The Wizard and the Void - Chapter Four
Author: Milady Dragon
Mistress Pepper Potts stared up at the house in front of her, shaking off the effects of the Teleport spell she'd used to arrive. Her magical sight picked out the various spells that had been used in the building's construction. The walls of the two-story structure practically glowed with the Deep Ways, much like the man she was about to speak to did.
She was currently just outside the city of Gateway, in the north of the United Kingdom. The Barony of Gateway had grown over the decades since its reclamation from the ruins it had fallen into, and with the establishment of the world's first Wizard School, when magic had come roaring back with the births of Master Ianto Jones, Cardinal Wizard, and Master Harold Saxon, Void Wizard. Pepper knew the stories; after all, it was a part of her own heritage. How magic had been cut off from the world by Master John Smith, a Great Wizard, who'd believed he was doing the universe a favor when he'd traveled to the future and saw a great war between Wizards, one that threatened to destroy everything. Master John had managed to keep that future from happening, but his spell had been warped by the presence of the Deathless, the immortal named Jack Harkness. The Great Wizard had used his name to seal the magic away, but hadn't counted on the Deathless remembering that very name. It had meant that magic would seep back after a time, and the spell would break.
For nearly a thousand years, magic had vanished, with only small dribs and drabs making their way through the block. Eventually, it had weakened enough to create the first of the returning Wizards: Harold Saxon had been born first and, because he'd been a Void, the balance had needed to be maintained. And thus, had come Ianto Jones, with his powerful connection to the Deep Ways.
A connection that had made him practically immortal.
The Great Wizards weren't happy with Ianto's very existence. When they'd gotten into the written histories of the Wizards from the past, they'd learned that the Greats, not only being the fulcrum between Deep Ways and Void, had once believed that no one should manipulate either force, that both the Cardinals and the Voids were committing crimes by exercising their abilities due to their connections to the primal forces of the universe. It was why the Greats so often fought the other Orders, instead of being that fulcrum that the magic needed.
The three Grand Masters: Ianto; Alexander Pierce, of the Voids; and Stephen Strange, of the Greats, were all trying to change this attitude. It was an uphill battle, as these rumors had spread before anyone had realized it was happening.
She was aware that the dissemination of those stories had been why her friend, Phil Coulson, had gone the way of the Dark One. However, he was a success story in many ways, moving beyond his childhood indoctrination and revealing the truly good man underneath.
Sighing, Pepper made her way up the short, cobbled walkway to the brightly painted front door, Happy in her arms. Most of the time, she'd simply Teleport directly into Ianto's casting chamber, but as she wasn't expected and hadn't called ahead, she thought going in through the front door would only be polite.
She juggled the dragon with the grace of long practice, and then used the bright brass knocker in order to announce her presence.
She didn't have to wait long.
The door opened, and to her pleasure she was face-to-face with Eirlys Harkness-Jones, Baroness Gateway and Cardinal Wizard, the older woman's blue eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled in greeting. "Mistress Pepper!" she exclaimed. "Please, come in."
"Thank you, Eirlys." Pepper took the invitation, stepping over the threshold, the magic of the house welcoming her inside. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Eirlys shrugged. "I'm scheduled for a meeting in half an hour, but I thought I'd stop by and have a bit of lunch with Tad. You know how he can be like when he's distracted."
Pepper laughed. Ianto often forgot to eat if he was in the midst of something interesting.
The house was as warm and comfortable as always. Pepper knew that Ianto had laid the spell work himself, and the power thrummed peacefully against her own magical senses. Someday, she hoped to be able to cast such intricate magicks, but she suspected that it would take many more years than she actually had left in her life to gain the ability.
Eirlys' dragon, Corona, his scales all blues and greens, took his turn greeting Pepper and Happy. Corona was one of the larger dragons, his head coming up to Eirlys' shoulder, and Happy instantly jumped from Pepper's grasp to land on Corona's large head, looking almost like some sort of scaly hat. Corona hummed in pleasure at the attention from the smaller dragon.
"I hate to stop by unannounced," Pepper began, "but I really need to speak to your father. Is he busy at the moment?"
Eirlys nodded. "He's in his study. Dad's off with his team, and Tad's a bit put out by having to stay so he's been working on some translations he's been putting off."
Pepper knew that Jack often went off with his hand-picked band of troubleshooters, going where Their Majesties sent, and that Ianto would usually go with him. Honestly, Pepper was glad that Ianto was at home, although she would have tracked him down if need be. "Why didn't Ianto go along?"
"Tad has a meeting with the Baroness Cardiff," Eirlys explained. "They're talking again about transferring the last of Castle Torchwood's Archives here to Gateway."
That had been a sore point almost from the very beginning. Back before Ianto had realized he was a Wizard, he'd been Head Archivist for Torchwood Castle, which had been the only repository of magical artifacts and documents left in the United Kingdom at that time. When he'd come into his power, it had set off a conflict between himself and the Baroness who'd been in charge there at the time, Gwen Cooper-Williams, Baroness Cardiff. One of the things that the then-Rulers of the United Kingdom had proclaimed was that the entirety of the magical artifacts that Torchwood had collected over the centuries were to be moved to Gateway. Baroness Gwen had protested and, to this day, the Archives at Castle Torchwood still contained items that should have been moved years ago.
