped back crouching to a defensive stance. Fet Randolf closed the door behind him with his hands in his pockets. The teenager growled his eyes glowing brightly.
"Don't act so surprised," he said with a straight face, "security cameras are an amazing thing."
"Ah crap," mumbled Degger. There went the element of surprise. Jeff prepared to attack the red haired man when he raised his hand.
"May we talk, before you do anything rash?" he said calmly.
"I have noting to say to you!" growled the gargoyle, his tail slashing wildly.
"Maybe not, but I have things to say to you," he paused his palms now open as a sign of truce. "If I may?" The glow left Jeff's eyes, but he remained at the ready in case of a trap.
"Talk," growled Jeff. He was not sure why, probably morbid curiosity, but he was interested in what the dragon had to say. Randolf nodded leaning against the roof entrance wall. He seemed calm, almost sad, but Jeff did not take it as a sign to drop his guard.
"You will probably not believe me, but I did not mean to kill you mother. I was blinded by rage."
"You're right, I don't," said Degger scowling at the dragon. I saw the look in your eyes, you wanted blood."
"I do not hate you Jeff, I hate what you are, what that thing has made you. I knew I could not kill you with the fey present so in frustrated rage I decided to hurt you instead." Fet caught Jeff's confused glance under a furrowed brow. "Why you ask? Because of that thing and what it has cost me.
"Ever since the first time I laid my eyes upon it I have seen nothing but death and pain for those I cared for. The eye took away what little freedom I had. I was forced to take sides in a civil war costing the lives of thousands of dragons some that were our highest and most respected leaders. It cost me the life of my only friend and forced me to stand aside and watch as they plunged spears into his body his blood spilling on the floor of our sacred city and across my face. His blood is still on my hands."
"You're trying to kill you past so kill mine," growled Degger. "If your life sucks so much and you want to see death why don't you do me a favor and step out in front of a bus. I will even bring a camcorder and a bag of pretzels."
"You are too young, you could not possibly understand," said Fet closing his eyes.
"Now you sound like my English teacher." Fet scowled at Degger his eyes glowing yellow.
"How old are you?"
"What does it matter?"
"How old," he repeated. Degger narrowed his eyes.
"I'm eighteen."
"You are a child, you have many years ahead of you. I am over fifteen thousand years old. I was hatched into this world a lesser, a commoner, never meant to be more than a peasant or cannon fodder. I was taught next to nothing and told to fight and die on a battlefield expecting nothing else from life.
"Klaru was like me, but he did not accept being a lesser, he hated it and would go to any length to change that. He wanted more than what he was supposed to have and for a brief few months he had it, then they killed him.
"Over the centuries I have seen countless death, but none were more horrifying than that one, the one I was never meant to see. I should have died on the field a long time ago and every time I see that cursed eye I am reminded of that time, that mistake and I want to see it destroyed. If you give it to me now I will rid us both of it and I swear you will never see me again." Degger never even considered it. The eye was the only thing that kept him human even if it was only a disguise. If its very existence bothered Fet then all the more reason to never get rid of it.
"You know what," said Degger tensing his muscles for attack, "if you want this thing then you are going to have to kill me to get it." Degger created a small blue fireball in his hand hurling it at the dragon. Fet rolled away from the wall shedding his trench coat.
"So be it!" Jeff jumped back avoiding Fet's blast that struck where he was standing.
"If my magic can't kill you, then yours can't kill me," said Jeff loosing several more shots.
"You would be surprised what you can live through," snarled the dragon his voice dropping, becoming more feral. The man's skin reddened beyond a human tone as scaled began to appear replacing the human facade. His brow grew tiny horns as his eyes widened becoming yellow and more serpent like. Oversized feet burst free from his shoes and two wings ripped through his shirt. The transformation stopped as he grew another foot in height.
"A half morph will be sufficient enough for you," snarled Fet his teeth now longer and jagged. Degger smirked. This is what he originally intended, now he just had to draw the dragon into the open public.
"Bring it on." Fet charged with his claws and teeth bared. Degger charged as well, but instead of meeting force with force he dropped into a foot first slide slipping between Fet's legs. With an energy blast in hand Jeff jumped to his feet blasting the dragon in his defenseless backside. The red dragon screamed in pain as he flew across the building landing near the edge. Fet staggered to his feet, his knees shaky and back smoking with burns and blisters.
"You dare make a fool of me! I'll kill you and feed your remains to pigeons!"
"You talk too much," growled Degger. Jeff charged screaming a war cry as another blast formed in his hand. Fet, still dazed from the last attack barely had enough time to set up a barrier that absorbed some of the blast. The dragon was propelled from the building falling for several stories crashing hard on a neighboring rooftop. Jeff glided down landing softly next to the dragon whose body was indented in the concrete. Fet was still alive, but barely breathing and badly injured. The young gargoyle stared at the slightly twitching dragon not sure what to do next. An eerie chill crept up Jeff's spine and he turned to see K. Redhorn standing several feet away with his hand behind his back. Redhorn glanced at Fet then back at Degger.
"I assumed it would come to this, despite all my efforts," he said casually. "Fet underestimated his opponent, be sure you do not make the same mistake." He was stronger, Jeff's gut feeling was telling him that. If he was smart he would leave and continue some other time. Jeff smirked; maybe he could talk his way out.
"Hey, I never wanted you to begin with, just your buddy over here."
"Unfortunately I cannot allow that. It takes a long time to train a proper servant and Fet has been loyal for thousands of years. As long as I live I still require him," said Redhorn remaining still. Jeff growled dropping into a defensive stance, his options had been exhausted.
"Then I guess I will just have to take you both out." Redhorn arched an eyebrow slightly amused by the threat.
"You can try." With that Jeff charged without even thinking and like earlier that day became frozen in place.
"Oh shit."
"Indeed." With the wave of his hand Jeff flew backwards crashing into an air conditioning unit. Jeff rolled off the wreck staggering to his feet.
"Hey, not fair, can't use the air as a weapon." It sounded ridiculous, but it was all he could come up with.
"It is not the air," said Redhorn, his eyes glowing a bright magenta. "Magical energy exist in everything, every inch of the earth has magic touching it, some more than others, but that also counts in the open air and sky. Your fairy guardian has not taught you much." A blast of energy left the CEO's hand as Jeff raised his forearms in front of his face. The magic struck the invisible barrier defusing the attack. The elder dragon's eyes widened startled that his attack had failed. Degger growled releasing his own massive surge energy in retaliation. The magic struck Redhorn's ward diffusing somewhat, but still penetrating striking the dragon hurling him through the mid-level windows of his own building.
Jeff felt terribly light headed his knees slightly buckling. He could just barely make out the sound of an approaching helicopter that signaled it was time for a tactical retreat. He snarled at Fet who was regaining consciousness. "Another time." Shaking his head Jeff jumped from the roof gliding into the night.
* * * * *
"So you fled?" said Prometheus handing Jeff another ice pack to go with the other three.
"Yeah, I heard a helicopter coming. I wanted to expose them, but if possible not me. It was best to run while I still had my bearings."
"That's all right, you're in better standing this way. With both Fet and Karos hurt they will assume you had the power to continue the fight, but decided not to for your own reason not because you had exhausted yourself."
