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Souls of the Night – Vol3

62.

Nathaniel's POV

As I extinguished my head and dried my hair with half a dozen towels, I could see from the kitchen counter how the unsettling growing realization was affecting my clan. It wasn't just mentally painful for me to share this burden of knowledge with them - it was downright physically painful, and the fact that the Entities were stomping inside me in frustration and resentment, giving me a headache since Alexander had shared what he knew or suspected with me, made it even more ominous.

But how could I lie to them? Or hide the truth. This wasn't a suicide attempt that wouldn't affect anyone after their shock passed. Hell, if the threat ended with my death, I would have said nothing today and thrown myself off a building somewhere at one of the next sunrises. But it wasn't that simple. I didn't even understand a fraction of what this was about, or was supposed to be about, but I knew that having beef with the ruler of the third race could have far-reaching, perhaps nationally disastrous repercussions. How powerful was he? As powerful as Apocalypse in the X-Men? Or were his powers just generally unimaginable to mere mortals like me? Lex - basically everyone - had always spoken of Oberon with extreme caution. As if the walls had ears. As if a bolt of lightning could strike them out of nowhere if they spoke negatively about him. I didn't know what he could do to me or to those who would stand up for me.

But I not only suspected, I KNEW everyone at this table would throw themselves into a battle for me that they would lose. We had to think hard before it became really serious and not impulsively throw ourselves into the fray. There was no option to keep my clan out of it - because they were what they were. Protective. Driven to defend the weak. It was almost laughable. The beings inside me were supposed to be so powerful. But I - Nathaniel - wasn't. Not in any way. To my gargoyle family, I was a fledgling who needed protection and support. It made me feel loved and valued ... but they would put themselves in danger either way. That's why they HAD to know what could happen. Everyone had been nothing but good to me since day one, I wanted my family safe and sound but too rarely were real threats solved by keeping quiet.

Here it wasn't; what you don't know about can't be a threat to you. Here it was: you can only assess what you know about. They had the right to know even if knowing was a burden - sharing was caring, even if it contradicted my normal character structure. I didn't WANT to drag them into a conflict. But they wouldn't stay out of it if tomorrow a six-hundred-yard-tall Oberon thrashed against the barriers of the Eyrie Building like a choleric child. I shook my head because the last thought about Oberon was not mine but the Entities'. Whisp held back as usual, but my fire regarded everything to do with Oberon with disgust, downright hatred. After what Alex had told me, I understood - but it really took heat to hold onto hatred for thousands of years. Heh- Pun.

"Are you saying ... Nathaniel - OUR Nathaniel - is on Oberon's shit-list?" Tachi asked quietly and growling after a few seconds.

"Well summed up," remarked Ares, lowering the Pop-Tart and suddenly looking at Flora in downright despair, wordlessly pleading for something. She stroked his arm affectionately and his spines - already re-growing a night after the fight - flattened again as he melted in her hands.

"It may be that Nathaniel and all who wish to assist him are in danger at the hands of Oberon and his devotees," Alexander stated gravely as he stroked Ares' other arm. I approached intrigued and felt the energy that passed from Alex and Flora tingle gently on my skin as they sent it into the orangish peer. Whatever they were doing with their mate, his calm expression wasn't even shaken when Goliath hit the table and all the dishes shook. Whereas I, like most of the others, flinched.

"NO!" the mentor of the clan shouted indignantly, jumping up and spreading his wings in agitated outrage. His eyes flashed white fire. "It is not right that Nathaniel should face danger just because he ..."

"Exists," Lexington snarled, and all the gargoyles and gathered humans wore looks of varying degrees of distress or chagrin. They had too much experience with forces that denied them their right to live. Some had three millennia of experience. I came up to Goliath and his face showed a second of droll astonishment and then leniency as I took his hand in both of mine. Something the Nathaniel of months ago would NEVER have dared to do, especially when such a powerful being was audibly grumbling in an effort to keep calm. His paw was so much bigger than mine, even though I was a gargoyle again. I still felt a little insecure around big buff males, but this was Goliath. He was good, he was gentle, he was Clan, and in my mind he now held almost the same position as my uncle Murshid had in my clouded childhood memories. The thought of him stung, but my grip on Goliath's fingers did not slacken, grounding him as Lex had grounded me before. I smiled insecure at Goliath and he lost his glowing eyes with a deep breath.