"Does he really think he'll get anywhere?" Pepper inquired.
Eirlys shrugged. "Baroness Anwen seems amenable. We'll see."
Leaving the dragons to cuddle in the front room, Eirlys led Pepper back through the house, past a kitchen, dining room, and a door that was so heavily warded that, if the Cardinal Wizard hadn't already known it led to Grand Master Ianto's personal casting chamber, it would have been an easy guess to make.
The study was at the back of the large house. Pepper had been there many times in the past; she'd been one of the Grand Master's own Novices, and she thought of Ianto as a surrogate uncle in many ways.
Eirlys knocked on the partially open door's frame, announcing them. "Tad, Mistress Pepper's here to see you."
"Send her in." The Cardiff accented voice held a hint of surprise.
Pepper pushed the door open the rest of the way. The study on the other side was bright and airy, lit by a large window that looked out onto an expansive rear garden. The desk, shelves that lined two of the walls, and decorative tables and display cases were all made of a light-colored wood, gold accoutrements gleaming in the sunlight. A comfortable sofa had been placed by the fireplace, and a matching chair took up a place in front of the large desk. The place smelled of paper and books and ink, and it was still like coming home, even after all these years.
Myfanwy, the red and gold dragon that was sprawled out of the sofa, raised her head, green eyes whirling in delight, before she clambered down from her perch to make her way over for some welcoming attention. Pepper obliged her, saying, "Happy would be here, but Corona stole him for a dragon pile in the front room."
Myfanwy made an excited chirping sound, and was gone out of the door like a shot, squeezing past a laughing Eirlys.
"You've done it now," the man at the desk chuckled. "There's nothing that Myfanwy likes more than a dragon pile."
"What dragon doesn't?" Pepper laughed.
Ianto Jones, Grand Master of the Cardinal Order, looked to be in his mid-twenties, with dark curly hair and blue eyes that that were ringed with gold behind a pair of spectacles that gleamed magically in Pepper's senses. Those eyes were smiling as he rose from his chair, removing the gold-rimmed spectacles – they would translate any language, and had been the first artifact Ianto had figured out how to work with – and leaving them on top of the scroll he'd been perusing in order to collect his own hug. Even through her robes, Pepper could feel Ianto's magic tingling against her skin, and she sank into the familiar sensation, sighing.
He pulled away, his eyes studying her closely. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't a social call?"
"Because it isn't," Pepper admitted.
When Nick had told them about Hydra, Pepper had realized there wasn't any way she could hide this sort of thing from Ianto. And, not because he was the Head of all the Cardinal Wizards on the face of their world; this would be personal to him, as his husband was the Deathless that Hydra was attempting to recreate.
"I'll fetch you both some tea," Eirlys volunteered.
There was something vaguely wrong with a sitting Baroness serving them tea, but Pepper wasn't about to turn her down. "That sounds lovely. I admit, I need a one." A part of her was disappointed that it wasn't a cup of Ianto's exquisite coffee, but honestly the Wizard wasn't certain she could handle something that strong at the moment.
"Have a seat and we'll talk."
Ianto gestured her toward the sofa that Myfanwy had abandoned, sitting down beside her. When she'd first come to the Wizard School, Pepper remembered having such a crush on him, but that had faded when he'd become her teacher…and a surrogate uncle of sorts, not that he looked that old. Truth be known, Ianto Jones was well over one hundred years of age, although there were times when he didn't act like that…especially when Jack was around. They were like a pair of horny teenagers…or newly married, when in fact they'd been together for decades, and had had a child together, thanks to magic.
"Now," he urged, "tell me what's bothering you."
And so, Pepper explained. She told Ianto everything she'd discovered while speaking with Nick: about Hydra, them trying to recruit Phil Coulson, and how he'd gone along with it in order to get more information on this new, mysterious, cabal. Ianto's expression grew more and more troubled as she went on, and at one point Eirlys came back in, with the tea tray, and with a simple gesture the Grand Master had a table sliding across the room to stop just in front of him. Eirlys set the tea things down on it, and then left them again, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Pepper stopped her recitation long enough to accept the cup of tea Ianto offered then, after a sip, she finished her story, enjoying the rich flavor just barely muted by the splash of cream she usually enjoyed. It was gratifying that he'd remembered.
"And Baron Nicholas definitely mentioned the Deathless?" he probed after she was done.
"He did. At first, I thought it might have more to do with you, but Jack was the one Hydra wanted to recreate. I have to admit, the Hawk did ask an interesting question about you and the balance and if it was so wrong to have an immortal Void Wizard as well…"
Ianto shook his head. "That…has often crossed my mind that, if I was immortal, then there must be someone out there like me, only opposite in power, but I've never found them." He settled back against the sofa, taking a sip of his own tea. "And, if they're using the Deathless as a prototype, then they must not be aware that Jack already has someone out there that balances his own power."