"Yeah I certainly did do that," said Jeff moving one of the ice packs to the bruise on his beak. "I almost could not glide straight."
"Stone sleep will heal you. I'll inform the school tomorrow that you're sick."
"Alright, no chemistry for me." Prometheus smiled at the weak cheer.
"You dealt them a major blow. They will be more reluctant to cross you again and more prepared when they do. What you must do is learn from the experience to not make the same mistakes twice."
"Well hopefully the next time is not anytime soon, for both our sakes," said Jeff placing a fifth ice pack on the back of his neck. Prometheus just nodded silently.
* * * * *
"I should have killed him when I had the chance," said Fet bandaging his burns. He had been weakened so badly that even a healing spell could not fully recover his sustained damage.
"Do you not see the point, you never had a chance." Fet turned to his master who was also still slightly bruised. "I underestimated Nouri's craftsmanship. The eye is more powerful than I could have possible imagined. If this Jeff Degger ever learned how to harness its full potential and maintain it he could kill us both."
"Kill?" echoed Fet, his voice quavering slightly.
"Yes, I felt the fey touch when it broke my ward. It has just enough fairy magic to make it lethal to us," said the CEO turning to watch the sun creep over the horizon.
"What do you want me to do?" Karos Redhorn sighed. He still did not understand and that was going to be his downfall.
"Nothing."
"Master?"
"We are on the defense now. He will come to us again, and again. The longer we can stay alive the more time we can learn about him and his weaknesses." The old dragon sighed slightly tired and frustrated. "I have not lived this long to be destroyed by some child. We will wait, no matter how long it takes, we will wait and when the weakness is exposed and he has made the fatal error we will move and destroy him and the Dragon Eye, forever."
The End
William "Revel" Anson: Samrx5@cs.com
Disclaimer: The Gargoyles Universe is the property of Disney and Buena Vista it is used without their knowledge. The Dragon/Fey War and several other themes are the property of TGS. All original characters in the Dragon Eye Universe are the property of William "Revel" Anson
Dragon Eye
And so it Began-Part III
Eleven Thousand Years Ago
"What did he say, does he know?" Klaru whispered in case someone was listening. Nouri smiled touching a claw to his lips.
"He tried to make me faultier, but received no clues from me. I have had to deal with Karos for some time, I am not afraid of him," replied Nouri returning to her work.
"Why is so pressed to persecute you?" The gray dragon sighed, setting down her tools again. She had not told her new love everything about her past, but now it appeared inevitable.
"He is pressed to expose me as corrupt any way he can because he desires revenge," said Nouri with a pained look in her beautiful eyes. Klaru waited patently for her to continue. "Several decades ago Karos proposed his courtship to me," Nouri paused to see the horrified look upon Klaru's face. "I refused him as a life partner and he has been looking for a way to return the insult I gave him. That is why I must be careful."
"Why did you refuse him?" Klaru was not sure why he asked, but there was a sensation in his heart that demanded that he know the answer. Nouri sighed again smiling weakly at the black dragon.
"Because I did not love him," she replied softly before turning back to the task at hand. "Now," she began, her voice restored to its usual tenor, "this is going to be the tricky part and I will need your help. I will cast a spell to nullify the fairy magic long enough for you to place the new eye within the casing. I will need total concentration for this task so please, if you value our lives and future do not disturb me." Klaru nodded his anxiety already beginning to rise.
"Will that purge the fey magic from the casing?"
"I do not believe so," she replied, "but it may at least keep from causing an energy backlash destroying the entire city. If I had more time I would have created an entirely new case, but the rest of the Heiri want results now no matter the cost." Nouri relaxed her body and mind chanting lightly as a light blue aura formed around her entire body from nose to tail. Most common dragon spells required no incantation to perform; they were simply a power of a concentrated thought. Klaru had rarely seen an incantation spell enacted because it took such concentration, the kind that was rarely offered on a battlefield.
Nouri's green eyes flashed blue for a moment as both the enchanted gem and eye case beamed with an unnatural array of colors. Klaru placed the gem within the case and the gold rim enveloped it like a protecting mother. Nouri stopped chanting and the eye took on a subtle glow of it's own. The gray dragon took several deep breaths recovering from the spell, but so far nothing had happened, good or bad.
"That's strange," she mumbled, carefully picking up the eye, "it has no signature, like there is no magic at all." Klaru sniffed a few times trying to detect the fairy magic that had been present only moments before.
"Is it possible that they destroyed each other?" he pondered aloud. Nouri inspected the jewel with her mind trying to detect any kind of power. It felt as if it had none but the blue gem itself was glowing with power that could only be magic.
"This is most strange," she said. "I have never heard of the two powers ever being able to nullify one another. They usually end in violent explosions or at best repel one another. Such a marriage as this has never been accomplished."
"But what does it matter if it is useless?" Nouri scowled for a moment at the black dragon before flashing a smile.
"All thing serve a purpose, my love. We need to run some test and quickly. It will be night fall in a few hours and Apep will be awake." Klaru gulped hard. He had not come face to face with Lord Apep yet and from what he had been told it was a good thing. Apep had indulged in magic far beyond what any other dragon had ever done. The magic was now apart of his body most of which was a dark magic. He was now not even able to see the sun anymore because of the damage it causes his body. Nouri, although she would never admit it to the other Heiri, believed that it also warped his mind beyond recovery. She feared Apep and his power, but worse, she feared how it would affect his young daughter who would see him as a role model. Nouri shook her head focusing on the matte at hand. "Come, quickly," ordered Nouri leading the way outside.
The two dragons dove to the earth in the direction of a land that was an ally to the dragon war campaign. The humans had spread themselves out over the continent, but only a few had concentrated themselves in cities. There were several good candidates to choose from that volunteered, but which was the best one? A human mage would mix a third magic, which could be potentially dangerous. A warrior may not understand the magic and just not use it. Someone was needed who was young and strong, but also open minded so they could be taught. The gray dragon's eyes stopped on a young man who tried to stand erect, but his knees shook slightly. He was tall and trim, tanned from hours of work in the sun on crops or irrigation.
"What is it that you do human?" asked the gray dragon softly so as not to scare him more. His eyes turned up to the large serpent like creature, his voice temporarily lost. She waited patently with a simple grin that made him feel like the wrong answer meant death.
"I am but a simple farmer," he replied finally gulping a lump in his throat. Nouri could not refrain from smiling. Part of her felt bad that the human before, like all of them were afraid of her kind given their size difference. On the other hand, having someone fear her did make her swell slightly with pride. She was a dragon of the highest order; she should be feared and respected.
"You have never touched magic or fought in a war?" asked the dragon quizzically. The young nodded, "I cannot even read."
"Good," she replied gently pulling him forward with her claw, "then you are pure and we can teach you from the beginning. Come, we have little time." The two dragons left the village trotting out towards the fields of grass and trees to test their theories. If something went wrong at least there was a good chance the village would survive.
"So what are we trying to prove," said Klaru sitting upright.
"We know that the original eye was create for a winged who most likely had no knowledge of magic," she said once again trying to harness power from the trinket with her mind but was unable to even register its existence.
"So?"