"Nate is right. We all need to keep a cool head," Brooklyn declared as if he could read my mind. I was so moved by how much this was affecting everyone. Something in me realized quite pragmatically how good it was to have such a mighty warrior like Goliath, such a conscientious Rhydderch like Brooklyn and his clan on my side. Even though all Gargoyles were only mortal, of course. I frowned at this notion that didn't match my own sentiments and assumed it had come from the flame creature in me. Brooklyn is a good leader but so much more than that! And Goliath is powerful and strong and yes, mortal. But though he has faced some of Oberon's children and Oberon himself, he didn't earn a truce or their respect because he defeated them. But because he acted with smarts, luck, honorable allies and most importantly a decent and forgiving heart, I internally admonished and knew the thing inside me HAD to listen just as I couldn't block myself off from it. Goliath, Brooklyn- they are all more than mortals, or good fighters, or gargoyles. They are my friends, my family, I love them all and I will protect them as they would protect me. If it should come to a fight. Although I really hoped that we would be able to avert that.

I swallowed and tried to keep my voice steady even though I could feel all eyes on me. "I'm not the only one in danger. But anyone who would speak out for me -"

"Well, it will be difficult for us to remain passive while what? - Oberon wants to execute you just to be on the safe side?" Elisa asked snappishly and everyone immediately started to throw in their five cents, hissing and grumbling.

"The nanobots could perhaps be inoculated with iron - we could use them against Oberon. They could be like a disease for him," Lexington thought aloud with an expression that could scare you.

"No! I can suck him dry! I'll make him weak and Uncle nate will be safe!" hissed Heather, wriggling on Broadway's lap.

"Oberon is immortal, monster. You're not sucking up immortality," Nash commented.

"No! No! Listen to me! Alexander has a plan," I said loudly to both the creatures inside me (who already knew about it anyway) and to my clan.

"If it involves you just turning yourself in or hiding-" David began.

"No. No, Mr. Xanatos. That would also be my modus operandi of choice," I quickly admitted, trying to exude calm. "But hiding from someone like Oberon wouldn't work for long. You know that." I exerted a slight tug and it was only because he complied with my wordless request that Goliath sat down again, causing the others to quiet down as well.

"It's a similar situation to when Oberon came for me," Alexander said very seriously and looked briefly at his equally serious-looking parents before continuing. "Nathaniel is a potential threat to the balance of power in the world."

"You mean the entities," Broadway probed and Alex shook his head.

"You can't make that separation, Uncle. They belong together- Nathaniel Sharif and these entities are too intertwined for Oberon to take a chance. That's why his mortal status is no protection. Not even his death would be helpful for Oberon because at least now he knows that he only has one goal. When he dies, the beings rush into a body he doesn't know until they are powerful enough to manifest again."

"What does that mean? Oberon is going to kidnap Nate to Avalon?" Lexington rumbled menacingly.

"We stood up to him once. We can-" Goliath began.

Alexander raised his hand.

"Nathaniel's case is different from mine back then. The powers within him are not something immature that can be molded into a safer form for the world through training and guidance, as was done with me. The forces within him are ancient and cannot be pushed in any direction unless they want to be pushed. The fact that I was able to pull one of the creatures out for a few days was pure luck because it wasn't expecting it. It won't work again. And believe me, Oberon wouldn't want Nathaniel on his island. These forces are too old, too dangerous, too raw and far too disobedient."