Pepper raised her eyebrows at that. "I wasn't aware of it, either." It wasn't as surprising as it should have been. After all, the world works in balances, and the Deathless was extremely powerful. There would almost have to be someone to equal Jack Harkness.
The Grand Master nodded. "There's an entity out there, in the form of a little girl, who's Jack's opposite. She's called the Unearthly Child, and we've met her on occasion. She's…well, honestly, she's a little creepy, and it has nothing to do with her powers of prophecy." He shook his head. "No matter. These Hydra Voids couldn't replicate what caused Jack's Deathlessness, no matter how hard they'd try. The Void just doesn't work that way. Still, it's a bothersome notion." He met her gaze. "Tell me…do you believe that Master Phil is up to this task he's set himself?"
One of the first things Pepper had done, when she'd learned just who Master Phil Coulson was, was report to her own Head of Order. Ianto had been happy to hear that Phil had made a change in his life; he'd been a witness to the younger student's descent into darkness, and had mourned along with Novice Phil's teaching Master, Mistress Suzie Costello. In fact, Mistress Suzie had been set to retire from teaching until Phil had arrived, but she'd seen something in him that had prevented her from her well-deserved rest. After all, Mistress Suzie had been well over one hundred herself, the magic the only thing keeping her frail body going.
However, she'd passed away, not long after Phil had left the school. Pepper had done a little research, and she had to wonder if Mistress Suzie's failure had finally led to her heart giving out. No one knew that her student, Novice Phillip, and the Dark One were the same person, and Pepper really wanted to keep it that way.
"I do," she asserted. "Master Phil is a good man. He might not always have been like that, but I've seen him around his daughter, and he's completely different from the man who'd rampaged through the Western Lands. I trust him to do this."
Ianto looked introspective. "For now, I'm not going to say anything to my counterparts. We don't want to risk this getting out. Grand Master Stephen is a Great and, while he's been doing his best to combat the rampant discrimination perpetrated by his own Order against the Cardinals and Voids, too much could go wrong if we shared this; besides, it would be within Mistress Maria's bailiwick to report this to him. As for Grand Master Alexander…I hate to say, but we cannot trust that he could let this knowledge slip to members of the Void Order. He's a proponent of transparency in matters of magic, so he could very well tip the hands of these Void Wizards although it would be with the best of intentions."
That made sense. They couldn't risk Phil's life with a case of loose lips. Pepper was glad he'd said that, because it just reinforced her own decision not to share beyond her old teaching Master.
"And what about Novice Daisy?" Ianto inquired.
"I let the Hawk know that she'd be welcome to stay with me for the time being."
"Excellent. While I don't want to think anything could go wrong…"
He didn't have to continue. Pepper knew exactly what he wasn't saying. If something happened to Phil, Daisy would need someone to look after her, and who better than her own teaching Master? It would have been Pepper's duty in any case.
Melinda May was just the person needed in a fight, but there was only so much she could do against magic.
"I'm going to contact Jack," Ianto continued. "Have him keep a lookout in case they decide to strike against him. He might be Deathless, but he can still be hurt."
Pepper agreed. While she'd never seen Jack's Deathlessness displayed, she knew the basics. Jack could still die…he just didn't stay that way. Honestly, she considered the whole thing horrific, to not be able to stay dead.
There had been a time when Ianto had confided in her that, if anything happened and his husband stayed dead, that he would sever his connection to the Deep Ways in order to join Jack in the final death. It was unbelievably romantic, knowing the only reason Ianto hadn't made the ultimate decision so far was because he wasn't about to leave Jack on his own.
"In the meantime," the Grand Master said, "let Master Phil do his undercover work. At least he has someone watching his back. But, I want to be kept informed. If, Gods forbid, something does go wrong…and I'm not just thinking about Jack, here. Master Phil has a daughter. I'm certain he's thought of Novice Daisy in his consideration of his actions, but he cannot risk himself if he can avoid it. We may need to organize a rescue."
Pepper slumped in relief. Not that she hadn't expected Ianto to say something along those thoughts, but she was still grateful for his words. Master Phil, while she couldn't pretend to know him all that well – except for the less savory areas of his past – she did feel he was well on his way to becoming a good friend. They'd spoken many times about Daisy's lessons, him giving her valuable input on the gauntlets he'd devised for her, when it had proved necessary to help control her powers. She'd been so very young when they'd manifested in such a destructive way, and he'd done his best for her until she could learn to control it. The spell work he'd put into those enchanted gauntlets had been truly impressive, and Pepper hadn't been ashamed to ask him for his help with duplicating them for other students who might have trouble with their magic as well. So far, they'd worked beyond her wildest dreams for those children with control issues.
"I'll use the speaking stones or my mirror and let you know as soon as I hear anything," she promised.
Ianto squeezed her hands, his magic thrumming against her skin pleasantly. He might have looked younger than her, but this man was like the grandfather she'd never known. She had faith in him.