"So maybe the problem is not that the eye is broke it is that the fey magic is preventing a dragon from using it," she replied putting the final touches on a chain from which to hang from. Nouri sighed turning her eyes now to the scared human who listened to the exchange with confusion.
"Now comes your part," she said softly. "Are you sure you are willing to accept this responsibility. If this works it may be a long time before you see your home again. Do you understand?"
"I do. I will serve my lords," he replied trying to look brave. Nouri placed the eye around his neck and waited, nothing happened.
"Can you feel anything?" she asked softly.
"What am I suppose to feel?" Klaru sighed; this human was a fool.
"Listen," said the black dragon growling slightly, "do not try to feel with your body, reach out with your mind. Concentrate on the energy that is around you, ours especially." The farmer closed his eyes trying to sense the world around him. He could feel nothing until Klaru growled streams of smoke rising from his nostrils.
"There!" screamed the man his eye flying open. "I feel a strange sensation in my body when you did something." The gray dragon grinned happily.
"He has our senses, the sensation of the mind. It is underdeveloped, but that can change. He was able to detect your shifting signature."
"Perhaps," said Klaru skeptically, "Or perhaps he heard me."
"A test then?" Klaru nodded glancing for a moment at the sun, only an hour or so before sunset.
"I want you to do something," said Nouri addressing the young farmer. "Close your eyes and point to the direction that you feel the sensation when it comes to you. My assistant will observe your accuracy." Klaru caught the last line and sneered, a smile wrapping his beak face. They were taking a great risk leaving Skema under these conditions. They had no doubt that they were being watched and that someone had reported their leave. They needed results or needed to prepare their deathbeds.
Nouri trotted several yards away hoping that it was far enough that the human could not hear. If he was lying they would soon see.
Nouri conjured a small flame in her hand waving it back and forth. The young farmer raised his hand but could feel nothing.
"Use your mind not your body," repeated Klaru. "Juts point when you know where she is." The human concentrated suddenly detecting the energy pointing directly at her. Nouri smirked, now for the real test. The gray dragon held her hands before her creating a second fireball sending them out slowly in opposite directions. The man turned back and forth confused, there was now more than one and they were moving.
"There are two of them." The farmer gasped opening his eyes, "Now there are many more." Klaru frowned as energy suddenly touched his senses as well. The black dragon looked up as several drakes and royal guards landed surrounding the three in a semi-circle.
"Cease this at once!" shouted Karos landing before Nouri. The forest green dragon growled stared down upon the Nouri, but she did not waver.
"Are you mad? If we could sense your magic that far away surely the fairies could as well," shouted Karos his eyes burning bright magenta.
"The risk was necessary for the test you have just interrupted," she replied her own eyes glowing green.
"You risk the lives of the humans here by playing foolish games."
"Since when do you care what happens to the humans, Karos?" she replied her voice far darker that its usually tone.
"My concerns are for the progression of our race against all our enemies, the fey and," he paused to glance at Klaru who had not moved, "others." Nouri caught that undertone and growled slightly.
"You and your, assistant," he said practically spitting the word, "will return with me to Skema by order of Lord Apep."
"I do not answer solely to Apep, only to the Heiri as a whole," she replied with a scowl. Karos smiled his eyes level with the gray dragon's, "You do now." Karos raised his hand and the drakes and royal guards presented their pikes in attack position. Klaru and Nouri exchanged glances and silently confirmed to one another there was no escape. Klaru scooped the human farmer into his arms following the others back towards the city in the sky.
* * * * *
"Hello father," said a hollow voice that echoed all around the elder dragon. The night had not yet fallen, restricting Apep to his chamber of near total darkness, lit only by magic flames.
"You know why I have come, I can tell just by your voice. You never could hide anything from me," said the elder controlling his anxiety. His son's power was far greater than he had ever dreamed. It seemed to vibrate all around him as if Apep himself were apart of the hanging fog.
"I know you only come to my chambers to discuss family matters," replied the voice. Two electric blue eyes appeared in the darkness facing the elder dragon.
"True," he replied, "I come to discuss your welfare and that of my granddaughter. She is still very young and I do not want you to make a poor impression upon her." Apep chuckled lightly his form appearing as an electric blue silhouette.
"How could you think such a thing, I would never harm my own blood," he said with a disturbing joy in his voice. Something was not right, thought the elder. Apep rarely laughed and certainly not when discussing family matters.
"It is not physical harm I am afraid of," he replied his voice slightly raspy, "It is her mind. Your lust for blood and power are not admirable qualities and I do not wish to see her possessed by them like they have possessed you. You are not the child that I once knew."
"Of course I'm not, I am beyond such trivial matters as existence. I now know why the fey are so happy all the time. It is magic, they are made of it, their very existence depends on it and it is a wonderfully intoxicating power. It is all around me now, it exist within me."
"But it is dark magic," argued the elder, "the darkest kind, a magic of evil. It has consumed you, destroying your mind and your body. I do not wish the same thing to happen to Isfet." Apep once again chuckled darkly.
"She is my daughter and will travel the path that she desires. She is a Heiri and if Isfet wishes to learn the magic I have learned then it will be done. My child will know no limits in this world." Apep's father shook his head growling slightly. He was gone now, Apep was no longer his son, he was a power hungry monster that must be stopped. Sadly the elder began to chant a spell while Apep's eyes shifted with curiosity.
"You would destroy your own son?" Said the electric blue dragon, but his father continued to chant. With a single word the elder was thrown back, his concentration broken. "Very well, you leave me no choice, I did not desire this. Good bye father." Apep's eyes burned bright blue as the dragon spoke his own incantation.
"No," whispered the elder as he recognized the spell, "listen to me son, you cannot defeat the fey, they have a new weapon at their disposal, one of blood. The mix of fairy and human blood can kill you, you need me to help you, to guide you." Apep did not respond as a void opened beneath the elder swallowing him.
"You cannot win!" screamed the elder before the void closed sealing his father in another dimension. The black room was quiet for several minutes as the dragon reflected upon his father's last words. Were they words of desperation or truth? It did not matter now, he was gone and the first step had been taken. There was now turning back now that the plan was in motion.
* * * * *
Darkness had fallen over the city in the sky when Nouri, Klaru, and the others returned. Magical flames lined the walls and cavernous halls as the two dragons and their human companion were marched towards the great hall. Klaru gasped upon entering the spacious room his eyes falling upon the midnight blue dragon cradling a baby dragon in his arms.
"Apep," whispered Nouri to the black dragon. For the past four months Klaru had been able to avoid being in the presence of Lord Apep. It had not been difficult to do since Apep had no desire to see the lesser, until now.
The dark dragon tickled and cooed his infant daughter paying little attention to the gathering that was now in his presence. He spared a moment to smile at the crowd before returning to his daughter.
"My lord," said Karos as respectfully as possible. Apep raised his head again this time without a smile.
"I receive such little time to spend with my child what is so important that it must be discussed now?" said the Apep his voice hollow, seeming to echo all around the room. Karos nodded respectfully gesturing towards Nouri and Klaru. It was then that the dark dragon noticed the two prisoners and smiled like a predator does to a cornered prey.
"Ah yes, the master-of-the-smith and her lover," said Apep handing young Isfet to one of his aids. "Return Isfet to her mother," he instructed to the aid that did so without question. Apep turned back towards the crowd his body seeming to pulsate with energy. "So, where do we begin?"