I sat back down in my seat, sighing, and only realized I still had the towels around my hair when I went to scratch one of my horns. I looked at Broadway because he was laughing softly but his gorilla grin was so affectionate and his gaze so warm as if the giant menace inside me hadn't even been discussed. But I understood why he was chuckling. And Elisa and Goliath were doing the same. How could something so powerful and menacing live in someone who was wearing an elaborate, thick turban of soaked tea towels around his head and generally looked like he needed a cuddle (yes, I always looked like that and it was too late to pretend I was any different now).

Heather - the gem - climbed onto my lap and started nuzzling me which made me melt. Even Lex smiled warmly, though I could tell the resentment that Oberon considered me (really ME - not just the entities) a danger and might threaten me was bubbling just beneath the seemingly mild surface. After Alex gave me a nudge against the brown bow, he took a bite of his own Pop Tart, chewed, swallowed, and then continued talking like he was really just making casual coffee-table chit-chat.

"Our problem is ... that the entities in Nathaniel are very old. Very old and ... not really in line with Oberon or other children."

Angela frowned. "What do you mean?"

"In one word? 'They're rogues. They actually led a rebellion against Oberon a long time ago. They wanted to turn the order of the magical and mortal world upside down. And he banished them for it. That's what I found out about the matter. But that's just the knowledge that's available to the children and that they should know if they're looking for it. The two were disobedient, tried to rebel, lost - of course they lost because no one wins against our lord - and fell into oblivion.

"And how did these two ... beings get into Nathaniel? Even being possessed by one is rare," stated Goliath.

"It is not an possession. It can be ... a symbiosis. If both parties want it," Ares elaborated, but frowned unhappily without looking at anyone. It was obvious that he didn't trust at least one of the parties.

"And regarding their origin story," explained Alexander " - it's rather vague. No legends are written about delinquents - there's a reason for that and it's part of the punishment. The worst thing you can do to anyone who wants to destroy order is to erase them from that order and all subsequent ones. Well, the greatest humiliation for such powerful beings was done to them. Right after the battle, when they were both weak enough to do so, the beings were banished into two mortals. This is how they spent the next centuries. Sleeping in two humans. In different parts of the world, at a time when there were no airplanes, no cars, not even caravans to get people from A to B. These two people - however -were not immortal. They lived normal lives and died. And the spark, i.e. the essence of the beings, kept moving from descendant to descendant of these mortals. But as is the case with humans - they emigrate, they wander here and there over generations, they marry other tribes and so on - perhaps without the respective hosts knowing it, the two beings found each other again after a few centuries."

The silence that prevailed during and between Alexander's explanations, even from Heather, was upsetting. I really had to restrain myself from chewing on my claws out of nervousness about how they would take it all. When Alexander had explained it all to me, I had been confused and overwhelmed too. I still was. But freaking out probably wouldn't be very constructive. After a few moments, during which everyone at the table had to let it sink in - and I was really grateful that Alex took over the storytelling - Fox spoke up.

"So the entities were in Nathaniel's parents before? And when a child was born to them-"

"No. That would be too easy, wouldn't it, mom? This reunion would have happened centuries ago. But Oberon's acolytes managed to banish them both into an artifact before the dormant forces could unite. After all, it was in the best interests of all races, mortal and fey. And don't ask me how the two beings got out of there and into Nathaniel. I'm assuming he's a descendant of the person they should have united and awakened in. So the whole thing we're facing now was just postponed."

"I don't get it," muttered Broadway. "Doesn't it take strength to harbor such beings? You tried for a while and that's why you got sick, right? But Nate is uhm - u know."

"I think if the creatures had a choice, they would have picked someone else," I admitted, huffing.

"It's not really about physical, mental or psychological strength," Flora explained. "It's about compatibility. And my mate and I - no child of Oberon or worldly magic user - is permanently compatible with that kind of ancient, raw energy. Except Nathaniel or maybe those of his blood."

"So - we're all as enlightened as we can be now. As chill as Nathaniel and you are, you've come up with something you think will help more than going into battle. So- shoot." Brooklyn said seriously, with a doubtful look and crossed arms.

Alexander, as usual, beamed with confident smoothness.