"If I may sire?" said Karos bowing his head. Apep gestured for him to continue. "I had a list of charges and crimes that this lesser and our own Heiri have committed that is longer than my tail. These two have consciously engaged in sexual relations and have wasted valuable time and materials on the construction of a weapon that was tainted with fairy magic from the moment it enter our sacred city. If that were not enough they, as you can see planned to give this weapon to a simple human."
"These are serious crimes against the society. Do you have anything to say?" Klaru scowled at Fet who was behind Karos with his head bent in obedience or shame, he could not quite tell the difference. He knew that the red dragon had something to do with this whether by eavesdropping or confessing the conversation the two had shared before even arriving in the city.
"We have committed no crime," argued Nouri, "The personal indulgences of a Heiri are not a crime nor are they to be question in public in such a disrespectful manner. Such an insult and false accusation could call for execution."
"No crime?" replied Karos pointing to the human. "Then what do you call that." Nouri scowled at Karos her eyes glowing slightly.
"The magic within the eye was designed to be used by a lesser mortal, otherwise it would be futile to use our magic being that it has no effect on the fey themselves. I successfully merged our two powers and this is the result, the Dragon Eye." Apep eyed the human carefully sniffing the air lightly a disapproving look on his face.
"I sense no power from the eye," said Apep.
"As I had stated my lord, they failed to complete the project and tried to flee the fate that awaits them," said Karos with the hint of a smile.
"We were testing it and it does work," said Klaru before being struck in the muzzle by a drake with a spear.
"I did not address you, lesser," said Apep nodding to the drake. "Where is the eye's energy if we sense none, master?" Nouri nodded respectfully to Apep. Something was rotten about this entire interrogation. Where were the other Heiri, where was the elder and why was Karos treating Apep as if he were a king? All Heiri were of equal stature in the eyes of the society.
"The energy is present, but it is masked by the two powers within the metals. We will demonstrate this." Nouri turned her attention to the petrified farmer who had remained silent during the entire exchange. The gray dragon smiled to him edging him forward of the crowd.
"Think of a fire and it will appear, but you must concentrate," whispered Nouri to the human. Swallowing hard the young farmer closed his eyes thinking of a fire like he had been told. He thought of the flickering light it gave, it's warmth, and power of destruction, all the things he had come to associate with fire.
Before they could even see it they felt it spark to life, a power like no other that any of them had ever felt before. The farmer raised his hand a blue flame burning in his palm. Ever dragon present except for Nouri and Klaru all took a step back, some from fear, others in defense.
"This power is unnatural!" shouted Karos a slight tremor in his voice. "No dragon can cloak itself in such a way. It is tainted and must be disposed of at once, the proximity danger is too great."
"There is no danger the magic is stable," said Nouri.
"But what of the user," said Apep suspiciously, "is that not where the real danger lies. The only threat I see here are all those who should not be here. Tell me Nouri, were you aware that the eye was brought to you by a mere lesser who broke the laws of procedure?" Nouri did not reply as a feeling of dread washed over the gray dragon.
"I will interpret that as a yes," said Apep, "then the eye is illegal and must be disposed of immediately."
"You do not have the sole authority to make such a decision, where is your father? Where are the other Heiri?" demanded Nouri. Apep smiled sin, his eye burning bright blue, "My father is no longer apart of this world along with Greglur and Yacosta. All the others have fallen in line like Karos, behind my authority."
"This is treason!" shouted Nouri, her eyes burning bright green. Apep approached the gray dragon taking a spear from one of the drakes.
"No master, this is revolution. I am taking the war to the fey and you can either join us or join the others in imprisonment," Apep turned his eyes towards Klaru. "The lessers will not have such an option."
"NO!" shouted Nouri. Karos moved behind her casting a restraint spell. Apep turned to Fet his eyes burning brightly now. The red dragon was shaking with fear as the dark blue dragon stood above him.
"Do you have anything to add to this issue?"
"I, I am l-loyal to my Lord Karos, Lord Apep," stuttered Fet. Apep turned an eye to Klaru for a moment then back to Fet.
"So you have no allegiances to this dragon, even if he is to die?" asked Apep raising a brow ridge. Fet swallowed hard glancing momentarily at Klaru's face.
"Your will is law, I have no allegiance to him." Fet caught Klaru's look of betrayal before bowing his head submissively. Nouri watched with horror as Apep backed away gesturing to the drakes to attack. Klaru stared into Nouri's as several spears were thrust in and out of his body the black dragon's bloody screams echoing off the walls for several seconds before he fell in a pool of his own blood.
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Screamed Nouri shattering her magical bonds. The gray dragon lunged at Apep a ball of energy in hand. Apep disappeared from the line of fire the shot striking the floor.
"Nouri, please do not do this!" shouted Karos pleading with the berserk dragon.
"I will not yield to a murderer and a band of cowards!" screamed Nouri releasing a barrage of blast all over the room. "I will die with my love before I join behind a tyrant!"
"As you wish," echoed Apep from behind her. The blast struck the gray dragon with such speed that she did not even have time to scream. The legion of drakes surrounded her as she struggled to sit up.
"Hear my Apep," she hissed, "You will fail, you are too young to fully comprehend the power of the fey and that lack of knowledge will be your down fall. I curse upon you a fate worse than death so that from the afterlife I will be able to mock you for the rest of eternity." With a gesture from the dark dragon once again the floor became stained in dragon blood. The echoing screams silenced and blood was thick in the air with only one loose end left to tie. The young farmer looked at the still form of Klaru and then back to Nouri. He was alone now.
The human took off running down the hall with several drakes moving to intercept. Like before he generated a fire, but this time released it upon the drakes scorching their hides. He was not sure where he was going, but anywhere was better then there. The farmer ran blasting any creature that stepped in his way heading for the edge of the city only to find that there was no land, the city was in the sky.
"Humans are such annoying creatures," said Apep staring down at the farmer. The man began to form another blast, but Apep struck first shooting flames from his mouth. The farmer fell from the island his body engulfed in the magical fire.
"That should take care of him and if not the fall will," mumbled Apep to himself starting back towards the inner chambers.
The young farmer could feel his flesh burning away his entire body seeming to restructure. The eye suddenly exploded with energy replacing the fire with a blue aura. When the aura faded the farmer found his decent slowing as two wings protruding from his back caught the wind. His skin color changed, as had his entire body into a winged creature of the night. He had become a grotesque creature similar to the ones he had seen late at night in the forest. The farmer struck the ground hard dazed for several minutes. He looked at his blue-green hands and feet screaming to the moon lit sky like monster hungry for blood, hungry for vengeance.
* * * * *
Chicago Illinois, 1990
(Three weeks following the car accident)
He had nothing now. If someone had asked Jeff Degger a month ago how life had been treating him he would have happily replied life was good, but not anymore. His world had been turned upside down and then some. On top of that, the last three weeks had been nothing short of hell.
The first week had been the hardest. Jeff tried to tell as much of the truth as possible to the police, but there were certain things that made it difficult. He had described the red haired man down to the most minute detail, but doubted it would help in finding him.
The police themselves had not been helpful either. They grilled Jeff for hours about how he survived the car wreak and then why it took three days for him to return. Jeff claimed amnesia and disoriented confusion, but having the house mysteriously blow up upon his return did not help. Bomb squad and forensics covered every inch of the blast site but could find no physical evidence for the cause. That took Jeff off the suspect list, but made them all the more suspicious about him in general.
The only one who had been helpful was the mysterious man called Prometheus. Jeff was still not entirely sure who or what he was, but he had been comforting and a friend. Since Jeff had no more living relatives that he knew Prometheus had stepped in claiming to be his uncle from Ireland. Not surprising to the teen the Irishman was able to produce authentic documentation to support his claims. This solved a lot of unnerving questions for Jeff and Prometheus had been there at the teen's side for both his mother and Jill Anderson's funerals.
Jill's father had not been happy to see Jeff, blaming him for the death of his only daughter claiming that it was his voice she was trying to silence. Jeff could not retort or even respond knowing it was true he had inadvertently caused her death.
Degger closed his eyes tears threatening to flow again. Jill's death had been the one that had hurt the most. He had thought her smarter and stronger not to succumb to despair in such a way that she would take her own life. Jeff had seen her overcome ankle surgery that the doctors said she would never be able to play sports again. They had competed for everything nothing easily won to the other, especially love. He had not expected her to fall apart so easily.
Jeff's sad veneer hardened as his thoughts lingered to his mother who was a different story. A man or something that looked like a man murdered her and he was not even sure why. It happened so fast, but even when Jeff played it back slowly in his mind he could not find a purpose beyond cold-blooded murder. All he was sure of is that he wanted to pay that thing back and then some.
"So how do you feel today, Jeff?" said the stout man a small smile on his face. Prometheus was wearing his usual attire of a flannel, jeans and suspenders. He claimed to be a fey, one of the Fairy Folk, a being of magic and clothes were just something he could manifest. What ever he was he did manage to come and go like the wind.
"That's kind of a silly question. I already told you I won't start feeling better until I rip the heart out of the thing that called itself Randolf." Jeff walked to the mirror combing his golden brown hair to a fork down the middle.
After his mother's death Jeff found that he was able to disguise himself in human form thanks to the magic in the eye shaped pendant that he wore. Appearing as a human had several obvious advantages. He did not turn to stone in the day and he could walk around in public blending with the crowd. Although Degger appeared human Prometheus assured him he was not. If Jeff ever took the eye off he would revert to his gargoyle form. Such a transition could also occur if he tried using too much magic at one time while trying to maintain his disguise.
If that was not enough of a head-trip his human form did not appear totally human anymore. Jeff's ears remained pointed and his eyes were black and sensitive to light. Prometheus said they would even glow when he became frustrated as well. Still, Jeff could not be mad at the fairy. Prometheus had given the teen a place to live allowing him to get things situated in human society while teaching Jeff to better control the power of the eye. The only thing Prometheus would not do is assist in his search for his mother's killer. Jeff was sure the fey knew where Randolf was, but he was a pacifist and if nothing else the teen had to respect that.
"Off to the library again?" said Prometheus his smile fading.
"Yeah, but I'll probably stop by the police station on the way to see if they have any leads," he replied cleaning his sunglasses with his shirt.
"If they do they will not tell you."
"That's why I'm wasting my time in that records room. This guy has to have an address or a drivers license."
"Do you believe that even after what I told you," said Prometheus in that teacher tone Degger called it.
"Yeah I know he is a big bad dragon with an attitude and stuff." Prometheus smirked for a moment.
"He's a middle aged dragon who survived the war and he is not your problem, his master is." Jeff stopped shuffling at that remark; he had not mention that last part earlier.
"You mean there is more than one of them?" Sadly, Prometheus nodded.
"There are several dragons about, all over the world hidden much like Randolf. Some were refugees that did not want part in war or were survivors, others were deserters who fled before the end. They are all hiding themselves in human form, masking their energies from anyone who would try to discover their identities.
"Truth to tell my people gave up hunting them not long after our own civil war. Much like us they retained a low profile simply becoming myths." Prometheus paused letting out a long sigh. "Jeff the reason I have done all this for you is because you have a long road ahead of you and unfortunately I will not be able to help you. Soon my master will call us to return to Avalon, my home, and you will be on your own. To survive you will need to be able to do two things. Protect yourself and try to exist in human society without drawing a great deal of attention. That is what is most important. You have to try to live your life."
"Life?" Degger growled. "What life? My life is in two caskets now six feet underground. All I have is my mission, nothing else matters." Jeff quickly exited the apartment before Prometheus could retort. He wanted to believe life would push on, but it was not going to happen overnight or any time soon.
* * * * *
Jeff always felt awkward in a police station. People would often stare and whisper thinking he could not hear them, one of the double edge swords of having enhanced hearing and pointed ears. The officers themselves were also getting tired of seeing Jeff everyday asking the same questions that they did not have answers for. Sometimes the teen thought that they were intentionally giving him the run-around just to annoy him.
"Look kid, we looked up every address in the mid-west for this Fet Randolf and still came up with nothing," said the balding police officer.
"What about ID?" asked Jeff, ignoring the body language the cop was sending him. "Drivers license, birth certificate, a social, anything?" The officer shook his head.
"This guy gave you a bogus name. Not surprising if he really did introduce himself. My guess is that he's probably in Canada now and very well might have come from there."
"I guess that means you are not going to check," said Degger with a scowl. The cop rubbed his nose bridge tempted to just give the kid false information to appease him, but decided against it.
"I can send the information and that sketch we just came out with to the Canadian departments, but that doesn't mean they are going to do anything with it. I'm sorry kid, but this one got away."
"Um... excuse me, Sergeant Henderson?" The balding cop looked up at the younger officer an almost frightened look on his face.
"Yes?"
"They told me that you were working the Degger case." Henderson gestured for the officer to sit.
"You're in luck, I happen to have the victims son right here, again." Jeff caught that last add on, but decided to ignore it.
"I'm sorry, you have my condolences," said the officer looking at Jeff before turning back the sergeant.
"So what do you have for me Keith?" The younger cop placed the file he was holding in front of Henderson. The balding cop skimmed over the DMV report arching an eyebrow. "So what is this?"
"Well, on the night before the murder we were patrolling when my partner and I heard an explosion off the Green Creek bridge. The same spot Mr. Degger's car crashed." Jeff shifted slightly remembering that night all too vividly. The teen stopped moving when he noticed the balding cop was watching him carefully.
"Explosions seem to follow you around, don't they?" Jeff did not answer.
"Anyhow," said Keith, "we reported it was a natural cause, but what was not important until now was that the guy in the suspect sketch that was just released was at the site when we came out of the creek bed.
"Are you sure?" said Henderson speculatively.
"Absolutely," he replied. "I wrote down his plane numbers as he sped away figuring I would look it up later." Henderson glanced back down at the file then back up at Jeff smiling thinly.
"Maybe you shouldn't be here, this is police business." Jeff scowled hoping that his eyes were not glowing.
"You could not drag me away." Henderson could sympathize, Jeff had been hurt and he wanted vengeance, but the cop had also seen the results of people trying to take the law in their own hand in such cases. It was probably a bad idea, but he let the teenager remain.