"We'll talk to him. Nathaniel will talk to him, and we'll convince Oberon that Nate is, first of all, no danger and, secondly, best cared for in the midst of our clan."

Everyone stared at him. For so long that I began to fidget uncertainly. Alexander was probably used to his kin taking time to process things and waited with that smug little smile that was mirrored by Flora and even a little by Ares.

Broadway finally broke the agonized, horrified silence.

"Talking? Just that? Can that work?"

"I won't let Nathaniel go to Avalon," hissed Lexington, eyes glowing defiantly.

I pulled his hand to my face. "I'm not going, Lex. Not unless I'm forced to. But it can work. You said yourself, Oberon is open to negotiation and reasoning." My friend grumbled unhappily while I pressed tender kisses to the back of his hand.

Alex laughed softly. "No visit to Avalon. I'm through with that too. I was thinking more of a call via a mirror."

"Before, none of the children and especially not Oberon were supposed to know about Nate," Tachi remarked suspiciously, eyeing her quarter-fey brother.

"Things are different now, sis. Nathaniel is much more stable than he was before with his powers. He's no longer at odds with the Entities - not like they want to petrify his body."

"I think that was only ever the Flame Entity anyway," I said meekly, resting my chin on Heather's mop of hair as she gobbled up the rest of my waffles without the adults noticing.

"I don't presume to pass judgment there," Alex said cheerfully, sounding rather puckish. "What's important- in our conversation with the lord; he needs to realize that Nathaniel is one of us, that he is embedded in our clan and will remain so. In the same way that I am a part of it. It may reassure him that I and Puck will keep an eye on Nathaniel and report to him if Nathaniel uhm-"

"-turns to the dark side of the Force?" Brooklyn offered.

"Exactly, dearest Rhydderch. To recap - The question for Oberon is; Is Nathaniel wielding the demons, or are the demons wielding him? The entities - at least one of them is supposedly hostile, power-obsessed and ruthless. But we show Oberon that Nate is peaceful, gentle and submissive."

"So that's it? We magic-skype with your stepdad, show him what a weenie Nate is, that he's no danger to the world and that we and you and Puck can babysit him and everything's cool?" asked Nashville sarcastically.

"Yep. I really think it can work," Alex quipped.

"What if it doesn't appease Oberon? You couldn't hold the creatures- what if they- I don't know- gain control over Nate and he burns down the city and challenges Oberon? Would that be possible?" Brooklyn asked, and I squirmed under his gaze, though it was more troubled than probing. Because in reality, deep down, I had that fear too. What if I - the human, Nathaniel Sharif - was just a shell, a living vessel, a temporary means of transportation for them? And a valuable one at that, because what other former human would have an entire gargoyle clan, billionaires, tech gurus and magic users on their side? What ... if I and my clan were just tools in a plan? I didn't sense any great interest from either Whisp or the flame creature to participate in the outside world through me - as if they were simply biding their time. Or lulling me into a sense of security. I perceived primarily Whisp's hope that this could work and fluttering fondness towards me. Which could also be the fondness you have for your favorite toy or a pet. Would they use me as soon as they were strong enough to hurt everyone around me and throw the world into chaos? But Alexander patted me on the back and seemed anything but worried.

"Brooklyn, guys, you underestimate the effect Nathaniel has on those around him." He grabbed my chin, moving my head back and forth while squeezing my cheeks together in a way that made me make an involuntary kissy face.

"A cutie", Flora mused chuckling.

"That's exactly the word, Dewdrop," praised Alex. "Look at him!" he warbled as I felt captivated and disturbed by his green eyes and grin full of gargoyle fangs. "Who can look at him and not think-"

"- that he's a pathetic laughing stock?" offered Tachi.

"A nice guy!" corrected Angela.

"Like Fluttershy in My Little Pony?" offered Heather.

"A joke on two legs?" came from Nash.

"Meek? Timid?" from the Xanatoses.

"'Gentleness personified,'" added Goliath suave.

"Not a weapon of mass destruction?" Katana mused.