"The long and short of it is that the car is registered to the New Dawn Corporation," said Keith pointing at the folder. "Dillon is already trying to get a hold of someone about the car, but I already dug a little on what the company is. Get this, it's a translation company, one of the largest in the world."
"Translation? Of what?" asked Henderson flipping through the files.
"Lots of things from what I can tell, software, documents, even ancient world text for museums and scientist. Companies and foundations all over the industrialized world use them. Someone named K. Redhorn owns it and from what little I could find is that he's one reclusive SOB."
"K? What he has no first name?" asked Henderson. The younger cop could only shrug.
"I looked, but he is always listed as just K." Jeff had heard enough and jumped up heading for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To get something to eat, is that a crime?" replied Jeff putting on his sunglasses and walking away.
* * * * *
Jeff sat at the outside tables of the Chili Bowl thinking silently. Did he really need to charge the building with guns blazing, or the nearest magical equivalent? It was possible that the company just had one of their cars stolen, but that was a rare possibility. More important than anything did he really want to even go through with this. Jeff was human again, subject to human laws.
Ever since his reappearance some things had shifted back to normal. Jeff had his bank accounts, his old job, and even school again, but it was all so different now. Not simply out of routine, but totally wrong. Jeff found that he was beginning to have the same problem that Jill was having that all the things of his past life did not mean much anymore. He was not sure how to interpret the unsatisfied feeling, but he did feel a longing for more. Jeff saw the world through different eyes now. When something bad would happen he wanted to jump in the middle of it to help or if someone was in danger. It was the instinct that Prometheus had told him about and it always seemed to be on no matter his form.
Jeff ate his sourdough chili bowl as he flipped through the yellow pages. Yes, something had to be done. He had to know if the company was involved, but the direct approach was not going to work, subtlety was going to be key.
"So you found him." Jeff did not even have to look up to know who it was.
"Yeah, maybe, the police think that he is tied to this translation company, but that is all they have is speculation. They will never get in with that." Prometheus sat across from Jeff folding his hands on the table.
"So what are you going to do?" Jeff took of his sunglasses sighing.
"I'm going to say hello and see what I can find out."
"Oh good plan, you might get to the end of the lobby before they have you arrested," replied Prometheus.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"You have wings lad," said Prometheus standing up, "use them. Just take heed of what you're getting into and use your head. I can talk and teach till me face turns blue, but it will be up to you and your descions that will determine your survival." Jeff nodded unsure what to say. What could he say? Prometheus had be a good friend through the entire ordeal on a level that Zack and Ryan could not understand and in a way were afraid to.
"Thanks, if nothing else, thanks Prometheus." The fey nodded a smile on his face. Jeff watched him walk down the street turning the corner knowing he had vanished again.
* * * * *
Jeff went to school on Monday like he always did, attended class, but hardly listened to what was said. Only that afternoon was on his mind. He thought silently of different ways to approach the building, but only one seemed reasonable, the front door. This was a human world so he had to try the human way first.
The teen took the bus into downtown Chicago following the directions he had scribbled on a napkin from the phone book. When Jeff arrived at the skyscraper he stared up at the building of glass and iron for a moment before taking a breath and entered the lobby. The lobby was simple gray marble with a granite pattern on the walls. There were a few cheap paintings on the walls of landscapes that were similar to ones in a fast food restaurant. Jeff hardly noticed or cared because his eyes were on the security desk that was right in front of the elevators. One of the guards stood stepping out from behind the desk approaching the teenager.
"Can we help you sir?" said the guard his arms crossed over his barrel chest. Jeff smirked lightly masking his frustration. He did not think the ground level security would be anything except cameras. If he wanted to get in now it was going to take playing the right cards.
"Yes, I'd like to talk Mr. Redhorn," said Jeff politely. The security guard just smirked.
"Don't make me call the police kid."
"Just call him," said Jeff closing his eyes to conceal their glow. "Tell him the eye wearer wants to talk to him." The guard signed, all appointments were always made prior to the client's arrival, but he decided to check just in case.
"Wait here." The guard walked over to he desk picking up the phone. Jeff waited patently as the guard's sarcastic expression dropped and became more professional, almost frightened. The guard hung up the phone clearing his throat. He walked over to the elevator inserting a key into the slot below the buttons.
"This one will take you directly to Mr. Redhorn's office, sir." Jeff nodded entering the elevator. After several seconds Jeff's anxiety rose with each floor number, now things felt too easy.
"Why do I feel like this was really stupid." The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Cautiously Jeff exited the elevator stepping into the single floor office. The tile floor was polish black and the majority of the walls were windows. Opposite of the elevator was a single black wooden desk with a high back chair that was turned away. The entire scene for some morbid reason seemed very amusing all the sudden.
"Let me guess," said Jeff with a smirk, "this is where you say, "good evening," in a Hitchcock voice right?" The chair swiveled squeaking slightly. The elder man gazed at Degger his face flat and unreadable. His skin was a dark tan; almost mud colored contrasting his age and stereotypical CEO position. His face was hard with lines creasing his skin under his eyes.
"Mr. Degger, am I right?" said the man with a smile breaking his stone expression. Redhorn stood coming around his desk to greet Jeff extending his hand. Jeff stared at it his eyes glowing momentarily.
"The only one who calls me mister is my chemistry teacher and it annoys the crap out of me."
"Very well," he replied gesturing to the chair before the desk. I understand that you wished to talk to me." Degger sat down his scowl remaining on his face. The red haired man who called himself Randolf was no where in sight so he would just have to bide his time and see what he could learn.
"Actually I wanted to talk to Fet Randolf, I have a... matter to discuss with him."
"Such as?" Jeff shifted slightly uncomfortable under the elder man's stare. The response told Jeff that at least he was in the right place, but there was something about the elder man. His gut was contorting half from anxiety the other from frustration. Jeff was at the end of his rope in the politeness category and decided to lay it out whether Redhorn knew what was going on or not.
"Three weeks ago I was involved in a car wreck and became something else, something dragon like. A few days later I was confronted by an associate of yours," Degger paused noticing the genuinely interested look on the CEO's face, apparently he knew what the teenager was talking about.
"Yes, we both felt the energy signature of the eye returning to life. I had long since stopped searching for it. There was no need to. For the longest time I could not sense any power from it until as you stated, around three weeks ago."
"So you sent that red haired guy to find me," Degger finished his expression growing cold. The teen's scowl curved into a smirk contrasting his feelings. He had to stall and milk this thing until he could find Fet, which was the reason he came. "I do not suppose he told you what he did once he found me." Redhorn arched an eyebrow.
"He reported that you were in the presence of one of the Fairy Folk and that you refused my offer to join me, have you reconsidered?" Degger's eyes burned bright white as he jumped up from his chair.
"So you're telling me that was all he said." Jeff was barely controlling his voice now. The CEO nodded not seeming bothered by Jeff's outburst.
"Well it was not," growled Jeff, "not by a long shot."
"I do not believe my servant would act beyond my orders," said Redhorn softly. Jeff's eyes continued to glow as he growled again.