I rubbed my jaw horns after Alex let go of me and everyone looked to a rather pissed off Lexington, who was the only one who hadn't contributed.

He threw his arms in the air. "Okay, let's try it. But if Oberon starts bitching, he's in for a surprise. I'll build a thousand Iron clan robots to shoot him out of his tights if I have to."

"Yeah, we won't tell him that, Uncle," Alex commented with a grin. He was confident enough for all of us, including me. And since he knew Oberon best, that really, really, really gave me hope.

"That sounds like a plan that can be pulled off without a damn fight," Tachi admitted with a shrug and bit in her next waffle with whipped cream.

"And since I haven't had a seizure yet, it's possible that Hercules' wimpy pansy powers of Not-Doom can do the trick," Nashville pointed out.

Lexington grumbled at the cheeky clan kids where I laughed affectionately. None of them were lying. And if it helped dissuade Oberon from taking hostile action against me, the clan or anyone else, I'd throw myself on my back and meow and paw like a newborn kitten. The less dangerous he thought I was, the less dangerous it was for everyone I loved. What was the point of my pride, which was hardly there anyway? And I wouldn't even have to act in a "mirror call" with THE Oberon, the most powerful being in the world, to really look like I had my pants full.

.

Two hours later, I was nowhere near as confident as I had hoped to be. Fox had done some breathing exercises with me to calm me down and Alex had cast a subtle spell so that I wouldn't A: Stress-puke in front of the most powerful being in the known universe. Or B: burst into flames, which was a display of my powers and thus an act of aggression. The chillax charm, which was supposed to settle over me like one of those pleasantly heavy winter blankets, was the first time thrown off by my inner dwellers as if they were scandalized, kicking toddlers. It wasn't until Alex had sternly and politely reassured them that it was really just for everyone's protection because I (their mortal vessel) wouldn't hold my nerve when faced with someone like Oberon. Only then had Whisp and Fiery allowed it. Yes, I called the other one Fiery now - it was far less intimidating than always talking about the fire entity and the being inside me had grouched perceptibly but settled down after some soothing caresses from Whisp so I guess it was okay.

Despite the spell, my legs were shaky and my skin warmer than average as Alex sandwiched me between Brooklyn (the current Manhattan clan Rhydderch) and Goliath (who Oberon knew and respected as much as a god could respect a mortal) like they were mom and dad at parents day at school. I looked at Fox, who was poring over a large make-up kit with Tachi and quietly making shop talk.

"Shouldn't-I wear something nicer? What I wore for my first day at LeXa ltd?" I asked, tugging at the loose cream-colored knitted poncho. Angela and Katana had tied a neat (not TOO neat) manbun for me, Tachi had recommended some nice stone washed skinny jeans in a shade of khaki but I felt shamefully underdressed even though I could wrap my wings around myself under the poncho.

"You don't want a job, Nate. You don't want to get killed," Tachi helpfully reminded me, standing up, coming to me with a thick cosmetic brush and a compact and powdering my face with blue stuff that tasted like blackboard chalk, making me cough.

"Keep your mouth shut, Nathaniel," Fox said before retreating out of sight of the large standing mirror we were positioned in front of.

"Too late," Brooklyn groaned, his face screwed up because I'd just sneezed powder on him.

The whole clan stood on the sidelines. Most of them were smiling but basically they were all radiating concern or nervous anticipation.

"The poncho is the least warmongering garment there is," Ares said.

"I don't know, didn't Charles Manson wear ponchos at some point?"

"Not helpful, Tachi," Elisa sighed.

"If he looks too cuddly, Oberon will want to keep him as a pet," Broadway muttered, earning Angela's elbow in his gut and a few stern looks and Lexington's death glare. I made a desperate whimpering noise without meaning to and took several deep breaths again.

Then I nodded. "Okay, okay, I-I can handle this. I'm cool. Coolcoolcool. Gee, good thing Oberon won't catch on that my deodorant is failing right now," I joked, giggling shrilly in distress.