"Don't give me that crap! How could you not know he killed my mother in cold blood? It has been the top story on all the news stations several times in the past weeks." Redhorn sat quietly unfazed by Degger's outburst. He had seen the news following the young man's story, but did not want to believe his loyal servant committed such a crime in view of the public without his consent.
"Are you sure it was him?" Jeff sat back down again his eyes returning to normal.
"Oh yeah, lots of red haired guys shoot magical energy blasts from their hands in the middle of the night," he replied with full sarcasm intended. Redhorn remained silent with his hands in front of his face. The elevator ping diverted Degger's attention as a red haired man in all black exited.
"You," growled Jeff. Randolf stopped and looked up realizing whom it was. "MURDERER!" Jeff tossed his chair aside charging Fet with energy orbs forming in his hands. Fet dropped to a defensive stance gathering his own energy.
"STOP!" shouted Redhorn in an echoing voice raising his hand freezing the two only a foot apart from one another. The energy Jeff had gathered dissipated and his whole body felt like it was restrained, unable to move any direction.
"There will be no bloodshed here." The CEO touched Jeff's shoulder releasing him from the spell. "I think you should go." Jeff scowled at Randolf his eyes flashing again.
"I'll be seeing you again." Fet just sneered as Degger entered the elevator. After Redhorn was sure the teenager was on his way out he released his servant encircling him. Fet felt like a piece of meat, he was in trouble for some reason or another. Respectfully the red haired man dropped to one knee bowing his head.
"Why did you destroy the boy's mother, that was unnecessary." Fet swallowed hard, he assumed that it was about that.
"Because I could not attack him with the fey present, he would have defended him," he replied with out lifting his eyes from the floor.
"You were not instructed to kill anyone that night," said Redhorn, his tone flat and cold.
"I had my reasons, my lord."
"Your reasons do not compare to my orders!" he shouted. "I thought I had matured you over the centuries, but you still seem to have a long way to go. Now you have created an enemy for life and put our current identities in jeopardy."
"He is nothing to us, not even a true dragon and easily disposed of," replied Fet just above a whisper.
"Yes, he is artificial, but he still has power and therefor potentially dangerous."
"I can easily destroy him and if I can then you most certainly can, my lord," said Fet daring to look up for a moment before returning his eyes to the floor.
"With what?" asked the CEO quizzically. "Your magic comes from the same training as mine, you cannot kill with it."
"True sire, but I can weaken him and slay him with my own claws." Redhorn narrowed his eyes as they glowed a slight magenta color. He had never seen such hatred from his servant before. It was slightly disturbing, but would have to wait. The business came first, but the issue would have to be addressed later.
"We could have persuaded him with time, but that is not possible now," continued Redhorn.
"He never would have joined us," hissed Fet, "he is just like the last one, he is too gargoyle to be one of us." Redhorn turned to his windows gazing out upon the city. Humans had denounced his kind as fiction, the same with what Degger was now. A prolonged confrontation could bring unwanted eyes to himself and his company. Degger was young and impatient, he would not care if the world knew of him, but he had survived the fallout of the Fairy War and had lived in the shadows of the world while others who had revealed themselves had perished. This Jeff Degger could be just enough of a nuisance to cause problems that would risk all that he had created. That was intolerable.
"You will attack him only if he jeopardizes our identities or our lives or this company. Do you understand me?" said Redhorn his eyes glowing again. Fet nodded.
"As you wish, my lord."
* * * * *
"How could he do that, I could not even move," said Jeff sitting at the table. Prometheus handed him a glass of water sitting across the table.
"I tried to tell you, but you would not pull your head out of your ass," said the fey with a smile. "Karos Redhorn is no ordinary dragon. He is a Heiri, one of their elite in both all classes. The Heiri indulged the most in their magic abilities making them the strongest, but others, one in particular took their magic a step further." Prometheus sighed recalling what he could from a time long ago. "Apep seized control of the dragon society pushing the war harder than before. It was he who led the final desperate attack against us and was imprisoned for the rest of his life."
"How long is that?" asked Jeff curiously.
"Apep was young when he was imprisoned so he could easily live for another seven to eight thousand years."
"Seven to eight thousand YEARS!"
"Dragons have long life spans when they are not killed first," said the fey sipping his water.
"Well Fet is not going to be around that long," said Jeff with a scowl.
"He already has lad. I told you the war was over ten thousand years ago. Besides you cannot kill him with your magic, dragon magic does not work that way. Believe it or not dragon magic comes from the core of the earth's mana, a magic of life.
"Not all dragons were evil. Ones that revealed themselves in parts of Asia and China were considered teachers and bring good fortune. Others were a menace and were treated as such."
Degger sighed looking at the clock; it would be dark in a few hours. That gave him time to think things over.
"If magic can't kill why did my mother die?" Prometheus sighed again.
"It's complicated, but the easiest way to look at it is the magic cannot kill, but using magic on something that can, will."
"The house," said Jeff closing his eyes. "The debris fatally injured her because he attacked the house." The fey nodded sadly. Jeff had a quick intellect and a good heart; he hated that such good qualities could go to waste on something as small as vengeance. The two sat in silence for several minutes lost in their own thoughts.
* * * * *
"This is so stupid," mumbled Jeff as he glided over the city back towards the New Dawn building. If he could not kill the dragons then maybe he could expose them for what they were. That damage could be just as serious as any thing he could do with his hands.
Jeff landed on the flat roof silently creeping his way towards the roof entrance. Not surprising it was locked, but not for long.
"It's probably rigged to an alarm." The young gargoyle examined the door carefully not finding a device on it or the jamb. Jeff reached for the handle when it moved and the door swung open. Instinctively Jeff jumped back crouching to a defensive stance. Fet Randolf closed the door behind him with his hands in his pockets. The teenager growled his eyes glowing brightly.
"Don't act so surprised," he said with a straight face, "security cameras are an amazing thing."
"Ah crap," mumbled Degger. There went the element of surprise. Jeff prepared to attack the red haired man when he raised his hand.
"May we talk, before you do anything rash?" he said calmly.
"I have noting to say to you!" growled the gargoyle, his tail slashing wildly.
"Maybe not, but I have things to say to you," he paused his palms now open as a sign of truce. "If I may?" The glow left Jeff's eyes, but he remained at the ready in case of a trap.
"Talk," growled Jeff. He was not sure why, probably morbid curiosity, but he was interested in what the dragon had to say. Randolf nodded leaning against the roof entrance wall. He seemed calm, almost sad, but Jeff did not take it as a sign to drop his guard.
"You will probably not believe me, but I did not mean to kill you mother. I was blinded by rage."
"You're right, I don't," said Degger scowling at the dragon. I saw the look in your eyes, you wanted blood."
"I do not hate you Jeff, I hate what you are, what that thing has made you. I knew I could not kill you with the fey present so in frustrated rage I decided to hurt you instead." Fet caught Jeff's confused glance under a furrowed brow. "Why you ask? Because of that thing and what it has cost me.
"Ever since the first time I laid my eyes upon it I have seen nothing but death and pain for those I cared for. The eye took away what little freedom I had. I was forced to take sides in a civil war costing the lives of thousands of dragons some that were our highest and most respected leaders. It cost me the life of my only friend and forced me to stand aside and watch as they plunged spears into his body his blood spilling on the floor of our sacred city and across my face. His blood is still on my hands."
"You're trying to kill you past so kill mine," growled Degger. "If your life sucks so much and you want to see death why don't you do me a favor and step out in front of a bus. I will even bring a camcorder and a bag of pretzels."
"You are too young, you could not possibly understand," said Fet closing his eyes.
"Now you sound like my English teacher." Fet scowled at Degger his eyes glowing yellow.
"How old are you?"
"What does it matter?"
"How old," he repeated. Degger narrowed his eyes.
"I'm eighteen."
"You are a child, you have many years ahead of you. I am over fifteen thousand years old. I was hatched into this world a lesser, a commoner, never meant to be more than a peasant or cannon fodder. I was taught next to nothing and told to fight and die on a battlefield expecting nothing else from life.
"Klaru was like me, but he did not accept being a lesser, he hated it and would go to any length to change that. He wanted more than what he was supposed to have and for a brief few months he had it, then they killed him.
"Over the centuries I have seen countless death, but none were more horrifying than that one, the one I was never meant to see. I should have died on the field a long time ago and every time I see that cursed eye I am reminded of that time, that mistake and I want to see it destroyed. If you give it to me now I will rid us both of it and I swear you will never see me again." Degger never even considered it. The eye was the only thing that kept him human even if it was only a disguise. If its very existence bothered Fet then all the more reason to never get rid of it.
"You know what," said Degger tensing his muscles for attack, "if you want this thing then you are going to have to kill me to get it." Degger created a small blue fireball in his hand hurling it at the dragon. Fet rolled away from the wall shedding his trench coat.
"So be it!" Jeff jumped back avoiding Fet's blast that struck where he was standing.
"If my magic can't kill you, then yours can't kill me," said Jeff loosing several more shots.
"You would be surprised what you can live through," snarled the dragon his voice dropping, becoming more feral. The man's skin reddened beyond a human tone as scaled began to appear replacing the human facade. His brow grew tiny horns as his eyes widened becoming yellow and more serpent like. Oversized feet burst free from his shoes and two wings ripped through his shirt. The transformation stopped as he grew another foot in height.
"A half morph will be sufficient enough for you," snarled Fet his teeth now longer and jagged. Degger smirked. This is what he originally intended, now he just had to draw the dragon into the open public.
"Bring it on." Fet charged with his claws and teeth bared. Degger charged as well, but instead of meeting force with force he dropped into a foot first slide slipping between Fet's legs. With an energy blast in hand Jeff jumped to his feet blasting the dragon in his defenseless backside. The red dragon screamed in pain as he flew across the building landing near the edge. Fet staggered to his feet, his knees shaky and back smoking with burns and blisters.
"You dare make a fool of me! I'll kill you and feed your remains to pigeons!"
"You talk too much," growled Degger. Jeff charged screaming a war cry as another blast formed in his hand. Fet, still dazed from the last attack barely had enough time to set up a barrier that absorbed some of the blast. The dragon was propelled from the building falling for several stories crashing hard on a neighboring rooftop. Jeff glided down landing softly next to the dragon whose body was indented in the concrete. Fet was still alive, but barely breathing and badly injured. The young gargoyle stared at the slightly twitching dragon not sure what to do next. An eerie chill crept up Jeff's spine and he turned to see K. Redhorn standing several feet away with his hand behind his back. Redhorn glanced at Fet then back at Degger.
"I assumed it would come to this, despite all my efforts," he said casually. "Fet underestimated his opponent, be sure you do not make the same mistake." He was stronger, Jeff's gut feeling was telling him that. If he was smart he would leave and continue some other time. Jeff smirked; maybe he could talk his way out.
"Hey, I never wanted you to begin with, just your buddy over here."
"Unfortunately I cannot allow that. It takes a long time to train a proper servant and Fet has been loyal for thousands of years. As long as I live I still require him," said Redhorn remaining still. Jeff growled dropping into a defensive stance, his options had been exhausted.
"Then I guess I will just have to take you both out." Redhorn arched an eyebrow slightly amused by the threat.
"You can try." With that Jeff charged without even thinking and like earlier that day became frozen in place.
"Oh shit."
"Indeed." With the wave of his hand Jeff flew backwards crashing into an air conditioning unit. Jeff rolled off the wreck staggering to his feet.
"Hey, not fair, can't use the air as a weapon." It sounded ridiculous, but it was all he could come up with.
"It is not the air," said Redhorn, his eyes glowing a bright magenta. "Magical energy exist in everything, every inch of the earth has magic touching it, some more than others, but that also counts in the open air and sky. Your fairy guardian has not taught you much." A blast of energy left the CEO's hand as Jeff raised his forearms in front of his face. The magic struck the invisible barrier defusing the attack. The elder dragon's eyes widened startled that his attack had failed. Degger growled releasing his own massive surge energy in retaliation. The magic struck Redhorn's ward diffusing somewhat, but still penetrating striking the dragon hurling him through the mid-level windows of his own building.
Jeff felt terribly light headed his knees slightly buckling. He could just barely make out the sound of an approaching helicopter that signaled it was time for a tactical retreat. He snarled at Fet who was regaining consciousness. "Another time." Shaking his head Jeff jumped from the roof gliding into the night.
* * * * *
"So you fled?" said Prometheus handing Jeff another ice pack to go with the other three.
"Yeah, I heard a helicopter coming. I wanted to expose them, but if possible not me. It was best to run while I still had my bearings."
"That's all right, you're in better standing this way. With both Fet and Karos hurt they will assume you had the power to continue the fight, but decided not to for your own reason not because you had exhausted yourself."
"Yeah I certainly did do that," said Jeff moving one of the ice packs to the bruise on his beak. "I almost could not glide straight."
"Stone sleep will heal you. I'll inform the school tomorrow that you're sick."
"Alright, no chemistry for me." Prometheus smiled at the weak cheer.
"You dealt them a major blow. They will be more reluctant to cross you again and more prepared when they do. What you must do is learn from the experience to not make the same mistakes twice."
"Well hopefully the next time is not anytime soon, for both our sakes," said Jeff placing a fifth ice pack on the back of his neck. Prometheus just nodded silently.
* * * * *
"I should have killed him when I had the chance," said Fet bandaging his burns. He had been weakened so badly that even a healing spell could not fully recover his sustained damage.
"Do you not see the point, you never had a chance." Fet turned to his master who was also still slightly bruised. "I underestimated Nouri's craftsmanship. The eye is more powerful than I could have possible imagined. If this Jeff Degger ever learned how to harness its full potential and maintain it he could kill us both."
"Kill?" echoed Fet, his voice quavering slightly.
"Yes, I felt the fey touch when it broke my ward. It has just enough fairy magic to make it lethal to us," said the CEO turning to watch the sun creep over the horizon.
"What do you want me to do?" Karos Redhorn sighed. He still did not understand and that was going to be his downfall.
"Nothing."
"Master?"
"We are on the defense now. He will come to us again, and again. The longer we can stay alive the more time we can learn about him and his weaknesses." The old dragon sighed slightly tired and frustrated. "I have not lived this long to be destroyed by some child. We will wait, no matter how long it takes, we will wait and when the weakness is exposed and he has made the fatal error we will move and destroy him and the Dragon Eye, forever."
The End