"Not just your deodorant, buddy," Brooklyn sighed, fidgeting a little next to me. "He doesn't smoke but the heat Nate gives off-it's like sitting next to a sauna heater."

"Nate, don't sweat. That's why you were powdered. Sweating is a sign of weakness," Alex said, sitting down on a chair behind us. Owen stood by - stone-faced as always in his human form - with his hands politely clasped behind his back like the vassal he was.

"I thought weakness was good," I said insecurely.

"Weak and vulnerable or unthreatening and unworthy of being blasted out of your skin with energy are two different things," remarked Flora, who was standing on the sidelines with Ares and everyone else. Her tone was chipper and sweet as usual, but she bit her lower lip afterward and smiled, visibly grateful as Ares grabbed her hand.

"I don't know how to stop sweating or the heat. Sorry about that. I'm really sorry about that."

"It's okay, Nate. We have confidence and hope," Goliath commented, patting my hand that was resting in my lap. I looked straight ahead and - mashallah, how that looked in the mirror! - the most awkward and embarrassing and forced partial family portrait in the world. Alex flashed his billion dollar smirk but the three of us gargoyles all looked like someone had spit in our soup. I already didn't consider that likeable, so how could Oberon and Titania (because according to the others, Oberon was pretty whipped and that could (but only could) be good for us).

Alex raised his hand and guided it past me towards the mirror surface, spraying little green sparks. "Okay, let's get star-."

"Lex?" I called out, making everyone flinch. My friend jumped to me on all fours, almost slipping on his own wing skin, and grabbed my hands, which I held out to him helplessly.

"Yes, Nate? You ok? We- we can talk about this again."

"No. No, I'll do it. I can do it. Just... could we one more time...," I murmured, hoping he was interpreting my noticeably flushed cheeks and my hands squeezing his correctly. Which he did. His worried expression softened, his smile as divine as the person I was about to haggle with for my life and the lives of everyone who would stand up for me.

"Sure," he whispered, leaning over Brooklyn and kissing me. Considering the circumstances and the many onlookers, he kept the kiss very civilized, but the soft, lingering sensation was a chillax charm all its own for me. He pulled away, I got another blast of blue powder in my face, cleared my throat and then turned to the mirror. "Okay, neither of us is going to be any more ready."

"Great. Let's roll," Alex said and threw a green flash of energy at the mirror, whereupon the reflection that had previously shown our colorful bunch wobbled and revealed other people.

An unspeakably beautiful and yet otherworldly graceful green-skinned elven woman, who could only be Titania. And on the throne beside her - Lord Oberon. Light blue skin and eyes that had no pupil but only frosty irises that reminded me so much of my own eye color that I felt nauseous. And his nose as well as his slim face ... I felt my own eyes widen and the mere sight of him made Whisp and Fiery retreat deeper into me like snarling beasts about to attack in defense of their territory. I barely heard Alexander's words over the roaring in my ears.

"Mighty Lord Oberon, dear Lady Titania. This is Nathaniel Sharif - a cherished member of our clan. He deemed it appropriate to pay his respects to you."

Oberon stared at me so unmoved, coldly, appraisingly and at the same time so intensely that I found it difficult to lower my own gaze humbly. Did the lord and the lady see that my hands were trembling? Did the others see it? Even without meeting his gaze, I could feel the energy of these two powerful beings emanating from the mirror and sweeping over me. It tingled, it stung. As if they were poking and testing me before I had even opened my mouth. I couldn't do that! I was just me - no matter what lurked inside me. I was just me!

"You may speak - mortal," the lord said and at his arrogant, now- already now unforgiving and impatient-sounding voice alone, I wanted to growl out loud, throw myself through the mirror and rip his throat out. I? No. FIERY!

I felt Alexander put his hands on my shoulders - on the skin that wasn't covered by fabric or wings. And I didn't know what he was doing, but I felt energy other than that of my demons or the blue-blooded fey that filled the room and made it stuffy without them even being in it. I managed to lift my head, smile tensely and open my mouth.

Thanks for reading, Q.T.